Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Thursday January 9, 2020.
THE DAILY SIGNAL
| Jan 09, 2020 Good morning from Washington, where Iran remains the top story as both President Trump and the Islamic regime’s supreme leader signal a willingness to step back from the brink. We’ve got analysis on the podcast from Heritage Foundation scholar Luke Coffey and a who’s-who of Iran’s top leadership from Fred Lucas. Plus: Star Parker on the president’s bold strike, Tim Goeglein on an inspirational historian, and Jarrett Stepman on the kid who stood up to CNN. On this date in 2001, Apple launches iTunes, revolutionizing the way the world consumes digital media—exactly six years before Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduces the iPhone. ANALYSISWhat’s Next for the US and IranBy Daniel Davis Will Iran strike again to take revenge for the death of Gen. Qassim Suleimani? What will Trump’s economic sanctions look like? And what about Iraq’s attitude to all this? Heritage Foundation foreign policy expert Luke Coffey has answers.MoreCOMMENTARYMAGA Hat-Wearing Teen Just Got a Settlement From CNN. Media: Learn Your Lesson.By Jarrett Stepman While the media often portray themselves as noble guardians of the truth who keep a close watch on those in power, the reality is quite the opposite: It is they who are in power and often swoop down to crush the powerless.MoreNEWS5 Top Iranian Officials You Should KnowBy Fred Lucas Who will be making the decisions in Tehran about Iran’s next steps? Fred Lucas has background on five key figures.MoreCOMMENTARYRemembering Gertrude Himmelfarb, a Voice of Moral Clarity in a Time of Moral ConfusionBy Timothy Goeglein America has lost a voice that strongly and consistently provided the road map to steer us away from the political and cultural abyss we currently face.MoreCOMMENTARYTrump’s Timely Move Against EvilBy Star Parker The muted reaction of leading liberals to the elimination of Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani reinforces my sense that one part of America still believes that there is good and evil, and one part doesn’t.More The Daily Signal is brought to you by more than half a million members of The Heritage Foundation. Donate to The Daily Signal Find us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter How are we doing? We welcome your comments, suggestions, and story tips. Please reply to this email or send us a note at comments@dailysignal.com.The Daily Signal 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002 (800) 546-2843 Add morningbell@heritage.org to your address book to ensure that you receive emails from us.You are subscribed to this newsletter as rickbulow74@live.com. If you want to receive other Heritage Foundation newsletters, or opt out of this newsletter, please click here to update your subscription. |
THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
DAYBREAK
| Your First Look at Today’s Top Stories – Daybreak InsiderHaving trouble viewing this email? View the web version.SPONSORED BYDaybreakInsider.com @DaybreakInsiderTHURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 20201.Dems Losing Patience with Pelosi on Sending Articles to Senate Even the New York Times notes “a growing number of Senate Democrats signaled that they, too, were eager to begin the proceeding” (NY Times). From Ed Morrissey: McConnell declared, “the House Democrats’ turn is over” on impeachment, and so is his patience with dilatory tactics over perceived “leverage.” McConnell has no intention of negotiating away the Senate’s constitutional authority to set its own rules, and Pelosi’s delusional if she thinks she has any “leverage” to use on this point (Hot Air). 2.Democrats Display Short Memory of Obama on Iran A look at how Obama helped fund the Iranian regime (National Review). From Ross Douthat: Useful for maximal hysteria over Trump to forget an Obama war that: 1) Lacked congressional approval 2) Lacked post-war plan 3) Toppled a dictator who had *given up* WMDs 4) Provided zone for ISIS 5) Worsened refugee crisis 6) Set stage for still-ongoing 2nd Libyan civil war (Twitter). From Rich Lowry: …all the talk of August 1914 and the onset of World War III was, like the brief media obsession with an impending recession last year, hysteria fueled in part by anti-Trump animus (National Review). Advertisement3.Several States Look to Stop Boys from Competing as Girls From the story: The bills—introduced or prefiled in New Hampshire, Washington, Georgia, Tennessee and Missouri—reflect growing attention around the issue of whether transgender-rights protections are leading to unfair competition in women’s sports. As it is now, the story notes “In about a third of states, transgender students can freely compete on teams of the gender they identify with.” WSJ 4.Biden’s Past War Stance Doesn’t Match Campaign Talk Turns out, Biden was for the Iraq war before he was against it (National Review). Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is not attracting significant party donors (FiveThirtyEight). And Elizabeth Warren has been mocked for her strange advice to “dump the guy who ghosted you…” (Twitter). 5.Cancer Deaths See Largest Single-Year Drop on Record And has been dropping for 26 years, according to the story (ABC News). Ruth Bader Ginsburg finds herself on the positive side of that statistic (NY Post). Advertisement6.Uber Alters System to Get Around California Law California was trying to force them to make contractors employees. WSJ 7.Saved by the Bell Reboot to Feature Trans TeenWho, of course, is going to be the popular one. Daily Wire 8.Chick-fil-A’s Dan Cathy Sends Letter Saying They Regret Discrediting the Salvation ArmyThe letter was sent to Don Wildmon of the American Family Association Christian Headlines AdvertisementCopyright © 2020 DaybreakInsider.comSUBSCRIPTION INFO This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It is only sent to people who signed up from one of the Salem Media Group network of websites OR a friend might have forwarded it to you. We respect and value your time and privacy. Unsubscribe from The Daybreak Insider OR Send postal mail to: The Daybreak Insider Unsubscribe 6400 N. Belt Line Rd., Suite 200, Irving, TX 75063 Were you forwarded this edition of The Daybreak Insider? Get your own free subscription Copyright © 2020 Salem Media Group and its Content Providers. All rights reserved. |
LARRY J. SABATO’S CRYSTAL BALL
| IN THIS ISSUE: – The Electoral College: Maine and Nebraska’s Crucial Battleground Votes– Republican Edge in Electoral College Tie EnduresTHE ELECTORAL COLLEGE: MAINE AND NEBRASKA’S CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND VOTES By J. Miles Coleman Associate Editor, Sabato’s Crystal Ball |
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE– Nationalization has pushed urban and rural areas apart; Maine and Nebraska are no exceptions to this trend, and their unique electoral vote allocation systems are highlighting that division.– The Omaha-based NE-2 supported Republicans in the past two presidential elections, but by decreasing margins, and could feasibly vote blue in 2020.– Maine’s two districts, once political mirror images of each other, have drifted steadily apart. The Crystal Ball sees Donald Trump as a favorite to carry ME-2 again, though Democrats should retain the state’s other three electoral votes.– In a close national election, Maine and Nebraska’s respective second districts could provide potentially decisive electoral votes.Split votes accentuate new coalitionsIn presidential elections, 48 states award their electoral votes on a “winner take all” basis. Since the 1992 presidential election, the exceptions to this rule have been Maine and Nebraska, a duo that combines for nine electoral votes. Each state awards two votes to its statewide winner but allocate the remainder of their votes based on the winner of each of their congressional districts.Until the 2008 presidential election, this seemed more like an academic curiosity than anything else. Like most large cities, Omaha took a sharp leftward turn between 2004 and 2008 — enough to swing its red-leaning district, NE-2, blue. In 2004, President Bush carried the city of Omaha by a 55%-44% margin, and NE-2 with a larger 60%-38% score. The next election, Barack Obama reversed the situation: He took 55% in the city, which allowed him to eke out a 50%-49% win districtwide. This made Obama the first Democrat to carry a Cornhusker State electoral vote since Lyndon Johnson, in 1964.In their post-mortem book of the 2008 election, How Barack Obama Won, NBC political analysts Chuck Todd and Sheldon Gawiser joked that the city was looking more like “Obama-ha.” Though NE-2 reverted to its red tendencies in the following presidential election, it did so by a margin close enough to give Democrats hope that it could be within reach again.In 2016, another electoral vote split happened, this time in Maine and to the benefit of the GOP. Running on a populist platform aimed in large part at blue collar voters, Donald Trump carried ME-2, a heavily white, working-class district based in rural northern Maine.The defections of NE-2 and ME-2 spoke to the unique coalitions that their winners were able to forge as they captured the presidency from the other party: Obama successfully mobilized his constituencies in metro centers while Trump found overwhelming support in rural areas.Signs of an Obama-ha comeback in 2018?Since Obama’s 2008 election, NE-2 has proved elusive to Democrats, providing Republicans with clear but tantalizing margins: In 2012, Mitt Romney carried it by seven percentage points, and by 2016, the GOP’s advantage softened, as Trump held it by a weaker 47%-45% spread.If Democrats are hoping to win an electoral vote in Nebraska this year, the 2018 gubernatorial race there provides a template.At the gubernatorial level, Republicans have had a lock on the Nebraska governor’s mansion since the dawn of the century — in fact, the last truly competitive gubernatorial race there was in 1998, where the GOP won by a 54%-46% margin. Its most recent contest, in 2018, was no exception to this pattern. Despite a credible challenger in then-state Sen. Bob Krist (D), the Crystal Ball kept the race at Safe Republican the entire cycle; incumbent Gov. Pete Ricketts (R-NE) would secure a second term that year by an easy 59%-41% spread.Holistically, Ricketts’ 2018 performance represented an encore of his 2014 showing, as he won by the same 18% margin. Viewed in isolation, Nebraska’s last two gubernatorial races offer little for political analysts to get excited about — a Republican won by nearly 20% in a safely red state. Still, the static statewide toplines belie the changes underneath (Map 1):Map 1: Change in Nebraska gubernatorial races, 2014-2018Map 1 shows the change between the 2014 and 2018 Nebraska gubernatorial elections. Of the state’s three districts, Ricketts only fared better in the western NE-3, a geographically vast rural district that includes all or parts of more counties (75) than any other congressional district. Much of the GOP’s statewide strength is locked up here. Moving east, NE-1 shifted slightly leftward and is more Democratic than the state, but it still gave Ricketts an 11.6% win. Democrats have something of a base in this district with the capital city, Lincoln, but NE-1 would have given Obama 44% in 2008, so it’s not a realistic target at the presidential level.The most encouraging news for Democrats in Map 1 was NE-2. After Ricketts carried it by 9% in 2014, it supported Krist by just over 1%. Digging a bit deeper, Map 2 shows the NE-2 gubernatorial vote broken down by legislative district.Map 2: NE-2 by legislative district, 2014-2018Most of the movement was in Douglas County, which houses Omaha and casts upwards of 80% of the district’s vote. Not surprisingly, in flipping the district, Krist was more competitive in the central part of the county, which contains the suburban precincts. Before his 2018 gubernatorial run, Krist represented SD-10 in the legislature. He lost it, but Ricketts’ 51% share there was down from his 56% in 2014.Despite the broad blue movement through the district, SD-11 should give Democrats pause. The only black-majority legislative district in the state, it moved slightly more Republican, as the third image in Map 2 shows. Energizing black voters in the post-Obama political environment has been a lingering problem for Democrats. Though some candidates — like Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) and Gov. John Bel Edwards (D-LA) — have overcome this, NE-2 underscores the pervasiveness of this trend.Overall, the Crystal Ball sees NE-2’s electoral vote as a Toss-up for 2020, and the district should also feature a competitive U.S. House election, as Rep. Don Bacon (R, NE-2) seeks a third term after close victories in 2016 and 2018.As Maine goes, so goes the nation. Sort of…The maxim “as Maine goes, so goes the nation” dates back to the state’s early years in the Union; since the 1820s, Maine scheduled its biennial gubernatorial elections in September. More often than not, in presidential years, the September results there would foreshadow the national outcome a few months later. Its gubernatorial elections were eventually moved to November, with the 1960 cycle, but Maine’s image as a bellwether is an enduring part of its political culture.While early presidential campaigns would bank on Maine’s gubernatorial vote, campaigns these days are focusing increasingly on its congressional districts. Maine began allocating its electoral votes by congressional district beginning with the 1972 presidential election (Nebraska began two decades later, for 1992). Though New England is, at times, overlooked as a solidly blue region in presidential politics, the divergent trajectories of Maine’s congressional districts speaks to the polarization that’s taking shape there.The district boundaries have changed somewhat throughout the decades, but their basic geography remains the same: ME-1 is anchored in Portland, the state’s most populous city, and takes in a selection of smaller coastal counties, while ME-2 is essentially the rest of the state, and has a more rural character.With the advent of its district-based allocation plan, it seemed that neither individual district would be especially significant in a close Electoral College scenario. In fact, until 2016, both districts voted the same way in every presidential election. Campaigns seemed more focused on bigger electoral prizes than spending resources to snag an additional vote there.Maine’s statewide vote in 1972 was a perfect bellwether for the national vote — Richard Nixon’s 23 percentage point margin there matched his overall popular vote margin. Moreover, both its congressional districts reflected this; Nixon received 61.4% of the vote in ME-1 and 61.5% in ME-2.Broadly, it shouldn’t seem surprising that Nixon carried both districts easily in 1972 — he won in a 520-electoral vote rout, after all. Still, the next election, 1976, was a hotly-contested race, but the uniformity between the districts persisted. That year, former Gov. Jimmy Carter (D-GA) ousted President Gerald Ford (R) in a close 50%-48% national vote. Ford was a better fit for Maine, a state with a long history of Yankee Republicanism; he held it by a 49%-48% spread over Carter. Impressively, Ford won all four electoral votes from the state. ME-1 supported him by 1.3%, and he carried ME-2 by less than half a percentage point.In 2016, Maine’s statewide vote again tracked well with the national popular vote. While Hillary Clinton’s 48%-45% spread in the state seemed like a somewhat bare-bones victory — as President Obama carried the state twice by double-digits — it looked much like her 48%-46% popular vote edge.As with the country itself, though, studying the 2016 electorate at a more granular level revealed a divided electorate. Clinton carried ME-1 by 14.5% spread, while Trump nabbed ME-2 by a comfortable 10.5% margin. As a result, Trump became the first presidential candidate to win a split electoral vote from Maine despite losing statewide since the inception of its district-based allocation plan.The 25 percentage point gap between the districts in 2016 represented a pinnacle of division. As Table 1 shows, Maine’s two districts typically voted in unison, and until the turn of the 21st century were always within 5% of each other. For 2016, this understated solidarity turned into more of a tug-of-war act. In 1988, the late President George H. W. Bush carried ME-2 by a margin comparable to Trump’s — the difference was Bush found a commensurate level of support next door in ME-1, instead of losing it by 14.5% (the famous Bush family compound at Kennebunkport is in ME-1).Table 1. Democratic margins in Maine’s congressional districtsLooking back through the decades, the 2016 result in Maine seemed like an abrupt departure from regularity, but more recent state-level trends suggest that the division will persist for the foreseeable future. In fact, as history would have it, a preview of Maine’s 2016 division came in a familiar place — its previous gubernatorial election, in 2014.In 2014, Democrats were hoping to limit Gov. Paul LePage (R-ME) to a single term, after he squeaked by with a 38% plurality in 2010. In many ways, LePage was something of a proto-Trump: known for his gruff style, he’d initiate name-calling matches with Democratic leaders in his legislature. Democrats recruited then-Rep. Mike Michaud (D, ME-2), who had represented the northern district since 2003. The red wave that helped sweep LePage into office in 2010 also contributed to the closest reelection contest of Michaud’s career, but he nonetheless held on by a 55%-45% margin.During the final weeks of the campaign, the polling consensus pointed to a tied contest. LePage ended up winning the race by five percentage points, and came close to clearing a majority of the vote, taking over 48%; an independent candidate, Eliot Cutler, who nearly beat LePage in 2010, ran again in 2014 — he dropped out of the race during the final stretch, but still pulled a non-trivial 8.4% of the vote.The most salient factor in LePage’s win was his dominating performance in ME-2. Though Michaud had been a known commodity there for over a decade by then, LePage carried it by 13 percentage points. Michaud carried the more liberal ME-1 with 47%, but that wasn’t enough to compensate for the sub-40% share he took in ME-02 (Map 3).Map 3: Maine’s congressional districts, 2012-2016The contours of the 2014 gubernatorial race held for 2016, and both scenarios make Obama’s 2012 performance seem like a rarity.The precedent that 2014 set was worrisome for Democrats in three ways. First, they couldn’t simply blame LePage’s win on low turnout or a disengaged electorate — something that certainly hurt their standings in other states during Obama’s midterms. According to Dr. Michael McDonald of the University of Florida, Maine saw the highest voter turnout of any state during the 2014 midterms, at 58%. The 2014 electorate was thus, essentially, the most “presidential” of any state that year.Second, between 2014 and 2016, nearly all of Clinton’s improvement over Michaud came in ME-1. She fared 12% better there, taking his 2.4% margin in the 1st District up to a 14.5% advantage, but saw only a meager uptick in ME-2, as both Democrats remained stuck around a 40% share in that district. Had Clinton gained the same 12% in ME-2, she would have only narrowly lost it.This phenomenon is known as “wasting” votes: Democrats aren’t in jeopardy of losing ME-1’s electoral vote, but they are still winning it by larger margins. In other words, they’re getting help in Maine where it’s needed least, although improving in ME-1 will help the Democratic nominee hold on to at least three of the four electoral votes in Maine (the two statewide votes and the single ME-1 vote). ME-1 also tends to cast more votes — in both 2012 and 2016, it cast roughly 40,000 more votes than ME-2 — so its greater influence should nudge the statewide vote slightly towards Democrats.Lastly, and most recently, in 2018, Democrats won back the Maine governor’s mansion, but did so without carrying ME-2. Then-state Attorney General Janet Mills (D) hailed from the northern district, but in her 51%-43% gubernatorial win, she came up 3.6% short in ME-2. Both the 2014 and 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominees had strong local ties to the district, and it still wouldn’t support them — this doesn’t bode well for the Democratic presidential nominee’s chances there in a considerably more partisan contest.This isn’t to say ME-2 is completely safe for Republicans. At the congressional level, after losing it in 2014, Democrats flipped the seat back with Rep. Jared Golden (D, ME-2). Golden ousted Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R), becoming the first challenger to defeat an incumbent there in over 100 years. In his ads, he played up his military record and made overtures to the center. Golden has cast his votes carefully, most notably during the recent impeachment proceedings, when he was the only House member to split his votes on the two articles of impeachment.Golden’s moderate ideological profile makes him a better fit for his district than whoever the eventual Democratic nominee will be, but a factor in his 2018 win that will be relevant in 2020 was the state’s new ranked-choice voting system. Maine voters approved the electoral system in a 2016 referendum, and 2018 was the first cycle where it was used.In the 2020 general election, Maine will become the first state to ever use the method in a presidential scenario. If Trump clears 50% in ME-2, as he did in 2016, he’ll have no problem carrying an electoral vote from the state again, but the system introduces another electoral wrinkle in a state already known for its independent-minded tendencies.Could either ME-2 or NE-2 swing the election later this year? Let’s consider a scenario where the Democrats win back Wisconsin and Michigan and finally turn Arizona blue. In this scenario, Pennsylvania stubbornly stays with Trump, and he’s able to replicate his 2016 showing in ME-2. If Democrats can return NE-2 back to their fold, it would provide their 270th electoral vote (Map 4).Map 4: NE-2 as the decisive electoral voteIf NE-2 stays Republican, the result would be a 269-269 tie, in which, ironically enough, ME-2’s single electoral vote would prevent the Democrat from winning an Electoral College majority.Meanwhile, ME-2 and NE-2 also figure prominently in another tie scenario, shown in Map 5. In this instance, Democrats flip Michigan, Pennsylvania, and NE-2.Map 5: Hypothetical 269-269 tieAs fellow editor Kyle Kondik explores in a companion piece in this week’s issue, a tie would likely ensure Trump’s reelection.Overall, we continue to look at the 2020 election as being close and competitive. So close, in fact, that it’s not out of the question that the single electoral votes from ME-2 and NE-2 could be quite important in deciding the outcome. |
| REPUBLICAN EDGE IN ELECTORAL COLLEGE TIE ENDURES |
| By Kyle Kondik Managing Editor, Sabato’s Crystal Ball |
KEY POINTS FROM THIS ARTICLE– If no candidate gets to 270 Electoral College votes, the U.S. House of Representatives would pick the next president.– The House has not had to pick a president in nearly two centuries. In the event of such a tiebreaking vote, each state’s U.S. House delegation would get to cast a single vote. The eventual president would need to win a majority of the 50 state delegations.– Republicans control 26 delegations and Democrats control 23, with one tie (Pennsylvania). That is a slight improvement for Democrats from this time last year, although that improvement is based on a fluke and may not endure.– The GOP remains favored to control a majority of House delegations following this November’s House election.Why a 269-269 tie would likely go to the GOPThe possibility that the Electoral College could split 269-269 is remote, but possible. As my colleague J. Miles Coleman notes this week, there are scenarios under which the single electoral votes produced by Maine and Nebraska’s unique congressional district electoral vote allocation systems could tip the election one way or the other, or even produce a tie. One of these tie vote scenarios, the one Miles highlighted, is actually plausible: Switching Michigan, Pennsylvania, and NE-2 from Republican to Democratic, and otherwise holding everything else constant from the 2016 election, would produce a tied Electoral College.We looked at the GOP edge in the event of a tie about a year ago, and we thought we’d update our outlook at the dawn of the election year. There have been some subtle changes, but the GOP’s advantage endures. To illustrate this edge, we’re doing something new: adding ratings to the 50 state delegations.In a scenario in which no presidential candidate wins the 270 electoral votes required to be elected president, the newly-elected House of Representatives would select the president from among the top three finishers in the Electoral College. In a 269-269 scenario, that would mean the House would just select between the Democratic and Republican nominees, as they would be the only recipients of electoral votes.Each state’s House delegation gets a single vote, meaning California (with 53 House members) and Texas (with 36) have the same power in this vote as states like Vermont and Wyoming, which have only one apiece. The District of Columbia, which has three electoral votes but no voting representation in the House, would not get to participate in the House vote — it’s the only entity with voting power in the Electoral College that does not have any voting power in the tiebreaking process for president and vice president.The Senate’s role in the event of a tie would be to pick a vice president, and each of the 100 senators gets a vote.A majority of state U.S. House delegations — 26 of 50 — must vote for a candidate in order for that candidate to win the presidency. If no candidate can assemble a majority, the person selected as vice president would serve as president (assuming the Senate could actually produce a majority for vice president — the hypotheticals here are starting to give us a headache).Despite being in the House minority, Republicans retain a bare majority of delegations: They hold 26 of the 50 delegations. Democrats hold 23, and one state is split: Pennsylvania, at nine seats apiece.This tabulation may actually understate the Republican advantage, though — or, rather, understate Democrats’ difficulty in netting the three delegations they would need in order to grab an outright majority.Table 1 and Map 1 show the current makeup of the state U.S. House delegations. We have assigned ratings — from Safe Republican to Safe Democratic — assessing the likelihood of either side winning control of each delegation. This basically translates our individual House ratings into state-level ratings. Table 1 sorts the state delegations from Safe Republican (top) to Safe Democratic (bottom), with the most competitive delegations in the middle. Table 2 summarizes the ratings.Map 1 and Table 1: Current control of U.S. House delegationsNotes: R is all Republican-held seats; D is all Democratic-held seats; I is all independent seats; V is all vacant seats.Table 2: Crystal Ball ratings of House delegation controlBased on our assessment, Republicans start with a hard floor of 19 delegations, with an additional six likely to stay Republican. That’s 25 delegations right there. Florida, where the GOP holds a 14-13 edge, is leans Republican — that’s 26, the magic number.Meanwhile, Democrats have 14 safe delegations, three likely delegations, and two leans delegations. That’s only 19.Of the five Toss-up delegations, four are currently held by Democrats (the fifth is tied Pennsylvania). Of these Toss-ups, the Democratic edge in Michigan’s delegation is extremely tenuous. In 2018, Michigan elected seven Democrats and seven Republicans to the House, but Rep. Justin Amash’s (I, MI-3) defection from the GOP has technically given the Democrats a 7-6-1 edge in the state. However, Amash is, in all likelihood, a substantial underdog to win reelection as an independent in what could be a three-way race in a GOP-leaning though competitive district. If he did get reelected, would he side with Democrats in a House vote? After all, he was the only non-Democrat to back impeachment. Or would he ally with Republicans and perhaps prevent Michigan from casting a vote altogether?Beyond Michigan, Democrats also have to defend vulnerable Toss-up districts in states such as Iowa and Maine to hold their majorities in those delegations.A couple of the Likely Republican states, Alaska and Montana, are states with a single member. Montana is an open seat, while Rep. Don Young (R, AK-AL), the dean of the House, has been in the House for almost half a century. If either race is highly competitive (one or both might be, although Republicans are clearly favored to hold both), it’s possible that the issue of how a Democratic, at-large House member might vote in a tied Electoral College scenario could come up in a campaign.There is some precedent for this becoming a campaign issue. In 2004, Stephanie Herseth (D) — who now goes by Stephanie Herseth Sandlin after marrying Max Sandlin (D), a former House member from Texas — won a special election for the at-large House seat in South Dakota. During the subsequent general election, when George W. Bush was locked in a close reelection battle with John Kerry, Herseth’s GOP opponent pressed her on how she would cast the South Dakota House delegation’s vote for president if the presidential election went to the House. As recounted in the 2006 edition of the Almanac of American Politics, she said she would back Bush because Bush would win the state, as of course he did. (Herseth Sandlin eventually lost her seat in the 2010 GOP wave.)The reason we bring this up is to say that the behavior of individual members might matter quite a bit in the event of a vote, and just because a party might have a numerical advantage in a state doesn’t mean that the delegation would vote that way (although the strong likelihood is that individual members would not break with their party on such an important vote). Again, we don’t want to go down a rabbit hole here and agonize over hypotheticals based on the extremely unlikely event of an Electoral College tie. Rather, we just want to note the inherent uncertainty — and potential craziness — of a process that none of us have ever seen in action in our lifetimes.One final point: Presidential elections have a significant impact on down-ballot races, including those for House and for Senate. A presidential election that produced a 269-269 split in the Electoral College would likely be close nationally: it’s possible that the Democrat would run ahead of Hillary Clinton’s two-point national popular vote edge from 2016, but probably not that far ahead. Our best guess is that in such a closely-divided scenario, there probably wouldn’t be dramatic changes in the House — or, at least, in the overall partisan control of House delegations.In other words, one can envision scenarios in which Democrats take a majority of House delegations, but that would probably be part of a larger national victory that would produce a clear Democratic victor for president, too, making a tiebreaking vote in the House unnecessary.Overall, Republicans retain an edge in the tiebreaking procedure for president, and they are quite likely to maintain that advantage if such a tiebreaker becomes necessary after the November election.Out Now: The Blue Wave, the UVA Center for Politics’ book on the 2018 electionOur book on the 2018 midterm elections, The Blue Wave: The 2018 Midterms and What They Mean for the 2020 Elections, is now available from Rowman and Littlefield. Edited by University of Virginia Center for Politics Director Larry J. Sabato and Crystal Ball managing editor Kyle Kondik, The Blue Wave features top journalists, academics, and analysts who explore the 2018 midterm from all angles and look ahead to the monumental presidential election coming in 2020.Use code RLFANDF30 for 30% off at Rowman and Littlefield’s website.The Blue Wave features the following contributors and chapters:– Larry J. Sabato: The Blue Wave: Trump at Midterm– Alan I. Abramowitz: The Trump Effect: The 2018 Midterm Election as a Referendum on a Polarizing President– Rhodes Cook: The Primaries: Democrats Shine in the Shadow of Trump– David Byler: Humpty Dumpty’s Fall: How Trump’s Winning Presidential Coalition Broke Down in 2018— Kyle Kondik: The House: Where the Blue Wave Hit the Hardest– James Hohmann: The Senate: The Republicans’ Bright Spot– Madelaine Pisani: The Governors: Democratic Wave Falls Short of a Wipeout– Michael Toner and Karen Trainer: The Money Wars: Emerging Campaign Finance Trends and Their Impact on 2018 and Beyond– Emily C. Singer: Women Rule: The Surge of Women in Congress– Theodore R. Johnson: Hindsight in 2020: Black Voting Behavior and the Next Presidential Election– Matt Barreto, Gary Segura, and Albert Morales: The Brown Tide and the Blue Wave in 2018– Diana Owen: Presidential Media and the Midterm Elections– Joshua T. Putnam: Foresight is 2020: New Features of the Democratic Delegate Selection Rules– Sean Trende: Was 2018 a Wave Election?Read the fine printLearn more about the Crystal Ball and find out how to contact us here.Sign up to receive Crystal Ball e-mails like this one delivered straight to your inbox.Use caution with Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and remember: “He who lives by the Crystal Ball ends up eating ground glass!” |
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THE WASHINGTON TIMES
| Thursday, January 9, 2020 |
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THE FLIP SIDE
