Conservative Blogger
Friday, August 10, 2018
North Korea threatens to stall denuclearization in warning to US
North Korea on Thursday threatened to stall the denuclearization of its missile program if the U.S. continues to abide by an "outdated acting script" amid Washington's calls to enforce sanctions against the regime.
A statement from the nation's Foreign Ministry said that following President Trump's June summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the North has worked to improve relations between the two countries and "make active contributions to peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and over the world."
The foreign ministry said that despite their efforts to work with the U.S. — by stopping their missile launches and nuclear tests — America continues to insist on "denuclearization first," and continues to encourage international sanctions against the North.
U.S. officials, according to North Korea, "are making baseless allegations against us and making desperate attempts at intensifying the international sanctions," against what they believe to be Trump's intentions to better relations between the two countries.
"As long as the U.S. denies even the basic decorum for its dialogue partner and clings to the outdated acting script which the previous administrations have all tried and failed, one cannot expect any progress in the implementation of the DPRK-U.S. joint statement including the denuclearization," the statement read.
The North noted that they returned remains of U.S. soldiers who fought in the Korean War to the U.S. last week.
The foreign ministry said actions taken by the U.S. equate to "throwing cold water" over their efforts, calling it an "indeed foolish act that amounts to waiting to see a boiled egg hatch out."
At Trump and Kim's historic summit, the two signed a document stating that Pyongyang would work toward "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."
But, following the meeting, U.S. intelligence officials said they believed North Korea was "deceiving" the U.S., saying the regime was bolstering production for nuclear weapons at "multiple secret sites" in recent months.
Ben Shapiro, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spar after he offers $10,000 to debate her democratic socialist beliefs
Ben Shapiro wants to have a discussion with Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro challenged
democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to a debate, offering to
donate $10,000 to her campaign if she accepted -- but it triggered a
sparring match online.Shapiro initially tweeted a video on Wednesday in which he mocked Democratic National Committee chairperson Tom Perez for calling Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congressional candidate, the “future of the Democratic Party,” before issuing his challenge.
“Miss Ocasio-Cortez, I’m really excited that you’ve been elevated to that position and I would love to have a real conversation with you about the issues. You’ve noted that you think Republicans are afraid to debate you or talk to you or discuss the issues with you,” Shapiro said.
“Not only am I eager to discuss the issues with you, I’m willing to offer $10,000 to your campaign, today, for you to come on our Sunday special,” he continued. “We can have an hour long conversation about all the topics under the sun, really probe your belief system.”
Shapiro said he would also debate Ocasio-Cortez for charity.
“However you want to do it, I am more than willing to talk to you,” Shapiro said. “Let’s make this happen.”
Shapiro, Daily Wire editor-in-chief, said that he wants to make “America a more civil and interesting place,” and feels a conversation with Ocasio-Cortez could do just that.
Thursday night, Ocasio-Cortez compared Shapiro's offer to "catcalling" on Twitter.
"Just like catcalling, I don’t owe a response to unsolicited requests from men with bad intentions," she wrote. "And also like catcalling, for some reason they feel entitled to one."
Shapiro responded: "Discussion and debate are not 'bad intentions.' Slandering someone as a sexist catcaller without reason or evidence does demonstrate cowardice and bad intent, however."
Ocasio-Cortez’s unanticipated victory over veteran Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary over Crowley's New York seat put her in a national spotlight earlier this year.
Ocasio-Cortez lit up social media on Wednesday night when she appeared on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time” and stumbled when discussing Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the House minority leader.
“This is painful. It’s Miss South Carolina on maps bad,” Shapiro tweeted in response to her interview.
Donald Trump Jr. captioned video of her interview with, “OMG this is insane and yet the liberal campaign to make her the rockstar face of the left will continue ... let’s face it, I guess they don’t have much else.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s talk with Cuomo isn’t her first media appearance to whip up criticism since her upset victory over Crowley. She has struggled to explain how many of her platforms -- such as Medicare for all and a federal jobs guarantee -- would be funded.
Still, she has emerged as a liberal darling since bursting onto the scene – though not everyone is a fan.
Comedian Lewis Black, who also considers himself a socialist, told The Daily Beast in a recent interview that Ocasio-Cortez isn't the answer.
