13 March, 2021

I Really Want to Steal this Entire Post at InstaPundit

I’m going to try not to. Read the whole thing:

Instapundit » Blog Archive » HOW IT STARTED: Albany’s Dead-Of-Night Coronavirus Vote Gives Cuomo Sweeping New Emergency Powers. … (pjmedia.com)

How it started:

How it ended up:

Much more at the link.

Answer: It Isn’t. Ever.

‘Tell Me Again, Why Is Showing A Voter I.D. Voter Suppression’: Burgess Owens Slams Critics Of Voter I.D. Laws | The Daily Wire

This is a statement I have made repeatedly since this blog started and I stand by it.

There are no good ethical reasons to oppose voter ID laws.

Period.

Therefore, if you oppose them the only reasons can be that you’re stupid, or that you’re unethical.

I don’t usually choose. I let the evidence speak for itself.

However, on to Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT-04) words on this topic:

“I used my I.D. to drive a car, to get a job, to board a plane, pick up prescriptions, and virtually everything else in life … So tell me again, why is showing an I.D. ‘Voter suppression’?”

Well, when you’re right, you’re right.

‘Record Numbers’–It’s Almost Like this Goes up During Democratic Administrations

Border crisis: Record number of migrant children being held in 'grim' cage-like 'cells' for longer than is legal – TheBlaze

In a shocking report published Wednesday, the Washington Post didn't shy away from characterizing the situation as a "crisis," noting its "magnitude came into clearer focus Wednesday as the new administration was holding record numbers of unaccompanied migrant teens and children in detention cells for far longer than legally allowed and federal health officials fell further behind in their race to find space for them in shelters."

I’m sure this is somehow President Donald Trump’s (R-USA) fault. So glad we voted him out so that this would go away.

#IToldYouSo

Cuomo was the Worst, But he wasn’t the Only One

Move over Cuomo? Democratic officials facing heat for herding COVID patients into nursing homes | Just The News

Now feeling heat over a similar policy is Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose administration last year also directed nursing homes to accommodate patients who were infected with COVID-19.

And:

According to the COVID Tracking Project, the states with the three highest totals of nursing home deaths — California, New York and Pennsylvania — all implemented versions of the same policy. When adjusted to percentage of total COVID deaths in each state, however, those states' rankings tumble, suggesting a more complex picture. Still, the markedly high raw numbers of care facility deaths in such states have helped fuel ongoing controversy and criticism among pundits as well as family members of deceased residents, many of whom are demanding answers.

The odd thing is that all of this was known last summer. Why wasn’t it newsworthy then? What changed?

Oh yeah. President Donald Trump (R-USA) was defeated. So, now we can tell the truth about Democrats.

I hate the media.

They’re Never Giving Up Their Power Unless We Force Them To

Biden Threatens More ‘Restrictions,’ Warns There Will Be Things You ‘Cannot Do Once Fully Vaccinated’ | The Daily Wire

“Even if we devote every resource we have, beating this virus and getting back to normal depends on national unity. And national unity isn’t just how … politicians vote in Washington, what the loudest voices say on cable or online. Unity is what we do together as fellow Americans,” Biden said. “Because if we don’t stay vigilant and the conditions change, then we may have to reinstate restrictions to get back on track, please, we don’t want to do that again. We’ve made so much progress.”

Uh oh.

“In the coming weeks, we will issue further guidance on what you can and cannot do once fully vaccinated to lessen the confusion, to keep people safe, and encourage more people to get vaccinated,” Biden later added.

Sorry, Joe. You don’t get to tell me what I can and cannot do. And neither do your lap dogs at the CDC. It’s time for this farce to end. It’s past time. Long past time.

Well, The W.H.O. is Always Right. Even When They Change Their Minds. So, this Makes Sense

YouTube has deleted over 800,000 videos that contradict the World Health Organization (reclaimthenet.org)

So glad YouTube is looking out for us. Protecting us from those who would disagree with a notably corrupt UN Organization.

The videos are first flagged by human reviewers or the content moderation AI systems.

Then they are re-reviewed and removed if they contain information that contradicts information provided by the World Health organization.

If a video is found to be in violation of YouTube’s policies, the account receives a strike. Three strikes within a 90-day period results in an account being permanently banned.

Never mind the Truth. Here’s The W.H.O.

Good Question

That Might Just Inspire an Actual Insurrection

Pelosi: ‘There Could Be A Scenario’ In Which Democrats Unseat GOP Congresswoman, Give Seat To Democrat | The Daily Wire

There could be a scenario in which I join a march on Capitol Hill carrying torches and pitchforks.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled on Thursday that there could be a situation in which Democrats unseat Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) and replace her with the Democratic challenger that she beat in last year’s election, Rita Hart.

“On Wednesday, a congressional committee punted a motion to dismiss Democrat Rita Hart’s election contest of the result of Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District election in November before first considering the merits of her appeal,” the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported. “The U.S. House Committee on House Administration postponed its consideration of a motion to dismiss, which was filed by U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the Republican who was certified by state officials as the winner of Iowa’s 2nd District by just six votes.”

Pelosi:

Well, I respect the work of the Committee. I did see, as you saw in the press, what they decided to, and they were following my, as I read it, the requirements of the law as to how you go forward, and how you go forward is the path you’re on. And, and we’ll see where that takes us. Yeah, but there could be a scenario to that extent, yes.

