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JANUARY 1,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

THE MAYOR OF NEW YORK – FROM FOX:    New York City dropped the ball again on New Year's Eve, but perhaps not as much as its mayor, Bill de Blasio did.  Critics are laying into the Big Apple's leader for dancing on national television while the rest of the city was told to stay inside and socially distance during the coronavirus pandemic.  Against the backdrop of a mostly empty Times Square, de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, danced on stage together at the famous landmark. Typically, it is packed with people doing the same on New Year's Eve.  "The View" co-host Meghan McCain tweeted: "You've always been basically the worst politico in modern history - but shutting down the NYC but having your own private party in Times Square is really the most tone deaf thing I may have ever seen a Mayor do. Everyone hates you DeBlasio."  He is a socialist, a fan of Fidel Castro.  A man who is never right.  And New York elected him.  We get the government we deserve.

IS IT NEWS WHEN THEY RIOT IN PORTLAND? – FROM FOX:   Fireworks set off in downtown Portland, Ore., on Thursday night had little to do with New Year’s Eve celebrations – and more to do with continuing the unrest that has plagued the city for nearly a year, according to reports.  Once again, city police declared a riot as a gathering estimated to be about 100 people targeted a federal courthouse, FOX 12 of Oregon reported.  "Participants have thrown multiple firebombs at officers and launched commercial grade fireworks at the Federal Courthouse and Justice Center," the Portland Police Bureau wrote on Twitter just as the new year arrived early Friday.  A string of messages included a warning to those congregating in the streets.  "If you do not leave you are subject to arrest, citation, and/or the use of force," the police wrote, "including but not limited to impact weapons and tear gas."  Rioters also smashed windows and set fires in the area, Portland’s KOIN-TV reported.  Police began using pepper spray or mace against the crowd, as well as what appeared to be rubber bullets or pepper balls, KOIN reported.  Does anyone move to Portland these days?  Does anyone admit it? 

January 1, 2021       Permalink

OUR FUTURE – AT 10:37 P.M.. ET:  I know you'll want to take notes on this so you don't offend any members of the New Woke Nation.  We teach cultural courtesy here.  From Breitbart:   

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rules Committee Chairman James McGovern (D-MA) unveiled the rules for the 117th Congress on Friday, which contain “future-focused” proposals, including the elimination of gendered terms, such as “father, mother, son, and daughter.”

“This package, which will be introduced and voted on once the new Congress convenes, includes sweeping ethics reforms, increases accountability for the American people, and makes this House of Representatives the most inclusive in history,” said the House Committee on Rules in a statement.

House Speaker Pelosi went on to say she is “pleased to join Chairman Jim McGovern in introducing this visionary rules package, which reflects the views and values of the full range of our historically diverse House Democratic Majority.”

“Thanks to the leadership of Chairman McGovern and our Members, Democrats have crafted a package of unprecedented, bold reforms, which will make the House more accountable, transparent, and effective in our work to meet the needs of the American people,” said Pelosi.

“These future-focused proposals reflect our priorities as a Caucus and as a Country,” the House Speaker added.

Within the proposals are the creation of the “Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth,” which would require Congress to “honor all gender identities by changing pronouns and familial relationships in the House rules to be gender neutral.”

In clause 8(c)(3) of rule XXIII, gendered terms, such as “father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, first cousin, nephew, niece, husband, wife, father-in-law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother, stepsister, half brother, half sister, grandson, or granddaughter” will be removed.

In their place, terms such as “parent, child, sibling, parent’s sibling, first cousin, sibling’s child, spouse, parent-in-law, child-in-law, sibling-in-law, stepparent, stepchild, stepsibling, half-sibling, or grandchild” will be used, instead.

COMMENT:  There are other changes coming.  Friends will be known as "comrades."  Cabinet officers will be called "commissars."  Legislators will be the "politburo."  And the president will be renamed "the other Joe," for Joe Stalin, who will be called "real father."