“The one thing I’ve learned in my lifetime is that we’ve got to get to the middle before we start pushing things in other directions. We’ve gotta get to the middle, and they have to sit down and decide how to do things,” Black said when asked if Ocasio-Cortez provides a “glimmer of hope.”
Elizabeth Warren shares in blame for suspect's alleged $500 bounty on ICE agents, Republican says
Just hours after a Massachusetts man was arrested for allegedly offering $500 bounties for killing ICE agents, a Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in the state said his Democratic opponent shared in the blame.
GOP candidate Geoff Diehl demanded Thursday that incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren “both retract and apologize” for the criticism that he said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have taken from her and other Democrats in recent months, the Boston Herald reported.
“We now have a man putting a bounty on the heads of ICE agents,” Diehl said in a statement. “Senator Warren’s irresponsible statements are partially to blame. She has a responsibility to support our law enforcement officials. Her call to abolish ICE and painting the entire criminal justice system racists are reckless and dangerous.”
"Senator Warren ... has a responsibility to support our law enforcement officials. Her call to abolish ICE and painting the entire criminal justice system racists are reckless and dangerous.”The suspect, identified as Brandon Ziobrowski, 33, of Cambridge, Mass., was arrested Thursday in New York, charged with one count of use of interstate and foreign commerce to transmit a threat and injure another person.
- Geoff Diehl, Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Massachusetts
MASSACHUSETTS MAN SOLICITED KILLING ICE AGENTS FOR $500, TWEETED DESIRE TO SLIT THROAT OF McCAIN, FEDS SAY
On July 2, Ziobrowski allegedly tweeted: “I am broke but will scrounge and literally give $500 to anyone who kills ICE agent. @me seriously who else can pledge get in on this lets make this work.”
Federal officials also said Ziabrowski had tweeted a desire to slit the throat of U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
“He appears to be very much against ICE and its mission. He appears to have a violent dislike for at least one Republican senator and law enforcement," U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said at a news conference announcing Ziabrowski’s arrest.
Diehl, meanwhile, suggested that Warren, too, seemed opposed to ICE and its mission.
“We need a Senator who will support our police and not throw (ICE) under the bus to score political points,” Diehl’s statement continued. “Warren should be putting public safety first. Instead she is prioritizing her White House political ambitions to the detriment of law enforcement.”
Speaking at a rally in Boston on June 30, Warren slammed President Trump’s immigration policies, saying “we need to rebuild our immigration system from top to bottom, starting by replacing ICE with something that reflects our morality and that works.”
Other top Democrats who’ve called for ICE to be abolished include U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders of Vermont and congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
DEMOCRATS CALLING FOR ICE TO BE ABOLISHED INCLUDE KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, ELIZABETH WARREN, OTHERS
But in a response to Diehl’s comments, Warren’s office told the Herald that the senator opposes any form of violence against law enforcement officers.
“We can have respectful discussions and civil discourse on policy while working together to improve lives,” the senator’s office said in a statement.
Diehl, 49, currently serves in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 7th Plymouth District.
Warren, 69, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2013.
Why I stopped watching football.
NFL preseason sees kneeling, raised fists, during national anthem
NFL players continued to protest during the national anthem on Thursday night as the league began the first full week of its 2018 preseason.
Some players held their fists in the air, while others decided to kneel, despite the controversy surrounding the action.
Wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, both of the Miami Dolphins, knelt during "The Star-Spangled Banner," ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Miami Herald reported.
Robert Quinn, a defensive end for the Dolphins, raised his fist. Philadelphia Eagles Malcolm Jenkins, who plays safety, and De'Vante Bausby, a cornerback, also raised their fists prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Defensive end Michael Bennett walked out of the tunnel as the anthem played and "spent the anthem walking toward the bench," the news outlet reported. Teammate Chris Long reportedly "placed his arm around Jenkins' shoulder" during the song.
The NFL released a statement on the preseason protests.
“The NFL has been engaged in constructive discussions with the NFL Players Association regarding the anthem and issues of equality and social justice that are of concern to many Americans,” the statement said. “While those discussions continue, the NFL has agreed to delay implementing or enforcing any club work rules that could result in players being disciplined for their conduct during the performance of the anthem.”
The statement went on to say that the league's national anthem policy remained unchanged: it will continue to be played before each game, and all players and team staff on the field are expected to stand for the flag and the anthem. Those who choose not to stand must remain in the locker rooms.
