Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Flotsam and Jetsam - Trump Declares Biden's Autopen Pardons Void and Vacant

Oh my. This should be fun. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, The Biden Years: 'I've Got a Pen and I'm Not Afraid for Someone Else to Use It' and then BREAKING: This Will Cause Some Heartburn: Trump Declares POTATUS Auto-Pen Pardons 'Void' Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social@TrumpDailyPosts "The “Pardons” that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. The fact is, they were probably responsible for the Documents that were signed on their behalf without the knowledge or consent of the Worst President in the History of our Country, Crooked Joe Biden!" Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, NEW: Trump Declares Biden Pardons 'VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT'. At NRO, Trump Declares Biden’s Last-Minute Pardons ‘Void’ over Autopen Signature. Sundance at CTH, President Trump Calls Biden J6 Pardons Null and Void Following Revelations of Auto Pen Use. Ace breaks out the flaming skull for Trump Declares the Presidential Pardons Signed Not by Biden But By His Aides Operating the Auto-Pen to be "Void". PJM's Matt Margolis explains The Brilliance Behind Trump’s Move Declaring Biden’s Pardons ‘Void' "Trump's second Truth Social post cuts right to the heart of the matter: "The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime." This isn't just about pardons; it's about who was really running our government." Althouse reads the NYT, "President Trump wrote on social media on Sunday night that he no longer considered valid the pardons his predecessor granted to members of the bipartisan House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attacks on the Capitol..." ""... and a range of other people whom Mr. Trump sees as his political enemies, because they were signed using an autopen device....But Mr. Trump’s assertion, which embraced a baseless right-wing conspiracy theory about former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., was a new escalation of his antidemocratic rhetoric. Implicit in his post was Mr. Trump’s belief that the nation’s laws should be whatever he decrees them to be. And it was a jolting reminder that his appetite for revenge has not been sated. . . AND: Based on the text of that Truth Social post, I'd say Trump is, first, clearing the way for doing an investigation that will produce evidence of wrongdoing (if there was any and perhaps even if there wasn't) and that will feel deeply painful to the persons whose actions are targeted. He wants those people to "fully understand" what it's like to be subjected to a "Witch Hunt," as he believes he was. And, second, he wants to smoke out who took over and exercised the power of the presidency if/when Biden was incapacitated. He's already asserting that the people who received the pardons/"pardons" were "probably responsible" for manufacturing the fake/"fake" documents." Volokh at the Volokh Report asserts Pardons and Autopen Signatures: A 2024 Appellate Decision Says Pardons Don't Have to Be Signed (or Even Written) at All, "Of course, something is required, and that something is presumably a statement by the President that he is pardoning someone. If (and this is a very big if) a President actually didn't make such a statement, and an assistant just affixed the President's signature to a document purporting to be a pardon without the President's authorization, then I don't see how that would be a valid pardon (at least unless it's somehow ratified by the relevant President). But that turns on a factual question about whether the President was actually involved in the creation of the pardons, not on a legal question about whether an autopen signature renders the pardon invalid." Laughing Wolf, SQT: Pardon Invalidation. "By making his declaration, Trump just waved a red flag in front of the Deep State. Those holding pardons now are directly effected and five will get you ten that some are already with lawyers looking to both judge shop and challenge the declaration. Since they are directly effected, they have standing. What’s more, it will be them and the DNC who start the ball rolling in the courts." Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Is This the Aide Behind Biden's Controversial Autopen Signings? "Reports suggest Neera Tanden, Biden's former White House Staff Secretary, may have used the autopen to sign pardons while President Biden was golfing in St. Croix in December 2022." Benny Johnson@bennyjohnson, "BLOODBATH! Karoline Leavitt is undefeated against CNN's Kaitlan Collins. LEAVITT: "Was he aware of his signature being used on every single pardon?" COLLINS: "Do you have any evidence on that?" Leavitt: "You're a reporter, you should find out." Capt. Ed, Leavitt to Media: Trump Was Just 'Begging the Question' You Should Have

NYPo, Trump strips Hunter and Ashley Biden of Secret Service protection ‘effective immediately.’ When he found out Hunter was dodging subpoenas in South Africa. 