They actually did this once before. In 1985, I believe, the Democrats refused to seat a Republican from here in Indiana. This was before the internet and 200 channels and social media, though, so the outrage was muted.

I suspect in this case, the outrage would be out of control. But perhaps I under-estimate the power of the liberal media and over-estimate the simmering rage on the right.

You Can’t Handle the Truth!

But don’t worry, the wonderful folks at YouTube will protect you from it.

YouTube censors Canadian doctors calling for an end to lockdown (reclaimthenet.org)

A group of Canadian doctors and their video expressing anti-lockdown sentiments is the latest victim of YouTube’s Covid-related censorship.

These medical professionals, gathered in the Canada Health Alliance non-profit, spoke out in favor of relaxing coronavirus restrictions in their country.

But YouTube’s response to the video posted on Monday was swift. A black screen and a message that this content violated the giant’s terms of service is now displayed instead.

Expressing a medical opinion as a medical professional is now a violation of YouTube’s TOS.

Good to know.

As always:

We Kept Our Kids at Home this Year—I Wish We Hadn’t

Researchers: School closures endanger children — Joanne Jacobs

Our kids had the option of returning to school part time (which has since been changed to 4 days a week) or of staying home. We kept them at home. Both my wife and I are at somewhat high risk for the China Virus, so perhaps our choice was somewhat selfish. But this has been hard on the kids, and I think harder as time has gone on. I think now that we made the wrong decision. Next fall they will definitely be going back to school.

“The science shows we can safely reopen schools now for full-time (non-hybrid) learning,” write four doctors who’ve researched Covid-19 in USA Today. Keeping schools closed is harming children’s health.

Children are no more likely to die Covid-19 than they are of seasonal flu, write Dr. Tara O. Henderson, Dr. Monica Gandhi, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg and Dr. Daniel Johnson. They are much more likely to die of suicide, in some cases “driven by school closure.”

The Centers for Disease Control guidance is way too conservative, their research shows. “Viral spread is minimal in schools with appropriate safety precautions,” even in communities with a much higher disease prevalence than the CDC recommendations.

The science is settled.

“Kids in Cages” Criticisms from the Biden Administration

Here Are All The Times Biden and Harris Condemned ‘Kids In Cages’… Before Doing The Same Thing | The Daily Wire

Wow, will you look at that:

And that:

Let’s check to see where Vice President Kamala Harris (D-USA) stands.

Oh look. She even managed to work in the “very fine people” hoax.

One more, just for fun:

I just love it when hypocrites hypocrite. I’m sure the outrage from the NYT and WaPo is right around the corner.

‘This is Freedom Right Here’

A break from the depressing news.

Fox News' Will Cain Ecstatically Celebrates Reopening Of Texas At Crowded Diner - 'This Is Freedom Right Here' (lifezette.com)

Damn straight.

On Tuesday, businesses in the great state of Texas were finally allowed to open at 100% capacity, if they chose to do so. Fox News host Will Cain went viral the next day as he gleefully celebrated the reopening at a packed Texas diner.

Cain was at Bill Smith’s Cafe in McKinney, Texas, for a Breakfast with Friends event when he appeared on “Fox & Friends” via livestream.

“Let me show you what 100% capacity looks like,” a visibly excited Cain said. “This is freedom right here.”

I still want to move to Texas.

Come on Indiana, get on the bus.

Well, That Makes Sense

President Donald Trump (R-USA) had the most success in achieving peace in the Middle East of any President in my lifetime, perhaps any President in history, so why not toss his work aside and return to the bad old days?

Biden Abandons Middle East Peace | Frontpagemag

The Trump administration was on the verge of securing a peace agreement between Israel and Indonesia in its final weeks in office, according to a former senior Trump administration official involved in the efforts. The official divulged that the negotiations between Israel and the world’s most populous Muslim state were run by then-President Donald Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner and Adam Boehler, then-head of the US’s International Development Finance Corporation.

Indonesia would have been another signatory on the Abraham Accords, a vital first step to lasting peace in the region. But…

But despite the strategic logic of expanding the Abraham Accords and the praise Biden and Blinken have given them, starting in its first week in office, the new administration’s actions have served to undermine the accords by removing their American foundations.

So, why then?

Oh.

[U]nlike its predecessor, the Biden administration will not work to strengthen the US alliance with the Sunni Arabs and Israel, and will not fulfill the commitments that the Trump administration took on to develop and maintain that alliance through Arab-Israeli peace.

Biden’s abandonment of the Abraham Accords can be understood in the context of US politics. In keeping with the expectations of Democrat voters, Biden and his team are making efforts in domestic and foreign policy to erase the entirety of Trump’s record in office. Although remaining a party to the Abraham Accords and expanding them to Indonesia and beyond would probably win Biden the Nobel Peace Prize, it would put him in the partisan doghouse for the crime of failing to kill something Trump created.

Well, we can’t have that. Millions might die because of it, but that’s a small price to pay to ensure that Trump doesn’t get any credit for the biggest foreign policy win in my lifetime.

Read the whole thing. It gets worse.

This is what you voted for.