“We remain committed to working with the players to identify solutions and to continue making progress on important social issues affecting our communities,” the statement concluded.
Wide receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, both of
the Miami Dolphins, kneeled during The Star-Spangled Banner, ahead of
their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
(Associated Press)
Across the NFL, players followed former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem last season in protest of social injustice and racial inequality.
It sparked a national discussion about patriotism, and drew sharp vitriol from President Trump, who condemned those who knelt as disrespectful to America.
Trump in June uninvited the Eagles from visiting the White House in honor of their Super Bowl win months earlier. He said the team didn't agree with his belief that NFL players should stand during the anthem.
The NFL modified its national anthem protocol in May, prohibiting any sort of demonstrations for the 2018 season, but allowing players to remain in the locker room during the anthem if they chose to. Individual teams would be responsible for disciplining any demonstrators.
The players' union filed a grievance about the policy change, and late last month, the new policy was put on hold while the NFL and NFL Players Association work on a resolution.
Following Stills and Wilson's reported protests Thursday, Kaepernick tweeted: "My brother @kstills continued his protest of systemic oppression tonight by taking a knee. Albert Wilson @iThinkIsee12 joined him in protest. Stay strong brothers!"
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Tammy Bruce: The left's 'identity politics' hypocrisy
 |
| Sen. Kamala Harris |
Courtesy of California Sen. Kamala Harris, we now have a bit of a hint of the new approach we can expect by the progressives who now control the Democratic Party — focus on identity politics but don’t call it that.
In other words, they will recycle the age-old leftist approach of lying to voters about who they are while vowing to punish those who dare to expose them.
All of this became clear at last week’s “Netroots Nation” political activism conference, which CNN described as “The three-day gathering of thousands of progressive activists amounted to a rejection of warnings from the Democratic establishment that their calls for single-payer health care, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and other progressive priorities would alienate moderate and Republican voters who are otherwise inclined to vote against Trump — both in November’s midterm elections and in the 2020 presidential primary.”
When you’ve lost CNN …
Ms. Harris, widely believed to be eyeing a presidential run, is doing what good progressives do — she engaged in promoting identity politics at the conference, and then told everyone that the phrase “identity politics” was a pejorative.
“Now, I am aware that some people would say that what I just said is plain ‘identity politics.’ But, I have a problem, guys, with that phrase, ‘identity politics.’ ‘Cause let’s be clear, when people say that, it’s a pejorative. That phrase is used to divide and it is used to distract …,” Breitbart reported.
As a friend of mine noted, Ms. Harris‘ new approach is to insist that identity politics doesn’t divide us, but calling it identity politics does.
Ms. Harris‘ rhetoric is important as it reveals that she and her likely mentor, former President Barack Obama, have realized the American people have rejected the disaster of liberalism, which relies on dividing and conquering. They, however, remain committed to the disaster their philosophy delivers, but they don’t care; their work remains to obfuscate and punish those who challenge them.
Rising Democratic party star, democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, most famous for not understanding economics, the southern border, or the Israeli-Palestinian issue, was even more blunt about the truth of the new Democratic agenda. About the importance of identity politics she told the Netroots crowd: “We can say that a Muslim man can be the first governor … the first Muslim governor, in this country, in the Midwest. And we don’t have to be afraid of some other that won’t vote for us, because we know that 10 years ago they voted for Barack Hussein Obama.”
No doubt some progressives like Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, believe they’re standing up for people to no longer be consigned to the margins, to finally be recognized as whole people and worthy of recognition. Yet their rhetoric relies on subjecting their perceived opponents to the very “otherness” they say they’re fighting.
There were also no actual policy prescriptions at the conference. Promising “free” stuff to everyone — free health care, free education — abolishing ICE and immigration laws, aren’t policies. They’re empty prescriptions for disaster and chaos.
We can look to the 20th century for the result of so-called leaders who promise absurd things for votes, but it’s best to just look south to Venezuela for today’s example of the cancer of so-called progressive governance.
Oh sure, there’s complete equality in medical care — no one has any. And there’s food for all, but Venezuelans have also found that you can eat your neighbor’s dog only once, and the zoo eventually runs out of animals.