| View this email in your browser Thursday, January 9, 2020Iran De-escalation“The U.S. and Iran stepped back from the brink of possible war on Wednesday as President Donald Trump signaled he would not retaliate militarily for Iran’s missile strikes on Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. No one was harmed in the strikes, but U.S. forces in the region remained on high alert.” AP NewsFrom the LeftThe left is relieved by Trump’s speech but skeptical of his overall Iran strategy.“President Donald Trump’s speech on Iran will not go down in memory as eloquent or inspiring — but it gave the world what it needed most today: an opportunity for de-escalation… For Iranians, although Trump hardly offered an olive branch, the absence of threats of military force should be the key takeaway; it may be the first time the announcement of more sanctions would be welcome in Tehran. Moreover, in several parts of the speech, Trump referenced a desire to see a peaceful and prosperous Iran — without any obvious suggestion of regime change being the prerequisite.” Meghan L. O’Sullivan, Bloomberg “Trump does have grounds for satisfaction. The conflict has not spiraled out of control, as some had feared. Iran has lost its most famous and powerful general, as well as the commander of an important Shiite militia in Iraq and two dozen other militia fighters. After failing to retaliate for a long series of Iranian attacks in 2019, Trump has established a degree of deterrence with Iran… [But] Contrary to Trump’s Tuesday night tweet, all is far from well… “Trump constantly reiterates that he will never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, but it’s closer to that goal now than it was when Trump took office… To reach a [nuclear] deal, Trump will need to moderate his demands… The best Trump can realistically hope for is a strengthened nuclear deal with a longer time line, greater inspection requirements and some limits on long-range missiles. And even achieving that modest outcome would probably require a suspension of some economic sanctions to lure the Iranians back to the negotiating table.” Max Boot, Washington Post “Having scrapped the deal that curtailed Iran’s program and plunged into confrontation with the regime, [Trump] has articulated no coherent strategy for stopping additional Iranian enrichment of uranium — other than calling on European allies and Russia to give up their attempts to save the pact. Mr. Trump ought to embrace the pause in hostilities as an opportunity to begin serious negotiations with the Islamic republic… [The] campaign of ‘maximum pressure’ has failed to bring about the new nuclear negotiations Mr. Trump says he wants, much less the regime collapse or capitulation his more hawkish advisers hope for. But it virtually ensures that Iranian responses like last year’s attacks on Persian Gulf shipping and Saudi oil fields will continue.” Editorial Board, Washington Post “Iran’s $400 billion energy deal with China in 2019 permits Beijing to station up to 5,000 security personnel in Iran to protect its investments, with more to guard supply lines, including in the Gulf. In December China, Russia and Iran conducted joint naval drills in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Oman in an effort to deepen their naval cooperation… [In his speech yesterday] Trump appeared to call on Russia and China and the Europeans to join with the U.S. in the effort to stop Iran from supporting ‘terrorism’ and to prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. But to bring China, Russia and the Europeans on board, Trump will need to abandon his unilateral and militarist ‘America First’ and ‘Peace through Strength’ doctrines. In short, Trump will need to reverse course and seek peace through diplomatic compromise.” Hall Gardner, The Hill Critics argue that “The Islamic revolutionaries were flailing domestically, increasingly reliant on ruthless methods to quell disaffection, before Trump rescued them by killing Soleimani, Iran’s national hero. The U.S has not only managed to unite Iranians behind their present leaders, while effectively delegitimizing and disempowering what had been a growing opposition. Creating the greatest Iranian martyr since Khomeini, it has also refurbished the faded mythology of the Iranian Revolution. Iran is returning to its nuclear program; its friends in Iraq are more determined to expel American troops from their country. Other fiascos for the United States in a region it once dominated will no doubt follow.” Pankaj Mishra, Bloomberg “Trump’s aggressive tone toward Iran during the speech — his repeated insistence that neither Iran’s regional adventurism nor its nuclear ambitions will be tolerated — seems to commit him to more aggressive action in the future… Iran has shown a significant willingness to suffer casualties in pursuit of its objectives before, losing 2,300 soldiers in Syria by its own (potentially low-balled) figures. Why would a limited demonstration of American force cause it to back off a 40-year policy of throwing around its military weight by using proxy forces?… It would be truly shocking if Iran doesn’t do anything provocative for the remainder of the Trump presidency. How will he handle this the next time around?” Zack Beauchamp, VoxFrom the RightThe right applauds Trump’s speech and argues that his Iran strategy has been successful.“President Trump is not usually known for restraint, but his brief speech to the nation Wednesday morning showed tough-minded restraint of just the right sort… “By announcing a further tightening of the sanctions that are already crippling Iran’s economy, Trump shows that the U.S. will not meekly accept even a largely failed missile attack on its military bases — and he does it without further violence. By leading with the assertion that the U.S. will never allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, and by returning to it several times, the president made clear the main imperative that has driven, and must drive, American grand strategy toward Iran. Yet, by refraining from any immediate military action, Trump provided room for Iran to de-escalate and accept his closing offer of peace.” Quin Hillyer, Washington Examiner “Military experts will be debating this for a while, but if a country fires 22 missiles at targets and doesn’t kill anyone, either they’re really bad at their jobs or this operation was primarily symbolic. The Iranians could have tried other methods more likely to kill Americans last night, but they didn’t. The Iranian Air Force stayed within its own territory. They’re telling their people that they won a great victory. The message to us, between the lines, is that they don’t want this fight to get any bigger… “If the fight ends now, the United States is the big winner. We killed Soleimani, demonstrated that we can target just about anyone in the Iranian regime and eliminate them without warning, and have, so far, not lost any American lives in the Iranian counterattack, nor have our Iraqi allies.” Jim Geraghty, National Review “In the run-up to the attack on Soleimani, Shiite militias under the general’s ultimate direction were firing rockets at U.S. troops, and Iran had orchestrated an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. This came on top of months of broader escalation, including the targeting of drones and tankers in the Arabian Sea and attacks on Saudi oil fields. It was necessary for Trump to do something significant to reestablish deterrence against Iran. Killing Soleimani was a way to weaken Iran severely and reestablish deterrence in a targeted way… Trump’s foreign policy positions have been criticized as incoherent. But his recent actions on Iran are the most consistent manifestation yet of his foreign policy impulse to project strength while avoiding protracted wars.” Editorial Board, Washington Examiner “President Trump has demonstrated that he is uninterested in the lofty goals of nation-building and regime change that once characterized his party… On Wednesday, he vowed that Iran would not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon ‘as long as I am president.’ And yet in that same speech, Trump extended a hand of cooperation to Iran. ‘The destruction of ISIS is good for Iran,’ he said. ‘We should work together on this and other shared priorities.’ This doesn’t sound like a man bent on regime change by military force. They are the words of a president who seeks to deter Iran from targeting Americans and building nuclear weapons… “It’s sometimes said that war is the failure of diplomacy. That’s not quite right. More often, war is the failure of deterrence.” Eli Lake, Bloomberg “The [Iranian] regime received windfall concessions upon signing the 2015 nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, including tens of billions in cash and billions more from new access to the global economy. But instead of using its newfound riches to invest in the Iranian people — as hoped for by Obama and his supporters — Tehran instead doubled down on its efforts to disrupt the Middle East… It is true that a more aggressive U.S. posture against Iran could lead to additional threats against U.S. installations and interests, such as Tuesday’s limited missile strikes against bases housing American troops in Iraq. But that possibility has to be weighed against the fact that Iran has already claimed hundreds of American lives and has been busy plotting and planning future attacks… “After two years of crippling U.S. sanctions (Iran’s GDP contracted by nearly 10 percent in 2019), a restive public, and a U.S. administration willing to back up its diplomacy with force, the regime confronts existential choices. Will it try to maintain its position as the world’s leading state sponsor of terror while squandering countless resources on internal repression and nuclear and ballistic missile programs? Or, will it choose the path of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, recognizing it is backed into a strategic corner, and negotiate a peaceful way out?” Stuart Gottlieb and Danielle Pletka, The HillOn the bright side… An alarmed neighbor called police after hearing what she thought was a woman screaming “Help, help, let me out!”—but it turned out to be a parrot. NewsweekThe Flip Side team spends hours each night scanning the news, fact-checking, and debating one another, so your 5 minutes each morning can be well spent. If you’ve found value in our work, we welcome you to help sustain our efforts and expand our reach. Any support you can provide is greatly appreciated!Were you forwarded this from a friend? Sign Up HereOur ArchivesShareTweetForwardCopyright © 2020 The Flip Side, All rights reserved. You can unsubscribe from this list here. |
THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING HEADLINES
| Sign up for this newsletterRead onlineThe morning’s most important stories, curated by Post editors. (Jabin Botsford/The Post)U.S. and Iran back away from imminent conflictWar fears have eased after Iranian strikes on Iraqi military bases that claimed no casualties, but the House is still set to vote on limits to President Trump’s war powers.By Anne Gearan, Siobhán O’Grady, Mike DeBonis and Felicia Sonmez ● Read more » U.S. and Iran step back, but underlying tensions remainAny thought that President Trump would provide an incentive to work toward peace was quashed when he announced “additional punishing sanctions on the Iranian regime.”By Karen DeYoung ● Read more » ‘Launch, launch, launch’: Inside the Trump administration as Iranian missiles fellIntelligence helped prompt U.S. soldiers to take cover and gave President Trump more time to plan a response.By Shane Harris, Josh Dawsey, Dan Lamothe and Missy Ryan ● Read more » Trump seeks to celebrate a victory, even in the wake of a foreign attackHis handling of the Iran crisis in some ways epitomized the Trump presidency, with his remarks containing blatant contradictions.Analysis ● By Ashley Parker and Philip Rucker ● Read more » GOP leaders spar over adding House members to Trump’s impeachment defense teamSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his GOP colleagues have expressed concerns to the president that it would be a mistake to add lawmakers to the team.Impeachment ● By Rachael Bade, Carol Leonnig and Josh Dawsey ● Read more » A run for your honey: The surreal lives of political spousesBehind each of the two dozen announcements from Democratic presidential hopefuls has been a significant other who’s had to jump onto the roller coaster, all smiles, too.Campaign 2020 ● By Jada Yuan ● Read more » OpinionsHey Republicans, demagoguery won’t hide Trump’s incoherenceBy E.J. Dionne ● Read more » The Republican clown car runs out of gasImpeachment Diary ● By Dana Milbank ● Read more » Don’t allow McConnell to swear a false oathBy Lawrence Lessig ● Read more » Elizabeth Wurtzel made the case for being impossibleBy Alyssa Rosenberg ● Read more » Proclaiming Trump victorious in Iran is shortsighted and prematureBy Editorial Board ● Read more » Market-skeptic Republicans like Josh Hawley have it wrongBy George Will ● Read more » More NewsUkraine flight was on fire and returning to Tehran at time of crash, Iran investigators sayThe Iranian military also denied speculation that a missile may have taken down the plane.By Isabelle Khurshudyan ● Read more » ‘I don’t feel safe in my home’: Puerto Ricans flee damaged structures, fear more earthquakesUnsure when the temblors will end and when power will be restored, residents in the island’s southwestern coastal region are living unsteady lives, in the dark.By Arelis Hernández and Cristina Corujo ● Read more » Mnuchin seeks delay of proposed disclosure of Secret Service spending on presidential travel until after electionThe Treasury secretary has balked at a Democratic effort to require the agency to begin reporting the costs of protecting President Trump and his family outside Washington.By Carol Leonnig and David Fahrenthold ● Read more » Getting ready for the Oscars? Here are the movies you actually need to see (and a few you can put off).A guide to this award season’s buzziest films, determined by their performances thus far and categorized by viewing urgency.92nd Academy Awards | Analysis ● By Sonia Rao ● Read more » Article or ad? Teen Vogue removes glowing Facebook story without explanation.The magazine apologized to its readers but did not elaborate on the article’s origins.By Reis Thebault ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletterCheck out Lean & Fit for expert advice on how to eat right, get lean and stay fit, including curated healthy recipes every Wednesday. Sign up » |
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POLITICO PLAYBOOK
Pelosi is on the brink of sending the impeachment articles
By ANNA PALMER and JAKE SHERMAN
01/09/2020 06:07 AM EST
Presented by
DRIVING THE DAY
HERE’S WHAT’S CLEAR if you talk to House and Senate Democratic insiders: Speaker NANCY PELOSI is on the brink of ending her hold of the impeachment articles. The House is going to send them to the Senate in the near future, which will trigger the trial, most likely in the next few weeks. PELOSI has not given any hints of exactly when she might start this process, but we were told late Wednesday night this is coming soon.
THE LEFT WAS CLAMORING for PELOSI to hold the articles, in an attempt to get Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL to agree to witnesses. He didn’t — and most people realized he never would.
PELOSI ALLIES, though, say they forced a weekslong public discussion on impeachment trial witnesses, and whether MCCONNELL should be forced to guarantee them.
HERE’S WHAT A SENIOR DEM AIDE TOLD US: “The hold was clearly successful. We didn’t get everything we wanted, but a huge part of what we wanted was a national spotlight on the fairness of the trial. There’s no question we achieved that.”
DEMOCRATS WERE COMPLETELY UNIFIED UNTIL WEDNESDAY, when Senate Democrats crumbled in a stunning story by BURGESS EVERETT and HEATHER CAYGLE … Read the story. (BTW … Consider that Pelosi’s 232 Democrats stuck together for a few weeks, and Senate Democratic support crumbled within days.)
BUT THE REALITY IS THIS: Leverageworks only if both sides want something from each other. DEMOCRATS wanted MCCONNELL to accede to their demands, but MCCONNELL had the votes to do what he wanted, and never really needed anything from Democrats.
WHERE PELOSI CAN MAKE NEWS: THE SPEAKER has her weekly 10:45 a.m. news conference this morning. The House is in today and Friday. PELOSI will be on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.
PELOSI ON THE COVER OF TIME MAGAZINE: “HER GAMBLE: Why Nancy Pelosi went all in against Trump”: The terrific story, by Molly Ball… The cover
MITCH, TRUMP HUDDLE ABOUT IMPEACHMENT AT THE W.H. … CNN, via Manu Raju, Phil Mattingly and Pamela Brown: “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump met Wednesday at the White House and discussed the upcoming Senate impeachment trial, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
“McConnell, one of the sources said, walked Trump through the trial format and discussed how Senate Republicans were reacting to the developments around the trial. … The senator from Kentucky has not shared with the White House the text of the resolution that would set up the trial, according to one of the sources, who insists there’s no negotiation with the GOP leader’s office on how the language should be drafted. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has demanded to see the resolution before sending the two articles of impeachment to the Senate.”
Good Thursday morning.
WHAT MEGHAN AND HARRY’S DECISION MEANS FOR … Just kidding.
TRADE DEAL STAGECRAFT … WSJ: “China to Send Chief Trade Negotiator to U.S. to Sign Phase-One Deal,” by Lingling Wei in Beijing: “Chinese President Xi Jinping’s chief trade negotiator will travel to Washington early next week to sign a phase-one trade deal with the U.S., China’s Commerce Ministry said Thursday, the first official confirmation by Beijing on the signing of an agreement that could help ease bilateral tensions.
“The Chinese delegation, to be led by Vice Premier Liu He, will visit Washington from Monday to Wednesday, Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a weekly briefing. …
“Mr. Liu will lead a 10-member delegation to Washington, the people familiar with the matter said. The delegation includes: Zhong Shan, China’s commerce minister; Yi Gang, governor of China’s central bank; Ning Jizhe, a top official at the country’s economic-planning agency; Liao Min, vice finance minister and trusted aide to Mr. Liu; Zheng Zeguang, vice foreign minister; Wang Zhijun, vice minister of industry and information technology; Han Jun, vice agriculture minister; and Wang Shouwen, vice commerce minister.
“Beijing’s ambassador to Washington, Cui Tiankai, will also attend the signing ceremony, currently scheduled to take place next Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. EST at the White House, according to the people. Some 200 people, including representatives from major American trade groups, are expected to be in attendance.” WSJ
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CO2 emissions are at the lowest levels in a generation. Net oil imports are at 50-year lows. This is the kind of progress can we achieve when we work together. Learn more
IRAN TICK TOCK … NYT: “3 Hours From Alert to Attacks: Inside the Race to Protect U.S. Forces From Iran Strikes,” by Mark Mazzetti, Eric Schmitt, Lara Jakes and Thomas Gibbons-Neff: “The alert came to the White House shortly after 2 p.m. on Tuesday, a flash message from American spy agencies that officials sometimes call a ‘squawk.’ In the coming hours, it warned, an Iranian attack on American troops was almost certain.
“A blizzard of potential threats had already come throughout the day — of attacks with missiles and rockets, of terrorist strikes against Americans elsewhere in the Middle East, even one warning that hundreds of Iran-backed militia fighters might try to assault Al Asad Air Base, a sprawling compound in Iraq’s western desert.
“But the specificity of the afternoon’s latest warning sent Vice President Mike Pence and Robert C. O’Brien, the White House national security adviser, to the basement of the West Wing, where aides were assembling in the Situation Room. President Trump joined shortly after wrapping up a meeting with the Greek prime minister. …
“The early warning provided by intelligence helps explain in part why the missiles exacted a negligible toll, destroying only evacuated aircraft hangars as they slammed into the desert sand in barren stretches of the base. No Americans or Iraqis were killed or wounded, and Mr. Trump, who indicated to advisers he would prefer to avoid further engagement, was relieved.”
DAVID SANGER with a news analysis on NYT A1: “Trump’s Iran Strategy: A Cease-Fire Wrapped in a Strategic Muddle”: “President Trump opened a small window for diplomacy with Iran on Wednesday, but combined his words with bald threats that made it hard to see how the two countries could break out of their cycle of confrontation and revenge.
“The speech was, in many ways, the sound of muddled policy. It showed that after three years in office, Mr. Trump has yet to resolve the two conflicting instincts on national security that emerge from his speeches and his Twitter feed: bellicosity and disengagement.
“And he included all the other requisite elements of a Trump policy speech on Iran: burning resentment of President Barack Obama, critiques of his predecessor’s nuclear deal, dubious factual claims and campaign-year self-congratulation.” NYT
NANCY COOK, BURGESS EVERETT and MERIDITH MCGRAW: “After ripping up Obama’s Iran playbook, Trump quickly pieces it back together”
AP’S JONATHAN LEMIRE: “Analysis: Trump seeks election-year out after Iran strikes”: “Trump, by declining to take military action in retaliation for Iranian missile strikes against Iraqi bases that house U.S. troops, edged the nation back from the brink of a war that could have destabilized the Middle East. That fits with his broader foreign policy pattern: talk tough but stay away from armed conflict.
“And that approach, mixed with a bit of luck and Iran’s own desire to avoid open conflict, could allow Trump to pull off dual election-year goals of projecting strength while placating those who backed him because of his promise to withdraw the United States from ‘endless’ wars in the Middle East.” AP
HAPPENING TODAY … THE HOUSE will vote on a War Powers Resolution aimed at forcing the president to stop hostilities in Iran without congressional approval.
WAPO’S CAROL LEONNIG and DAVID FAHRENTHOLD: “Mnuchin seeks delay of proposed disclosure of Secret Service spending on presidential travel until after election”: “The Trump administration is seeking to delay a Democratic effort to require the Secret Service to disclose how much it spends protecting President Trump and his family when they travel — until after the 2020 election, according to people familiar with the discussions.
“The issue has emerged as a sticking point in recent weeks as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and key senators have been negotiating draft legislation to move the Secret Service back to his department, its historic home.
“Mnuchin has balked at Democratic demands that the bill require the Secret Service to disclose the costs related to the travel of the president and his adult children within 120 days after it is passed, according to people with knowledge of the talks. Mnuchin has agreed to Democrats’ push for a requirement that the Secret Service report its travel expenses but wants such disclosures to begin after the election.” WaPo
BORDER WALL UPDATE — “Appeals court lifts block on $3.6 billion for Trump border wall plan,” by Josh Gerstein: “A divided federal appeals court has lifted a lower court’s order blocking $3.6 billion in military construction funds that President Donald Trump planned to use to finance an expanded and improved border wall.
“The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a brief order on Wednesday granting the Trump administration’s request to stay the injunction that U.S. District Court Judge David Briones, based in El Paso, Texas, issued last month. The three-judge appeals court panel split along ideological lines, with two Republican appointees voting to temporarily set aside the injunction and the sole Democratic appointee dissenting.
“The 5th Circuit panel’s majority did not provide a detailed explanation for its action, but noted that last July the Supreme Court stayed a similar injunction issued by a federal judge in Oakland, Calif.” POLITICO
2020 WATCH …
— NEW … FOX NEWS’ town hall with PETE BUTTIGIEG will be held at the River Center in Des Moines at 7 p.m. on Jan. 26 — one week before the Iowa caucuses. CHRIS WALLACE will moderate.
— NATASHA KORECKI in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: “‘The gloves-off strategy didn’t work’: Biden eyes Bernie as growing threat”: “When Bernie Sanders attacked Joe Biden recently, the former vice president dismissed his former Senate colleague with a contemptuous brush-off. ‘You guys expect me to take Bernie’s comments seriously? Come on,’ Biden told reporters as he left an Iowa campaign event last week. ‘I don’t respond to Bernie’s ridiculous comments.’ But that’s Biden’s public posture.
“Both in tactics and rhetoric, there are growing signs he takes his rival very seriously — and that he increasingly views Sanders as his most formidable opponent in Iowa and beyond. The Biden campaign has specifically courted the endorsement of community leaders in Iowa who backed Sanders in 2016.
“They’ve sought to combat Sanders’ recent habit of rolling out star surrogates like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with their own A-list surrogates. And last week, Biden’s five-day Iowa bus tour heavily concentrated on the eastern part of the state — the biggest regional battleground between the two candidates because of its concentration of working-class voters.” POLITICO
— “Poll: Biden, Bloomberg hold largest leads against Trump in Michigan,” by Detroit News’ Beth LeBlanc and Craig Mauger: “Former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg hold the best chances among the leading Democratic presidential hopefuls of defeating President Donald Trump in Michigan, according to a new statewide poll.
“Among the five Democratic candidates near the top of the primary field, Biden has the widest lead against Trump at 7 percentage points, 50% to 43%, according to a Jan. 3-7 survey of 600 likely Michigan voters by the Glengariff Group and provided to The Detroit News.” Detroit News
— “Facebook sticking with policies on politicians’ lies and voter targeting,” by Alexandra Levine and Zach Montellaro: “Facebook is standing by its policies that allow politicians to lie to voters, while targeting their ads at narrow subsets of the public — decisions with vast implications for the more than $1 billion in online campaign messaging expected in this year’s elections.
“The online giant announced Thursday morning that it is not changing the most controversial elements of its approach to campaign ads, after months of a debate that has divided Silicon Valley and brought Facebook a barrage of criticism from Democrats. The critics have been most incensed by Facebook’s refusal to fact-check politicians’ claims, accusing the company of knowingly profiting from deception.
“Facebook has defended the policy on free-speech grounds, saying voters should be the ones scrutinizing politicians’ messages. …
“Facebook also said it is taking steps to give users more control over and insight into the ads they see, as well as improving its publicly available database of its political advertisements — allowing for more precise searches and filtering of ads and offering size estimates for their target audience. And the company announced it will soon allow users to control the volume of political and social issue ads they see.” POLITICO
— NYT’S ASTEAD HERNDON: “How Elizabeth Warren Is Being Squeezed by 2 Democratic Factions”: “[I]n more than two dozen interviews during Ms. Warren’s two most recent trips to Iowa, [voters] have expressed a growing fear that her candidacy is neither satisfying nor uniting the political factions in the party.
“‘It’s been a problem,’ said Peter Leo, the chairman of Iowa’s Carroll County Democrats, who has endorsed Ms. Warren. ‘She’s getting hit from the left and the right.’ Ms. Warren’s conundrum is tied to the all-important notion of ‘electability,’ the vague and sometimes discriminatory concept that has become paramount to Democratic voters who are motivated by defeating Mr. Trump.”
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From energy security to reducing emissions, no challenge is too big when we work together on solutions.
TRUMP’S THURSDAY — The president will announce proposed environmental regulations at 11 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room. Trump will receive his intel briefing at 2 p.m. in the Oval Office. He will leave the White House at 4:15 p.m. en route to Toledo, Ohio. He will arrive at the Huntington Center at 6:35 p.m. and deliver remarks at a political rally at 7 p.m. Afterward, he will return to Washington.
PLAYBOOK READS
JOHN HARRIS’ ALTITUDE COLUMN: “‘He is our O.J.’: POLITICO readers explain why they’re standing with Trump during impeachment”: “Explain yourself, I asked readers who are indignant about President Donald Trump’s impeachment shortly before the holiday break. I wasn’t asking merely for a defense of Trump, but for an honest illumination of what defenders would think if the essential facts in the Ukraine matter were the same except for one — Hillary Clinton were president.
“Several hundred people sent emails, the majority of them thoughtfully composed and accepting the invitation in good faith. This was a vivid window into the Age of Trump. With sincerity, candor, and even a measure of wistful idealism, people shared their views of a political and media culture they believe is cynical at its core. If almost nothing is on the level, almost anything goes.
“For Keith Swartz, who is 66 years old and runs a recruiting firm based in Tacoma, almost anything includes a president he regards as ‘manic, uneducated, illogical,’ and also ‘essentially a horrible person….vulgar, amoral, narcissistic.’
“Wait, this a defense of Trump? Yes, hang on. He’s done a fine job on the economy, in particular, in the face of a Democratic opposition that has bent rules and abused process for three years in an implacable bid to thwart him. ‘To those of us who support what he has accomplished,’ Swartz concluded, ‘it feels like he is our O.J.’
“That’s right: O.J. Simpson, not previously a conservative hero. In his 2016 promises to ‘Make America Great Again,’ Trump did not invoke the racially riven Los Angeles of the 1990s as his model. But Swartz’s admirably forthright comparison — with biased media and unscrupulous Democrats serving as proxies for racist cops — captured the spirit of many replies.”
PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “Jan. 23 deadline set for bids on Trump D.C. hotel,” by WaPo’s Jonathan O’Connell: “Companies interested in buying the lease rights to President Trump’s luxury Washington hotel have until Jan. 23 to submit initial bids, according to marketing materials sent to potential bidders Wednesday and obtained by The Washington Post.
“The company hired to market the hotel, JLL, emailed potential bidders with a ‘call for offers’ asking that they submit a proposed purchase price, the name of the hotel chain that would operate the hotel, names of investors and how long it would take to close a deal, according to the materials. Interested buyers are also encouraged to schedule tours of the building before the deadline, according to the materials.” WaPo
— WSJ’S CRAIG KARMIN: “The company was hoping initially to get more than $500 million for the lease rights, people familiar with the matter said. That would represent about $2 million per room key, which hotel brokers and investors say would be a record for Washington by that metric. Potential buyers have balked at that figure, and brokers have indicated the Trumps are willing to negotiate on price and other terms, said people familiar with the matter.” WSJ
A message from Energy for Progress:
Let’s work together toward a future powered by cleaner American energy.
LETTER FROM BERLIN … POLITICO EUROPE’S MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG: “When it comes to finding adjectives to describe U.S. President Donald Trump’s assassination of Iranian military guru Qassem Soleimani, which prompted the Iranians to respond by launching missile attacks on bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops overnight, European officials have displayed rare unity. At least in private.
“Behind the sober public pronouncements from Brussels and national capitals about the need for ‘de-escalation,’ officials are seething.” POLITICO Europe
DOCUMENT DUMP … HARDCORE IMPEACHMENT JUNKIES ONLY: “State Department releases additional Ukraine documents to American Oversight”: “The production includes several heavily redacted emails from senior State Department officials. Among the documents are a letter sent to former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch instructing her not to testify or to produce documents to Congress in the impeachment inquiry, and a response from Yovanovitch’s lawyer. …
“Wednesday’s release is also notable for what is missing — specifically, any written record of communications between top State Department officials and Trump personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.”
MEDIAWATCH — “Fox News Hosts Were Against A Ground War With Iran. Trump Listened,” by BuzzFeed’s Rosie Gray and Miriam Elder: “Fox News personalities by and large supported President Donald Trump’s confrontation with Iran over the past week. But between the lines, even the most ardent Trump supporters on Fox’s opinion side like Sean Hannity stopped short of encouraging all-out war … And one of Fox’s biggest opinion hosts has consistently criticized the confrontation with Iran. … [A]ccording to a source with knowledge of the conversations, Trump told people that he had watched [Tucker] Carlson’s show and it had affected his view on the Iran situation.” BuzzFeed
— NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker will co-host the “Weekend Today Show” along with Peter Alexander.
— David Muir of ABC Newswill be awarded the Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award at the Radio Television Digital News Foundation 30th annual First Amendment Awards on March 5.
PLAYBOOKERS
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.
SPOTTED: Justice Elena Kagan dining at Thamee on Wednesday night.
SPOTTED at a birthday party for Heather Podesta at Centrolina on Wednesday night:Democratic Sens. Doug Jones (Ala.), Ed Markey (Mass.), Mark Warner (Va.), Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) and Tina Smith (Minn.), Democratic Reps. Brad Schneider (Ill.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.), Don Beyer (Va.), Debbie Dingell (Mich.), Eric Swalwell (Calif.), Greg Stanton (Ariz.), Gil Cisneros (Calif.), Linda Sánchez (Calif.), Jim Himes (Conn.), Joe Kennedy (Mass.), Katherine Clark (Mass.), Lauren Underwood (Ill.), Lucy McBath (Ga.), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.), Rodney Davis (Ill.), Salud Carbajal (Calif.), Sean Casten (Ill.), Sean Patrick Maloney (N.Y.), Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Veronica Escobar (Texas) and Ruben Gallego (Ariz.) …
… Adrienne Elrod, Amy Weiss, Betsy Fischer Martin, Carol Melton, Ceci Connolly, Danielle Burr, Gloria Dittus, Heather Kennedy, Jeanne Cummings, Joanna Coles, Melissa Moss, Juleanna Glover, Kent Knutson, Kris Coratti, Manuel Roig-Franzia, Margaret Carlson, Nancy Zirkin, Neera Tanden, Priya Bayananda, Stephanie Cutter, Steve Clemons, Tammy Haddad, Dan Turrentine, Beth Ellikidis, Nick Giordano, Shannon McGahn, Chris Brose, Robert Hoffman and Stephen Ciccone.
TRANSITIONS — Jessica Mackler and Jerusalem Demsas are joining the Democratic Governors Association as independent expenditure director and national press secretary. Demsas previously was South Carolina communications director for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. Mackler previously was president of the American Bridge 21st Century.