JFK Files Release Today: 80,000 Pages of History Unlocked "Last updated 10 hours ago President Trump has announced that approximately 80,000 documents related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy will be made available to the public today. These documents, expected to be unredacted, aim to shed light on historical inquiries that have persisted for over six decades. The release is part of a commitment to transparency, though specifics about the content of the files have not been disclosed in advance." Sundance, President Trump Says “JFK Files to be Released Tomorrow” by Tulsi Gabbard. I don't expect to find much. Anything that implicates the FBI or CIA has long since been burned, and its ashes scattered at sea.

Libs of TikTok@libsoftiktok"NBC News poll: Trump’s approval rating just hit an all-time high." Don Surber asserts 47 is better than 45, "This time he is a politician who dodged a bullet. Literally."

Stephen Kruiser says President Trump Spent the Weekend Golfing and Hunting Pirates. Capt. Ed, Trump: 'Iran Will Be Held Responsible' For Every Houthi Shot Fired. Insty cites CDR SALAMANDER: Breaking the Bad Houthi Habit. Kurt Schlichter @KurtSchlichter, "I think when third world barbarians fire on our shipping, we should kill them" Quote Ann Coulter@AnnCoulter, "Why did we have to do this? Is it part of our constitution that we must be bombing someone at all times?" Ace, US Warplanes Pound Houthi Terrorist Camps in Yemen as SecDef Hegseth Promises More; Trump Warns Iran. "Trump ordered the airstrikes after coming in from a round of golf."

Sundance reports President Trump will Speak with Russian President Putin on Tuesday. Politico claims the White House is seriously considering deal from Oracle to run TikTok, "Any deal could face security concerns from China hawks in Congress." Nick Arama at RedState sees a MIC DROP: Karoline Leavitt Delivers Epic Response on French Politician Who Wants Statue of Liberty Back ‘Give us back the Statue of Liberty. We gave it to you as a gift, but apparently you despise it. So it will be just fine here at home.' Rapid Response 47@RapidResponse47, "@PressSec responds to the low-level French politician who apparently wants the Statue of Liberty back: "It's only because of the United States of America that the French are not speaking German right now.""

Sundance hosts President Trump Holds Impromptu Presser Aboard Airforce-One. Roger Kimball at Spec World discusses Vance Derangement Syndrome, "Bret Stephens has once again demonstrated that the Hitler wheeze, though tired, still has a bit of mileage in it."

At the Peacock, Treasury Secretary Bessent says White House is heading off a ‘guaranteed’ financial crisis. VodkaPundit at PJM, So a Cabinet Official Just Went on a Sunday Show to... TELL THE TRUTH??? "“The market and the economy have become hooked, become addicted, to excessive government spending and there’s going to be a detox period," Bessent told "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker." At WaT, Joe Biden leaves Donald Trump with deteriorating deficit. Ted Cruz@tedcruz "An absolute bombshell from @elonmusk on the latest episode of Verdict. He reveals there are 14 magic money computers in the federal government that send money out of nothing!" Roger Kimball at The Telegraph, Ending America’s addiction to high debt, big government was never going to be easy. "Stock markets may be panicking. But Trump and Musk are honest enough to admit that there’s no gain without some pain ." Dave Strom at Hat Hair, sees Tesla Terrorist Troops Try To Terrify.

Kurt Schlichter at TownHall says Boot the Ungrateful Foreigners the Hell Out of America. At Fox, Networks hide Mahmoud Khalil's pro-Hamas message, show lots of sympathy "Mahmoud Khalil and his group are pro-Hamas. This should not be whitewashed as "pro-Palestinian." But this is what the broadcast networks do." Laughing Wolf has SQT: Muhammed Khalil "This story stinks worse than that which was rotten in Denmark. So, Some Quick Thoughts (SQT) on it." John Sexton at Hat Hair, Jewish Columbia Grad Student: Khalil Hates Israel and America Too. At Ace, Trump Deports Pro-Hezballah Professor. At Hat Hair, Sec State Rubio Clarifies Who Made It To El Salvador That Dems Wanted to Remain Here. Secretary Marco Rubio @SecRubio "We have sent 2 dangerous top MS-13 leaders plus 21 of its most wanted back to face justice in El Salvador. Also, as promised by @POTUS, we sent over 250 alien enemy members of Tren de Aragua which El Salvador has agreed to hold in their very good jails at a fair price that will also save our taxpayer dollars. President @nayibbukele is not only the strongest security leader in our region, he’s also a great friend of the U.S. Thank you!" Autism Capital @AutismCapital, "NEW: A reporter asks Karoline Leavitt about the White House Social Media strategy and why they're posting illegals being deported to the song "Closing Time" LEAVITT: "I think it sums up our immigration policy pretty well. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here."" Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok "Tom Homan BODIES idiotic question from reporter: Reporter: "You're using a 200-year-old law to circumvent due process" Homan: "An old law? Not as old as the Constitution and we still pay attention to that don't we?" BOOM" Jen Van Laar at RedState, likes how Stephen Miller Obliterates CNN Anchor's Line of Questioning on Tren de Aragua Deportations. Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "The most brilliant part of the Tren de Aragua deportation flight is that it forced Democrats to defend and uphold literal narco-terrorists who have murdered Americans and destroyed the neighborhoods of working class voters. I am 100% sure that the Trump team did a careful mission analysis on the best way to get Dems to embarrass themselves more than usual, right down to the careful timing of having the judge impose his TRO while the plane was in international airspace. This was a carefully planned operation that was executed to perfection."