For Hillary Clinton, relying on identity politics didn’t. It also reminds us that “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me” remains relevant. After eight years of Mr. Obama’s economic and foreign policy disasters, being fooled twice was rejected by the American people.
In fact, a new survey from Independent Women’s Voice found when asked if someone will support a candidate because of their sex, 83 percent say gender makes no difference, and only 10 percent will support a female because she is a woman.
That’s good news. While much has been written about the need for more women in government, something worth applauding, it is encouraging that the American voter is rejecting identity politics. This further explains Ms. Harris‘ (and watch Mr. Obama to echo this) effort to ban the phrase but not the action.
As Americans we love underdogs, disruption, and breaking new ground. If the Obama years reminded us of anything, it’s that policy matters, for the country and for our families. Democrats are going to find that out, again, in the midterms, as Americans vote for real policies that improve peoples lives, not for a return to identity politics, contrived divisions and perpetual outrage.
This column originally appeared in The Washington Times.
Tammy Bruce, president of Independent Women’s Voice, is a radio talk-show host, New York Times best-selling author and Fox News political contributor.
ICE employee continued posting pro-Clinton messages despite warnings, Office of Special Counsel says
U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) agents arrest foreign nationals during a targeted
enforcement operation, Feb. 7, 2017.
(Associated Press)
An employee of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agreed to resign this week after admitting she posted more than 100 social media messages during work hours or on agency property in 2016, urging people to vote for Hillary Clinton.
The disclosure came in a news release from the U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC).
The agreement between the employee and the OSC includes a five-year ban from working in the federal government, the statement said.
The posts were considered a violation of the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits most government employees from engaging in most political activities while on duty, the release said.
The woman continued the behavior despite being approached by ethics watchdogs, the OSC said.
“When a federal employee emphatically and repeatedly engages in political activity while on duty or in the workplace, OSC takes that very seriously,” Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner said. “This employee thumbed her nose at the law and engaged in vocal partisan politics both with her colleagues and on social media.
“This employee thumbed her nose at the law and engaged in vocal partisan politics both with her colleagues and on social media."“Considering her knowledge of the Hatch Act and continuing disregard for the law, this employee’s resignation and debarment from federal service are proportionate disciplinary actions. This case serves as an important reminder that federal employees must be mindful of the Hatch Act’s prohibitions, especially given the upcoming midterm elections.”
- Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner
Most federal employees are allowed to engage in political activities during their personal time.
Hotly contested Ohio race gets closer after hundreds of uncounted votes are found
President Trump's endorsements may give close victories to Ohio House candidate Troy Balderson and Kansas gubernatorial hopeful Kris Kobach; Kristin Fisher reports on the election results.
The nail-biter playing out in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District got even closer Wednesday after 588 uncounted votes were found in a suburb of Columbus, according to county officials.
The ballots were tallied and Democrat Danny O’Connor gained 190 votes on Republican Troy Balderson. The GOP candidate, who was endorsed by President Trump, currently leads by 1,564 votes.
The Franklin County Board of Elections said in a news release that the newly discovered ballots had not been “processed into the tabulation system,” and the issue was corrected.
O’Connor, who is from Franklin County, celebrated the news by tweeting red sirens and informing his followers that he is confident he will soon be declared the winner. He asked for donations to continue to fight that the votes are “counted fairly.”
The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that 3,435 provisional ballots and 5,048 absentee ballots will be counted Aug. 18, ahead of an Aug. 24 deadline. Ohio requires a recount if a candidate wins by less than half a percentage point.
The winner takes the U.S. House seat previously held by Republican Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January.
The early results were considered a major win by Republicans who insist November’s “blue wave” will turn out to be a ripple.
Democrats, who appeared to come up just shy in another special election, considered O’Connor’s turnout a victory in itself. They point to the fact Trump won the district by 11 percentage points in 2016. The district has had a Republican representative for the last three decades.
"It's one more piece of evidence amidst a lot of others that this is a good environment for Democrats, and it provides some opportunities to the party in the fall," Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Trump claimed credit for his late push to give Balderson the slight edge, but Gov. John Kasich also backed the candidate who is running for his old seat.
Balderson, a state senator, and O’Connor, the Franklin County recorder, want to complete the term of a Republican who retired in January. The race tests voter sentiment before the general election in November, when Balderson and O’Connor will battle again for the full two-year term.