#IToldYouSo

Of Course the Tax Code is Racist—It’s Designed to be. It Discriminates Against White Males

INSANE! Bloomberg Businessweek Cover Story Questions 'Is the Tax Code Racist?' | Newsbusters

Oh, I’m looking at the actual article here, and they miss the boat:

America’s Tax Code Leaves Black People Behind: Dorothy Brown – Bloomberg

Well, parts of it possibly. We have both an incredibly progressive and an incredibly regressive tax code. Our income taxes are ridiculously progressive, and since blacks tend to be lower on the economic scale, they benefit there. However, other taxes beyond income taxes, such as gasoline taxes, lotteries, government fees, etc. tend to be incredibly regressive. In those cases, this person from Bloomberg may have a point.

Based on the headline, I doubt that’s her point though. If I wasn’t so far behind on news, I’d take the time to read it, but not today. I’ll add it to my “TODO” list though. Perhaps I’ll revisit this post someday if I find she has something relevant to add or to criticize.

The ACLU has Become the Anti-Civil Liberties Union of Late, But They are Correct on this One

Congress Shouldn’t Be Fenced Off to the People it Represents (aclu.org)

The Capitol buildings and grounds are quintessential places for free speech and protest, accessible by people from all walks of life who gather there to express their views, demonstrate, picket, and hold vigils. But if those places are permanently fenced off, the public and our constitutional right to assemble and protest will be in jeopardy.

That is why the ACLU and the ACLU of the District of Columbia are urging leaders of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate not to permanently fence off the Capitol, which would turn its architecture into a national symbol of fear and hostility towards the public’s presence. The seat of a government of, by, and for the people must not be fenced off from the people.

I can’t argue with any of that, or say it better myself. Tip o’ the hat to the ACLU for finally finding a civil liberty they’re still willing to defend.

Apple v. Parler–Round 2

BREAKING: Apple DENIES Parler's request to be reinstated in App Store | The Post Millennial

"After having reviewed the new information, we do not believe these changes are sufficient to comply with App Store Review guidelines," Apple wrote to Parler's Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff last month. "There is no place for hateful, racist, discriminatory content on the App Store."

If that last statement were really true, they’d have to drop every social media app, and at least a quarter of all songs and movies available on their store, plus probably 5-10% of their other apps.

Apple is a hypocritical company that doesn’t believe in free speech.

Then Why am I Having a Panic Attack?

Michelle Obama Gloats About Defeating Donald Trump - Says It Allows Us To 'Breathe For A Moment' (lifezette.com)

In a new interview on Wednesday, former First Lady Michelle Obama appeared to gloat about Donald Trump losing the presidential election, saying that his defeat allows her and her fellow activists to “breathe for a moment.”

Hmm. For me, whenever I think about Joe Biden (D-USA) as President, “I can’t breathe.”

She suffered from depression in 2020 and opens up about it.

“I needed to acknowledge what I was going through, because a lot of times we feel like we have to cover that part of ourselves up, that we always have to rise above and look as if we’re not paddling hard underneath the water,” Michelle said.

The Obama family has spent the past year quarantining at their homes in Washington, D.C., and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Michelle admitted in this interview that she has indeed already gotten the COVID-19 vaccine.

“I encourage everyone to get a vaccine as soon as they have an opportunity,” she said.

Quarantining at homes in Washington, D.C. and Martha’s Vineyard would make everyone depressed. Uh huh.

And how the Hell did she get a vaccine already? Never mind. I know. Politicians families are more important than the rest of us peons.

You know, we’re not supposed to have royalty in the United States. I know I read that somewhere.

Now Why Would you Suspect Voter Fraud?

Twenty-eight states changed voting rules to boost mail-in ballots (washingtonexaminer.com)

Well, this is interesting (emphasis mine):

A new report on the vast expansion of mail-in ballots in the 2020 election is set to spark new concerns among some Republicans who back former President Donald Trump’s charge that some states went too far to change the rules — illegally.

The group Nonprofit Vote said today that 28 states changed voting rules enabling more people to vote by mail than in person.

Among the three “key takeaways” cited was this: “28 States changed their policy to make it easier to use a mail ballot.”

As a result, it added, “For the first time ever, more people voted early with a mail ballot or in-person than filled out a ballot at the polls on Election Day.

I warned about this back in July. On that other Social Media platform I used to post on. I said at the time that what the Democrats were doing would make the losing side never trust the outcome of the election, no matter which side it was.

This was obvious then. It’s obvious now. It will be obvious again in 2022 and 2024 if these things aren’t fixed.

And you can get banned on Twitter for pointing them out. Why is that?

Once more:

#IToldYouSo

Woot! Go Alaska!

Alaska first state to open vaccines to all adults | Fox News

We’re down to ages 50 & up here in Indiana. I go to get my first vaccine on Monday.

Analysis: True.

The Media Could Have Saved Lives if They Covered Cuomo Half as Critically as They Did Trump’s Ice Cream by Adam Weiss (townhall.com)

Don’t remember the ice cream incident? Let’s roll the tape:

In 2017, President Donald Trump invited reporters, including CNN, to a dinner at the White House as a gesture of goodwill to get to know them. Nobody can tell you what happened during that dinner, about any interesting tidbits journalists may have learned about what was happening at the top level of our government, but they can tell you how many scoops of ice cream the president consumed.

This is because for weeks following the dinner, there were hundreds of stories about how President Trump had two scoops of ice cream, while everyone else had one. Nobody asked for a second, of course, but the implication was that the president is rude and thoughtless, punishing the misbehaving media by giving them less ice cream.

