Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Flotsam and Jetsam - Swalwell Slithers Out of Seat

As of yesterday morning all-round dirt bag and California rep Eric Swalwell had quit his run for governor over multiple allegations of rape and/or sexual misconduct, but was still coiled around his seat in congress. Later yesterday, he resigned from Congress... Bob Hoge at RedState notes Eric Swalwell Continues to Crash and Burn As Billionaire Boots Him From Mansion He Was Hiding In. Da Beast , Dem Star Kicked Out of Billionaire’s Mansion After Denying Rape Claim. “I am no longer supporting Eric,” he told the Post. “F---ing tell everyone I’m a libertarian. F--- you, Democrat Party. I’m a libertarian now.” Aww, too bad, he'll be out on the street like so many in California. Dave Strom at Hat Hair, Swalwell Out; Democrats Admit Everybody Knew for Years. PJM's Stephen Kruiser, Eric Swalwell's Gubernatorial Bid Gets Hit By the #MeToo Train. Ace, Eric Fartwell Forced Out of Gubernatorial Race by Post-Biden-Debate Coordinated Campaign; Apologizes for "Mistakes in Judgment I Have Made in My Life", "He was forced out after Democrats threatened to expel him from Congress if he didn't resign from the race." Sundance at CTH, Eric Swalwell Quits Race for California Governor – Remains in Position as Pervert in DC. Hat Hair's John Sexton thinks The California Governor's Race is a Train Wreck (and Trump Should Make It Worse). "If Trump's team wanted to play some 11-dimentional chess here, they could think about further damaging this already disastrous governor's race by raising the profile of some of the other Dems in the race. Don't given Steyer or Porter any of the oxygen they crave, but a critical tweet about Xavier Becerra and Anonio Villaraigosa would probably ensure neither one of them drops out for a couple more weeks, making it harder for Porter or Steyer to rise. Again, if Dems want to make this whole race about opposition to Trump, why not have some fun with that?" From Da Caller, Rep Anna Paulina Luna, Moving To Expel Eric Swalwell, Says It’s ‘Inappropriate’ Dems Are Not Calling For Him To Resign. Driscoll at Insty, SWALWELL’S BLANKET PARTY and a very Driscolly post, featuring lots of comments by Jonathan Turley, MR. KISS KISS FANG FANG CRASHES OUT: Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley. "In one week, Eric Swalwell was forced to drop out of the California race, put under criminal investigation in New York, and is the subject of a bipartisan expulsion effort. He was even kicked out of the home of a billionaire who was letting him crash. However, that is not all..."

Too late! Cathy Salgado, Eric Swalwell Resigns From Congress. Sundance, Alleged Congressional Rapist, Eric Swalwell, Resigns from Congress while denying the crimes. Ace, Eric Swalwell Attempts to Short-Circuit Investigation and Effort to Expel Him, Saying He "Plans" to Resign (No Date Given), which is largely irrelevant because he rarely votes. But, Republicans don't get a boost out of it because, as NYPo reports Rep. Tony Gonzales quits Congress after affair, lewd texting scandal with staffer who fatally set herself on fire.

IT Guy @ITGuy1959, "The question everyone should be asking is how this went on for so long." Quote Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "JUST IN: OVER 50 former staffers of Eric Swalwell have just released a statement calling for him to RESIGN They also referred to the r*pe allegations against him as CREDIBLE." Possum Reviews @ReviewsPossum, "So Eric Swalwell has allegedly been committing crimes for years— everything from campaign finance crimes to rape— but it wasn't until he decided to run for governor in California and threatened to split the Democrat vote that it's all suddenly coming to light at the same time, and now every Democrat is demanding he drop out of the race, but not give up his seat in Congress." Yeah, funny how that works. Sister Toldja at RedState says 'Just Asking Questions': All Eyes Turn to Swalwell's Bestie, Sen. Ruben Gallego, As Scrutiny Intensifies. Robby Soave atop Da Hill, Eric Swalwell exposed for sexual misconduct; Katie Porter worse? Well, by it's design of power influence, and need for money for reelection, the House attracts the worst kind of people. PoIiMath @politicalmath, "If we are taking Bethany at her word, she's telling us that Hill reporters are *not allowed* to talk about scandals or stories that they are not specifically assigned to She's telling us that her entire industry is about narrative building, not truth seeking." Quote Bethany 貝書穎 @BethanyAllenEbr "I did not play it down. I very much wanted to report it out myself. But MeToo stories on the Hill aren't related to my beat, as much as I personally wish I could report them out. I passed the tip along to colleagues on the Hill beat."