Ace, Judge Orders Trump To Turn Deportation Plane Around and Bring the Illegals Back to America; Trump Pulls the Old "My **dio Is Break*** **, Can You Re***?" Gag, "Trump sent a planeload of illegal alien criminals to be held in El Salvador's vibrant and diverse prisons. A federal judge decided he's the Commander in Chief now and ordered the plane to return. Trump said "whoops, the plane's gone too far, can't call it back now, gee willickers sorry." And the left is having a nervous breakdown." Althouse, "The Trump administration on Monday repeatedly stonewalled a federal judge seeking answers about whether the government had violated his order barring the deportation..." ""...of more than 200 noncitizens without due process, escalating a conflict that threatened to become a constitutional crisis.... Judge James E. Boasberg... said, he wanted only to figure out the timeline of the flights to determine whether they were in violation of his ruling. But [Justice Department lawyer, Abhishek Kambli] repeatedly refused to say anything about the flights, citing 'national security.' He simply reiterated the government’s position that it had done nothing to violate Judge Boasberg’s order..." The NYT reports." Insty at his NYPo gig thinks Federal judges’ Trump hate is only harming the courts themselves. Mark Hemingway@Heminator, "It’s pretty clear at this point rogue judges, not the Trump admin, are posing a threat to rule of law. SCOTUS needs to acknowledge this and reassert the judiciary’s role—best way to do that IMO is require TROs to be done by a three judge panel w/ expedited SCOTUS review." Insty, FROM THE BARELY-PARODY DEPARTMENT:
Complete Colorado reports Biden appointee makes $360K soft landing at University of Colorado. Andrew Mayock became the vice chancellor for sustainability as of March 10, for a whopping $360,000 per year. According to a CU media release, the position is “newly created.”


Stephen L. Miller@redsteeze "Schumer spent years rousing his activist base to protest and riot and now won't face them." Quote Annie Karni@anniekarni, "Replying to @anniekarni Statement: "Due to security concerns, Senator Schumer's book events are being rescheduled." Capt. Ed, Oh My: Schumer Book Tour Events Postponed for 'Security Concerns'; UPDATE: Entire Tour 'Postponed'. Reuters, Top Senate Democrat Schumer postpones book tour for security reasons. Ian Miles Cheong @stillgray, "Democrats say there will be violence unless Trump is removed from office." Video. Twitchy, White House Protesters Say Remove Trump or There Will Be Violence. Shooting News Weekly reports Swatting Of Conservative Media and Online Figures Continues Across the Country. Bob Spencer at PJM, Woman Wearing MAGA Hat Denied Service, Threatened With Baseball Bat at Indianapolis Jazz Club.

From Fox, Fani Willis ordered to pay $54K for violating open records laws in Trump case. "Judge Rachel Krause ruled that Willis' office was 'hostile' and 'intentionally' violated Georgia's open records laws." Matt Margolis chuckles when Judge Slaps Fani Willis With Huge Fine.

At Hat Hair, John Sexton has More on the NY Times' Take on the Lab Leak Theory. We denied it because conservatives touted it and Dave Strom shows the COVID Origin Coverup Was Worldwide. Everybody Knew, Everybody Lied. At PJM, Paula Bolyard, NYT: We Were 'Badly Misled' on Covid Lab Leak. But Guess Who's to Blame? Ace, Now It Can Be Told: UK "Intelligence" Also Knew Covid-19 Was Manufactured in Fauci's Wuhan Lab, and Also Lied to the World About It, "Are these the West's intelligence services, or China's? Before getting to that, the New York Times now admits the truth: Yes, covid-19 came from the Wuhan lab. Why did they participate in this massive lying psyop against the American people? They didn't, they say! They were "badly misled," you see." Michael Shellenberger @shellenberger, "The former head of the UK's foreign intelligence agency, MI6, told Boris Johnson in early 2020 that the Covid virus escaped from the Wuhan lab. That means that the US, UK, Chinese, & German governments all knew the truth, covered it up, and spread disinformation. Case closed."

