Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Tuesday November 19, 2019.
THE DAILY SIGNAL
| Nov 19, 2019 |
| Good morning from Washington, where House Democrats today will hold the first of three impeachment hearings this week. We’ve got details on eight scheduled witnesses and why they’re testifying. The president’s enemies sound desperate, Cal Thomas writes. On the podcast, a school choice advocate decries his state’s stand against charter schools. Plus: a narrow escape from North Korea, Chick-fil-A’s change in direction, and a history lesson in real imperialism for an ill-informed House freshman. On this date in 1863, dedicating a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, President Abraham Lincoln captures in under 275 words why the Union must win the Civil War. |
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News
Here
Are the 8 Witnesses Set to Testify at This Week’s Impeachment Hearings
By Fred Lucas The second week of Democrats’ impeachment inquiry focuses on witnesses who actually listened in on the phone call between President Trump and Ukraine’s president, or who talked directly with Trump about administration policy toward the former Soviet republic. More Commentary Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Chilling Ignorance of History By Lee Edwards Instead of bashing “western imperialism,” the Minnesota Democrat should learn about the real threats coming from Russia and China. More Commentary Congress Shouldn’t Get Paid Until It Does Its Job. Why This Bill Is a Great Step. By Justin Bogie A new bill would institute a “no budget, no pay” policy: If Congress doesn’t adopt a budget resolution by April 15 of each fiscal year, lawmakers would receive no pay until it does. More Analysis In Pennsylvania, a War on Charter Schools By Daniel Davis “Our governor has declared war on opportunity for Pennsylvania families,” says Charles Mitchell of the Commonwealth Foundation. More Commentary Left’s Rhetoric in Impeachment Hearings Reveals Desperation By Cal Thomas The etymological shift taken by Democrats during the House impeachment hearings is just another reason for Americans to be cynical about Washington. More News Chick-Fil-A to Stop Donating to Charities Criticized by LGBT Activists By Mary Margaret Olohan Chick-fil-A institutes a “more focused giving approach to provide additional clarity and impact with the causes it supports” by donating to education programs and efforts against homelessness and hunger. More Special Feature ‘Now I Know What Freedom Is’: One Young Man’s Escape From North Korea By Jackson Elliott When he escaped communist North Korea at 17 years old and made his way to South Korea, Ilhyeok Kim weighed under 88 pounds and stood 4-foot-11. The average 17-year-old male in South Korea weighs 138 pounds and stands 5-foot-8. More | ||
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THE EPOCH TIMES
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The stock market is consistently volatile, but with Ty J. Young Inc. Wealth Management, you can protect your money from market losses.
“Peace is always beautiful.” WALT WHITMAN Good morning, Hundreds of Hong Kong students remained trapped inside Polytechnic University on Monday as police continued their seige. In a sign of further escalation, police were seen carrying weapons not previously spotted, such as rifles and stun grenades. Some students were able to escape the university campus by lowering themselves down with a rope, escaping on nearby motorcycles. Read the full story here. Impeachment Inquiry Includes Probing Whether Trump Lied to Mueller: House Lawyer CBS, ABC, NBC Skip Covering Congress Urging ABC to Explain ‘Quashed’ Epstein Story International Student Numbers in US Reach All-Time High, Decline in New Enrollments Stabilizes Supreme Court Rejects ‘Pharma Bro’ Martin Shkreli’s Appeal of Fraud Conviction Vice President Mike Pence didn’t discuss investigations into Democrats during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sept. 1, according to the testimony of two witnesses in the House impeachment inquiry. Read more The CEO of FedEx challenged the publisher of The New York Times to a public debate after the paper published a story he asserted got basic facts wrong. “The New York Times published a distorted and factually incorrect story on the front page… Read more Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards warned anti-government protesters on Nov. 18 of “decisive” action if unrest over higher gasoline prices doesn’t stop, state media said, hinting at a harsh security crackdown. Read more A senior member of President Donald Trump’s National Security Council has filed a $25 million lawsuit in Virginia state court, accusing the popular media outlet Politico of intentionally publishing false statements about him to undermine his credibility and ability to serve his country at the NSC. Read more China has paid more than 7,000 U.S. scientists and other experts over the past decade through its Thousand Talents Plan (TTP) to hand over their research, according to a Senate subcommittee report made public on Nov. 18. Read more See More Top Stories Have you made the right decision with your money since the last stock market crash? Most people don’t realize they’re not fully protected for the next time the market crashes. With Ty J. Young Wealth Management’s investment strategy, when the stock market goes up, you earn about half of the gains and they lock in every year. But when the stock market goes down, you don’t lose any of it AND you have no ridiculous fees. You can have it for your 401K, IRA, money in a brokerage firm or even money at a bank. Want to know more? Spend 5 minutes with one of our advisors. It’s high quality, it’s simple, and it’s easy. China Would Pay a Catastrophic Price Should There Be a Hong Kong Massacre By Art Harman Reports of mainland Chinese students being evacuated from Hong Kong and of Chinese troops in the streets are ominous signs that the Chinese communist regime may be preparing for a Tiananmen Square-like massacre or some other military assault to crush the peaceful rallies that Hong Kong citizens have been holding to try to preserve their freedom. Read more Why the Prescription Drug Market Doesn’t Work for Patients By Dan Sanchez & Laura Williams What does it take to get vital medical care in America? For Laura Matson, a Type-1 diabetic, it took upending her whole life. To pay for her insulin treatments, she had to sell her car and furniture, relocate, and even give away her dog Nicky, as the BBC reported. And she isn’t alone. Many Americans struggle to make ends meet as their health care costs rise. Read more See More Opinions How Can Chinese Households Spend If Their Incomes Are Declining? By Valentin Schmid (November 12, 2015) The Chinese consumer who saves is the most important person in the world right now. He is supposed to take over from the American consumer, who is ridden by debt and unable to spend. Unlike their American counterparts, they hardly have any debt and plenty of savings. Cheerleaders like McKinsey and Jack Ma would like nothing better than for Chinese consumers to spend their trillions. The problem: It just won’t happen anytime soon. Read more According to Dennis Prager, what exactly are the “safe spaces” found on college campuses across America today? How have American universities been radicalized? Why are members of the intellectual elite more likely to embrace radical communist ideology? And, is the yearning for freedom actually an innate human desire? Dennis Prager on How Colleges Indoctrinate Students With Contempt for America, & No Safe Spaces Film Advertisement: Copyright © 2019 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can unsubscribe from this list or remove my account. |
THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
THE HILL
| © Getty Images Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. Happy Tuesday! 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 up-early co-creators. Find us @asimendinger and @alweaver22 on Twitter and CLICK HERE to subscribe! |
| Four current and former Trump administration officials will kick off the second week of public impeachment hearings today before the House Intelligence Committee as Democrats look to boost their case in the ongoing inquiry into President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. Today’s testimony features four key witnesses before the panel: National Security Council (NSC) Director for European Affairs Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman; Jennifer Williams, a career foreign service officer and adviser to Vice President Pence; Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine; and Tim Morrison, an outgoing member of the NSC. As Olivia Beavers and Mike Lillis write, while the four witnesses are by no means new to investigators, they are to the public. With cameras rolling, the hearings will give voters and viewers a peek at the deliberations as both parties wage a high-wattage public relations battle over whether Trump’s actions should force his removal from office. Throughout the first week of public hearings, Republicans on Capitol Hill and Trump allies repeatedly argued that the first round of witnesses were only passing along “hearsay” to investigators and that none had any firsthand knowledge, including what the president said in various phone calls. However, that argument could be a tougher sell this week. Vindman and Williams were on the July 25 call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Vindman in October privately testified to lawmakers about that conversation. The Hill: House committees release transcripts of previous testimony from U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale and David Holmes, an official with the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. Hale’s transcript is HERE. Holmes’s transcript is HERE. The Washington Post: Lt. Col. Vindman to describe his alarm over president’s call with Ukrainian leader, girding for Republican attack. Meanwhile, Republicans believe Volker is one witness who could ultimately help Trump’s case. Appearing in private last month before the three investigatory committees, Volker said the White House decision to withhold military aid to Ukraine was “not significant” and that Ukrainian leaders “never communicated a belief that there was a quid pro quo” surrounding the investigations Trump sought. However, The New York Times reports that Volker, seeking to square his earlier testimony with information provided to the House by other witnesses, will tell lawmakers today he was out of the loop and did not realize others working for Trump had tied Ukraine military aid to a commitment to investigate Democrats. The Hill: Impeachment guide: The nine witnesses testifying this week. Axios: Inside Republicans’ defense strategy for Week 2 of impeachment hearings. The Hill: Democratic impeachment investigators are looking at whether Trump misled former special counsel Robert Mueller. The president said Monday that he will “strongly consider” testifying as part of the House inquiry. This comment comes as his administration continues to stonewall investigators and not cooperate with what they consider a “sham” investigation. Democrats expressed skepticism that Trump might appear (Reuters). Trump’s tweet was in response to Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) suggestion on Sunday that the president should “come right before the committee” to give testimony (The Hill). Elsewhere on the investigation front, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a key player on the Ukraine front, responded to a letter from Reps. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to provide any firsthand information that is relevant to the ongoing inquiry. In a letter of his own, the Wisconsin Republican, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, took the opportunity to assail Vindman, arguing he is trying to sabotage the president (The Hill). Joe Concha, The Hill: 3 reasons why impeachment fatigue has already set in. The New York Times: House Democrats adopt a sharper, simpler vocabulary. CNN: Trump’s aides eye moving officials who are impeachment witnesses and detailed to the White House back to home departments. Trump has discussed potential dismissals. More in Congress: The House will vote today to keep the government funded through Dec. 20. Top appropriators are negotiating to allocate funds among 12 spending bills, aiming to strike a deal by Wednesday. The short-term measure postpones final decisions about funds for a border wall, a contentious issue many lawmakers believe will force another stopgap measure into the new year (The Hill). Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters on Monday there are “impediments” inside the spending talks and that lawmakers need a “breakthrough” on top-line spending figures (The Hill). |
| © Getty Images |
| LEADING THE DAY |
| POLITICS & CAMPAIGNS: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is trying to recapture her mojo after losing some polling steam in Iowa amid the rise of South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who sits atop recent surveys of the first-in-the-nation caucus state. As Julia Manchester reports, Warren will arrive at Wednesday’s Democratic primary debate under heavy attacks from her rivals over her “Medicare for All” plan and continued questions over her viability in a general election setting. Along with the Iowa polling slip, these areas represent a moment of concern for the campaign, which had been riding high in the primary until recently. However, it’s her health care proposal that has given her opponents an opening, which they’ve exploited in recent weeks. “I think her announcing the specifics on the health care plan hurt her, and created an opportunity for Biden, and now also Buttigieg,” said Michael Gordon, a Democratic strategist. “Arguably the best moment for Biden’s campaign thus far was when Warren released her payment plan for Medicare for All. That combined with some of the polls that showed her not doing as well as Biden against Trump in key swing states feels like some of the gas has been taken out of her campaign. With Warren’s momentum ebbing slightly, the centrist wing of the Democratic Party has found itself on the rise, headlined by Buttigieg’s newly-minted spot as the top dog in the Hawkeye State. As Niall Stanage says in his latest memo on the race, along with Buttigieg’s polling rise, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick entered the race last week, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is poised to do so in the near future. In addition, former President Obama issued a warning to his party against overestimating the American public’s appetite for sweeping change. Those developments, all coming in quick succession, have changed the mood music around a primary that had previously been dominated by Warren’s rise and questions about whether Biden’s centrist policies were out of step with the party’s progressive base. The Hill: Key Republicans say Biden can break Washington gridlock. Politico: Impeachment trial crashes into Senate’s 2020 plans. |
| © Getty Images Centrists, capitalists and 1 percenters: Warren, who made a reputation in and out of politics as a ferocious critic of large financial and tech firms, weighed in again on Monday, taking on private equity firm Blackstone for what she said was its decision to “shamelessly” profit from the financial crisis in 2008. Warren is an outspoken advocate for consumers, middle- and lower-income borrowers and families, and students who she says are undercut by corporate profiteering, excessive CEO compensation and Wall Street’s focus on satisfying stockholders and investors. The senator has been publicly critical of Facebook, Amazon, Wells Fargo and many of the Democratic-leaning financial titans who bristle at her zeal while she describes them as bad actors. Her assertion that Blackstone took advantage of real estate foreclosures to turn a profit during the financial meltdown served as a backdrop for her tenants’ rights plan, which Warren unveiled. It was the latest instance of the Democratic 2020 presidential candidate singling out Wall Street companies and investors by name for actions she says contribute to inequality (Bloomberg News). Bloomberg, recoiling at the anti-capitalist policies and rhetoric of Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), may soon enter the Democratic race in part because he’s so opposed to their approach. Patrick, a self-made millionaire and a managing director at Bain Capital, is a late entrant in the presidential race who has endorsed super PACs and has not shied from his advice to wealthy clients. Wall Street and other influential CEOs who consider themselves open to Democratic causes and candidates have made no secret of their alarm that Warren has become a top-tier presidential contender in part because of her worries about the influence of big banks and behemoth tech firms. Lloyd Blankfein, a former Goldman Sachs chief executive who is now a senior chairman, was targeted by Warren in one of her campaign ads as a CEO who “earned $70 million during the financial crisis.” Blankfein shot back, “Vilification of people as a member of a group may be good for her campaign, not the country. Maybe tribalism is just in her DNA” (Reuters). JPMorgan Chase CEO and chairman Jamie Dimon told CBS News’s “60 Minutes” that he’s not enamored with Warren’s rhetoric but doesn’t want to single her out: “Anything that vilifies people I just don’t like. I think, you know, most people are good, not all of ’em. I think you should vilify Nazis, but you shouldn’t vilify people who worked hard to accomplish things. And so my comment is, I think it’s American society — we’re just attacking each other all the time” (CBS News). Pressed to comment on his recent JPMorgan raise to $31 million, Dimon called America’s wage gap a “huge problem.” |
| IN FOCUS/SHARP TAKES |
| WHITE HOUSE & ADMINISTRATION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Monday that the United States is softening its position on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the latest administration decision that weakens Palestinian claims to achieve statehood. “Calling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law has not advanced the cause of peace,” Pompeo said. “The hard truth is that there will never be a judicial resolution to the conflict, and arguments about who is right and who is wrong as a matter of international law will not bring peace.” U.S. actions that have eroded Palestinian efforts to achieve statehood include Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the movement of the U.S. Embassy to that city and the closure of the Palestinian diplomatic office in Washington (The Associated Press). Prisoner release: Pompeo and the State Department helped facilitate the prisoner swaps completed today of American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks, who were kidnapped by the Taliban in 2016 outside the American University of Kabul, where they were instructors. They were released today after days of delay, completing an exchange with the Taliban for three rebels commandos who had been held at Bagram prison (The Washington Post). Trump and Federal Reserve: The president met at the White House on Monday with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. Trump’s frequent critiques of the central bank’s monetary choices and Powell’s leadership are well known, but the president hailed a “cordial” exchange to start the week (The Hill). Electromagnetic pulse risks: Worries about nuclear weapons zapping America’s electric grid will return to the administration’s policy fringe following recent staff turnover at the National Security Council. The utility industry has resisted hardening the grid against potential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks because of the high cost of addressing what the industry (and mainstream scientists) consider an unlikely threat (Politico). Commerce Department & tech: The Trump administration has extended for 90 more days a limited reprieve on U.S. technology sales to Huawei, the Chinese tech company blacklisted as a national security risk by the U.S. government in May. U.S. firms aren’t allowed to sell technology to Huawei without government approval. The limited reprieve renewed on Monday applies to technology sales and transfers necessary for existing networks and services to continue to operate. It was not unexpected and represents the second such extension (The Associated Press). Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to vote on proposals to halt purchases by U.S. telecom companies of Huawei equipment using the FCC’s Universal Service Fund (The Hill). |
| © Getty Images |
| OPINION |
| Political purity tests are for losers, by Jessica Tarlov, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2CYHJgg Why Democrats and Republicans should think about independents, by Shermichael Singleton, opinion contributor, The Hill. https://bit.ly/2NX5Z96 |
| WHERE AND WHEN |
| Hill.TV’s “Rising” program features Josh Orton, national policy director and senior adviser for Sanders’s campaign, to discuss immigration and Medicare for All; Peter Coffin, a YouTuber, to talk about his latest video on Sanders; and Adolph Reed Jr., professor emeritus of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and a columnist for the New Republic, to expand on his recent article on “The Myth of Class Reductionism.” 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. The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. The president holds a Cabinet meeting at 11:30 a.m. He’ll have lunch with Vice President Pence at 12:45 p.m. |
| ELSEWHERE |
| ➔ Hong Kong: About 100 defiant protesters remained today in the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which has been surrounded by police, after more than two days of violence. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s leader, said today she hoped a standoff between police and the protesters could be resolved, instructing police to respond humanely after clashes with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets. More than 200 people have been injured (The Associated Press). ➔ Planet Earth: Last month, sea ice coverage in the Arctic was the smallest ever recorded for October, a month that that proved to be exceedingly hot around the world, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported. … Elsewhere, Brazil said deforestation in the vast, irreplaceable Amazon rainforest is the worst seen in a decade (The Associated Press). |
| © Getty Images ➔ “Jeopardy!”: The popular television game show is out to settle the question once and for all: Who’s the GOAT? The question will be answered in January when the three most prolific performers in the show’s history — Brad Rutter, Ken Jennings and James Holzhauer — take part in a battle royal for the title. The first contestant to win three matches in the seven-game series will take home $1 million, while the runners-up will win $250,000. ABC will host the event, which will start on Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. Holzhauer, who put up eye-popping totals during his 32-game win streak earlier this year, won the show’s “Tournament of Champions” last week ahead of Monday’s announcement (The New York Times). |
| THE CLOSER |
| And finally … Along a quiet country road in Kansas on Sunday, authorities spied a camel, a cow and a donkey roaming happily together, reminding observers of a mid-November nativity scene. The Goddard Police Department asked the public for help to locate owners of the “three friends traveling together (towards a Northern star).” It was a message made to go viral, sparking Facebook and Twitter witticisms about three wise men, etc. Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Myers later said the animals belonged to an employee of the nearby Tanganyika Wildlife Park (closed for the season) and were headed home after a brief fling with freedom and fame (The Associated Press). |
| © Twitter 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! To view past editions of The Hill’s Morning Report CLICK HERE To receive The Hill’s Morning Report in your inbox SIGN UP HERE Morning Report Sign Up FORWARD Morning Report Privacy Policy | Manage Subscriptions | Unsubscribe Email to a friend | Sign Up for Other Newsletters The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©2019 Capitol Hill Publishing Corp., a subsidiary of News Communications, Inc. |
THE RESURGENT
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The Resurgent’s Morning Briefing for November 19,2019
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Good morning, Here is all the news conservatives need to know to start their day. 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. Courtesy Is Dead and We’ve Cursed Its Grave We have far too little of civility, respect, self-awareness, politeness, and plain old-fashioned nice in the world right now. I fear that with the rise of social media, and generations world-wide who have never known life without it, there is no going back to the days when it mattered. The post Courtesy Is Dead and We’ve Cursed Its Grave appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez Go to War Over Impeachment So apparently messaging still doesn’t seem to be the Democratic Party’s strong suit. In fact, the left seems committed to ensuring that the biggest enemy they face in convincing the public that they are honest and trustworthy is themselves. While it’s true that, like any political party, there are a wide variety of interests and […] The post Pelosi and Ocasio-Cortez Go to War Over Impeachment appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Calling Republican Women ‘Trash’ Sets Back Women’s Empowerment What happened to encouraging empowered women? This effort falls on deaf ears whenever a Republican or conservative woman dares to challenge orthodoxy or stand up to powerful Democrats like Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA). George Conway, husband to White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, stooped to a new low by calling Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) ‘trash’ in […] The post Calling Republican Women ‘Trash’ Sets Back Women’s Empowerment appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Dear Chump: Get Lost. Love, Kim President Trump’s bro-love affair with Kim Jong-un may be at an end. Intending to troll Joe Biden, Trump subtweeted at Kim, in response to North Korea calling Biden a “rabid dog.” “Joe Biden may be Sleepy and Very Slow, but he is not a ‘rabid dog,’” Trump tweeted. “He is actually somewhat better than that, […] The post Dear Chump: Get Lost. Love, Kim appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Supreme Court Puts Hold On Release Of Trump Tax Returns The law seems to be on the side of the Democrats so the legal battle may only have the effect of pushing the exposure of President Trump’s tax information closer to the election. The post Supreme Court Puts Hold On Release Of Trump Tax Returns appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Does the Chamber of Commerce have an internal conflict on USMCA? Impeachment may be dominating national news, but work aimed at making the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) law continues in Washington, DC. As much as this was supposed to be the top agenda item for the Trump administration this fall, it turns out that passage is hardly a done deal. Politico reports today that the administration is aiming […] The post Does the Chamber of Commerce have an internal conflict on USMCA? appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Impeachment Drives Wedge Between Trump And Pompeo Mike Pompeo is walking a tightrope between supporting the president and alienating the State Department. The post Impeachment Drives Wedge Between Trump And Pompeo appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Leadership Institute Turns 40 Over the weekend, Leadership Institute and its founder, Morton Blackwell, celebrated several big milestones. The educational nonprofit organization, which was founded in 1979, celebrated 40 years of success—while its news outlet, Campus Reform, celebrated its 10th anniversary, and Mr. Blackwell celebrated his 80th birthday. If you’ve worked in the conservative movement in some capacity, chances […] The post Leadership Institute Turns 40 appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Big Government is Setting Its Sights on Another Private Industry “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help,” President Reagan said in 1986. Given the rise in politicians calling for bigger government, it’s worth revisiting Reagan’s iconic line that expresses our nation’s unique principles of limited government and free enterprise. These foundational values, however, […] The post Big Government is Setting Its Sights on Another Private Industry appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » LIVE: The Erick Erickson Show – Nikki Haley, Alt-Right, and What Happened In Louisiana The Erick Erickson Show is live! Here’s the plan for today: Hour 1 Nikki Haley Event Friendship Time at UN Time with President 2024 The Alt-Right The Alt-Right Louisiana takeaways Yes Trump is an issue No he’s not the only issue Candidates matter Messages matter Can’t make it just about the Democrats Ford v Ferrari […] The post LIVE: The Erick Erickson Show – Nikki Haley, Alt-Right, and What Happened In Louisiana appeared first on The Resurgent. Read in browser » Recent Items: Remember, 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 Erickson THE RESURGENT Facebook Twitter Instagram Copyright © 2019 The Resurgent Media Group, LLC, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences |
POLITICO PLAYBOOK
POLITICO Playbook: What Republicans and Democrats are planning for today’s impeachment hearings
By JAKE SHERMAN and ANNA PALMER
11/19/2019 05:56 AM EST
Presented by Amazon
DRIVING THE DAY
HAPPY TUESDAY. IN A FEW HOURS, at 9 a.m., the House Intelligence Committee will gavel in for what’s expected to be a marathon, exceedingly long day of testimony in the House’s impeachment inquiry.
