Good, since the useless Rs in Congress won’t do anything. Nice to see someone actually looking out for their base, and holding Dems to the standard they set.
Rep. Pearson, one of the Democrats expelled from the Tennessee House for shutting down proceedings with a bullhorn, blamed the removal resolutions on white supremacy. AOC called it “fascism” & promised vengeance. https://t.co/57hvwST1UZ
The Democrats are literally trying to throw Trump in jail while at the same time calling it "shocking" that Republicans would expel Democrat politicians who by their own logic participated in and organized an insurrection at the Tennessee state capitol. These people are soulless… https://t.co/N5Oi9KEykf
This is in the district where my older kids attended school. No mention on local news concerning police unaccepting of trans. But when the Club Q shooting happened the local police could not bend over far enough to use “proper pronouns”! So lefties need to try again with accusations!!
From Jeff Childers:
William Whitworth, 19, an unattractive cross-dresser who pretends to be a girl named “Lily,” was arrested and charged with attempted murder yesterday after a Colorado Springs police investigation revealed that he’d made “threats involving schools in Colorado Springs Academy District 20.”
After responding to a domestic disturbance report, police officers confronted Whitworth, who admitted he was planning to attack schools. When asked why, Whitworth told officers, “why does anyone do it?” Officers then found Mr. Whitworth’s “manifesto,” which included target lists right down to individual students who Whitworth didn’t like.
The so-called manifesto also included:
A list of firearms and how to 3D print them; Detailed lists of numerous named individuals to be killed and their indented casualty versus injury rate. Information detailing the creation of improvised explosive devices; The Finalization of locations being Timberview Middle School, Prairie Hills Elementary, and Pine Creek High School.
Predicably, leftwing commenters accused Colorado police of trans-phobia. Frankly, I’m a little phobic about Mr. Whitworth. That guy is downright scary
I don’t want to ever hear from any of you “decency conservatives” ever again. This and much more is what you voted for, cuz Trump triggered your deep insecurities as a man. https://t.co/KtYup8Q4wb
Hear that guys? Storming capitol buildings, shouting down lawmakers & disrupting legislative business is now a peaceful protest according to the President. https://t.co/5yUUoAO7lB
It’s clear all right, but some still won’t vote for the Bad Orange Man when he wins the nomination.
You never tweeted about Christians after the attack but you’re tweeting about the far left activist reps who literally had their supporters at our Capitol holding up 7 fingers to signify that the trans killer was a victim too. It’s clear you stand with evil.
Yet you have political prisoners locked in jail for over 2 years for entering U.S capitol. Members of legislation swarmed the capitol in TN, you don't see them in jail. At minimum they should be expelled.
AJ – In that discussion the other day, you said that it seems like DJ and I don’t believe that God could use Trump. At the time, I didn’t think of this obvious follow-up question: Do you believe that God can use Biden?
We have to remember that God’s ways are not our ways, and His plans and purposes for our beloved country may be far from what we would want. Our part is to be faithful to how God leads us.
As revenge for Democrats @brotherjones_ & @Justinjpearson being expelled from the Tennessee House for leading a direct action to shut down official proceedings in the state capitol, leftists on social media are urging arson attacks across the state. One of the people inciting… https://t.co/LTSi8xlJvS
Man who spied on his party’s opposition and the party who now is trying to falsely imprison that same political opponent decries “erosion of civility and democratic norms.” https://t.co/SMgAUgbSLs
Can’t say enough about the Republican legislators in Tennessee today who had the courage and wherewithal to hold Democrats accountable for a change and force them to abide by the same rules as everyone else. Extremely rare that Republicans display this kind of toughness.
There were three Tennessee Democrats who joined the protesters. Two were expelled , one was not. The difference; the latter was a white woman not a black man. Sometimes the race card makes sense. In any case, the Memphis area is so gerrymandered the two representatives will be back soon enough.
Chris Stirewalt on the Tennessee House of Reps story and how “our political homogeneity makes primaries more important than general elections, and that creates problems” :
~ In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Democrats were still the majority party in the Volunteer State, and often enjoyed big majorities with 15-seat advantages in the 99-seat lower chamber. That was still the case 20 years ago, when there were 54 Democrats and 45 Republicans. But when the switch to the GOP came in hard at the end of the first decade of this century, things got lopsided quickly. By 2013, Republicans had a majority of more than 40 seats.
Today, there are 75 Republicans and only 24 Democrats … well, now 22 Democrats after the expulsion of Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, both of Nashville. Pearson and Jones disrupted the business of the House last week to join with protesters who had come to the chamber to decry the Republican majority’s blockade of gun control legislation in the wake of a mass shooting at a Nashville school. And in a remarkable bit of political numbskullery, Republicans threw out the two black members but allowed a white legislator who had joined their protest to remain. When your party has more than three-quarters of the seats in the legislature, two-thirds majorities are dangerously easy to come by.
In a more closely divided chamber, the more reasonable course of a fine, a censure, and other sanctions would have been considered stern enough. It might have even happened with bipartisan support. But with a super-duper majority, who wants to be the Republican to go into his or her next primary with the label of being a friend to gun-grabbing Democrats?