Anna Paulina Luna @realannapaulina "I seldom respond to nasty headlines because I don’t like giving trash credibility, however, being that there is allegedly a book coming out with me named and attacking
@POTUS , his marriage, our first lady, and frankly implying something distasteful about me, I am responding
. I was very pregnant and at the time experiencing pre-eclampsia symptoms, but was not diagnosed. As soon as @realDonaldTrump boarded the plane, being the gentleman and good person that he is, said if I did not feel well, I could use the back room. He did this in a respectful way and in front of my husband, of which we thanked him. He also assured me that they had a medical team on board in case anything happened and they were aware of how pregnant I was. This was the most compassionate thing that could’ve been done at the time. I find it disgusting that the author fails to recognize that. A few weeks later, I was induced because I did have pre-eclampsia . The author of this book never reached out to me for comment. Which means that this book is likely going to be a shit hit piece. If people in POTUS orbit are talking to this author, they need to be cut off immediately. This is gross." The Daily Beast @thedailybeast "The new revelations reveal how Trump reportedly offered a female congresswoman his bed, as long as she kept it a secret from his wife."

From Campus Reform, USC removes Office of Diversity and Inclusion webpage amid compliance review after Trump executive order. Dave Strom reports UNC Triples Down on DEI Hiring. Althouse, "A new report is shedding more light on why UW-Madison’s director of Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement lost his job." "The report, which was released Friday, details how former DDEEA chief LaVar Charleston spent millions of dollars, handed out bonuses and raises, and never fully communicated any of it to anyone else at the school.... But perhaps the most damning part of the report came from what Charleston spent on training, travel, and events. Which totals over $2.5 million last year alone..." It's always been a grift.

John Sexton, HHS’ Civil Rights Office: Maine VIolated Title IX by Allowing Boy to Compete in Girl's Sports and Beege Welborn, VA Secretary Cuts Off Trans Treatment. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "@CityofOshkosh discuss a taxpayer funded drag show for little children that the City arranged and gush over toddlers tipping drag queens."

A Tuesday Tune - Nothing Else Matters

 

The pianist with the appearance of a top model conquers the world with her musical talent and virtuosity.

Her extravagant approach to music and fashion, explosive virtuosity, sensibility and beauty of musical arrangements, and model looks have made her one of the most desired artist at the most luxurious corporate parties around the world in the field of fashion, beauty and business


Performing on luxury yachts such as the premiere of Sunreef Yacht at the Dubai and Monaco International Boat Shows, events at the famous W Doha hotel in Qatar, luxury birthday parties in India, and prestigious music stages such as the Salle Bourgoe Hall (Montreal, Canada), at festivals in Italy and Spain (Beyond Music), at Alexei Kozlov's club in Moscow, Zhanna is a true a star, combining musical talent with a bright model appearance.
She knows the classics, too. 

Monday, March 17, 2025

Beach Report 3/17/25

St. Patrick's Day at the beach. It was about 50 F, mostly overcast, and blowing 15-20 knots from the NW. A pretty typical March day.
The tide was low, and the beach a bit sandy but not too sandy. 
There was a big slide from the cliffs up on Matoaka since we walked by yesterday. That one would hurt if it landed on you
In the pulverized sediment at the base of the slide I found these two fossil Geoduck (Panopea) clam shells still together. Here I've washed the sand out from between them.
This is the biggest pair of these shell still together that I have seen, and interestingly, in the shells you can see a couple of small blister pearls.
Georgia found this lovely cookie (an epiphyseal plate from a juvenile whale vertebra). 

She also found this great Snaggletooth upper up in the dry section of the beach. By far the best of 10 teeth.
She also found this piece of whale ear bone in the debris of the fall.