HERE’S THE DANCE CARD: Mike Pence aide JENNIFER WILLIAMS — a State Department detailee — and Lt. Col. ALEXANDER VINDMAN in the morning session, and KURT VOLKER and TIM MORRISON in the afternoon session.
AND HERE’S WHAT BOTH PARTIES ARE THINKING GOING INTO TODAY:
REPUBLICANS tell us they believe DEMOCRATS have a big structural advantage: They have their best two witnesses early in the day in WILLIAMS and VINDMAN.
THE REPUBLICAN STRATEGY is to try to discredit VINDMAN. GOP lawmakers will seek to use other people’s criticisms about the NSC’s top Ukraine aide against him. For example, Sen. RON JOHNSON (R-Wis.) speculated that it was “entirely possible” Vindman was among those who never accepted DONALD TRUMP as a legitimate president. There have been criticisms of VINDMAN from other officials as well, which Republicans are going to try to use to paint the Army officer as someone who couldn’t accept the mission he was given in the Trump administration. WaPo on Vindman’s appearance
WILLIAMS, the State Department employee detailed to PENCE’S staff, will be quizzed about why the VP did not go to Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY’S inauguration.
DEMOCRATS see the potential for bombshell after bombshell all day. WILLIAMS, VINDMAN and MORRISON all have firsthand knowledge of the famous phone call between TRUMP and ZELENSKY — potentially robbing Republicans of their line that no one testifying has any direct knowledge of the president’s tone and demeanor.
AND IN VOLKER, Democrats think they have someone who straddled and had knowledge of two crucial worlds: the State Department and Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s attorney. Although Volker was called as a witness by Republicans, Democrats believe he has spent enough time with Giuliani that he can speak to some of his inner workings — and the mindset of GORDON SONDLAND, who will headline another massive day of hearings tomorrow.
— NYT: “Ex-Envoy to Testify He Didn’t Know Ukraine Aid Was Tied to Investigations,” by Peter Baker, Catie Edmondson and Nick Fandos: “Kurt D. Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, plans to tell lawmakers on Tuesday that he was out of the loop at key moments during President Trump’s pressure campaign on Ukraine to turn up damaging information about Democrats, according to an account of his prepared testimony. …
“[M]r. Volker will say that he did not realize that others working for Mr. Trump were tying American security aid to a commitment to investigate Democrats. His testimony, summarized by a person informed about it who insisted on anonymity to describe it in advance, will seek to reconcile his previous closed-door description of events with conflicting versions offered subsequently by other witnesses. …
“He also will address his past statement that he was not aware of any effort to urge Ukraine to investigate Mr. Biden specifically, even though others have testified that Mr. Volker was part of conversations involving Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company that had been investigated for corruption and that put Hunter Biden, the former vice president’s son, on its board.
“Mr. Volker plans to tell lawmakers that while others interpreted any mention of Burisma to be synonymous with the Bidens, he did not make that assumption, perhaps because he was more steeped in Ukraine and the company’s role there, not focused on domestic American politics.” NYT
THE BIG CURTAIN-RAISER … KYLE CHENEY, ANDREW DESIDERIO and MEL ZANONA: “Trump’s Ukraine call gets scrutiny with White House officials’ testimony”: “The testimony of Vindman, the top Ukraine specialist on the National Security Council, and Williams, an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence on Russia and Europe, brings the inquiry closer to Trump than ever before — arming Democrats with firsthand accounts of Trump’s posture toward Ukraine amid criticism from Republicans that last week’s witnesses offered only ‘hearsay.’
“Both officials also offer high-level insight into the confusion and alarm that followed Trump’s abrupt decision to freeze U.S. military aid to Ukraine, a key U.S. ally fending off Russian aggression.”
NEWLY RELEASED TESTIMONY …
— WAPO: “Impeachment witness says Ukraine ‘gradually came to understand’ Trump’s desired investigation was tied to aid, meeting,” by Matt Zapotosky, Karoun Demirjian, Ellen Nakashima and Elise Viebeck: “A counselor in the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine told lawmakers last week that he was shocked to overhear a phone call in which a top diplomat assured President Trump that Ukrainian officials would pursue an investigation of interest to the U.S. commander in chief — a probe that the diplomat later suggested was of former vice president Joe Biden, Trump’s political rival.
“The counselor, David Holmes, also testified that the Ukrainians ‘gradually came to understand that they were being asked to do something in exchange’ for a White House meeting or military aid, which was held back as the president and his allies pressed for the Biden investigation, according to a transcript of his testimony released Monday.” WaPo
— “Russia could have monitored Trump’s call with Sondland, State Dept. official testified,” by Kyle Cheney and Rishika Dugyala … Transcript
ANOTHER PIECE OF IMPEACHMENT NEWS … DEMS NOT BIG INTO TRUMP TESTIFYING … A Democratic aide working on impeachment threw cold water on allowing TRUMP to answer questions as part of the probe. If the president were serious, the aide said, he would be allowing his aides to participate and testify. “We’re just not going to play that game,” the aide said.
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TIMELINE NEWS … REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-Md.) told KATY TUR on MSNBC on Monday afternoon that House Judiciary will pick up impeachment after Thanksgiving. “At that point, the Judiciary Committee is going to meet. We will meet and try to synthesize all of the facts that have come in to us and put it into some kind of reasonable order.” He said he’d like to see this wrapped up before the end of the year.
SENATE TIMELINE NEWS, FROM BURGESS EVERETT … “If you think President Donald Trump’s impeachment is messy now, just wait until next year. The Senate is increasingly likely to hold Trump’s trial in January, according to senators and aides, a reflection of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s uncertain timeline in the House and the dismal prospects for finishing an impeachment trial in December.
“And pushing the trial into 2020 will bring uncertain fallout for both parties, heightening the intrigue of what will already be historic proceedings on the second floor of the Capitol.
“A half-dozen Democratic senators running for president will be anchored in Washington at the climax of early state campaigning, further marrying Democratic primary politics to the effort to oust Trump. These senators will need to find ways to break through both nationally and in Iowa and New Hampshire, but rather than house parties and cattle calls, impeachment will now be the forum — not an easy task.
“Republicans are rejoicing at the prospect of the trial disrupting Democrats’ presidential primary. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) literally danced a jig while singing: ‘Pete Buttigieg, is moving ahead!’ ‘It would be horrible,’ Ernst deadpanned on Monday. Elizabeth ‘Warren and Bernie Sanders will be here right before the Iowa caucuses. [Iowans] expect to reach out and shake their hands. And they will be here sitting at their desks. I feel so badly for them.’
“Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who has endorsed Warren, retorted: ‘I don’t even think kryptonite can hurt Elizabeth Warren.’ Meanwhile, Republican senators will be in the opening of their own primary season for their reelection campaigns, in which special attention will be placed on their fealty to Trump and any whiff of independence during the trial.” POLITICO
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ON TRUMP’S NEW GOP STAR, ELISE STEFANIK …
— ANNA GRONEWALD and NICK NIEDZWIADEK in Albany: “Spotlight on Stefanik catapults quiet 2020 race onto national stage”: “But the moment on Friday also attracted the laser focus of Democrats and high-profile supporters to Stefanik’s historically Republican congressional district in upstate New York. … [C]elebrities like Zach Braff, Mark Hamill and model-activist-chef Chrissy Teigen encouraged their millions of social media followers to support [Democrat Tedra] Cobb’s campaign.
“Cobb announced Sunday on Twitter that she raised $1 million in a three-day stretch following the skirmish, after which she took a snow blower to her driveway in the frigid North Country. She brought in just over $1.5 million total in her unsuccessful 2018 campaign.” POLITICO
— NYT’S JESSE MCKINLEY in Albany: “Mark E. Frost, the publisher and editor of the Glens Falls Chronicle, a free weekly, said he didn’t believe that the impeachment hearings had ‘changed many minds in northern New York, at least among the people I talk to and hear from.’ But while he said Ms. Stefanik ‘remains on solid footing with most voters’ in the district, the current political climate made the 2020 race hard to handicap. ‘By next year or next week, who knows?’ Mr. Frost said. ‘Political earthquakes hit faster and bigger all the time. Maybe Stefanik’s role in the impeachment hearing has or will set another one in motion.’” NYT
THE BIG PICTURE … NATASHA BERTRAND: “Impeachment probe deepens a Trump team divide”: “The House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry has ripped open a rift running through Donald Trump’s three-year tenure as president: the divide between his political hires and the professional class of officials who make up the vast majority of the federal bureaucracy.
“Several times, the president has blasted those supplying some of the most damning testimony as ‘Never Trumpers’ — never mind that there’s scant evidence any of them have expressed political views.
“The bulk of more than 100 hours and 3,500 pages of testimony,
along with emails, text messages and the president’s own words and
those of his chief of staff, thus far has indicated that Trump indeed
withheld a White House visit, and then military aid, in exchange for a
commitment by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announce an
investigation of his
political foes.
“But Republicans have seized on the observations and recollections of others aligned with Trump as evidence that the Democrats leading the impeachment probe are exaggerating or misrepresenting the facts. As Democrats move the impeachment probe from fact-finding into the public persuasion phase, determining who is right about certain key episodes will be at the heart of the debate—especially as the president and his allies continue to argue there was no quid pro quo in his diplomacy toward Ukraine.”
BREAKING OVERNIGHT … NYT: “Two Western Hostages Are Freed in Afghanistan in Deal With Taliban,” by David Zucchino in Kabul and Adam Goldman: “The Taliban freed two Westerners they had held for more than three years on Tuesday, in exchange for the release of three senior insurgent leaders, officials said, in a deal that officials hoped could pave the way for Afghan peace talks with the Taliban.
“The Westerners were released to American forces by the Taliban, and included an American, Kevin C. King, 63, and an Australian, Timothy J. Weeks, 50, teachers at the American University in Kabul who were abducted in 2016. The key figure being returned to the Taliban is Anas Haqqani, the younger brother of the Taliban’s military operations leader and a leading fund-raiser and propagandist before he was captured in 2014.
“The exchange was brokered, in part, by the American peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, who had earlier negotiated a tentative agreement with the Taliban that would have included terms of an American troop withdrawal. But those talks were abruptly aborted by President Trump in September.”
THE PRESIDENT’S PHYSICIAN said Trump’s visit to Walter Reed was, indeed, for a physical. Matthew Choi on the memo… WH doctor Sean Conley’s memo
USMCA UPDATE … SARAH FERRIS and HEATHER CAYGLE: “Pelosi works to placate anxious Dems with Trumka meeting”: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her top deputies are working to ease long-simmering anxiety among battleground freshmen, which has intensified amid fears that impeachment could creep into 2020 and make many of them one-term members.
“Pelosi will bring in AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Tuesday to speak with freshmen Democrats, many of whom have been privately demanding quicker action on President Donald Trump’s trade deal, according to multiple people familiar with the meeting.
“The private huddle with the labor leader — at a make-or-break moment for the USMCA trade deal — is an attempt to calm concerns of swing-district Democrats who fear their agenda isn’t breaking through with the public and are increasingly frustrated by policy stalemates in Washington.
“And senior Democrats are also privately assuring moderates that they hope to wrap up their impeachment probe by Christmas, despite Pelosi saying over the weekend she has ‘no idea’ if the House will finish its inquiry by the end of the year.
“‘Lots of people of anxious, wanting to know where things are,’ said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), a Pelosi ally and member of the tight-lipped trade working group negotiating with the administration. ‘It’s good to impart to them what we’ve done, what we’ve been working on for the last several months … It’s great for them to hear from Rich Trumka about what are the issues that are unresolved.’” POLITICO
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— DAVID SIDERS: “Democratic presidential field goes dark on impeachment”: “It’s not that they don’t have strong opinions on the matter. When asked, the candidates nearly unanimously offer full-throated support to the impeachment effort. Rather, the turn away from impeachment reflects a simple calculus. For all the politicization of the issue, it’s of limited utility as a battering ram in a primary where most everyone — including the grassroots, party leaders and the candidates — is in agreement on the impropriety of the president’s actions.” POLITICO
— WAPO’S JENNA JOHNSON in Norcross, Ga.: “In Georgia, Democrats find turning the state blue is easier to predict than pull off”: “Democrats see growing and diversifying suburban counties like Gwinnett, northeast of Atlanta, as their pathway to winning statewide, a potential shift largely driven by the tens of thousands who move to the Atlanta area each year from other states and countries.
“Over the past 30 years, Gwinnett County has undergone a rapid and dramatic transformation from a sleepy bedroom community that was overwhelmingly white and conservative to a bustling and diverse county that has the second-largest population in the state.” WaPo
THE PRESIDENT’S TUESDAY … TRUMP will hold a Cabinet meeting at 11:30 a.m., and then will have lunch with the vice president at 12:45 p.m.
PLAYBOOK READS
NEW TODAY … WSJ: “U.S. Fails to Counter Chinese Efforts to Recruit Scientists, Acquire Research, Senate Report Says,” by Kate O’Keeffe and Aruna Viswanatha
BIG READ … SUSAN DOMINUS in NYT MAGAZINE: “Congratulations, You’re a Congresswoman. Now What?: Ayanna Pressley and Abigail Spanberger were part of a wave of Democrats who took office this year full of hope. Maintaining it has not been easy.”
REX TILLERSON SPEAKS: “If you’re seeking some kind of personal gain and you’re using — whether it’s American foreign aid or American weapons or American influence — that’s wrong. And I think everyone understands that.” PBS
ACROSS THE POND … HAPPENING TODAY … CHARLIE COOPER: “The two party leaders with a realistic chance of emerging from this election as prime minister go head-to-head in 13 hours’ time in Salford, in the first such one-on-one TV debate in British electoral history. Broadcast live on ITV and hosted by Julie Etchingham, the one-hour debate kicks off at 8 p.m. tonight.” More from London Playbook
CULTURE WARS — “Chick-fil-A Revises Giving Policy After Antigay Outcry,” by WSJ’s Heather Haddon: “Chick-fil-A Inc. said it would limit its focus on charitable giving starting next year to education, homelessness and hunger, following criticism of donations to groups that had a history of opposing same-sex marriage or were criticized as antigay for other reasons.
“Liberal groups and some customers have criticized past statements by Chief Executive Dan Cathy and donations by Chick-fil-A’s charitable foundation that they said were discriminatory to gay people. Mr. Cathy said in 2012 that supporting same-sex marriage was ‘inviting God’s judgment.’
“The Atlanta-based restaurant chain on Monday said it would make donations annually rather than for multiple years and focus on a narrower list of philanthropic priorities. The company didn’t say that it was responding to the antigay criticism in making the changes. A chain spokeswoman declined to elaborate on the shift.” WSJ
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BOOKER OUT — “Republicans losing key Democratic defenders of bipartisan ‘opportunity zones,’” by McClatchy’s Emma Dumain: “Bipartisan support for ‘opportunity zones’ is starting to fracture amid reports that the program is being abused.
“Congressional Republicans and the White House have lost the unequivocal support of Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who was perhaps until this point the most unapologetic Democratic defender of the besieged program the GOP wants to promote ahead of the 2020 elections.
“A presidential candidate and the lead Democratic sponsor of the original opportunity zones legislation in Congress, Booker signed onto a letter released Monday calling for reforms to the program, which provides tax incentives to anyone making a long-term investment in certain, economically ravaged areas.” McClatchy
MEDIAWATCH — “Jimmy Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill, has flown under the radar. But he’s played a key role in the Ukraine scandal,” by CNN’s Oliver Darcy and Brian Stelter: “James ‘Jimmy’ Finkelstein, the owner of The Hill newspaper, is not a widely known media executive, but he is one of the era’s most consequential.
“Finkelstein resides at the nexus of President Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and John Solomon, the now-former executive at The Hill and current Fox News contributor who pushed conspiracy theories about Ukraine into the public conversation.
“While Solomon has received significant media attention for his work at The Hill, Finkelstein has stayed out of the headlines, despite having himself played a crucial role in the saga.
“Beyond his relationship with Solomon, Trump, and Giuliani, Finkelstein was Solomon’s direct supervisor at The Hill and created the conditions which permitted Solomon to publish his conspiratorial stories without the traditional oversight implemented at news outlets. And he has kept a watchful eye on the newspaper’s coverage to ensure it is not too critical of the president.” CNN
— MEGYN KELLY sat down with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to talk about his criticism of ABC: YouTube
— Lara Logan is joining Fox Nation for a docuseries, “No Agenda with Lara Logan,” that will debut in January with four four-part installments focused on media bias, immigration, socialism and veterans. She most recently was at Sinclair and was a longtime CBS correspondent.
— HOW MANY PEOPLE are watching the impeachment hearings? According to Deadline, the first day of last week’s open testimony was watched by 13.1 million viewers, and Friday’s session by 12.7 million across the networks and cable.
PLAYBOOKERS
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.