Ah. If only the media had been as diligent recording Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (D-NY) transgressions. A point the article makes abundantly clear:

If Cuomo’s handling of the coronavirus had faced half the level of scrutiny that the ice cream did, perhaps the public would have been informed and been able to protect themselves and their elderly loved ones. Instead, the governor was granted gushing segments with his brother on CNN, given an undeserved Emmy, and paraded around as the hero — up against the villain Trump.

Instead of asking questions and digging for answers, the media ran cover for Cuomo as New Yorkers suffered. The state is now a shell of the beautiful place that it once was.

I still say he deserves the Emmy. I didn’t see a better acting job all last year.

I Blame Trump, Brexit, and the Jews

Israel, the UK, and the U.S. lead the way on vaccinations | Power Line (powerlineblog.com)

The identity of the three major nations doing the best job of vaccinating their people against the Wuhan coronavirus will probably come as no surprise to readers who have been following the news on the subject. The three are Israel, the UK, and the U.S.

Israel tops them all. It has administered an astonishing 98.5 doses per 100 people. The UK is a distant second with 35.1 doses per 100. Next comes the U.S. at 27.2 doses.

Remember, everyone needs 2 doses, so to fully vaccinate everyone you need 200 doses per 100 people. In that light, the 27.2 doses per 100 people that we have in the U.S. is depressingly small.

Still, it’s so much better than the EU part of Europe:

The cumbersome EU bureaucracy moved slowly on the vaccination front, and member nations are paying the price. For example, France has administered only 8.5 doses per 100 people. Spain and Italy have done only slightly better (9.6 and 9.0, respectively).

The U.S. also started quickly. While the EU dithered, President Trump pushed the FDA to approve the two available vaccines quickly.

Hmm. Guess that Brexit thing wasn’t so bad after all.

Impeach Him!

Biden fires EEOC general counsel for protecting religious rights | Power Line (powerlineblog.com)

What, then, is there to dislike about Gustafson? The only thing I can think of is her vigorous opposition to discrimination based on religion in the workplace which, in the context of one piece of EEOC litigation, has displeased LGBT activists.

Religious discrimination cases make up only five of the 93 merits cases the EEOC has filed under Gustafson. Clearly, her concern with religious discrimination is not crowding out litigation to combat other forms of unlawful discrimination.

Gustafson did establish a Religious Discrimination Work Group that hosted a series of listening sessions in which a diverse group of representatives, including Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and Sikhs, recommended ways the EEOC could improve its response to employees who experience religious discrimination. The report on the work of this group was posted on the EEOC’s website.

Almost immediately after Biden’s inauguration, the report and accompanying press release were removed from the website. Similarly, an 8-minute podcast on the Religious Discrimination Work Group’s listening sessions was removed. Now, Biden wants to remove Gustafson, herself.

General Counsels are appointed for four year terms. She was confirmed in August of 2019. President Joe Biden (D-USA) has no basis for her firing, and it’s unclear if he even has the authority to do so. This is merely a partisan power grab, one of many we have seen so far from this administration.

Unity, my a$$.

Impeach him! He’s flouting the law!

Should I Set an Alarm for Four Years from Today?

That’s when it will be announced that Melania Trump will be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, right?

Michelle Obama Is Set To Be Inducted Into The National Women's Hall Of Fame (lifezette.com)

Right?

Right?

Coming From Twitter, this is Rich

Twitter Suing Texas AG Over Probe Into Trump Ban, Company Cites ‘First Amendment Rights’ | The Daily Wire

Just read this and try not to laugh (emphasis mine):

Twitter is suing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, seeking to halt his state’s investigation into the Big Tech company’s move to ban President Donald Trump from its platform.

Paxton launched a probe into Big Tech’s apparently coordinated deplatforming of Trump in January.

Twitter is claiming they were “targeted” by Paxton as a form of retaliation for exercising their “First Amendment rights.”

So, Twitter has First Amendment Rights, but President Donald Trump (R-USA) does not. Thanks for clearing that up.

Last week, Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he’s seeking to outlaw viewpoint discrimination on social media.

“I am joining [state Sen. Bryan Hughes] to announce a bill prohibiting social media companies from censoring viewpoints,” the governor said late Thursday night via Twitter. “Too many social media sites silence conservative speech and ideas and trample free speech. It’s un-American, Un-Texan, & soon to be illegal.”

Thank God for Texas.

This is so Very Sad—We are Better than This

And if we’re not, we need to be. The fact that America didn’t have things like this is one of the things that always made me proud to be an American.

Report Suggests Never-Ending Presence of National Guard Troops at the U.S. Capitol – PJ Media

A security review ordered by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and conducted by retired Lt. General Russel Honore in the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the Capitol is recommending that a permanent “Quick Reaction Force” made up possibly of National Guard troops be stationed around the Capitol.

When I go to visit the U.S. Capitol, I don’t want to see massive patrols of armed military in camoflage. This sends totally the wrong message.

Bonchie at RedState agrees:

The Kabuki Theater At the Capitol Is About to Get Worse, and It Should Anger You – RedState

If one were to go to Washington D.C. today and walk around the Capitol Building, to the extent that you can even get close to it these days, you’d be mistaken for thinking you were in a third-world country. The current fortifications and military presence feel much more apt for an embassy in Baghdad than they do for the center of the U.S. government.