Open Source Intel @Osint613, "Israel Hayom: The U.S. has begun enforcing a naval blockade on Iran, targeting all vessels entering and exiting its ports across the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. The move is expected to inflict about $435M in total daily losses across Iran’s exports, roughly $13B per month, even as its oil revenues rose 37% during the war to about $139M per day...." Rod Martin says Trump’s Hormuz Trap Snaps Shut "Iran thought it could extort the world. Instead, Trump is turning a closed Strait into leverage, rising U.S. energy exports, and a global reordering." At Hat Hair Capt. Ed says Begun, the Battle Of Hormuz Has andIran: A Blockade? That's An Act of War! (no shit, Sherlock), Duane Patterson thinks Donald Trump Pulls The Wabbit Season Trick On the Iranian Regime and Dave Strom adds Iran: It's the Economy, Stupid. News Wax cites Trump: IRGC Fast Attack Ships That Approach Blockade Will Be 'Eliminated'. From the Bo Her, Lucas: Trump has Dems in a ‘strait’-jacket, "Impeachment talk on the Left play’s into Iran’s hand." Don Surber catches the NYT Rooting for Iran. "NYT officially hates America and promotes terrorism." Sky News @SkyNews, "BREAKING: The UK will not be involved in a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Sky News understands. Earlier today, Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy would be blocking the critical shipping route..." Like they have the ships to do it. Keir Starmer @Keir_Starmer, "The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is deeply damaging. Getting global shipping moving is vital to ease cost of living pressures. The UK has convened more than 40 nations who share our aim to restore freedom of navigation. This week the UK and France will co-host a summit to advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends." Jesús Enrique Rosas - The Body Language Guy @Knesix, "The dots that only a few seem to connect is that the Venezuela+Iran double tap was a headshot aimed at China, who's saying goodbye to cheap oil. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz thinking it was holding the West hostage. But in reality, 90 percent of the oil that flows through that strait goes east, and almost half of that goes to China in heavily subsidized product. Iran was not holding a gun to America's head. Iran was holding a gun to China's gas tank and screaming "LOOK HOW POWERFUL I AM YA FILTHY INFIDEL!!" at Washington. Because fuck logic I guess So what happened next was predictable to everyone except, apparently, the IRGC. Saudi Arabia said "Fine, I'll do this myself" and cranked its pipeline to the Red Sea to nearly seven million barrels a day. The UAE expanded its pipeline to the Gulf of Oman. Nature is healing. American crude exports hit a record 4.9 million barrels a day in April alone. Right now, 121 empty tankers turned around and sailed to the United States to load up on American oil because... it turns out there's an obscene amount of American oil. Iran's one big card, the only economic leverage it had left, just forced every customer on earth to build a permanent detour around Iran. That's like barricading yourself inside the only bridge in town and then watching the city build four new bridges while you sit there starving...."


Dr. Eli David @DrEliDavid, "If it was an "autocratic regime", then how did people just vote in free democratic elections to replace him?! Can the Iranians also vote to get rid of their "autocratic regime"?" Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "“He won elections, then lost one and left peacefully, but he was definitely still an authoritarian because to admit otherwise would counter my narrative.”" Quote Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp, "I've seen a lot of takes that Orbán's defeat means that he was never an authoritarian in the first place. This is completely wrong — and, in fact, betrays a complete misunderstanding of both Hungarian politics and modern authoritarianism."