The same goes for Bragg. Stung by the resignation of an assistant prosecutor last year who resigned in protest after Bragg declined to pursue a case against Trump for financial crimes, Bragg was in a political pickle. He had won his post two years ago in part for his promise to be tough on Trump, and here he was being called a patsy for The Donald. But when it seemed clear that Bragg was closing in on Trump with a grand jury indictment, Democrats cheered. Finally, Trump would get his comeuppance!
Instead, Bragg lived down to the expectations of his critics with what looks a lot like prosecutorial overreach. There was no new information about a case that federal prosecutors and Bragg’s own predecessor had passed on, and a tenuous-seeming effort to turn bookkeeping violations into felonies. Like the Tennessee Republicans, Bragg is within the power of his office and in concert with what primary voters probably want. But neither action looks prudential and both seem destined to increase partisan acrimony without any commensurate improvement to government.
New York and Tennessee are both politically homogeneous in ways that would have been surprising even a decade earlier. That makes primary elections far more important than general elections, and that increases the demand for stunts like these and diminishes the chances for corrective action by citizens.
There is a bit of nuance in the 2nd-day Thomas story. From The Hill:
Clarence Thomas says he ‘was advised’ he didn’t have to disclose trips paid for by GOP donor
~ Supreme Court justices are required to file annual financial disclosures, and the federal judiciary’s policy-making body last month quietly adopted stricter gift reporting requirements that clarified the “personal hospitality” exception does not apply to gifts at commercial properties and only spans certain gifts from someone with a personal relationship with the justice in a nonbusiness context.
“These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future,” Thomas said. ~
_______________
Probably some fair questions about optics, I’d say. But it looks as if these kinds of things were outside the reporting requirements, wisely or not.
~ 5. In sum, the claim by ProPublica’s “ethics experts” that the longstanding rules “clearly require[d] disclosure for private jet flights” and that the recent revision to the rules merely “made explicit” what was already clear is hotly contested.
Professor Gillers is probably the most widely cited legal-ethics expert of our age. That doesn’t mean that he’s always right, of course. But it does mean that any journalist exploring what legal-ethics rules mean would be interested in learning his views. And it’s especially strange that ProPublica’s reporters wouldn’t even acknowledge his conflicting account of the pre-existing disclosure obligations set forth in the New York Times article.
It’s possible, I suppose, that none of ProPublica’s three reporters ran across the New York Times article or the Washington Post article on the very topic they were writing about. But it sure seems that they sought out the ethics advice they wanted. ~
Nononono!! Not this one !!
How about another name eh!!😂
Too bad the national party are such Nancys.
Not certain I have ever heard it put that way but I do know it is quite possible God is using Satan to bring down judgement on this nation. And that would be Biden as a tool of Satan. No blinders just seeing it clearly.
DJ – further to your point; gerrymandering makes it worse. When your general reelection is assured, your greatest fear becomes a primary from the base. Your actions in the legislature instead of moving to the moderate centre or toward cooperation become more beligerant and more in deference to the party base.
The actions in Tennessee have the left side of the internet wondering why Hawley wasn’t tossed for raising a fist in solidarity with Jan 6th demostrators, Gosar for releasing a cartoon video depicting the killing of AOC, Greene for posting a video saying Pelosi deserved to be executed , and of course Santos for lying about just anything.
The Thomas story is about more than transportation. Strangely he did declare some paid transportation earlier but has been quite silent since then. It’s also about spending time with a generous rich guy who introduced Thomas to more rich elites on free vacations and free yacht trips. It’s about the same rich guy funding a Tea Party group that paid a salary of 125K to Thomas’ wife. The optics are unbelievably bad – if Thomas doesn’t see something this simple as a conflict of interest and of need for a declaration at the very least, he’s not competent to sit as judge. A small town judge has more sense than to accept gifts.
Their own worst enemy, and an enemy of the people.
Last year, I asked @0rf to create a video showing the outright lies repeatedly broadcast by just one MSNBC host – former Bush/Cheney spokesperson @NicolleDWallace. It's been watched by 1 million people. Not one of these lies was corrected ever:https://t.co/R5hhZNKNws
It is true: when you expose establishment lies and wrongdoing – as #TwitterFiles showed FBI/DHS/CIA censoring the internet – they will send out all their hacks and spokespeople to attack you.
So yes, in hundreds of tweets and articles reporting the Twitter Files, there were a couple errors that Taibbi instantly corrected. That's how you build trust and integrity with readers.
This is kidnapping. @Riley_Gaines_ should pursue felony charges against every single person in that hallway. They all should be expelled and thrown in prison. There is nothing ambiguous about this. Harassment, intimidation, kidnapping. Go after them, Riley. Make them pay. https://t.co/NJyFQ9gwYq
Skipped meeting with the families of the Christian children murdered by a trans terrorist but got there quickly to stand with the Democrats pushing to disarm law abiding citizens who led an insurrection in the legislature. https://t.co/jVyVzXHdDm
How about telling this to the parents of a 9 year old child who’s nearly unrecognizable body was completely riddled with bullets by a transgender psycho likely pumped up on hormone blockers and steroids. You should mind your manners Mr. President. We are sick and tired of your… https://t.co/YnA6Ncn6OG
Kidding, just another Dem money laundering campaign scam.