St. Patrick's Day Flotsam and Jetsam

Bob Hoge at RedState reports on the Activist Nation: Judge Orders Plane Carrying Gangsters Kicked Out by Trump to Turn Around. They didn't. Then Report: The Reason Why WH Ignored Judge's Order Requiring Planeload of Gangbangers to Turn Around. ET, Judge Blocks Trump’s Efforts to Deport Gang Members Under 1798 Alien Enemies Ac. "The ACLU and Democracy Forward filed a lawsuit
challenging Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to speed along deportations of Venezuelan nationals." John LeFevre @JohnLeFevre, "Trump just sent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members to Bukele's CECOT super max prison... This is what deterrence looks like:" George Landrith at TownHall explored Judicial Overreach and the Separation of Powers: Why Judges Cannot Run the Executive Branch. Hugh Hewitt @hughhewitt, "”Non-acquiescence” is on the table (or in the air) for the first time in 160 years —since Merryman— pushed by a radical district court judge ruling, one that the D.C. Circuit can reject out of hand. Or the circuit can send up to SCOTUS stat. I hope the planes can be refueled in the air for as long as it takes, and the President Trump refuse to return the terrorists save for a majority opinion of SCOTUS to direct the terrorists to return to our country." Quote Davis @mrddmia, "AG Pam Bondi and her team filed with the DC Circuit an emergency motion to pause DC Obama Judge Jeb Boasberg's illegal order sabotaging the presidency. He ordered Trump to stop deporting foreign terrorists--and even turn around flights and bring them back to American soil. . .  ." 

Still Boneless @still_boneless "“No! You can’t just defy judges. It’s unprecedented!” The precedent:" Insty, PRESIDENTIAL NONACQUIESCENCE IS ITSELF A CHECK ON JUDICIAL OVERREACH, ALBEIT ONE THAT SHOULD BE USED RARELY. Streiff at RedState hears the DC Judge Who Tried to Stop Deportations Gets a Harsh Message From El Salvador's President. Nayib Bukele@nayibbukele, "Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable). The United States will pay a very low fee for them, but a high one for us." Jonathan Turley, "No, the House Should Not Impeach Judge Boasberg Over His Tren de Aragua Restraining Order." One of the rare times I disagree with Turley. Let the process be the punishment. At Hat Hair, Enjoy the Wilderness: Next 80/20 Issue Dems Jump OnboardScott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY. "Prepare for the next 80/20 issue - Dems passionately arguing for the return of Venezuelan gang members to spite Trump." Quote, Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok "An Obama appointed judge just ordered deportation flights carrying Venezuelan gang members back to Venezuela, to return to the U.S. An activist judge is siding with criminal alien gangs who take over apartment buildings, murder, rob, assault, and r*pe Americans. These activistShow more." At Da Caller, ‘Not A Free Speech Issue’: Immigration Experts Have Bad News For Liberals Opposed To Deporting Pro-Hamas Foreigners. Sarah Arnold at TownHall, Tom Homan Reveals His Theory on Why Biden Allowed Millions of Illegal Immigrants In. “[Biden] overturned the Trump census rule, which means millions of people that they released in sanctuary cities will be counted in the next census,” Homan continued. “Which is going to result in more seats in the House for the Dems. So I truly believe they saw a future political benefit with this.” NYPo Ed Board, The intense migrant crackdown on its way is exactly what the US needs to clean up Biden’s mess

From NewsMax, Canada May Cancel F-35 Fighter Contract With US Over Tariffs. At NYPo, Canada has ‘nuclear weapon’ in trade war — ban Pornhub in US. That'll hit us where it hurts! Sundance at CTH, She’s About to Find Out – Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman Discusses U.S-Canada Relations. "Ms. Hillman says Canadians will never give up their sovereignty. Let me repeat the non-pretending reality. If Canada loses all of the one-way benefits it receives from its relationship with the United States, the Canadian system of government and economics collapses." Also hosts Sunday Talks: Nat Sec Advisor Mike Waltz Discusses Ukraine-Russia Conflict and Current Status. Matt Margolis at PJM, WATCH: This Is the Strongest Case for Trump's Tariffs I've Heard Yet. Raylan Givens @JewishWarrior13, "JUST ON: Mike Walz, the Trump administration's national security adviser, on the strikes in Yemen tonight: We attacked and killed Houthi leaders."

Dave Carter at PJM says Secretary of Defense Hegseth: Do the Opposite Of This, with a picture of "Admiral" "Rachel" Levine. 