Vince Langman @LangmanVince, "David Axelrod met with the Pope last week, a few days later the Pope attacked President Trump on Iran. Then last night three liberal Cardinals attacked president Trump on 60 minutes This was all coordinated by Barrack Obama to break Trump's catholic base before the midterms." Quote 60 Minutes @60Minutes, "In a rare joint interview, three of America’s most influential cardinals, who actively serve archdioceses, share what they’re hearing in their pews." Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius, "One does not need to be a rocket scientist to realize that the reason Obama henchman David Axelrod met with Pope Leo last week was to coordinate a media propaganda blitz and quasi-color revolution designed to separate faithful American Roman Catholics from support for the MAGA agenda." William Wheelwright @ploughmansfolly, "It is patently obvious that these tweets, which are indistinguishable from DNC messaging and make no meaningful mention of Christ, were drafted during or as a result of the meeting with Axelrod. People don’t seem to remember how closely associated the Church and the Democratic Party have been for the entire lives of Boomers and earlier. Biden and others ascended through their entire political careers as Dems while simultaneously claiming to be pro life and pro marriage. That the GOP could ever usurp the Catholic base is a 10-15 year old phenomenon. There is an obvious effort among the septagenarians of both of these institutions to shore up their political coalition and prevent the hemorrhaging of narrative and psychopolitical control." Oilfield Rando @Oilfield_Rando,"If USASpending records are correct, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark has received $32.3 million for "refugee cash assistance/support services" from prime awardee International Rescue Committee. The president of IRC, a former UK politician, earns $1.2 million a year" "All I’m saying is that people might be less cynical about the Catholic Church’s grievances against restrictive immigration policy if they hadn’t been awarded $4 billion by the US government for resettling immigrants." Megan Basham @megbasham, "The Pope has cited the President by name in his remarks and urged voters to call their "Congressmen." Of course that's going to get pushback from the Administration. And it should. Because that isn't simply voicing general principles of the faith. It's politicking."

Nicole Russell at USA Today thinks Democrats' growing credibility gap may cost them the midterms. "In a volatile economic environment, marked by high gas prices and global instability, voters may choose predictability over ambiguity. It's why Democrats are not seeing the typical midterm surge." John Lucas at Bravo Blue, Abigail Spanberger to her voters: ‘I can do anything I want, get used to it.’ PJM's VodkaPundit sees Another Red State, Fully Californicated, Colorado. Joe Chalfant at TownHall sees California Democrats Just Revealed Their New Scheme to Protect Fraudsters. Make investigative journalism illegal. Elon Musk @elonmusk, "California legislators are trying to make investigating fraud illegal." Quote Nick shirley @nickshirleyy, "California is trying to pass a bill that would criminalize investigative journalism with misdemeanors, $10,000 fines, imprisonment, and content takedown. The proposed bill is titled AB 2624 and was made after I exposed mass fraud by immigrant groups in America." Walter Curt @wcdispatch, "Elon Musk was right. The federal government was just writing checks to anyone who asked for years on end. ZERO Verification Requirements. Today, I confirmed a pattern: Dissolved business entities billing Medicaid at scale. In just one small batch, I’ve verified over $15MM. One was dissolved in 2011, yet between 2020-2024 it billed medicaid over $1.8MM. Our tax dollars are paying businesses dissolved over a decade ago. They don’t even check. They just send them money. It’s infuriating."

At PJM Matt Margolis is shocked, shocked to hear The Biden Admin Knew of COVID Vaccine Stroke Risk and Covered It Up.

Matt Vespa at TownHall, Oh Boy: Tulsi Gabbard Just Declassified the Docs Behind the 2019 Trump Impeachment Effort. Sundance is on it, with Atkinson Transcripts and Background ICIG (CIA) Investigative Documents Released, DNI Tulsi Gabbard Releases a Statement with Document Release from Two Silos and Johnny Didn’t Bark – But Tulsi Did. It's too bad that these revelations come out so long after the deeds that it's hard to work up righteous anger at the perfidy of the intelligence agencies under Obama/Biden.