Now now, this would seem like a really good thing for a Republican Attorney General to look into. A real (potential) campaign finance crime rather than a fake one.
“The alarming escalation of animosity toward Christians in America can no longer be ignored. The pro-abortion, anti-family radical Left has sought tirelessly to undermine the nuclear family, religion, and traditional values for years. And it’s working. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that just 39 percent of Americans say their religious faith is very important to them, down from 62 percent a quarter of a century ago. As radical leftists advance their secular agenda, intolerance for those who hold true to Christian values has become increasingly palpable.
The recent shooting at a private Christian academy in Nashville by Audrey Hale, a transgender individual with a detailed manifesto and maps, is a chilling example of the escalating violence against faith. This attack, which was clearly premeditated, targeted a Christian school with a biblical theology curriculum, representing the Christian values that the shooter sought to destroy.
Following the tragic events in Nashville, left-wing journalists, columnists, entertainers, and activists directed their ire toward Christians and conservatives rather than mourning the victims and condemning the violence. Instead of offering sympathy and support, they made callous remarks that not only mocked the Christian faith but also blamed the victims themselves. This cold-hearted response exemplifies the escalating hostility toward Christians, in which an ideological battle eclipses empathy and compassion.
The Left’s assault on faith is widespread, however, as the values that underpin our American ethos are being consistently undermined. Media voices have attacked and vilified symbols of Christianity before. Last August, the Atlantic published an article declaring that the Catholic rosary had become a “symbol” of religious radicalism. What used to be a symbol of prayer and meditation was assigned a far darker meaning in modern times.
“Just as the AR-15 rifle has become a sacred object for Christian nationalists in general, the rosary has acquired a militaristic meaning for radical-traditional (or ‘rad trad’) Catholics,” the essay declared.
Anti-Christian sentiment has existed for some time, but has been amplified in recent years by a culture that seeks to undermine traditional values and beliefs. The crusade against Christianity is fueled by a radical Left that refuses to engage in respectful discourse, opting instead for hateful rhetoric and dehumanizing tactics.”
To be honest, “hateful rhetoric” is putting it lightly. Far-left activist and actor Jane Fonda went on The View recently to suggest abortion-seeking women shouldn’t abide by laws. They could even resort to “murder” to have “control of their bodies.”
In an unbelievable moment of irony, Fonda, who claims to advocate for human rights, promoted violence against those who hold beliefs different from hers. The radical Left’s silence in response to Fonda’s comments tells you all you need to know about the pro-abortion, anti-Christian Left’s feelings towards those who oppose them. Then again, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised given its callousness about the senseless killing of millions of unborn children.
And just like that, violent words turned into acts of violence. Since May 2020, there have been nearly 300 attacks against U.S. Catholic churches, according to a tracker from CatholicVote. And it does not stop there. More than 100 crisis pregnancy centers, pro-life organizations, and churches have been attacked, some more than once, since the Supreme Court draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization leaked last year.”
In response to Greenwald and others about the decline in trust of traditional media sources. An interesting idea I’ve heard proposes that a change of technology creates upheaval and a decline in traditional society. The person used the European invention of the printing press and the Reformation, religious wars ending with the Thirty Years War. With new technology to spread ideas and news, we are seeing similar upheavals in ideas and hopefully mostly limited to ideas.
HRW @6:23: I agree, there is a larger impression that I think is unwise — and perhaps should be better addressed in ethics standards — for judges who really should maintain neutrality as much as possible, to be above reproach.
I saw where the judge in the Trump case also may have donated (only $15 but … ) to the Biden campaign? I haven’t looked for other sources on that, but if true, I think judges also should never be providing donations to political candidates or office holders.
Our company has a strict rule about that — we can’t so much as sign a petition or put a bumper sticker on our cars, let alone donating or even volunteering for a political campaign. And I think that’s entirely appropriate for journalists who may be covering these people or issues and races connected to partisan politics.
@8:27, technology is a huge factor, the dawn of the internet has wreaked havoc with the media as we once knew it, including in financial ways with vanishing advertising income. It all sets off all kinds of upheavals and we’re in the midst of that still — probably will be for some time.
Strange tweet to call out Obama. Obama was commenting on the expulsion of two legislators in Tennessee. The tweet somehow thought he was diminishing the families of the shooting. However, the expelled legislators were demonstrating for greater gun control in a response to the school shooting. You may not think this is an appropriate response but it’s done in genuine sympathy and determination to stop more shootings. If anything Mike Flynn should call out the Tennessee Republicans for expelling legislators for responding to the tragedy. Perhaps instead of vindicative behaviour, they might present their own solutions and sympathy.
And the topic, apparently of a book that looks rather intriguing?
~ “It is the best treatment of the person and work of the enemy I have ever read.” — R.C. Sproul, from the foreword to God’s Devil
Many Christians are oblivious to the Devil and his schemes, and this is precisely the problem. If you don’t know why you need to know about the Devil, then this book is especially for you.
