Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Flotsam and Jetsam - Canada, Mexico Cave - Trump Busting USAID

Yesterday 25% tariffs were to go into effect today on Mexico and Canada for allowing pentynyl to crass the border into the US. By mid afternoon, both countries had called President Trump to make an accommodation giving them 30 days to improve. At Althouse, "Let's just take Superbowl Sunday. Mmkay? It's gonna affect beer. Mmkay? Most of it — Corona, here — comes from Mexico. It's gonna affect your guac. Because what is guacamole made of? Avocados. Both from Mexico." "Chuck Schumer is attempting to lure Americans away from Trump by tempting us with the humble indulgences beer and guacamole — drinking and snacking — paired with watching television. But even if Americans were hopelessly addicted to these fattening pleasures, we could still, easily, choose a non-Mexican beer and serve those tortilla chips with melted cheese instead of that avocado paste. That might work out well for Wisconsin — home of beer and cheese — and quite badly for Mexico." Catch Up@CatchUpFeed, "Chuck Schumer warned Americans over the weekend that stuff from Mexico would become expensive because Mexico would retaliate against Trump’s tariffs and never give in. Today, they gave in." Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social@TrumpDailyPosts, "I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico. It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States. These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country. We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period during which we will have negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico . . ." JD Vance@JDVance, "For three days a lot of the far left has actively rooted against America and argued we’d get nothing out of President Trunp’s demands that Mexico secure its country. Well, how do you like them apples?"  PJM's Matt Margolis sees More Winning: Mexico Caves To Trump, Will Send Troops To Border. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, NEW: Mexico Blinks in Tariff Fight, Cuts Deal for Delay. Althouse takes it from the NYT, "President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico struck a deal with the Trump administration to delay stiff tariffs, which were set to take effect on Tuesday, for a month..." and "Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after speaking twice by telephone with Mr. Trump, said the tariffs would be postponed by 30 days as the two countries negotiate a border deal." Capt. Ed, Trudeau: On Second Thought ... Sundance at CTH crows Canada and Mexico Agree to Terms Supporting Border Security and Drug Trafficking – Border Security Tariffs Paused for 30 Days. Jeff Carter at Points and Figures on The Tariff Game, "Lots of Disinformation." At anti-tariff Reason, Trump's Role Model McKinley Tariffed His Way to Imperialism, "Reviving the Monroe Doctrine and 19th century Republican adventurism is not a shortcut to peace."

At Hat Hair, Marco Lays the Law Hammer Down in PanamaSecretary Marco Rubio@SecRubio, "I met with Panamanian President @JoseRaulMulino and Foreign Minister @javierachapma to make clear that the United States cannot, and will not, allow the Chinese Communist Party to continue with its effective and growing control over the Panama Canal area. We also discussed efforts to end the hemisphere’s mass migration crisis and ensure fair competition for U.S. firms." Sundance, Following Secretary Rubio Visit, Panama Announces Exit from Chinese Belt and Road Initiative.  Beege Welborn at Hat Hair thinks South Africa's Racist Ramaphosa About to FO What FA Buys You