SPOTTED: Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) jumping out of a cab on the way into New York’s Penn Station … Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) on a United flight from Las Vegas to Dulles. … Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) at Mai Thai in Georgetown on Monday night. Pic
TRANSITION — J.P. Freire will be director of communications for House Ways and Means GOP and ranking member Kevin Brady of Texas. He previously was comms director for the Joint Economic Committee. Announcement
WEDDINGS — Meghan Patenaude, senior policy adviser at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Zach Bauer, special assistant to VP Mike Pence, got married Saturday at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, with a reception at the Trump International Hotel. … SPOTTED: Pence and Karen Pence, Elizabeth Dole, Eliot Abrams, Tom Bossert, Karen Dunn Kelly, Pam Patenaude, John Pence, Josh Pitcock, Jarrod Agen, Jen Pavlik, Rebeccah Propp, Stephen Ford and FHFA Director Mark Calabria. Pic… Another pic
— Siraj Hashmi, commentary video editor and writer at the Washington Examiner, and Emily Newman, an attorney and policy adviser in the White House, got married Nov. 10 at the Trump International Hotel. They met at Dickinson College in 2006. Pic … Another pic
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Brad Bauman, managing partner and CEO of Fireside Campaigns,is 41. How he’s celebrating: “My fiancee, Autumn Campbell, and best friend, Sam Nitz, put together a cool Japanese cooking course for 10 friends. Looking forward to making people slightly uncomfortable with my combination of terrible knife skills and super-sharp carbon steel chef’s knife.” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is 43 … DOJ’s Matt Lloyd … Ann Curry … Meghan Burris, special assistant to the president and director of media affairs … Larry King is 86 … Ted Turner is 81 … Matt Viser, WaPo national political reporter, is 4-0 … Time’s Sam Jacobs … Justin Hamilton … WaPo’s Dana Hedgpeth … DHS’ Jeff Mitchell … Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is 65 … Robert Marcus, COS to Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), is 4-0 (and not happy about it) … Annie Tomasini … former Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is 8-0 … Barb Leach (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Tommy Thompson, former HHS secretary and Wisconsin governor, is 78 … Michael Dale-Stein … former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell is 57 … former Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is 72 … former Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) is 77 … former Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) is 6-0 … Ashton Adams … Alli Papa (h/t fiance Tyler Houlton) …
… Time’s Vera Bergengruen … Breelyn Pete … Maya Hixson, deputy director of battleground state communications at the DNC (h/t Alex Floyd) … CNN’s Emily Kohlman … Danish PM Mette Frederiksen … Nicole Isaac … Emerson Sprick … Adriana Guzman … Scott Garlick … Kivvit’s Sarah Hamilton … Jason Dumont … John Axelrod … NBC’s Lauren McCulloch … Dena Iverson … Chris Harlow … Eric Finkbeiner … Mike Deutsch … Matt Allen … Beth Mickelberg … Patrick K. O’Donnell … Andrew Sollinger, publisher of Foreign Policy … Cait Graf, VP of communications at The Nation … Bloomberg’s Ivan Levingston … Alexander Heffner is 3-0 … Ellen Silva of NPR … Shelley Hearne (h/ts Jon Haber) … Geoff Sokolowski is 3-0 … Neil Bjorkman … Hannah McLeod … Michael Reynold … Mary Kay Mantho … Ivette Diaz … David O’Boyle … Ricky Wilson, assistant director of security for the House of Representatives
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Tuesday, November 19, 2019 Xinjiang Abuses Exposed Last Saturday, The New York Times released “more than 400 pages of internal Chinese documents [that] provide an unprecedented inside look at the crackdown on ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang region.” New York Times Both sides condemn China and call for a forceful response: “The echo of ‘1984,’ ‘Brave New World’ or ‘Fahrenheit 451’ is unmistakable. But this is not dystopian fiction… The existence of these re-education camps has been known for some time, but nothing before had offered so lucid a glimpse into the thinking of China’s bosses under the fist of Mr. Xi, from the obsessive determination to stamp out the ‘virus’ of unauthorized thought to cynical preparations for the pushback to come, including how to deal with questions from students returning to empty homes and untended farms… “The Chinese government made no effort to deny the leaked documents, but rather portrayed the crackdown in Xinjiang as a major success against terrorism and accused The Times of smearing China’s ‘antiterrorism and de-extremism capabilities.’ What the documents really reveal is not an effective antiterrorism campaign, but rather the paranoia of totalitarian leaders who demand total fealty in thought and deed and recognize no method of control other than coercion and fear… [The whistleblower’s] brave action is a cry to the world. International outrage could turn that into a wake-up call for China’s leaders, despite their totalitarian swagger, if the world begins to see them as pariahs, not just trading partners. The whistle-blower, and the untold thousands of Chinese Muslims suffering under the yoke of Mr. Xi, deserve that.” Editorial Board, New York Times “Mr. Xi has tried to consolidate his power and build a cult of personality, and his repression of the Uighurs fits that pattern. But the leaked documents suggest there is internal dissent in Beijing’s corridors of power that could grow and challenge Mr. Xi if his Uighur repression begins to carry international costs. The same applies to a crackdown in Hong Kong. So far, however, the West has been largely silent, and Muslim countries are worse. A good start would be to put Xinjiang and Hong Kong on the public agenda of all world forums involving Chinese leaders. China will try to intimidate into silence countries that depend on its money and trade, but that’s no excuse for Western leaders, the World Bank or United Nations… Chinese leaders care about world opinion, and they need to hear that the world will not ignore their abuses against the Uighurs.” Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal “China’s Communists would repress its people regardless of what we do, but our open and extensive economic ties finance the regime’s power… We had hoped the regime would liberalize once it saw how rich it could become by becoming more Western. Instead, open economic ties enrich its economy while Western governments turn a blind eye to the terrors the government perpetuates. Carrots have not worked. If we want China to liberalize, and if we want to reduce its potential threat to our way of life, we need to start looking at using sticks… “China’s government needs rapid economic growth to further its power and ambitions. Its people have become used to capitalist comforts. Any slowing of that growth would raise the potential for discontent and unrest among the Chinese themselves. It should be U.S. policy to slow that growth and thereby force the Chinese government to choose between freedom and repression, between guns and butter.” Henry Olsen, Washington Post Dated but relevant: “The UN committee on the elimination of racial discrimination has called Xinjiang a ‘no rights zone’ amid the mass detention of several million ethnic and religious minorities… Many foreign companies appear to be benefiting from this. By one estimate nearly half of Europe’s 150 largest companies have some presence in Xinjiang. The region accounts for 84% of Chinese cotton production, as pointed out in a recent CSIS study. China is the world’s largest cotton exporter, accounting for 26% of global exports… “The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights calls on businesses to prevent and mitigate the actual and potential human rights abuses associated with their business practices. Because of the potential for gross human rights abuses of doing business in Xinjiang, all foreign companies there should end their business partnerships… It is time for a global blacklist on all goods produced or manufactured in Xinjiang.” Michael Caster, The Guardian Other opinions below. From the Left “The global response to the detention of up to 1 million people in concentration camps on the basis of religion, a systematic attempt to wipe out a cultural identity that verges on cultural genocide… feels fairly muted. Few companies or organizations are boycotting China. In two years, the Beijing winter Olympics are likely to go off without a hitch. The U.S. response is undermined by the fact that the officials drawing attention to the camps do not include President Donald Trump, who for all his criticism of China rarely discusses human rights… “This is more than just a China problem… President Bashar al-Assad now appears virtually guaranteed to remain in power in Syria. India has faced little pressure over its crackdown in Kashmir. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are being urged by local authorities to repatriate back to Myanmar, where they face grisly violence that spurred them to leave in the first place… If other governments in the future are tempted to use mass violence against civilians or ethnic cleansing as a means to combat terrorism or extremism, there’s no reason to believe they’ll face serious condemnation, much less serious consequences.” Joshua Keating, Slate Dated but relevant: “The sexual violence against and forced sterilization of Uighur women and removal of Uighur children constitute crimes against humanity. So why isn’t the international community taking a stand?… Even if the camps are disbanded, China’s gendered policies would remain. In addition to demanding that the Chinese government close the internment camps, the U.S. government — and the rest of the world — must insist that the government end the abuse of Uighur women as well.” Elizabeth M. Lynch, Washington Post From the Right “Why is this not the biggest story in the world now? Why are the Muslim countries — the Arab ones, as well as Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Indonesia — so silent about it? Is it because of that sweet, sweet Beijing cash? Or do they just not care?… No one can plausibly begrudge Beijing its desire to stop Islamic extremism. But the Chinese Communists are eradicating an ancient culture and a religion from the face of the earth in Xinjiang province. And the world just stands by watching, because China is rich and powerful enough to get away with it.” Rod Dreher, The American Conservative “The leak of the papers shows there is at least some resistance inside China to what is being done to Muslims in Xinjiang, but I suspect there is a mole hunt taking place today to root out and punish whoever leaked this. For that person’s sake, I hope they covered their tracks well… “It’s hard to overstate what a nightmare this must be for the people on the receiving end and their families, but also for some of the people tasked with administering this program. I doubt the people doing the ‘teaching’ in these camps want to be doing it either but they have no say. There is no room in a one-party system for differences of opinion once the leader has spoken. Finally, it needs to be said that this is what it looks like when the left goes too far. This is the leftist project come to complete fruition: The collective good (as determined by the party) taking precedence over the rights of every individual. And it’s not some fringe system happening in a small corner of the world, it’s the system currently running the world’s most populous country with more than four times the population of the United States.” John Sexton, Hot Air On the bright side… Twinkies Cereal will hit Walmart shelves nationwide in late December, giving fans “a delicious new way to enjoy the snack we all know and love in cereal form.” Fox News Our volunteer 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! Share Tweet Forward Sign Up Here Copyright © 2019 The Flip Side, All rights reserved. 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THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING MIX
| Sign up for this newsletter Read online The morning’s most important stories, curated by Post editors. (AP) Ukrainians ‘came to understand’ what Trump wanted, State Dept. aide testifies David Holmes also told lawmakers last week that he was shocked to overhear a phone call in which a top diplomat assured President Trump that Ukrainian officials would pursue a probe of interest to him. Impeachment Inquiry ● By Matt Zapotosky, Karoun Demirjian, Ellen Nakashima and Elise Viebeck ● Read more » Lt. Col. Vindman to describe his alarm over Trump’s call with Ukrainian leader, girding for Republican attack GOP lawmakers are seizing on the National Security Council official’s testimony, signaling that they may try to discredit him by questioning his motives and his loyalty to the president. Impeachment Inquiry ● By Tom Hamburger, Carol Leonnig and Rachael Bade ● Read more » Attacking witnesses is Trump’s core impeachment defense strategy Republican Sen. Ron Johnson prominently embraced the tactic Monday when he suggested Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman may be a member of the so-called deep state. Impeachment Inquiry ● By Elise Viebeck and Isaac Stanley-Becker ● Read more » Taliban frees American, Australian professors as part of prisoner swap Three Taliban militants were flown to Qatar as part of the exchange, which had been delayed for days. It is intended to be a goodwill gesture to help restart peace talks between the Taliban and the United States. By Sayed Salahuddin and Sharif Hassan ● Read more » In Philippine red-light district, an uphill battle against trafficking and abuses Hundreds of young girls are supplied each year in Angeles City, where “sex tourism” flourishes to meet the demands of foreign men even as Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wages a brutal war on drugs. By Corinne Redfern, The Fuller Project ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT Georgia Democrats find turning the state blue is easier to predict than to pull off An influx of new residents has boosted Democratic chances of taking over the state — if they can be registered and turned out against the Republican machine. By Jenna Johnson ● Read more » Opinions The federal government threw up its hands on Bijan Ghaisar. Virginia can do better. By Editorial Board ● Read more » Trump-friendly judges run out the clock on impeachment Impeachment Diary ● By Dana Milbank ● Read more » Republicans are pushing the U.S. to accept quid pro quo as the new normal By Robert Kagan ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT Trump and Republicans are on the hunt for Real Crimes By Catherine Rampell ● Read more » If Democrats are not true to their history, they could squander a rare opportunity By Rahm Emanuel ● Read more » The most alarming part of Barr’s speech was its angrily partisan tone By Ruth Marcus ● Read more » More News U.S. says Israeli settlements in West Bank do not violate international law Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration — as it did with recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital — had simply “recognized the reality on the ground.” By Karen DeYoung, Steve Hendrix and John Hudson ● Read more » Trump’s health under scrutiny again after unplanned visit to Walter Reed President Trump remained out of the public eye Monday amid renewed questions about the status of his health and the White House’s handling of his medical information. By Toluse Olorunnipa and Amy Gardner ● Read more » China slams Hong Kong judges after mask ruling, raising pressure on city’s freedoms The comments by Beijing’s Hong Kong affairs office could exacerbate clashes after days of violent standoffs between riot police and pro-democracy demonstrators on university campuses. By Gerry Shih, Tiffany Liang and David Crawshaw ● Read more » North Korea snubs Trump, saying he hasn’t earned a new summit to ‘brag about’ President Trump seeks a third full summit with Kim Jong Un as the clock winds down on a first-term diplomatic victory. By Anne Gearan ● Read more » The Trump appointee accused of inflating her résumé and faking a Time cover has resigned Mina Chang defended herself and criticized the “toxic environment” at the State Department. By Reis Thebault ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletter Check out By The Way for tips and guides that will help you travel better and make you feel like a local wherever you go. Delivered every Thursday. Sign up » |
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THE WASHINGTON TIMES
| Tuesday, November 19, 2019 |
| Democrats seek elusive game changer to sway public on impeachment House Democrats will use a marathon of impeachment hearings this week to inch allegations of bribery closer to President Trump, … more |
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ROLL CALL
Morning Headlines
Stefanik seizes the spotlight at Trump impeachment proceedings
Throughout the first two open hearings of the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Rep. Elise Stefanik has emerged as one of his chief defenders. It’s an abrupt change for a lawmaker who opposed top Trump priorities and supported the special counsel probe into Russian interference in the 2016 elections. Read More…
In run-up to crucial impeachment hearings, president hits a rough patch
An embattled Donald Trump enters one of the most consequential weeks of his presidency on defense, reeling from self-inflicted wounds, political setbacks and a surprise hospital visit that the White House is struggling to explain. Read More…
House Democrats weigh seniority and gender politics in panel leadership vote
House Democrats will confront longtime divisions over gender politics and how much weight to give seniority when they hold a secret vote Wednesday to select a permanent leader for the Oversight and Reform Committee, which is investigating possible ethical violations in President Donald Trump’s administration. Read More…Click here to subscribe to Fintech Beat for the latest market and regulatory developments in finance and financial technology.
The befuddling Democratic presidential race
OPINION — The apparent collapse of California Sen. Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, combined with the complete flameout of Beto O’Rourke, serves as a reminder of the folly of the political prediction game. Read More…
BELLSAINT and ‘Much Like My Father’ — A Louie Gohmert story
Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert has three daughters. Caroline, the middle child, is a musician who lives in California under the artist name BELLSAINT. And her latest single is called “Much Like My Father.” Read More…
Christians turn to artificial intelligence to stop porn use
Evangelical groups are turning to artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to help their members fight addiction to online pornography in a budding industry that one scholar calls an emerging “purity-industrial complex.” Read More…
Banks see Fed payments proposal opening door to fintech rivals
A plan by the Federal Reserve to build its own network to transfer funds quickly has pitted technology firms seeking a foothold in the financial sector against banks that have traditionally dominated the payments business. Read More…
Payment to Cummings’ widow continues long-standing tradition
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, the widow of the late Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, will receive a $174,000 payment as part of a continuing resolution expected to keep the government open through Dec. 20. The gratuity is usually included in the next appropriations bill after a lawmaker’s death and is paid to the next of kin in the amount of one year’s compensation. Read More…
Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Sheila Jackson Lee were front row at Kanye West’s ‘Sunday Service’
Who says bipartisanship doesn’t exist? Texas Reps. Dan Crenshaw and Sheila Jackson Lee proved us wrong at Kanye West’s highly talked-about Sunday Service at Lakewood Church in Houston, per Crenshaw’s Instagram. Read More…
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| Daily Briefing Conservative News | Libertarian News | Commentary VISIT LibertyNation.com FROM OUR NEWSROOM Tuned Out: Impeachment Circus a Ratings Dud By Leesa K. Donner Should Dems heed the numbers and cancel the show? Click Here What America’s Thinking 45% still believe the president will be re-elected in 2020, basically unchanged in surveys over the past year. Only 26% say Trump will be defeated by the Democratic nominee, but this finding has been trending down from 33%. President Trump starts the week with a 50% job approval rating. 44% of all American Adults believe the job market is better than it was a year ago. SAY WHAT? Just Whose Foreign Policy Is This? By Tim Donner Diplomatic establishment tussles with Trump over conduct of foreign policy. Click Here Washington Whispers Coming down the pipeline: The Supreme Court has issued a temporary stay of an appeals court ruling that granted House Democrats access to President Trump’s financial records. Two correctional officers who were guarding Jeffrey Epstein when he died are set to face criminal charges this week. California will stop buying vehicles from automakers that backed President Trump. Hundreds of people turned out to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming. Liberty Nation GenZ By Liberty Nation Staff Click Here Your Daily Political Devotional A Glimpse at What’s Hot in the PolitisphereAs the next round of impeachment testimonies is due to begin, Democrats have released yet more transcripts of closed-door sessions. But what’s behind this manufactured pre-amble? With impeachment inquiry ratings at a stunning low point, could it be that House members are attempting to excite interest in proceedings that the American public would rather be finished? Democrats Stage Frantic Week of Hearings to Make Impeachment Case By Graham J Noble Eight serving or former government officials will testify over three days as Dems make a final push for impeachment Click Here News Roundup We’ve Surfed The Web for You Joe Biden Shies Away From Endorsing Federal Marijuana Legalization SESSEGNON: Warren’s ‘Wealth Tax’ Is Bad, But Her ‘Exit Tax’ Is An Authoritarian Nightmare He Who Denied It: Eric Swalwell Denies Emitting Massive Fart on MSNBC DOJ outlines slew of Strzok ‘security violations,’ says wife learned of affair through unsecured phone White House Official Sues Politico For $25 Million Over Ukraine Story Political Horse Race: Trump Odds Full Steam Ahead By Mark Angelides Despite the impeachment inquiry, Trump leaves the field behind. Click Here WATCH NOW FEATURED LNTV LNTV: Are Your Savings Safe? – WATCH NOW! LNTV – Impeachment Facts- WATCH NOW! LNTV: Did Bloomberg Blow Betting Odds? – WATCH NOW The Uprising: I Heard It Through the Grapevine Check out one of our podcasts! Subscribe and get notified of new arrivals. SUBSCRIBE LNTV: New Car Stop Rules for Police? Supreme Court Challenge – WATCH NOW! Check out one of our videos! View the latest Liberty Nation videos on YouTube. WATCH NOW |
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AXIOS
By Mike Allen
🍖 Texas readers: You’re invited! I hope you’ll join me tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8 a.m. in downtown Dallas for conversations about “The state of the American city,” with a focus on veterans in the workforce.
Maybe I’ll see you tonight for BBQ at Mariano’s Hacienda, home of “The World’s First Frozen Margarita Machine.”
1 big thing: Trump Inc. leaks on itself
As televised impeachment hearings roll into Week 2, one surprise has been how many of the Trump team’s wounds have been self-inflicted, because of his allies’ curious habit of leaking on themselves.
- Why it matters: The leaks and revelations have thrown President Trump into a constant state of defensiveness, and turned a growing number of Republicans into frustrated, sometimes bewildered, defenders.
A key part of this week’s drama is likely to center on an overheard phone call from Trump to European Union Ambassador Gordon Sondland, who’s scheduled to testify on Wednesday morning.
- David Holmes, political counsel at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, told Congress: “While Ambassador Sondland’s phone was not on speakerphone, I could hear the president’s voice through the earpiece of the phone. The president’s voice was very loud and recognizable, and Ambassador Sondland held the phone away from his ear for a period of time, presumably because of the loud volume.”
But there have been weeks of this:
- Rudy Giuliani, at the center of the Ukraine interference, butt-dialed an NBC reporter, and was “heard discussing need for cash and trashing Bidens.” Reporters took to Twitter and recounted their own Rudy butt-dials.
- Giuliani associate Lev Parnas’ reported blabbing about his encounters with Trump may help Democrats build their case: Accounts by the WashPost and CNN have Parnas telling others he was on a “secret mission” for Trump.
And, of course, the backdrop:
- The most damaging document so far was the “do us a favor” transcript of the Trump-Ukraine call that was released by the White House.
- Trump stood on the White House lawn and said: “China should start an investigation into the Bidens.”
- And acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told reporters last month, about conditioning funding for Ukraine on an investigation: “Get over it. There’s going to be political influence in foreign policy.”
The bottom line, from Axios’ Margaret Talev: From revelations about secret servers to off-the-books diplomacy said to resemble “drug deals,” many of the juiciest details about the impeachment case came not from Democrats but from Team Trump.
2. Trump group: Swing voters unconvinced on impeachment
Trump rally in Bossier City, La., on Thursday. Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP
The pro-Trump group America First says focus groups show that suburban swing voters — even some who strongly dislike President Trump — remain skeptical about impeachment, Axios White House editor Margaret Talev writes.
- Why it matters: These early findings will help shape Republican messaging about impeachment and Trump’s top Democratic rivals.
The big takeaway from impeachment so far is that swing voters think Trump did things they don’t like — but nothing impeachable, said Wes Anderson, co-founder of OnMessage Inc. and one of the pollsters who conducted the focus groups.
- Anderson said these voters “don’t have any shortage of criticisms of the president, [on] personality and stylistically. But they’re pretty happy with two or three or four specific things he’s done,” such as the border or China trade.