NEW … The Harvard Institute of Politics announced its slate of spring resident fellows: Tiffany Cross, the Beat DC co-founder and managing editor; former British Ambassador Kim Darroch; Mark Harvey, special assistant to the president and senior director for resilience policy at the NSC; Rohini Kosoglu, former chief of staff for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign; Tara Setmayer, a CNN and ABC political commentator and former communications director for former Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.); and former Alaska Gov. Bill Walker.
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Kenya Young, executive producer of NPR’s “Morning Edition.” A fun fact about her: “During one of my unemployed stints in between career changes I freelanced as a foley artist. You can hear my screams, footsteps, water gulping and door slams in several late ’90s movies.” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Ben Taub, staff writer for The New Yorker … Brooke Brower, managing editor of CNN Politics, is 42 … Pamela Walsh … Linda Greenhouse is 73 … U.N. Development Programme’s Sarah Jackson-Han … Elizabeth Caputo, head of U.S. government engagement at the World Economic Forum (h/t Tim Burger) … former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin is 53 … Mark Stencel … former Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.) is 68 … Fred Wertheimer … Erica Flint … Tim Punke, partner at Monument Advocacy, is 49 (h/t Stewart Verdery) … Elaine Stern … Al Felzenberg … POLITICO’s Desmond Hester … Don Kent, partner at the Nickles Group … WSJ’s Charles Passy is 56 … Peter Edelman, law professor at Georgetown University, is 82 … Steven Kotler … Linda Greenhouse …
… Lauren Fritts, head of public affairs for U.S. and Canada and Israel at WeWork … Isabelle Solomon … Kim Larson … Luke Holland,COS for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), is 33 … Josiah Ryan, CNN senior producer … Tasha Hendershot … Richard Neffson … Deana Bass Williams … Dan Black … Cristina Diaz-Torres … Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman … BuzzFeed’s Emily Ashton … Laura Wiley … Carrie Seim … Seth Thomas Pietras … Catherine Easley … Diana Doukas … Jessica Medeiros Garrison … Colin Campbell, managing editor at Yahoo News … PBS’ Kristin Lehner … Zubin Sharma … Ron Castleman … Susan Fertig-Dykes … Catherine Fenton … Jodi Sakol, VP of campaign outreach at AARP … Bob Burke … Jon Macks (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Samir Arora
A message from Energy for Progress:
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WESTERN JOURNAL
| Web version Rep. Cheney Declares Nancy Pelosi Is Now Unfit To Serve Republican Rep. Liz Cheney said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was “unfit for office” for attending a fancy dinner party around the time the California Democrat said she was “closely monitoring… Read more… Vocal Dem Goes on CNN, Gets Hit with Surprise He Never Saw Coming California Congressman Eric Swalwell couldn’t have seen this coming. The vocal opponent of President Donald Trump — who mounted his own short-lived bid for the Democratic 2020 nomination — took… Read more… McConnell Angers Democrats with Impeachment Plan Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republican senators Tuesday that they “have the votes” to pass a resolution to start the impeachment trial without requiring witness testimony. “We have the… Read more… Stock Markets Jump to All-Time High After Trump’s Iran Address At least two major stock market indices rose to all-time highs in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s speech to the nation Wednesday on Iran. Trump’s comments at the White… Read more… MSNBC Anchor Smears Trump by Calling Him This From the perspective of at least one MSNBC host, President Donald Trump is an assassin. But to an Iranian journalist, Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed last week by… Read more… Congressman Says Intel Briefing Revealed Why Soleimani Had To Go As an Air Force veteran who served three tours in Iraq, Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger has had a view of the war there that few Americans have. As a… Read more… Pelosi Responds to Iran Attack by Blaming ‘Needless Provocations’ from US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday responded to Iran’s missile attacks on military bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops by blaming the Trump administration. Even as U.S. officials were uncertain… Read more… You Might Like Advertisement Follow Us! Copyright © 2019 The Western Journal, All rights reserved. This email was sent to rickbulow1974@gmail.com. You are receiving this email because you asked to receive information from The Western Journal. We take your privacy and your liberty very seriously and will keep your information in the strictest confidence. Your name will not be sold to or shared with third parties. We will email you from time to time with relevant news and updates, but you can stop receiving information from us at any time by following very simple instructions that will be included at the bottom of any correspondence you should receive from us. Our mailing address is: The Western Journal P.O. Box 74273 Phoenix, AZ 85087 Unsubscribe or Update Preferences |
CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
| CDN’s Daily News Blast delivers the day’s news first!View this email in your browserCDN Daily News Blast01/09/2020Excerpts:I Believe I Finally Agree With Adam Schiff On SomethingBy Dave King -One hears that Adam Schiff, the biggest liar the lying Democrats have ever come up with, has decided to add the “crime” of terminating the life of an Iranian general who has made a career of killing Americans, to the House impeachment charges against President Trump. I’m anxious to see …I Believe I Finally Agree With Adam Schiff On Something is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Thursday, January 9, 2020By R. Mitchell -President Donald Trump will announce his proposal for changes to environmental regulations, receive his daily briefing and hold a Keep America Great rally. Keep up with Trump on Our President’s Schedule Page. President Trump’s Itinerary for 1/9/20 – note: this page will be updated during the day if events warrant …President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Thursday, January 9, 2020 is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » The View’s Joy Behar praises White Nationalist Richard Spencer, Because he Disavowed TrumpBy Blue Agent007 -Host Joy Behar of ABC’s daytime talk show, “The View” praised white nationalist Richard Spencer after he disavowed his support for President Trump. Richard Spencer (born 1978) is an American neo-Nazi and white supremacist who is most notable for his activism on behalf of the alt-right movement in 2016 and …The View’s Joy Behar praises White Nationalist Richard Spencer, Because he Disavowed Trump is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » CBP Officers Seize More Than $3 Million in Narcotics at Progreso International BridgeBy R. Mitchell -PROGRESO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Progreso International Bridge intercepted a load of heroin and methamphetamine. CBP officers discovered the narcotics, with a combined value of approximately $3,040,647, hidden within a 1997 Ford F-150 pick-up. “Our officers did a fantastic job in intercepting these …CBP Officers Seize More Than $3 Million in Narcotics at Progreso International Bridge is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » ‘Fast And Furious’ Gunmen Who Killed US Border Patrol Agent Is Sentenced To Life In PrisonBy Jason Hopkins -One of the Mexican gunmen who killed a U.S. Border Patrol agent, consequently sparking the Obama administration’s “Fast and Furious” scandal, was sentenced to life in prison. U.S. District Judge David C. Bury on Wednesday sentenced Heraclio Osorio-Arellanes to life in federal prison for first-degree murder. The sentencing follows Osorio-Arellanes’ involvement …‘Fast And Furious’ Gunmen Who Killed US Border Patrol Agent Is Sentenced To Life In Prison is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Supreme Court Orders Fast Response In Obamacare ChallengeBy Kevin Daley -The Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration and a coalition of red states to respond by Friday to a petition asking the justices to immediately take up a challenge to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Setting the case on an expedited timeline ensures the justices can hear the case during …Supreme Court Orders Fast Response In Obamacare Challenge is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » ‘She Should Send Them Over’: Senate Democrats Want Pelosi To End Stalemate Over Impeachment ArticlesBy Chuck Ross -A growing number of Senate Democrats are breaking with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her handling of articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Seven Democrats — Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Doug Jones, Chris Murphy, Joe Manchin, Richard Blumenthal, Jon Tester, and Chris Coons — told various news outlets on Wednesday that …‘She Should Send Them Over’: Senate Democrats Want Pelosi To End Stalemate Over Impeachment Articles is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Cancer Death Rate Has Its Biggest Single-Year Drop ReportedBy Mary Margaret Olohan -The United States cancer death rate experienced its biggest single-year drop ever reported in 2017, according to the American Cancer Society. Cancer death rates in the United States dropped 2.2% during 2017, the American Cancer Society said Wednesday according to the Washington Post. This drop is partially due to medical …Cancer Death Rate Has Its Biggest Single-Year Drop Reported is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Iran Reaches For Revenge – Grrr Graphics – Ben Garrison CartoonBy Ben Garrison -Iran Launches Their Revenge For the Killing Of Soleimani It’s difficult to draw a cartoon while events are rapidly changing, so this cartoon came to mind. As I penned this I learned a jet crashed outside of Tehran, killing a great many people. Was it accidentally shot down or targeted …Iran Reaches For Revenge – Grrr Graphics – Ben Garrison Cartoon is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Florida Judge Blocks Release Of Jeffrey Epstein Grand Jury FilesBy Andrew Kerr -A Florida judge on Tuesday blocked a request for grand-jury records from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2006 indictment, saying there’s not a “scintilla” of evidence to suggest that corruption led to the financier’s sweetheart plea deal in 2008. The request came from special prosecutors appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tasked with …Florida Judge Blocks Release Of Jeffrey Epstein Grand Jury Files is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » GOP Congresswoman Who Squared Off With Schiff Posts Massive Campaign Fundraising NumbersBy Chuck Ross -Elise Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman targeted by Democrats over her support for President Donald Trump during the House impeachment hearings, posted massive fundraising figures in the final quarter of 2019, her campaign announced on Wednesday. Stefanik raised $3.2 million in the quarter, which is more than the New Yorker has …GOP Congresswoman Who Squared Off With Schiff Posts Massive Campaign Fundraising Numbers is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Only Murderers Are Allowed to Be AmateursBy Michael R Shannon -Even coverage of an attempted mass shooting successfully stopped by the NRA’s “Good guy with a gun” is not immune from the Opposition Media’s anti–gun agenda. One of the bedrock beliefs of the gun–grabber crowd is the average citizen has no need to own a gun, unless the weapon is …Only Murderers Are Allowed to Be Amateurs is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Road Kill – A.F. Branco CartoonBy A.F. Branco -Obama sent the billions to Iran that funded Soleimani’s evil deeds but President Trump has cleaned up Obama’s mess. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2020. See more Branco toons HERERoad Kill – A.F. Branco Cartoon is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » After Iran Strikes US Troops, Democrat response – Cut and Run?By Blue Agent007 -Iran has launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against multiple bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq and has threatened “more crushing responses” if Washington carried out further strikes. Initially, nine rockets hit the sprawling Ain al-Asad airbase in the country’s west, the largest of the Iraqi military compounds where …After Iran Strikes US Troops, Democrat response – Cut and Run? is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » Watch: President Trump Addresses the Nation after Attacks by IranBy R. Mitchell -President Donald Trump addresses the nation Wednesday to address the nation after Iran launched missile attacks at two Iraqi airbases that house U.S. troops and assets. The president is scheduled to speak at 11:00 a.m. EST. Watch: Content created by Conservative Daily News and some content syndicated through CDN is available …Watch: President Trump Addresses the Nation after Attacks by Iran is original content from Conservative Daily News – Where Americans go for news, current events and commentary they can trust – Conservative News Website for U.S. News, Political Cartoons and more. Read on » See all breaking news, conservative commentary, political cartoons and more posted to CDN at our Home Page. Follow on TwitterFriend on FacebookAdd on Google PlusCopyright © 2020 Conservative Daily News, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list |
THE BLAZE
BRIGHT
| Share with a friend you think would love this!Thursday, January 9, 2020 Peace Through Strength President Donald Trump took to the podium yesterday to remind us what peace through strength looks like. Before even uttering “good morning,” he cut to the chase: “As long as I am President of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.” The president then went on to address the Iranian missile attack troops faced in Iraq, assuring Americans, “We suffered no casualties. All of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.” While it doesn’t appear he has interest in pursuing further military action, Trump said his administration will double down on already tough sanctions and work with our NATO allies to deter the regime’s aggression. Democrats remain critical of the Trump administration’s decisions regarding Iran, but their outrage was not reflected in the stock market, which continued to perform strong. The Heritage Foundation’s James Carafano took to Fox News to applaud the Trump administration’s response and call out the “face-saving strike that saved no face.” A Highly Suspicious Plane Crash While there were no military causalities as a result of the Iranian missile strike against Iraqi bases, there was a horrific plane crash that killed all 176 passengers on board, which may have been connected. Bizarrely, early news reports relied on Iranian media (obviously not trustworthy), which claimed the crash was the result of mechanical failure. But aviation experts have cast serious doubt on that theory, and many are wondering if it was a result of a stray Iranian missile. Clearly, there remains a host of unanswered and very suspicious questions. But because Iran is blocking Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board from participating in the investigation (despite it being a U.S. manufactured plane) we might never fully learn what actually happened. Prayers for the families of everyone on board as we begin to learn about some of the victims. #Megxit Now, some more serious news to report on: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are semi-retiring from the royal family and splitting their time between North America and the UK. “We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family, and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen,” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced on Instagram. “We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity.” The couple reportedly issued their statement without consulting anyone from the Royal family, including the Queen. “Discussions with The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are at an early stage. We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through,” the Queen’s office of Buckingham Palace said in a statement. Celebrities voiced support for the couple’s move, but Piers Morgan had some harsh words: “People say I’m too critical of Meghan Markle – but she ditched her family, ditched her Dad, ditched most of her old friends, split Harry from William & has now split him from the Royal Family. I rest my case,” he tweeted. Per usual, Twitter had a lot of fun with the announcement. Here are some of The Federalist’s personal favorites: “Sparking Joy” In Your Inbox There are two kinds of people in this world: Zero inbox people, and non-zero inbox people. Since I can remember, I’ve fallen in the latter category. I like to think my creativity thrives in the chaos, but who am I kidding: 27,000 unread emails is just too much. At the start of the new year, I took on the audacious task of cleaning out my inbox. It was painful, and I’m still not done. I’m proud to say my unread inbox now reads “zero,” but I still have 10,470 “read” emails that I’m not sure how to delete. (One could say I have attachment issues.) How did I do it? Honestly, it only took a few hours. If you want to attempt it, this article from the queen of minimalism and Lady Brains podcaster, Lyndsey Fifield, will help you not only get to zero, but to stay there. If you’re not a zero inboxer, the mere name of her article will annoy you: “My Inbox Sparks Joy; Does Yours?” Read it. And one more #protip for mass deleting emails here. Good luck! Thursday Links Experts are warning this flu season is on track to be the worst in decades, so if you haven’t already, GET YOUR FLU SHOT. Doctors say it’s still worthwhile. Sen. Josh Hawley takes to The Federalist to rip George Will. Horrible news: Nearly one-third of Australia’s Kangaroo Island has burned. Encouraging news: U.S. cancer death rate sees largest-ever single-year drop, mainly due to advances in treatment of lung cancer. Joy Behar hates Trump so much, she got excited about a white nationalist criticizing him. SAD! Paul Krugman tries to explain how kiddie porn ended up on his computer… And finally, a laugh: CNN Attacks Babylon Bee: ‘The Internet Is Only Big Enough For One Fake News Site’BRIGHT is brought to you by The Federalist.Today’s BRIGHT Editor Kelsey Bolar is a wife, a mom, and a senior news reporter/producer at The Daily Signal, the multimedia news organization at The Heritage Foundation. She is also a Visiting Fellow at Independent Women’s Forum, a contributor to The Federalist, and the 2017-2018 Tony Blankley Fellow at The Steamboat Institute. She previously worked at Fox News in New York City, and now lives in Washington, D.C., where she balances her passion for politics with her affinity for yoga and her Australian Shepherd, Utah. Follow her on Twitter @kelseybolar and on Instagram @kelseybolar. Opinions expressed on this website are her own and not those of any other person or entity.Copyright © BRIGHT, All rights reserved. www.GetBRIGHTemail.com Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list Note: By using some of the links above, Bright may be compensated through the Amazon Affiliate program and Magic Links. However, none of this content is sponsored and all opinions are our own. |
ROLL CALL
Morning Headlines
Biden may not be the only beneficiary of endorsements he is getting
A few vulnerable House Democrats have started backing Joe Biden to be their party’s presidential nominee. Backing Biden early may help them fend off GOP attacks tying them to more liberal lawmakers and could also indicate who is seen by more centrist House members as the best candidate for the top of the Democratic ticket. Read More…
California governor declines to call a special election to replace Duncan Hunter
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he would not call a special election to replace Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, who is resigning next week after pleading guilty to misusing campaign funds. Newsom’s decision means the seat will remain vacant until 2021. Read More…
When science fiction becomes environmental fact, it might be time to worry
OPINION — Scientists and researchers have said that climate change has worsened the effects of the Australian wildfires, which have killed dozens of people, destroyed thousands of homes and devastated flora and fauna. Australia’s leaders, however, including its prime minister, insist the country does not need to cut carbon emissions. Read More…Click here to subscribe to Fintech Beat for the latest market and regulatory developments in finance and financial technology.
What the heck is franking and why did Rep. Dan Newhouse get a wrestling belt for it?
How do you make franking (member-directed, taxpayer-funded mass mailing) fun? Make it a competition where the prize is an enormous championship wrestling belt. Watch the video here…
House to vote on war powers Thursday following Iran strikes
The House will vote Thursday on a resolution that would limit President Donald Trump’s authority to take future military action against Iran without congressional authorization, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Wednesday. Read More…
Rating Change: Pompeo decision makes Kansas seat more vulnerable
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s decision not to run for Senate in Kansas creates a legitimate scenario for Democrats to win a seat in a Republican state and increases the chances that Democrats win control of the chamber in November. Read More…
Democrats wanted an Iran strategy; Trump offered disjointed goals instead
ANALYSIS — Democratic lawmakers and presidential candidates wanted President Donald Trump to explain his Iran strategy Wednesday. What they got was a hodgepodge of policy whims and a few unexpected twists as the drums of war faded. Read More…
Watch President Trump’s full statement on Iran
President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions against Iran and called on several countries to leave the international agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, in a televised address from the White House on Wednesday. Watch the video here…
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THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: An Inside Look at the Tense Iran Briefing on Capitol HillPlus, Trump addresses the nation, and are impeachment articles finally headed to the Senate?The Dispatch StaffJan 9Happy Thursday! We’re grateful for all of our regular Morning Dispatch readers, who obviously made up the 28 percent in this survey who can accurately identify Iran on a map.Joanna Piacenza@jpiacenzaNEW from me: We asked folks to identify Iran on an unlabeled map. 28% of them got it right. Here’s where they guessed. morningconsult.com/2020/01/08/can…January 8th 20203,917 Retweets8,122 LikesQuick Hits: What You Need to KnowSupreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg declared Wednesday that she is “cancer free” heading into 2020. Nancy Pelosi announced the House will vote today on a War Powers resolution designed to inhibit any military action against Iran.A federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration could use $3.6 billion in military funds for the border wall after a lower court said it couldn’t last month.And we’ll admit to stretching the definition of “need to know” on this last one. British Royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their intention to “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent.” (Our Chicago-born Morning Dispatcher’s favorite headline comes from the Tribune: “Northwestern graduate moving closer to home after spending time abroad.” Always find the local angle!)The Nation Exhales on Iran … For NowA tense and uncertain evening Tuesday was followed by a day of relief and relative calm on Wednesday, as the leaders of Iran and the United States seemed eager to step back from the conflict that had escalated over the preceding 12 days. After a series of Iranian attacks on U.S. military bases that caused no casualties and relatively little damage, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif declared that Iran had “concluded proportionate measures” in response to the killing of Qassem Suleimani. “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression,” Zarif tweeted. President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the White House, declaring that “no Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime.”“We suffered no casualties,” Trump said. “All of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.”His conclusion: “Iran appears to be standing down.”Republicans were eager to declare it a conditional victory. “If the dust settles, and all we have at the end of it is we’ve taken the world’s top terrorist mastermind off the battlefield and they’ve lobbed a few missiles into the desert and beat their chest for their domestic audience,” Rep. Mike Gallagher, Marine veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee tells The Dispatch, “It’s hard for me to interpret this as anything other than a massive win for the Trump administration.” (You can read Declan’s full interview with Gallagher here.)As leaders of both nations welcomed this moment of de-escalation, they also made clear the pause was temporary. “They were slapped last night, but such military actions are not enough,” Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned in speech from the holy city of Qom. “The corruptive presence of the U.S. in the West Asian region must be stopped.”Trump announced the immediate imposition of new sanctions meant to further weaken Iran’s struggling economy and twice promised that Iran would not become a nuclear power on his watch. “As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump declared in his first words up stepping to the microphone, before beginning his prepared remarks. He revisited the point moments later, promising Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons will “never” threaten the civilized world.Trump’s focus on Iran’s nuclear program isn’t new. In recent months, Trump administration national security officials have discussed possible nuclear-related targets if the Islamic Republic were to quickly accelerate its uranium enrichment efforts prohibited under the Iran Nuclear Deal. And Iranian leaders responded to the killing of Suleimani by declaring they would no longer abide by the enrichment limits of that deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). A regime statement read on Iranian state television declared: “Iran will continue its nuclear enrichment with no restrictions …. and based on its technical needs.” Several of those Trump listens to most closely on Iran matters—including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton—have been leading voices for aggressive measures to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. (So, too, was Trump’s former National Security Adviser, John Bolton.) Sources familiar with White House discussions on Iran tell The Dispatch that potential targets include the Fordow nuclear plant, a once-secret nuclear facility that began reintroducing uranium gas intro centrifuges in November.At War Over War PowersSuch possible future attacks were the focus of a tense Iran briefing on Capitol Hill Wednesday, as lawmakers grilled representatives from the Trump administration on both policy and process related to the tensions with Iran. The briefing, which lasted an hour and 15 minutes, included CIA Director Gina Haspel, Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper. The discussion focused on two main issues: the intelligence used to support the decision to kill Qassem Suleimani, and the role of Congress in authorizing current and future military operations.On the former, reactions to the briefing split largely—though not entirely—along party lines. Reliable Trump supporters like Rep. Mark Meadows and Sen. Marco Rubio offered enthusiastic and unqualified backing to the president. “The information that was shared was both compelling and decisive,” said Meadows. “This was a clear and present danger for American interests and American individuals.” Rubio agreed, tweeting: Marco Rubio@marcorubioNatl Security officials gave a compelling briefing to Senators just now. They answered every important question. Anyone who walks out & says they aren’t convinced action against #Soleimani was justified is either never going to be convinced or just oppose everything Trump does.January 8th 20203,617 Retweets10,130 LikesSources familiar with the discussion tell The Dispatch that Senate Democrats were frustrated when Esper refused to answer questions about when the administration would consult Congress in the event of future military operations against Iran. According to a Republican staffer familiar with the discussion: “When Esper, who was at the briefing to discuss the disruption to Iran’s chain of command, appropriately deferred to Assistant AG Steven Engel, Democrats made a show of repeatedly talking over the Department of Justice answer and claiming that Esper was refusing to answer questions.” But some Republicans were frustrated, too. Speaking to reporters afterward, Utah Senator Mike Lee said it was “probably the worst briefing I have seen, at least on a military issue, in the nine years I’ve served in the United States Senate.” He expanded on that conclusion in an interview with The Dispatch. “They just filibustered,” Lee said of the briefers. “We’d ask them questions and they didn’t really engage,” he added, imitating one of the exchanges. “Tell us about the imminent threat. It was really imminent. It was only days away from happening.” And: “Where? Somewhere in the region.”Sources described the briefers as “arrogant” and “too cool for school.” They seemed to regard briefing Congress as a choice—and a nuisance, according to sources in the room.Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, pressed for answers on scenarios under which the administration would be sure to come to Congress for authorization of future military operations. Coons floated a hypothetical where the Trump administration determined that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was the regime’s greatest threat with Suleimani gone. After all, Khamenei made comments that the attacks Tuesday weren’t enough and has recommitted Iran to its pursuit of nuclear weapons. If you wanted to target Khamenei, Coons asked, surely you would come to Congress, right? The administration officials wouldn’t answer. The limited time allotted for the briefing meant that fewer than a dozen lawmakers had the opportunity to ask questions, leaving others frustrated. As the session was wrapping up, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer asked Pompeo whether members could expect to have their questions answered at additional briefings in the coming days. Pompeo responded: “No.”The Senate Impeachment Trial Is Here … MaybeThree weeks (and like 427 news cycles) after the House passed two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, it looks like the Senate trial against the president might finally be poised to begin. Speaker Nancy Pelosi still has not signaled that she is prepared to transmit the articles to the Senate for trial, arguing in a letter to colleagues this week that McConnell’s process “is not only unfair but designed to deprive Senators and the American people of crucial documents and testimony.” But whatever political leverage the speaker may have enjoyed in her own caucus is fading. No concessions have been made—at least publicly—by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and even Senate Democrats have signaled they are sick of waiting.Earlier this week, Senator Angus King said in an interview on MSNBC that “it is time for the speaker to send” the articles. The next day, Senators Chris Murphy, Joe Manchin, and Jon Tester all publicly agreed. And yesterday, even staunch liberals like Senator Richard Blumenthal were telling reporters that “we are reaching a point where the articles of impeachment should be sent. Senator Dianne Feinstein directly took on Pelosi’s argument for delay, saying “the longer it goes on the less urgent it becomes so if it’s serious and urgent, send them over.”Despite Speaker Pelosi’s delay, Article I Section 3 is unambiguous that “the Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments.” There is no mention of floor managers from the House to conduct the prosecution or even whether the Senate would be required to wait for the articles to be formally transmitted from the House. And while removing a president may require two-thirds of the Senate, the rules for the trial require only a majority of senators to agree.Although only two presidents have ever been tried in the Senate, 15 judges have been impeached with eight convicted, offering plenty of precedent for Senate impeachment trials. McConnell has signaled to colleagues that he intends to follow the Clinton rules package from his 1999 trial. As described by Politico:The House will be allowed to present its case against Trump, and then the president’s defense team can respond. At that point, McConnell or any GOP senator could move to end the trial and call for a final vote on the charges against Trump. Or Democrats could try to seek witness testimony or the introduction of new documentary evidence. It will be up to a majority of the Senate to decide.Reps. Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler have been frequently mentioned as a likely leaders for the House team managing the prosecution. For the defense, the president is likely to rely on a combination of House members like Jim Jordan and John Ratcliffe, his White House Counsel Pat Cippolone, and personal attorneys like Jay Sekulow. During this cold winter in the nation’s capital, a seat in the gallery could quickly become the hottest ticket in town. (Though no word yet on how tickets will be distributed in 2020, during the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson in 1868, each Senator received six tickets for each day of trial.)Worth Your TimeA piece of good news to report: The American Cancer Society announced that the cancer mortality rate dropped by 2.2 percent last year—the biggest single-year drop on record. Laurie McGinley of the Washington Post will walk you through the details.Debates over the ethics of gene therapy were all the rage a few decades ago, but died down a bit once some of the shine came off and it became clear that the technology wasn’t nearly as ready as some scientists had thought. Now, however, a new genetic modification debate is about to rear its head: one centered around the gene drive, a mechanism by which an organism can be forced to propagate a specific allele in all its offspring—which will then themselves propagate offspring with that same allele, and on and on to time out of mind. Jennifer Kahn has much more on the intriguing and harrowing prospect in this week’s New York Times Magazine. Jason Turbow’s story for Grub Street on the New York bagel union taking on the Mafia is insane. “Ultimately, the union handled the Mafia the same way that it handled nearly all extreme issues with management: full public confrontation.”Presented Without CommentHillary Clinton@HillaryClinton#ivotedforHillaryClinton January 8th 20207,607 Retweets50,338 LikesSomething FunNine years ago Wednesday, Marshawn Lynch went Beast Mode. Now an old man who has come out of retirement twice, Lynch goes up against Steve’s Packers on Sunday. Good luck!Timothy Burke@bubbaprogHappy ninth anniversary to this important sports moment. January 8th 202019 Retweets65 LikesToeing the Company LineThe Dispatch Podcast is finally here! While we await all the bells and whistles, we hijacked Jonah’s Remnant feed to bring you the inaugural episode of our flagship podcast. Steve, Jonah, David, and Sarah, sittin’ around a table and talking the three I’s: Iran, impeachment, and Iberian wine. What more could you want?On the home page, AEI’s Yuval Levin, perhaps the leading public intellectual on the center-right these days, offers a fascinating look at how our supercharged political climate encourages people to treat everything as an apocalyptic danger, and all the problems that result.Your Morning Dispatchers are multitasking! Also on the home page, you can read Andrew’s piece on the rise and fall of indicted Rep. Duncan Hunter, a follow-up on his terrific report from Hunter’s district in the late Weekly Standard, and Declan’s aforementioned interview with Rep. Mike Gallagher.Let Us KnowMatt Buckland@ElSatanicoIT FINALLY HAPPENED RECRUITMENT TWITTER!!! A.MAZING January 8th 20206,424 Retweets23,052 LikesApparently there is a company in New York looking to hire interns that are not only unpaid, but who will pay the company $15 per hour to work there. They call it a “reverse-financed internship.” Is there any job, dear reader, that you would pay to do?(Mike Bloomberg, if you’re reading this, we know you’d like to buy the presidency. And Gordon Sondland, if you’re reading this, we know you bought your ambassadorship. And—okay, maybe any job outside politics!)Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), Sarah Isgur (@whignewtons), David French (@DavidAFrench), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).Photograph of Donald Trump addressing the nation from the White House on January 8 by Win McNamee/Getty Images.You’re on the free list for The Morning Dispatch. For the full experience, become a paying subscriber.Subscribe© 2020 Steve Hayes Unsubscribe PO Box 720263, San Francisco, CA 94172 |