We are now over two months out since the January 6th riot, where the most recent information shows that not a single person was killed with malice or intent except for a woman shot by police. If what occurred was a “coup” attempt or an “insurrection,” it was the worst in human history. Regardless, there have been no credible threats since that day. The hysteria over March 4th turned out to be absolute nonsense, for example.

Despite that, Democrats and the Capitol Police are intent on keeping this Kabuki theater going. Last week, reports came out that the National Guard was being requested to stay another two months. Now, that’s morphing into something more permanent.

This is wrong. And sad. And outrageous.

And I hate the Democrats for making it happen. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

Biden Justice Department Opposes Free Speech

That’s not my opinion. That’s theirs!

Biden Justice Department Sides Against Free Speech Advocates in Big First Amendment Case – Reason.com

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments later this term in a case that pits free speech advocates against public school officials who seek to punish students for certain off-campus social media posts. Last week, the Biden Justice Department entered the fray with an amicus brief that opposes the free speech side.

Well, why should the government be on the side of a pesky annoying thing like Freedom of Speech. It’s only…*checkiung*…oh yeah, here it is. It’s the FIRST FREAKING AMENDMENT TO THE U.S. CONSTITUTION.

B.L.'s legal team argued in a court filing, "B.L. swore in expressing her disappointment at not making the varsity team to her friends. The notion that a school can discipline a student for that kind of spontaneous, non-threatening, non-harassing expression is contrary to our First Amendment tradition, and finds no support in [the Supreme Court's] student speech cases."

Well, that seems pretty straightforward. And the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals agreed. So, it’s not just that the DoJ is jumping in on a case on the wrong side. It wants SCOTUS to overturn a lower court ruling in favor of free speech!

80 million of you voted for this.

#IToldYouSo

Heh.

Oh, Silly—You Think Intent Matters in 2021

Committee: 'Eyes of Texas' song has 'no racist intent,' but school must be 'accountable' (espn.com)

"These historical facts add complexity and richness to the story of a song that debuted in a racist setting, exceedingly common for the time, but, as the preponderance of research showed, had no racist intent," the report states in its executive summary. "'The Eyes of Texas' should not only unite us, but hold all of us accountable to our institution's core values."

Honestly, it’s kind of an ugly song, if you listen to the words. I’m not sure it’s racist, but it’s not a song I’d be proud to sing. But who would be proud to be a Longhorn anyway? Winking smile

Wyoming Becomes Another State Desiring Migrants from Other States

Wyoming Announces End To Lockdown, Lifts Mask Mandate | The Daily Wire

I really hope this trend continues.

[Governor Mark] Gordon, a Republican, said that the mask mandate would be lifted and businesses such as restaurants, movie theaters, bars, and gyms would be allowed to open at full capacity on March 16. Gordon’s announcement follows similar moves made by Texas and Mississippi almost a year after such measures were put in place.

The country desperately needs this.

Reminder to The Washington Post—Democracy Dies in Darkness

Trump transparency being erased by Biden (washingtonexaminer.com)

Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said that the Trump administration disclosure policy is needed and that a similar legislative package was backed by then-Sen. Kamala Harris.

Meanwhile, agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are taking down Twitter and other social media accounts, and the press is starting to chafe at getting little access to Biden, who has yet to hold a press conference as president.

The campaign to erase Trump-era transparency shouldn’t be a surprise, however. During the Obama-Biden administration, similar efforts drew a sharp rebuke from media groups and news executives, including the former top editor of the Washington Post.

Well, how about it, WaPo? That’s your tagline? Are you going to go after the Biden administration for their restrictions upon transparency? Are you serious about this? Or was it all just a way of attacking Trump?

I think I know the answer.

I suspect that you do too.

FYI

The U.N. Says America Is Already Cutting So Much Carbon It Doesn’t Need The Paris Climate Accord (forbes.com)

But for the United States, the real value in this report is as an advisory that it need not join the Paris Climate Accord. This report is evidence that, instead, the U.S. should just keep doing what it is doing to cut its own emissions. The U.S. is the most successful major country at mitigating its own pollution, and the U.N. shows this.

According to the report, “the United States of America emits 13 per cent of global GHG emissions.” Comparatively, “China emits more than one-quarter of global GHG emissions.” The U.S. still contributes the most greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the world, but, over the last decade, the country’s GHG emissions have been in decline (0.4 per cent per year).“ Greenhouse gas emissions per capita in the U.S. are dropping precipitously while those of China, India and Russia continue to rise. With the world’s most successful economy (over $21 trillion in 2019), it is not a surprise that the U.S. pollutes more per person, but the U.S. is making great strides in changing this.

Huh. And all the smartest people told me that we’re killing the planet.

Sorry , But I’m Not Going to Hold my Breath

Durham will have Russiagate indictments ready in 6–8 weeks, says John Solomon - American Thinker

Solomon has been amazingly prescient and accurate on this whole affair, but I continue to believe that Durham is going to produce nothing of substance. Would love to be wrong, but I doubt it.

In the second half of the interview (full interview here), Solomon revealed that his sources (which have been excellent) indicate that a senior member of the FBI leadership group around Comey and Strzok has turned state's evidence.  Solomon also believes that Durham will have indictments ready in six to eight weeks.

