Flotsam and Jetsam - Democrats Seeing Red over Virginia Setback

Democrats are still in high dudgeon over their loss in the Virginia Supreme court, in their last minute attempt to redistrict from 6-5 D to 10-1 D, aka Abigail Spanberger’s Faceplant (Free Bacon). Matt Margolis at PJM hears Democrats Now Want to ABOLISH the Virginia Government, because they didn't like the results. The Democrats election lawyer, Marc E. Elias @marceelias, "VA Const. "whenever any government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community hath an indubitable, inalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter, or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal." Fusilli Spock @awstar11, "Replacing the judiciary branch with a version that specifically agrees with your policies is certainly not something a fascist would do, right?" Quote RNC Research @RNCResearch "House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries proposes a nationwide radical takeover of the courts if Democrats gain power: "We're going to have to explore judicial 'reform' state by state and at the federal level...everything should be on the table as far as I'm concerned." Amy Curtis at TownHall hears Speaker Mike Johnson Calls Out Dems' for 'Stunning' Plan to Nuke Judicial Branch of Government and reminds them that NY started the midcycle redistricting war, not Texas. Speaker Mike Johnson @SpeakerJohnson, "House Democrats started the current mid-decade redistricting battle in NY before the 2024 election. Now that it’s backfired on them, they are pushing a stunning next step: nuke the judicial branch of government and pack the court! They are anarchists now." Bob Hoge at RedState In Nashville, Capitol Tantrums Come With a Bill — and Tennessee Dems Just Received It. Robby Starbuck @robbystarbuck, "Tennessee’s Speaker of the House @CSexton25 just removed elected Democrats from ALL committees due to their disruptive, disrespectful behavior during the session to redraw Tennessee’s congressional map. Good. They aren’t entitled to be on committees. Fantastic work @tnhousegop!" Ace is up! South Carolina's Legislature Will Delete C***s***er Jim Clyburn's Seat Tomorrow; Alabama Now Free to Eliminate One of Its Two Democrat Districts, "Alabama has two majority-minority districts due to unconstitutional racist and Democrat Protection Racket mandates. The Supreme Court just vacated a lower court ruling mandating the racially rigged districts, and Alabama will swiftly move to eliminate one of them," then down again, as South Carolina Dixiecrats Tank Effort to Gain a Congressional Seat, Voting With the Declared Democrats to Kill It, "Indiana redux." JR Dunn at Am Thinker thinks about Louisiana v. Callais and the Long Run, "If Republicans are wise, Louisiana v. Callais could be the kind of once-in-a-century Supreme Court decision that returns America to its constitutional roots."

Driscoll at Insty, ‘BE NICE TO ME:’ Dem CA Gov Hopeful Xavier Becerra Begs Reporter for Friendly Treatment, Exposes Entitlement. "Xavier Becerra was in the Biden Administration as the DHS Secretary. He was terrible at the job and did not keep the ‘homeland’ safe, in the least. Democrats fail up, so now he is running for the job of top executive in California. He sat down for a news interview and before they started, he wanted to be sure the journalist knew he expected a friendly interview and not a ‘gotcha’ interview. How does he expect to run a huge state when he’s afraid of a news interview? What a wimp!" Kevin Liao @KevinLiao_, "Everyone’s been wondering whether Xavier Becerra can withstand scrutiny. Take a look at this interview clip and judge for yourself." Ace, Obama's Oxygen Thief HHS Secretary, Xavier Becerra, Is Currently the Leading Democrat for California Governor and Cannot Answer Questions About His Record Without Begging for Mercy. "First, he wasn't able to answer questions about the 85,000 migrant children he lost while supposedly safeguarding them in the Biden Open Borders Regime. He claims they weren't "lost" at all. Merely, that when their "sponsors" were contacted to check up on the health and safety of the children, the sponsors didn't respond." Hat Hair's Beege Welborn, Mayorkas: Man, Somebody Shoulda Done Sumpthin' About That Border. Amazing. Leslie Eastman at LI, Spencer Pratt Vows to Bring in CDC to Rid Los Angeles Of ‘Medieval Diseases’, like Typhus. "You don’t need a federal task force to tell you that rats, refuse, and unchecked human misery are a breeding ground for disease. You simply need the political will to stop pretending this is normal."