Balderson celebrated his victory late Tuesday night and told supporters that he’s ready to get to work in Congress. He says, “America is on the right path and we’re going to keep it going that way.”
Michael Goodwin: Why it's time for Trump to play his ace in the hole
U.S. President Donald Trump boards
Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. July 29, 2018.
REUTERS/Eric Thayer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC14CA639A30
You return from a great vacation and POW — reality hits like a punch in the nose. And that’s not counting the hassle of New York airports and traffic.
The pain begins when you remember that the hapless Jeff Sessions is still the attorney general of the United States. It sharpens with the realization that Rod Rosenstein, officially Sessions’ deputy but really the boss of the Justice Department and FBI, continues to get away with the biggest partisan heist of modern times.
Rosenstein is guilty of three main sins. One, he gives his spawn, special counsel Robert Mueller, virtually unlimited time, scope and budget to target anybody who worked for President Trump’s campaign or administration. As the ongoing trial of Paul Manafort illustrates, the tactic involves throwing the kitchen sink of charges with the aim of terrifying defendants so they will be more inclined to spill any possible beans on Trump in exchange for leniency.
The zealous approach — and exorbitant legal fees involved for defendants or witnesses — serve as deterrents for anyone who might consider public service. And although there is still no indication the president did anything wrong, the search for a crime to pin on him creates a cloud over everything he does and could influence the midterm elections.
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Kansas GOP governor primary too close to call; Kobach, Colyer send supporters home
So both candidates decided to send their supporters home for the night.
The race was still too close to call and results were still trickling in from the state's most populous county in the Kansas City area — where Colyer initially was leading.
The Kobach-Colyer race was considered a key test of whether President Trump's late endorsement would prove decisive for Kobach.
Trump on Monday endorsed Kobach with a Twitter message of support, calling him a "fantastic guy" who would "be a GREAT Governor."
The current governor - who took on his role in January after Gov. Sam Brownback left state politics to join the Trump administration - raised more money than Kobach, received the National Rifle Association's endorsement, committed to his pro-life views and earned support from Kansas political legend Bob Dole.
An early supporter of Trump's candidacy and the former chair of the president's now-shut down federal commission on voter fraud, Kobach is best-known nationally for his hardline stance on illegal immigration and for advising the Trump administration on immigration, non-citizen voter registration and the 2020 Census.
 |
| State Sen. Laura Kelly |
The state's Democratic nomination went to State Sen. Laura Kelly, who defeated four other candidates in the primary. The 68-year-old has served 14 years in the Kansas Senate and is the top Democrat on the budget committee.
Trump-backed Shuette wins GOP nod for governor in Michigan
Michigan Attorney General Bill
Schuette, a Republican candidate for governor, speaks during a campaign
stop in Lansing, Mich., July 31, 2018.
(Associated Press)
State Attorney General Bill Schuette won the Republican nomination for governor of Michigan on Tuesday night, defeating three other candidates vying to fill the seat to be vacated by conservative Gov. Rick Snyder.
Schuette was endorsed by President Trump, who tweeted his congratulations to Schuette following the victory.
"Congratulations to Bill Schuette. You will have a Big win in November and be a tremendous Governor for the Great State of Michigan. Lots of car and other companies moving back!" the president wrote.
As for the Democratic primary, Gretchen Whitmer, a former legislative leader, won the party's nomination in the gubernatorial race.
She earned the nomination by defeating Shri Thanedar, a chemical-testing businessman, and Abdul El-Sayed, an ex-Detroit health director who was vying to become the country's first Muslim governor.
More online ugliness: NY Times writer compared Trump and Hitler
 |
| Sarah Jeong |
'MediaBuzz' host Howard Kurtz weighs in on the increasing difficulty of defending the New York Times for hiring Sarah Jeong, a writer with a history of racist and anti-Trump tweets, while Facebook, Apple and other tech giants are perfectly comfortable banning Alex Jones.
Their cases could not be more different. But it's getting increasingly difficult to defend the New York Times for hiring a writer with a history of racist and anti-Trump tweets, while Facebook, Apple and other tech giants are perfectly comfortable banning Alex Jones.
The debate around Sarah Jeong, the Times' newest editorial writer, initially focused on her Twitter postings denigrating and mocking white men. But critics have found equally troubling tweets since then.
First there was the discovery of "F--- the police" and "cops are a--holes." How does a major American newspaper defend that?