January 1, 2021       Permalink

THE CONFRONTATION – AT 3:37 P.M. ET:  There will be no New Year's relief from the political combat in Washington.  But at least we can say that the Republican Party, which some used to call the party of green eyeshades, is developing a backbone.  Maybe we should call it a Trumpbone.  From Daily Mail: 

At least 140 Republicans in the House of Representatives are planning to vote against counting the electoral votes to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory, according to two congressman.

The certification will take place on January 6, and despite the numbers claimed to be planning to vote against, President Donald Trump's Republican allies have very little chance of overturning the 2020 election result.

Instead, they will likely just delay the inevitable affirmation of Biden as the winner of the Electoral College and the next President of the United States by a few hours.

Two Republicans in the House of Representative reportedly told CNN about the plot to vote against the certification of Biden.    

Meanwhile, Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell told fellow Senate Republicans that his vote to certify Joe Biden's election victory will be the 'most consequential' of his political career, a report claimed on Thursday.

The Majority Leader made the declaration in a conference call on Thursday morning, according to Axios, which spoke to one person who was on the call and two who were briefed on its contents. 

COMMENT:  Biden's election will be certified, and he will be sworn in.  But there is nothing wrong with a protest vote, an affirmation of the widespread belief, supported by a growing amount of evidence, that there were serious irregularities in the presidential election.  There may be some increased supporting evidence based on Tuesday's runoffs in Georgia.

Thus far the Trump campaign hasn't convinced the courts to intervene in any meaningful way to challenge the election results.  But ballot reform should be high on the GOP agenda, and should become a regular theme.  As a nation, we must confront electoral corruption, especially in our large cities.  The Democrats will do nothing, as they gain from the crimes.   But Republicans can champion the issue, and should continue to build a mountain of facts.  I personally can't say that the election was definitely stolen, but there is ample evidence to conclude that something wasn't on the level.

January 1,  2021     Permalink

DECEMBER 31,  2020

THERE'S NOT MUCH NEWS ON NEW YEAR'S EVE, BUT WE PUBLISH 365 DAYS A YEAR, SO I FOUND SOMETHING APPROPRIATE TO THE OCCASION.  IT'S ABOUT PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND A REMINDER OF WHAT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS CONTRIBUTED.  HE WON'T BE GIVEN MUCH CREDIT, BUT HE KNOWS WHAT HE HAS DONE.  AT 11:55 P.M. ET:    FROM JNS: 

/ JNS) Israel welcomed a delegation of leaders and activists from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates earlier this month, following the success of the Abraham Accords that have normalized relations between Gulf and Muslim countries with Israel.

Under the auspices of a newly established organization named Sharaka (Arabic for “cooperation” or “partnership”), which “aims to lead social initiatives that bring Israel’s voice to strengthen familiarity with the State of Israel in the Arab world and create cooperation between young people in Israel and Arab states,” the group visited historical and cultural sites in Israel and met with Israeli activists and leaders.

The partnership was born after Israelis visited the UAE and decided to jump-start a joint project that focuses on people-to-people encounters. Participating activists included professionals in academia, art, literature, politics, education, activism and the hospitality industry.

“We want a warm peace, where people will connect,” said Sharaka founder Amit Deri (who is also the founder and CEO of Reservists on Duty). “When leaders make a peace agreement, that’s one thing, but people-to-people connections are another. We want Emiratis to feel comfortable walking the streets of Tel Aviv in their traditional clothes, and Israelis want to feel comfortable walking the streets of Manama or Abu Dhabi with Israeli and Jewish symbols,” he told JNS.

As they lit candles at the Western Wall during Hanukkah, recalled Deri, “they felt like they were rock stars, with thousands cheering for them.”

Emirati delegation member Dr. Majid Al Sarrah, 37, told JNS that “it was a very spiritual and blessed moment, and we could feel the positivity all around us.”

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  With all his faults, Donald Trump has done great things.

December 31, 2020       Permalink