Nick Ballasy at JTN notes Gridiron Club journalism dinner omits toast to sitting president for first time in 140 years. "Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, a cabinet secretary, was reportedly in attendance at the dinner but the toast to President Trump was still omitted." Althouse, "I told them not to worry, nobody does self-deprecating better than I do." "Said Donald Trump at the Gridiron Dinner in 2018. Supposedly, there was worry that he might not be able to fit the tradition of Presidents being self-deprecating. Last night was this year's Gridiron Dinner, and he wasn't there at all: "At Gridiron Dinner, Jokes About Trump, Musk and Russia Abound/But President Trump wasn’t around to hear any of the barbs thrown at the annual D.C. event" (NYT). I read that NYT article so you don't have to. Sounds like the NYT is also tired of it . . . " Rusty Weiss at RedState reports  Minnesota Republicans Introduce Bill Classifying ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ a Mental Illness. No, they'll use it as an excuse for more violence.

At Hat Hair, Starting to Wonder If This Auto-Pen Scandal Has Some LegsJeff Clark @JeffClarkUS, "There is a political group that does not believe in signature verification for mail-in election ballots. Unsurprisingly, that same group is fine with one or more aides of Biden controlling an autopen of Biden’s signature, despite Biden clearly having been senile for all or most of his time in office. Hat tip to the Oversight Project." A second autopen signature has been found. Fox, Biden's 'autopen signature' appears on most official docs, raising concerns over who controlled the WH: report. At Twitchy some Signature Humor: White House’s Rapid Response 47 Account Shares Hilarious Biden Autopen Meme. Speaking of autopen signed pardons, the Divine Ms. Devine at NYPo shares Hunter Biden fled to ‘ultra-luxurious’ vacation in South Africa with round-the-clock Secret Service protection — avoiding grueling deposition. Joe also signed him up for Secret Service protection for life. 

Stacy McCain is trying to Make Sense of Democrat Disarray and the Future of the MAGA Revolution. "We have had a pleasant couple of days laughing at the misery of the Democratic Party." Matt Margolis, Democrats Hit Rock Bottom as Internal Numbers Reveal Total Collapse. The trouble with rock bottom is there is nowhere to go but up. Ryan King at NYPo, Democrats’ approval ratings sink to historic lows amid infighting: poll. At Hat Hair, Speaking of Wilderness: Democrat Party Favorability Drops to All-Time Low. At the Victory Girls, Trump Voter Regret is the Democrats’s New Wishcasting. At OTP, Democrats’ Hand-Wringing Continues Over GOP Passing Budget Resolution, Schumer’s Cave. Atop Da Hill, Murphy says Americans want Democrats to ‘take risks right now’ to ‘save our democracy.’ Jen O'Connell at RedState, hears Chuck Schumer Tells CNN's Jake Tapper His Shutdown Vote Was 'A Vote of Strength'; Other Dems Smell Blood. At Althouse, "A shutdown would shut down all government agencies, and it would solely be up to Trump and DOGE and Musk what to open again..." ""... because they could determine what was essential. So their goal of decimating the whole federal government, of cutting agency after agency after agency, would occur under a shutdown. . . . Said Chuck Schumer, quoted in "The Interview/Chuck Schumer on Democrats, Antisemitism and His Shutdown Retreat" (NYT). . . . But anyway... I think Schumer analyzed the situation correctly and made the right choice. He's getting viciously attacked by fellow Democrats, but I can't believe they don't understand why his analysis was correct. Those whose votes were not needed to prevent what he correctly envisioned — they can carry on in public and kick him around, but privately they must be grateful to him... unless they are fools." Nick Ballasy points out Senate Democrats who voted to filibuster CR under Trump supported abolishing filibuster under Biden, "Literally zero Senate Democrats support the filibuster. 38 voted to filibuster the continuing resolution yesterday," wrote former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., on X. "8 who previously voted to eliminate the filibuster (1/19/22) did not filibuster. 1 who previously campaigned against the filibuster did not filibuster."

Da Caller, ‘Bunch Of Losers’: Dems’ Emerging 2028 Field May Not Bode Well For Liberals. From WokeSpy, 16 Senate Democrats Vote Against Fentanyl Crackdown—Here Are Their Names, includes both of Maryland's senators.  Betsy McCaughey at Hat Hair warns Don't Fall for Democrats' Zany Decarceration Plans

Bonchie@bonchieredstate "Man, after years of decrying it, they sure turned to xenophobia quick didn't they? And this valor-stealing imbecile calling Musk a "nepo baby" is insane. He grew up middle class and started his first company from nothing (which would later be sold for $300 million)." Quote Iowa Starting Line @IAStartingLine, "“There’s nothing conservative about an unelected South African nepo baby firing people at the VA” Tim Walz says at town hall in Des Moines." Scott Jennings @ScottJenningsKY, "Between these Musk attacks and their "who will pick the cotton?" immigration logic, Dems are really covering themselves in xenophobic and racist glory rn." Rich Lowry at NRO wonders Does Anyone Know What a Nazi Is? "Not if Elon Musk is considered one." Kate Hyde @KateHydeNY, "Gotta love that while Mark Kelly was trading in his Tesla, Elon Musk was flying into space to save Kelly’s fellow astronauts who were abandoned by Joe Biden’s autopen."