Jake Sullum at Reason likes how A Federal Judge Dismisses Trump's Defamation Lawsuit Against The Wall Street Journal "Trump's failure to properly allege "actual malice" is consistent with his long history of filing shaky legal claims against people who say things he does not like." Why not let a jury decide? Well, you can't win if you don't sue.

Tuesday Tanlines

Nkechi Amare Diallo, previously known as Rachel Dolezal, who rose to infamy in 2015 for presenting herself as a Black woman despite being Caucasian, revealed she recently underwent surgery for stage 1 melanoma.

According to the Daily Mail, Diallo, 48, took to her Instagram Story last week to share that she underwent the surgery to remove a melanoma and vowed to no longer “lay out in the sun.” She also called it a “tough but grounding reminder of what years of sun (and a childhood in a family that didn’t believe in sunscreen) can do over time.”

The outlet also reports that Diallo turned to a drinkable tanning drop to replace sunbathing.

Monday, April 13, 2026

Flotsam and Jetsam - Swalwell Slinks Away - Trump Blockades Iran

When we checked in yesterday, California congressman and governor candidate Eric Swalwell was facing multiple accusations of rape and or sexual misconduct, and his supporters in the party seemed to be abandoning him. Stacy McCain, on The Christine Blasey Ford Standard and the Sudden Destruction of Eric Swalwell, Victory Girls see The Fallout Continues: Eric Swalwell Faces Calls To Resign From Congress. Then the Peacock crowed Eric Swalwell drops bid for California governor after sexual misconduct allegations "The Democratic candidate faced widespread calls to end his campaign, with many supporters withdrawing their endorsements." At Twitchy, Eric Swalwell Suspends Calif. Gubernatorial Campaign and Now EVERYBODY Has the Same Question. Sunny @sunnyright, "If you’re not fit to run for governor, you’re not fit to serve in Congress." Michael Knowles @michaeljknowles, "So you admit you’re unfit to serve as governor, but you plan to remain in Congress?" Quote Eric Swalwell @ericswalwell, "I am suspending my campaign for Governor. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past." To be fair, the standards for Congress are pretty low. Also, 'Lots of Stuff RUMBLING': Eric Swalwell's BFF Ruben Gallego Should Probably Just Go Ahead and Resign NOW. EducatëdHillbilly™ @RobProvince, "We knew Trumps prostate results but the press couldn’t be bothered with this for a decade. You don’t hate them enough." Quote Politics & Poll Tracker @PollTracker2024 "NBC News: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) sent an unsolicited dick pic to a 24 year old on Snapchat who was seeking a job on Capitol Hill. Steven Tavares @eastbaycitizen, "I’ve covered Eric Swawell since he was a member of the Dublin City Council. Shortly after being elected to Congress in 2013, his behavior towards women was known by all levels of our local government and the Alameda County Democratic Party." Stephen L. Miller @redsteeze, "Do you know what you're actually admitting here?" EducatëdHillbilly™ @RobProvince, "Again… the press and the entire Democrat Party knew he was a rapist and a sexual predator and kept it a secret until he was in the way and needed removed." Quote New York Post @nypost, "Influencer's husband threatens Eric Swalwell after he allegedly bombarded her with nudes and turned up at her house https://trib.al/ViaN3h5" At NYPo, Eric Swalwell paid illegal Brazilian live-in nanny under the table with campaign funds, complaint alleges. From Althouse, "We want a full house cleaning. Get the garbage out of here. These jerks are destroying Congress, for the American people and for all of us who came here to do good work." "Said an unnamed House Democrat, quoted in "Swalwell scandal threatens cascade of House expulsion votes" (Axios). But: "Many rank-and-file House members are territorial about their prerogatives and terrified of the precedent it would set to expel someone on the basis of allegations that haven't been fully adjudicated — even when they are highly unsavory."