The Times, and Jeong herself, initially said she regrets the white men-are-"bull----"-and-"dogs" tweets, but was imitating the online hate she was drawing as an Asian-American woman.
I didn't buy the explanation, but felt a bit of sympathy for Jeong as the latest victim of a social media mob demanding her firing. As is all too common in these matters, conservatives have led the charge against Jeong, just as liberals have spearheaded the online opposition against such conservative writers as Kevin Williamson (hired and then quickly unhired by the Atlantic over his past comments such as equating abortion and murder).
But the latest Jeong tweets, noted by The Washington Times, are as beyond the pale as attacks on white men and police officers.
Jeong has tweeted that "Trump is Hitler," "Trump=Hitler," "trump is basically hitler," and "Was Hitler as rapey as Donald Trump?"
How is it even remotely acceptable to compare the president of the United States to a Nazi who was one of history's greatest mass murderers? The Times would never hire a writer who hurled charges like that against a Democrat. So there is a reeking double standard here.
The paper, which declined comment yesterday, has said, among other things, "we had candid conversations with Sarah as part of our thorough vetting process, which included a review of her social media history." The view at the Times is that there's an orchestrated campaign against Jeong by people with an agenda and the company doesn't want to fan the flames. That's understandable, but the toxic nature of the tweets has ensured that this is not a one-day story.
One contrast: When the editorial board recently hired and unhired writer Quinn Norton, it was over tweets that were hostile to gays, not white people in general. So there is a line for the Times—it's just that, somehow, Jeong didn't cross it.
In the aforementioned Atlantic, National Review's Reihan Salam tries to explain the Jeong world view:
"Many of the white-bashers of my acquaintance have been highly-educated and affluent Asian American professionals. So why do they do it?"
He says it’s often glorified trolling, "the most transgressive thing you can get away with saying without actually getting called out for it. In this sense, it's a way of establishing solidarity: All of us in this space get it, and we have nothing but disdain for those who do not. And some may well be intended as a defiant retort to bigotry."
Salam argues that especially for Asian-Americans, "embracing the culture of upper-white self-flagellation can spur avowedly enlightened whites to eagerly cheer on their Asian American comrades who show (abstract, faceless, numberless) lower-white people what for."
That still seems to me like an intellectual way of justifying not a "defiant retort to bigotry," but plain old bigotry.
Andrew Sullivan says that "#cancelblackpeople probably wouldn't fly at the New York Times, would it? Or imagine someone tweeting that Jews were only 'fit to live underground like groveling goblins' or that she enjoyed 'being cruel to old Latina women,' and then being welcomed and celebrated by a liberal newsroom. Not exactly in the cards.”
As a member of a minority group, Sullivan says, Jeong is deemed "incapable of racism," and that's why she "hasn't apologized to the white people she denigrated or conceded that her tweets were racist. Nor has she taken responsibility for them."
As for Alex Jones, I'm getting a lot of pushback from conservatives who say it's an assault on the First Amendment for Facebook, YouTube, Apple and Spotify to ban him from their hugely popular platforms. But it has nothing to do with the First Amendment, as these are private companies who are deciding what content they will allow.
There is a free speech question, of course, and Facebook and Twitter have in the past discriminated against conservatives, and they acknowledge they have a problem. But the case against Jones isn't based on his political views; it’s aimed mainly at his propagation of conspiracy theories, such as that the horrific Newtown school massacre never happened.
Jones still has an online show; his speech hasn’t been suppressed, though it's been curtailed by these Big Tech giants. But it would be a mistake to cast the Infowars founder, who blames a "yellow journalism campaign," as being punished for just being on the right.
And yet it's not hard to understand why conservative critics can't believe that Sarah Jeong emerged unscathed.
Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m.). He is the author "Media Madness: Donald Trump, The Press and the War Over the Truth." Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz.
Political hatred has gone wild - Americans need to work together
Former Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H. once left the Republican Party because he said it wasn’t conservative enough. The late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., ran unsuccessfully against President Jimmy Carter for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1980 because he didn’t think Carter was liberal enough.
And yet – hard as it is to believe today – Smith and Kennedy were good friends, despite holding political views that were polar opposites.