Ace, Government Spending? No! Government Borrowing... or Government Stealing, "Government Spending. Except that is a misnomer. We should be calling it Government Borrowing, because that is exactly what it is. On the other hand... maybe it should be called "government stealing," because they are stealing our grandchildren's livelihood! . . .  Secretary Bessent on 'Reprivatization' of Economy: 'We Are Laser-Focused on Getting this Deficit Under Control'" From Responsible Statecraft, DOGE can help close empty, useless military bases across US. "DOGE can help close empty, useless military bases across US. If Elon is up for disruption, we have a BRAC logjam for him." Business Insider points out The government is employing fewer people and they're traveling less. United Airlines could lose millions of dollars. "Government employee travel makes up 2% of the company's business, United's chief financial officer said." At Breitbart, Maher admits Biden Was ‘Just Funneling’ Green Money to Groups that Didn’t Deserve It

WokeSpy reports Kash Patel’s FBI Takes Down 300 Violent Gang Members in Massive Crackdown. Pop Times says DOJ Opens Investigation into Illegal Alien Hotels in New York City

On the five year anniversary of "15 days to halt the spread of the Wu Flu", Twitchy, 'We Were Misled' Says the New York Times As They Admit COVID Lab-Leak Theory Was True. cdrsalamander @cdrsalamander "Remember when @SenTomCotton was viciously attacked early on by All the Right People™--called "finge" by NYT itself (https://nytimes.com/2020/02/17/ business/media/coronavirus-tom-cotton-china.html…), and people were being exiled from twitter for even hinting at this being an option? Remember how the establishmentarian Smartest People in the Room™ smeared, insulted, and otherwise snooted at anyone who wanted to ponder this option? Ole Sal remembers..." Quote "Jenin Younes @JeninYounesEsq, "A miracle has happened. The NY Times ran an oped acknowledging not only that the covid virus likely originated in a lab, but that government officials and scientists conspired to keep the substantiating evidence secret. The lab leak theory was censored on social media because Show moreChief Nerd@TheChiefNerd "Dr. Leana Wen Now Admits Some ‘Conspiracy Theories’ Were Actually True “People were concerned about the impact of the vaccines on their menstrual periods. Well as it turns out, there have been studies that have shown that there may be some changes to the menstrual period in the short term.” “It’s also true that … you do get some degree of pretty good immunity after having infection.” Insty, THE PASSIVE VOICE IS SURE DOING A LOT OF WORK HERE: ‘We Were Badly Misled’ Says the New York Times As They Admit COVID Lab-Leak Theory Was True. Across da pond at Da Mail, Labour minister 'rubbished' spy chief's secret dossier on Wuhan lab leak theory during pandemic despite Boris demanding probe... to 'avoid offending China'. Althouse, "It’s not hard to imagine how the attempt to squelch legitimate debate may have started." ""Some of the loudest proponents of the lab leak theory weren’t just earnestly making inquiries, they were acting in terrible faith, using the debate over pandemic origins to attack legitimate, beneficial science, to inflame public opinion, to get attention. For scientists and public health officials, circling the wagons and vilifying anyone who dared to dissent might have seemed like a reasonable defense strategy. ...." Writes Zeynep Tufekci, in "We Were Badly Misled About the Event That Changed Our Lives" (NYT)."

From NYPo, MSNBC bigwigs leaked layoffs plan in stunning gaffe — and staffer found grim ‘kill list’ morning of bloodbath. Politico whines Trump has long hated this media outlet. Now he’s ordering it dismantled. "Journalists are being placed on administrative leave and grants are being terminated at other outlets. . . The move comes after Trump signed an executive order to hollow out a string of small government agencies and offices late Friday. The order calls for the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees VOA and a collection of other media outlets globally, to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”" Drew Berquist, Legacy Media Gets More Bad News as Kari Lake Announces VOA’s Dumping of These Outlets "According to Newsmax, VOA employees were informed during a staff meeting on Friday that they should “stop using wire service material for their reports.”"