However, and this is the soul-crushing detail, Durham needs Department of Justice approval before going ahead with indictments.

Yeah, that last sentence is the key bit.

Joe Biden Really Looks Unwell

Another Biden Bumble - He Can't Remember the Name of His Own Defense Secretary – PJ Media

Watch this clip. It’s not just him stumbling over names and words. Look at him, his face, his movements. This is not a healthy person. President Joe Biden (D-USA) looks more tired after two months of being President than Donald Trump (R-USA) did after four.

The fact that this keeps happening is not what should bother Americans. Instead, the problem is no one in the corporate media is talking about it. In the last several weeks, Biden mangled the names of longtime Democrats in Texas and had had his live feed cut when he offered to take questions following a virtual meeting. His press secretary has had to answer questions about when he will have a solo press conference.

What we are seeing could easily be described as cruelty to a senior citizen. In an ordinary world, his family would be fined and possibly jailed for this, and Biden would be removed forcibly from their control.

I never understood how anyone could vote for a person with these kind of apparent cognitive difficulties. I get Trump hatred, but how could your hatred of Trump blind you to the fact that this man is clearly unfit for command?

And yet, so many of you did. Well, now we’re all getting ringside seats in the decline of the Presidency.

Thanks.

#IToldYouSo

This is at ‘The Babylon Bee’, so it’s Satire—Maybe it Should be at ‘Not The Babylon Bee’

Man Glad He's American So He Doesn't Have To Pretend To Care About Royal Family | The Babylon Bee

I know that describes me.

HUMBLEVILLE, TX—Local man Craig Trudeau gave thanks to the good Lord above today that he's an American so he doesn't have to pretend to care about the royal family at all.

Trudeau said he is extremely humbled and grateful to have been born in the best country ever created by God, especially because it means he doesn't have to care about Meghan Markle or Prince Harry.

It’s funny. Read the whole thing. And remember, it’s a farce, okay? Craig Trudeau doesn’t exist. Ok, there probably is someone out there named Craig Trudeau, but he’s not the Craig Trudeau in this piece.

Impeach them All!

5 Democrat Politicians Who Claimed ‘Voter Fraud’ After Elections | The Daily Wire

Hillary Clinton

On multiple occasions, former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has claimed that Trump’s electoral victory in 2016 was illegitimate. For example, speaking with CBS Sunday Morning, Clinton said that “Trump knows he’s an illegitimate president.”

Elizabeth Warren

On the subject of the 2016 election, Sen. Elizabeth Warren also claimed that the 2016 Democratic primary was rigged.

Stacey Abrams

On multiple occasions, former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has alleged election fraud or illegitimacy. Speaking with CNN, she claimed that “Democracy failed,” and that her electoral defeat was due to systemic and deliberate disenfranchisement.

Beto O’Rourke

Failed US Senate and presidential candidate, Robert “Beto” O’Rourke also promoted the false claim that Abrams’ loss was illegitimate. Speaking on “The View,” O’Rourke said that the race may have been rigged.

Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris also made unsubstantiated claims of voter suppression, both about Stacey Abrams in Georgia and Andrew Gillum in Florida.

I’m sure they were inciting insurrection by doing this. Impeach them all! It’s important to not wait one more minute on this. Draft the articles now! Call the Senate to action! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!

Don’t Worry Xi, I’m Sure Joe Gets the Message Loud & Clear

Chinese Regime Tells Biden to Reverse Trump’s ‘Dangerous Practice’ of Supporting Taiwan (theepochtimes.com)

Top Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials have implored the administration to roll back Trump’s tough-on-China policies, focus on cooperation on issues such as climate change, and not to “interfere” in what the regime dubs “red line” issues, including its human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, the crackdown in Hong Kong, and military aggression toward Taiwan.

Wang called the CCP’s claim to Taiwan an “insurmountable red line,” an issue about which the regime “has no room for compromise.” The regime has vowed to bring Taiwan under its fold, which split from the mainland when the CCP took power in 1949, by force if necessary.

He urged the Biden administration to “completely change the previous administration’s dangerous practices of ‘crossing the line’ and ‘playing with fire,’” in relation to Taiwan.

This is a major test for President Joe Biden (D-USA) and his administration. One that he seems likely to fail. We must continue to stand firm on these issues. Our support of Taiwan must not waiver, and we must work even harder to end the suffering of the Uyghurs. To do otherwise is to mock everything that America is all about.

It’s time, Joe. The eyes of the world are watching.

Blount Won’t Seek Re-Election in 2022

GOP Senator Roy Blunt Says He Won’t Run for Re-Election | The Daily Wire

It’s almost as if they don’t want to be in the majority.

The Missouri native’s decision not to run in 2022 means Republicans hoping to take back the Senate next year lose yet another key incumbent. Four other GOP senators, Richard Shelby of Alabama, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Rob Portman of Ohio have also announced in recent months that they will not seek re-election.

Actually, I have a couple theories. I think that most of these are quiet (or not so quiet) NeverTrumpers. And it’s clear that Trumpism now controls the Republican party at the grassroots level. I think many of these people thought Trumpism would die with Trump. But that’s not at all clear. And it’s not at all clear that Trump is out of the picture either.

In Blount’s case it could be simpler. He may just be ready to retire. He’s been in politics for a long time. I find the timing coincidental, though.