Kennedy, known as the “lion of the Senate,” went out of his way to make Smith feel welcome and appreciated when Smith became a senator. The two would sit together at Senate gatherings, with Kennedy cutting across a room full of his colleagues – many of them fellow Democrats – just to chat with conservative Republican Smith.
By the time Smith left the Senate in 2002, he and Kennedy had worked together on a host of issues.
We bring up this anecdote not to engage in wistful nostalgia, but to point out that America does better when the two sides of the aisle talk to each other, respect each other, and even like each other. America does best when Americans recognize that people from the other party still want what’s best for the nation – they just have a different route to get there.
That, unfortunately, does not describe our current political environment. Democrats and Republicans today demonize and attack each other with ferocity. Oftentimes, it’s not enough to say members of the other party have the wrong ideas – members of the other party are portrayed as evil, incompetent and out to do harm to America.
This escalation of political opposition into political hatred doesn’t benefit anyone. For the good of the nation, Americans must start to see the good in each other.
Time was that what we are calling for here was not controversial. The Reagan administration is a prime example.
In the 1980s, Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democratic House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill of Massachusetts were about as far apart politically as you could get. O’Neill was a liberal New Deal Democrat who favored big government spending, funded by high taxes. Reagan was a conservative Republican who favored small government and low taxes.
While O’Neill believed government was able to solve problems, Reagan famously said in his first inaugural address in 1981: “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Yet President Reagan and Speaker O’Neill genuinely liked each other. They could gently make fun of each other, like friends do, as when President Reagan said that he knew a Valentine’s Day card was from Speaker O’Neill because “the heart was still bleeding.”
As President Reagan said, they were friends “after 6 p.m.” – that is, when the cameras were off and they could speak to each other as people, not politicians from opposing parties.
Reagan and O’Neill got a lot of good things done for the American people because of their friendship. Together, they helped negotiate a ceasefire – which eventually led to peace accords – to end the bloody violence in Northern Ireland. They worked together to curb Soviet aggression across the globe, including in Afghanistan.
Oh, and they worked together to pass President Reagan’s signature achievement, the 1986 tax reform legislation that simplified the U.S. tax code, lowered income taxes, eliminated tax shelters and broadened the tax base. It remains a nearly universally admired piece of legislation – one that had a tremendous positive impact on the economy. America won because Democrats and Republicans talked to each other and put country first.
Perhaps this cooperation is why President George H.W. Bush, a Republican, awarded O’Neill the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991.
While Democratic and Republican politicians attack each other with angry rhetoric today, polls show most American agree on some issues.
For example, our nation’s infrastructure is in disrepair – and Americans agree we need to fix it. Similarly, Americans agree we need a greater focus on career and technical education, and agree we should expand the earned income tax credit. We want less crime, less disease, more jobs, a more secure world and greater prosperity. We all want our children to have the opportunity to get a good education and good jobs.
What’s holding us back isn’t popular opinion or the issues themselves. It is the vitriol of our political discourse. We can only take on the issues we all agree on when we tamp down our rhetoric and see the good in each other.
Yes, there are outliers – people who can’t be reasoned with and who will not respect us regardless of any olive branch extended. Some bigots hate people because of their race, religion or ethnicity and will never accept their ideas. Some people holding far-left or far-right views see any compromise as a sign of weakness and will never give an inch.
Those exceptions, however, make emphasizing our shared values and shared goals all the more important. If our political “discourse” becomes little more than shouting at each other with hatred, our nation will not survive. Those of us still capable of listening to the other side must extend our hands. A coherent, respectful center will push extremists further to the fringe.
America has become an angry place, a place where demonizing the other side has become the rule. But that anger needs to stop. We must put down our vicious tweets and blog posts and pick up a six-pack or a cup of coffee and talk with someone of a different political persuasion.
We might find out we actually like each other. And we – like Ronald Reagan, Ted Kennedy, Bob Smith and Tip O’Neill – might do some good for the country we all love.
Harry J. Kazianis, a Republican, (@grecianformula) is director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest and executive editor of The National Interest.
Neal Urwitz, a Democrat, is a public relations executive in Washington.
Trump-backed Troy Balderson takes narrow lead against insurgent Dem challenger in Ohio House special election, claims victory
Buoyed by a dramatic last-minute rally by President Trump, Republican State Senator Troy Balderson appeared to be inching closer to beating back a challenge by insurgent Democrat Danny O’Connor in Ohio's special election for a vacant House seat Tuesday.