At Hat Hair, John Sexton sees Zohran still relying on handouts, Mamdani Balances City Budget With a Big Handout from Gov. Hochul. I'm sure upstaters are super thrilled about paying the bills for his social programs. Anti-semitic "protestors" heckled Jews at home in Brooklyn and Beege Welborn thinks What Happened in the Streets of New York City Last Night Was a Disgrace. Yehuda Teitelbaum @chalavyishmael, "HAPPENING NOW IN BROOKLYN: Insane footage of pro-Hamas rioters marching through an Orthodox Jewish neighborhood toward a synagogue while assaulting Jewish kids. This is what Mamdani wants to see. He could stop this at any time." David Bernstein @ProfDBernstein, "We are getting closer to an actual pogrom like Crown Heights 1991. Seriously time for Brooklyn Jews to arm themselves." Quote Eli Kowaz - איליי קואז @elikowaz, "Masked marchers, chanting "Zionism will fail," Orthodox families watching from their doorsteps. Just a normal night in a Jewish Brooklyn neighbourhood. If someone tells you this isn't about Jews, ask them why they chose this block."

Amy Curtis notices Democrats Suddenly Forgot About the Separation of Church and State and Ted Lieu Promised Dems Will Make Everything More Expensive If They Retake Power. Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "You are not gonna believe what I just found The California Mayor who admitted to being a Chinese spy donated to the Democrat Senate Campaign Committee Democrat Senators are being funded by Chinese spies If it was the other way around, it would be front page news for weeks." I believe it!

Chef Andrew Gruel @ChefGruel, "I thought we hate billionaires?" Quote California Post @californiapost, "Hollywood billionaire is first Dem megadonor to throw weight behind Gavin Newsom for 2028 White House run https://trib.al/WdLRya4." At Da Signal, Don Lemon Teases Presidential Run. Put down that crack pipe. But you have to admit, there would be some entertainment there.

At PJM VodkaPundit is pleased to report We Get Greenland! (Sort Of) "One source told the Beeb that administration officials "floated an arrangement in which the three new military bases would be formally designated as U.S. sovereign territory."" Don Surber is satisfied with Pax Annexa "The 51st state threat works well for Trump...Trump treats negotiation with the seriousness of a war. His statements are part of the fog of his war." 

VodkaPundit again How to Make the Trump Battleship Even Deadlier With This 1 Weird Trick, not one but rather two nuclear reactors. Energy beam weapons take power.

Sundance at CTH reports Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff Andrey Yermak Appears in Court to Face Stunning Charges of Corruption and Money Laundering. Corruption in Ukraine? Well, knock me over with a feather. 

Ace is in Shock: Cuck of the Century Thomas Massie Claimed to be Sexual Deviant by Ex-GF, She Claims He Offered $5000 to Keep Quiet About His Proclivities "Maybe Massie orchestrated this leak himself. As you might have heard, the humiliation is the kink. Allegedly he DM'd her two months after his wife died and began a sexual relationship shortly after that. Is this true? Who knows. What are the deviant sex acts Massie allegedly demanded that made her feel "uncomfortable"? No idea, she doesn't say. Spoiler alert, it's usually about poop." A shit-head in Congress? No surprise there. 

John Lucas at Bravo Blue says Enough Already! Please Stop With the Talk About a "Deal," Mr. President. John Betts @JohnFromCranber, "Trump: No Need to Rush Anything With Iran. Frankly, I would rather see action rather than talk I would like to see oil prices and inflation back down And I am sick and tired of Iran poking us in the eye on the world stage, and making it look like we're desperate for some sort of exit strategy it's way past time to end this - unleash hell!" I think he's just letting the rubble settle before the next round of destruction. Ron Tiersky at RCW says Victory or Defeat, Iranian Old Regime's Fate is Sealed.