In God’s Devil, pastor and scholar Erwin W. Lutzer takes us to the corners of Scripture to which we seldom go. With surprising insights and potent quotes at every turn, God’s Devil will:
Teach you how Satan fits into God’s great plans for the world
Give you confidence in God’s everlasting victory over Satan
Equip you to withstand Satan’s schemes against you
Martin Luther once said, “Even the Devil is God’s devil.” So while this is a book about Satan, it is even more about God’s sovereign power over him. Read it for comfort, read it for peace, and read it for strength.
~ Dualism, that philosophical idea that says good and evil are two equal and eternal forces, is shown to be false in the Word of God in its very first verse. When the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1), the words the heavens and the earth are a synonym for “all things.” In the beginning, God created all things; this includes the Devil. Although he is very powerful, Satan is ultimately a finite creature who is by no means a match for our Lord.
Though He created the Devil, God is not in any way culpable for evil. Like everything else, Satan was originally “very good” (v. 31), and how Satan could fall when there was no evil present in creation is a great mystery. Still, we know our Creator cannot be tempted with evil, nor can He ever tempt anyone (James 1:13). …
… That God rules over Satan without Himself being guilty of sin is a hard truth, but it is also comforting. It tells us that what we suffer from the Devil, his demons, and all evil is not purposeless but will lead to our good and God’s glory. ~
Perhaps Kelly and Bannon are a little slow…. the Republicans won’t hold hearings because they have no intention of airing out their own dirty laundry and role they played in the mess that is Jan 6th. The ordinary people who were manipulated by Trump and the Republicas party will pay the price while they keep their positions of power.
of course there was an abundance of undercover law enforcement agents on Jan 6th. I’m surprised people are still surprised. I’m also surprised people think it matters. This is standard operating procedure when investigating extremist groups of the left and right. Sometimes there are more informants and undercover agents than actual extremist members at meetings.
Newsweek has always been a slightly more right week magazine than the other established weeklies. Online, it has become more opinionated and right wing.
Religious faith is in decline for the same reason it already declined in Europe – education and ubanization along with lack of cultural foundations in Proestantism. It’s easy to blame some nefarious enemy but sometimes causation is fairly blasee and boring.
I try to ignore school shootings since I’ve reached the sad conclusion that Americans have more or less become numb to it. Some commentors may have pivoted too quickly this time to minimize a backlash but I don’t think anyone blamed the children for being shot.
However, there is a general lack of religious knowledge and sometimes critics miss the boat entirely. Then again, does anyone actually listen to Jane Fonda anyore?
DJ @ 2:32
I read the story and I thought the comparison between Alvin Bragg and the Tennessee legislature was oddly stretched. The writer seems to be disturbed to see a Republican super-majority in the TN legislature, which he also disparaged. He then implied that our Republicans are both dumb and racist.
I was again perplexed to see his odd conclusion that it could lead to a nominee for the general election that would somehow not be acceptable to people in general.
I really was confused. So I looked up his name and tracked down the source.
Tennessee is pro-Trump. The article is from the Dispatch. Now it makes sense.
Debra, I believe the story was by Chris Stirewalt (? if it’s the link I’m thinking of) who was the pollster on Fox News for many years.
Whether there’s a “Dispatch” connection or not matters less to me, but I know we disagree on that source. Still, important to take articles and opinions for the arguments themselves, not who or who they aren’t maybe associated with. Just my opinion.
I do wonder why these offenders in the state legislature weren’t censured or otherwise dealt with other than expulsion. Strikes me as severe and something that likely will backfire (already is).
It seems we all believe different sources and facts nowadays, which really does always put us (always?) at loggerheads. And that’s too bad. Not a lot of discussion is helpful when that situation exists, more like finger pointing. I do wish we could find our way around some of this but the blog is very reflective of the current state of our political culture — so we may be stuck with this, unfortunately.
Rep. Jones and Rep. Pearson were expelled from the TN Legislature for using a bullhorn to disrupt the business of the legislature. Johnson visibly refuses the bullhorn and mostly protests in silence.
Jones represented Nashville, and Pearson represented Memphis. The Nashville Metro Council has already indicated they are probably sending Jones back to the legislature as their representative.
DJ, I had no idea the article was from the Dispatch. It just seemed to be stretching to make a point that didn’t fit. Par for that particular course, I think.
And for the record, I’m reasonably satisfied with my legislature right now. They’ve passed legislation that will make it more difficult to medically mutilate minors. And they’ve demonstrated that they will not allow thuggery to forcibly usurp the function of our government. We didn’t have a whole lot of rioting and damage in 2020 because they acted responsibly and made it clear that people who behaved in that way were going to face felony charges.
Can you say that you are satisfied with your governor and legislature, DJ?
That’s so interesting, I haven’t kept up with Newsweek or this other news magazines in quite a while. It *used* to be: Newsweek was the most Liberal, US News and World Report more to the right, and Time somewhere in the middle.
@11:52 — It was just my take, that this seems like it could be an overreach, that it could have been handled differently. And it could certainly provide a very big platform now for those 2 legislators, like handing them another (but bigger) bullhorn? But we’ll see how it plays out.
Wandering Views 
Good, since the useless Rs in Congress won’t do anything. Nice to see someone actually looking out for their base, and holding Dems to the standard they set.
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Cope harder WaPo…
Dems made rhe rules,now they have to live with the results.