Organizers held two focus groups each in these metro areas: Des Moines, Orlando, Charlotte, Phoenix, Miami, Atlanta, Columbus, Detroit and Pittsburgh.
- The bottom line: The findings bolster Republicans’ strategy of asking voters to assess Trump on the effectiveness of his policies, not on his governing style.
3. ⚖️ Impeachment: What matters today
Screenshot via MSNBC
Nine witnesses. Five hearings. Three days.
- Impeachment is charging into a crucial week as Americans hear from some of the most important witnesses closest to the White House, AP reports.
- In addition to those on the graphic above, a ninth witness, David Holmes, a State Department official who overheard President Trump talking about the investigations on a phone call, was a late addition for Thursday.
Today’s testimony (Day 3 of televised hearings) starts with Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, an Army officer on the National Security Council, and Jennifer Williams, his counterpart in Vice President Pence’s office.
- Both are foreign policy experts who listened in with concern as Trump spoke on July 25 with Ukraine’s newly elected president.
🥊 Milestone: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, during an appearance yesterday in Louisville, said he “can’t imagine” a scenario where there is enough support in the Senate — 67 votes — to remove Trump.
4. Pic du jour
Photo: Laurel Chor/Getty Images
Anti-government protesters walk past a fire during clashes with police at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
- Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam called for a peaceful resolution to the university siege, which “has transfixed the city.” (Bloomberg)
5. How the world flattened
Sources: FCC (calls); “Our World in Data” (internet). Graphic: Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas
“Two decades of hyper-globalization ended as citizens around the world woke up to a new world that they fear is screwing them,” Bruce Mehlman of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas tells me, introducing his new deck, “De-global.”
6. Democratic rising stars
Courtesy The New York Times Magazine
Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia “were part of a wave of Democrats who took office this year full of hope. Maintaining it has not been easy,” Susan Dominus writes in the N.Y. Times Magazine.
7. Trump hospital visit draws skepticism
The memo above was emailed to reporters by the White House Press Office at 9:50 on Monday night after President Trump made an unscheduled visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Saturday.
- White House officials said he was getting a head start on his annual physical.
Joe Lockhart, White House press secretary under President Clinton, tweeted: “[T]here is a protocol for the president’s physical that doesn’t include rushing up to Walter Reed without any notice to the press.”
8. 🐮 Yogurt sales sour as breakfast culture changes
Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP
Growing sales of protein bars have helped put U.S. yogurt sales in a multiyear slump despite shelves full of new varieties, AP’s Dee-Ann Durbin reports.
- Trying to innovate its way out, Chobani — the second-biggest yogurt maker by U.S. market share — yesterday introduced oat-based yogurts, capitalizing on booming sales of oat milk and consumer interest in plant-based eating.
The move follows market leader Danone’s introduction last July of oat-based yogurts under its So Delicious brand.
- Chobani is also moving into non-yogurt products: In January, it’s launching four flavors of oat drinks as well as dairy-based coffee creamers.
The big picture: Health and animal welfare concerns are driving some Americans away from dairy.
9. N.Y. probes WeWork
Adam Neumann. Photo: Mark Lennihan/AP
The New York State attorney general is investigating WeWork, “adding to a mounting series of problems that have turned the workspace provider from a Wall Street darling to a pariah in a matter of weeks,” per Reuters.
- “Among the issues the NYAG is examining is whether WeWork’s founder and former chief executive, Adam Neumann, indulged in self-dealing.”
“WeWork is preparing to cut at least 4,000 people,” or about one-third of its workforce, as early as this week, the N.Y. Times reports.
10. 1 🎵 thing
Photo: Al Wagner/Invision/AP
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees The Doobie Brothers are reuniting with singer and songwriter Michael McDonald for a 50th anniversary tour next year, AP reports from Nashville.
- In the photo above, The Doobie Brothers (plus Michael McDonald, in glasses) take the stage last night at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
- McDonald, who sang with the band starting in 1975 before beginning his own solo career, surprised fans with “Takin’ it to the Streets.”
The tour begins June 9 in West Palm Beach.
📬 Thanks for reading! Please tell a friend about AM/PM.
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Chick-fil-A Surrenders To The Woke Mob
By Shane Vander Hart on Nov 18, 2019 02:41 pm Chick-fil-A just made it harder for other businesses who want to continue to donate to Christian ministries that hold biblical standards on sex and marriage. Read in browser » A Potential Consequence of a Senate Impeachment Trial By Shane Vander Hart on Nov 18, 2019 01:20 pm Should House Democrats impeach President Donald Trump, a Senate impeachment trial could negatively impact U.S. Senators running for president. Read in browser » Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign 2019 By Shane Vander Hart on Nov 18, 2019 12:12 pm Mat Staver: Celebrating or acknowledging Christmas is legal on public property, and references to God or Jesus should not be censored. Read in browser » Recent Articles: Buttigieg’s Momentum In Iowa Is Real, But Does It Go Beyond Iowa? Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady (1953-2019) Marie Yovanovitch Witnessed Nothing Episode 91: A Pro-Family Agenda for 2020 and Beyond It’s Bribery, Not Quid Pro Quo Now Launched 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. Share Tweet Share Forward Copyright © 2019 Caffeinated Thoughts, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
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Illinois School District Rules Transgender Students Have Unrestricted Access To Bathrooms
By Mary Margaret Olohan –
An Illinois school district ruled Thursday that transgender students
will have unrestricted access to bathrooms of their choice. A school
district held a meeting at Palatine High School in northwest Illinois
where board members voted to give unrestricted locker room and restroom
access to transgender students, the Chicago station WGN9 …
Illinois School District Rules Transgender Students Have Unrestricted Access To Bathrooms is original content from Conservative
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Read on » Trump Admin To Begin Enforcing Asylum Agreements With Central American Governments By Jason Hopkins – The Trump administration introduced an “interim final rule” pertaining to the asylum cooperation agreements it’s reached with Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The new rule, which will go into effect on Tuesday, will allow the U.S. government to begin sending a large number asylum seekers back to Central America. Under … Trump Admin To Begin Enforcing Asylum Agreements With Central American Governments 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 » White House Official Sues Politico, Alleging Collusion With Adam Schiff By Chuck Ross – Kash Patel, an official on the National Security Council, is suing Politico for defamation and accusing the news outlet of colluding with Rep. Adam Schiff. Patel alleges in a lawsuit filed Monday that Politico published two defamatory articles about him that were based on leaks of inaccurate information provided during … White House Official Sues Politico, Alleging Collusion With Adam Schiff 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 » Believe in Something – A.F. Branco Cartoon By A.F. Branco – Colin Kaepernick believes in only one thing. See other Branco toons here. Believe in Something – 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 » Ukraine Cookie Jar – Grrr Graphics – Ben Garrison Cartoon By Ben Garrison – What do Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, John Kerry and Mitt Romney all have in common? They all are in the Quid Pro Club and all have connections to Ukraine corruption. Mykola Zlochevsky was the Burisma Group owner who offered Hunter Biden a position after Zlochevsky reached out to Biden and … Ukraine Cookie Jar – 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 » Chief Justice Roberts Halts Subpoena For President Trump’s Financial Records — For Now By Kevin Daley – Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked a lower court ruling requiring President Donald Trump’s accounting firm to turn over eight years worth of Trump accounting records to the House Oversight Committee in a short Monday order. The decision, called an administrative stay, means House Democrats will not have access to … Chief Justice Roberts Halts Subpoena For President Trump’s Financial Records — For Now 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 » Bloomberg Apologizes For Stop-And-Frisk Ahead Of Debates: ‘I Got Something Important Really Wrong’ By Mary Margaret Olohan – Former mayor of New York Mike Bloomberg apologized Sunday for his previous stances on “stop-and-frisk” police strategies. Bloomberg, who is reportedly pondering joining the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, formerly embraced the “stop-and-frisk” strategy as Mayor of New York, though critics said that the policy disproportionately impacts people … Bloomberg Apologizes For Stop-And-Frisk Ahead Of Debates: ‘I Got Something Important Really Wrong’ 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 » High Crimes – A.F. Branco Cartoon By A.F. Branco – Schiff and the Democrats keep moving the goal post to what an impeachable offense is, and now includes tweeting. Political cartoon by A.F. Branco ©2019. See more Branco toons HERE High Crimes – 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 » ‘Doing My Duty As A Citizen’: Christine Blasey Ford Accepts Courage Award From ACLU By Mary Margaret Olohan – Former Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford accepted an award for courage from the American Civil Liberties Union on Sunday. The ACLU honored Ford, who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault, with the Rodger Baldwin Courage Award at the ACLU of Southern California’s Bill of Rights dinner, according … ‘Doing My Duty As A Citizen’: Christine Blasey Ford Accepts Courage Award From ACLU 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 » Nearly 80,000 Illegal Aliens Had an Arrest Record Before Winning DACA Approval, Government Data Show By Jason Hopkins – Tens of thousands of people who successfully enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program carried prior arrest records, according newly released data by the Trump administration. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services — the agency under the Department of Homeland Security that is tasked with managing the country’s … Nearly 80,000 Illegal Aliens Had an Arrest Record Before Winning DACA Approval, Government Data Show 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 Monday, November 18, 2019 By R. Mitchell – President Donald Trump will receive his daily briefing then meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Keep up with Trump on Our President’s Schedule Page. President Trump’s Itinerary for 11/17/19 – note: this page will be updated during the day if events warrant All Times EST 2:00 PM Receive intelligence … President Donald Trump’s Schedule for Monday, November 18, 2019 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 Twitter Friend on Facebook Add on Google Plus Copyright © 2019 Conservative Daily News, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list |
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Your daily update of new content from The Federalist Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray November 19, 2019 Americans Need To Stop Funding The Chinese Gulag By Ben Weingarten The Chinese have for decades banked on the world, and in particular its richest nation, prioritizing money over all else, including evidently its long-term national interest. Full article Leaked Xinjiang Papers Confirm The Chinese Communist Party Is Full Of Lying Murderers By Helen Raleigh Unprecedented leaked documents confirm the Chinese Communist Party is committing ethnic cleansing, and lying about it to its own people and the world. Full article European Union Slaps ‘New Kind Of Yellow Star On Jewish-Made Products’ By Melissa Langsam Braunstein A survey of 2,504 French adults found that 69 percent of respondents would not buy products labeled ‘made in Israel.’ Full article Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ Rings True Because Much Of It Is True By John Daniel Davidson Whether or not Frank Sheeran really killed Jimmy Hoffa, the underworld Scorsese brings to life in ‘The Irishman’ is a slice of real American history. Full article The Televised Impeachment Proceedings Have Been A Disaster For Democrats By Tristan Justice The Democrats’ own witnesses have exonerated the president and have provided further evidence for investigating the Bidens for their business in Ukraine. Full article Johnson: Impeachment Inquiry An ‘Effort To Sabotage The Trump Administration’ By Tristan Justice In the letter about his knowledge of the administration’s Ukraine policy, Johnson pushes back on the narrative being peddled by witnesses in the Democrats’ latest partisan impeachment efforts. Full article The Inside Story Of How America’s Intelligence Agencies Tried To Undo Trump’s Election By Krystina Skurk Journalist Lee Smith’s new book, ‘The Plot Against the President,’ reads like a spy thriller, but it’s really a warning about how Trump-era abuses by intelligence agencies threaten to undermine American self-government. Full article DNC, PBS Object To Reporter With Conservative Ties Co-Moderating Democratic Debate By Chrissy Clark The DNC and PBS are upset with Politico’s choice of Tim Alberta, former National Review employee, as co-moderator for the sixth Democratic debates. Full article How Elizabeth Warren Just ‘Swift Boated’ Herself On Health Care By Christopher Jacobs Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s actions on health care the past several weeks, culminating in the release of her second health plan on Friday, echo the 2004 presidential campaign of her Massachusetts colleague, former Sen. John Kerry. Full article As U.S. Democrats Push Single-Payer, England’s Is Killing Cancer Patients By Deane Waldman Americans are profoundly frustrated with health care. Obamacare made health care more expensive and less responsive, but Medicare-for-all will crash the system. Full article Elizabeth Warren Agrees With Trump’s Strategy In Venezuela, ‘Yeah, I Support Economic Sanctions’ By Chrissy Clark 2020 Democratic hopeful Elizabeth Warren said she supports using economic sanctions to oust Venezuela’s socialist dictator, Nicolás Maduro. Full article MSNBC Excludes Andrew Yang From Media Coverage Despite Polling Above Other Candidates By Chrissy Clark This type of media blackout is consistent for Yang and other candidates that don’t favor the conventional Democratic narrative. Full article White House Official Sues Politico For $25 Million Over Ukraine Story By Erielle Davidson National Security Council official is using a Politico and reporter Natasha Bertrand for accusing him of providing ‘materials’ on Ukraine to the president. Full article Trump Administration Backs Away From Ban On Flavored E-Cigarette Products By Tristan Justice The White House had been gearing up to finalize details of a ban on flavored e-cigarette products for two months but now seems to be taking a new direction. Full article Joe Biden Shies Away From Endorsing Federal Marijuana Legalization By Tristan Justice Biden’s more conservative approach to the issue runs counter to several 2020 White House rivals who have called to legalize marijuana at the federal level. Full article Let’s Stop Pretending Every Impeachment Witness Is A Selfless Hero By John Daniel Davidson It’s become clear that some witnesses in the impeachment probe have their own agenda, and not all of them are courageous martyrs for the truth. Full article Bloomberg’s Apology For Stop, Question, And Frisk Is Shameful By David Marcus In a vain attempt to become president Michael Bloomberg has thrown his police commissioner and the NYPD under the bus. Full article THE UNITED STATES MUST CONNECT TRADE TO HONG KONG The violence in Hong Kong continued to escalate with protesters trapped in a campus standoff as fires raged and police violence increased – more on that below. http://vlt.tc/3te7 What’s clear now to anyone paying attention is that this is the biggest and most important story in the world today. The global financial hub that was once a shining example of the possibilities for a more liberalized China is now caught in a torrent of generational conflict, fighting to keep hold of the freedoms they see being steadily eroded by Beijing. Read more of The Transom by signing up for a free trial today. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2019 The Federalist, All rights reserved. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences |
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Impeachment is not Playing in Peoria
Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am There is another show about to debut on stage. The Barr, Horowitz and Durham probes of the machinations that led to the two-year Russia collusion hoax. This production will play in Peoria Read More… Biden Tolerated Traitors — Trump Pardoned Heroes Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am Biden is nor above exploiting the sacrifice of our young men and women who put themselves in harm’s way on our behalf. Read More… San Diego’s Green New Deal Showcase Unwittingly Reveals an Expensive Future Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am Check out how things are going in San Diego with its supposedly greener bus system. Read More… Trump is 100% on His Game Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am Trump has the perfect instincts to fight and emerge victorious in this openly treasonous and extremely corrupt political climate. Read More… Resistance: Czechoslovakia and America Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am While we will not see an invasion by Soviet tanks, we are faced with politicians that advocate almost every aspect of a totalitarian society. Read More… After Impeachment by the Hollow Men, Then What? Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am The wisdom of the world since time began is that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The way to heaven is through the limitation of politics. Read More… Recent Blog Posts Another whistleblower against Trump, another double standard Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am This time, it’s someone at the IRS who claiming on secondhand knowledge that President Trump manipulated the tax system. Coming from the unpunished agency of Lois Lerner, this is kind of rich. Read more… Eric Swalwell farts loud and proud on live television Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am …and isn’t man enough to own up to it. Read more… IG Horowitz testimony to rain on Democrats’ House impeachment parade Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am The nation may be viewing stunning political television counterprogramming in December, to the detriment of Trump-hating House Democrats Read more… Only Trump can save the US now Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am Be afraid; be very afraid, because the year after the 2020 election could well be 1984, and the year after that 1861. Read more… Jim Jordan nails it on the impeachment scam Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am Nobody has followed this farce more closely than Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, and yesterday he devastated the Democrats’ case by citing four facts that never change Read more… Impeachment hearings – good for business? Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am Apparently so … Read more… Would you let Colin Kaepernick quarterback your Pop Warner team? Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am The people’s quarterback fails to show. Read more… Hong Kong: The Battle of No. 2 Bridge Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am In the last six months of unrest in Hong Kong, never was there a time as the Battle of No. 2 Bridge. November 12, 2019 may be most remembered for an unlikely victory against all odds when university students wielding crude weapons defeated a highly modernized police force. Read more… Since 2016, all that has mattered to most journalists, bureaucrats and other Democrats is getting their power back Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am When President Obama backed out of our commitment to Poland and the Czech Republic to put up defense shields in order to appease Russia, did it cause allies to not trust that we would keep our word? Did it enhance or hurt World security? Did it indicate that Obama was a Russian asset? Read more… Can Dems go back to the future on Trump impeachment? Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am The only tool the Dems have is a left-handed spanner that turns the dial from 2016 to 2020. Read more… Bloomberg going Beto Nov 19, 2019 01:00 am Goodbye, Michael Bloomberg. Read more… Could it be that Trump has been setting up the Left all along? Nov 18, 2019 01:00 am It is almost impossible to believe that Trump has not been on to this cabal’s fraudulent scheme for a long time now. Read more… Starbucks open-bathroom policy driving customers away –study Nov 18, 2019 01:00 am Maybe opening the bathrooms to all comers wasn’t such a good idea after all. Read more… Joe Biden condemns Trump as unfit for command for pardoning US troops Nov 18, 2019 01:00 am Yet somehow, Hunter Biden never did a day in the brig for all that cocaine use in the Navy. Read more… Trump beats a smart retreat on vaping Nov 18, 2019 01:00 am The press is reading weird stuff into the president’s smart decision to not ban vaping flavors. Read more… View this email in your browser American Thinker is a daily internet publication devoted to the thoughtful exploration of issues of importance to Americans. |
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THE WASHINGTON POST MORNING MIX
| Sign up for this newsletter Read online Stories from all over. (Screengrab via YouTube) ‘Was this a physical or a kitchen remodel?’: Trump mocked for his multi-phase health checkup “Yes, Trump’s first part of his physical’s going to be such a hit that next year they’re coming out with a sequel,” Stephen Colbert joked Monday night. “‘Colonoscopy 2: 2 Blocked 2 Scope.'” By Allyson Chiu ● Read more » He was the go-to expert on money laundering. Now he’s been charged with laundering money. Bruce Bagley, a professor at the University of Miami, received roughly $3 million in dirty money from Venezuela and kept a cut for himself, according to federal prosecutors. By Antonia Farzan ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT Trump bashed Nancy Pelosi for an impeachment quote. It actually came from a Fox News reporter. Pelosi had said on Monday, “The weak response to these hearings has been, ‘Let the election decide.’ That dangerous position only adds to the urgency of our action, because the President is jeopardizing the integrity of the 2020 elections.” By Meagan Flynn ● Read more » ‘Sick and terrible’: VH1 reality show slammed for including El Chapo’s wife Some have accused Emma Coronel of complicity with her husband, who was most recently convicted in February. By Teo Armus ● Read more » Shooting at Fresno, Calif., backyard party kills four and wounds six in targeted attack, police say The shooting shocked residents in the Southeast Asian Hmong community where the attack took place. “It’s a dark day in our community,” said Pao Yang, head of a Fresno nonprofit that serves Southeast Asian refugees. By Derek Hawkins, Katie Shepherd and Katie Mettler ● Read more » ADVERTISEMENT A stock image was used to promote Pete Buttigieg’s plan for black America. The photo was taken in Kenya. The photo mix-up is just the latest controversy to erupt around the Douglass Plan since it was rolled out in July as part of Buttigieg’s effort to make inroads with black voters. By Allyson Chiu ● Read more » We think you’ll like this newsletter Check 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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THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
| View In BrowserNovember 19, 2019chicagotribune.comDaywatch1Children are being locked away, alone and terrified, in schools across Illinois. Often, it’s against the law.TUESDAY, NOV 19In
public schools across Illinois, students as young as five are being
locked away in spaces that have gentle names: The quiet room. The
reflection room. The cool-down room. But inside, terrified and desperate
children — most of them with disabilities — scratch the windows or tear
at the padded walls, wailing for their parents and begging to be let
out.In
Illinois, it’s legal for schools to place students in “isolated
timeout” if they pose a safety threat. Every school day, however,
workers put children in seclusion rooms for reasons that violate the law
— sometimes for infractions as minor as spilling milk. There is no
oversight of this practice by state education officials, and parents
often are told little about what happens to their children. The Chicago
Tribune and ProPublica Illinois obtained thousands of detailed records,
building a database of more than 20,000 seclusion incidents — the first in-depth examination of this practice in Illinois.The federal government collects data on how often schools seclude children. The numbers don’t add up.How we reported this story: Creating a first-ever database of thousands of seclusion incidents in Illinois2When Illinois legalized marijuana, it sparked a backlash from suburban residents who don’t want pot shops in their townsTUESDAY, NOV 19In
several suburbs, including Naperville, crowds of protesters wore
identical Opt Out shirts, carried signs, signed petitions and helped
convince local officials to prohibit marijuana sales. In other
communities, such as Deerfield and Northbrook, leaders defied the crowds
and voted to allow cannabis businesses.While
a new Illinois law that goes into effect Jan. 1 mandates that marijuana
possession and use is legal for adults 21 and over statewide, local
officials may prohibit licensed sales in their towns, resulting in a patchwork of conflicting laws.Marijuana company Medmen Enterprises, whose $682 million merger with PharmaCann was scuttled last month, is expanding its Chicago presence while cutting more than 190 jobs.Chicago holds lottery for chance to sell legal weed in the city: ‘African American participation at this point is zero. That’s a problem.’ 3Gunman at large after husband and wife shot to death in ‘targeted’ attack in Buffalo Grove parking garage, officials sayTUESDAY, NOV 19Buffalo Grove police are searching for a gunman after a husband and wife were shot to death Sunday
in what police are calling a “targeted” attack in the parking garage of
the condominium where they lived, Buffalo Grove police said Monday.Police identified the suspect as Anatoliy Ermak, 64, and said he should be considered armed and dangerous.4University of Chicago Medical Center moving sickest babies, children as it prepares for second nurses strikeTUESDAY, NOV 19The University of Chicago Medical Center has started transferring some of its sickest babies and children to other hospitals in anticipation of a second strike by nurses next week, hospital leaders said.It also is likely to stop performing organ transplants if its nurses go on strike, said Sharon O’Keefe, hospital president. 5Aldermen
approve quiet zone ordinance dealing with Chicago hospitals, schools
and libraries after fight over aldermanic prerogativeTUESDAY, NOV 19A City Council panel approved a plan to change the kinds of noise allowed around Chicago hospitals, schools and libraries after a political skirmish over aldermanic power led to changes in the proposed ordinance.Ald.