From Ace, Democrat Whistleblower Claims that Adam Schiff Ordered His Staff to Illegally Leak Classified Information In Order to Rig an Indictment Against Trump. "Adam Schiff, I assume, has been quizzed about this before. And I assume he lied to federal investigators when he was asked. That's obstruction of justice." Svetlana Lokhova @RealSLokhova, "Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell conspired to leak classified, and falsified, information that I was a Russian Spy who had an affair with President Trump's National Security Advisor General Flynn. The goal was to impeach President Trump. The motive: Schiff didn't get the CIA Director role that Hillary promised him if she won. So Schiff did everything to try and remove President Trump. A highly reliable whistleblower who worked on the Intel Committee with Schiff reported this to the FBI. The FBI found this to be true but then Christopher Wray refused to refer Schiff and Swalwell for prosecution, despite all the evidence, which he hid. The documents are now released but Patel/Blanche still have not arrested anyone for this."

At Am Great Nice Deb sees Trump Shares Video on Truth Social Alleging Rigged 2020 Election in Michigan "On July 5, 2021, constitutional attorney Matt DePerno appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room and made a series of bombshell claims about the election. “We’ve proved now that there was direct access to the Antrim County Election Management System,” DePerno tells Bannon in the video. “On November 5, we can see in the forensic images that an anonymous user logged onto the EMS [Election Management System] remotely with escalated privileges and made changes to the database while they were trying to retabulate the election.” DePerno explained that the Dominion forensic images also confirm that the “black solid boxes” on the side of ballots were “intentionally modified” to generate an automatic error, or “adjudication,” in Republican ballots."

Ace hears about a New Foreign Pirate Pillaging Operation Uncovered: 10,000 Foreign Students "Working" at Fraudulent Jobs Created by Fraudulent "Employers." "Why the hell would we be paying foreign students to work, anyway? Why on earth would we be subsidizing foreigners to come here? Pay full freight or go home. Better yet, go home whether you're paying full freight or not. Correction: I assumed the taxpayers were paying the salaries of these fake "workers." But I haven't seen anyone say that and now believe this is simply a scheme to remain in the country beyond the limits of one's student visa." Twitchy, NBC News: 18-Year-Old US Citizen Dies of Cancer With His Parents by His Side. "Rep. Joaquin Castro is the master of illegal immigration sob stories. If an illegal alien stubs their toe in an ICE detention facility, he'll report the national news story on it. Earlier this month, Castro shared the sad story of Kevin González, an 18-year-old with Stage 4 colon cancer who had only days to live. González is a U.S. citizen, but his parents are not, and were detained by ICE."

Dave Bernstein at Insty says YOU CAN’T HATE THE NEW YORK TIMES ENOUGH–THIS IS HOW THE HAMAS PROPAGANDA MACHINE WORKS: "New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof published a lengthy piece alleging systematic sexual assault on Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails. The piece was based on extremely dubious sourcing, and included the absurd allegation, which has circulated for months with no actual evidence provided, that Israel trains dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners. Even a credulous fool might have paused at that one. But it looks like Kristof, and the Times, are no mere credulous fools. A very extensive, detailed, and exquisitely sourced report was released today documenting, in gruesome detail, Hamas’s sexual depravity on 10/7 and its sexual crimes against the hostages it kidnapped to Gaza. As @aizenbergt55 comments on X, “If you do not believe @nytimes knew EXACTLY what they were doing with the timing of the Kristof “opinion” piece [ie, trying to preempt justified outrage at Hamas’s sexual crimes by suggesting that Israel similarly engages in such crimes] I have a nice bridge to sell you.”" Driscoll at Insty cites DAVID HARSANYI: Nick Kristof’s grotesque journalistic malpractice. "Kristof’s most cartoonishly evil accusation contends that the Israelis use trained dogs to rape Palestinian prisoners. This hoax is the favorite of online antisemitic podcaster types. Not only has there never been a shred of evidence that this has happened, but it’s also probably “biologically and cognitively unfeasible” for humans to train dogs to rape people..." David Shuster @DavidShuster, "Hearing from longtime friends @nytimes there are already discussions, including up the masthead, about retracting @NickKristof column. Issues with source credibility and lack of evidence. No indications the Kristof sourcing mistakes were deliberate. Still problematic:" Physics Geek @physicsgeek, ""he won two Pulitzers writing for the NYT" ::laughs in Walter Duranty:: The fact that you think this is a flex is one of the funniest things I've ever seen." 

