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JULY 27,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

THE TIN EAR GETS TINNIER – FROM DAILY MAIL:   Barack Obama plans to ring in his 60th birthday hosting a party at his Martha's Vineyard mansion with a star-studded guest list who've all been COVID tested.   It has been reported that big names such as Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney have already scored an invite to join the former president on his $11.75 million 30-acre oceanside getaway on the exclusive Massachusetts island as he hits the big birthday on August 4.  All guests have been asked to provide a negative COVID-19 test ahead of the bash, it has been claimed, as virus cases in the US begin to spike once again.    One source simply told The Hill, 'It's going to be big.'   Obama turns 60 on August 4 and has a reputation for large and legendary birthday bashes to maintain.   Ten years ago, when he turned 50, then-President Obama hosted a number of celebrity guests at the White House, including Oprah Winfrey, musicians Jay-Z and Stevie Wonder, actor Tom Hanks, comedian Chris Rock, and basketball legends Charles Barkley and Grant Hill, along with a mix of politicians and Chicago and law-school friends.   It was reported that the former president was set to charge up to $35,800 per couple for tickets for a separate 50th birthday party in his home city of Chicago, which doubled as a fundraising event for his re-election campaign.   No man has cashed in on the presidency more than Barack, but nobody dares ask him about it.

ANOTHER BAD PICK – FROM FOX:   President Biden's nominee to lead the U.S. attorney's office in Massachusetts is a soft-on-crime progressive who has declined to prosecute low-level offenses such as shoplifting, trespassing and drug possession.  Rachael Rollins, the district attorney for Suffolk County, was nominated by Biden on Monday and is likely to be confirmed by the Senate this fall, unless a Democratic senator votes against her.  After taking office in January 2019, Rollins released a policy memo identifying more than a dozen charges she said should be declined for prosecution entirely or recommended for diversion, such as mental health or substance abuse treatment.  Such low-level offenses included trespassing, shoplifting, larceny, disorderly conduct, receiving stolen property, driving with a suspended license, wanton or malicious destruction of property, threats, underage drinking, drug possession, possession with intent to distribute and resisting arrest.  Republicans are likely to protest Rollins's nomination amid rising crime rates in big cities across the country and the national debate about the impact of the "defund the police" movement.  "Biden's nominee to be a federal prosecutor effectively legalized shoplifting and possession with intent to distribute drugs," Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., tweeted Tuesday. "Think crime is bad now? Just wait."  We won't have to wait long.  Liberals never learn, and liberal areas keep compensating them.  No pride, no pride.  

July 27, 2021       Permalink

AFRICAN AMERICANS BACK THE SECOND AMENDEMENT – OVERNIGHT:  The myth is that African Americans resent guns in their communities.  Illegal guns, sure.  But legal guns are more than welcome.  They save black lives.  From Daily Caller: 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) claimed the Second Amendment has been included in the Constitution because of rampant “anti-Blackness” and that the foundation of the amendment is inherently racist. But two black gun owners – including one who exercised his Second Amendment right to save his life – said the ACLU is guilty of fear-mongering.

Founder of Black Guns Matter Maj Toure told the Daily Caller claims the Second Amendment is racist is a tactic to “brainwash black people into believing that having the means to defend themselves is nefarious.”

“I think gun control is racist, not the Second Amendment,” Toure said.

“I think the Second Amendment was to remind folks to keep your government in check. The lack of civic understanding is the reason why some of these attempts to distort the meaning can be made because the general public isn’t as on top of civics as they should be,” he continued.

“I think it’s a stretch to say ‘anti-blackness determined the inclusion of the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights,’ as the Second Amendment is designed to put the government on watch,” he added. “The First Amendment says you can say what you want, and the Second Amendment says you can defend what you just said. I don’t think ‘anti-blackness’ played a part in the framing. But that’s not to say there weren’t people who used guns for the wrong reasons. I think it was about checking government, not anti-blackness.”

Toure’s statement was echoed by Mychael Waller, who used his legally owned firearm to defend himself in 2019.

“I had to use a firearm to defend myself because I have seen the other side most people won’t. I don’t see the Second Amendment as racist. I was given that right by God and I exercised that right. The Second Amendment gave me that right as well. I had that right to defend myself. Without the Second Amendment, without God, my son and I would not be here today. That isn’t ‘anti-blackness’.”

COMMENT:   At least one of the great Supreme Court decisions protecting gun rights came from a case initiated by a black citizen who wanted to protect his home.  The political left wants to keep the so-called "black vote," but it's barking up the proverbial tree if it thinks it can do so by restricting gun rights.  Blacks have a right to defend their homes, and I doubt that any act of Congress will prevent them from doing so.