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This is in the district where my older kids attended school. No mention on local news concerning police unaccepting of trans. But when the Club Q shooting happened the local police could not bend over far enough to use “proper pronouns”! So lefties need to try again with accusations!!
From Jeff Childers:
William Whitworth, 19, an unattractive cross-dresser who pretends to be a girl named “Lily,” was arrested and charged with attempted murder yesterday after a Colorado Springs police investigation revealed that he’d made “threats involving schools in Colorado Springs Academy District 20.”
After responding to a domestic disturbance report, police officers confronted Whitworth, who admitted he was planning to attack schools. When asked why, Whitworth told officers, “why does anyone do it?” Officers then found Mr. Whitworth’s “manifesto,” which included target lists right down to individual students who Whitworth didn’t like.
The so-called manifesto also included:
A list of firearms and how to 3D print them; Detailed lists of numerous named individuals to be killed and their indented casualty versus injury rate. Information detailing the creation of improvised explosive devices; The Finalization of locations being Timberview Middle School, Prairie Hills Elementary, and Pine Creek High School.
Predicably, leftwing commenters accused Colorado police of trans-phobia. Frankly, I’m a little phobic about Mr. Whitworth. That guy is downright scary
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Consequences.
Pretending your hands are clean is laughable. This is on them.
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I believe this is what NJ refers too.
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You mad Bro?
Good.
Now we need Tennessee authorities to send in the state police and have the DAs bring state indictments and charges. Fair play and all. Goose, gander.
And it was your base instigated the degenerate to shoot up a church school. Whine at them.
Persecuted Jan 6ers will be happy to hear this.
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It’s clear all right, but some still won’t vote for the Bad Orange Man when he wins the nomination.
https://twitter.com/IzaBooboo/status/1644328547513712641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1644328547513712641%7Ctwgr%5E08332fa11c76938e07f600f7ffc2d13730185988%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fsarahd-313035%2F2023%2F04%2F07%2Fjoe-biden-comes-out-swinging-in-support-of-insurrections-and-exploitation-of-mass-shooting-victims%2F
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Thanks Joe. This is soooo much better than the economy under that Bad Orange Man….
Consequences.
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Sure clown….
Time to own your misdeeds. 🙂
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Indeed.
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AJ – In that discussion the other day, you said that it seems like DJ and I don’t believe that God could use Trump. At the time, I didn’t think of this obvious follow-up question: Do you believe that God can use Biden?
We have to remember that God’s ways are not our ways, and His plans and purposes for our beloved country may be far from what we would want. Our part is to be faithful to how God leads us.
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BTW, I’m not trying to stir up that discussion again, and I assume that you would reply “yes” to my question.
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Sounds insurrectionish, no?
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Sure I do.
But Biden is currently being used by the other guy.
That’s obvious. Look at everything he pushes. Devisive, perverted, baby killing supporter, racism, etc.
His master is obvious.
And God allows it for now.
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Yep.
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Too bad the national party are such Nancys.
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There were three Tennessee Democrats who joined the protesters. Two were expelled , one was not. The difference; the latter was a white woman not a black man. Sometimes the race card makes sense. In any case, the Memphis area is so gerrymandered the two representatives will be back soon enough.
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https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-scotus-undisclosed-luxury-travel-gifts-crow
drain the swamp?
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Saw the first (very) anti-DeSantis TV ad today — paid for by MAGA. lol
Perfect! What a game plan.
As if Republicans already weren’t doing poorly enough (see the trouncing in Wisconsin and Chicago, combined with the underwhelming mid-terms).
On a roll (down the hill).
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Chris Stirewalt on the Tennessee House of Reps story and how “our political homogeneity makes primaries more important than general elections, and that creates problems” :
~ In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Democrats were still the majority party in the Volunteer State, and often enjoyed big majorities with 15-seat advantages in the 99-seat lower chamber. That was still the case 20 years ago, when there were 54 Democrats and 45 Republicans. But when the switch to the GOP came in hard at the end of the first decade of this century, things got lopsided quickly. By 2013, Republicans had a majority of more than 40 seats.
Today, there are 75 Republicans and only 24 Democrats … well, now 22 Democrats after the expulsion of Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, both of Nashville. Pearson and Jones disrupted the business of the House last week to join with protesters who had come to the chamber to decry the Republican majority’s blockade of gun control legislation in the wake of a mass shooting at a Nashville school. And in a remarkable bit of political numbskullery, Republicans threw out the two black members but allowed a white legislator who had joined their protest to remain. When your party has more than three-quarters of the seats in the legislature, two-thirds majorities are dangerously easy to come by.
In a more closely divided chamber, the more reasonable course of a fine, a censure, and other sanctions would have been considered stern enough. It might have even happened with bipartisan support. But with a super-duper majority, who wants to be the Republican to go into his or her next primary with the label of being a friend to gun-grabbing Democrats?
The same goes for Bragg. Stung by the resignation of an assistant prosecutor last year who resigned in protest after Bragg declined to pursue a case against Trump for financial crimes, Bragg was in a political pickle. He had won his post two years ago in part for his promise to be tough on Trump, and here he was being called a patsy for The Donald. But when it seemed clear that Bragg was closing in on Trump with a grand jury indictment, Democrats cheered. Finally, Trump would get his comeuppance!