Dave Strom at Hat Hair, The Pillars of Democrat Power Are Trump's Target and Just Like That: USAID Is (Mostly) Dead. "I say "mostly" dead because Miracle Max may still find a way to use a bellow to revive it, but as far as I remember, the process required true love, and the only true love USAID had was for cold hard cash. . . .USAID has been one of the key centers of resistance, with deep ties to the Intelligence Community, NGOs, foreign governments, consulting firms, and, of course, the State Department. It disperses tens of billions of dollars, a tiny percentage of which gets to actual aid recipients, and believe it or not helped fund the Wuhan lab and, therefore, the creation of COVID. " Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "WINNING: USAID notice instructs staffers not to go to agency headquarters Monday, after Musk said Trump agreed to shut it down - AP" Elon Musk @elonmusk, "The level of corruption and waste is unreal!" DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican, "I spent today tracing some of these USAID dollars and they're all tangled up with former political appointees, prominent Democrats, and establishment GOP:" DataRepublican (small r) @DataRepublican "Replying to @DataRepublican To some extent, NGOs appear to be a retirement home for many key political appointees? Alberto Mora – Former General Counsel for the U.S. Navy (George W. Bush Admin), known for opposing torture policies. Now Assoc. Exec. Dir. of Global . . ." DataRepublican (small r)@DataRepublican, "Senator Lindsey Graham, @LindseyGrahamSC, is a Director at the International Republican Institute, a nonprofit funded by USAID. Government Funding: $130.7M reported on IRS Form 990. Active Grants: $9.2M EIN: 521340267 | UEI: V2DWM1KMJNK5 Many Congress people are not neutrals when it comes to closing down USAID, because they are a part of it. That is a fact." Jeff Carlson @themarketswork "Never deleting this app." Althouse, "It became apparent that it’s not an apple with a worm. What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair." "Said Elon Musk, quoted in "USAID staffers told to stay out of DC headquarters after Musk said Trump agreed to shut it down: ‘Just a ball of worms'" (NY Post)."Callum@AkkadSecretary, "Finding USAID gender sensitivity training in the trash after the Taliban took over Afghanistan:" Sundance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio Announces He is Now Acting Director of USAID – 30 More Staff Removed, Total USAID Leadership Purged Now Around 100.

'Bonchie' at RedState, USAID Flacks Have Been Given Their Laughable Talking Points, Including a Fox News Reporter and WATCH: Press Hounds Karoline Leavitt About USAID, and She Comes Off the Top Rope With the Receipts. Ian Miles Cheong @stillgray "Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin is taking aim at Elon Musk for dismantling USAID. "Elon Musk, you may have illegally seized power over the financial payment systems of the United States Department of Treasury, but you don't control the money of the American people." Now why would he be so opposed to wasting taxpayer dollars?" From Twitchy, ‘The Grift Is Up’: Jamie Raskin, Democrats Protest Pause in USAID. Jack@jackunheard, "BREAKING: IIhan Omar loses it, shrieking over Trump's freezing of USAID payments, calls him a dictator: "We talked about Trump wanting to be a dictator on day one, and here we are. This is what the beginning of dictatorship looks like!"" At Hat Hair, Sympathy Meter Pegged for Thugs at USAID: The Stories Are Coming Out Now: Autism Capital@AutismCapital, "NEW: Senator Joni Ernst said that USAID had threatened her and her staff after she started looking into them. She was told she wasn’t allowed to access their databases and that 30-40% of USAIDs money goes towards “overhead” of rent and salaries and entertainment expenses. She later found out that even that number was understated and it was actually upwards of 50-60% @SenJoniErnst."  Elon Musk @elonmusk, "Not many Spartans are needed to win battles",Not the Bee @Not_the_Bee "Trump: let’s shrink the government, enforce our laws to protect our citizens, shrink the bureaucracy and guarantee free speech for all. Communists: this is fascism!" Quote Rachel Bitecofer@RachelBitecofer, "You are watching a fascist revolution in real time." Quote "Jack Forge@TheJackForge, "Elon has six adderall-fueled autistic tech bro zoomers sleeping overnight at the DOGE offices and working 24/7 on maximizing government efficiency?! This is extremely BULLISH." Dave Strom, WIRED Doxxed DOGE Engineers; Now They Are Being Hunted. Andy Ngo @MrAndyNgo, ""Hunt them down" Leftists on @bluesky and other social media sites are mobilizing threats of violence against the @DOGE team staff and their families as revenge against @elonmusk and the Trump administration." Spider Miner @Shamed_Vulture, "Six young hyper geniuses now literally have their lives depending on Trump winning it all. Forever.Elon Musk@elonmusk, "Thank you, receipt via 𝕏 acknowledged." Quote Ed Martin@EagleEdMartin, "Dear @elon, Please see this important letter. We will not tolerate threats against DOGE workers or law-breaking by the disgruntled. All the best. Ed Martin." Ed Martin is the new acting US Attorney for DC. New Republic whines U.S. Attorney Vows to Target Anyone Who Tries to Stop Elon Musk’s DOGE. Interim D.C. U.S. attorney Ed Martin is threatening anyone who opposes Elon Musk’s DOGE cronies. 