Matt Vespa at TownHall, With the Collapse of the Iran Talks, Trump Hints at One Card He Could Play in Response Update, He did it: The White House @WhiteHouse, ""Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz." - President Donald J. Trump." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears Trump: We Will Seize Ships That Paid the Mullahgeld. Streif at RedState reports CENTCOM Starts the Iranian Blockade Monday - Here Are the Rules and What to Look For. John Hinderacker at Power Line, We’re Blockading Iran, Not the Strait. Sundance at CTH sees Trump Cut Off the Money – U.S Military Will Start Enforcing Embargo of Product No One Is Supposed to Be Buying. Clandestine @WarClandestine, "Many don’t seem to understand this “blockade”. Trump is NOT blocking the entire strait. The only ships being blocked are ships attempting to leave/enter Iranian ports, namely oil exports. All other commercial ships will be free to pass. Trump is squeezing Iran, and simultaneously forcing the world to buy oil from us, while also securing the strait for safe passage for other commercial vessels traveling to/from other nations in the Arabian Gulf, like UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, etc. This is all around an excellent move, which is exactly why the usual suspects are so upset about it." Quote U.S. Central Command @CENTCOM, "U.S. to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET, in accordance with the..." NiohBerg @NiohBerg, ""I don't understand the blockade? Why is Trump doing this, isn't it going to harm him?" Answer: The IRGC believes they are the only ones who can threaten with extortion, and Trump is showing them two can play this game. He's playing by their own rules." The Drunk Republican @DrunkRepub, "This is the most America First shit I’ve ever seen." Quote Dan Gambardello @dangambardello, "This is the Gulf of America, packed with supertankers racing to load up on US oil. Record exports."

At the NYT Althouse finds "[A]s Vice President JD Vance took a podium in Pakistan and said no deal had been reached had been reached to end the war in Iran... President Trump... was surrounded by people, but Mr. Trump was somehow an isolated figure...." and "So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not." ""Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz." Writes Trump at Truth Social." From Sundance, JD Vance Announces “No Deal” or Agreement with Iran Following 21 Hours of Negotiations, President Trump Releases a Statement on the Iranian Refusal to Stop Building a Nuclear Weapon, Sunday Talks – President Trump Interview with Maria Bartiromo on Iran Conflict Status and A Pragmatic Perspective on the Iran Conflict. Scott McKay at Am Spec thinks It May Not Be a Ceasefire. It Might Be a Strategic Pause. "On April 17 over Kharg Island there will be a new moon, perfect conditions for Navy SEALs to do their work." From the Free Bacon, Managing the Mullahs: What a Negotiated Victory Over Iran Looks Like. From NYPo, Trump threatens China with ‘big problems’ if they arm Iranian regime with air defense systems.  

Wilfred Reilly @wil_da_beast630, "I don't like braggadocious talk about this sort of thing, but we seem to have killed 7,000 Iranian troops and lost 15 people (albeit largely due to armor: 600 hurt). Iran's entire senior leadership is dead. Their nuke program is gone. This is all being quite openly discussed, in real, "gray net" spaces. We should push harder on the Strait, but what does "they won" logically mean?" Quote Noah Smith, @Noahpinion "America is the first country in over two centuries to lose a war to Iran, thanks to Trump x.com/realDonaldTrum…"Roger Kimball at Am Great looks at Trump, Iran, and the Theater of Moral Panic. "Trump’s “outrageous” rhetoric unnerved critics, but it masked a blunt strategy: overwhelm Iran militarily, force leverage at the table, and leave opponents scrambling to keep up." Jesús Enrique Rosas - The Body Language Guy @Knesix, "Here’s what drives people nuts on both sides: Trump is not the cartoon character. Not the genius his fans worship, not the idiot his critics need him to be. He's just a stubborn, calculating guy who creates chaos the way a magician creates misdirection. While you’re distracted watching the fireworks, he’s already three iterations ahead with furious execution. And he doesn’t bluff the way people think he bluffs. He just couldn't care less about the part of diplomacy where everyone pretends to be polite while lying to each other’s faces. He skips that step entirely, which looks unhinged if you’re used to the old choreography but is genuinely disorienting if you’re the guy on the other side of the table who had a whole manipulation strategy mapped out. Iran found this out the hard way..." Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Possibly one of the more obtuse, ill-informed things he's said. And that's a high bar." Quote David Frum @davidfrum, "Every country in Asia is thinking right now: "Well we don't love China, but unlike Trump's USA it has never cut off our energy supply. Maybe they're a more reliable and responsible partner for our future security. At least they're predictable."