A victory in the race for the Ohio's historically conservative 12th Congressional District would deny Democrats the major upset they had sought ahead of the November midterm elections. The winner takes the seat previously held by Republican Pat Tiberi, who resigned in January to take another job.
Speaking to cheering supporters Tuesday night, Balderson said O'Connor ran a "hard race" and claimed victory. And in a tweet Tuesday night, Trump wrote that Balderson had won a "great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting."
But O'Connor has not conceded, and said in a statement released shortly before midnight that "we don't know the results quite yet."
The race remains too close to call. Balderson maintains a slim one-percentage point lead with all precincts reporting, but there are at least 3,435 provisional ballots left to be reviewed and 5,048 outstanding absentee ballots. That's enough for O'Connor to potentially pick up enough votes to force a mandatory recount.
Unofficial Ohio state election totals showed Balderson with 101,574 votes and O'Connor with 99,820 -- a mere 1,754 vote difference.
State officials said that boards of elections cannot begin counting those additional ballots until the 11th day after the election, August 18.
The mood at O'Connor's campaign headquarters at the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association in Westerville had been optimistic early Tuesday evening as results intially indicated he was significantly ahead in Ohio's 12th Congressional District. Trump won the district by 11 percentage points in 2016, and it has had a Republican representative for the last three decades.
The race was one of several key contests on Tuesday, but it has garnered outsized attention because several polls showed no real daylight between the candidates in traditionally deep-red district -- which some, including Ohio Gov. John Kasich, has said "does not bode well" for the GOP in the upcoming November midterm elections.
Also, while Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, and Washington state were holding primaries on Tuesday, only Ohio was sending someone to Congress immediately.
Despite the apparent win by Balderson, 57, on Tuesday, the candidates will square off again in less than 100 days in November's general election. But O'Connor is expected to have much less of a fighting chance -- and outside funding -- in the fall.
Trump Tuesday night predicted on Twitter Balderson will "win BIG" in November's general election.
Late Tuesday, as it became clear Balderson had a lead with all precincts reporting, O'Connor sounded a determined but somber note in a speech at his campaign headquarters.
"This is a grassroots campaign powered by small donations and people who want the future for their community," he said. "We won’t rest; we will keep fighting through to November."
FOUR OTHER STATES HEAD TO THE POLLS ON TUESDAY -- WHAT ARE THE KEY RACES?
A state Republican party official told Fox News that officials there were "cautiously optimistic" Balderson would prevail early in the evening, citing high turnout in areas like rural Muskingum County that nearly ran out of paper ballots.
Trump may have played a significant role in the reportedly high turnout in the Ohio contest by staging a freewheeling rally in suburban Columbus on Saturday night. In a sweltering auditorium, Trump said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., "controls Danny O’Connor, whoever the hell that is."
In his tweet Tuesday night, Trump wrote, "When I decided to go to Ohio for Troy Balderson, he was down in early voting 64 to 36. That was not good. After my speech on Saturday night, there was a big turn for the better."
Described by campaign operatives as a "Whole Foods" district, the largely suburban region features a more affluent and educated voter base than the typical Trump stronghold.
Balderson touted Trump's help, saying Monday that the president "definitely brought major excitement, and they were excited to see him up here."
"We won’t rest; we will keep fighting through to November."Vice President Mike Pence also campaigned on Balderson's behalf, saying he has been on board with the president's agenda.
- Democratic House candidate Danny O'Connor
O'Connor has dominated Balderson on the local airwaves. His campaign spent $2.25 million on advertising compared to Balderson's $507,000, according to campaign tallies of ad spending. The Republican campaign arm and its allied super PAC were forced to pick up the slack, spending more than $4 million between them.
Kasich, a leading voice in the GOP's shrinking anti-Trump wing, once represented the district in Congress.
At times, the race has centered on Trump's tax cuts as much as the candidates. O'Connor and his Democratic allies have railed against the tax plan, casting it as a giveaway for the rich that exacerbates federal deficits and threatens Medicare and Social Security.
Tuesday, August 7, 2018
West Hollywood City Council voted to remove Trump's Walk of Fame star
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| West Hollywood City Councilmembers (left to right) Lauren Meister, Lindsey Horvath, John Heilman, John D’Amico, John Duran |
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