Greg Lukianoff at the Eternally Radical Idea reports Maine bars state legislator from voting or speaking in trans athlete row, FIRE tells NIH not to pull funding based on Rankings, Victories in the 9th Circuit & TN, & more!

Stacy McCain identifies The Worst Pundits EVER! That's a high bar! "Saturday, November 2 — three days before the election, and the Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson records a podcast segment featuring his colleagues Stuart Stevens, Jeff Timmer and Trygve Olson. All of them declare with ironclad certainty that Kamala Harris is going to run the table in the “battleground” States and stomp Donald Trump into tiny orange smithereens. The fun begins when Wilson introduces his guests as “three of the most brilliant minds in American politics.” He starts with Olson, who says he’s spent the past week in Wisconsin where Harris “is on a trajectory” to win the state by a wider margin than Joe Biden did in 2020 (she lost Wisconsin by 30,000 votes). Then he cuts to Stu Stevens predicting that Harris will win nationwide by “about the same margin that Obama won in [his 2012 reelection campaign], like 3.9.” (LOL!) Next it’s Timmer’s turn and he describes himself as “fairly bullish.” Timmer then refers to Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, saying he’s been digging “down into the minutiae of the numbers” — poll numbers, presumably — as indicating “everything points toward a Harris win in all three of those states.” Wrong, wrong, and wrong! Not content to be batting 0-for-3 on those battlegrounds, Timmer goes on to speak confidently of “when [not if] Trump loses North Carolina,” before suggesting Trump might even lose Florida, because of what he foresees as a possibility that “the bottom drops out of Trump’s support.”"

From the College Fix, U.S. Dept. of Education launches investigations into 45 universities for ‘race-exclusionary practices’. At Campus Reform, Chapman University offers course on ‘Porn Studies’ with ‘sexually explicit material’ "The course also considers the ‘intersections of critical race studies and porn studies, and trans studies and porn studies.’ Students ‘will watch, read about, and discuss sexually explicit material.’" Well, sex sells. Da Caller thinks it's Time To Rein In Universities’ Unchecked Power Over FundingTimur Kuran @timurkuran, "Faced with falling revenues, universities are announcing across-the-board spending freezes. Instead, they should differentiate between sane departments and those that have lost their way. Departments captured by post-modernists should be cut, to allow adequate funding for others." John Sexton at Hat Hair thinks Colleges Are in Trouble and Suddenly Realizing They Have Few Allies

Sarah Anderson at PJM wants to know Is Your Newborn Gay or Straight? Transgender? GenderQueer?

If you're expecting a baby in New Jersey any time soon, you should also prepare yourself for the hospital to give you a little questionnaire, asking you about your newborn's gender identity and sexual preferences, especially if you're having it at an Inspira Health facility. No, I'm totally serious. The questionnaire, which a few people have posted online, has five questions.

First, it asks for your newborn's name and date of birth, but then things take a turn. The third question, which is multiple choice, asks "What sex your baby was assigned at birth," with the options for "male," "female," or "prefer not to answer." If I ever have a baby, and the doctor isn't sure "what gender to assign it at birth," I'm pretty sure I'm going to request a new doctor. If I ever have a baby, and the doctor "assigns its gender" and I protest despite the biological visual proof, someone, please put me in the nuthouse.

The fourth questions gets even worse. "Does your baby identify as...?" Your options are:
  • Female
  • Male
  • Transgender female/trans female/male to female
  • GenderQueer, neither exclusively male or female
  • Additional gender category/self-described; please specify

From Da Signal,  ‘BLATANTLY LYING’: Payton McNabb Responds After Sorority CEO Claims DZ Didn’t Expel Her Over Transgender Issues

The Monday Morning Stimulus

With some help from Natalia Barulich:

A brand of coffee creamer has been recalled after the manufacturer "received complaints of spoilage and illness" from customers who used the product. More than 12,500 cases of two International Delight coffee creamer varieties sold at stores in 31 states — including Florida, Texas and New York — were recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Select 32-ounce bottles of International Delight Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll and International Delight Hazelnut coffee creamers have been impacted.

The FDA categorized the recall as a Class II risk, meaning the product "may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences." A voluntary recall was initiated on Feb. 21 and has not been issued a termination date.

Ugh.