LIBERTY NATION
| Daily BriefingCONSERVATIVE NEWS | LIBERTARIAN NEWS | COMMENTARYVISIT LibertyNation.com FROM OUR NEWSROOMTrump’s Golden Opportunity to Leave the Middle EastBy Tim DonnerOur confrontation with Iran provides a perfect opening for Trump.Click Here What America’s Thinking43% of U.S. voters favor Trump’s order of a drone strike that killed the Iranian general. 43% are opposed. Strictly along party lines.Just 33% think it’s more likely the Democratic nominee will defeat President Trump in the upcoming election.33% of likely U.S. voters trust Trump’s judgment more than their own when it comes to economic issues affecting the nation. 57% trust themselves more.46% of likely U.S. voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Iran Missile Attack: All Show and No GoBy Leesa K. DonnerDigging deep into motivation and provocation.Click Here Washington WhispersComing down the pipeline:Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged to legalize marijuana in New York by the end of this year.On Thursday, House Democrats will vote on a war powers resolution to hinder Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran without congressional approval.A bill seeking to ban second-trimester abortions was introduced in the Nebraska State Senate yesterday.Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced they will be “stepping back” from Royal life and spending more time in North America. Read One of Our BooksBy Liberty Nation StaffSic Semper Tyrannis: The Uprising of the Common ManClick Here Your Daily Political DevotionalA Glimpse at What’s Hot in the PolitisphereIt’s difficult to see how Donald Trump could possibly lose in November. At present, 46% of likely voters approve of his job performance; if they go out and vote, Trump wins an Electoral College landslide. Added to this, with only 33% of all voters predicting the eventual Democrat nominee will win the White House, voters just may not turn out for their candidate. When they suspect a loss, voters tend to stay home. These two factors both point to a big win for the incumbent. Virginia Delegate Introduces Bill to Punish NRABy Scott D. Cosenza, Esq.New delegate proposes to outlaw gun range.Click Here News RoundupWe’ve Surfed The Web for YouIn Wake Of Texas Church Shooting, Minister Declines To Speak With Mainstream MediaWhose Side Are Democrats On?Michelle Obama Launches College Success Video Series for MillennialsFeinstein, Manchin join Democrats pressuring Pelosi to send impeachment articles to SenateMeghan Markle And Prince Harry Are Leaving The Royal Family Liberty Nation On The Go: Listen to Today’s Top News 01.09.20By Liberty Nation StaffConservative News – Hot Off The Press – Audio Playlist.Click Here WATCH NOWFEATURED LNTVLNTV: 2019 Moments Haunting 2020 Democrats – WATCH NOW!LNTV: Robert Kraft Now Facing Felonies In Prostitution Arrest – WATCH NOW!LNTV: Virginia’s Second Amendment Skirmishes Continue – WATCH NOW! The Uprising Podcast: Bonne Année! Check out one of our podcasts!Subscribe and get notified of new arrivals.SUBSCRIBELNTV: Robert Kraft Now Facing Felonies In Prostitution Arrest – WATCH NOW! Check out one of our videos!View the latest Liberty Nation videos on YouTube.WATCH NOW |
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THE HILL
| © Getty Images Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It’s Thursday! Our newsletter gets you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the daily co-creators, so find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and recommend the Morning Report to your friends. CLICK HERE to subscribe! President Trump on Wednesday took a step backward from continued military aggression against Iran and endorsed less lethal tools to try to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and to pressure it to change its “behavior.” During a brief White House statement that produced sighs of relief in global capitals and on Wall Street, Trump announced that Iran’s ballistic missile strikes against two U.S. bases located inside Iraq resulted in little damage and no American or Iraqi casualties and ended with Iran “standing down.” The Hill: Trump takes an off-ramp in the Iran crisis. The president defended his decision last week to order the drone killing in Baghdad of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s Quds Force, arguing it saved American lives and conveyed a warning to terrorists that “if you value your own life, you will not threaten the lives of our people.” Trump ordered unspecified additional economic sanctions against Iran — a country already so strangled by U.S. sanctions that the president in September declared the country “broke.” He said Iran would not be “allowed” to have a nuclear weapon on his watch, but he also appeared to concede that tearing up the Obama-era international nuclear deal signed with Iran in 2015, as he did in 2018, would not halt Tehran’s race to become a nuclear power. “Break away,” Trump advised France, Germany, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and the European Union, referring to the nuclear pact they helped craft with Iran that lifted sanctions in exchange for restrictions and inspections intended to slow its nuclear capabilities. In a surprise move, the president said he would ask the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a post-World War II military alliance he has often criticized, to “become more involved in the Middle East process.” He did not explain either a “process” or role he envisioned for NATO. Shortly after Trump spoke, top administration officials fanned out to brief House and Senate lawmakers on Capitol Hill, fielding tough questions about the intelligence Trump relied on to justify killing Soleimani as an imminent threat. Democratic lawmakers, along with several Republican senators, exited closed-door sessions saying they were dissatisfied with vague answers from Trump’s national security team and the political spin they heard. The Hill: Democrats “utterly unpersuaded” by evidence behind Trump’s Soleimani drone strike. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) objected that Trump’s briefers told lawmakers, “‘We can’t have dissension within our ranks, within our government, or else it sends the wrong signal to the Iranians.’ I just think that’s completely wrong.” Niall Stanage: The Memo: Trump turns down the heat. The House will vote today on a resolution that would limit Trump’s war-making power against Iran. Congressional debate about the War Powers Act also dogged Trump’s predecessors, former Presidents George W. Bush and Obama, but since 2001, the post-9/11 risks of terror attacks have persuaded lawmakers to grant the commander in chief the authority to take military action against U.S. enemies and ask Congress for its support later. The Hill: House to vote today to limit Trump’s war-making power against Iran. The Hill: Trump, Democrats set for brawl on Iran war powers. Although the president suggested Iran retreated from escalating to the brink of war, ballistic missiles may yet be overtaken by clandestine cyberattacks authorized by Tehran or its proxies. The Washington Post reported, citing unnamed Trump administration officials, that Iraqis and intelligence sources conveyed to the United States in advance that missile attacks against U.S. facilities would be Tehran’s retaliatory response to Soleimani’s killing. “It’s not luck that no one got killed,” a senior defense official said. The heads-up, even without specifics about intended targets, gave military commanders sufficient time to move U.S. troops to safe, fortified positions at bases in Iraq. The New York Times also detailed how the administration prepared during the early-alert window that began on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The next moves by Tehran may not be as transparent. Iran has the ability to access private sector and government computers in the United States and to “burn down the system,” warned Christopher Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Department of Homeland Security’s computer security arm. The New York Times: Iran’s retaliation with missiles may be “concluded,” but cyberwarfare threat grows. CNN: FBI, Homeland Security warn of Iranian terror and cyber threat in new intelligence bulletin. © Getty Images LEADING THE DAYIMPEACHMENT WATCH: The wait is on for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to send the two articles of impeachment to the Senate, especially as some within her own party are clamoring for her to do so more than three weeks after the House made Trump the third president to impeached in U.S. history. Pelosi has continued to hold back sending the articles despite Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) announcement that he has the votes to start the Senate trial under the precedent set by the 1999 impeachment of former President Clinton and without agreeing on a deal over witnesses. But the wait has drawn the ire of some Democrats who believe she should send them over sooner rather than later. “If we’re going to do it, she should send them over. I don’t see what good delay does,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), echoing remarks made by Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Tuesday (The Hill). Pelosi indicated on Wednesday that she won’t send them over until the text of the Senate resolution emerges (The Hill). “We are waiting to see what the terms are,” Pelosi told reporters Wednesday morning. “As I said from the beginning, how we choose our managers depends on what the arena … we are going into.” The Hill: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) says House Dems reserving option to subpoena John Bolton. The Washington Post: GOP leaders spar over adding House members to Trump’s impeachment defense team. McConnell, however, indicated that there will not be any negotiating with Pelosi or House Democrats over how the impeachment process will work in the upper chamber (The Hill). “There will be no haggling with the House over Senate procedure,” McConnell said. “The House Democrats’ turn is over.” “My Democratic friends are losing patience,” McConnell said, referring to the comments by Murphy, Manchin and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), adding that Pelosi has an “endless appetite for these cynical games.” The Associated Press: Impeachment standoff deepens, testing McConnell and Pelosi. The Hill: Pressure building on Pelosi over articles of impeachment. Roll Call: Chief Justice John Roberts would hold the gavel, but not the power, at Trump impeachment trial. The Associated Press: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.): Impeachment trial could be “big blow” to my campaign. © Getty Images IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKESPOLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: Is former Vice President Joe Biden the 2020 version of Hillary Clinton? It’s a question some Democrats are being forced to examine as the primary battle nears the Iowa caucuses and Biden finds himself locked in a fight with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in early primary states. As Amie Parnes writes, the question cropped up again after a recent Iowa town hall when he was asked whether he was running a better campaign than Clinton’s in 2016, but the answer remains a tough one for Democrats who still worry about some of Biden’s more glaring weaknesses heading into the early voting season. “No one wants déjà vu,” said one Democratic strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns. “And the big fear is that it will be just that.” The Hill: Poll: Trump tied with Biden in Arizona. The New York Times: How Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is being squeezed by two Democratic factions. Steve Peoples, The Associated Press: Trump changes terms of 2020 race with Iran turmoil. The Wall Street Journal: Elizabeth Warren’s base is getting anxious. © Getty Images > Senate state of play: Senate Republicans are playing defense in this year’s race to maintain their majority, but Democrats likely have a tough fight ahead in their third consecutive bid to retake control of the chamber. As Max Greenwood writes in his latest look at the Senate map in 2020, Republicans are defending two dozen seats in November. Democrats need to pick up four seats in 2020 – three if a Democrat is elected president – to take control of the chamber and are looking at flipping a number of seats in states where the president’s approval rating is underwater. Complicating matters for Democrats, Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), is among the most vulnerable senators up for reelection this year, gumming up the path for the minority party to regain control of the Senate. Headlining Greenwood’s list of the most vulnerable senators are Jones, Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.). > Deepfakes: Facebook’s global policy chief faced tough questions before a House panel on Wednesday as lawmakers voiced skepticism over the company’s efforts to crack down on manipulated videos known as deepfakes ahead of the 2020 elections. The social media giant unveiled plans to ban such videos late Monday night, but critics quickly condemned the policy for not going far enough. According to the new guidelines, neither the video of Pelosi edited to make her appear intoxicated, which went viral last year, nor a clip of Biden manipulated to falsely depict white nationalist views would be taken down. “Big Tech failed to respond to the grave threats posed by deepfakes, as evidenced by Facebook scrambling to announce a new policy that strikes me as wholly inadequate,” said Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce chairwoman, noting that the video of Pelosi has already been viewed millions of times (The Hill). The Hill: Here’s a look at states in which Michael Bloomberg’s campaign is investing in ads. OPINIONThe Bill Clinton trial cannot serve as the model for the Donald Trump trial, by Allan Lightman, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2TglR9V Tensions with Iran will not be reduced by erratic decisions, by former Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2QWPOsF WHERE AND WHEN📺 Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) to discuss the Iran situation; Zach Montellaro, campaign reporter for Politico, to talk about 2020 primary polling and debate qualifications; and Wesley Yang, columnist for Tablet magazine. Coverage starts at 9 a.m. ET at http://thehill.com/hilltv or on YouTube at 10 a.m. at Rising on YouTube. The House meets at 10 a.m. Pelosi holds a news conference at 10:45 a.m. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) holds his weekly press event at 11:30 a.m. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. and continues to consider executive and judicial nominees for confirmation. The president will announce proposed National Environmental Policy Act regulations at 11 a.m. and receive his intelligence briefing at 2 p.m. He will also hold a reelection rally in Toledo, Ohio, at 7 p.m. Vice President Pence will travel to Ohio to introduce the president at a reelection rally. He returns to Washington tonight. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosts discussions about the “2020 State of American Business” from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., including an opening speech by Chamber CEO Tom Donahue, at its headquarters in Washington. Information and webcast HERE. ELSEWHERE➔ Ukraine Airlines crash: Authorities in Iran said they recovered the so-called black boxes from the Boeing 737-800 passenger jet that crashed shortly after takeoff on Wednesday in Tehran bound for Ukraine with 176 people aboard. All passengers and crew members perished in a fiery disaster that Iran immediately blamed on mechanical troubles. Officials in the United States, Canada and Ukraine said the crash should be fully investigated, but it was unclear how much access to the cockpit conversations and instrument data international investigators may be granted. Reuters reported that the initial assessment of Western intelligence agencies was that the plane had not been brought down by a missile. There was evidence one of the jet’s engines overheated, according to one unnamed source from Canada. Among the victims of the crash were at least 63 Canadians, prompting Canadian officials to seek Tehran’s cooperation and to offer technical assistance (The Associated Press). ➔ Supreme Court: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has battled recurring health problems during decades on the high court, sounded a positive note this week about the state of her health. “I’m cancer free,” she told CNN during an interview on Tuesday. “That’s good.” The 86-year-old justice, appointed by former President Clinton, was treated for a cancerous pancreatic tumor in August. Previously, Ginsburg was treated for breast cancer and early stage lung cancer (The Hill). ➔ In The Know: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced on Wednesday that they plan to take a “step back” as senior members of the British royal family, a revelation that surprised Buckingham Palace. According to a statement, the couple plan to become financially independent and will split their time along with their son between the United Kingdom and the United States. Harry, 35, is sixth in the line of succession to the British throne and, unlike his American wife, has been in the public eye his entire life (The Associated Press). © Getty Images ➔ “Jeopardy!” It’s a two-man battle just two nights into the “Jeopardy!” competition to crown the show’s greatest competitor. James Holzhauer, who made waves on the show in 2019, won the second match of the “greatest of all time” competition, giving him and Ken Jennings a win apiece heading into Thursday’s third match. Holzhauer won handily on Wednesday, piling up 82,414 points and defeating Jennings by more than 25,000 points. The first contestant to win three matches will be crowned the GOAT. The third match airs at 8 p.m. tonight on ABC (The New York Times). THE CLOSERAnd finally … It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for this week’s Morning Report Quiz! Puerto Rico has suffered more than its share of natural disasters, including an earthquake on Tuesday that measured a magnitude 6.4, followed by strong aftershocks. Trump approved a federal emergency declaration for the territory on Wednesday. As it happens, on this day in history — on Jan. 9, 1857, and again on Jan. 9, 1982 — major temblors led the news, rattling New England and California, respectively. With that in mind, this week’s puzzle explores readers’ tectonic knowledge. Email your responses to asimendinger@thehill.com and/or aweaver@thehill.com, and please add “Quiz” to subject lines. Winners who submit correct answers will take a bow in Friday’s newsletter. News media reports this week explained that Puerto Rico is squeezed between two tectonic plates that create an undersea fault zone. What are the two troublesome plates called? San Juan and San Andreas San Juan and Culebra Panama and Cocos Caribbean and North American Which two U.S. states have experienced the most recorded earthquakes since the 1700s? California and Alaska California and Hawaii Kansas and Colorado Alaska and Texas The federal government employs on-duty seismologists who monitor earthquake activity around the world 24/7 through the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC). The center seeks to publish the magnitude and location of quakes within minutes. Which of these serves as the home agency for the center? U.S. Geological Survey Environmental Protection Agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Emergency Management Agency Former President Obama was in office when a magnitude-3.4 earthquake hit Washington, D.C., in July 2010 and when a magnitude-5.8 temblor struck the nation’s capital in August 2011, damaging the Washington Monument. He felt neither one. Why? The White House is fortified like a bunker, preventing any sensation of the ground shaking. Obama said he was fast asleep at the White House during the 2010 quake and was playing golf on Martha’s Vineyard during the 2011 event. The former president was so accustomed to volcano activity during his childhood in Hawaii that he said he was oblivious to D.C. earthquakes. The U.S. Secret Service received enough advance warning to quickly get the president aloft in Marine One during both incidents. © Getty Images The Morning Report is created by journalists Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver. We want to hear from you! Email: asimendinger@thehill.com and aweaver@thehill.com. We invite you to share The Hill’s reporting and newsletters, and encourage others to SUBSCRIBE! 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THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
| Washington Examiner’s Examiner Today NewsletterView this as website ADVERTISEMENT HIGHLIGHTSGabbard: Everybody knows ‘Hillary is a warmonger’Democrats defend Obama Iran deal in face of Trump jabsMike Lee says Iran briefers ‘dismissive’ on Trump war powers Warren campaign scrambling for survivalElizabeth Warren’s once-surging Democratic presidential nomination bid is losing steam. ‘Greater enemies:’ Iranian envoy will remain at UN despite promising revenge against US, analysts say President Trump will not expel an Iranian diplomat in New York who pledged repeatedly that the regime would take “revenge” for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, according to analysts and officials. Pentagon says Iran intended to ‘kill personnel’ in missile attack The Pentagon said that Iran aimed to kill U.S. forces when it launched more than a dozen missiles at two bases in Iraq. ‘I was spared’: Ex-spy chief Dan Coats says resignation unrelated to Trump-Zelensky call A series of fortuitous events has former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats feeling “spared” from the whistleblower complaint that led to impeachment proceedings against President Trump. ADVERTISEMENT House will vote on war powers resolution Thursday Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House will vote Thursday on a resolution limiting President Trump’s military action with Iran. House Democrats cut out Republicans in climate plan meant for consensusHouse Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats unveiled a framework for comprehensive climate legislation Wednesday that they say includes tested policy approaches that can both prompt robust emissions cuts and garner political consensus, at least within their own party. Police release video of assault in hopes of catching suspect who attacked veteran Police in Las Vegas are searching for the suspect in a brutal attack on a military veteran that cost him his right eye. ‘Avoid being Iran’s lawyer’: Dem insiders warn party’s 2020 contenders to frame the right approach Democratic insiders are warning the party’s top 2020 contenders to avoid blaming the United States and sympathizing with Iran as they stake out opposition to President Trump’s evolving Middle East policy. ‘Disgrace’: GOP congressman blasts Ilhan Omar for claiming PTSD over Iran GOP Rep. Jim Banks attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar after she said she’s “stricken with PTSD” regarding the recent tension between the United States and Iran. ‘Very unusual’: Canadian official says country is not speculating on cause of Iranian plane crashCanada’s transportation minister said that he is not speculating about why a Ukrainian airliner carrying 176 people went down in Iran. FBI and Homeland Security issue bulletin warning of potential Iranian cyber and terror threats The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security released an intelligence bulletin warning of the threat Iran poses the day after it attacked military bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops. Teen arrested after authorities say he threw Molotov cocktail at Planned Parenthood office A Delaware man is facing federal charges after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at a Planned Parenthood office. THE ROUNDUPThree hours from alert to attacks: Inside a tense day at the White HouseTrump’s Mideast allies duck Iran confrontationGOP leaders spar over adding House members to Trump’s impeachment defense teamADVERTISEMENT |
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CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
| Connect: Facebook Twitter YouTubeView this email in your browser“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you,” (John 15:12, ESV).Legislative Priorities for 2020By Steven Holt on Jan 08, 2020 02:41 pm State Rep. Steve Holt, R-Denison, shares Iowa House Republican priorities, his priorities as House Judiciary Chair, and his personal priorities. Read in browser » Hinson Raises Nearly $1.1 Million in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District RaceBy Caffeinated Thoughts on Jan 08, 2020 12:59 pm Ashley Hinson announced that she raised nearly $1.1 million for her campaign in the Iowa 1st Congressional District race since she announced in May 2019. Read in browser » Franken on Impeachment: Let Voters DecideBy Shane Vander Hart on Jan 08, 2020 10:03 am Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Michael Franken told Caffeinated Thoughts before an event in Sioux City, Iowa that he prefers voters remove President Trump. Read in browser » Recent Articles: David Young Announces Over $1 Million Raised in 2019 Iowans Deserve a Better Tax System Now Ernst Joins Senate Colleagues Calling on Pelosi to Forward Articles of Impeachment Cindy Axne Defends Affordable Care Act, Advocates Medicare as Public Option Joe Biden: Trump Does Not Have Authority to Attack IranLaunched in 2006, Caffeinated Thoughts reports news and shares commentary about culture, current events, faith and state and national politics from a Christian and conservative point of view. Caffeinated Thoughts P.O. Box 57184 Des Moines, IA 50317 (515) 321-5077 Editor, Shane Vander Hart Connect: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.ShareTweetShareForwardCopyright © 2020 Caffeinated Thoughts, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
AXIOS
Axios AMSubscribe
By Mike Allen
🇨🇳 Situational awareness: Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will travel to Washington next week (Mon.-Wed.) to sign the “phase one” trade deal with President Trump. (Bloomberg)
- Today’s Smart Brevity™ count: 1,186 words … 4½ minutes.
1 big thing: When war pays dividends
War. What is it good for? The stock market, it turns out, Axios’ Felix Salmon writes.
- U.S. stocks sold off when faced with the specter of possible war with Iran.
- War is bad news, after all! So stocks fell after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, and after 9/11.
- And yesterday, as war fears abated, stocks hit new record highs.
But ignore the gyrations.
- It turns out that over time, war tends to be good for American stocks.
By the numbers:
- The Dow rose 43% during World War I, despite the destruction of much of Europe, and it rose 50% during World War II, which was bloodier still.
- Defense spending has accounted for more than 3% of U.S. economic activity in every year since World War II. Think of it as a consistent and predictable fiscal stimulus.
Determining war’s effect on the stock market isn’t easy, since the U.S. is almost always at war:
- Since the end of World War II, per Eurasia Group, the U.S. has been at war in every year but 1949 and 1985.
But if you look at the wars that involved the most U.S. troops — the Korean
and Vietnam war — the stock market rose 60% and 43%, respectively.
- When the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, stocks rose 32% in the subsequent 10 months.
- Subscribe to Felix Salmon’s weekly newsletter, Axios Edge.
2. “The worst briefing I’ve seen”
Satellite view shows Iranian missile strike’s damage to Ain al-Asad base in Iraq’s Anbar province. Image: Planet Labs via Reuters
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) called the Trump administration’s classified briefing on Iran “the worst briefing … in my nine years” in the Senate:
- “They had to leave after 75 minutes, while they were in the process of telling us that we need to be good little boys and girls and run along and not debate this in public. I find that absolutely insane. I think it’s unacceptable.”
- Why it matters: It’s rare to see a Republican senator so harshly rebuke the Trump administration. But Lee, who was flanked by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), didn’t hold back. (Video.)
After a House briefing, Speaker Pelosi announced a vote on a War Powers resolution today to curb President Trump’s military action on Iran.
- Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) told Axios’ Alayna Treene: “Nothing I heard, at any point, makes me think that there was something more imminent.”
The other side: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) tweeted that the briefing was “compelling” and said Trump’s national security officials “answered every important question.”
- Trump himself struck a de-escalatory tone: “Iran appears to be standing down. … The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.”
3. Malls’ survival secret
American Dream mall in East Rutherford, N.J. Photo: American Dream
Some big malls and shopping centers have found a way to avert the carnage befalling department-store bastions of the last century, Axios’ Erica Pandey writes in our Axios Future newsletter:
- They’re finding ways besides shopping to get people through the door.
American Dream — a 3 million-square-foot mall in New Jersey’s Meadowlands that’ll be fully open in March — is just 45% retail. The rest will be entertainment options, from an indoor ski slope to a hockey rink to an amusement park.
- That follows the opening of New York’s Hudson Yards last year.
- And American Dream’s developers plan a second location in Miami.
4. Pic du jour: Olympic athletes’ cardboard beds
Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP
Bed frames in the Athletes Village at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics will be made of cardboard (above), AP reports.
- Takashi Kitajima, general manager of the village, said the beds “can stand up to 200 kilograms” — 440 pounds, or more than even the burliest athlete.
- “They are stronger than wooden beds,” Kitajima added.
The bed frames will be recycled into paper products after the games.
5. Axios on the road: Bloomberg hits the heartland
Mike Bloomberg visits a farm in Wells, Minn., yesterday. Photo: Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via Getty Images
Mike Bloomberg barnstormed three Midwestern states that aren’t yet drawing the 2020 pack — Illinois, Minnesota and Ohio — as a way of showing off his unorthodox candidacy and road-testing a new jobs message.
- “A computer terminal is the new pitchfork,” Bloomberg told a soybean farmer in Wells, Minn., promising expanded broadband access.
Axios’ Alexi McCammond, who hit all three stops on the one-day swing, reports that the former New York mayor is courting independents and Republicans who backed Trump in 2016, but aren’t feeling the economic boost they were promised.
- When discussing Trump’s character, Bloomberg avoids characterizations like “corrupt,” “criminal,” “dangerous” or “liar,” that other Democrats have used.
- Instead, he jabs at Trump’s business legitimacy, saying he “played a businessman on a TV show” but has never “actually been one in real life.”
In a gaggle with reporters (invited to fly along with Bloomberg— at their expense — for the first time), he was asked if he’d release women from nondisclosure agreements with his company, as Elizabeth Warren called for.
- “She should worry about herself and I’m worried about myself,” he said.
- When people or organizations make an agreement, “you can’t just walk away from the legal agreements, and for all I know the other side wouldn’t want to get out of that.”
1 fun thing: Bloomberg, a voracious reader, favors paperbacks over tablets.
- The exception: Spanish literature, which he likes to read on his Kindle, so that he can look up words he doesn’t know as he goes.
6. Exclusive: Chamber CEO to push more bipartisan agenda
U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Tom Donahue will use his annual “State of American Business” address today to urge bipartisan support for some issues that Democrats hold dear — including climate change and infrastructure investment, Axios Markets editor Dion Rabouin writes.
- Why it matters: The Chamber is the largest business organization in the U.S., and some of Donohue’s remarks will be a departure for a group long closer to Republicans.
Donohue’s remarks — provided first to Axios — will call for the passing of “35 bipartisan bills that can help address climate change through innovation and investment.”
- “Inaction is not an option,” Donohue, who’s set to leave the organization in June 2022, will argue. “So let’s flip the conventional wisdom that nothing gets done in an election year.”
Between the lines: The Chamber has begun embracing more centrist policies after differing with President Trump on immigration, trade and climate change.
- 🎧The speech will stream live at 10 a.m. ET on the Chamber’s website.
7. Survey: Top execs remain pessimistic
Source: Deloitte (CFO expectations for year-over-year increases.) Chart: Axios Visuals
Chief financial officers are bracing for an economic slowdown this year, according to Deloitte’s quarterly survey of nearly 150 executives at top North American companies, Axios markets reporter Courtenay Brown reports.
- 97% of CFOs say a downturn (either a slowdown or a recession) has already begun or will occur by the end of 2020.
Why it matters: Multiple surveys showed plunging optimism among top executives last year, thanks largely to trade-war uncertainty.
- Deloitte’s survey shows skittishness continues to curb companies’ hiring and spending.
8. 🛴 Stat du jour: Scooter mayhem
Nearly 40,000 scooter-induced broken bones, head injuries, cuts and bruises were treated in U.S. emergency rooms from 2014 through 2018, according to UC San Francisco research published yesterday in JAMA Surgery. (AP)
9. 🏈 Quote of the day: Tom Brady says he has “more to prove”
Tom Brady — who’s out of the NFL playoffs before the divisional round for the first time in a decade, after an upset of the Patriots on Saturday — writes on Instagram:
10. 1 food thing: Kids’ sneaky new trick
Photo: Getty Images
Kids have started using delivery apps to escape their parents’ cooking, the Wall Street Journal’s Heather Haddon and James R. Hagerty write in an A-hed (subscription):
- “Rita George-Tvrtkovic, an associate professor of theology living in Chicago, recently offered to make bacon and eggs for her 15-year-old son and three friends of his who had stayed the night. They said they weren’t hungry. An hour later, an Uber Eats courier arrived with a load of tacos.”
Why it matters: “Teenagers say they love the sense of control of ordering up food from someone other than their parents.”