July 27, 2021       Permalink

  JULY 26,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

A WINNING ISSUE – FROM FOX:   Several Republican lawmakers rallied alongside Cuban Americans and pro-Democracy protesters who marched in D.C. on Monday to encourage the Biden administration to support the Cuban people in their fight for freedom.  Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., were among those who participated in the Cuba Freedom Rally near the White House.  In a video posted to his Twitter account, Scott can be heard telling the crowd in Spanish that they are not alone in this fight and that the liberty of Cubans is very important to Americans.  "We will prevail if we show up every day and make sure Biden shows up every day," Scott said.  Also in attendance were Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla.  The rally took place on the 68th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution.
Republican Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Monday sent a letter to Biden requesting a meeting to discuss the best ways to move forward and support the Cuban people against the "oppressive regime in Havana."  "This is a moment when the United States can change the course of human history for the better," McCarthy’s letter read. "We must support our Cuban brothers and sisters as they seek to take control of their future and liberate themselves from the communist malignancy."  An absolutely winning issue for the GOP, and I'm glad they recognize it.  Aside from the Squad, and a group of 1960s academics on life support, who backs the Castro regime?   This issue can explode in Democratic faces in next year's midterms. 

ANOTHER WINNING ISSUE – FROM FOX BUSINESS:   As crime surges across the nation, Democratic mayors in approximately 20 U.S. cities that have called for defunding the police have received millions in taxpayer funds towards their own personal security details, according to a new report.  New data compiled by Forbes auditor Open the Books through Freedom of Information Act requests reveals that the city of Chicago, for example, spent $17.3 million between 2015 and 2020 to guard "unnamed city officials." Despite Mayor Lori Lightfoot's claims that she is opposed to cutting funding for the police, records show the city quietly cut 400 police officer positions in 2020 while the cost of her security detail hit an all-time high of $3.4 million for 22 officers, according to the report. Chicago reportedly spent $2.8 million for 17 officers in 2019; $2.8 million for 16 officers in 2018; $2.7 million for 20 police officers in 2017; and $2.9 million for 16 officers in 2016.  In San Francisco, $12.4 million was reportedly spent between 2015 and 2020 to protect Mayor London Breed as the city said it would divest $120 million from its police budget over two years to be put towards health programs. Security detail spending for Breed amounted to $1.7 million in 2015; $417,489 in 2016; $2.5 million in 2017; $2.7 million in 2018; $2.5 million in 2019; and $2.6 million in 2020.  In New York, the city council approved slashing $1 billion from its $6 billion police budget, with $354 million to be reallocated to mental health, homelessness and education services. However, spending on Mayor Bill de Blasio's security detail reportedly cost taxpayers $358,000 during his failed presidential bid.  What gets you after a time is the sheer blatancy of the corruption. 

July 26,  2021     Permalink

THE SINKING SHIP – OVERNIGHT:  The president's approval rating has been pretty solid up to now, but we're starting to see some serious erosion in some important places.  From the Washington Examiner: 

For his first six months in office, President Joe Biden's job approval has stayed pretty steady. As you saw last week, it was based largely on the public's approval of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. But of course, that was the pre-delta variant period of the pandemic in which the news (dramatically lower numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths) was nearly all good.

Now, however, Gallup says Biden's approval rating is "showing the first signs of meaningful decline." In the latest Gallup poll, Biden is at 50% approval and 45% disapproval — down from 57% approval and 37% disapproval at the start of his term. That sort of decline is "typical for recent presidents," Gallup notes. Biden, who early on enjoyed great approval in some circles simply for not being former President Donald Trump, is beginning to succumb to the law of political gravity.

Who is behind the decline? Democrats and independents. Among members of his own party, Biden's approval rating has slipped from 98% to 90%. Yes, that's 8 points, but when you start with near-unanimous approval in your party, you're still doing quite well if you "fall" to 90%. Biden's bigger problem is with independents. In the Gallup poll, his approval rating among them was 61% at the beginning of his presidency and has now fallen to 48%. That marks "the first time he has less-than majority approval among independents," notes Gallup. Here is the pollster's chart for Biden's first six months:

The future is not bright for Biden's approval. A new ABC News/Ipsos poll says that Biden's approval for handling the economy has fallen below 50% among independents, and for the issues of immigration, crime, and gun violence, it is in the 30s.

But perhaps the biggest warning for Biden in the new ABC poll is the public's answer to this simple question: "Thinking about the next 12 months, would you say you feel optimistic or pessimistic about the ways things are going in this country?" In a survey at the end of April, 64% said they felt optimistic, versus 36% who felt pessimistic. Today, just 45% feel optimistic, versus 55% who feel pessimistic. That's a huge drop in just 2 1/2 months. And it indicates a lack of confidence that things will get better under the Biden administration.

COMMENT:  The national parents' revolt over conditions in the schools will not help Biden.  Nor will his near-indifference to the demonstrations in Cuba.  And the non-performance of his vice president does not build confidence.  If Biden can't claim a victory in the near future, his presidency will be in doubt.

July 26, 2021       Permalink