Brian Hopkins, 2nd, introduced a plan to spell out that bullhorns,
“raucous electronic amplification” or “use of an object that is struck
manually or with a stick or similar item to produce a sharp percussive
noise” are not allowed in designated “noise sensitive zones.”Mayor Lori Lightfoot says she’s not expecting additional Chicago property tax hike for 2020; budget plan advances6This Chicago tech company hired its 1,000th employee earlier this year. Now, Relativity is set to hire 200 more in 2020.TUESDAY, NOV 19Relativity,
a Chicago-based software company that has hired about 200 people this
year, plans to bring roughly 200 more employees on board in 2020, many of them software engineers.“Sometimes
you find there are folks who believe you can’t find all the engineers
you want in Chicago,” he said. “We’ve had really good luck with Chicago
being our largest engineering office.” 7That brewing equipment hovering over downtown Chicago? It’s from a new brewery moving in.TUESDAY, NOV 19It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s yet another brewery opening in Chicago!The unlikely scene unfolding above the Magnificent Mile this week is indeed Chicago’s robust beer scene growing yet again — a grand entrance for Crushed By Giants, a taco-themed brewpub opening next spring in a high-profile home at 600 N. Michigan Ave.Pork & Mindy’s files for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, closing all locationsA shot of Malort with beef broth and giardiniera chaser — the Talbott Hotel wants to test your Chicago mettle8Greatest ‘Jeopardy!’ player of all time? Holzhauer, Jennings and Rutter to do battle in prime-time contest for $1M prizeTUESDAY, NOV 19Naperville
native James Holzhauer, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter will compete in a
series of matches hosted by Alex Trebek. The first to win three games
receives $1 million and bragging rights to being the greatest player of
all time.“We’re excited to bring ‘Jeopardy!’ to prime time. It’s been a long time in the making,” Mike Hopkins, chairman of Sony Pictures Television, said in a news release.advertisement Unsubscribe | Newsletters | Privacy Policy | Terms of ServiceCopyright © 2019 | Chicago Tribune | 160 N. Stetson Ave., Third Floor, Chicago, IL 60601ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this email because you are following the Daywatch newsletter. |
NBC
From NBC’s Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Ben Kamisar
FIRST READ: It’s been a rough last eight weeks for Trump and the GOP
Eight whole weeks have now passed since Democrats began their impeachment inquiry on Sept. 24, and it’s hard to overstate just how damaging those eight weeks have been for Trump and the GOP.
Let us list the ways.
- Every week (and sometimes every day) has produced a new bombshell revelation.
The most recent was from State Department official David Holmes, who
testified
he overheard a phone conversation between Trump and EU Ambassador
Gordon Sondland: “I then heard President Trump ask, quote, ‘So he’s
going to do the investigation?’ unquote. Ambassador Sondland replied
that, ‘He’s going to do it,’ adding that President Zelensky
will quote, ‘Do anything you ask him to.’”
- Republicans have been forced to give changing and conflicting defenses
– Trump’s July 25 call was perfect; there was no quid pro quo; if there
was a quid
pro quo, it’s not impeachable; the testimony against Trump is merely
hearsay; let the voters decide about the president’s actions.
- During it all, Trump has tweeted more and more, including that tweet Friday directed at witness Marie Yovanovitch: “Everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad. She started off in Somalia, how did that go?”
- The president has
uttered more and more falsehoods about Ukraine and impeachment (CNN has counted
45 different false claims).
- And during this time period, the GOP has lost gubernatorial elections in the red states of Kentucky and Louisiana, as well as control of the legislature in increasingly blue Virginia.
The good news for Trump is that the totality of the last eight weeks hasn’t changed his political standing. A new NPR/PBS/Marist poll has his approval rating essentially unchanged at 41 percent, and it shows the public is divided about his impeachment/removal from office.
But what the impeachment inquiry has done is produce the worst version of Trump – the tweeting, the dissembling, the changing explanations.
As we wrote on Friday, he can’t compartmentalize.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Impeachment inquiry update: Today’s Hearing-palooza
And when it comes to the public testimony, today will be the biggest day yet – with four different witnesses testifying, per NBC’s Geoff Bennett.
- Today beginning at 9:00 am ET: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and VP aide Jennifer Williams
- Today beginning at 2:30 pm ET: Kurt Volker and Tim Morrison
- Wednesday morning: Gordon Sondland
- Wednesday afternoon: Laura Cooper and David Hale
- Thursday morning: Fiona Hill and David Holmes
2020 VISION: One day out before tomorrow’s MSNBC/WaPo debate
On the campaign trail today: The day before Wednesday’s MSNBC/Washington Post debate in Atlanta, most of the Dem candidates are down for debate prep… Julian Castro, who didn’t qualify for the debate, holds a discussion with Angela Rye in Atlanta… And Stacey Abrams participates in a discussion on voter suppression in Atlanta.
Dispatches from NBC’s campaign embeds: While in Atlanta yesterday, Pete Buttigieg responded to reporters’ questions about him continuing to poll low with African-American voters.
From NBC’s Priscilla Thompson: “Buttigieg responded to NBC’s question about the latest poll showing him at 0 percent support among African-Americans. Buttigieg said he tries not to get too caught up in poll numbers, but that polls also showed a number of voters there still don’t know who he is.
‘There
are some areas, certainly places like Iowa where folks feel like
they’ve seen every candidate dozens of times, others where clearly we’ve
got a lot of work
to do just to make sure that the message gets out,’ he said. ‘And it’s
one of the reasons why we’re making investments both on the ground, and
on the airwaves and South Carolina.’”
Buttigieg went on to
say he “understands the skepticism of a new political figure coming in
making promises to the black community, but he hopes in doing show he’s
demonstrating ‘where our priorities are and where
my heart is,’ so that people know what they’re voting for.”
Bridget Bennett/AFP – Getty Images
DATA DOWNLOAD: And the number of the day is … zero
That’s the share of African-American vote that Pete Buttigieg gets in South Carolina, according to a Quinnipiac poll of the state that was released on Monday.
The overall horserace numbers in the poll among likely Democratic primary voters: Joe Biden 33 percent, Elizabeth Warren 13 percent, Bernie Sanders 11 percent and Pete Buttigieg 6 percent.
And the horserace among likely African-American Democratic primary voters in the state: Biden 44 percent, Sanders 10 percent, Warren 8 percent, Kamala Harris 6 percent and Buttigieg … 0 percent.
Talking policy with Benjy
The big policy news over the last week has been Elizabeth Warren’s plan to split Medicare for All into two parts, with the (relatively) easier task of expanding health care through a public option coming first, and the harder task of banning private plans second, per NBC’s Benjy Sarlin.
This comes on the heels of her plan to finance Medicare for All without directly raising taxes on the middle class.
In combination, the plans come with upside. Warren has argued her two-bill approach shows she’ll both protect Obamacare and get more reforms done ASAP rather than getting bogged down in every detail of the current Medicare for All bill.
If you’re a moderate nervous about the general election, the plans signal she’ll have flexibility responding to attacks on Medicare for All’s private insurance provisions and its taxes.
If you’re a progressive worried about how to make single-payer a reality, Warren’s filled in more details than Sanders has about his own bill, and earned high praise for it from the House’s lead Medicare for All sponsor, Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
But the risks are massive. Warren is now effectively all on her own on this issue, making her a gigantic target for criticism from all sides for the rest of the primaries.
On the left, the alliance between her and Sanders on this issue has never looked shakier. He has made clear he doesn’t like her plan to finance Medicare for All and on Friday said he’d pursue his full bill on day one.
At the same time, the center-left candidates show no sign of being placated by her latest moves.
The Biden and Buttigieg campaigns both portrayed the two-step plan as validation of their criticism that full Medicare for All is politically untenable.
And while Warren has made clear her plan is still much more far-reaching than either of theirs, she’s now operating under a framework that Buttgieg supports – passing a public option to get to Medicare for All.
That could make it harder to play the purity card with the left against him.
TWEET OF THE DAY: Breaking Bad slogans
ICYMI: News clips you shouldn’t miss
The White House physician released a new statement Monday night denying speculation about the president’s weekend hospital trip and reiterating the administration’s previous statement that the trip was part of a routine checkup.
House investigators released testimony from David Holmes, a U.S. embassy official in Ukraine, who raised questions about a phone call between Ambassador Gordon Sondand and President Trump.
The New York Times reports that Kurt Volker is expected to testify Tuesday that he didn’t know about attempts by others to link Ukrainian foreign aid to an investigation into former Vice President Biden and his son.
Politico reports House freshmen want Democrats to move on President Trump’s proposed trade deal with Canada and Mexico, and are worried impeachment could blunt their re-election.
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 Ben
ARRA NEWS SERVICE
- Britain’s Labour Party Says They’ll Have Government Seize Private Broadband Networks
- Chinese Communist Party Must Not Make Hong Kong a ‘21st-Century Version of Tiananmen Square’
- If the State Dept., Yovanovitch & Ukraine Were All Concerned About Hunter Biden at Burisma,. . .
- Trump Stands With Our Troops, Barr Blasts The Left, The Pigskin Prima Donna
- Believe in Anything But America . . .
- Sanders Burns the 2020 Democratic Primary Gun Control Agenda
- Broaddrick To ABC: ‘Epstein Is Dead, But Bill Clinton Isn’t’
- White Democrats Have A Religion Problem
- Mexican Cartels
- High Crimes . . .
- Several Colorado Sheriffs Say They Won’t Enforce Red Flag Gun Law
- Overkill . . . for Your Health
- Trump Grants Clemency to Three U.S. Service Members
- 7 Things to Know About Rep. Jim Jordan as He Leads GOP’s Defense of Trump
- Obama Granted Clemency to Terrorists and Traitors, But We’re Supposed to Be Angry at Trump’s Pardons
- Common Core Disappoints
- Civil War Begins When The Constitutional Order Breaks Down
- Flashback 2008: Obama Fired All Of Bush’s Politically Appointed Ambassadors
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Britain’s Labour Party Says They’ll Have Government Seize Private Broadband Networks
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 08:58 PM PST
Letting Their Freak Flag Flyby Seton Motley, Contributing Author: And so does the US Left. Though our Democrat Party is still playing it a little more coy. Behold – from the Olde Country: “Britain’s opposition Labour Party plans to nationalise BT’s broadband network to provide free internet for all if it wins power, making a radical election pledge to roll back 35 years of private ownership that caught both the company and its shareholders by surprise…. “The announcement by Labour, which is currently lagging Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in opinion polls ahead of the Dec. 12 election, sent BT’s shares down as much as 3.7%, wiping nearly half a billion pounds off its market value. “Labour plans to nationalise Openreach – the fixed-line network arm of the country’s biggest broadband and mobile phone provider – as well as parts of BT Technology, BT Enterprise and BT Consumer to create a ‘British Broadband’ public service. “‘A Labour government will make broadband free for everybody,’ Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in a speech. ‘This is core infrastructure for the 21st century. I think it’s too important to be left to the corporations.’”So Britain’s Leftist Party – has gone irrevocably crazy. And full Communist. A devolution – they share with the US Left. The US Left – embodied by our Democrat Party – has been this open about being this Communist…on more and more policies. Banning Private Insurance Is the New Individual Mandate Elizabeth Warren Wants to Abolish Private Health Insurance De Blasio Wants to Abolish Private Health Insurance A mere decade ago – when our Leftists were jamming Obamacare down our throats – they were exceedingly coy about government-only medicine. By that I mean – they lied their faces off. Obama – If You Like Your Health Care You Can Keep It Montage A mere decade later…. The US-British juxtaposition here is: The British government has already completely seized their health care system. And the British health care system – draws fluid rapidly through a straw. 7 Things You Need To Know About Britain’s Failing Nationalized Health System N.H.S. Overwhelmed in Britain, Leaving Patients to Wait Britain’s Health Care: So Bad, Doctors Don’t Even Want To Practice There Doctors’ desire to not do government medicine – criss-crosses the Atlantic. 10 Reasons Why Your Doctor Won’t See Medicare Patients Attention Medicaid Patients: The Doctor Won’t Be Seeing You And just as in Britain, here in the US where you have government medicine – you have uber-failure. 10 Reasons Obamacare Is a Failure Medicare Is $38 Trillion Short – And Other Reasons Government Shouldn’t Run Anything Medicaid Is Broken and Expansion Won’t Fix It Children’s Health Insurance Program Is Set to Go Bust We have tried government broadband too. A whole lot, actually. Guess how that’s gone? Broadband Boondoggles: A Map of Failed Taxpayer-Funded Networks: “For decades, local governments have made promises of faster and cheaper broadband networks. Unfortunately, these municipal networks often don’t deliver or fail, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Explore the map to learn about the massive debt, waste and broken promises left behind by these failed government networks.” Government Broadband Is a Disaster for Taxpayers Britain’s Leftists should take our government broadband failures to heart. But of course – they won’t. Because – they’re Leftists. Our Leftists won’t either. Democratic Presidential Candidates Reveal Rural Broadband Proposals: “Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota…called Wednesday for major investments in broadband deployment….” But we already know how this will go. Because we’ve already seen how this has gone. On government broadband – and government medicine. Elizabeth Warren’s Broadband Proposal, Like Bernie Sanders’ Single-Payer Health Care Plan, Has Been A Proven Failure In The States But Leftists everywhere – remain steadfastly impervious to facts. And on our Internet, our Leftists want to go – where Britain’s Leftists are now looking to go. Total government seizure. Behold – a US Leftist: “(T)he ultimate goal is to get rid of the media capitalists in the phone and cable companies and to divest them from control.” That US Leftist is Robert McChesney – an avowed Marxist and college professor (please pardon the redundancy). McChesney co-founded a Communist public policy outfit called Free Press. And our Leftist elected officials – LOVE Communist outfit Free Press. Barack Obama FCC Cites Soros-Funded, Neo-Marxist-Founded Group 46 TIMES In New Regs: “Free Press is mentioned repeatedly in the FCC document. Most of the references are found in footnotes which cite comments by Free Press activists supporting more internet regulation.” Craig Aaron is Free Press’ General Secretary – oops, I mean President and CEO. What’s he have to say about government broadband? ‘The Internet Should Be Treated as a Public Utility’ An idea Democrats LOVE. Democrats Call to Reclassify Broadband as a UtilityBarack Obama FCC Cites Soros-Funded, Neo-Marxist-Founded Group 46 TIMES In New Regs: “Free Press is mentioned repeatedly in the FCC document. Most of the references are found in footnotes which cite comments by Free Press activists supporting more internet regulation.” Craig Aaron is Free Press’ General Secretary – oops, I mean President and CEO. What’s he have to say about government broadband? ‘The Internet Should Be Treated as a Public Utility’ An idea Democrats LOVE. Democrats Call to Reclassify Broadband as a Utility Regulating the Internet as a public utility – is one tiny step away from doing what Leftists on both sides of the Atlantic want to do. Have government seize the private Internet from the private people who created and built it. For what Britain’s Labour Party is now publicly demanding. For what our domestic Leftists have long been longing. It is only a matter of time before our Democrat Party – goes where Britain’s Labour Party has gone. No one paying any attention at all – can think this assessment unreasonable. No one paying any attention at all – can think this outcome anything but inevitable. ———————- Seton Motley is the President of Less Government and he contributes to ARRA News Service. Please feel free to follow him him on Twitter / Facebook. Tags: Seton Motley, Less Government, Britain’s Labour Party, Government Seize, Private Broadband Networks 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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Chinese Communist Party Must Not Make Hong Kong a ‘21st-Century Version of Tiananmen Square’
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 07:56 PM PST
ARRA News Service: U.S.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following
remarks today on the Senate floor regarding Congressional support for
the people of Hong Kong:“In the last few days, the reports
and images coming out of Hong Kong have become even more disturbing. The
police crackdown on Hong Kongers who are standing up for their freedom
and their region’s autonomy has intensified. “University campuses now literally look like war zones, with government forces laying siege to groups of students and other protestors. Many observers feel the situation may be verging on something truly terrible. In the midst of this crackdown, just today, Hong Kong’s High Court ruled against the executive and in favor of protestors’ rights. Yet another signal it is the government that is acting beyond the bounds of its authorities. “And this latest escalation against Hong Kongers comes as Beijing faces international fallout from leaked documents that delineate the government’s chilling, systematic campaign against ethnic minorities in another supposedly autonomous region, Xinjiang. “Hundreds of pages of internal documents from the Chinese Community Party government. A handbook for this Orwellian campaign to effectively erase a religious and ethnic minority in a region that, again, is supposed to be legally distinct from the rest of China. “This effort is being conducted using, ‘organs of dictatorship’ and ‘absolutely no mercy.’ “These are quotes, apparently, from the Communist Party’s own words: “‘Absolutely no mercy.’ “‘Round up everyone who should be rounded up.’ “So if it were not already obvious, notwithstanding the double-talk and disinformation from the Communist Party, the problem in Hong Kong is not the Hong Kongers. “The problem is Beijing’s efforts to erect the same kind of sinister, brutal surveillance state in Hong Kong that China is also trying to set up everywhere else. “The protestors are not the problem. It is Beijing and the Hong Kong leadership who must de-escalate. “The Communist Party must know it will hurt them catastrophically if they turn Hong Kong into some 21st-century version of Tiananmen Square. The United States would not forget it and neither would China’s other trading partners across the world. “So, what can the United States do? Well, in September, I worked to add language to the State and Foreign Ops Appropriations Bill to modify the reporting requirements of the 1992 Hong Kong Policy Act. “My additions would work to expose the current tools the Chinese Communist government is using to subvert the autonomy of Hong Kong and to allow the U.S. government to pay for legal support for Hong Kong democracy activists. “So one important step to help Hong Kong is for House and Senate Democrats to finally get to ‘yes’ on the appropriations process. “Last week, I had a productive meeting with the senior senator from Florida on the subject of revising and extending the Hong Kong Policy Act through new legislation. “I authored that original bill back in 1992 and have been keenly interested in Hong Kong’s status for decades, so I appreciate the leadership Senator Rubio and others have shown, and hope we can find a way to move this important bill. “But while I support additional legislation, the United States does not need to wait for new laws to act further. There are already significant tools at the administration’s disposal and I strongly encourage them to use them. “I’ve been encouraged to hear clear statements on China from key members of President Trump’s team in recent months. I would encourage this president, who has seen Chinese behavior for what it is with a clarity that others have lacked, not to shy away from speaking out on Hong Kong himself. The world should hear from him directly that the United States stands with these brave men and women. “This administration has rightly understood what prior administrations have missed. The old consensus was that economic modernization in China would automatically import our values of freedom and human dignity into their society. “Now every day reminds us this has not happened. Instead, Beijing is using modern technology it has obtained through integration with the West to further its political and social control over its own population and expand China’s reach beyond its shores. “So rather than focusing solely on trade, I encourage the administration to make Hong Kong’s autonomy a key topic within our bilateral diplomacy. The administration should also take advantage of the tools Congress already provided in Global Magnitsky to target individuals responsible for egregious human rights abuses. “In Xinjiang and Hong Kong, the world is seeing the true face of the Chinese Communist Party. The United States has a role to play in standing up for universal principles of human rights, and I am confident we will fulfill it. “But our allies and partners must also ask themselves whether they are prepared to live in a world increasingly shaped by those who show ‘absolutely no mercy’ to religious and ethnic minorities, and who confront peaceful protest with violence.Tags: ARRA News Service, U.S. Senate, Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, Chinese Communist Party, Must Not Make Hong Kong, ‘21st-Century Version of Tiananmen Square’ 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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If the State Dept., Yovanovitch & Ukraine Were All Concerned About Hunter Biden at Burisma,. . .