At Reason, DOGE's Big Challenge: Americans Who Hate Inefficiency but Love Bloated Government, "The public worries about corruption and bureaucracy, but many want more of the same." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair VIP, Suddenly Dems Discover Con Law! "2024 Democrats: Joe Biden has the authority to self-appropriate $400 billion to pay off student loan debt without approval from Congress! And amend the Constitution by proclamation! 2025 Democrats: Donald Trump doesn't have the authority to make spending decisions in an executive branch agency!" Hat Hair sees a Spazz Attack: Elon Musk’s Team Now Has Access to Treasury’s Payments System at the NYT. Matt Vespa at TownHall sees DOGE Has Their Next Target, and Libs Are Bound to Freak Out.  News Max, Trump Advisers Weigh Plan to Dismantle Department of Education, WSJ Reports. Dept of Education! That will be a tougher nut to crack. Next to nobody knew what USAID was spending all its money on, and if they found out, they would oppose most of it. Everybody thinks "education" is a good idea, even if the DoE was spending beau coo money on bullshit.

Reform Club, I was promised a left-wing litigation Gotterdamerung ... and all I got was this lousy shirt. "I had thought that shortly before, or on January 20, 2025—inauguration day, or within a short time thereafter, Democratic Party affiliated [i] progressive academics, [ii] think tanks, [iii] litigation shops, [iv] state attorneys general, and [v] other office holders . . . would bring lawsuits against Trump based on the Foreign Emoluments Clause and the Presidential (Domestic) Emoluments Clause. It has been two weeks since Trump-47’s inauguration, and, as far as I know, not one such lawsuit has been filed. I am surprised." They've been busy. Streiff at RedState, DHS Resistance Leader Burned in Hidden Camera Video Detailing How They Will Fight Kristi Noem. NewsMax, N.Y. AG Tells Hospitals to Continue Trans Care After Trump's Order. Insty, I’M SURE IT’S ALL TRUMP’S FAULT SOMEHOW. As bird flu ravages poultry industry, the damage spreads. "On the other hand, one of my Facebook friends posted this as her answer to efforts to do so:"


Susan Crabtree at RCP, Secret Service Agent: DEI Contributed to Near-Killing of Trump “I believe agendas have taken priority at the United States Secret Service for a long time, which is why Butler and July 13 happened and why we got a president get shot.”  Tyler O'Neal at Da Signal, If You Wanted Proof DEI Is a Cudgel to Silence Opponents, Look No Further.

Laughing Wolf has thoughtful essay about Those Aircraft Accidents. Every crash is the end of a string of failures, big or small.

Sundance, DOJ Responds to Injunction from Washington State Judge Blocking Birthright Citizenship Executive Order. From NewsWeek, I'm the Mayor of Yuma, Arizona. Trump Is Already Transforming Our Border. Beege Welborn outraged I'd Pay Good Money to Be There for This: Verminous NJ Gov Sheltering Illegal IN HIS HOME. Breanna Morello @BreannaMorello, "Governor Phil Murphy is baiting ICE to raid his home. He publicly admitted to hiding an illegal alien in his house. He wouldn't out them if he truly wanted to protect this alien. Murphy is looking to politicize off this. Dem want stand-offs with the feds." Hat Hair cites the Orange County (CA) Register, Thousands Protest Trump’s Deportation Plans in Los Angeles, Riverside; Freeway Blocked. VodkaPundit at Insty, BADLY BEHAVED GUESTS SHOULD BE SHOWN THE DOOR, FORCIBLY IF NEEDED. . . : At Hat Hair, Karen Bass Needs to Go: LA Cops Called Off Arresting Road-Blocking Protesters at Last Second. Bill Melugin @BillMelugin_ "Hearing that LAPD rank and file who were down there are not happy about this apparent stand down order. "Same old crap." "Chasing these guys around all day for nothing."" Quote Anthony@AnthonyCabassa_ "As LAPD were about to make arrests, all of the police officers just … left. I’ve never seen anything like this. Hundreds of police with zip ties, and all of them have just left. No arrests, protestors shout in victory as police leave the area."