No. No, they Don’t

Opinion | Do Liberals Care if Books Disappear? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

A rare moment of clarity of thought in the New York Times.

From the idealistic liberalism of my high school English teachers, I learned that to try to get rid of offensive literature is the great sin of easily triggered rubes. A special horror at banning books, which usually meant removing them from the curriculum in some rural school district, pervaded our libraries and classrooms. And a particular shame seemed to throb in my teachers’ breasts when they admitted that some books were even targeted — “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” say — for misguided progressive reasons.

This week I learned from a different kind of liberalism that only easily triggered rubes care when offensive books are made to disappear. It was mildly creepy to hear that the custodians of Theodor Geisel’s estate, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, consulted with a “panel of experts” and decided to cease publishing six Seuss titles because they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” But it was much creepier that so few people notionally in the free-expression business, so few liberal journalists and critics, seemed troubled by the move.

Sadly, I’ve seen this coming for years. There have been whisperings about racist imagery in some of Seuss’ books for a while. And perhaps they are correct. Geisel was a lefty’s lefty though. I wonder what he would think? Would he agree? I think he probably would.

Not sure that makes it any better.

But the answer the title question is clearly “no”. The modern left has embraced the Thought Police. If you don’t conform, even in your thinking, you must be silenced and punished. If that means that a few books get taken off the shelves, or a few paintings pulled down off the walls, so be it. You have to break a few eggs and all that, you know.

And as always:

It Should be 50

4 States Pushing Bills To Keep Biological Men Out Of Women’s Sports | The Daily Wire

Across the United States, a growing number of biological men are competing in women’s sports as “anti-discrimination” laws at the federal and state level have opened the door for athletes to compete based on the gender with which they identify.

If we don’t do this, then we just have to eliminate gender divisions for sports. We have to kill Title IX. We have to just lump everyone together. Which means that biological women will virtually disappear from sports.

I fail to see how that is good for anyone.

March 13, 2020

The last day I was in the office working.

There’s a Mel Gibson & & Sigourney Weaver film from when they were both very young entitled The Year of Living Dangerously.

This has been “the year of living safely.”

Masks. Working at home. Social distancing. Not answering the door for the pizza delivery guy. Movie theaters closed. No NCAA Final Four.

It has sucked.

I hope I never experience another year like it.

Despite that, too many people seem determined that this never end. At the slightest hint of trying to return things to normal, they go berserk. I’m looking at you Dr. Fauci and the Left.

I need some normality in my life.

I need it soon.

I can’t take much more of this.

CDC Recommendations for Vaccinated People

Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People | CDC

Fully vaccinated people can:

  • Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
  • Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing
  • Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if asymptomatic

For now, fully vaccinated people should continue to:

  • Take precautions in public like wearing a well-fitted mask and physical distancing
  • Wear masks, practice physical distancing, and adhere to other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease
  • Wear masks, maintain physical distance, and practice other prevention measures when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households
  • Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings
  • Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
  • Follow guidance issued by individual employers
  • Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations

Well, I am Pretty Sure That I’d be Banned from Twitter too, Then

Lauren Witzke banned from Twitter after calling trans activist quote about little girls being kinky "Demonic" (reclaimthenet.org)

Calling little girls “kinky” IS demonic. And it has nothing to do with sexual identity or sexual preferences. That is just twisted and sick. And if Twitter won’t allow you to say so, then that’s just another example of what a horrible place it has become.

Then Those Ballots Can’t be Part of the Official Tally and Must be Destroyed

HUGE: Georgia Fails To Produce Chain Of Custody For 404,000 Absentee Ballots Months After Contested Election - National File

Months after the 2020 election, state and local officials in Georgia have failed to produce chain of custody documents for over 404,000 absentee votes put in drop boxes, according to a damning report by The Georgia Star News.

The report indicates that the state failed to produce chain of custody documentation for an estimated 404,691 absentee vote by mail ballots, which were placed into drop boxes and delivered to county registrars to be counted in the 2020 election.

Then those ballots must be tossed. Chain of Custody is a mandatory requirement for voting.

But you won’t see this on Twitter, or Facebook, or YouTube where discussing election irregularities is forbidden.

Are You Scared of Those ‘Right-Wing Domestic Terrorists’ Yet? If so, the Meida and the Left are Doing their Jobs

Media-Hyped March 4 Capitol Attack Never Happened, So Now They’re Hyping Future Dates (legalinsurrection.com)

Democrats and their media cohorts are furiously trying to spin out their Capitol riots Reichstag moment by hyping lunatic conspiracy theories as if they have any basis in reality.  The goal is two-fold: demonize Republicans, particularly Trump supporters, and create a climate of fear in order to justify a new war on “domestic terror.”

March 4th never happened. But that’s ok. There are plenty of other dates on the calendar.

As Glenn Greenwald puts it:

. . . . But this was completely false. As I detailed several weeks ago, so many of the most harrowing and widespread media claims about the January 6 riot proved to be total fabrications. A pro-Trump mob did not bash Office Brian Sicknick’s skull in with a fire extinguisher. No protester brought zip-ties with them as some premeditated plot to kidnap members of Congress (two rioters found them on a table inside). There’s no evidence anyone intended to assassinate Mike Pence, Mitt Romney or anyone else.