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 07:34 PM PST
. . . then why aren’t Trump and Zelensky allowed to be concerned, too? by Robert Romano: Even former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was concerned about Hunter Biden’s appointment to Burisma Holdings’ board of directors in 2014, and the potential for a conflict of interest with having the son of the Vice President serving in a company under active investigation by Ukrainian prosecutors for corruption. That’s one of the biggest takeaways from Yovanovitch’s public testimony before Congress. An interesting exchange occurred between U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Yovanovitch, where Stefanik asked about a prospective Q&A that was provided to Yovanovitch to address the conflict of interests the Bidens were creating. Stefanik asked, “The first time you personally became aware of Burisma was actually when you were being prepared by the Obama State Department for your Senate confirmation hearings [in 2016], and this was in the form of practice questions and answers. This was your deposition and you testified that on this particular practice Q&A with the Obama State Department, it wasn’t just generally about Burisma and corruption, it was specifically about Hunter Biden and Burisma, is that correct? Yovanovitch replied, “Yes, it is.” The prospective question, posted on Scribd by reporter John Solomon, stated, “Do you have any comment on Hunter Biden, the Vice President’s son, serving on the board of Burisma, a major Ukrainian gas company?” The recommended answer for Yovanovitch was “For questions on Hunter Biden’s role on Burisma, I would refer you to Vice President Biden’s office.” Stefanik then quoted Yovanovitch’s testimony in 2016, when she said, “The way the question was phrased in this model Q&A was what can you tell us about Hunter Biden’s, you know, being named to the Board of Directors?” Stefanik continued, explaining the significance of State’s CYA on Hunter Biden, “So, for the millions of Americans watching, President Obama’s own State Department was so concerned about potential conflicts of interest from Hunter Biden’s role at Burisma that they raised it themselves while prepping this wonderful Ambassador nominee before her confirmation. And yet our own Democratic colleagues and Chairman of this committee cry foul when we dare ask that same question that the Obama State Department was so concerned about.” Here, Stefanik hits a home run. In fact, the entire basis for the Democrats’ impeachment of President Donald Trump is because Trump raised Hunter Biden’s role on the Burisma board, and Vice President Joe Biden’s admitted role in firing the prosecutor who says he was investigating Burisma for corruption, in his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy when he asked Ukraine to “look into” Burisma once again. Joe Biden bragged he had the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, Viktor Shokin, who says he was investigating Burisma and wanted Hunter Biden questioned, fired by threatening $1.2 billion of loan guarantees to Ukraine. In the phone call with Zelensky, Trump said, “It sounds horrible to me.” Hunter Biden, former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, served on the Board of Directors from 2014 to 2019. After Trump brought up Burisma and Biden’s role in getting Ukraine’s own prosecutor fired, Zelensky replied confirming the investigation, “I understand and I’m knowledgeable about the situation… Since we have won the absolute majority in our Parliament, the next prosecutor general will be 100 percent my person, my candidate, who will be approved by the parliament and will start as new prosecutor in September. He or she will look into the situation, specifically to the company that you mentioned in this issue. The issue of the investigation of the case is actually the issue of making sure to restore the honesty so we will take care of that and work on the investigation of the case.” Also worth noting is that the case against Burisma went back years. Mykola Zlochevsky, owner of Burisma, had his home raided by Ukrainian law enforcement officials in 2016 investigating corruption, and so Burisma reached out via a lobbyist to the State Department to help improve Burisma’s public image with U.S. officials. The contact wanted to know why the Obama administration thought Burisma was corrupt and used Hunter Biden’s role on the board, according to a response to a Freedom of Information Act request made by John Solomon. “Per our conversation, Karen Tramontano of Blue Star Strategies requested a meeting to discuss with U/S Novelli USG remarks alleging Burisma (Ukrainian energy company) of corruption,” a Feb. 24, 2016, email states. “She noted that two high profile U.S. citizens are affiliated with the company (including Hunter Biden as a board member).” That was just weeks before Shokin was removed from power. In an affidavit in a European court, Shokin testified, “The truth is that I was forced out because I was leading a wide-ranging corruption probe into Burisma Holdings, a natural gas firm active in Ukraine and Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was a member of the Board of Directors… On several occasions President Poroshenko asked me to have a look at the case against Burisma and consider the possibility of winding down the investigative actions in respect of this company but I refused to close this investigation.” Shokin’s application for a travel visa to the U.S. was denied by the State Department after Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani pushed to get it approved in January so Shokin could share his story about being fired by Biden. So, everyone agreed Burisma had a corruption problem and that the Bidens created conflicts of interest: the State Department, Yovanovitch, Ukrainian prosecutors, the current Ukrainian President Zelensky and yes, President Trump. But if everyone was concerned about Hunter Biden at Burisma, then why aren’t Trump and Zelensky allowed to be concerned, too? ——————– Robert Romano is the Vice President of Public Policy at Americans for Limited Government. Tags: Robert Romano, Americans for Limited Government, State Department, Yovanovitch, Ukraine, Were All Concerned ,About Hunter Biden, Burisma, why aren’t, Trump, Zelensky, allowed to be concerned 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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Trump Stands With Our Troops, Barr Blasts The Left, The Pigskin Prima Donna
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 06:52 PM PST
Gary Bauerby Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: Trump Stands With Our Troops Late Friday afternoon, the White House announced that President Trump had intervened in the cases of three U.S. military personnel — Army Lt. Clint Lorance, Army Green Beret Maj. Matt Golsteyn and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher — who were convicted of various crimes related to their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Trump issued full pardons to Lorance and Golsteyn while restoring Gallagher’s rank and pay. Predictably, the president’s critics were outraged, and accused him of undermining the military justice system. Former Vice President Joe Biden and Mayor Pete Buttigieg blasted the president’s pardons. Biden knows his problem is with the “woke” part of his party that despises the U.S. military. So he cast his lot with the radical left that would like to see the Pentagon padlocked and more U.S. soldiers behind bars. What the left seems to forget is that the president is at the top of the military justice system. He is the court of last appeal. In these cases, he saw injustice and corrected it, just as he did with Alice Marie Johnson. Here’s the old Washington consensus: We get into no-win wars that go on forever. To satisfy the left, the wars are fought by rules dictated by the ACLU and New York Times editorial board. As a result, a great nation gets bled dry in foreign disasters while our warriors are sent to jail. That is a prescription for disaster. Donald Trump is making it clear that he stands with our brave soldiers who kill the enemy. Below is an excerpt of the White House statement announcing the president’s action: “The president, as commander-in-chief, is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the law is enforced and when appropriate, that mercy is granted. For more than two hundred years, presidents have used their authority to offer second chances to deserving individuals, including those in uniform who have served our country. These actions are in keeping with this long history. “As the president has stated, ‘when our soldiers have to fight for our country, I want to give them the confidence to fight.'” Barr Blasts The Left In an address to the Federalist Society Friday night, Attorney General William Barr took the swamp to task and blasted the left for “shredding constitutional norms.” While much of his speech served as a treatise on the Constitution and executive authority, Barr devoted a significant portion of his remarks to how left-wing politicians and judges have abused their authority at the expense of the presidency, and most especially this president. Barr warned that progressives “treat politics as their religion,” using the “coercive power of the State to remake man and society in their own image.” Here are some excerpts of the attorney general’s remarks: “Immediately after President Trump won election, opponents inaugurated what they called ‘The Resistance,’ and they rallied around an explicit strategy of using every tool and maneuver available to sabotage the functioning of his administration. . . “A prime example of this is the Senate’s unprecedented abuse of the advice-and-consent process. . . As of September of this year, the Senate had been forced to [limit debate] on 236 Trump nominees — each of those representing its own massive consumption of legislative time . . . How many times was cloture invoked on nominees during President Obama’s first term? 17 times. . . “One of the ironies of today is that those who oppose this president constantly accuse this administration of ‘shredding’ constitutional norms and waging a war on the rule of law. . . The fact of the matter is that, in waging a scorched earth, no-holds-barred war of ‘Resistance’ against this administration, it is the left that is engaged in the systematic shredding of norms and the undermining of the rule of law. . . “Since President Trump took office, district courts have issued over 40 nationwide injunctions against the government. By comparison, during President Obama’s first two years, district courts issued a total of two nationwide injunctions. . . “It is no exaggeration to say that virtually every major policy of the Trump Administration has been subjected to immediate freezing by the lower courts. No other president has been subjected to such sustained efforts to debilitate his policy agenda.” Attorney General Barr also ripped the legacy of former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote key decisions granting constitutional rights to terrorists captured on foreign battlefields. Referring to one of Kennedy’s rulings, Barr said, “The idea that the judiciary acts as a neutral check on the political branches to protect foreign enemies from our government is insane.” The Pigskin Prima Donna Colin Kaepernick clearly doesn’t want to play football. He just torpedoed an incredibly generous and unusual chance for a career comeback. I hope the NFL has learned its lesson, but I doubt it has. As you know, Kaepernick’s left-wing activism has caused nothing but controversy for the NFL for years due to his disrespectful on and off field antics and antagonism toward America and law enforcement. He was responsible for Nike’s absurd decision to scrap a patriotic shoe based on the Betsy Ross flag. And he sued the NFL for millions. Nevertheless, Kaepernick claims that he just wants to play football. Really? Well, the NFL gave him a chance to demonstrate his ability this weekend at a special workout at the Atlanta Falcons’ training center. The NFL bent over backwards to accommodate all of Kaepernick’s demands, and more than two dozen teams sent representatives. Yet at the last minute, he backed out and changed the venue. In a statement, the NFL said, “We are disappointed that Colin did not appear for his workout. Today’s session was designed to give Colin what he has consistently said he wants, an opportunity to show his football readiness and desire to return to the NFL.” CBS broadcaster James Brown, while sympathetic to Kaepernick’s social justice goals, said he missed an opportunity to build a bridge with the NFL and “move from protest to progress.” Former NFL player Burgess Owens put it bluntly when he said: “[Kaepernick’s] interviewing for a job, if I’m correct, and he’s asking people to pay him a lot of money and now he’s going to dictate to them the conditions? It doesn’t work that way in the real world. “This is the result of our leftist colleges, having kids come out of school with no common sense [and] elitism. . . You’re gonna have to play by the rules and if you don’t, you’re not gonna have a job.” I couldn’t agree more! ——————- 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, Trump Stands With Our Troops, Barr Blasts The Left, The Pigskin Prima Donna 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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Believe in Anything But America . . .
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 06:24 PM PST
. . . Anti American Kaepernick misses NFL tryouts because there is no Team in I or Kaepernick in Team. Editorial Cartoon by AF “Tony” BrancoTags: AF Branco, editorial cartoon, Believe in Anything. But America, Anti American Kaepernick, misses NFL tryouts, no Team, I, Kaepernick, in Team 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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Sanders Burns the 2020 Democratic Primary Gun Control Agenda
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 06:11 PM PST
by NRA-ILA: As anti-gun as the 2020 Democratic presidential contenders have exposed themselves to be,
much of the field still gives lip-service to the Second Amendment and
the Constitution. Take for instance Joe Biden. The leading candidate’s
campaign has said that Biden will seek to “respect the Second Amendment”
and that “as president, Biden will pursue constitutional, common-sense
gun safety policies.” However, take a critical look at the vast majority
of the Democratic field for any limiting principle that would preclude
even the most severe forms of gun control (like gun confiscation) and
you will come up wanting. To his credit, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has once again injected some much-needed sanity into a Democratic presidential primary. Speaking at a November 10 campaign rally in Charles City, Iowa, the candidate was asked about his opinion on a “mandatory buyback” (properly understood as confiscation) of commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms like AR-15s. Sanders responded by stating, “I don’t support, a mandatory buyback is essentially confiscation, which I think is unconstitutional.” The senator went on to add, “It means that I am going to walk into your house and take something whether you like it or not. I don’t think that stands up to constitutional scrutiny.” Unfortunately, Sanders’s moment of lucidity was brief. The candidate went on to express his support for the criminalization of private firearms transfers and a ban on the sale of commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms. The senator also provided unwitting attendees with a misimpression of current law by suggesting an individual could “buy a dozen guns legally” and sell them to criminals without facing legal repercussions. Of course, 18 U.S.C. 922(d) makes it unlawful for “any person to sell or otherwise dispose of any firearm or ammunition to any person knowing or having reasonable cause to believe that such person” is prohibited from possessing firearms. A violation of this provision is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. However wrong Sanders might be about a slew of gun control measures, he is right about the confiscation of commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms. In the landmark case District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court concluded that the Second Amendment protected ownership of the type of firearms “in common use at the time” for “lawful purposes like self-defense.” The National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates that there are more than 16 million commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms possessed by law-abiding Americans. The AR-15 is the most popular rifle in America, and therefore is in “common use.” Gun control advocates seem to agree that such semi-automatic rifles are common, considering they routinely complain about the “proliferation” of these firearms. Heller opinion author Justice Antonin Scalia later reiterated the fact that the decision precluded bans on commonly-owned semi-automatics when he signed onto a dissent from denial of certiorari in the case of Friedman v. Highland Park. The dissent, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, couldn’t have been clearer: Roughly five million Americans own AR-style semiautomatic rifles. The overwhelming majority of citizens who own and use such rifles do so for lawful purposes, including self-defense and target shooting. Under our precedents, that is all that is needed for citizens to have a right under the Second Amendment to keep such weapons.Further, as Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted during his time on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a dissent in District of Columbia v. Heller, U.S. Supreme Court precedent required gun control measures to be scrutinized in the context of the Second Amendment’s “text, history, and tradition.” A confiscation effort the likes of which has been backed by several of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates has no validity when examined under this framework. This wasn’t the first time Sanders has brought a measure of reason to a Democratic presidential primary. During a 2016 Democratic primary debate, Sanders was challenged on his vote for the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. The PLCAA was enacted to protect the firearms industry from frivolous lawsuits resulting from a third party’s criminal misuse of a firearm. The act codified long-standing principles of tort law. During the debate, Sanders stated, Well, this is what I say, if I understand it — and correct me if I’m wrong. If you go to a gun store and you legally purchase a gun, and then, three days later, if you go out and start killing people, is the point of this lawsuit to hold the gun shop owner or the manufacturer of that gun liable? If that is the point, I have to tell you I disagree…. what you’re really talking about is ending gun manufacturing in America. I don’t agree with that.According to USA Today, the Senator later told reporters that permitting frivolous suits against the gun industry could result in “shutting down the entire industry.” Sanders added, “If Secretary Clinton’s position is that there should not be any more guns in America, fine… She should be honest and say that, because that is really what that means.” Sanders is not a champion of gun rights. The senator merely appears to understand that there is some limit to the government’s power to trample upon the Constitutional rights of the American people. The fact that his comment stands out in the 2020 Democratic race is more a testament to his deranged opponents than his love of liberty. It’s a bizarre season when the “Democratic Socialist” is the most centrist Democratic presidential candidate on guns. ———————- NRA-ILA article. Tags: Bernie Sanders, 2020 Democratic Primary, Gun Control Agenda To share or post to your site, click on “Post Link”. 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Broaddrick To ABC: ‘Epstein Is Dead, But Bill Clinton Isn’t’
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 05:47 PM PST
by Free Press International:
In hot-mic footage posted by Project Veritas, ABC anchor Amy Robach
describes how the network killed her exclusive on pedophile Jeffrey
Epstein. Robach says: “It’s unbelievable what we had — Clinton, we had
everything.” Juanita Broaddrick, who said she was raped by Bill Clinton in 1978, has urged Robach to release her story on Epstein, including reporting of his association with Clinton. “Epstein is dead, but Bill Clinton isn’t, and his victims deserve to know … what is everything?” Broaddrick tweeted in an “open message” to Robach. From 2002 to 2003, Bill Clinton took 26 flights on Epstein’s private jet known as the “Lolita Express.” From 1989 to 2003, Epstein donated more than $139,000 to Democratic candidates and causes, and $18,000 to Republicans, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Recipients included the Democratic National Committee during Clinton’s 1996 re-election bid and a PAC supporting Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign. An Epstein charity also contributed $25,000 to the Clinton Foundation in 2006. In the video posted by Project Veritas, Robach speaks about how ABC sat for three years on her interview with Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, saying, “I tried for three years to get it on to no avail.” Meanwhile, reports circulated last week that the staffer ABC had suspected of leaking the Robach video to Project Veritas was fired. “According to the reports, ABC executives informed their counterparts at CBS, where the staffer had recently been hired, of their suspicions and the employee soon lost her job,” Fox News reported. The fired CBS staffer, Ashley Bianco, publicly denied that she was the leaker. At the same time, Project Veritas published a note from the alleged “ABC insider” it claimed was behind the leak. It wasn’t Bianco. “I did not” leak the tape, Bianco told media personality Megyn Kelly in an interview posted on YouTube. “I’m not the whistleblower. I’m sorry to ABC, but the leaker is still inside.” —————— Free Press International News Service (@freepressers) Tags: Free Press International, Broaddrick To ABC, ‘Epstein Is Dead, Bill Clinton Isn’t’, 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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White Democrats Have A Religion Problem
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 05:27 PM PST
by Bill Donohue:
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the results of a new
survey on religion conducted by the Pew Research Center: The Pew Research Center has released a survey on religion’s role in society that covers a wide range of issues. Of particular interest to the Catholic League are those Americans who are religion-friendly versus those who are not. The majority of Americans believe that churches and religious organizations (a) do more good than harm (b) strengthen morality in society, and (c) mostly bring people together. That is a good sign. But this is not true of Democrats in general, and of white Democrats, in particular. While a majority of Republicans (71%) believe religion does more good than harm, only 44% of Democrats believe this is true. Republicans are also more likely to see religion as an agent that strengthens morality (68%) versus only 41% of Democrats. Does religion mostly bring people together? Yes, say 65% of Republicans; just 39% of Democrats feel this way. When broken down by race, it is clear that white Democrats differ sharply with black Democrats. Regarding the issue of religion doing more good than harm, 57% of blacks say this is true while only 39% of whites agree. The majority of blacks (52%) contend that religion strengthens morality in society and that it mostly brings people together. Just a third of whites think this way about these two issues (35% and 32%, respectively). Hispanics fell in between on these matters. It is striking that a plurality of white Democrats see religion as mostly pushing people apart (36% feel this way as opposed to 32% who think religion brings people together). Only 21% of black Democrats maintain that religion mostly pushes people apart. The relative hostility on the part of Democrats to religion—largely driven by whites—is not lost on the public. When asked if the Republican Party is generally friendly toward religion, 54% agreed but only 19% said the Democratic Party was. Which professions are the most unfriendly to religion? University professors and news reporters and news media. It is hardly a secret that the vast majority of professors and reporters are Democrats and that they are not exactly known for being religion-friendly. This bias shows up in many ways in public life, and indeed it even colored the narrative of those who wrote the Pew report. For example, in the graph on the subject of who is religion-friendly (p. 9), the headline reads, “Just Over Half of Americans Say GOP Is Friendly Toward Religion.” Surely a more startling headline would be “Less than 20% of Americans Say the Democrats Are Friendly Toward Religion.” Who do Americans trust, as measured by ethical standards? Medical doctors (87%), police officers (70%), and religious leaders (65%) garner a strong majority. Bringing up the rear are journalists (45%), lawyers (44%) and elected officials (26%). Finally, most Americans are satisfied with the amount of political discussion in sermons. But they are not trusting of the clergy’s advice when it comes to issues they have no expertise in, such as global climate change (only 13% say they have a lot of confidence in their clergy providing useful guidance in this area). What accounts for the perception that white Democrats, professors and reporters are so unfriendly to religion? Ideology. They are mostly secularists who discount the benefits of religion in society, trusting their own moral code instead. That, however, raises all kinds of potential problems, not only for others, but for themselves as well. ——————— Bill Donohue (@CatholicLeague) is a sociologist and president of the Catholic League. Tags: Bill Donohue, Catholic League, White Democrats, have, Religion Problem 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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Mexican Cartels
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 05:15 PM PST
by Kerby Anderson, Contributing Author:
Two weeks ago the slaughter of Mormon women and children was a shocking
reminder of the danger at our border and the terror so many Mexican
citizens experience on a daily basis. Drug cartels control huge swaths
of the Mexican countryside because government officials and law
enforcement are out spent and out gunned. The attack was originally attributed to a case of mistaken identity. But the reality is that it was probably a warning sent to Mexican officials that the drug gangs are in charge and will kill anyone at any time. Last year homicides reached a high of 36,000. Murders average 90 a day in Mexico. Senator Ben Sasse summed it up best. “The hard truth is that Mexico is dangerously close to a failed state.” Although President Trump offered to help the Mexican president, we will see what can be done or will be done. I was encouraged to see that the Wall Street Journal editors did place part of the blame on our country’s drug habit. Make no mistake; the drug cartels are the ones to blame. However, Americans who consume lots of illegal drugs provide the financial resources and the power to these cartels. We spend more than $150 billion on cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. Most of these drugs come across the Mexican border. The money from those drug sales line the pockets of the drug cartels and are used to bribe law enforcement on both sides of the border. Some of us remember when there was a war on drugs and remember the campaign to “just say no” to drugs. Today, that is a distant memory as more and more states try the failed experiment of legalizing drugs. Meanwhile, actors and other entertainers use drugs and promote the false message that drug use is a victim-less crime. Tell that to the Mormon family grieving the loss of their loved ones. —————— 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, Mexican Cartels 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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High Crimes . . .