'The View' Announces All-New Cast Of Angry, Middle-Aged Women https://t.co/uay1ttMTnY pic.twitter.com/hk6jok7wsQ

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) May 12, 2026

Still mohr at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.12.26!

The Wednesday Wetness

Potomac Conservancy, Sewage spill: The EPA declares the Potomac’s recovery goals are achieved. Why we disagree

Maryland, My Maryland

The BayNet, Maryland School Official Accused Of $118K Theft Scheme Using Funds Meant For Low-Income Students

A longtime Maryland public school administrator is facing multiple felony charges after prosecutors say she carried out a years-long scheme to steal more than $100,000 in education funds—some of which were intended to support low-income students.

Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard, III, announced April 14, 2026, that Denise R. Shorts, 61, of Ocean City, has been charged with theft over $100,000, embezzlement, and misconduct in office.

According to charging documents filed in Worcester County Circuit Court, Shorts—who served as Chief Academic Officer and Assistant Superintendent for Worcester County Public Schools—allegedly used a school-issued purchase card to make $118,741.89 in personal purchases between 2019 and 2025.

Investigators say many of those purchases included pool equipment, clothing, cosmetics, home goods, and furnishings for a vacation home in Florida, as well as items used at a private learning center partially owned by Shorts.

Prosecutors allege Shorts went to extensive lengths to conceal the spending by creating and submitting falsified receipts. According to the filing, she would print both legitimate and fake Amazon receipts, cut out item descriptions or shipping addresses, and physically attach false information over real receipts before copying and submitting them for reimbursement.

Authorities say she then coded the purchases as legitimate school expenses—specifically tying many of them to the district’s Title I grant program, which is designed to provide additional resources to schools serving low-income families.

As a result, investigators allege $84,365.82 in federal education funds was improperly diverted from its intended purpose.

The scheme was uncovered during a routine audit conducted by the Maryland Office of Legislative Audits, which found discrepancies between Amazon transaction data and the receipts submitted by Shorts.

It's not fair to cut out the middlemen in the grift. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Dems Propose Slaughtering and Restocking Virginia High Court