Instead, Bragg lived down to the expectations of his critics with what looks a lot like prosecutorial overreach. There was no new information about a case that federal prosecutors and Bragg’s own predecessor had passed on, and a tenuous-seeming effort to turn bookkeeping violations into felonies. Like the Tennessee Republicans, Bragg is within the power of his office and in concert with what primary voters probably want. But neither action looks prudential and both seem destined to increase partisan acrimony without any commensurate improvement to government.
New York and Tennessee are both politically homogeneous in ways that would have been surprising even a decade earlier. That makes primary elections far more important than general elections, and that increases the demand for stunts like these and diminishes the chances for corrective action by citizens.
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Rolling down the hill is fun and even self-satisfying; until it’s not — when you can’t catch your breath anymore and can’t stop yourself.
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Remember, too: The devil is God’s devil.
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And thanks for that reminder, Kizzie.
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There is a bit of nuance in the 2nd-day Thomas story. From The Hill:
Clarence Thomas says he ‘was advised’ he didn’t have to disclose trips paid for by GOP donor
~ Supreme Court justices are required to file annual financial disclosures, and the federal judiciary’s policy-making body last month quietly adopted stricter gift reporting requirements that clarified the “personal hospitality” exception does not apply to gifts at commercial properties and only spans certain gifts from someone with a personal relationship with the justice in a nonbusiness context.
“These guidelines are now being changed, as the committee of the Judicial Conference responsible for financial disclosure for the entire federal judiciary just this past month announced new guidance. And, it is, of course, my intent to follow this guidance in the future,” Thomas said. ~
_______________
Probably some fair questions about optics, I’d say. But it looks as if these kinds of things were outside the reporting requirements, wisely or not.
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(me, dj)
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AJ – Looks like the tweets you posted at 1:40 and 1:48 have been deleted.
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From another piece on the Thomas reporting:
~ 5. In sum, the claim by ProPublica’s “ethics experts” that the longstanding rules “clearly require[d] disclosure for private jet flights” and that the recent revision to the rules merely “made explicit” what was already clear is hotly contested.
Professor Gillers is probably the most widely cited legal-ethics expert of our age. That doesn’t mean that he’s always right, of course. But it does mean that any journalist exploring what legal-ethics rules mean would be interested in learning his views. And it’s especially strange that ProPublica’s reporters wouldn’t even acknowledge his conflicting account of the pre-existing disclosure obligations set forth in the New York Times article.
It’s possible, I suppose, that none of ProPublica’s three reporters ran across the New York Times article or the Washington Post article on the very topic they were writing about. But it sure seems that they sought out the ethics advice they wanted. ~
https://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/propublica-cherry-picks-ethics-experts-on-justice-thomass-alleged-disclosure-obligation/
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Nononono!! Not this one !!
How about another name eh!!😂
Too bad the national party are such Nancys.
Not certain I have ever heard it put that way but I do know it is quite possible God is using Satan to bring down judgement on this nation. And that would be Biden as a tool of Satan. No blinders just seeing it clearly.
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DJ – further to your point; gerrymandering makes it worse. When your general reelection is assured, your greatest fear becomes a primary from the base. Your actions in the legislature instead of moving to the moderate centre or toward cooperation become more beligerant and more in deference to the party base.
The actions in Tennessee have the left side of the internet wondering why Hawley wasn’t tossed for raising a fist in solidarity with Jan 6th demostrators, Gosar for releasing a cartoon video depicting the killing of AOC, Greene for posting a video saying Pelosi deserved to be executed , and of course Santos for lying about just anything.
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The Thomas story is about more than transportation. Strangely he did declare some paid transportation earlier but has been quite silent since then. It’s also about spending time with a generous rich guy who introduced Thomas to more rich elites on free vacations and free yacht trips. It’s about the same rich guy funding a Tea Party group that paid a salary of 125K to Thomas’ wife. The optics are unbelievably bad – if Thomas doesn’t see something this simple as a conflict of interest and of need for a declaration at the very least, he’s not competent to sit as judge. A small town judge has more sense than to accept gifts.
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No offense to actual Nancys intended. 🙂
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Their own worst enemy, and an enemy of the people.
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Biden’s base.
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Consequences.
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Because they’re useless, spineless posers.
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Fed op.
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Well I’m shocked….. 🙄
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Wow this old woman is busy.
Kidding, just another Dem money laundering campaign scam.
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DC is a cesspool of perverts and their enablers in both parties.
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Golf clap for Newsweek for printing something admitting the obvious, unlike most of the MSM.
“Acceptable Hate: Assaults on Christianity Go Overlooked”
https://www.newsweek.com/acceptable-hate-assaults-christianity-go-overlooked-opinion-1791866
“The alarming escalation of animosity toward Christians in America can no longer be ignored. The pro-abortion, anti-family radical Left has sought tirelessly to undermine the nuclear family, religion, and traditional values for years. And it’s working. A recent Wall Street Journal poll found that just 39 percent of Americans say their religious faith is very important to them, down from 62 percent a quarter of a century ago. As radical leftists advance their secular agenda, intolerance for those who hold true to Christian values has become increasingly palpable.