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 05:14 PM PST
. . . Schiff and the Democrats keep moving the goal post to what an impeachable offense is, and now includes tweeting. Editorial Cartoon by AF “Tony” BrancoTags: Editorial Cartoon, AF Branco, High Crimes, Schiff, Democrats, keep moving, the goal post, impeachable offense, includes tweeting 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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Several Colorado Sheriffs Say They Won’t Enforce Red Flag Gun Law
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 03:40 PM PST
60 Minutes Overtime:
Some Colorado counties are opposing a new state gun law that goes into
effect in 2020. The red flag law allows a judge to issue an extreme risk
protection order so that law enforcement can remove firearms from
people posing a threat to themselves or others. However, nearly half of Colorado’s counties have responded to the bill, passed in the new Democrat-controlled statehouse, by declaring themselves “Second Amendment sanctuaries.” Scott Pelley reports on the controversial new law on the next edition of 60 Minutes, Sunday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m., ET and 7 p.m. PT on CBS. The model red flag law was written after the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012. Currently, 17 states and the District of Columbia have adopted them. One of the authors of the model law is Josh Horwitz, head of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. “This is a law that is a temporary civil restraining order that allows family members or law enforcement to go to a court… before a tragedy occurs,” Horwitz said. “And if the judge agrees and issues the order, law enforcement will… remove the firearms and then somewhere between seven and 21 days everybody will come back to court, there’ll be a full hearing. If the person, in fact, is dangerous to self or others, the firearms will be kept by law enforcement, and that person won’t have access to them for a year.” ————- Gun Dynamics source: CBS News – 60 Minutes Overtime Tags: IGun Dynamics, CBS News, Colorado Sheriffs, won’t enforce, red flag, gun laws 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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Overkill . . . for Your Health
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 03:26 PM PST
by Paul Jacob, Contributing Author: News
stories about death- and illness-by-vaping keep hitting us. But in most
of these stories it is what is left out that is most alarming. From Washington State’s King County we learn of another case of severe lung disease “associated with vaping.” But the reportage doesn’t mention how the maladies relate to vaping. “KING-TV reports there have been 15 cases of severe lung disease associated with vaping in Washington state since April 2019. . . .” Interesting as far as that goes, but. . . . In addition to no discussion of causality, the most obvious thing not mentioned in this and similar reports? The numbers diagnosed with severe lung disease caused by smoking — which is the relevant vaping alternative. The U.S. Government’s agency devoted to diagnosing potentially widespread pathogens and practices is, thankfully, a bit more useful. In a recently published study, scientists have narrowed down the real culprit: “Vitamin E acetate was detected in all 29 patient” samples taken from those under study. Most had been vaping THC. There are organizations worse than sloppy news outlets, however. In Massachusetts, the House of Representatives has passed a bill not merely to ban flavored e-cigarettes, but also to levy 75 percent tax on all e-liquids and vaping devices. Typical government overkill. But not overkill enough, for the bill doesn’t stop there. Whopping fines against those caught with unlicensed vaping products are also in the bill, as is — aaargh! — civil asset forfeiture. The “representatives” of Massachusetts’ citizens want to take away their automobiles, boats and airplanes if they cannot prove, on the spot, their vaping products’ legality. Politicians are far more dangerous than vaping. 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, Overkill, Your Health 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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Trump Grants Clemency to Three U.S. Service Members
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 02:59 PM PST
by Ari Lieberman:
President Donald Trump granted clemency to three members of the United
States military – two army officers and a Navy SEAL. The three – Army
1st Lt. Clint Lorance, former Green Beret, Maj. Matt Golsteyn, and Navy
SEAL Eddie Gallagher – received full pardons over the weekend. Maj. Golsteyn had been accused of murdering an unarmed Taliban bomb-maker. He believed that the terrorist would kill again if released; not an unreasonable assumption given the recidivist rate among released terrorists. An initial Army probe found insufficient evidence to bring charges but a second probe, opened six years later, found sufficient evidence to move forward with a murder charge. Golsteyn was charged in December 2018 and was due to begin trial. Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher was acquitted in 2019 of killing an ISIS terrorist in Iraq in 2017. He was however, found guilty of posing with a dead ISIS terrorist and received a reduction in rank, which cost him about $200,000 in retirement funds. His rank will now be restored. Lt. Clint Lorance was convicted in 2013 for the murder of two Afghan motorcyclists. He was serving his sixth year of 19-year sentence when Trump issued the full pardon. Like Golsteyn and Gallagher, Lorance’s case could have been scripted right out of a chapter from Orwell’s 1984. In July 2012 Lorance led his platoon on a patrol in Kandahar in an area known to be a hotbed of insurgent activity. He was informed by pilots who reconnoitered the area that motorcycle-mounted Taliban terrorists were active in the vicinity. The Taliban routinely employ motorcycles to track U.S. patrols. Moments later, Lorance spotted Afghans riding motorcycles near his patrol. With the information that he already had at his disposal and with the safety of his platoon being paramount, Lorance immediately made a command decision during the fog of war and ordered one of his snipers to neutralize what he considered to be a threat to the well-being of his men. Two motorcyclists were killed and a third escaped. The Afghans were unarmed and this was the basis for the Army’s decision to charge Lorance with murder and violating the Army’s Rules of Engagement. Biometric evidence, which was withheld from Lorance’s legal defense team, linked one of the dead to an improvised explosive device. The man’s DNA was found on a detonated roadside bomb. In addition, there was evidence suggesting that some of those who testified against Lorance were coerced by Army prosecutors to do so with threats of criminal prosecution. Lorance, Gallagher and Golsteyn were heroes who volunteered to put their lives on the line in service of their country. All three were exemplary servicemen whose records reflected a history bravery and courage. But instead of being treated like heroes, they were treated like common criminals by the very government they swore to protect. But unlike his predecessor Barack Obama, Trump has demonstrated an innate ability to seek out justice and sense injustice. The instant pardons (as well as past Trump pardons) are a reflection of this. By contrast, while Obama rejected pardon pleas for Lorance, he granted clemency for Chelsea Manning (formerly known as Bradley Manning), the transgender intelligence officer who leaked sensitive top secret information and compromised America’s national security. Thanks to Obama, the treasonous Manning served barely seven years of a 35-year sentence. Obama also commuted the sentence of Oscar Lopez Rivera, who was part of a Puerto Rican terrorist organization that carried out multiple, indiscriminate bombings in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Finally, in 2014 Obama released five hardened Taliban terrorists for Bowe Bergdahl, a deserter whose desertion jeopardized American servicemen serving in Afghanistan. Bergdahl was later court martialed and pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Prior to his conviction, Obama’s oleaginous national security advisor, Susan Rice, told echo chamber media outlets that Bergdahl served his nation with “honor and distinction.” The absurdity of this characterization cannot be overstated. At least three of the five terrorists released for Bergdahl either resumed their terrorist activities or attempted to reconnect with their former Taliban employers. Moreover, the release of the detainees without giving Congress adequate notice violated the law. Under the National Defense Authorization Act, a law passed by Congress and signed by Obama, the administration was required to provide notice to four Senate and four House committees at least 30-days prior to the release of detainees from Guantánamo. But notice was only given by phone on the actual day of the exchange, which occurred on May 31, 2014. Consequently, the chief counsel for the Government Accountability Office determined that the Pentagon had illegally spent the money used to facilitate the prisoner exchange. The contrast between the two presidents and their use their pardoning power could not be starker. Trump used the power to grant clemency for those who truly served their country with honor and distinction. Obama by contrast used and abused his power by granting clemency to those who hate America and compromised its national security. ——————— Ari Lieberman is an attorney and former prosecutor who has authored numerous articles and publications on matters concerning the Middle East and is considered an authority on geo-political and military developments affecting the region. He is an author at FrontPage Mag an outreach of the the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Tags: Ari Lieberman, FrontPage Mag. President Trump, Grants Clemency,Three U.S. Service Members, Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance, former Green Beret Maj. Matt Golsteyn, Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher 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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7 Things to Know About Rep. Jim Jordan as He Leads GOP’s Defense of Trump
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 02:46 PM PST
House Republicans are confident that Rep. Jim Jordan, R-OH, is a communicator who can counter Democrats’ attack strategy. Pictured: Jordan questions the first two witnesses Wednesday in the first day of public impeachment hearingsby Aaron Credeur: As impeachment hearings took the spotlight on Capitol Hill, Rep. Jim Jordan, one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest defenders, is temporarily reassigned to the House committee driving the process, where the Ohio Republican already is questioning witnesses sharply and voicing his party’s frustration with the partisan process. As recently as a week ago, Jordan was the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, where he took part in closed-door depositions of witnesses before this week’s public hearings. The change that placed Jordan on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence signals congressional Republicans’ faith in him as a capable communicator tasked with combating the attack strategy of Democratic lawmakers. That’s exactly what Jordan sought to do during the first public impeachment hearing Wednesday with initial witnesses William Taylor, acting U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. Here are seven things to know about the fiery Ohio lawmaker as he takes a leading role in the Republicans’ defense strategy for Trump in the impeachment inquiry. 1. He was founding chairman of the House Freedom Caucus. As a staunch conservative who often butted heads with Republican Party leadership in Congress, Jordan helped to found the House Freedom Caucus in 2015. Jordan, together with several other prominent congressional conservatives sympathetic to the tea party movement, started the caucus to consolidate support for strongly conservative policies and pressure then-House Speaker John Boehner, a fellow Ohio Republican, to take up more conservative legislation. The Freedom Caucus was instrumental in Boehner’s resignation as House speaker when several members withdrew their support, and Boehner found it increasingly difficult to unify the right wing of the party with more moderate lawmakers. Jordan served as the first chairman of the caucus from 2015 to 2017, and the group now has more than 30 members, all Republicans, in the House. 2. Boehner called him a “legislative terrorist.” In case it wasn’t already clear, Jordan isn’t shy about undermining Republican leadership. In an interview with Politico in 2017, Boehner recalled Jordan’s role in resisting his more moderate agenda. “Jordan was a terrorist as a legislator going back to his days in the Ohio House and Senate,” Boehner said. “A terrorist. A legislative terrorist.” 3. He was a collegiate championship wrestler. Jordan competed as a wrestler while attending the University of Wisconsin at Madison, winning two NCAA Division I championships in 1985 and 1986. Even though he’s left his athletic career behind, Jordan still has a reputation as a fierce combatant, only this time it’s in the House instead of the gym. 4. He faced criticism surrounding his time as a wrestling coach. Jordan was an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State University from 1987 to 1995. After numerous male athletes accused a team physician, Dr. Richard Strauss, of sexual abuse, Jordan came under fire for doing nothing to protect students at the time. He has said he was unaware of the abuse. “The idea I’m not going to defend our athletes when I think they’re being harmed is ridiculous,” Jordan said on Monday, when asked about a college wrestling referee who claimed he told Jordan about allegations against Strauss, according to LimaOhio.com. “This is just, this is someone making a false statement,” he added. Democrats will likely continue to accuse Jordan of wrongdoing, especially as he takes a more visible role in the impeachment proceedings. 5. He argued for opening a special counsel probe (just not the Russia one). In 2014, Jordan introduced a resolution calling on then-Attorney General Eric Holder to open a special counsel investigation into revelations that the IRS targeted the tax-exempt status of a number of conservative nonprofits. Holder ordered an FBI investigation into the issue, and what was then called the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, on which Jordan served, found that conservative groups were targeted more often than liberal ones. But with the appointment of a special counsel into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Jordan gained a new reputation as a fierce opponent of the investigation. He worked to undermine special counsel Robert Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein by questioning their impartiality, defining himself as a staunch defender of Trump in the process. 6. He ran for House speaker after Paul Ryan’s resignation. Jordan took advantage of his position as one of the president’s closest allies to run for House speaker in 2018, when Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who had succeeded Boehner, retired. Although House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., ultimately won the GOP conference’s vote, he didn’t become House speaker because Democrats recaptured the majority in the 2018 elections. Jordan’s attempted push into party leadership in the House, however, secured his name among the upper echelons of Trump-era Republican power brokers. McCarthy is now House minority leader, and put Jordan on the Intelligence Committee for the impeachment inquiry. 7. He has a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union. Jordan is one of only three current lawmakers with a perfect lifetime score from the American Conservative Union, an organization that ranks members of Congress based on their voting records on conservative issues. It should come as little surprise that Jordan has a perfect 100 rating. As a leading conservative in the House, he’s driven the conversation about conservative policies for years. Now that he’s front and center for the impeachment hearings, Jordan is getting the chance to bring his fiery brand of conservatism to bear on witnesses in the inquiry. ——————- Aaron Credeur (@aaron_credeur) is a member of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. Tags: Aaron Credeur, The Heritage Foundation, 7 Things to Know About, Rep. Jim Jordan, Leads GOP’s Defense, President Trump 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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Obama Granted Clemency to Terrorists and Traitors, But We’re Supposed to Be Angry at Trump’s Pardons
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 02:24 PM PST
Obama Granted Clemency to Bradley Manning aka: Chelsea Manningby Matt Margolis: Last week, President Trump granted full pardons for Army First Lt. Clint Lorance and Army Maj. Mathew Golsteyn, who’d been accused of war crimes. Lorance had served six years of a 19-year sentence, and Golsteyn was facing trial for killing an alleged Taliban bombmaker. Navy SEAL Edward R. Gallagher, who was found not guilty of war crimes, but still had his rank reduced, was granted clemency and restoration of rank. Lawmakers had been pushing for pardons for Lorance and Golsteyn because they’d taken actions to defend themselves on the battlefield and were charged with war crimes for it. Yet, when President Trump pardoned them, it immediately sparked controversy and outrage. Pete Buttigieg joined in the outrage chorus, claiming Trump “dishonored our armed services.” American soldiers join the military knowing they can be sent away from their families for long periods of time into unsafe conditions with the possibility they might never come back—or come back severely injured. For Trump to give various members of our military a second chance is infinitely less outrageous than acts of clemency made by his predecessor. Barack Obama commuted the sentence of Bradley Manning (you may also know him as Chelsea), who leaked hundreds of thousands of sensitive documents to WikiLeaks. A traitor in every sense, in 2013 Manning was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison. But, Bradley Manning became a hero of the political left for declaring himself to be transgender, and Obama made his controversial commutation days before leaving office. Obama also commuted the sentence of convicted terrorist Oscar Lopez Rivera. Lopez Rivera was a leader of the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional Puertorriqueña (FALN), a Puerto Rican terrorist group responsible for 130 attacks in the United States, and at least six deaths. An unrepentant Lopez-Rivera was serving a 70-year sentence when Obama set him free. While Obama may have granted clemency to plenty who deserved it, granting clemency to an unrepentant terrorist was nonsensical. Doing the same for a traitor responsible for the biggest national security breach in history sends the worst possible message. I think it’s clear that Trump has shown far better judgment so far than his predecessor. ————————- Matt Margolis (@MattMargolis) writes for PJMedia. He the co-author of the bestselling book The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama and the author of the book Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us From Barack Obama’s Legacy. Tags: Matt Margolis, PJMedia, Obama Granted Clemency, to Terrorists and Traitors, But We’re Supposed to Be Angry, Trump’s Pardons 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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Common Core Disappoints
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 01:59 PM PST
by Penna Dexter, Contributing Author: Common Core is the latest iteration of the failed idea that the federal government should control education. Implementation of Common Core was begun under the Obama Administration. It was supposed to increase American students’ “college and career readiness.” The results are in on Common Core and they’re pretty discouraging. Common Core was fully phased in three years ago and, for three years, scores on the nation’s broadest and most respected test have been dropping. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, often called the Nation’s Report Card, is given every other year to fourth and eighth graders in reading and math. This year, only one third of students in these two grades reached proficiency in math and reading. The Federalist’s Joy Pullman points out that “on the same day the NAEP results were released, the college testing organization ACT released a report showing that college preparedness in English and math is at seniors’ lowest levels in 15 years.” The class of 2019, the first to have experienced all four years of high school under Common Core, is the worst prepared for college in 15 years. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos called the results “devastating.” “The country,” she says “is in a student achievement crisis, and …it has continued to worsen, especially for our most vulnerable students.” The Heritage Foundation’s Lindsey Burke points out that taxpayers have poured nearly two trillion dollars into an effort to narrow “achievement gaps between children from low-income families and their more affluent peers.” The disparity in learning is about four years, a gap that hasn’t changed in nearly fifty years. In misguided efforts to meet Common Core goals and diminish this achievement disparity, school systems across the country are abolishing honors classes, teaching how math has been used to oppress people, and admitting truant students into gifted schools. When federal programs like Common Core seek to equalize educational achievement, they pull good districts down. —————- Penna Dexter 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: Common Core Disappoints, Penna Dexter, Viewpoints, Point of View 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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Civil War Begins When The Constitutional Order Breaks Down
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 01:39 PM PST