Sana Ebrahimi Ledene @__Injaneb96, "There used to be a rumor floating around among Iranians: that as part of the Nuclear Deal, Obama quietly handed out 3,500 green cards to regime officials and their families. At the time I thought it sounded crazy. But now with so many children of top regime figures, professors, researchers, lobbyists, comfortably living in the U.S. on green cards, it doesn’t sound like a rumor anymore. It actually feels real. I came to America on a student visa. I had to go through an entire month of security clearances, background checks, interviews, the whole process. There’s zero chance these people got here through normal channels. No way. Something smells off." At Am Great, the Great Victor Davis Hanson says By All Means, Let the War Crimes Trials Begin!. "Trump’s critics cry “war crimes” while ignoring decades of U.S. precedent—revealing less a legal argument than a reflexive, and deeply selective, political outrage." Dave Strom at Hat Hair thinks Senator Mark Kelly Is Full of ...It. Sh.

Nick Arama at RedState hears a big Boom: CNN Host Obliterates Dem Narrative About Removing Trump From Office. Mike LaChance at LI, Rep. Jamie Raskin and Other Dems Laughably Demand Cognitive Assessment of Trump. “Experts have repeatedly warned that the President has been exhibiting signs consistent with dementia” Dave Strom, Elevating Evil People to Own Trump Is SOP. No Pasaran! French Media Outlet: "Today, Donald Trump is the most rational and the most Cartesian national leader on the planet." And just for the "news" value: 
At Althouse, Tim Dillon explains Melania's Epstein speech, but not well. 

Scott McLallen at TownHall, Trump’s White House Ballroom Can Resume Construction, Court Rules. "The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia gave a 2-1 ruling on Saturday." 


Fake Mark Carney @MarkCarney_Ego Parody account, "Last year, Justin Trudeau set the tone of nationwide fear, telling Canadians not to travel to the US. Now, he's on vacation in California. I wonder how long it will take Canadians to realize that the anti-American fear campaign was just a way to score cheap political points." Tablesalt @Tablesalt13, "40% of Canadians who would rank in Canada's top 1% of earners have emigrated to the US, along with 30-50% of the next 9% This is from the Bank of Canada. ....and you wonder why they are discussing an EXIT VISA? The ENTIRE power structure of Canada is being defunded."

USA Today opines Democrats 'lost the plot.' Now they're losing voters.  John Stossel at Hat Hair looks at Democrats plans to Tax the Rich?

PoIiMath @politicalmath, "It's crazy watching the moderate left defend Piker. This guy is basically Nick Fuentes of the left but he gets invited to Oscar parties, is objectively evil in very obvious ways, and is not very smart Why circle the wagons for this guy?" Quote Legal Phil @Legal_Fil "Klein's declaration that Piker—an antisemite who also is a racist, defends terrorism, and shocks a dog so that it remains as a prop during his streams—is "not the enemy" was so outrageous that even the Times felt the need to change the title of the op-ed to hide the ball." The left's Rule is "no enemies to the left."



At Campus Reform, Berkeley student throws coffee at TPUSA table promoting pro-life debate. To the left, speech is violence, and violence is speech. Bob Graboyes at Bastiat's Window warns Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Disgruntled, Underemployed PhDs "Encourage your kids to develop widely, wildly, diversified portfolios of ambitions rather than focusing all efforts on one risky goal."

The Monday Morning Stimulus

After analyzing coffee habits and the mental health status of over 400,000 men and women, they found that drinking two to three cups of coffee a day, which is considered a moderate intake, has been associated with the lowest risk of anxiety and depression.

The protective effect of coffee intake against mood disorders was stronger in men compared to women. The findings are published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Hat tip to Insty. On the other hand, maybe they're confusing cause and effect. Maybe depressed people are more like to either drink less or more less than the optimum.