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THE RESURGENT
| The Resurgent’s Morning Briefing for January 9,2020View this email in your browserShareTweetForwardGood morning, Here is all the news conservatives need to know to start their day. At 9am ET and then at 4pm ET, you can catch me on radio to bring you up to speed on developments throughout the day. You can listen live here. Joy Behar To Warren: Americans Afraid You’re Going To Tax The Bejesus Out Of ThemThe post Joy Behar To Warren: Americans Afraid You’re Going To Tax The Bejesus Out Of Them appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » LIVE: President Trump Addresses The Nation Over The Iranian Missile StrikesThe post LIVE: President Trump Addresses The Nation Over The Iranian Missile Strikes appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » President Trump Should Tell The Nation There is a Trump DoctrineTrump should use this public statement to tell the nation, and the world, that there is in fact a red line, a Trump Doctrine that protects our assets and citizens worldwide. Iran can project its force wherever they like, but when it conflicts with America’s interests, they should know what to expect. They got a taste of this last week, and they’re waiting to see if Trump is serious.The post President Trump Should Tell The Nation There is a Trump Doctrine appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Senator Lee Introduces ‘American Wild Game and Livestock Protection Act’ to Address Gray Wolf ManagementA newly-introduced bill regarding gray wolf management flew under the radar just before the holiday. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT)’s Senate Bill 3140, or the American Wild Game and Livestock Protection Act, was introduced in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on December 19th, 2019. If passed, the bill would “require the Secretary of […]The post Senator Lee Introduces ‘American Wild Game and Livestock Protection Act’ to Address Gray Wolf Management appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Did Trump Set an Iran “Red Line” Policy Purely By Accident?Do the events of the last week represent a new policy toward Iran, a “red line” that they cannot cross without expectation of a significant reaction by the U.S.? Is this policy simply an accident of decisions made “in the moment” by President Trump? Is it a policy at all?The post Did Trump Set an Iran “Red Line” Policy Purely By Accident? appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » FB Executive on Trump 2016 Election: ‘He Got Elected Because He Ran the Single Best Digital Ad Campaign I’ve Ever Seen’Many of President Trump’s critics believe his campaign resorted to nefarious means on Facebook to tilt the 2016 election in his favor. According to one Facebook executive, however, that theory is bunk. Why was Trump elected? Andrew Bosworth, the executive in question, said President Trump “ran the single best digital ad campaign I’ve ever seen […]The post FB Executive on Trump 2016 Election: ‘He Got Elected Because He Ran the Single Best Digital Ad Campaign I’ve Ever Seen’ appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Recent Items:So Far, Trump Beat Iran Iran Strikes Back Virginia’s Largest City Becomes Second Amendment Constitutional City Facebook Takes a Super Important StandRemember, you can listen to the Erick Erickson Show anytime and anywhere via WSB Radio, iTunes, Stitcher, and Soundcloud. As always, you can find pretty much anything and everything I’m writing about throughout the day via The Resurgent. Thanks for reading and tuning in. Erick EricksonTHE RESURGENTFacebookTwitterInstagramCopyright © 2020 The Resurgent Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences |
THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING MIX
| Sign up for this newsletterRead onlineStories from all over. Lizzo playing the flute at the BET Awards in Los Angeles. Billie Eilish and Lizzo, both nominated for the top four prizes at the Grammy Awards, are slated to perform at the Grammy Awards on Jan. 26 event, airing live on CBS.Jillian Michaels asked why people are ‘celebrating’ Lizzo’s body. Critics slammed her as ‘fatphobic.’“Why aren’t we celebrating her music?” Michaels said in an interview Wednesday. “‘Cause it isn’t going to be awesome if she gets diabetes.”By Allyson Chiu ● Read more » A comedy group was firebombed for its portrayal of ‘gay Jesus.’ Netflix has now been ordered to remove the movie.In “The First Temptation of Christ,” a satirical Brazilian Christmas special, Jesus comes home to Nazareth with a flamboyant male companion.By Teo Armus ● Read more » Mormon leaders reported a child molester’s confession. Now his wife is suing the church for $9.5 million.Timothy Samuel Johnson was sentenced to 15 years in prison after a clergy member told authorities about his confession.By Antonia Farzan ● Read more » ‘They are in love with terrorists’: GOP lawmaker says Democrats ‘mourn Soleimani’ more than they grieve for Gold Star familiesThe remark from Collins immediately drew rebukes online from critics who pointed out how a similar line of attack against Democrats skeptical of the president’s actions was used by some of Trump’s most notable surrogates this week.By Timothy Bella ● Read more » Popular comedy site CollegeHumor collapses after two decades of goofy viral jokesAfter 20 years, comedy site CollegeHumor laid off nearly all of its employees and is shuttering its popular websites.By Katie Shepherd ● Read more » How a mysterious seismic hum led scientists to the birth of an enormous undersea volcanoBy Meagan Flynn ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletterCheck out The Trailer for news and insight on political campaigns around the country, from David Weigel. 435 districts. 50 states. Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Sign up » |
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AMERICAN THINKER
| View this email in your browserRecent ArticlesTrump UnboundJan 09, 2020 01:00 am They hit Trump with an attempt to subvert electors, with the Mueller investigation, with the emoluments clause, with the 25th Amendment, and then with impeachment. And all of it simply bounced off. Read More… Progressive Eco-Group Admits It: Renewable Energy is a Hoax that Benefits its Greenie Elmer Gantries like Al GoreJan 09, 2020 01:00 am Al Gore, the Elmer Gantry of energy is making a pretty penny on energy schemes and the rabid left is admitting some uncomfortable truths. Read More… New York’s Jewish Elite Bails OutJan 09, 2020 01:00 am Guess who lobbied for the get-out-of-jail-card that puts Jew-bashers back on the street? Read More… K-12: The War against ChildrenJan 09, 2020 01:00 am American public schools, by all the usual metrics, have steadily declined for a century. Was this inevitable? Or is there an evil plot aimed at our students? Read More… On Soleimani, President Trump Did the Right ThingJan 09, 2020 01:00 am Here are several quotations from people who would know. Read More… Shoving ‘Transgender Regret’ Back in the ClosetJan 09, 2020 01:00 am LGBTQ advocates are attacking “transgender” people who want to return to their birth sex. Read More… Recent Blog Posts Cocaine Mitch pounds Nancy Pelosi into a powder Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Over in the Senate, Democrats are breaking with Pelosi and begging for mercy. Read more… Academia’s Leftism becomes more aggressive and more stupid Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Three stories out of academia in America and Canada demonstrate again the scary Leftist stranglehold on higher education. Read more… Paul Krugman’s strange tweets about his hacked computer Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Paul Krugman puts out a strange series of tweets about a hacked computer, suggesting that maybe QAnon is real. Read more… Tulsi Gabbard says President Trump’s ‘actions are undermining our national security’ Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am After calling Hillary Clinton a “warmonger,” the congresswoman then used Hillary’s support for the Iraq war to criticize President Trump Read more… In Australia, fires expose green folly Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am It was these greens and not civilized society they oppose, who have much to answer for in Australia’s destructive bush fires. Read more… Pelosi now has Democrats calling her out Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Some Dems want those articles of impeachment sent to the Senate already. What a mess for the speaker of the House. Read more… If you think Trump gave a great speech, you are correct. Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am President Trump gave a masterful, statesmanlike speech telling Iran to give up terrorism or face certain consequences. Read more… The Democrat party is officially a dysfunctional family Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am The Democrat party as currently constituted, at least its leadership, seems to be blighted by the conviction that only its chosen “facts” can be true. Read more… Senators Paul and Lee threaten to help Democrats constrain Trump Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Senators Paul and Lee ignore history, law, and the Constitution when they threaten to join Democrats to clip Trump’s wings. Read more… The nightmare scenario if Hillary or Biden controlled foreign policy today Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Although Leftists yearn for Hillary and hope for Biden, each would have been disastrous dealing with Iran. Read more… Restive Democrat Senators demand that Pelosi act on impeachment Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Senate Democrats say that Pelosi’s delay in sending Articles of Impeachment is weakening the case against Trump. Read more… Maybe they’ll just impeach him every week until election day Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Party of permanent impeachment, is that the best the Democrats can now come up with? Read more… Why Syrians cheer Soleimani’s demise Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am With the Syrian dictator’s Iranian protector out of the picture, who’s going to bail out Assad when the next Syrian popular revolt starts? Read more… Under incarceration allowing scary frequently arrested predator to roam the streets of Chicago looking for more victims Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Scary people are roaming the streets of many big cities, thanks to Democrats, who believe that innocent black people are arrested convicted by our purportedly racist justice system. Read more… Soleimani’s end is no outbreak of war, it’s the end of war Jan 09, 2020 01:00 am Soleimani rained a hellish war on innocent people wherever he went. Read more… View this email in your browserAmerican Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans. |
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CHICAGO TRIBUNE
| VIEW IN BROWSERJANUARY 9, 2020CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COMDAYWATCH1Wild fluctuations in water levels mean trouble for Lake Huron, its massive shoreline and its 30,000 islandsTHURSDAY, JAN 9Near record high lake levels have battered residents and business owners on the coast of Lake Huron. The consternation isn’t just from the high water — in 1986, lake levels were slightly higher — it’s also from the pace of the rise. Less than seven years earlier, most docks and boathouses were high and dry. In just 3 ½ years, levels rose more than 4 feet and last summer peaked at nearly 6 feet above the record low. The waterfront of one coastal town has morphed into a graveyard of flotsam. Many structures, including some built almost a century ago, are buckling and tumbling into Lake Huron.Here are 5 things you might not know about Lake Huron, the “forgotten” Great Lake.2A judge ordered Google to turn over a full year of Jussie Smollett’s data as part of the special prosecutor’s investigationTHURSDAY, JAN 9A Cook County judge has ordered Google to turn over Jussie Smollett’s emails, photos, location data and private messages for an entire year as part of the special prosecutor’s investigation into the purported attack on the actor. Two sweeping search warrants, obtained by the Tribune, provide the first public glimpse at the direction of the probe by special prosecutor Dan Webb more than four months into the investigation.Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and her office have retained some high-powered legal assistance in the ongoing probe of Foxx’s controversial handling of the Jussie Smollett case. 3Mentions of rape cover-up, ghost payrolling in lobbyist’s email spur calls for investigationTHURSDAY, JAN 9A chorus of lawmakers is calling for a criminal investigation into a possible cover-up of rape and ghost payrolling that was hinted at in an email from a powerful lobbyist and confidant of House Speaker Michael Madigan. In a July 2012 email to aides to then-Gov. Pat Quinn, lobbyist Mike McClain advocated for state worker Forrest Ashby in a disciplinary matter, saying he “kept his mouth shut” about “Jones’ ghost workers, the rape in Champaign and other items. He is loyal to the administration.”4The cost of dismissing the Cook County hospital CEO? More than $600,000, plus a big pension.THURSDAY, JAN 9The Cook County health board’s decision to part ways with its CEO will prove costly to taxpayers, with the tab expected to top $600,000. Not only does Dr. John Jay Shannon stand to collect $542,000 in severance pay and health insurance benefits per the terms of his contract, but his interim replacement got a raise of more than $40,000. In addition, the county will have to spend tens of thousands of dollars more on a national search for a permanent successor. 5One week into recreational marijuana sales, Illinois dispensaries say they need more weed and more workersTHURSDAY, JAN 9A week into recreational marijuana sales in Illinois, some stores have restocked their shelves and restarted sales while others hope to in the coming days. But as the weekend nears, it’s still hit and miss whether buyers will leave stores happy or empty-handed.Reefer, man: A brief history of marijuana in the movies, from demon weed to sight gag and beyondCatching up with Mindy Segal, Chicago’s original cannabis chef, on her newest edibles line, creating flavors and going from kitchens to corporate environsDid you pack weed in your carry-on? O’Hare and Midway now have boxes for dumping recreational marijuana before boarding a planeCommentary: My struggle to stay sober in Chicago with the smell of weed all around me6Chicago could get more than 50 new co-working spaces this year. New perks — child care, yoga, blow-outs, beer — are part of the arms race for nice spaces.THURSDAY, JAN 9At the end of November, Chicago had 94 co-working spaces occupying about 3.4 million square feet. By the end of this year, that number is expected to jump to 163 spaces and 4.2 million square feet, according to a report. Amenities and services are increasingly important in the co-working arms race. The offerings depend on the clientele co-working operators are wooing: blow-dry salons, yoga studios, child care, laundry services, nice bathrooms and showers, wine, beer and chic networking events are all designed to keep tenants happy and paying rent. 7The latest change to Libertyville’s downtown: Starbucks is closing after 25 yearsTHURSDAY, JAN 9Starbucks’ recent decision to close its longtime storefront in Libertyville marks the latest change in a series of different developments to affect the village’s bustling downtown. But many Libertyville residents and merchants say that even though they were surprised to hear Starbucks was planning to close the popular store, they don’t believe the decision reflects a larger problem for the village, pointing out how downtown vacancies don’t seem to last long when they do happen.8Girl Scout cookie sales have launched — here’s why your cookies will look different this yearTHURSDAY, JAN 9The Girl Scouts launched cookie sales with a new lemony treat baked with empowering messages meant to promote female entrepreneurship. The new cookies replace the Savannah Smiles. The new cookie isn’t the only change you will notice this year, they also changed their packaging.advertisement UNSUBSCRIBE | NEWSLETTERS | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS OF SERVICECopyright © 2020 | Chicago Tribune | 160 N. Stetson Ave., Third Floor, Chicago, IL 60601ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this email because you are following the Daywatch newsletter. |
THE FEDERALIST
| Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray January 9, 2020 To The Liberal Media’s Dismay, There Will Be No Disastrous War With IranBy John Daniel Davidson Only a mainstream media that’s been blinded by hatred of Trump could be this disappointed their predictions of all-out war with Iran haven’t come true. Full articleNew Details About Meeting FBI Source Suggest Carter Page Was Set UpBy Margot Cleveland Now that we know Stefan Halper wasn’t a mere fellow dinner guest at the gathering but was instead sitting abreast the table at his own college, it screams ‘set up.’ Full articleCNN Settles Covington Catholic Defamation Case, But Other Big Media Still In The CrosshairsBy Margot Cleveland While CNN is now out of the case, Nicholas Sandmann’s lawsuit against the Washington Post and NBC continues, and soon there will be some new defendants, according to his lawyers. Full articleThe Media Hasn’t Told You The Truth About Tinslee Lewis’s Fight For Her LifeBy Sarah Connors Tinslee Lewis is just the latest victim of politicians who believe the state has more interest than families in determining who should receive care. Full articleAmazon’s ‘The Report’ Tortures The Facts About Dan Jones’s Info OpsBy Matthew Braun Adam Driver stars in a movie that attempts to tell the story of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s infamous ‘torture report,’ but it gets the story badly wrong and tries to lionize a dishonest partisan hitman. Full articlePelosi’s Desperate Attempt To Save Impeachment Is Hurting Democrats’ CaseBy Tristan Justice For every day that Nancy Pelosi keeps her hand on the articles so they don’t get to the Senate, Republicans’ case against impeachment grows stronger. Full articleAnti-Aircraft Attack Fears Increase For European Passenger Jet Crash In IranBy Christopher Bedford A European passenger jet crash that killed all 176 passengers and crew in Iran during Wednesday night’s hostilities is under intense international scrutiny after rapid explanations raised suspicions. Full articleIG Report Documents How The FBI Hid Negative Information About Christopher SteeleBy Margot Cleveland The IG’s report shows FBI agents intentionally excluded derogatory information to maintain the apparent credibility of the sources they used to obtain the power to secretly surveil U.S. citizens. Full articleThe Media Is Always, Always Wrong About Trump And National SecurityBy Erielle Davidson We should stop listening to the media on national security issues, since they are always wrong. As a captive audience, they make us accompany them through their stages of hysteria, and it’s insufferable. Full articleAOC Is Right About Democrats’ Split Between Socialists And LiberalsBy Sumantra Maitra Socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got one thing right: The ongoing split in the left is structural. That is an opportunity for conservatives. Full article4 Reasons ‘Cats’ Was So Bad It Must Be A Secret Dog PlotBy Ellie Bufkin ‘Cats’ was so bad that the only reasoning I can come up with for its badness is that it was a plot by dogs to make cats as unappealing as cosmically possible. Full articleNo, George Will, Individual Freedom Is Bigger Than Market ChoiceBy Josh Hawley Does a spotaneous market include woke capital, offshoring, and the growing corporatist alliance between big government and big business? George Will thinks so. Full articleJillian Michaels Says Lizzo Should Be Praised For Her Music, Not Being OverweightBy Chrissy Clark Fitness star Jillian Michaels questioned why people are celebrating pop-star Lizzo’s body instead of her music: “It isn’t going to be awesome if she gets diabetes.” Full articleMeghan Markle And Prince Harry Are Leaving The Royal FamilyBy Tristan Justice Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle announced Wednesday they would be splitting their time between Great Britain and North America. Full articleIn Wake Of Texas Church Shooting, Minister Declines To Speak With Mainstream MediaBy Madeline Osburn Despite being inundated by media requests, he declined to appear on national morning shows or cable news, and probably for a good reason. Full articleFeinstein And Other Senate Democrats Break With Pelosi On Impeachment Article DelayBy Chrissy Clark Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is reportedly breaking away from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on matters of impeachment. Full articleTrump Vows Iran Will Never Be Allowed To Have A Nuclear WeaponBy Chrissy Clark President Donald Trump confirmed no American or Iraqui people were harmed in the Iranian regime’s attack, and annoucned heavy economic sanctions on Iran. Full articleThe President Is Preventing A War, Not Starting OneBy David Marcus President Trump said that killing Soleimani was an effort to end, not start a war. He was roundly mocked, but that is exactly what he did. Full articleNancy Pelosi Continues Withholding Articles Of Impeachment From SenateBy Tristan Justice Nancy Pelosi told Democrats she would hold the articles of impeachment hostage until Mitch McConnell offered details on how a trial will be conducted. Full articleDespite Leftist Hysterics, President Trump Was Likely Right on IranBy Erielle Davidson If yesterday evening serves as the entirety of the Iranian response to Soleimani’s death, President Trump should count the events as a win. Full article THE DESERT OF THE SURREAL As we entered 2020, the trend on Twitter was to post a social media summary of your decade – an act of performative art that was both narcissistic and fully representative of the moment we inhabit. People tabulated their successes at all manner of things, from the impressive to the ridiculous. It was everything you might expect. Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2020 The Federalist, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences |
IJR
NBC
| From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann. FIRST READ: The 2020 calendar squeeze is about to get realPresident Trump took that exit ramp with Iran. Speaker Nancy Pelosi “soon” is sending those articles of impeachment to the Senate. And so the squeeze on the 2020 calendar is about to get real.REUTERS/Tom BrennerWe are now 25 days from the Iowa caucuses, and so if Pelosi decides to send those articles over as soon as today (she has a 10:45 am ET press briefing), that will: have consequences for Tuesday’s Democratic debate in Iowa (does it even take place if the trial starts by then?); affect the future campaigning in Iowa for the Democratic senators who will have to be in attendance for the trial (Sens. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar – as well as Cory Booker and Michael Bennet); give an advantage to the 2020 Dems who DON’T have to be attendance (Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg); and reduce the 2020 race to the SECOND-most important political story in America. More than anything else today, Pelosi needs to offer Democratic politicians some clarity about the impeachment process. Because senators are getting restless. “We are reaching a point where the articles of impeachment should be sent,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters yesterday, per NBC News. And when it comes to impeachment, Democrats are probably better off when the subject is the substance – rather than the process. Worst. Briefing. Ever. As for Iran, it’s not every day when members of Trump’s own party take the administration to task over an intelligence briefing. But that’s exactly what happened yesterday, when Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, lambasted the administration’s classified intel briefing into its decision to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. “It was probably the worst briefing I’ve seen at least on a military issue in the nine years I’ve served in the United States Senate,” Lee said. He added, “I walked into the briefing undecided, I walked out decided specifically because of what happened in that briefing.” Lee’s criticism underscores that Trump probably didn’t have the political cover to take any MORE action regarding Iran. And also that the administration did a poor job of explaining its actions – not only to members of Congress, but also the public at large. On “Today” this morning, NBC’s Savannah Guthrie asked Vice President Mike Pence why the administration couldn’t convince even GOP senators about the intelligence over its actions to kill Soleimani. Pence said the administration didn’t want to reveal its intelligence “sources and methods.” “If we were to share all of the intelligence … it could compromise those sources and methods,” he said. But even in a classified setting? 2020 VISION: Party of Five? Well, it looks like just five Democrats will be participating in next week’s Dem debate from Iowa (if it does end up taking place) – Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar. Those five Dems, according to NBC’s Ben Kamisar, have meet the polling threshold (hitting at least 5 percent in four approved polls, or 7 percent in two early-state polls) and fundraising requirement (225,000 unique donors) to qualify ahead of tomorrow’s qualification deadline. Those on the bubble: Tom Steyer (who needs two more polls of 5 percent), Andrew Yang (who needs three more) and Cory Booker (who needs four).On the campaign trail today: President Trump holds a rally in Toledo, Ohio at 7:00 pm ET… Cory Booker stumps in Iowa… And Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer and Tulsi Gabbard are in New Hampshire… Dispatches from NBC’s campaign embeds: In Ohio yesterday as he drew one of his largest crowds, Michael Bloomberg discussed the Democrats’ debate process, per NBC’s Jordan Jackson. As the qualification deadline for the next Democratic debate comes up on Friday, Bloomberg told reporters that while he thought he should be allowed on the stage (Bloomberg has met the polling threshold, but is not taking individual contributions), he knew the rules going into it. “I would love to be able to participate in the debate, but the fact that I say I don’t want even the appearance of me taking money from anybody else, not even $1, why should that just take away my right to be in the debate? Or Cory Booker, he qualifies for one but not for the other. Why shouldn’t he be able to do it? But you got to talk to the party. They make their rules and they have a right to their rules, and you know the rules before you go in.” In New Hampshire yesterday, Andrew Yang continued to call President Trump’s decision to strike and kill Qassem Soleimani a mistake, and he said that if elected president he would push war power back to the Congress, per NBC’s Julia Jester. “Who has the authority to declare war on another country and our constitution is very clear it is for Congress to declare war,” Yang said. “So what has happened over the last 19 years such that Congress is not touching any of these military decisions it’s because Congress has ceded the authority to declare war to the president in the 2001 Authorization of Use of Military Force. They essentially said it’s all yours. As president, I would pull us back from the brink of war in Iran, the Middle East. De-escalate tensions. Reinvest in our alliances and partnerships abroad and then push the power to declare war back to Congress where it belongs in the constitution.” DATA DOWNLOAD: And the number of the day is… 64 percent64 percent. That’s the median share of adults across 32 countries around the globe who say they do NOT have confidence in President Trump to do the right thing when it comes to world affairs, according to a new global survey from the Pew Research Center. Just 29 percent worldwide said they do have confidence. Those skeptical of Trump included majorities in Germany (85 percent), France (78 percent), Canada (71 percent) and the United Kingdom (67 percent.) Countries where majorities expressed confidence in Trump included the Philippines (77 percent), Israel (71 percent), Kenya (65 percent) and India (56 percent). TWEET OF THE DAY: We’ll never be royals THE LID: We Are The WorldDon’t miss the pod from yesterday, when we delved into the new Pew Research Center survey of views of Trump around the globe.ICYMI: News clips you shouldn’t miss The House will vote today on a war powers resolution to limit Trump’s actions against Iran. Steve Mnuchin wants a delay in the disclosure of security costs for the presidential family’s travel. Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she’s cancer-free. [v]Keep an eye on what the new Democratic majority does in Virginia. We won’t have a special election for the seat formerly held by Rep. Duncan Hunter.Thanks for reading. If you’re a fan, please forward this to a friend. They can sign up here. We love hearing from our readers, so shoot us a line here with your comments and suggestions. Thanks, Chuck, Mark and Carrie. |
ARRA NEWS SERVICE
- The Land of Disappearing Christians…
- Iran Has Been at War with America for 40 Years
- The President’s Address, Iran’s Response, Soleimani Was Bad But. . .
- VICTORY: DOJ Office of Legal Counsel Declares Equal Rights Amendment Ratification Dead
- Borderline Treason . . .
- 1619 Project Revisited
- We’re Still Stuck Cleaning Up Very Stupid Obama Messes
- Sen. Cruz: Obama Administration Paid for the Missiles Fired at U.S. Bases Tuesday Night
- The Awful Strain of Insurmountable Parody
- Congressional Grandstanding
- Road Kill . . .
- The Russians Used the Media to Influence an Election for the Left
- House Democrats Still Afraid To Submit Impeachment Articles ToThe Senate
- Iran Fires 15 Ballistic Missiles at US Forces in Iraq
- 2020: New Decade, Cusp of A Golden Age
- Virginia Gov. Northam Wants Millions in Tax Money to Ban Guns and Jail Gun Owners!