A lithograph cartoon depicting U.S. Rep. Preston Brooks’ attack on Sen. Charles Sumner in the U.S. Senate chamber on May 22, 1856. (J.L. Magee/public domain)by Michael Vlahos: A Georgetown Institute poll finds that two-thirds of us believe we are edging closer “to the brink of a civil war.” Yet Americans cannot properly analyze this “gathering storm.” We lack a framework, a lexicon, and the historical data (from other civil wars) to see clearly what is happening to us. Here is a quick template for how we might more usefully decipher how this nation gets to another civil war. It is arranged as a short series of questions: 1) What is civil war? 2) Why do political-constitutional orders sometimes breakdown, rather than simply transform in response to change? 3) How is violence essential to constitutional and political resolution? 4) How close is the U.S. to such a break down, and its consequences? What is civil war? Civil war is, at root, a contest over legitimacy. Legitimacy—literally the right to make law — is shorthand for the consent of the citizens and political parties to abide by the authority of a constitutional order. Civil war begins when this larger political compact breaks down. Civil War means that there is a functional split within the source of legitimacy between two parties, each of which was formerly part of the old constitutional order. Thus each can claim that it represents the source of new legitimacy, and the right to define a new or reworked constitutional order. Hence civil war becomes a struggle in which one party must successfully assert a successor legitimate order, and to which the opposing party must eventually submit. This is above all a contest over constitutional authority. Inasmuch as civil war happens after constitutional breakdown, it means that resolution must be reached not only outside of a now-former legal framework, but also unrestrained even by longstanding political customs and norms. Extra-constitutional force is now the deciding factor, which is why these struggles are called civil wars. Americans are most familiar with our own such battles, from 1775-1783 and 1861-1876. For example, Parliament’s “Intolerable Acts” (1774) stripped Massachusetts of its governing legitimacy, leading to armed resistance to Parliament’s authority. Two “legitimacies” at war. In 1860, the election of Abraham Lincoln convinced Southern electorates that the incoming Republican administration would strip them of their way of life. The slave states could only accept a constitutional order that fully supported slavery. The only legitimacy lay in Slavocracy—while the North, for its part, would not, as Lincoln declared, accept “the nationalization of slavery.” Why do some constitutional orders breakdown rather than transform? Our political stability has depended on the tenure of periodic “party systems.” Legitimacy flows from the give and take of a two-party relationship. American party systems have had dominant parties or states. In the first party system, four of the first five presidents (32 out of 36 years) were slaveholders from Virginia. The second party system was more balanced between Democrats and Whigs, but broke down in the 1850s when the Whigs up and vanished, with party stability disappearing with them. The new GOP dominated the third system, 6-2, with one of the Democrats impeached. Equally, the fourth was also Republican, 6-1, with a Republican third party challenge electing the only Dem. FDR’s fifth party system put Democrats in office for 32 out of 48 years, with both GOP administrations governing within a New Deal worldview. Many thought that Reagan’s electoral wave signaled a sixth party system, yet it failed to take root. After 1992, the parties have alternated presidents every eight years, and with each succeeding administration, the political milieu has grown yet more rancorous and divided. There is no relationship between parties now — save as sworn enemies — let alone a “system.” The situation resonates with the 1850s. When collegial understandings between “The Democracy” and the Whigs evaporated, a new opposing party appeared suddenly, and as an enemy. No other relationship was possible. Hence, a party system ending without a consensual replacement means that longstanding customs and norms that undergird constitutional relationships are quietly pared away. In other words, well before legal confrontations over legitimacy, the erosion of informal rules sets up adjudicating crises over formal rules. This was a feature of the final deterioration in Congress before 1860, marked by brawls on the floor of the House and a bloody assault in the Senate. Dismantling a web of political relationships precedes the dismantling of constitutional legitimacy. How is violence essential to constitutional and political resolution? Violence is the magical substance of civil war. If, by definition, political groups in opposition have also abandoned the legitimacy of the old order, then a successor constitutional order with working politics cannot be birthed without violence. Hence violence is the only force that can bring about a new order. This is why all memorable civil wars, and all parties, enthusiastically embrace violence. The character of civil war is existential. The breakdown of the old order forces frightening prospects on society. If constitutions represented a collective source of authority, in its violent replacement are suddenly two opposing and inimical pretenders, each crying for both allegiance and punishment. Moreover, one party’s victory is the inevitable loss of the other’s way of life. Hence in such conflicts, the entire society must choose sides, and it is an all-or-nothing choice. Moderates and undecided, and those peaceful fence sitters all are forced to join warring factions. In civil war, perhaps the greatest violence, in the heart, is the aggressive coercion to join a warring cause. War becomes a great, mutual ritual of resolution between enemies-once-brothers. Here, long standing customs and norms, paradoxically, come right into play. While old political norms may have been discarded, old conflict norms again take center stage. If there is to be a war, certain expectations, even hallowed traditions come into play: How battle should be formed, and also too, the pathways battle resolves. Hence, the “Cousins’ War” of 1775-1781 quite clearly took its battlefield cues from the English Civil War (1642-1651), and followed the rituals, not only of formal battles, but also the norms and standards for victory and defeat. Likewise, the Confederacy, three generations later, explicitly declared itself a glorious cause cut from the same cloth as the declaration of 1776. Our antique civil wars were not bound to formal rules, yet somehow they held to well-etched bounds of expectation. American society today has very different norms and expectations for civil conflict, which certainly will constrain how we fight the next battle. Today’s America no longer embraces a national landscape of an industrial-lockstep battlefield (think Gettysburg, D-Day). Our next civil war—as social media so eloquently reminds us—will enact its violence on a battle campus of equal pain, if less blood. Yet there will be much blood, however it will take form like the gathering chaos of our world. How close is the U.S. to such a breakdown—and its consequences? American constitutional order has not broken down, yet. Constitutional legitimacy still rules. Recent tests of legitimacy confirm this. A presidential impeachment in the 1990s did not lead to conviction in a trial, nor did anyone expect it to. The Supreme Court decided a contested presidential election in 2000, and the decision was everywhere accepted. 2016, in contrast, was bitterly accepted. Yet even the relentless force to depose the president that followed, through a special prosecutor, was spent by the spring of 2019. Yet if these are tests of robust legitimacy they are hardly reassuring. A daily torrent of unfiltered evidence suggests that our constitutional order is fissuring before our eyes. That we have skirted constitutional crisis for the past quarter century is no reassurance, but rather an alarm of continuing erosion. Each new test is yet more bitterly contested, and still less resolved. Today, two irreconcilable visions of American life believe that they can continue only if they own the whole order. Yet ours has been a shared constitutional order. As we witnessed from 1860-1876, it must proceed as a consensual and joint party system: It cannot exist through single party ownership. The single-minded drive toward this goal—especially now by Blue state Democrats—has embrittled our constitutional order, and is creating the basis for a full-scale legitimacy crackup. Here’s what it might look like: A contested election that Court decision fails to resolve. Supreme Court legitimacy has eroded in the years since Bush v. Gore. Today, a Court decision that is rejected by half the nation would not only effectively drain its authority, but also leave the U.S. no final arbiter in governance. Democrats’ court packing would certainly abet this. Declaration of a pre- or post-election state of emergency. As Commander-in-Chief, the executive can temporarily assume extraordinary powers. We have witnessed such moments as recently as 9-11. What if the emergency had a domestic focus, such as a “coup d’état” within the government itself? What if it was the refusal of Congress to accept such an executive order, or even the continued tenure of the president? State nullification of Federal policy, laws, or executive decisions. State nullification, indelibly tied to another civil war, casts a long shadow. States are selectively nullifying executive decisions and federal law, like Blue states with sanctuary cities and legal marijuana. What if beleaguered Red states defied Federal gun confiscation (second amendment) or exercise of religion (first amendment) laws/executive orders, by calling up state militia and mobilizing state defense forces? The issue here is not “What if?” but rather, “What then?” It is not about the authenticity of conflict scenarios, but rather about how contingencies we cannot now predict might bring us to a breaking point, and the breakdown of legitimacy. Already, warring sides have hardened their hearts so that they will do almost anything in order to prevail. The great irony is that their mutual drive to win—either to preserve their way of life, or make their way of life the law of the land—means that the battle has already become a perverse alliance. Today they refuse to work together in the rusting carapace of old constitutional order. Yet nonetheless they work shoulder-to-shoulder, together, to overthrow it. For both sides, the old order is the major obstacle to victory. Hence victory is through overthrow. Only when constitutional obstacles are toppled can the battle for light and truth begin. ———————- Michael Vlahos @JHUWorldCrisis is a writer and author of the book Fighting Identity: Sacred War and World Change. He has taught war and strategy at Johns Hopkins University and the Naval War College and is a weekly contributor to The John Batchelor Show. H/T Article shared by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Tags: Intercollegiate Studies Institute, The American Conservative, Michael Vlahos, Civil War Begins, When, Constitutional Order Breaks Down 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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Flashback 2008: Obama Fired All Of Bush’s Politically Appointed Ambassadors
Posted: 18 Nov 2019 11:18 AM PST
by Alicia F. Luke: Even Snopes fact-check noted that President Donald Trump firing politically appointed ambassadors was not an unprecedented move in 2017. “The resignation and replacement of ambassadors at the end of an administration is routine,” Snopes said, adding that some presidents have fired everyone at once while others decide on a case-by-case basis. For Washington Democrats and pundits who are incredulous that @realDonaldTrump recalled an ambassador, certain that it must be evidence of a conspiracy… President Obama fired every Bush appointed ambassador upon his election. https://t.co/quP7oMAaBA— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) November 15, 2019The MSM acts like it’s the end of the world when Trump does it. The Daily Caller: The former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch testified Friday about President Donald Trump firing her amid an alleged “smear campaign.” Firing politically-appointed ambassadors appointed by former presidents is commonplace. Former President Barack Obama notified all of President George W. Bush’s politically-appointed ambassadors in 2008 that they must vacate their positions, The Washington Post previously reported. Yovanovitch, who was part of the Foreign Service, testified Friday that the Trump administration, including the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, “kneecapped” her. She said State Department leaders did not support her after being recalled in May. “Political ambassadors sometimes are permitted to stay on briefly during a new administration, but the sweeping nature of the directive suggests that Obama has little interest in retaining any of Bush’s ambassadorial appointees,” WaPo’s 2008 article about Obama’s decision to fire all political ambassadors reads. Yovanovitch was appointed by Obama in 2016. Newly elected presidents typically re-vamp the positions with their own choices once taking office. Yovanovitch stayed on for three years after Trump took office, but has testified that senior officials “declined to acknowledge” the “smear campaign” against her leading up to her firing, Politico reported. Read More.Barack Obama might have fired Bush’s ambassadors, but that was different because they were all Republicans. How dare you fire a Democrat and hurt their snowflake feelings. What an absolute clown show this therapy session has turned into. House democrats seem to think that Yovanovitch’s hurt feelings are grounds for impeachment.— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) November 15, 2019President Trump fired one, and now she’s trying to help impeach him. Talk about double standards. It’s absolutely ridiculous. Don’t forget to Like Godfather Politics on Facebook and Twitter, and visit our friends at RepublicanLegion.com. —————— Alicia F. Luke mission is to promote and protect individual rights and freedoms as set forth in the United States Constitution and to limit the scope of government to the authority set forth therein. I’m fed up with the out of control government! I avidly post, tweet and spread a conservative message. H/T Godfather Politics. Tags: Alicia F. Luke, Godfather Politics, Flashback 2008, President Obama, Fired All, Bush’s Politically Appointed Ambassadors 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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NOQ REPORT
- Chick-fil-A offers pitiful excuse for caving to radical progressive pressure
- Sign the petition! Chick-Fil-A: Return to your values or stop identifying as a Christian business
- Beyond Hong Kong: China censors freedom of expression in the Pacific
- Mike Pompeo announces U.S. support for Israeli settlements
- President Trump should call Pelosi’s bluff and answer questions in writing
- Star Trek: Shadow Prime Book I – Chapter 1
| Chick-fil-A offers pitiful excuse for caving to radical progressive pressure Posted: 19 Nov 2019 12:03 AM PST Doublethink is commonplace among progressives. It has given way to Orwellian newspeak in which killing preborn children is called healthcare, disarming law-abiding citizens through “gun control” will somehow disarm criminals, and saying “Black Lives Matter” is considered righteous while saying “All Lives Matter” is considered racist. We’ve growing as a society to acknowledge the cultural […] The post Chick-fil-A offers pitiful excuse for caving to radical progressive pressure appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Sign the petition! Chick-Fil-A: Return to your values or stop identifying as a Christian business Posted: 19 Nov 2019 12:02 AM PST Because of the recent actions by Chick-Fil-A, we have launched a petition calling on them to repent from caving to homosexual activists. Please take the time to sign it. The petition reads below: Chick-Fil-A is the third largest fast food restaurant in America. This was achieved by striving for a godly standard of excellence. Living […] The post Sign the petition! Chick-Fil-A: Return to your values or stop identifying as a Christian business appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Beyond Hong Kong: China censors freedom of expression in the Pacific Posted: 18 Nov 2019 08:07 PM PST China is making a concerted effort to dominate the entire Pacific Basin in many ways. Recently both the nations of Solomon Islands and Kiribati were induced by Beijing to switch allegiance from Taipei. The military threat of the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army Navy in the South China Sea is well-known. Less obvious is […] The post Beyond Hong Kong: China censors freedom of expression in the Pacific appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Mike Pompeo announces U.S. support for Israeli settlements Posted: 18 Nov 2019 03:15 PM PST As Israel continues to fight pressure from the international community to cease settlements in the West Bank, the United States announced today we are supporting Israel’s right to settle the disputed land. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a lengthy press conference to make the announcement which included discussions about geopolitical issues across the Middle […] The post Mike Pompeo announces U.S. support for Israeli settlements appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| President Trump should call Pelosi’s bluff and answer questions in writing Posted: 18 Nov 2019 11:05 AM PST The word on the Beltway is advisers are flying in and out of the White House to give President Trump counsel on whether or not to accept Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s offer to testify regarding the Ukraine impeachment inquiry. She said he could do it in writing on Sunday’s Face the Nation, to which […] The post President Trump should call Pelosi’s bluff and answer questions in writing appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
| Star Trek: Shadow Prime Book I – Chapter 1 Posted: 18 Nov 2019 07:00 AM PST Welcome back to the next exciting installment of Star Trek: Shadow Prime Book I. If you’ve ever wondered what Star Trek would be like as a modern, Tom Clancy-esque techno-thriller, you’ve come to the right place. Just in case you’ve missed the previous installment, you can find it here: Star Trek: Shadow Prime Book I – Prologue […] The post Star Trek: Shadow Prime Book I – Chapter 1 appeared first on Conservative Christian News. |
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11/19/2019 Share: Carl Cannon’s Morning Note Presented by Fisher Investments: Describing Trump; Dual Role; Enduring Words Good morning, it’s Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019. On this date in 1863, Abraham Lincoln delivered a brief, sublimely crafted, 272-word oration that historian Garry Wills called nothing less than the words “that remade America.” “Men died that the nation might live,” Civil War scholar James McPherson has said of the fighting at Gettysburg. After that summer battle — and after their sacrifice was consecrated by Lincoln’s soaring words — the old, slaveholding nation began to die, McPherson added. Americans noticed. “The dedicatory remarks by President Lincoln,” noted the Chicago Tribune, “will live among the annals of man.” Horace Greeley said it was doubtful “that our national literature contains a finer gem that that little speech at the Gettysburg celebration.” Lincoln’s words had staying power, too. For much of the next century, the speech was memorized by millions of American schoolchildren in history classes or on debate teams. The National American Woman Suffrage Association quoted from the Gettysburg Address in its 1912 resolution demanding the vote. Martin Luther King paid homage to it in his 1963 “I Have a Dream Speech” at the Lincoln Memorial. Barack Obama, another president from Illinois, speaking 150 years after Gettysburg, said that “Lincoln’s words give us confidence that whatever trial awaits us, this nation and the freedom we cherish can, and shall, prevail.” Yet, the Gettysburg Address had its detractors, too, and not all of them in the South. The most conspicuous dissenters were in the media. As I’ll explain in a moment, this little-remembered historical fact has relevance to our time. First, though, I’d point you to RealClearPolitics’ front page, which presents our poll averages, videos, breaking news stories, and aggregated opinion columns spanning the political spectrum. We also offer original material from our own reporters and contributors, including the following: * * * “Trump Is …” — News Channel Descriptions Since 2015. Kalev Leetaru examines the numbers compiled by the Television News Archive. Hunter Biden’s Burisma Position Had Conflicting Role of Watchdog. In RealClearInvestigations, Mark Hemingway reports that the VP’s son was paid as a board member while also serving as a supposedly independent corporate monitor. Deficits and the “Burdening Our Grandchildren Myth.” RealClearMarkets editor John Tamny writes that there would be much higher rates on 30-year Treasury bonds if the intergenerational-debt argument held water. Lessons From Common Core for Social-Emotional Learning Advocates. In RealClearPolicy, Frederick M. Hess explains how well-meaning education plans have fallen short in the past. American Mining Industry Needs Rejuvenation. Also in RCPolicy, Rich Nolan warns that the U.S. is increasingly import-dependent for minerals essential to the manufacturing of everything from smartphones to weapons systems. Can the Public Be Convinced That Electric Vehicle Subsidies Are Worthwhile? In RealClearEnergy, Janson Q. Prieb argues that the return on investment isn’t clear-cut. * * * Here is how a leading newspaper in Abraham Lincoln’s adopted home state covered the Gettysburg Address. “The cheeks of every American must tingle with shame,” editorialized the Chicago Times, “as he reads the silly, flat, and dishwatery utterances of a man who has to be pointed out to intelligent foreigners as the President of the United States.” The “intelligent foreigners” on the editorial board of the Times of London picked up their cue. “The ceremony was rendered ludicrous by some of the sallies of that poor President Lincoln,” it wrote. The most infamous, not to mention fatuous, review of the Gettysburg Address appeared in the local Harrisburg Newspaper. “We pass over the silly remarks of the President,” it editorialized. “For the credit of the nation, we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them and that they shall no more be repeated or thought of.” Over the years, much merriment has been had by ridiculing such misbegotten verdicts. Six years ago, the Harrisburg paper made fun of itself in a “retraction” of its ancient editorial. “Seven score and ten years ago, the forefathers of this media institution brought forth to its audience a judgment so flawed, so tainted by hubris, so lacking in the perspective history would bring that it cannot remain unaddressed in our archives.” Postulating that the editors in 1863 had been “under the influence of partisanship or of strong drink,” the modern editors attracted national attention with a tongue-in-cheek kicker in the language of newspaper corrections: “The Patriot-News regrets the error.” It was all in good fun, and it’s never too late to set the record straight. But in their use of a single word, “partisan,” the editors of 2013 hinted at the problem in 1863. It’s one that has hardly disappeared in the 21st century. At the time, the Harrisburg newspaper was named the Daily Patriot and Union. Its editor, Oramel Barrett, wasn’t known as a drinker. He was known as a proponent of the radical wing of the Democratic Party. The radical Democrats despised Lincoln and had come to oppose the Civil War. In 2013, writer Doug Stewart — Oramel Barrett’s great-great-grandson — explained the political dynamics with special clarity in a Smithsonian magazine essay. “Oddly enough, Oramel’s put-down of the Gettysburg Address — though a minority view in the Union at the time — didn’t stand out as especially outrageous at the time,” he wrote. “Reaction to the speech was either worshipful or scornful, depending on one’s party affiliation. The Republicans were the party of Lincoln, while the Democrats were the more or less loyal opposition (though their loyalty was often questioned).” That factor, and not divergent literary sensibilities, explains the panning of the Gettysburg Address. The Times of London? It represented a faction in England that was toying with the idea of helping the Confederacy. (As Tip O’Neill might have said, “All politics is…politics.”) It would be a form of secular sacrilege to compare Abraham Lincoln to Donald Trump, so I won’t do it. I will observe, however, that newspapers motivated by partisan or parochial concerns often find that their judgments about U.S. presidents or current events do not stand the tests of time. In Lincoln’s presidency, the stakes were exceedingly high. Not just for the brave men, living and dead, who struggled at Gettysburg and in four dozen other major battles in the Civil War, but for the 4 million enslaved Americans whose fate rested on the war’s outcome. Oramel Barrett and the other critics of the Gettysburg Address didn’t miss its meaning. They understood it all too well, and it enraged them. They wanted an end to the frightful fighting and they believed that negotiating with the South was preferable to the continued carnage on the fields of Virginia, Maryland, and now Pennsylvania. Moreover, they understood what Lincoln was doing rhetorically, just as Garry Wills, Martin Luther King, and the suffragists of New York did. “Four score and seven years ago” was, even in 1863, an archaic formulation. But if one did the math, Lincoln had placed America’s founding in 1776, the year of the Declaration of Independence, not 1787 the year the Constitution was written. The Declaration had stated flatly that “all men are created equal.” The Constitution codified slavery. At Gettysburg, Lincoln declared by fiat, in six innocuous-sounding words, which of those two documents must henceforth encompass the American spirit. Moreover, when he asserted that the slain Union soldiers had given their “last full measure of devotion” to that ideal, Lincoln was saying that they had died to free the slaves — a claim understood by Lincoln’s friends and his foes. The Gettysburg speech’s “misstatement of the cause for which they died,” fumed The Chicago Times, a Democratic paper, “was a perversion of history so flagrant that the most extended charity cannot regard it as otherwise than willful.” It was willful indeed, and we shall give the last word this morning to a Lincoln ally, Massachusetts Sen. Charles Sumner, who said this after Lincoln’s death: “That speech, uttered at the field of Gettysburg … and now sanctified by the martyrdom of its author, is a monumental act. In the modesty of his nature he said, ‘The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here; but it can never forget what they did here.’ He was mistaken. The world at once noted what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech. Ideas are always more [important] than battles.” Carl M. Cannon Washington Bureau chief, RealClearPolitics @CarlCannon (Twitter) ccannon@realclearpolitics.com For years, many pundits and politicians have claimed Internet behemoths are too powerful and monopolistic. Then, in June, the House announced they would launch a probe into several tech giants. Despite many possible outcomes, we don’t view these possibilities as a reason to avoid Tech now. Click here to read more of this message, brought to you by Fisher Investments. |
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