The recent shooting at a private Christian academy in Nashville by Audrey Hale, a transgender individual with a detailed manifesto and maps, is a chilling example of the escalating violence against faith. This attack, which was clearly premeditated, targeted a Christian school with a biblical theology curriculum, representing the Christian values that the shooter sought to destroy.
Following the tragic events in Nashville, left-wing journalists, columnists, entertainers, and activists directed their ire toward Christians and conservatives rather than mourning the victims and condemning the violence. Instead of offering sympathy and support, they made callous remarks that not only mocked the Christian faith but also blamed the victims themselves. This cold-hearted response exemplifies the escalating hostility toward Christians, in which an ideological battle eclipses empathy and compassion.
The Left’s assault on faith is widespread, however, as the values that underpin our American ethos are being consistently undermined. Media voices have attacked and vilified symbols of Christianity before. Last August, the Atlantic published an article declaring that the Catholic rosary had become a “symbol” of religious radicalism. What used to be a symbol of prayer and meditation was assigned a far darker meaning in modern times.
“Just as the AR-15 rifle has become a sacred object for Christian nationalists in general, the rosary has acquired a militaristic meaning for radical-traditional (or ‘rad trad’) Catholics,” the essay declared.
Anti-Christian sentiment has existed for some time, but has been amplified in recent years by a culture that seeks to undermine traditional values and beliefs. The crusade against Christianity is fueled by a radical Left that refuses to engage in respectful discourse, opting instead for hateful rhetoric and dehumanizing tactics.”
To be honest, “hateful rhetoric” is putting it lightly. Far-left activist and actor Jane Fonda went on The View recently to suggest abortion-seeking women shouldn’t abide by laws. They could even resort to “murder” to have “control of their bodies.”
In an unbelievable moment of irony, Fonda, who claims to advocate for human rights, promoted violence against those who hold beliefs different from hers. The radical Left’s silence in response to Fonda’s comments tells you all you need to know about the pro-abortion, anti-Christian Left’s feelings towards those who oppose them. Then again, perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised given its callousness about the senseless killing of millions of unborn children.
And just like that, violent words turned into acts of violence. Since May 2020, there have been nearly 300 attacks against U.S. Catholic churches, according to a tracker from CatholicVote. And it does not stop there. More than 100 crisis pregnancy centers, pro-life organizations, and churches have been attacked, some more than once, since the Supreme Court draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization leaked last year.”
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In response to Greenwald and others about the decline in trust of traditional media sources. An interesting idea I’ve heard proposes that a change of technology creates upheaval and a decline in traditional society. The person used the European invention of the printing press and the Reformation, religious wars ending with the Thirty Years War. With new technology to spread ideas and news, we are seeing similar upheavals in ideas and hopefully mostly limited to ideas.
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HRW @6:23: I agree, there is a larger impression that I think is unwise — and perhaps should be better addressed in ethics standards — for judges who really should maintain neutrality as much as possible, to be above reproach.
I saw where the judge in the Trump case also may have donated (only $15 but … ) to the Biden campaign? I haven’t looked for other sources on that, but if true, I think judges also should never be providing donations to political candidates or office holders.
Our company has a strict rule about that — we can’t so much as sign a petition or put a bumper sticker on our cars, let alone donating or even volunteering for a political campaign. And I think that’s entirely appropriate for journalists who may be covering these people or issues and races connected to partisan politics.
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@8:27, technology is a huge factor, the dawn of the internet has wreaked havoc with the media as we once knew it, including in financial ways with vanishing advertising income. It all sets off all kinds of upheavals and we’re in the midst of that still — probably will be for some time.
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Strange tweet to call out Obama. Obama was commenting on the expulsion of two legislators in Tennessee. The tweet somehow thought he was diminishing the families of the shooting. However, the expelled legislators were demonstrating for greater gun control in a response to the school shooting. You may not think this is an appropriate response but it’s done in genuine sympathy and determination to stop more shootings. If anything Mike Flynn should call out the Tennessee Republicans for expelling legislators for responding to the tragedy. Perhaps instead of vindicative behaviour, they might present their own solutions and sympathy.
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@5:21 — The quote originates from Martin Luther —
And the topic, apparently of a book that looks rather intriguing?
~ “It is the best treatment of the person and work of the enemy I have ever read.” — R.C. Sproul, from the foreword to God’s Devil
Many Christians are oblivious to the Devil and his schemes, and this is precisely the problem. If you don’t know why you need to know about the Devil, then this book is especially for you.
In God’s Devil, pastor and scholar Erwin W. Lutzer takes us to the corners of Scripture to which we seldom go. With surprising insights and potent quotes at every turn, God’s Devil will:
Teach you how Satan fits into God’s great plans for the world
Give you confidence in God’s everlasting victory over Satan
Equip you to withstand Satan’s schemes against you
Martin Luther once said, “Even the Devil is God’s devil.” So while this is a book about Satan, it is even more about God’s sovereign power over him. Read it for comfort, read it for peace, and read it for strength.
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And the questions that usually follow all this:
~ Dualism, that philosophical idea that says good and evil are two equal and eternal forces, is shown to be false in the Word of God in its very first verse. When the Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1), the words the heavens and the earth are a synonym for “all things.” In the beginning, God created all things; this includes the Devil. Although he is very powerful, Satan is ultimately a finite creature who is by no means a match for our Lord.