Mad as a wet hen over the Virginia Supreme Court's refusal to go along with their last minute attempt to redistrict VA from 6-5 Democrat representatives to 10-1, to impose "fairness" in the midterms, Democrats have begun cooking up increasingly "democratic" means of solving the problem. The most audacious is quickly pass a constitutional amendment to make the upper age limit for justices 54 (conveniently lower than any of the existing justices current age), to disqualify the whole lot, and have CIA operative and current Governor Spanberger appoint a whole new set, who would quickly be ratified by the majority Democrats in the state senate, who would then greenlight the proposed Spandamander. Yeah. That's a whole lot of "democracy" in motion. Betsey Stauffer at LI has the scoop, Democrats Considering Radical Plan to Replace Virginia Supreme Court Justices, "The sources said this option would require the General Assembly to lower the mandatory retirement age for Virginia Supreme Court justices from 75 to 54, which happens to be the age of the youngest current justice." At Hat Hair Dave Strom hears Hakeem Jeffries Declares War on Every Judiciary in the Country, Capt. Ed, BREAKING: Virginia Dems Retreat, Balk at 'Schizo Hopium,' John Sexton reports Virginia Dems Appeal House Maps to the Supreme Court and a Larry vid, Hakeem Jeffries Gets Boxed in: He Might Never Win Again. Michelle Maxwell ™ @MichelleMaxwell, "Ok, so the AG of Virginia, Jay Jones, has filed an emergency appeal to the United States Supreme Court asking them to overrule the Virginia State Supreme Courts ruling, and while he may have sent it through spellcheck this time, he failed to change templates..because this one is still going to the Supreme Court of Virginia. The incompetence is mind blowing." At Am Great, Supreme Court Clears Way for Alabama Redistricting Effort Ahead of Midterms, which could produce +1 or 2 for Republicans. TownHall's Matt Vespa worries that We May Have Some Trouble in South Carolina Over Redistricting, "as Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey put it earlier in the week: “I think if you try to get 7-0, you’re more likely to get 5-2. Trying to get cute with this is more likely to cause a problem than be beneficial.” At Insty, TIM SCOTT DOESN’T COUNT BECAUSE HE ISN’T A DEMOCRAT: Jon Gabriel @exjon, "This man has represented South Carolina as their Senator for 13 years (so far). Voters chose him in 2014, 2016, and 2022." Quote Ro Khanna @RoKhanna "South Carolina, where the first shot of the civil war was fired, where 40 percent of those enslaved came through the Charleston port, is today engaged in an ugly recidivism to draw maps that will deny a Black person the chance to serve in Congress." Sister Toldja at RedState, This Has Gotta Stop: The View Puts Targets on VA Supreme Court's Back With Fact-Free Meltdowns. It's their job. Stephen Kruiser at PJM sees The GOP Is Having a Run of Good Luck, Hope It Does Something With It. Pass the SAVE Act, you pansies! 

Stacy McCain wonders Do You Hate Communism Enough? "This point was brought home by Data Republican: DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "I am going to keep repeating this until people understand this. Karen Bass was not only a Castro operative and Communist, but she got elevated to Vice Chair of National Endowment for Democracy, which is the center of soft power operations in the US government. She is not a "DEI mayor." She is extremely powerful at the global stage. She was actively involved in shaping foreign policy with the Obama administration, especially Africa. Her Ghana visit during the LA wildfires wasn't a vacation, it was part of a Biden delegate to greet Ghana's new President. She was considered HUD Secretary for the Biden administration. Instead, she nominated the person who would become the actual HHS Secretary - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Now, let me ask you. If a literal Castro operative gets elevated to this stage, what does this imply about the rest of the United States government? John Sexton reports SoCal Mayor Admits to Being Chinese Foreign Agent. Sundance at CTH, Democrat Mayor of Arcadia, California Indicted for Being Agent of China "According to her plea agreement, from late 2020 through 2022, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, worked at the direction and control of PRC government officials and coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to promote the PRC’s interests by, among other things, promoting pro-PRC propaganda in the United States." Politico whines Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice leaves Democratic Party over antisemitism concerns, "David Wecht is becoming an independent due to "acquiescence to Jew-hatred” from prominent Democrats."

Betsy Stauffer cites a New Poll: 42% of Democrats Think Butler Assassination Attempt on Trump was Staged “For each attempted assassination, a majority of Americans said either that it was staged or that they were not sure — averaging 54 percent across all three.” Just like the Lincoln assassination.  

Wesley Yang @wesyang, "“Don’t pour a pot of boiling potatoes on your spouse’s head” is a single sex neutral standard of conduct that virtually all seekers of high office of both sexes manage to meet, and that no man would be able to continue running for governor having failed to meet." Quote CalMatters @CalMatters "To experts, it shows voters and political insiders continue to hold female candidates to higher standards than men. https://cal.news/4wvGtuW"

There has not been much obvious sign of progress in Iran since I lost focus.  Capt. Ed sees Trump say the Ceasefire Now On 'Life Support'. It may be time to pull the ventilator. At his NYPo gig, Insty explains How Trump’s ‘anaconda’ tactics put the squeeze on Iran and China. 