- Virginia Bill Aims to Shut Down NRA Headquarters Range
| The Land of Disappearing Christians…Posted: 08 Jan 2020 10:02 PM PSTby Tony Perkins: There were no champagne corks popping, no crystal balls dropping in Wang Yi’s new year. The pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church was in prison, spending his second January 1st in a dark cell, charged with a crime Americans commit every day: worshipping Jesus. The actual allegations were much more subtle — things like “illegal business activities” or “inciting subversion of state power.” But in China, government officials need no excuse. Christians, like Uyghurs, Falun Gong, and any other men and women of faith, are fair game. “Where are you taking my husband?” a woman pleads on a cell phone video of the round-up that took 100 Christians, including Yi. “Please tell me!” The pictures of bloody kneecaps, torn clothing, broken toes, and bruises followed. Yi, like most Chinese Christians, was part of the underground. But, as the world has come to realize, there is no such thing under the watchful eyes of the communist regime. Late last month, after the pastor’s official sentencing, his family, Helen Raleigh writes, was strangely relieved. For hundreds of days, they had no idea where he was being held — or if he’d survived. The news of his nine-year prison term, however grim, “at least… signaled that he was alive.” While his church members continue to be tortured, Yi writes in a picture of defiance, “Regardless of what crime the government charges me with, whatever filth they file at me, as long as this charge is related to my faith, my writings, my comments, and my teachings, it is merely a lie and temptation of demons. I categorically deny it. I will serve my sentence, but I will not serve the law. I will be executed, but I will not plead guilty.” But the landscape is only growing more dangerous. On December 30, news of another crackdown — this time a nationwide mandate — hit the homes of believers in hiding. With 41 articles, the government warns that the new year brings new threats to people who refuse to put communist above Christ. “Religious organizations must adhere to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, observe the constitution, laws, regulations, ordinances and policies, adhere to the principle of independence and self-government, adhere to the directives on religions in China, implementing the values of socialism.” Meanwhile, men like Tashpolat Tiyip waste away in concentration camps, banished to the high walls of barbed wire and guard towers that hold as many as a million Uyghurs. “No one outside the Chinese government knows where Tashpolat Tiyip is. No one knows exactly what charges have been filed against him. The only thing that anyone really knows is that in April 2017, as the geographer and former president of Xinjiang University in Ürümqi prepared to fly from Beijing to Berlin for a scientific conference and the launch of a research center, he disappeared without even a phone call to colleagues or family.” Six months later, China’s propaganda machine produced a video, announcing that Tiyip was one of 88 scholars who had “deeply poisoned the minds” of students by approving textbooks with too much content from Uyghur sources. He has never been seen or heard from again. “If they took [him],” a fellow scientist said, “… there’s no hope for the rest of us.” Because of this — and other stories so horrifying they defy the imagination — the U.S. Congressional Commission on China believes President Xi Jinping’s country may be guilty of “crimes against humanity.” In a grueling 323-page report, House and Senate members lay out their case, listing four acts committed by Chinese authorities that would qualify: The arbitrary detention of Uighur, Kazakh, and other ethnic minorities in China in well-documented mass internment camps;The torture of detainees in those camps;The detention of people and suppression of religious and cultural traditions in ways clearly targeted against specific minority groups;The forced disappearances of hundreds of intellectuals in the region.The conclusions are especially significant now, with the growing chorus of world leaders demanding action to stop the systematic surveillance, oppression, and torture of people of faith. Drawing more attention to the “beatings; electric shocks; waterboarding; medical neglect; forced ingestion of medication; sleep deprivation; extended solitary confinement,” and other atrocities taking place in China should help to turn up the heat globally — not just on the regime, but on American and international companies doing business with it. “I will never accept the notion that somehow, in order to be able to sell them more things, we have to look the other way on some of the grotesque human rights violations that we’re seeing systemized on their part,” Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said on CBS this past weekend. Let’s hope the world’s CEOs — and their governments — agree. ————– Tony Perkins (@tperkins) is President of the Family Research Council . This article was on Tony Perkin’s Washington Update and written with the aid of FRC senior writers. Tags: Tony Perkins, Family Research Center, FRC, Family Research Council, Land of Disappearing Christians To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Iran Has Been at War with America for 40 YearsPosted: 08 Jan 2020 09:48 PM PSTAyatollah Ruhollah Khomeini by Newt Gingrich: President Trump today gave the most honest, direct speech about the Iranian dictatorship that has ever given by an American President. It was a refreshing break from the lies and self-deception which have characterized much of the American establishment’s efforts to avoid thinking about it. Watching the various reactions to the killing of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, I have been struck by how historically ignorant most politicians and commentators are – and how our political-diplomatic language and mindset block us from reality. The reality is: The Iranian dictatorship has been waging war against the United States for more than 40 years. I was a freshman in Congress in 1979 when the Shah Pahlavi was overthrown, and the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini became the dictator of Iran. Khomeini maneuvered brilliantly from Paris to Teheran. He gave the Jimmy Carter Administration smooth reassurances that he feared the Americans too much to be a threat. Once he won, however, Khomeini was quite clear about his hostility to the United States. For the last 40 years, I have watched the Iranian dictatorship wage war on America. On November 4, 1979 protestors chanting “Death to America” seized the United States Embassy in complete violation of international law. Host governments have an obligation to protect embassies. But, in fact, the Iranian dictatorship used the embassy seizure to pressure the United States. When it was clear President Carter would not respond forcefully to the attack on our embassy and the hostage taking, Ayatollah Khomeini said “the Americans can’t do a damn thing against us,” which became a slogan in Iran. I have listened to a Carter Administration official who had been in the negotiations with Khomeini’s new dictatorship. The United States offered economic aid, offered to fulfill its military contracts, promised to supply the parts for the American military equipment Iran already had. On every offer, the Iranians responded that they didn’t care about any of that. They wanted the US to turn over the Shah, who was in exile the US and dying of cancer, so they could try him and kill him in public. The hostility was implacable and unyielding. Further, “Death to America Day,” became a national holiday in Iran in 1987 commemorating the anniversary of the seizing of the American Embassy. This attitude of American weakness persisted for 40 years and, as Clifford May reported for The Washington Times, “Indeed, on Jan. 1, in response to Mr. Trump’s vow to hold Iran’s rulers ‘fully responsible’ for any lives lost at the besieged Baghdad embassy, the supreme leader’s official website proclaimed: “There is no damn thing you can do.” Despite every effort of the Carter Administration, the 52 American hostages were held for 444 days and released only as Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president. I remember sitting on the platform at the Capitol for Reagan’s inauguration and hearing that the hostages had been released. It was an electrifying moment. The Iranians knew they had to take whatever concessions they had gained from the Carter Administration through the Algiers Accord and release the hostages, because Reagan wouldn’t have given in to any of their demands. He would have saved the hostages and inflicted a high cost on the Iranians. Still emboldened by what they saw as long-time American weakness under the Carter Administration, Iranian attacks on America continued. As Orde Kittrie has reported for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, U.S. courts found Iran responsible for: “A Hezbollah truck bomb that killed 63 people in April 1983 at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, including 17 Americans. “A second Hezbollah truck bomb that destroyed a U.S. Marines barracks in Beirut in October 1983, killing 241 U.S. service members. “[And] Hezbollah’s abduction and torture in Lebanon throughout the 1980s of U.S. citizens working in Beirut, including two journalists, a priest, and three administrators of educational institutions.” On January 19, 1984, President Reagan’s State Department listed the Iranian Dictatorship as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. This designation has been maintained for 36 years of continuous Iranian support for terror. The most famous example of the Iranian use of a surrogate was Imad Mughniyeh, who operated in Lebanon. He reported to Qasem Soleimani who as chief of the Quds Force, the most militant and aggressive wing of The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Mughniyeh was the planner behind the killing of 241 Marines in Beirut in 1983. He was ultimately killed in a joint US-Israeli operation but only after he had terrorized and killed a remarkable number of people. When the Marines were killed in Lebanon, President Reagan rejected an all-out effort to control that country. He was focused on defeating the Soviet Union and did not want to disperse his resources. However, when the Iranian Dictatorship interpreted this as weakness (in the Carter tradition) it learned an expensive lesson. In April 1988, the Iranians hit an American warship with a mine and injured 10 sailors. In a sharp skirmish, the United States destroyed much of the Iranian Navy. They never challenged Reagan again. After Reagan, the United States took a relatively passive view about Iranian provocations. The Iranians just kept working to expand their terrorist network. As a result, the scale of the Iranian efforts to fund terrorists and create satellite states they can control is far greater than most Americans think. Statista’s Niall McCarthy reported that the Soufan Center’s research shows where Iranian money is flowing in the Middle East and where Iranian-backed proxies and militant groups are active. Syrian proxies receive an estimated $6 billion annually of economic aid, subsidized oil, commodity transfers, and military aid. Iraq receives up to $1 billion, some of which ends up in the hands of militia organizations. Lebanon, which is of course home to Hezbollah, sees around $700 million of financial support – practically all of which goes to the militant group. Yemen receives $100 million a year. Afghanistan militants get $2 million annually. Various groups in Gaza including Hamas get about $100 million a year. This is the scale of activity Soleimani was managing in addition to direct Iranian assets. Furthermore, the Iranian dictatorship’s war against America has not been restricted to the Middle East. According to Kittrie with FDD, “U.S. federal courts have, over the last two decades, issued some 92 judgments finding the Iranian government and its officials liable for acts of terrorism that claimed American victims.” These judgements amount to $53 billion, including $1 billion against the Ali Khamenei (the current Supreme Leader of Iran) for his responsibility in authorizing the attacks. In fact, the deadliest anti-American terrorist act of our lifetime has an Iranian component. To quote Kittrie again: “The September 11, 2001 attacks that killed some 3,000 people. In December 2011, a U.S. District Court found the Iranian government and Khamenei himself among those responsible. The court’s lengthy opinion included extensive evidence that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had provided ‘funding and/or training for terrorism operations targeting American citizens, including support for Hizballah and al Qaeda’ and evidence that IRGC activities were controlled by Khamenei. The opinion also quoted from the 9/11 Commission report that ‘Iran furnished material and direct support’ for travel for at least eight of the hijackers. The Iranian government, Khamenei, and the other defendants have thus far been ordered to pay over $16 billion in compensatory and punitive damages to the victims.” I was Speaker of the House when the Iranians deliberately targeted and killed 19 American service men in a truck bombing in Saudi Arabia in 1996. According to Kittrie, a federal judge found the attack was “approved by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran at the time.” I remember getting the phone call from President Bill Clinton about the disaster. Yet, despite help from Saudi intelligence, the Clinton Administration wanted to avoid proving the Iranians did it. In fact, then-FBI Director Louis Freeh was so frustrated by the Clinton Administration refusal to pressure the Saudis to allow a full scale FBI investigation, he turned to former President George H. W. Bush to get him to ask his friends in Saudi Arabia to help. After the Clinton Administration’s failure to respond to the killing of Americans at Khobar Towers, the Iranian support for attacking Americans continued. In August 1998, Iranian-backed truck bombings at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed 300 people and wounded more than 5,000. Then, in October 2000, 17 American sailors were killed when Iranian proxies bombed the USS Cole in Yemen When Clinton left office, President George W. Bush was fully absorbed by the war in Iraq. Then, President Barack Obama had a fantastical vision of an American-Iranian relationship, which would stabilize the region. He ignored their terrorist activities, sent them $1.7 billion in cash, and promised to help release $150 billion in frozen or sanctioned Iranian assets through the faulty Iran nuclear deal. Given their experience of dealing with strong words but passive policies from some American leaders, the Iranian dictatorship thought President Trump would be more of the same. As May wrote for The Washington Times: “On Monday, Gen. Soleimani’s replacement, Gen. Esmail Ghaani, vowed ‘to remove the American presence from the region’ and help bring about the ‘global rule of the Hidden Imam,’ a messiah figure in Shia Islam, one whose will is done through the supreme leader. Yahya Rahim-Safavi, a senior adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei, vowed the U.S. would leave the Middle East ‘in disgrace and defeat.’” Today’s speech by President Trump is a good warning that the Iranian dictators are misjudging Trump as much as they misjudged Reagan. We may finally be on a path to ending the 40-year war. ———————– Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) is a former Georgia Congressman and Speaker of the U.S. House. He co-authored and was the chief architect of the “Contract with America” and a major leader in the Republican victory in the 1994 congressional elections. He is noted speaker and writer. This commentary was shared via Gingrich Productions. Tags: Newt Gingrich, commentary, Iran, at War, with America, 40 Years To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| The President’s Address, Iran’s Response, Soleimani Was Bad But. . .Posted: 08 Jan 2020 09:18 PM PSTGary Bauerby Gary Bauer: The President’s Address President Trump addressed the nation this morning from the White House Grand Foyer, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and the top commanders of the U.S. Armed Forces. That imagery was an unmistakable message to the leadership in Tehran. The president began his remarks by stating that “Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon,” and that there were no U.S. casualties as a result of last night’s attack. He noted that Iran has been a destructive and destabilizing force in the Middle East since 1979, and that the regime’s belligerent behavior got worse, not better, after the terrible 2015 nuclear deal. The president also repeated a statement I have often made, which is that U.S. taxpayers likely subsidized the very weapons Iran just fired at our troops. President Trump reiterated the justification for taking out General Qassem Soleimani, saying his hands were “drenched in both American and Iranian blood,” and he announced new sanctions against Iran. He also urged NATO to become more involved in the Middle East, stressing that U.S. energy independence has significantly changed our options. Europe is far more dependent on Middle East energy than we are. It is time for our European allies to step up for their own good, instead of whining about what we are not doing for them. The president concluded his statement by warning the tyrants of Tehran, “Your campaign of terror, murder and mayhem will not be tolerated any longer.” He also extended an invitation to the people of Iran, saying, “We want you to have a great future of prosperity at home and harmony with the nations of the world. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it.” Iran’s Response If last night’s ineffectual missile barrage is the extent of Iran’s response, then the United States, under the leadership of President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, has accomplished a great victory. But don’t hold your breath waiting for the media to tell you that. We took out Iran’s top general, a man many considered the second-most-important leader in Iran, even ahead of President Hassan Rouhani. Gen. Soleimani was certainly Iran’s leading military strategist and the coordinator of the regime’s multiple terrorist proxy forces throughout the Middle East. In response, Iran created a few potholes at two Iraqi bases that house U.S. forces. Don’t get me wrong. Iran has an extremely capable and lethal missile inventory, as well as the knowledge to deploy it. We saw that from their impressive strike against Saudi oil facilities in September. So I must conclude that Iran chose to be ineffective last night. Why would they do that? They likely made such a decision because they fear that President Trump, if provoked enough, will attack the Iranian homeland and perhaps target other regime leaders. After eight years of Obama’s appeasement, Iran’s mullahs are in the middle of an attitude adjustment. Obviously, this is a very fluid situation, and events may prove my analysis wrong. There are mixed messages coming out of the regime today. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted “Iran took & concluded proportionate measures. . . We do not seek escalation or war.” That’s good. But Iranian state TV is claiming that 80 U.S. soldiers were killed. Moreover, the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that Iran’s response was “a slap in the face” to America, adding, “Military action like this is not sufficient. What is important is ending the corrupting presence of America in the region.” We will see how the Iranian regime behaves in the weeks and months ahead. Soleimani Was Bad, But . . . The entire leadership of the progressive movement in the United States, and virtually every Democrat presidential contender and congressional leader has repeatedly said in the past 72 hours, “Soleimani was bad, but. . .” The word “but” should never follow the acknowledgement that Soleimani was a murderous thug. Over the last several decades, Qassem Soleimani has been implicated in multiple events that have taken hundreds of American lives and thousands of lives of people in the Middle East who refused to be dominated by Iran. A very quick online search I did last night found a curious lack of statements by left-wing politicians condemning Soleimani’s evil deeds over the last decade. I’m left with the sad and disturbing conclusion that many progressives and leftists were willing to tolerate Soleimani’s murderous actions because they lacked the will to do anything about it. Sadly, I suspect that a more comprehensive search of quotes will find little if anything by Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders or Nancy Pelosi expressing as much anger at Soleimani as they are directing at Donald Trump because he ended Soleimani’s reign of terror. It is almost as if Soleimani had a vote in the Iowa caucuses. Here’s a perfect example of what I mean. John Brennan, Obama’s CIA director, was on MSNBC yesterday. When asked to explain why the Obama Administration did not take Soleimani out, Brennan said this: “Because I don’t see what the — either U.S. or international legal basis would be to strike and assassinate a senior government official of a sovereign state. . . So again, we tracked him, we tried to frustrate his efforts, but there was never a discussion in my experience during the Obama Administration to target Soleimani for an assassination.” Just to be clear, no one is suggesting that we call in drone strikes against Iran’s foreign minister or that we take out Iran’s ambassador to Iraq. Describing Soleimani as merely a “senior government official” sanitizes his long record of war crimes, atrocities and terrorism. Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers. What additional legal basis did Obama and Brennan think they needed? And how many American soldiers died or were maimed because they refused to even have that discussion, much less act accordingly? Ponder this question and tell me if it makes you as concerned as it does me: If all these so-called “leaders” of one of America’s two great political parties are afraid of Iran now, what do you think they will do once Iran obtains nuclear weapons? Even without nuclear weapons, Barack Obama and far too many U.S. politicians were willing to tolerate attacks on oil tankers, the harassment of ships in international waters, the capture and humiliation of American sailors, the shooting down of drones, Hezbollah sleeper cells positioned in the United States and around the world, and the murder and maiming of our soldiers. Not one prominent figure on the left seems determined to do anything about it. If the American people decide that is the approach they prefer rather than what Donald Trump did, we are in deep trouble. ——————- Gary Bauer (@GaryLBauer) is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families Tags: Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, The President’s Address, Iran’s Response, Soleimani Was Bad But. . . To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| VICTORY: DOJ Office of Legal Counsel Declares Equal Rights Amendment Ratification DeadPosted: 08 Jan 2020 08:54 PM PST1972 Equal Rights Amendment Is DeadWashington, D.C.: The Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel released an opinion that definitively invalidates the movement to revive the 40-year-expired Equal Rights Amendment. In short, as OLC writes in their opinion: “Congress may not revive a proposed amendment after a deadline for its ratification has expired.” Over the last year Phyllis Schlafly Eagles has worked to expose pro-ERA bias and trickery from Archivist of the United States David Ferriero. Our long paper trail of FOIA requests and demands for impartiality lead to his request of this OLC opinion. [see timeline below] “Phyllis Schlafly and her Eagles have been tireless in fighting ERA since 1972,” said Ed Martin, president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles. “The ERA ratification deadline expired in 1979 (and again in 1982). We have long fought unconstitutional attempts to revive the ratification process. The radical left has tried every trick in the book to subvert the will of the states but their trickery is no match for truth. “Now as Nancy Pelosi’s out-of-control House hits the gas on reviving ERA, OLC is backing our long-held position and slamming the door on these hijinks. The matter is closed. America knows ERA is bad for our nation and our Constitution. They have soundly rejected it over and over again.” Read the full OLC opinion here. Review the timeline of how Phyllis Schlafly Eagles was central in the fight for this result: On February 11, we filed a FOIA request [click to read] to learn what communications with the state legislatures of Nevada or Illinois made him believe those states’ purported ratifications were legitimate.On February 27, the National Archives responded [click to read] with an offer for documents which we had not requested from a time period that was outside the scope of what we had very specifically asked for.On March 4, we responded to the National Archives [click to read] with a clarification of what documents we were requesting.On March 21, we received an email informing us [click to read] that we should ask for help from the Office of the Federal Registrar (OFR,) but that the documents they could provide likely would not be what we had requested either.On April 8, we sent a letter to the OFR [click to read] requesting their help in locating the files requested in our FOIA request.On April 8, we officially appealed our FOIA [click to read] request.On April 29, the Deputy Archivist responded [click to read] that our request for help from the OFR was interpreted as being a separate FOIA request. He also informed us that he was denying our appeal of the “first” FOIA request.On April 30, the Office of General Counsel at the National Archives sent an email [click to read] informing us that while they had found the documents we requested, they were unwilling to give us the documents based on the deliberative process privilege and attorney-client privilege.On May 23, we sent an email to the Office of Government Information Services [click to read] (OGIS) in the National Archives requesting mediation of our FOIA request.On June 12, we received an email from OGIS [click to read] informing us that they would not provide mediation services until we had appealed our “second” FOIA request.On June 13, we officially appealed [click to read] our “second” FOIA request.On October 4, OGIS responded that they side with the denial [click to read] of our request, but that even if they didn’t, they don’t actually have any power to mediate anyway.CBN News: Commenting on the Justice Department’s decision, NRL Senior Policy Advisor Douglas Johnson said, “The narrative that the ERA is on the verge of ratification is pure political theater.” Johnson, who has directed NRL efforts in opposition to the ERA since 1981, continued, “The US Supreme Court in 1982 recognized the demise of the ERA. We predict that the Justice Department position will be fully vindicated by the higher federal courts.” “Of course, Congress has the option of restarting the entire constitutional amendment process, but that entails consideration of revisions to the ERA language — to prevent, for example, use of ERA as a powerful weapon against pro-life laws. And, it requires final congressional approval by two-thirds votes in each house, and ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures,” Johnson noted. The House Judiciary Committee recently approved a resolution (H.J. Res. 79) that purports to nullify the deadline contained in the ERA resolution (H.J. Res. 218) submitted to the states in March 1972. The 1972 measure contained both the deadline and the proposed constitutional text. “The Justice Department opinion makes it clear that the current Congress has no power to travel back in time and alter what Congress, by two-thirds votes, proposed to the states in 1972,” Johnson said. —————— CBN News and Ryan Hite is Communications Director for Phyllis Schlafly Eagles Tags: ERA, ratification, dead, To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Borderline Treason . . .Posted: 08 Jan 2020 08:00 PM PST. . . How Democrats continue to betray their country. Devilish Nancy Pelosiby Joseph Klein: Democrats and their progressive allies, including in the establishment media, are continuing their “Great Betrayal” of the United States. They tried to sabotage efforts by President George W. Bush’s administration to support the U.S. forces fighting in Iraq against Saddam Hussein and Islamic terrorists. Now, we are witnessing Democrats, both in Congress and vying to run against President Trump in this year’s presidential election, treacherously helping the Iranian regime advance its 40-year war against Americans. The leftist media is right by their side. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is readying her Democrat-controlled House of Representatives to vote this week on legislation to tie President Trump’s hands in dealing with the blood-thirsty Iranian regime. Speaker Pelosi is peeved that she and her Democrat congressional colleagues were not consulted first before President Trump ordered the killing of Iranian terrorist mastermind Qasem Soleimani late last week. Too bad. She should run for president if she wants to become the commander-in-chief. In any case, she is a hypocrite. As David Greenfield noted,The same Democrats who are suddenly rereading the War Powers Act had no objection when Obama illegally decided to launch a regime change invasion of Libya under false pretenses while repeatedly lying about it being a war, lying about UN authorization, and lying about intervening to stop a genocide.Pelosi said at the time that Obama had all the authority he needed to conduct attacks against Libya without having to go first to Congress for such authority. That’s curious since Obama’s action had no self-defense justification. It resulted in regime change and then a failed state. Four Americans, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya, lost their lives in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack unleashed as a result of the power vacuum that the Obama-Biden administration helped to create. No problem, according to Pelosi. Yet President Trump’s decision to order a precise strike to take out a known terrorist with American blood on his hands, who was planning more murders of Americans, has Pelosi and her Democrat colleagues in a lather. They are writing another chapter in their disgusting saga of Great Betrayal. Qasem Soleimani was the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)-Quds Force, a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization. He directed the activities of various Iranian-backed Iraqi terrorist groups, including Kata’ib Hezbollah. This is the terrorist militia group that reportedly launched the rocket attack against an Iraqi base, which killed one American and wounded others. Kata’ib Hezbollah then led the assault on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. Soleimani was met by this terrorist group’s leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at the Baghdad International Airport last Friday. President Trump took advantage of the opportunity to stop them in their tracks from carrying out any imminent plans they were harboring to kill many more Americans. Major media outlets and Democrats hesitated to call Soleimani out for the brutal terrorist that he was. Indeed, after Senator Elizabeth Warren received blowback from her supporters on the left for initially referring to Soleimani as a “murderer,” she backtracked and described him blandly as “a government official, a high-ranking official for the government of Iran.” Speaker Pelosi sent a letter addressed solely to each “Dear Democratic Colleague,” recklessly characterizing the Trump administration’s defensive strike against Soleimani and his terrorist henchmen as “a provocative and disproportionate military airstrike targeting high-level Iranian military officials.” She claimed that the airstrike, which was intended to save American lives from the threat of imminent attack planned by Soleimani along with al-Muhandis,” endangered our service members, diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran.” Pelosi advised her Democrat Trump-hating colleagues that “The House will introduce and vote on a War Powers Resolution” in order “to limit the President’s military actions regarding Iran.” Just like the impeachment articles against President Trump that Pelosi rushed through the House but has delayed sending over to the Senate, Pelosi is not even pretending to be bipartisan. Democrat Senator Tim Kaine introduced a War Powers resolution in the Senate similar to the one that Pelosi will be pushing through the House. Pelosi complained in a tweet that the notification to Congress that President Trump filed as required under the War Powers Act “raises more questions than it answers about the timing, manner and justification of the decision to engage in hostilities against Iran.” The Iranian regime has been engaging in unprovoked “hostilities” against the United States in one form or the other since its thugs took 52 Americans hostage in 1979. President Trump finally drew a red line in the sand and enforced it. The speaker’s partisan obsession with bringing down President Trump by hook or by crook has led her to deliberately misrepresent the context leading up to President Trump’s patriotic decision. While Congress was on vacation, President Trump fulfilled his constitutional duty as commander in chief to protect the lives of American troops deployed in Iraq, who are there with congressional approval, from the threat of an imminent attack. Pelosi and her cohorts have treacherously given the benefit of the doubt to the Iranian regime’s warlords, most notably Qasem Soleimani. Rather than celebrating the death of the Iranian regime’s terrorist mastermind who has many Americans’ blood on his hands, the leading Democrat presidential candidates are politicizing Soleimani’s killing as another excuse to demonize President Trump. Senator Bernie Sanders, for example, declared that “I believe the first course of action is for the congress to take immediate steps to restrain President Trump from plunging our nation into yet another endless war.” At least he has remained consistent. Sanders opposed the congressional resolution authorizing the 2003 Iraq war. He also criticized the Obama-Biden administration’s decision to forcibly remove Moammar Gadhafi from power in Libya. Joe Biden said that while Soleimani’s death is not being mourned in America, President Trump’s decision to bring it about was “a hugely escalatory move.” Biden added that the president has “tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox.” Mind you, this is the man who boasted at the 2012 Democratic National Convention that “Bin Laden is dead, and General Motors is alive,” even though he had advised Barack Obama against taking out Bin Laden. The Democratic Party of the last two decades is a far cry from the party of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. It has become a party willing to place its partisan interests over the security of the United States, even if it means helping to advance the enemy’s talking points. As David Horowitz wrote back in 2014, “progressives and Democrats sought successfully to demonize America’s commander-in-chief and demoralize the nation as it went to war to take down the terrorist-supporting monster regime of Saddam Hussein and eventually defeat Ansar-al-Islam and al-Qaeda in Iraq.” He explained that Democrats concocted their false claim that George W. Bush had lied about the reasons for launching the war in Iraq “to justify their defection from a war they had just authorized betraying their country in time of war along with the young men and women they had sent into the battlefield.” The Democrats continued to sabotage President Bush’s ability to bring the war to a successful conclusion. President Bush sought to reverse the situation on the ground in Iraq by proposing a temporary surge of additional U.S. troops. After Nancy Pelosi became House Speaker for the first time in 2007, she spearheaded a largely partisan House vote on a resolution opposing President Bush’s successful surge policy in Iraq. The House also passed a bill in 2007 setting an early deadline for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Pelosi naively believed, as she said on 60 Minutes, that if America left Iraq the terrorists would leave too. News flash to Pelosi: Iranian-backed terrorists, led until last Friday by Soleimani, are still in Iraq. Joe Biden, who as a senator voted originally to authorize the Iraq war, said in 2006 that “I totally oppose this surging of additional American troops into Baghdad.” As Barack Obama’s vice president, Biden helped make the situation in Iraq even worse. Indeed, Biden helped open the door for Soleimani to increase his already strong influence in Iraq. In a New Yorker profile of Soleimani in 2013, the magazine reported how Biden persuaded Ayad Allawi, “a pro-American secular politician whose party had won the most parliamentary seats in the elections,” to step aside in his bid to become Iraq’s prime minister. This move allowed Soleimani’s choice, Nuri al-Maliki, to assume the leadership post. True to form, Soleimani had insisted that all American troops leave the country. President Obama obliged, deciding against military advice to remove all American troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. Two disastrous consequences followed Obama’s precipitous decision, which Biden had fully supported. ISIS re-emerged from the ashes and extended its territorial reach throughout Iraq and Syria. And, to quote Allawi, Iraq itself became “an Iranian colony.” The Obama-Biden administration helped the Iranian regime solidify its control of Iraq. Indeed, as a result of the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama-Biden administration helped fund Soleimani’s terror campaign not only in Iraq but also in Syria, Lebanon, and elsewhere in the region. The administration became in effect the Iranian regime’s banker. The administration paid a ransom of more than a billion dollars to get some of our hostages back. Many more billions of dollars were made available to the Iranian regime as relief was granted upfront from the harsh sanctions that had helped to constrain the Iranian regime’s terrorist funding. Former Secretary of State John Kerry admitted in 2016 that it was likely that some of the billions of dollars in sanctions relief negotiated as part of the nuclear deal “will end up in the hands of the IRGC or other entities, some of which are labeled terrorists.” In short, ISIS grew into a global threat on Obama’s watch. The Iranian regime became more emboldened, with plenty of new sources of funds, to spread its fanatical brand of Islamic jihad directly and through terrorist proxies. President Trump inherited this mess. He quickly eliminated ISIS’s territorial caliphate. He withdrew the United States from the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran and re-imposed crippling sanctions that curtailed the regime’s sources of funding for its terrorist-related activities. Nevertheless, Qasem Soleimani, the second most powerful individual in Iran who reported directly to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, would not give up. Despite repeated warnings by President Trump and the president’s restraint in not responding with military force after the Iranians’ downing of a U.S. drone, Soleimani dialed up his terrorist proxies’ violence against Americans in the region. No responsible commander-in-chief could let this continue. President Trump seized the opportunity to shut this murderer and his Iraqi terrorist comrade al-Muhandis down permanently. President Trump has made clear that he is not looking for war. He is looking to defend Americans from non-state actors and rogue regimes that mean to do Americans harm. The Iranian regime is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Evidently, the regime has now decided to move out of the shadow of its proxies and launch direct attacks. As this article was being written, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Tuesday night upped the ante with an announcement that “The fierce revenge by the Revolutionary Guards has begun.” Multiple missiles have reportedly been fired from inside Iran on the Ain al-Assad air base in Iraq where U.S. soldiers are located as well as least one other base. The Pentagon has confirmed that Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. forces in Iraq. An assessment of damage and possible casualties is underway. If their track record is any indication, Democrats and their leftist friends will blame President Trump and say in effect “I told you so.” As usual, they would be drawing the wrong lesson. Appeasing aggressors only invites more aggression. If the latest Iranian attacks end up costing more American lives, President Trump can be expected to deliver a more crushing below in response. The Iranian missile sites from which the missiles were launched would make likely targets, along with Iranian oil infrastructure facilities. The Iranian regime cannot win this conflict at the end of the day unless we defeat ourselves, aided by a fifth column betraying our nation from within. ——————— Joseph Klein is a Harvard-trained lawyer and the author of Global Deception: The UN’s Stealth Assault on America’s Freedom and Lethal Engagement: Barack Hussein Obama, the United Nations & Radical Islam. His article was in FrontPage.Mag Preview, a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Tags: Joseph Klein, FrontPage Mag, Borderline Treason, How Democrats, continue to betray, their country To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| 1619 Project RevisitedPosted: 08 Jan 2020 07:24 PM PSTby Kerby Anderson, Contributing Author: A few months ago, I provided some commentary on the New York Times 1619 Project that attempts to “reframe” American history. The authors suggest we begin America’s history in the year African slaves were first brought to America. In other words, the “true founding” of America was not in 1776 with liberty but in 1619 with slavery. Over the last few months, a number of respected historians in America have had very critical comments about the New York Times endeavor. Jarrett Stepman, author of The War on History: The Conspiracy to Rewrite America’s Past, has collected the opinions of these historians. Allen Guelzo is a renowned historian and professor at Gettysburg College. He called the 1619 Project an example of bad history wrapped in destructive ideology. He added that it amounted to a “conspiracy theory” that is attempting to “tarnish capitalism.” Gordon Wood is a well-known historian of the American Revolution. I have a number of his books on my shelf. He has criticized the 1619 Project in a number of interviews. He said he was surprised that the New York Times could be “so wrong in so many ways.” He is also concerned that the material is “going out into the schools with the authority of the New York Times behind it.” He fears it will “color the views of all these youngsters who will receive the message of the 1619 Project.” James McPherson is another respected historian. He observed that the project “left most of the history out” and was appalled that it was put together by “people who did not have a good knowledge of the subject.” It would be wise for you to check and see if the 1619 Project is being used in the public schools near you. As you can see, this is a biased and inaccurate history of America that unfortunately was given some credibility because it is associated with the New York Times. Additional commentary on the 1619 Project on ARRA News Service. —————- Kerby Anderson (@kerbyanderson) is a radio talk show host heard on numerous stations via the Point of View Network (@PointofViewRTS) and is endorsed by Dr. Bill Smith, Editor, ARRA News Service. Tags: Kerby Anderson, Viewpoints, Point of View, 1619 Project, Revisited To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| We’re Still Stuck Cleaning Up Very Stupid Obama MessesPosted: 08 Jan 2020 07:02 PM PST“I’m Barack Obama – and I Approve This Mess”by Seton Motley, Contributing Author: The Barack Obama Administration did a lot of very stupid things – in the pursuit of its very stupid Leftist ideology. In pursuit of its very stupid Leftist ideology, the Obama Administration did a lot of very stupid things – that clearly contradicted the things they publicly said they were trying to accomplish. Mostly because the Obama Administration was lying. They knew their Leftist ideology was exceedingly unpopular – so they had to incessantly lie while advancing it. This past New Year’s Eve, we were violently reminded of one of the very many lying, Leftist messes the Obama Administration left behind. Iraqi Supporters of Iran-Backed Militia Attack U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Why are we having to deal with Iran’s well-funded Iraqi cat’s paw? Because in the name of ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions – the Obama Administration gave Iran $151+ billion dollars. Fact-Check: Yes, the Obama-Iran Nuclear Deal Hands ‘$150 Billion’ Over to Iran: “This money does not include a separate $1.7 billion payment to the government of Iran.” Iran Deal: $150 Billion to Fund Obama’s War: “Under the President Obama’s disastrous Iran nuclear deal, $150 billion would go to a single regime that has been a state sponsor of terrorism for the entire 36 years of its existence.” How’s that for very stupid Leftist policy? And as we’re seeing even as I type – we’re STILL dealing with the ramifications of Obama’s Iranian idiocy. Is this the only residual Obama dumbness? Were that it were so…. Oracle Sues Department of Labor to End Obama-Era Discrimination Lawsuit: “Oracle filed a lawsuit against the Department of Labor (DOL) Wednesday, challenging an Obama-era decision that held Oracle had discriminated against women and minorities.” The Obama Administration filed its lawsuit against Oracle – on January 17, 2017. If you’ll check your calendar, you’ll note that was a mere three days before Obama was sworn out of office. This in and of itself – is decidedly obnoxious. And here we are nearly three years later – about to reelect Obama’s successor. And we’re STILL dealing with this facet of Obama Administration idiocy. The content of the suit – is even more obnoxious than its calendar: “’The Department of Labor is suing Oracle for alleged pay discrimination against women, African-Americans and Asians, as well as for favoring Asian employees for technical roles.’ “Did you get that? Barack Obama’s Labor Department sued Oracle for simultaneously discriminating against Asians – AND favoring Asians.” Of course, we can always count on the Leftist media to defend Leftist idiocy in all of the very many places it trips over its own feet. Oracle Lawsuit Shows Complicated Nature of Discrimination for Asians in Tech Did you get that? The Leftist media describes the Obama Administration self-contradictory idiocy on Asian hiring – as “complicated.” Not self-contradictory. Not conflicted. Not confused. Not crazy. All of which are quite accurate. The Leftist media describes Obama’s idiocy – as “complicated.” Quite the contrary. The Obama Administration’s lawsuit against Oracle is simply stupid. That is – if you understand the elementary concept of supply and demand. Asian Workers Now Dominate Silicon Valley Tech Jobs: “Asian-Americans make up half of the Bay Area’s technology workforce, and their double-digit employment gains came from jobs lost among white tech workers, according to an analysis by this newspaper of Census Bureau data released Thursday.” Half of the Valley workforce is Asian. What percentage of the Valley’s general population is Asian? The Valley as generally considered – consumes all of Santa Clara County. Asian population: 26%. The Valley also consumes parts of San Mateo and Alameda Counties – Asian populations 27% and 28.2%. So Asians are over-represented in the Valley workforce – by nearly 2-1. Which tells us two things. One: It is inordinately difficult to argue that Oracle – or anyone else in the Valley – is discriminating against Asians. Two: It is inordinately obvious that when supply is this high – demand gets really low. So pay for the mass supply of Valley Asians looking for tech gigs – is going to be lower. Oracle and the Valley can pay less for Asian employees – because there are so many Asians looking to be employees. Because math. To wit: Texas, By Itself, Is Now The World’s Third Largest Oil Producer Oil prices have fallen precipitously – because (safe) supply has increased so dramatically. Texas – being far safer than, say, Iran. Bribing with hundreds of billions of dollars anti-America Iran mullahs is idiotic under any circumstances. It has been rendered even more idiotic – by the Donald Trump Administration’s reversal of Obama’s anti-domestic-oil policies. We now don’t need Iranian oil. So we are even freer to tell them to go pound sand. Obama’s “racial discrimination” policies are rendered idiotic by reality. And math. And basic economics. And like Obama’s Iran and oil policies – and oh-so-many others – his “racial discrimination” policies should be reversed. It is very sad the nature of our massive bureaucracy leaves Obama’s ridiculous Oracle lawsuit shambling along – three years after we were freed from Obama. It’s time for this nonsense to end. —————- Seton Motley is the President of Less Government and he contributes articles to ARRA News Service. Please feel free to follow him him on Twitter / Facebook. Tags: Seton Motley, Less Government, We’re Still Stuck, Cleaning Up, Very Stupid. Obama Messes To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Sen. Cruz: Obama Administration Paid for the Missiles Fired at U.S. Bases Tuesday NightPosted: 08 Jan 2020 06:30 PM PSTSen. Ted Cruzby Susan Jones: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said he appreciates President Trump for following the principles of “peace through strength” when it comes to Iran. Cruz called it a “dramatic shift” from the Iran policy under the Obama-Biden administration, which sent billions of dollars to Iran, helping it fund the missiles that are now coming our way. Under Barack Obama, as you noted, the policy was appeasement. The policy, under the disastrous Iranian nuclear deal under Obama, was to give over $100 billion to Iran. They literally flew 1.7 billion dollars in cash in unmarked bills on pallets in the dead of night into Iran. In a very real sense, the missiles that we saw fired on U.S. servicemen and women tonight (Tuesday night in Iraq) were paid for by the billions that the Obama administration flooded the ayatollah with. And if history teaches anything, it’s don’t give billions of dollars to people who hate you and want to kill you. And so, let me say, the last three years, I’ve spent a lot of time with President Trump, urging him to pull out of Obama’s disastrous Iran deal. He did that. He took on his own State Department, his own Defense Department, and made the right decision there. Urging the president to end the oil waivers. You know, we had waivers in place that were allowing Iran to sell a million barrels a day of oil. The president agreed and ended those waivers. And so, the effects of these sanctions and the economic pressure, it’s having a real effect.Cruz added that the United States needs to “stand up to the Ayatollah Khamenei,” whom he described as a “radical religious zealot” who hates America. “He literally chants ‘Death to America,’ and he calls Israel the Little Satan and America the Great Satan. The way to deal with threats like that is not through weakness, but rather through strength. And I think we saw that in taking out Soleimani this past week.” No nuclear weapons for Iran Cruz said the biggest national security threat facing the United States is the threat of a nuclear Iran: “The risks are unacceptably high” that Iran would use nukes, Cruz said — “that we would find that out through a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv or New York or Los Angeles.” “I’m not willing to roll those dice,” Cruz continued. “A theocratic lunatic should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. We stopped funding it. We stopped the deal flooding them with billions. But we need to be absolutely unequivocal that he (Ayatollah Khamenei) will not get nuclear weapons. “You know, tonight could have played out very differently if they didn’t just have ballistic missiles but they had nuclear warheads. You could be seeing literally millions of American casualties, particularly if they put them (nukes) on an ICBM and took them to a U.S. city. That’s not a risk we should allow.” Cruz ruled out a U.S. ground war in the Middle East: “We are not going to get into an extended land war in the Middle East. We’re not going to do it,” he said: But fortunately…we have air power. We have the ability to project force, we have economic sanctions. There are all sorts of steps short of sending in the Marines, and our mission should not be — sometimes Republicans have gotten off track and thought that our mission should be to turn foreign countries into democratic utopias. I don’t want to turn Iran into Switzerland. I think it would be a wonderful thing for the Iranian people if they overthrew the ayatollah and if they ended this tyranny and oppression, but it’s not the job of our soldiers to go in and risk their lives to do that. It is the job of our soldiers to keep America safe, and killing terrorists is a very good way to start.——————— Susan Jones (@SJonesCNS) writes for CNSNews a division of the Media Research Center, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. Tags: Susan Jones, CNS News, Sen. Cruz, Obama Administration, Paid for, the Missiles Fired, at U.S. Bases, Tuesday Night To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| The Awful Strain of Insurmountable ParodyPosted: 08 Jan 2020 06:04 PM PSTby Paul Jacob, Contributing Author: What if “political correctness” were really a problem of rampant cowardice? University of Massachusetts Amherst administrators removed Catherine West Lowry from her 13-year gig as an accounting lecturer because of an extra-credit project. She had shown a previous year’s student-produced parody video using the infamous Hitler breakdown scene in the excellent 2004 movie Downfall. I assume you’ve seen dozens of these; I know I have. Their ubiquity notwithstanding, the university claims to have received student complaints about the one Ms. Lowry showed. The proper response to a protestation of offense at a Downfall parody? Eye rolls. Were I a professor, I’d have to resist the nearly irresistible desire to reduce office hours starting immediately. Any other response, especially dismissing the lecturer, is pure pusillanimity. Or, make that cowardice of the impure variety, for I suppose something else could be going on here. Lowry claims that she’d shown this particular effort in previous years and no one had complained. And I believe her. Can we believe the university’s claim to have received complaints from students this year? Before we accept such a statement, we should peruse the evidence. After all, in the case of the Wilfrid Laurier University mistreatment of the T.A. who had shown a Jordan Peterson video in class, administrators had simply lied — there had been no complaints. Had UMass Amherst actually received complaints, then their response would be merely cowardice. But were there no complaints, the whole thing becomes far more ominous. And I wonder: what would today’s university make of Hogan’s Heroes? This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob. —————— Paul Jacob (@Common_Sense_PJ ) is author of Common Sense which provides daily commentary about the issues impacting America and about the citizens who are doing something about them. He is also President of the Liberty Initiative Fund (LIFe) as well as Citizens in Charge Foundation. Jacob is a contributing author on the ARRA News Service. Tags: Paul Jacob, Common Sense, Awful Strain, Insurmountable Parody To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Congressional GrandstandingPosted: 08 Jan 2020 05:56 PM PSTJohn Stosselby John Stossel: Congressional hearings were created to educate lawmakers so they have knowledge before they pass bills or impeach a president. Not today. Today, hardly any education happens. During the President Trump impeachment “testimony,” legislators tried to score points. At least five times, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., shut down criticism by shouting, “Gentleman is not recognized!” I get that politicians are eager for “face time” in front of a larger audience, but I assumed they would at least try to learn things. Nope. Maybe they don’t want to ask real questions because they fear looking as dumb as then-Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, did at a hearing on Facebook. He asked Mark Zuckerberg, “How do you sustain a business model in which users don’t pay for your service?” “We run ads,” smirked Zuckerberg. “I see,” said Hatch. What’s obvious to most people somehow eludes the oblivious “experts” in Congress. At another Facebook hearing, Congress grilled Zuckerberg about his plan to launch an electronic currency called Libra. Zuckerberg said, “I actually don’t know if Libra is going to work, but I believe it’s important to try new things.” He was right. But instead of asking about technological or economic implications of the idea, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, asked Zuckerberg, of the companies partnering with him, “how many are headed by women?” “Congressman, I do not know the answer,” replied Zuckerberg. “How many of them are minorities?” asked Green. “Are there any members of the LGBTQ+ community?” Green doesn’t want to learn anything. He wants to sneer and score points. Politicians’ sloppy ignorance is extraordinary. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, grilled Google CEO Sundar Pichai about iPhones, citing a story about his granddaughter using one, leading Pichai to explain, “Congressman, iPhone is made by a different company.” Today’s posturing is not what the founders had in mind when they invented hearings in 1789. George Mason said members of Congress “possess inquisitorial powers” to “inspect the Conduct of public offices.” Yes! Investigate government. But today, they are more likely to threaten CEOs and bully opponents. “Are you stupid?” then-Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said to one witness. They want to showboat, not learn. Often, they ask questions even when they know the answers. “Ms. DeVos, have you ever taken out a student loan?” asked Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. “Have any of your children had to borrow money?” Warren knows that DeVos is a billionaire, but she wanted to score points with her fans. One of the louder showboaters today is self-proclaimed socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. She asked Wells Fargo boss Tim Sloan, “Why was the bank involved in the caging of children?” “We weren’t,” replied Sloan. Some of today’s hearings are useful in that we get to see how absurd and ignorant our representatives can be. During a hearing on military personnel being stationed on the island of Guam, Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia, said, “My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it would tip over and capsize.” Really. He said that. Then there was the time Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., chair of the House Financial Services Committee, summoned bank CEOs to Washington and demanded, “What are you guys doing to help us with this student loan debt?!” “We stopped making student loans in 2007,” Bank of America’s Brian Moynihan told her. “We actually ended student lending in 2009,” added Citigroup’s Michael Corbat. “When the government took over student lending in 2010 … we stopped doing all student lending,” explained Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase. The Chair of the Financial Services Committee didn’t even know that her own party kicked bankers out of the student loan business, insisting that government take over?! Apparently not. She is so eager to blame business for government’s mistakes that she didn’t research her own topic. The more I watch politicians, the more I hate them. Let’s give them less power. ————— John Stossel is author of “No They Can’t! Why Government Fails — But Individuals Succeed.” Article shared by Rasmussen Reports. Tags: John Stossel, Congressional Grandstanding, commentary, Rasmussen Reports To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Road Kill . . .Posted: 08 Jan 2020 05:44 PM PST. . . Obama sent the billions to Iran that funded Soleimani’s evil deeds but President Trump has cleaned up Obama’s mess. Editorial Cartoon by AF BrancoTags: Editorial Cartoon, AF Branco, Road Kill, Obama sent, billions to Iran, that funded, Soleimani’s evil deeds, but President Trump, has cleaned up, Obama’s mess To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| The Russians Used the Media to Influence an Election for the LeftPosted: 08 Jan 2020 05:37 PM PSTby Daniel Greenfield: A funny thing happened on the way to the Kremlin. Before the UK election, Hillary Clinton took her book tour to the UK, where she joined the chorus of false claims accusing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative party of being Russian stooges. Christopher Steele, the British operative hired by her campaign to smear Trump as a Russian asset, had already paved the way with yet another report accusing Johnson of being cultivated by the Russians. The media began falsely claiming that the Tories were covering up this damning report. “I find it inexplicable that your government will not release a government report about Russian influence. Inexplicable and shameful,” Hillary Clinton huffed to the BBC. “Every person who votes in this country deserves to see that report before your election happens.” The BBC did not bother to inform its viewers that Hillary had been paying one of the report’s sources. The Steele 2.0 report was obsessed with Russian influence on the Brexit referendum and the previous election. But then the Russians actually shaped Labour’s entire election strategy in this election. And they used the media to do it. With Jeremy Corbyn’s numbers tanking due to everything from his support for terrorists to his anti-Semitism and general unpleasantness, the leftist leader unveiled documents claiming to show evidence of a secret deal with the United States over Britain’s failing socialized medicine NHS. “We have now got evidence that under Boris Johnson the NHS is on the table and will be up for sale. He tried to cover it up in a secret agenda and today it has been exposed,” Corbyn whinged. “We are talking here about secret talks for a deal with Donald Trump after Brexit.” Corbyn was blatantly lying about the documents and what was in them. The false claims about an NHS sellout became the central thrust of Labour’s political campaign in the 2019 election. But what was more interesting was where those documents had come from. The documents had first appeared on Reddit. In early December, Reddit announced that in coordination with law enforcement and experts, the accounts behind the leak were taken down as part of a Russian disinformation campaign. The sources of these claims, Graphika and the Atlantic Council, were the same as the ones that had been used by the media as credible sources on previous Russian campaigns. And it wasn’t Johnson and the Tories the Russians were trying to help, but Corbyn and Labour. A Twitter account using the same name as the Reddit account had even tagged Corbyn in a link to the materials from the Russian disinformation campaign. When Labour refused to state how they received the documents, the media just shrugged. The repeated refusals of Labour figures associated with Corbyn to explain the source of the documents was as good as an admission that they had not obtained them from legitimate sources. Asked in an interview where the documents came from, Corbyn insisted that it didn’t matter and then claimed that the documents leaked by the Russians showed “why the prime minister has refused to release the report on Russian interference in British politics.” The Russian interference in British politics wasn’t in the report, it was in his own house. The Russian campaign calculatedly tried to stir up animosity between the US and the UK in order to sabotage Brexit, prevent a trade deal between the US and the UK, and help Corbyn perform well enough to retain his leadership role in Labour. Why the Russians might have wanted those things is obvious. A dysfunctional EU serves Moscow’s purposes better than an independent UK able to set its own defense and foreign policies. Frustrated leavers would become radicalized, making them useful targets for provocateurs with ties to Moscow. And Corbyn’s Momentum was part of a British Left that had longstanding ties to the Soviet Union whose old KGB operatives were now running Russia. And were eager to tap into the old networks of fellow travelers that had been cultivated in the Communist days. The Russians hadn’t been cultivating Johnson. They had been cultivating Corbyn for a long time. Last year, Ján Sarkocy, a Cold War Czech spy working in the UK under cover as a diplomat, had come forward to accuse Corbyn of being a paid informant who had supplied information to the enemy. “He was our asset, he had been recruited. He was getting money from us,” Sarkocy said. Documents substantiated contacts between Corbyn and Sarkocy. Corbyn’s codename allegedly had been COB and had allegedly tipped off the Communists to actions by British intelligence. Worse still, Sarkocy claimed that Corbyn had been recruited “under Russian supervision.” “All the information we received, not only from him but also from another, supporting source, was regarded in Moscow as first-rate,” Sarkocy claimed. Unlike Steele, Sarkocy had been in a position to actually know what he was talking about. But the media hurriedly rushed to clear Corbyn of the charges even as they went on insisting that the secret Steele influenced report would prove that Johnson was a Russian asset. While the charges against Johnson were farfetched, like Bernie Sanders, Corbyn’s sympathy for the Soviet Union was no secret. Corbyn had appeared at the 40th Congress of the Communist Party of Great Britain to urge disarmament in the face of the Soviet Union. More recently, the alleged Marxist had claimed that “NATO was founded in order to promote a Cold War with the Soviet Union.” And, keeping the special relationship alive, he blamed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on American expansionism. His roster includes Andrew Murray, a former member of the Communist Party, and his chief strategist, Seumas Milne, had mourned the fall of the Berlin Wall, and defended its leaders against claims of atrocities, arguing that, “Communism in the Soviet Union, eastern Europe and elsewhere delivered rapid industrialisation, mass education, job security and huge advances in social and gender equality. It encompassed genuine idealism and commitment.” And the Communists had announced that they wouldn’t run candidates, but try to help Labour win. After Corbyn’s extensive ties to Communists, allegations by a former spy that he was a paid informant, the Russians tried to help Corbyn with a disinformation campaign and leaked documents, and the media insisted that the Russians couldn’t have been trying to help Corbyn. And that Corbyn knew nothing. The same media outlets smearing Trump and Johnson as Russian assets based on nothing, who had falsely claimed that Trump’s victory and Brexit were the work of the Russians based on deliberate misrepresentations about Russian ad campaigns, refused to make the obvious connections between an alleged former Russian asset, his circle of former Communists, and a Russian campaign to help them. The media wouldn’t know an actual Russian asset if it went out and voted for one. After years of entertaining us with scary stories about Russian election interference, when it actually happened, the outlets that had cried wolf, actually helped the Russians, and then tried to cover it up. A funny thing happened on the way to the Kremlin, the Russian election interference was helping the same old Marxists that the old KGB men running Moscow had built longstanding relationships with. In the UK, Russian election interference had been meant to aid Momentum’s Labour Party takeover. Meanwhile in the US, after the collapse of Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and his clique of socialists has a real shot at taking over the Democrat Party. Whom did the leaked emails help in the 2016 election? It wasn’t Trump. Voters didn’t care about internal Democrat dirty laundry in the national election. But Bernie and his people used the fallout to gain influence in the DNC. He now polls at number two. The internal Democrat conflict between Clintonites and Sandernistas, different factions of the Left, was used to frame Trump and Republicans when the real beneficiaries were Bernie Sanders, Keith Ellison, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, her squad and the rest of the Corbynized inner circle of Berniestan. The Sanders and Corbyn campaign share the same stable of activists. If the Russians were helping Corbyn, it’s a good bet that they were helping the socialist who honeymooned in the USSR. How much support could Sanders expect from Moscow if he becomes the nominee? The media can spot Russian election interference from a mile away when it isn’t there. It won’t touch actual Russian election interference even when it’s up to its eyeballs in the real thing. ——————- Daniel Greenfield @Sultanknish is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Tags: Daniel Greenfield, Sultanknish, Russians, Used the Media, to Influence, an Election, for the Left To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| House Democrats Still Afraid To Submit Impeachment Articles ToThe SenatePosted: 08 Jan 2020 05:22 PM PSTby Robert Romano: “If the House ever musters the courage to stand behind their slapdash work product and transmit their impeachment to the Senate, it will be time for the United States Senate to fulfill our founding purpose. [But] [w]e can’t hold a trial without the articles. The Senate’s own rules don’t provide for that. So, for now, we are content to continue the ordinary business of the Senate while House Democrats continue to flounder. For now.” That was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Twitter, noting that under Senate rules governing impeachment trials — for now — the trial of President Donald Trump cannot begin in the Senate until the House formally submits the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate. And so far, the House has delayed doing so. Why? Perhaps it has suddenly dawned on House Democrats that they don’t possess and never have had the votes in the U.S. Senate to convict and remove President Donald Trump from office, as a Senate trial and likely acquittal looms, and so they want to delay the trial for as long as possible. That is certainly why impeaching Trump in a futile gesture doomed to failure in an election year was almost certainly a bad idea politically for Democrats. It makes the party look desperate to remove Trump from office because they don’t think they can win at the ballot box, turning off swing voters and ironically bolstering the President’s already high odds of being reelected in November. Because, without any chance of Trump being removed, the only rationale for impeaching him was to hurt his chances in 2020. But if impeachment has now had the opposite effect, and instead made Trump more electable, then that makes Pelosi’s gambit one of the greatest political blunders in American history. The die has been cast. Already, impeachment has sucked the oxygen out of the Democratic primary for President. Instead of thinking about alternatives to Trump, voters are getting a daily reminder of why Trump is likely to remain in office. And Trump’s durability may only add to his impervious appearance. Hillary Clinton failed to defeat him in 2016, and then the Justice Department and Special Counsel Robert Mueller failed after Trump was sworn in, and this will fail too. It just makes Trump look strong. Again. Finally, failing to have Trump removed could in fact dispirit the very Democratic voters this election season who impeachment sought to activate. Again, with hindsight, the contingent of Democrats who thought impeachment was dumb might feel the opportunity to defeat Trump electorally was squandered by the House acting rashly to remove him in the first place. Maybe they stay home, or enough of them do to make a difference in key states. Watch for the finger-pointing to begin early in the cycle. Now, there is the question of former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s potential testimony before the Senate. After telling the House via his lawyers he would fight any subpoena in court, now Bolton is signaling he would testify in the Senate if subpoenaed. One presumes Bolton wishes to testify that President Trump was seeking to leverage military assistance to Ukraine in exchange for investigations into the Bidens and Burisma, the corrupt natural gas firm Ukrainian prosecutors were looking at until Biden had one of the lead prosecutors fired in 2016. Or maybe not. Either way, Pelosi is wagering she can pressure the Senate to subpoena Bolton in some sort of pre-trial agreement. But take that with grain of salt. Someone should ask Bolton why he thinks this President lacks authority to do something every President has had the power to do, which is determining when U.S. arms are to be deployed along any warfront, including the civil war in Ukraine. Bolton thinks Presidents can terminate treaties on a whim under Article II of the Constitution, but takes issue with the President contemplating a temporary hold on military assistance to a non-treaty partner like Ukraine while seeing if they’re too corrupt to deal with because of prior dealings with the party’s likely nominee, Biden. In the meantime, it is unclear what Bolton’s testimony might even add, Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning stated, noting the aid was ultimately delivered, rendering any legal objection to Trump’s conduct moot. “It doesn’t matter what actions were considered or even the motivations behind the hold since the decision was made to deliver the military aid before Sept. 30 and there were no actions required by the Ukraine government to secure the release of those funds,” Manning said. That’s right. The military assistance was ultimately released, so who cares what the President might have been thinking at the time? Kind of like that time President Trump was thinking about firing former Special Counsel Robert Mueller but never did. Then, Democrats wanted to call a non-action obstruction of justice but it amounted to little more than a thought crime. Here, once again, Democrats seek to remove Trump from office, not for real crimes, but imagined ones. But they don’t actually want to get on with the trial, making them seem all the more detached from reality as the presidential primaries rapidly approach. As if their own contradictory allegations have confused them into submission. But their hesitation is more than apparent to voters. Do they want to remove Trump now, or leave it up to voters in November? The House already voted to impeach and is therefore in no position to dictate the terms for the trial. All the testimony delivered, scores of hours available, ought to suffice. The House could have fought for Bolton’s testimony but dropped its federal court case. It could have waited. It went straight to the Senate, so let’s get on with it. Of course, the Senate could just change its own rules and begin the trial whether the House is ready or not, something McConnell appears to hint at. He knows the rules can be changed. “We have the votes… Fifty-one senators determine what we do…” McConnell told reporters, saying that a trial will start as soon as the Senate’s ready. The Articles of Impeachment do not even cite a criminal code violation, lending credence to Republican calls for a swift dismissal. I’d give them until Friday. After that, if no articles are produced, just download them and vote to dismiss, Mr. Majority Leader. —————– Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government. Tags: Robert Romano, Americans for Limited Government, House Democrats, Still Afraid, To Submit Impeachment Articles, To The Senate To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Iran Fires 15 Ballistic Missiles at US Forces in IraqPosted: 08 Jan 2020 05:03 PM PSTby Fred Lucas: Iran lobbed more than a dozen ballistic missiles at U.S. military forces in Iraq, mostly at a remote base at al-Assad, the Defense Department said Tuesday night. Iran “just conducted a massive fireworks demonstration in the desert … attacking Iraqi soil. That is unbelievably reckless and provocative,” Jim Carafano, vice president of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Channel’s Laura Ingraham later in the night. No details on casualties or damage were available from the White House or Pentagon as of midnight. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper, among other national security officials, met earlier in the night with President Donald Trump at the White House. Trump tweeted about the matter at 9:45 p.m. EST, saying he would have more to say Wednesday morning. “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now,” the president wrote in the tweet. “So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.” All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020For a time, cable and other news outlets reported that Trump would address the nation, but the White House announced shortly after 8 p.m. that the president would not do so. “We are aware of the reports of attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq. The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said. We are aware of the reports of attacks on US facilities in Iraq. The President has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team.— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) January 7, 2020The administration’s decision to hold off on any early remarks from Trump was interpreted by some cable TV commentators as evidence that no major loss of life or property destruction had occurred–and, later, that Iran deliberately pulled its punch and avoided American casualties. Amid the strong partisan strife in Washington, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., tweeted that she was closely monitoring the matter but also took a shot at the president for “needless provocations.” Closely monitoring the situation following bombings targeting U.S. troops in Iraq. We must ensure the safety of our servicemembers, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war.— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 8, 2020“Closely monitoring the situation following bombings targeting U.S. troops in Iraq,” Pelosi tweeted. “We must ensure the safety of our servicemembers, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war.” Sen. Lindsey Graham called Iran’s action an “act of war … by any reasonable definition” in an interview Tuesday night with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity. “The missiles were launched from Iran at targets inside of Iraq housing U.S. military personnel,” Graham said, adding, “The president has all the authority he needs under Article II [of the Constitution] to respond, and how he responds is yet to be determined, but he has that authority to respond.” Graham continued:[Trump] doesn’t want regime change, he wants the behavior of the regime to change in three areas. Their ballistic missile program needs to change … they need to stop being the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and we need a nuclear deal that does not ensure them a pathway to a bomb, like [President] Obama. The attack comes days after Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani in Iraq early Friday, prompting the Iranian government to threaten retaliation. U.S. officials considered Suleimani a terrorist directly responsible for the deaths of more than 600 Americans. Trump reportedly informed members of Congress of Iran’s attack. Democrats had criticized the president for not informing key members of Congress before the drone strike to kill Suleimani near Baghdad International Airport. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters he wanted a “full evaluation on what happened” in Iran’s attack, Fox News reported. “We would have to send a clear message back to Iran,” McCarthy said. Iran launched 15 missiles in all, of which 11 hit their targets and four failed in flight, a U.S. defense official told the Los Angeles Times. The official said only one missile struck a base in Irbil in Iraqi Kurdistan to the north, while 10 others hit al-Assad air base in western Anbar province. Jonathan Hoffman, assistant to the defense secretary for public affairs, issued a statement before 8 p.m. explaining that Iran launched missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq about 5:30 p.m. EST. “It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at al-Assad and Irbil,” Hoffman said. “We are working on initial battle damage assessments.” The Pentagon spokesman continued:In recent days and in response to Iranian threats and actions, the Department of Defense has taken all appropriate measures to safeguard our personnel and partners. These bases have been on high alert due to indications that the Iranian regime planned to attack our forces and interests in the region. As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners, and allies in the region.All options are likely on the table, but the United States must consider consequences, Peter Brookes, senior research fellow for national security and foreign policy at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox in an interview Tuesday night. Brookes also stressed that Iran threw the first punch. Discussing possible responses to Iran, Brookes suggested more economic consequences should be considered. “We’ve weakened their economy significantly—it contracted by 10% last year. There are still things we could do there,” he said. Brookes also mentioned military options, saying “that could include everything from political targets to military targets to economic targets.” “You could go after their oil infrastructure. You could take out one of their navy ships, you could go after the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] headquarters,” Brookes said. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif described the strike into Iraq as “concluded” and as taking “proportionate measures” against the U.S. He tweeted: Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched. We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 8, 2020Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, where Suleimani rose for decades, issued a statement to the regime’s state-run media. “We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted,” the statement said. ——————– Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal. Tags: Fred Lucas, Iran, Fires 15 Ballistic Missiles, at US Forces, in Iraq To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| 2020: New Decade, Cusp of A Golden AgePosted: 08 Jan 2020 04:35 PM PSTby Ralph Benko, Contributing Author: Happy new year, and decade. If war does not interrupt the trend, welcome the continued dawning of a golden age. At the end of 2019 I wrote here that things aren’t nearly as bad as the ratings-or-vote-driven hysterical pronouncements say. A recent column by Matt Ridley in The UK Spectator pointed out that We’ve just had the best decade in human history. Seriously. Others made a comparable point and yet the claim is so contrary to the dominant doom and gloom story that it begs for a closer look. First, though, why are the vast majority of our celebrities crying doom? One of the most candid political confessions ever was by then-U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich. At the apex of his career he confessed to journalist Gail Sheehy, writing for Vanity Fair, “I think you can write a psychological profile of me that says I found a way to immerse my insecurities in a cause large enough to justify whatever I wanted it to.” Postulating, “a cause large enough to justify whatever I wanted it to” provides enormous privilege: power, glory, and semi-impunity. Newt’s big reveal was strategic. Not neurotic. Daniel Kahneman won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his and the late Amos Tversky’s discoveries of how human nature reacts to uncertainty and risk. People work a lot harder to avoid a loss than for a comparable gain. More than twice as hard. We’re risk averse. So if you wish to get elected to high or higher office, or boost your ratings, forecast an onrushing catastrophe. Then cast yourself as the hero who can, perhaps uniquely, save the world. It was ever thus. Yet it has become a more regular thing. Michael Bloomberg justified his late entry into the 2020 presidential race by presenting President Trump as an “existential threat.” This is the way the world ends? Not with a bang but with a tweet? Facepalm! Panic is the driver of the politico-media complex’s game. Now, let’s think about the unthinkable. The facts. Could Ridley be right? Could a golden age be dawning? The evidence is overwhelming that the state of this world of sin and woe is, on balance, getting better. And has been doing that for decades. As The (UK) Spectator observed in, “Glad Tidings” published in 2012: “It may not feel like it, but 2012 has been the greatest year in the history of the world. That sounds like an extravagant claim, but it is borne out by evidence. Never has there been less hunger, less disease or more prosperity. The West remains in the economic doldrums, but most developing countries are charging ahead, and people are being lifted out of poverty at the fastest rate ever recorded. The death toll inflicted by war and natural disasters is also mercifully low. We are living in a golden age.” Steven Pinker and Andrew Mack provide a defining state of the world 2014 summation in Slate.com in “The World Is Not Falling Apart” revealed:”Violence Against Women. … Rates of rape or sexual assault and of violence against intimate partners have been sinking for decades, and are now a quarter or less of their peaks in the past.” … “Violence Against Children. … “Of 50 trends in exposure examined, there were 27 significant declines and no significant increases between 2003 and 2011.” … “Democratization. … [T]he democracy craze has decelerated of late but shows no signs of going into reverse. … A majority of the world’s countries today are democratic. …” … “Genocide and Other Mass Killings of Civilians. … By any standard, the world is nowhere near as genocidal as it was during its peak in the 1940. . . . “ … “War. …In a historically unprecedented development, the number of interstate wars has plummeted since 1945, and the most destructive kind of war, in which great powers or developed states fight each other, has vanished altogether. …”Tim Worstall, on Forbes.com, 2016: “… all Americans are simply hugely, gargantuanly, richer than any but the fewest, most privileged, of our forefathers.” David Harsanyi, a senior editor at The Federalist (2019), observed, in part:”Nearly every quantifiable measure of human existence is improving. The retreat of socialism — exactly the kind of system environmentalists would like to bring back to fight global warming — has led to extraordinary gains in the most important aspects of human existence over the past 30-40 years.” “Capitalism is eradicating extreme poverty.” “It’s eliminating child mortality.” “It’s increasing life expectancy.” “It’s mitigated conflicts — both internal and external.” “It’s keeping us safer.” “It has made education more accessible.”Peace permitting, a golden age of dignity, prosperity, ecology beckons. Conjured through mere capitalism? Lacks drama. Makes for boring journalism, and for dull politics. Yet facts are stubborn things. Welcome to the dawn of a golden age. ———————— Ralph Benko is Chairman, The Capitalist League and contributor to the ARRA News Service. He shared article via NewsMax. Tags: Ralph Benko, 2020: New Decade, Cusp of A Golden Age To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. 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| Virginia Gov. Northam Wants Millions in Tax Money to Ban Guns and Jail Gun Owners!Posted: 08 Jan 2020 03:24 PM PSTNRA-ILA Grassroots Alert: In recent weeks NRA-ILA informed Virginia gun owners about gun control funding included in the state budget bill. The budget legislation, HB30, included a $250,000 appropriation to the Corrections Special Reserve Fund in order to provide for the “increase in the operating cost of adult correctional facilities resulting from the enactment” of Governor Ralph Northam and the Michael Bloomberg-bought General Assembly’s gun control measures. In other words, $250,000 of taxpayer money that will be used to lock up gun owners who don’t comply with Northam and Bloomberg’s unconstitutional gun laws. News of the quarter of a million dollar appropriation justly sparked a firestorm in the pro-gun community. However, additional budget documents from the Northam administration reveal that the problem is an order of magnitude worse than previously reported. Nestled away in the “2020 Executive Budget Document” is millions of dollars in appropriations to fund, and hire government officials to carry out, Northam’s attack on law-abiding gun owners. The section concerning the Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security contains the following two appropriations: Northam has proposed more than $4 million dollars to fund a ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms. More disturbing, the budget would authorize 18 government functionaries to carry out compliance with the ban. It is not clear from the document what the precise function of these 18 government collaborators would be. However, the introduced semi-automatic ban legislation (SB16) would effectively confiscate commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms from law-abiding citizens, as it outlaws the continued possession of such firearms. After supporting similar confiscatory legislation in the gun control special session in July, Northam has said that he now contemplates a semi-automatic ban that would purportedly grandfather currently possessed firearms if the owners of such guns register the firearms with the government. Therefore, it would not be unreasonable to speculate that the 18 new government positions would be used to confiscate or register commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms. Northam has also included another $3.6 million in the state budget to carry out a host of other gun control measures. Such legislation includes the criminalization of private firearms transfers. Under the proposed HB2 “background check” bill, Virginians would be required to seek government permission to gift, trade, and even temporarily lend firearms to close friends and extended family. Under this extreme bill, even lending a brother a rifle for a deer hunt or letting a daughter borrow a handgun for self-defense could land an otherwise law-abiding Virginian a felony conviction and up to 5 years in jail. The proposed budget also points to funding “one gun purchase per month” legislation. From 1993 to 2012 Virginia had a “one-handgun-a-month” law that rationed the number of handguns law-abiding gun owners could purchase. The language in the budget document appears to indicate that Northam and the Bloomberg-bought General Assembly intends to extend this failed gun rationing scheme to all firearms sales. Despite appearing in the state budget under the section for the Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, these gun control measures have nothing to do with safety or security. In additional to being unconstitutional, a ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms will not reduce violent crime. Long guns of any description are rarely used in violent crime. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data breaks down homicides by weapon type. In 2018, the FBI reported that there were five times as many individuals listed as killed with “knives or cutting instruments,” than with rifles of any kind. The data also showed that rifles were listed as being used in less homicides than “blunt objects (clubs, hammers, etc.)” or “personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.).” A 1997 Department of Justice-funded study of the 1994 federal “assault weapons” ban determined that “At best, the assault weapons ban can have only a limited effect on total gun murders, because the banned weapons and magazines were never involved in more than a modest fraction of all gun murders.” A 2004 follow-up Department of Justice-funded study came to a similar conclusion. The study determined that “AWs [assault weapons] and LCMs [large capacity magazines] were used in only a minority of gun crimes prior to the 1994 federal ban,” “relatively few attacks involve more than 10 shots fired,” and “the ban’s effects on gun violence are likely to be small at best and perhaps too small for reliable measurement.” So-called “universal” background checks do not stop criminals from obtaining firearms. Background checks don’t stop criminals from stealing firearms, getting them on the black market, or getting them from straw purchasers. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 75 percent of criminals in state and federal state prison who had possessed a firearm during their offense acquired the firearm through theft, “Off the street/underground market,” or “from a family member or friend, or as a gift.” Less than one percent got firearms from dealers or non-dealers at gun shows. ATF has reported, “[t]he most frequent type of trafficking channel identified in ATF investigations is straw purchasing from federally licensed firearms dealers.” This year, researchers at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the UC Davis School of Medicine found that comprehensive background checks and prohibitions based on violent misdemeanors “were not associated with changes in firearm suicide or homicide.” Regarding gun rationing, there has not been a detrimental effect since the “one-handgun-a-month” law was repealed in 2012. In 1993, Gov. L. Douglas Wilder and other gun control advocates sold the handgun rationing measure as a way to curb gun trafficking from Virginia to more restrictive Northeast states, particularly New York. According to ATF trace data, there was not an increase in firearms recovered in New York being traced to Virginia in the years after repeal. In the three years prior to repeal (2009-11), a total of 1265 firearms recovered in New York were traced to Virginia. In the three years following repeal (2013-15), a total of 1259 firearms recovered in New York were traced to Virginia. Tax-paying Virginians should not have to fund Northam and Bloomberg’s radical attack on their fundamental rights. Please contact Gov. Northam and let him know you oppose his unconstitutional gun control measures. You can contact Northam using the Governor’s Office contact form or call his office at 804-786-2211. Stay tuned to www.nraila.org for updates. And, in the meantime, please sign up to volunteer to help defeat Northam and Bloomberg’s gun control legislation. —————– NRA-ILA Tags: NRA-ILA, Virginia Gov. Northam, Wants Millions in Tax Money, to Ban Guns, Jail Gun Owners To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
| Virginia Bill Aims to Shut Down NRA Headquarters RangePosted: 08 Jan 2020 02:53 PM PSTNRA HQ Range in Fairfax, Virginiaby Dean Weingarten: U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Virginia House Bill no. 567, prefiled on 6 January, 2020, and offered on 8 January, 2020, seems aimed particularly at the NRA headquarters range at 11250 Waples Mill Rd. in Fairfax, Virginia. HB 567 contains a number of provisions that single out the NRA HQ range from nearly all others. Here are the provisions of the bill: Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 3 of Chapter 12 of Title 18.2 a section numbered 18.2-511.2 as follows: § 18.2-511.2. Indoor shooting ranges; prohibited in private buildings; exceptions; penalty. A. As used in this section, “indoor shooting range” means any fully enclosed or indoor area or facility designed for the use of rifles, shotguns, pistols, silhouettes, skeet, trap, or black powder or any other similar sport shooting. B. It is unlawful to operate an indoor shooting range in any building not owned or leased by the Commonwealth or the federal government unless (i) fewer than 50 employees work in the building or (ii) (a) at least 90 percent of the users of the indoor shooting range are law-enforcement officers, as defined in § 9.1-101, or federal law-enforcement officers, (b) the indoor shooting range maintains a log of each user’s name, phone number, address, and the law-enforcement agency where such user is employed, and (c) the indoor shooting range verifies each user’s identity and address by requiring all users to present a government-issued photo-identification card. C. Any person that violates the provisions of this section is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 nor more than $100,000 for the initial violation and $5,000 per day for each day of violation thereafter.The NRA HQ range is located in the NRA HQ building in Fairfax, Virginia. It is indoors.It is privately owned.More than 50 employees work in the building.It is open to the public.Only one of the other indoor ranges found, in a quick survey of Virginia indoor ranges, were in buildings over two stories tall. The Colonial Shooting Academy, in Richmond, Virginia, is a three-story facility. It has a few more than 50 employees working in its building. It is the biggest indoor range in Virginia. The owners would like to expand and hire more employees. This bill would make expansion impossible. Large indoor urban ranges have been expanding across the country. The trend was arguably started with the Scottsdale Gun Club in Arizona. Full disclosure, Terry Schmidt is my second cousin. He and his wife Nadine conceived of the Scottsdale gun club and now own majority interests and manage the concern. Terry credits me with planting the seed of his lifelong fascination and career with firearms. Many small businesses have less than 50 employees to avoid burdensome federal regulations that apply to businesses that have over 50 employees. It is a large range, indeed, which would employ over 50 people in one building. The bill would likely face challenges under both the Virginia State Constitution and the federal Constitution under the Second Amendment. The Seventh Circuit has ruled the availability of gun ranges, to serve the public, is protected to some extent, by the Second Amendment. It seems unlikely the proposed Virginia law would meet the requirements to pass muster under the Second Amendment. What rationale would require the limitation of gun ranges to buildings that employ less than 50 people? Governments have deep pockets to defend against lawsuits. They are spending other people’s money. The lawsuits required to defend against the host of laws infringing on the Second Amendment in Virginia will be costly. They will not be funded by tax dollars, but by private individuals. The individuals may band together into groups or organizations to fund the lawsuits, but the money will not be taken from other people by force, as is tax money. ——————– Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation. Shared article at AmmoLand.com. Tags: Dean Weingarten, AmmoLand, Virginia Bill, Aims to Shut Down, NRA Headquarters Range To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service and “Like” Facebook Page – Thanks! |
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REALCLEARPOLITICS
01/09/2020Share: Carl Cannon’s Morning NotePresented by Partnership for America’s Health Care Future: Trump and Iran; NATO Successes; Diving In Good morning. It’s Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. On this date in 1913, Richard Milhouse Nixon was born in a modest house in the town of Yorba Linda, which was then a sleepy agricultural village in Orange County, Calif.Also on this date, some five centuries ago, Christopher Columbus recorded in his diary that he and his crew had spotted mermaids from their ship’s bow as they sailed the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the Dominican Republic. This entry in his captain’s log reminds me of a personal story from the 1990s when my two older children were exposed for the first time to the wilds of western Montana. That spring, we had taken them to Disney World. A few months later, while I fished for trout and the kids marveled at a baby elk wandering among the beaver ponds in the picturesque Big Hole Valley, my son Nick exclaimed to his sister, “Kelly, this is the real magic kingdom!” I don’t know what Christopher Columbus’ men thought when they espied sea creatures they took to be mermaids, but reading the account now reminds us that nature’s wonders can be as marvelous as myths. They can be just as fragile, too, as I’ll explain in a moment. First, I’d point you to RealClearPolitics’ front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion pieces spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters, columnists, and contributors, including the following:* * *Trump Hails Iran “Standing Down,” Vows New Sanctions. Phil Wegmann and Susan Crabtree report on the president’s remarks yesterday.American Exceptionalism Takes a Hit. In RealClearWorld, Christopher Mott asserts that the assassination of Qassem Soleimani shows the dangers of Washington assuming it is exempt from the calculations that make or break sound strategy. The Unreported Success of NATO’s Anniversary Summit. In RealClearDefense, Daniel Goure counters the prevailing narrative of widespread discord.Gentrification Can Turn Around Beleaguered Black Neighborhoods. In RealClearPolicy, Robert Cherry challenges a study that he says understates gentrification’s potential benefits and greatly overstates its potential costs.Why Do Economists Still Take Ben Bernanke Seriously? RealClearMarkets editor John Tamny argues that prosperity springs from economic freedom, not government action, a principle the former Fed chairman continues to reject.Why Didn’t TB Wipe Out Humans Long Ago? RealClearScience editor Ross Pomeroy spotlights a study of the unlikely resistance to tuberculosis exhibited in the Paleolithic era.* * *On Jan. 9, 1493, Columbus wrote about seeing “three mermaids who came quite high out of the water.” They wer not, he noted clinically, “as pretty as they are depicted, for somehow in the face they look like men.”The creatures he was describing were almost certainly manatees or Steller’s sea cows, a slow-moving marine mammal hunted to extinction by the mid-18th century. Both are sirenians, an aquatic order of herbivores deriving their name from the “sirens” of the sea — mermaids, in other words, whose presumed presence in the world’s oceans dates at least to ancient Greek mythology.That fable has been put to positive use in our time, however, in efforts to prevent manatees from going the way of their sea cow cousins. And as far as I know, the first U.S. president to mention manatees was today’s birthday boy, Richard M. Nixon, when he signed the Marine Mammal Protection Act in October 1972.“This legislation will give us the important powers we need to ensure that the world’s whales, porpoises, seals, polar bears, walruses, sea otters, and manatees do not become depleted or endangered species,” he said at the White House signing ceremony.The Environmental Protection Agency is another idea and organization that came to life during the Nixon administration. To this day it is charged with protecting manatees and other ocean life. Seven years ago, the EPA approved a plan developed by the state of Florida to protect the state’s waterways from the discharge of excess nitrogen and phosphorus, which produce toxic algal blooms.That cooperation underscores another point. Although many EPA edicts in recent decades have struck small-government conservatives as heavy-handed, efforts to save manatees and other denizens of the deep are not always top-down federal decrees. “Operation Mermaid,” for instance, was a campaign by Palm Beach County, Fla., to educate boaters — and ticket them, if necessary — regarding precautions to avoid striking and killing manatees.When I first wrote about manatees from Florida in 2013, a posse of Palm Beach sheriff’s deputies had recently shown up in force at Riviera Beach, educational brochures (and citation books) in hand. They were joined on that day by a mermaid, a.k.a. Palm Beach State College student Trina Mason, wearing her $3,000 mermaid costume. She normally charged for such appearances, but Trina did this one for free, to help her fellow sirenians.“It’s something I’m passionate about,” she explained. Me, too. Carl M. Cannon Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics @CarlCannon (Twitter) ccannon@realclearpolitics.com |
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NOQ REPORT
- Appeals court win: 5th Circuit lifts injunction on military funds used to build border wall
- Symbolic Iran War Powers resolutions are begging Iran to attack Americans
- Iran plane crash: Ukrainian investigators want to search crash site for Russian missile debris
- Revisiting the link between leftism and Islamism
- Child porn Tweet has people asking, ‘Is Paul Krugman a victim or a sicko?’
- Iran’s spin: Zero american casualties, but 80 Americans dead. What?
- With Iran narrative failing her, Nancy Pelosi will release the Articles of Impeachment soon
- President Trump to Iran: Let’s make a deal. Also, have more sanctions.
- Media malfeasance Part Deux
- The Iranian kerfuffle did WHAT to the oil markets?
| Appeals court win: 5th Circuit lifts injunction on military funds used to build border wallPosted: 09 Jan 2020 06:09 AM PSTThe legal back and forth surrounding President Trump’s wall on our southern border ebbed in favor of the right late Wednesday as the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted an injunction on the use of military construction funds. Now, construction can resume until those challenging wall construction can appeal the case to the Supreme Court. Breaking […]The post Appeals court win: 5th Circuit lifts injunction on military funds used to build border wall appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Symbolic Iran War Powers resolutions are begging Iran to attack AmericansPosted: 09 Jan 2020 05:13 AM PSTDemocrats in both chambers of Congress are pushing forward an Iranian War Powers resolution that would appear to hamper the President’s authority to engage with Iran in case they attack. As a concurrent resolution, it technically wouldn’t do anything at all; the President is able and likely willing to ignore it altogether. But some won’t […]The post Symbolic Iran War Powers resolutions are begging Iran to attack Americans appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Iran plane crash: Ukrainian investigators want to search crash site for Russian missile debrisPosted: 09 Jan 2020 03:50 AM PSTDebris from the Ukrainian Boeing 737-800 that crashed in Iran early Wednesday morning may hold answers to the question of what brought the three-year-old plane down. All 176 people on board died when it suddenly plummeted from the sky under questionable circumstances, a few hours after Iran launched a major strike against American forces in […]The post Iran plane crash: Ukrainian investigators want to search crash site for Russian missile debris appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Revisiting the link between leftism and IslamismPosted: 09 Jan 2020 02:43 AM PSTAn enemy of the United States is dead but only the right is celebrating. Meanwhile Leftists like Rose McGowan are mourning and Marxists like Colin Kaepernick are condemning America’s actions. While Republicans celebrated the tactical military victory, Democrats in Congress like Ilhan Omar and Nancy Pelosi are, to put their reactions mildly, not. It is my […]The post Revisiting the link between leftism and Islamism appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Child porn Tweet has people asking, ‘Is Paul Krugman a victim or a sicko?’Posted: 08 Jan 2020 08:47 PM PSTProgressive economist Paul Krugman Tweeted out an odd, now-deleted post earlier today claiming someone hacked his IP and downloaded child porn. He believes it may be the work of QAnon, the pro-Trump internet group that promotes a plan to get the President and other Republicans reelected. But some are wondering if Krugman’s Tweet was based on […]The post Child porn Tweet has people asking, ‘Is Paul Krugman a victim or a sicko?’ appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Iran’s spin: Zero american casualties, but 80 Americans dead. What?Posted: 08 Jan 2020 11:50 AM PSTThe feared Iranian response to the targeted killing of Qassem Soleimani, the powerful head of Iran’s Quds Force, has passed with hardly a whimper. Dozens of missiles were fired at an America base in Iraq with no casualties. But if you ask the Iranian regime or its media, eighty Americans were killed, and the Iranian […]The post Iran’s spin: Zero american casualties, but 80 Americans dead. What? appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| With Iran narrative failing her, Nancy Pelosi will release the Articles of Impeachment soonPosted: 08 Jan 2020 11:25 AM PSTThis hasn’t been a good week for Democrats after seeming at first to be a great one. They thought President Trump had made a political mistake by killing Qasem Soleimani, a mistake that culminated in what they hoped to be a devastating counter-strike from Iran yesterday. Thankfully, the counter-strike wasn’t nearly as devastating as Iranians (and Democrats) […]The post With Iran narrative failing her, Nancy Pelosi will release the Articles of Impeachment soon appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| President Trump to Iran: Let’s make a deal. Also, have more sanctions.Posted: 08 Jan 2020 09:39 AM PSTPresident Trump addressed the press and the nation in the White House Grand Foyer this morning, an unusual choice for a press conference about Iran. But it became clear this was a strategic move as the message was intended as much for Iran and the rest of the world as it was for the American […]The post President Trump to Iran: Let’s make a deal. Also, have more sanctions. appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Media malfeasance Part DeuxPosted: 08 Jan 2020 08:03 AM PSTYesterday I wrote about the media attempting to lionize a bloodthirsty terrorist because Orange Man Bad. That was just a small taste of what was to come. Last night Iran lobbed some missles in the general direction of bases that house Americans and coalition forces Iraq. When the news broke, I started cruising news channels […]The post Media malfeasance Part Deux appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| The Iranian kerfuffle did WHAT to the oil markets?Posted: 08 Jan 2020 07:10 AM PSTAs a trained market technician (however not certified), the discussion of oil prices related to the recent Iran/US tit-a-tat is a source of great amusement. For example the WSJ Editorial Board pontificated that the “first Gulf War caused oil prices to nearly double in a few months.” Curious. Adherents to Ralph Nelson Elliott’s theory of […]The post The Iranian kerfuffle did WHAT to the oil markets? appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
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REDSTATE
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MANHATTAN INSTITUTE
| January 9, 2020Featuring the latest analysis, commentary, and research from Manhattan Institute scholarsNEW YORK CITY & STATEPhoto: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesStuck in LimboGovernor Cuomo’s Penn Station presentation raised more questions than it answered. By Eric Kober City Journal Online January 8, 2020 Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesThe NYPD Is Ready If Iran Tries to Strike Here“The New York Police Department has boosted security to thwart potential terrorist attacks following Iran’s threats to punish America for killing its top military general, Qassem Soleimani, in Iraq.” By Judith Miller New York Post January 9, 2020 Adapted from City Journal HOUSING POLICYPhoto: Drew Angerer/Getty ImagesBanning Dollar Stores to Prevent Food Deserts Is Unjust“Communities like Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Fort Worth, Birmingham, and Georgia’s DeKalb County have passed restrictions on dollar stores, prompting numerous other communities to consider similar curbs.” By Steven Malanga The Philadelphia Inquirer January 9, 2020 Adapted from City Journal CULTURE & SOCIETYPhoto: stocknshares/iStockEffectively Legalizing MurderA French court’s decision regarding the killer of Sarah Halimi could establish a frightening precedent. By Theodore Dalrymple City Journal Online January 8, 2020 HOUSING POLICYPhoto: deberarr/iStockIssues 2020: Rent Control Does Not Make Housing More AffordableAs cities across the country struggle with rising housing costs, left-leaning policymakers like Sen. Sanders and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez have responded with proposals for nationwide rent control. In the latest issue brief in the Issues 2020 series, Michael Hendrix evaluates the effects of rent control, finding that it is ultimately a counterproductive approach to increasing the amount of affordable housing. Photo: deberarr/iStockRent Control: Unjust and IneffectiveManhattan Institute’s Michael Hendrix interviews Mayer Brown partner Andrew Pincus, the lead attorney in a lawsuit taking on New York State’s sweeping rent-regulation laws. FEATURED BOOKPhoto: Manhattan InstituteDigital CathedralsToday’s global Cloud is society’s first foundationally new infrastructure in nearly a century. It is comprised of thousands of warehouse-scale computers and history’s biggest network of “information superhighways.” Powering this data behemoth consumes more energy than all global aviation. Yet, as disruptive as the Cloud has already become, we are only at the end of the beginning of what digital masons are building for the 21st century. In Digital Cathedrals, Mark Mills explores this new infrastructure through the lens of energy demand, and the implications for policymakers and regulators, who will be increasingly tempted—or enjoined—to engage issues of competition, fairness, and even social disruptions, along with the challenges of abuse of market power, both valid and trumped up.Buy NowCIVIL SOCIETY AWARDSNominations are open for the Manhattan Institute’s 2020 Civil Society Awards. This fall, four winners will each receive a $25,000 award for their efforts to keep our social fabric from fraying, assist those who need it most, and help people change the course of their lives. Nominate an outstanding nonprofit by March 20, 2020. Learn more at civilsocietyawards.com.SUBMIT A NOMINATIONManhattan Institute is a think tank whose mission is to develop and disseminate new ideas that foster greater economic choice and individual responsibility. 52 Vanderbilt Ave. New York, NY 10017 (212) 599-7000SUPPORT MICopyright © 2020 Manhattan Institute, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Manhattan Institute52 Vanderbilt Ave.New York, NY 10017 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list View this email in your browser |
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CSP
| Highlighted Articles/InterviewsHow a CIA officer should file a whistleblowing complaint against the PresidentAs Iran planned attacks on US, Russia & China held naval maneuvers with IranQassem Soleimani ran IED program to kill American & Coalition troopsTurning the corner against Iran’s terror militiasPutin shares Gestapo chief’s admiration for the Bolshevik Cheka secret policeFleitz: In terminating Soleimani, Trump ‘laid down a marker’ for Iran’s mullahs“The president has laid down a marker here that there are consequences for going after US citizens, for hitting a US embassy, he’s not going to just roll over and take it,” Center President Fred Fleitz told Lou Dobbs on Fox News. Watch the whole interview here.Are Democrats coordinating with the “Iran Lobby”After the latest Iranian attack against American military personnel in Iraq, from which they fortunately emerged unscathed, President Trump imposed additional economic sanctions on the mullahs’ regime, rather than violent punishment.His Democratic opponents nonetheless continued their criticism of his Iran policy that is often indistinguishable from Iranian propaganda. At a minimum, the not-very-Loyal Opposition’s party-line is being seized upon by Tehran’s mouthpieces to support theirs. So will congressional votes to restrict presidential action on Iran.The question occurs: Are Democrats actually coordinating with Iran? The Washington Free Beacon reports that some – including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren – are working with the National American Iranian Council, an organization founded by Trita Parsi, whom the ayatollahs’ own media have called part of the “Iran Lobby.”Keep that in mind the next time you hear Iranian propaganda coming from Democratic leaders, and vice-versa. This is Frank Gaffney.With Benjamin Weingarten, Diana West and Dr. Peter PryBEN WEINGARTEN, Founder and CEO of ChangeUp Media LLC, Senior Contributor at The Federalist, Senior Fellow at the London Center for Policy Research:Was killing of Soleimani the right step for President Trump to take?The pitfalls of the Obama Administration’s Iran policy(PART TWO):Were the January 7 attacks by Iran an act of saving face?Will the Iranian regime ever be at peace with the US?How the media and democrats are acting on behalf of the MullahsDIANA WEST, Nationally syndicated columnist, Blogs at Dianawest.net, Author of Death of the Grown Up, American Betrayal, and Red Thread: A Search for Ideological Drivers Inside the Anti-Trump Conspiracy:Is Iran done with their retaliatory attacks?How trustworthy is American intelligence?How Soleimani’s death impacts the safety of American citizensDR. PETER PRY, Executive Director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security and Director of the U.S. Nuclear Strategy Forum, both Congressional Advisory Boards, Served on the Congressional EMP Commission, the Congressional Strategic Posture Commission, the House Armed Services Committee, and the CIA:Implications of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the US electrical gridA historic milestone against the EMP warThe threat EMP poses on the United StatesTWEET OF THE DAYRetweet, like, and comment!DONATEView this email in your browser Copyright © 2020 Center for Security Policy, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 189 Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 835-9077 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
HOT AIR
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NATIONAL REVIEW
| WITH JIM GERAGHTYJanuary 09 2020The Good and Bad of the Western Media’s Iran CoverageOn the menu today: In light of the recent military tensions with Iran, it’s worth looking back at how the major U.S. and other Western media covered the attack on the Saudi Arabian oil facilities in September, and how they consistently suggested the administration’s claims were flimsy and that Iranian denials were worth keeping in mind; some terrific reporting on how the administration responded to intelligence that Iran was planning a missile attack; and Senator Mike Lee just wants a little consultation that’s consistent with the Constitution.How the Media Botched Their Coverage of Iran’s Attack on Saudi Arabia in SeptemberForeign affairs are covered and discussed poorly in the Western media, and the habits, instincts, and mental framework of those who cover these events work to the benefit of dishonest and authoritarian entities such as the Iranian regime. Let’s look back at the Iranian attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities from this September.On September 14, 2019, drones attacked two key oil installations inside Saudi Arabia, damaging facilities that process most of the country’s crude oil and briefly disrupting world oil supplies. … READ MORE |
| ADVERTISEMENTTRENDING ON NATIONAL REVIEW1. Defending the Virtues of American Nationalism2. ‘They like to send our kids to war,’ &c.3. Is ‘Most of Government’ Unconstitutional?TOP STORIESVICTOR DAVIS HANSONIran’s Options in a Showdown with America Are All BadAs long as Trump replies with air power disproportionate to any Iranian attacks, he governs the tempo of the …NR PLUSThe Naysayers Are Wrong — We Should Go to MarsFears that water-consuming microbes from the Red Planet would desiccate Earth are absurd. MICHAEL BRENDAN DOUGHERTYWestern Politics Changed with the Charlie Hebdo MassacreThe Charlie Hebdo massacre revealed to us a profound and distressing fissure in the life of the West. The …NEWSChinese Delegation Expected to Sign Phase-One Trade Deal WednesdayChina will “improve its tariff policy on wheat, corn and other farm products based on the rules of the World Trade …ROBERT ZUBRINThe Naysayers Are Wrong — We Should Go to MarsFears that water-consuming microbes from the Red Planet would desiccate Earth are …ARMOND WHITEBest Movies of the DecadeThe past movie decade did not belong to social-justice propagandists but to Alain Resnais, Zack Snyder, Clint …NEWS‘Fast and Furious’ Gunman Sentenced to Life for 2010 Killing of Border Patrol AgentThe killing uncovered the botched “Fast and Furious” operation, in which federal authorities allowed criminals to …WHAT NR IS READINGThe Case for Nationalism: How It Made Us Powerful, United, and FreeBY RICHARD LOWRY“Makes an original and compelling case for nationalism . . . A fascinating, erudite—and much-needed—defense of a hallowed idea unfairly under current attack.” — Victor Davis HansonLEARN MOREPODCASTSEpisode 102: Sex? Yes, Please! Episode 113: Moby-Dick by… PHOTOSTop Shots Consumer Electronics Show VIDEOPier 1 To Slash 40% Of… Are Chelsea Clinton’s… NRPLUS ARTICLESMourning Soleimani, from Hollywood… The American Middle Class as Victim Ready for Election Season?National Review subscribers get the most out of National Review. Don’t miss out.SEE MY OPTIONSADVERTISEMENTFollow Us & Share19 West 44th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY, 10036, USA Your Preferences | Unsubscribe | Privacy View this e-mail in your browser. |