Though He created the Devil, God is not in any way culpable for evil. Like everything else, Satan was originally “very good” (v. 31), and how Satan could fall when there was no evil present in creation is a great mystery. Still, we know our Creator cannot be tempted with evil, nor can He ever tempt anyone (James 1:13). …
… That God rules over Satan without Himself being guilty of sin is a hard truth, but it is also comforting. It tells us that what we suffer from the Devil, his demons, and all evil is not purposeless but will lead to our good and God’s glory. ~
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/gods-devil
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Perhaps Kelly and Bannon are a little slow…. the Republicans won’t hold hearings because they have no intention of airing out their own dirty laundry and role they played in the mess that is Jan 6th. The ordinary people who were manipulated by Trump and the Republicas party will pay the price while they keep their positions of power.
of course there was an abundance of undercover law enforcement agents on Jan 6th. I’m surprised people are still surprised. I’m also surprised people think it matters. This is standard operating procedure when investigating extremist groups of the left and right. Sometimes there are more informants and undercover agents than actual extremist members at meetings.
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HRW, @8:43, agreed.
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Newsweek has always been a slightly more right week magazine than the other established weeklies. Online, it has become more opinionated and right wing.
Religious faith is in decline for the same reason it already declined in Europe – education and ubanization along with lack of cultural foundations in Proestantism. It’s easy to blame some nefarious enemy but sometimes causation is fairly blasee and boring.
I try to ignore school shootings since I’ve reached the sad conclusion that Americans have more or less become numb to it. Some commentors may have pivoted too quickly this time to minimize a backlash but I don’t think anyone blamed the children for being shot.
However, there is a general lack of religious knowledge and sometimes critics miss the boat entirely. Then again, does anyone actually listen to Jane Fonda anyore?
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DJ @ 2:32
I read the story and I thought the comparison between Alvin Bragg and the Tennessee legislature was oddly stretched. The writer seems to be disturbed to see a Republican super-majority in the TN legislature, which he also disparaged. He then implied that our Republicans are both dumb and racist.
I was again perplexed to see his odd conclusion that it could lead to a nominee for the general election that would somehow not be acceptable to people in general.
I really was confused. So I looked up his name and tracked down the source.
Tennessee is pro-Trump. The article is from the Dispatch. Now it makes sense.
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Debra, I believe the story was by Chris Stirewalt (? if it’s the link I’m thinking of) who was the pollster on Fox News for many years.
Whether there’s a “Dispatch” connection or not matters less to me, but I know we disagree on that source. Still, important to take articles and opinions for the arguments themselves, not who or who they aren’t maybe associated with. Just my opinion.
I do wonder why these offenders in the state legislature weren’t censured or otherwise dealt with other than expulsion. Strikes me as severe and something that likely will backfire (already is).
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It seems we all believe different sources and facts nowadays, which really does always put us (always?) at loggerheads. And that’s too bad. Not a lot of discussion is helpful when that situation exists, more like finger pointing. I do wish we could find our way around some of this but the blog is very reflective of the current state of our political culture — so we may be stuck with this, unfortunately.
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BTW, I don’t have particularly “strong” feelings about the Dispatch, unlike a few here.
I find many of their pieces well argued but I won’t die on that hill (as a few here seem willing to do on the other side of that argument?).
I try to read pieces and take their arguments for their merits, agree or disagree.
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Rep. Jones and Rep. Pearson were expelled from the TN Legislature for using a bullhorn to disrupt the business of the legislature. Johnson visibly refuses the bullhorn and mostly protests in silence.
Jones represented Nashville, and Pearson represented Memphis. The Nashville Metro Council has already indicated they are probably sending Jones back to the legislature as their representative.
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Crude tweets that often are posted here are things I find much more disturbing, if we’re really going to go there. But I just move on.
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DJ, I had no idea the article was from the Dispatch. It just seemed to be stretching to make a point that didn’t fit. Par for that particular course, I think.
And for the record, I’m reasonably satisfied with my legislature right now. They’ve passed legislation that will make it more difficult to medically mutilate minors. And they’ve demonstrated that they will not allow thuggery to forcibly usurp the function of our government. We didn’t have a whole lot of rioting and damage in 2020 because they acted responsibly and made it clear that people who behaved in that way were going to face felony charges.
Can you say that you are satisfied with your governor and legislature, DJ?
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HRW @ 9:08:
That’s so interesting, I haven’t kept up with Newsweek or this other news magazines in quite a while. It *used* to be: Newsweek was the most Liberal, US News and World Report more to the right, and Time somewhere in the middle.
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Debra: “I had no idea the article was from the Dispatch”
I had no idea either, until your research revealed that.
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@11:52 — It was just my take, that this seems like it could be an overreach, that it could have been handled differently. And it could certainly provide a very big platform now for those 2 legislators, like handing them another (but bigger) bullhorn? But we’ll see how it plays out.
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Are we beginning to see how utterly and completely divided the “conservative” movement is in this nation right now?
How can an election be won unless this changes? (Answer, It can’t.)
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