Britain's ultra-woke liberal PM, Keith Starmer got his ass handed to him in recent election at the hand of both conservatives, and "independent muslims" , but insists "it's just a scratch", and said he intends to remain in power anyway. Beege Welborn at Hat Hair, After Losing His Buttocks in Local Elections, Starmer Declares War on 'Right-Wing' and Regular British. Sundance, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer Refuses to Resign and Blocks Visa Entry for any Political Opposition. From Althouse, "This day is historic in Alberta history. It’s the first step to the next step — we’ve gotten by Round 3 and now we’re in the Stanley Cup final." "Said Mitch Sylvestre, head of Stay Free Alberta, at the Elections Alberta office today, with 7 trucks to delivering what is said to be almost 302,000 signatures — 178,000 signatures are needed to trigger a vote. Quoted in "Alberta separatist group submits signatures for referendum on leaving Canada" (MSN). Daniel Béland, a McGill University poli sci professor, said: "Right now, support for independence in Alberta is rather low. Less than 30% and much lower if we only focus on hard-core supporters...."" I bet it's about 30 for, 30 against, and 40% aren't paying much attention. Rather like the American revolution.

John Sexton hears As Battlefield Progress Slows, Putin Signals Interest in Ending the War, it's getting rather difficult to gain more ground, and losses at home are starting to get attention. I expect he expects to keep the parts of the Donbas he controls, and may ask for the rest as a price for going away. Sundance,  During “Victory Day” Presser, Russian Federation President Putin Outlines Warning Call with President Trump to Exit Kiev. I wouldn't take anything he says at face value.

WaPoo whines Trump wants to pause the federal gas tax. Here’s what that could mean. "The idea, which requires congressional approval, has previously been dismissed by some as a gimmick. But some Republicans and Democrats have expressed support." Who doesn't love a good gimmick? Government is full of them. 18 cents a gallon I'd rather not pay. At WUWT, Three Months In: EPA’s Endangerment Finding Repeal Has Quietly Become a Legal Fight, not a Scientific One. It always was.

Beege Welborn has Reflections on Going Off Into the Deep End of the Pool. The Capitol reflecting pool. If you expose a body of water to air, it will grow algae, unless you do something to prevent it. Duh!

According to Sundance, Former CIA Director John Brennan Says There are Still “Legions” of His Allies, Deep State Operatives, at DOJ, FBI and CIA (I believe it) and DNI Tulsi Gabbard Investigating 120 Foreign Biolabs Funding by U.S. Government – More than 40 are Located in Ukraine, probably doing gain of function on Hanta virus as we speak. DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, " MAJOR BREAKING: International actors are involved in the State Department led color revolution. This is not speculation; it’s straight from a recorded call. Ex-USAID employees describe how, before January 20, they moved internal groups off government systems and into encrypted Signal chats, then quickly linked with foreign partners and NGOs after the inauguration. This attempt at creating a color revolution isn't new news; this part was already reported in NOTUS earlier this year. But what's not reported is the international aspect. One participant explicitly frames it as "a global anti-authoritarian movement," connecting U.S. officials with "colleagues from around the world who have dealt with this directly." They reference coordination with Johns Hopkins, "international democracy and conflict mitigation spaces," and efforts to mobilize across borders against what they perceive as domestic authoritarianism. At what point does this become treason?" Theo Wold@RealTheoWold, "For those of you who weren't around for politics before President Trump, you have no idea how monumental of a moment it is to have the State Department call out replacement migration by name." Quote Department of State @StateDept, "Last week, the United States refused to participate in the UN’s review of the Global Compact on Migration. The United States objects to the Global Compact on Migration and UN efforts to facilitate replacement migration to the United States and our Western allies."

From RCP, Marsha Blackburn to Secret Service: ‘Root Out the Rot'. But what will be left?

Still plenty more to read at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.11.26.

Tuesday Tanlines

HuffPo,  RFK Jr. Wants Teens To Be Able To Use Tanning Beds — And The Logic Behind It Is Bonkers. But HuffPo would gladly permit teens to demand and receive gender surgery.