. . . . That is the core formula of authoritarianism — to place the population in a state of such acute fear that it acquiesces to any assertion of power which security state agencies and politicians demand and which they insist are necessary to keep everyone safe.

The whole point is to keep you scared. Then they can make you believe that all of these new things “to protect you” are necessary.

Stalin couldn’t have done it better himself.

Thank God this Man Never Became a Supreme Court Justice Part 2

Garland doesn't seem to know much about anything during questioning (hotair.com)

What Garland is doing here seems obvious. He doesn’t want to wade into any hot-button topics for fear of antagonizing the Senators from either party and giving some of them an excuse to not vote for him. He’s hardly the first cabinet nominee to play these games and he won’t be the last. But the guy is asking to be approved to be the chief law enforcement official in the country. If he’s really “never thought about” any of these questions and “doesn’t have an opinion” on them, how is he claiming to be qualified to do the job he’s asking for? That’s an awful lot of studying to have to do on day one to get up to speed.

I understand straddling the fence. Even SCOTUS appointees do it, often arguing “I can’t speculate on how I might rule on hypothetical cases”, but AG is a bit different. You’re the chief enforcer of the law. What does the law mean to you? How are you going to enforce it. Again, Senators can’t ask about specific points. Well, they can, but in those instances Garland is entitled to give them the finger. But explaining your thoughts on the Second Amendment is frankly a requirement for the job. If you won’t do it, you can’t have the job.

Wonderful if it Happens, But Many have Tried Before

Trump Will Exact His Revenge On Murkowski for Her Vote – PJ Media

“I will not be endorsing, under any circumstances, the failed candidate from the great State of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski,” Trump said in a statement first reported by Politico. “She represents her state badly and her country even worse. I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be — in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.”

She’s a corrupt big government moderate from a very right-wing independent small government state, and yet she remains in office. She won election despite not even being on the ballot. Alaskan politics is almost as corrupt as Louisiana and she is the current leader of what former Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK) used to call “the Good Ole Boys Club”. She has immense power where it counts, in the board rooms and country clubs in Alaska.

I wish Trump luck, but I’m not sure that this is a fight he can win.

I Just Love How “Kids in Cages” has Become “Migrant Camps for Children”

CDC Will Allow Migrant Camps For Children To Operate At 100% Capacity | The Daily Wire

Same exact thing, but it sounds so much better. Biden’s not caging them, he’s sending them to camp!

The Biden administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Saturday that newly re-opened migrant detention facilities, that will house “unaccompanied minors” who are seeking asylum, may operate at 100% capacity despite the risk for COVID-19 transmission — and despite recommendations that many other facilities, including schools serving the same population, stay well below 100% capacity.

The CDC has, according to Axios, drafted a memo supporting such a plan, but also warning the federal government that facilities should “plan for and expect to have COVID-19 cases.”

Wow, there’s just nothing good to say about that at all.

Good thing we elected Joe Biden (D-USA) to take care of things like this for us. When does he take office?

Oh.

#IToldYouSo

Apparently There was this Whole #BlueAnon Nontroversy that I missed.

See here:

Instapundit » Blog Archive » OLD AND BUSTED: Q-Anon. The New Hotness? Blue-Anon! [caption id=”attachment_436602″ align=”al… (pjmedia.com)

Apparently it has been restored to Urban Dictionary.

Cute thread here:

OMG-LOL! Receipt-filled thread mocking #BlueAnon for each and every CRAZY conspiracy theory on the Left is an EPIC must-read – twitchy.com

More Suckers Self-Identify

How could you not see this coming? NeverTrumpers are just too stupid even to mock.

#IToldYouSo

“History Is Uncomfortable. It’s not Designed to Make you Feel Good. It Just Is.”

Presented without comment.

Twitter vs. BitChute

Twitter bans users from posting links to Bitchute (reclaimthenet.org)

What the heck is BitChute? I didn’t know either. But apparently, despite the fact that it’s so low profile, it’s worth banning.

Twitter was now blocking all links, shared in tweets, to the BitChute domain.

This is the case as of March 12.

BitChute is an independent video hosting platform that has gained in popularity as an alternative to the centralized giant YouTube, which has been plagued by waves of censorship and demonetization.

Uhhh…why?

One of them said that Twitter was preventing completion of requests because BitChute links have been identified “by Twitter or our partners” as “potentially harmful.”

These messages don’t explain who Twitter’s partners mandating these blocks might be, though it’s not beyond the realm of possibility they might be the notorious fact-checkers that the social media company hires to police the platform.

These users were also instructed to visit Twitter’s Help Center to “learn more.” But BitChute explained that the block appeared to be blanket, regardless of the category of content the links lead to: gaming, makeup and DIY tutorials, even “cat videos” have all been affected.

Ye gods. I didn’t realize. By all means, save us from the cat videos.

You don’t have control over your speech. Twitter does. Facebook does. YouTube does.

We live in frightening times. And they grow more frightening almost daily.

I Haven’t Forgotten You

And I’m not taking a break from blogging again either. This week was just monstrously busy. Had a ton going on not only at work but at home. Friday night hit and I was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.

But a good night’s sleep works wonders and I’m ready to go again. Going to catch up on a week’s worth of news, so some of the next few posts may not be as timely as I’d normally like.

Bear with me for a few days while I get back on track.