Insty, BE PREPARED TO CHARGE THEM WITH INSURRECTION IF THEY STEP OUT OF LINE: ALX, @alx, "FBI agents are “in panic” and are planning a protest tomorrow." Capt. Ed, Swamp Draining: FBI Fears Mass Firings over J6 Probe. "Q: When does "just asking questions" turn into an existential crisis at a law-enforcement agency? A: At 3 pm ET today. That's the deadline for all FBI agents to complete an online survey as acting leadership attempts to investigate the scope of resources allocated to the January 6 riot probe. The incoming administration has made clear that they want to depoliticize the FBI, and the best way to accomplish that is to measure how politicized the bureau has been:" Mark Judge at Splice Today explains My FBI Interrogation and Why the Organization Needs Purging.

At Reason, The Government Says Money Isn't Property—So It Can Take Yours, "In a jaw-dropping argument, the Department of Justice claims seizing $50,000 from a small business doesn’t violate property rights because money isn’t property." "Money is not necessarily 'property' for constitutional purposes," the government's brief declared—putting the very idea of property in square quotes. Reading at my desk, I practically fell out of my chair. The DOJ gave three rationales for the argument, all packed into a doorstopper of a footnote: (1) the government creates money, so you can't own it; (2) the government can tax your money, so you don't own it; and (3) the Constitution allows the government to spend money for the "general welfare." Render unto Caesar . . . 

AP, The DNC’s outgoing chair says Democrats should have stuck with Joe Biden in 2024. At Deadline, Joe Biden Signs With CAA; Ex-POTUS Was With Uberagency From 2017-2020. A sitcom about an aging, senile president, and the resulting antics in his administration? Too soon? At Responsible Statecraft, John Sullivan: Biden’s Failed Diplomat in Moscow, "New memoir unintentionally lays bare his own missteps in the ‘march to war’ with Russia." Matt Vespa says Dilbert Creator Noticed Something Peculiar About James Carville's Rant Against Kamala Harris. "Scott Adams noted something peculiar about his answer: the Democratic strategist seemed to be ripping DEI nonsense without saying the phrase." VodkaPundit at PJM hopes Obama's Fundamental Transformation Is Blowing Up. John Sexton at Hat Hair hears Tapper say to Kaine: 'Why is Your Party so Staggeringly Unpopular with the Public?' ThePersistence@ScottPresler, "New Jersey A month ago, democrats had an advantage of 896,350 voter registrations. Today, that lead is narrowed to 883,437. -12,913 LOST 2,433 voters, while GAINED 10,480 Yes, New Jersey Republicans gained 10,480 voters in the month of January EARTHQUAKE."

Catturd ™@catturd2, "The thing that never happens happened again." Quote American AF @iAnonPatriot, "Connecticut State Employee Arrested for Changing Republican Voter Registrations to Democrats."

Dave Strom, DNC Elects Two AWFLs to Top Positions. Shooting News Weekly says Democrats Begin Their New More Masculine Era By Electing David Hogg DNC Vice Chair. George @BehizyTweets, BREAKING: David Hogg just delivered his speech at the DNC to become vice chair. Democrats believe he can be the masculine figure they need to regain the young male vote. "I don't just don't tweet, I don't just talk the talk, I also walk the talk, and I knock the knock." WHAT???" Ace, Democrats Elect Gun-Grabbing, ICE-Defunding Twink David Hogg as Vice Chair of the DNC "Perfect. Absolutely perfect. Happy Monday. Are you ready for some more winning?"Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald, "Democratic Party officials have been so immersed in this warped mentality and cartoonish HR jargon for so long that they have completely lost the ability to perceive how bizarre and gross it sounds to people who aren't drowning in it:"
Beege Welborn asks Why Is There Always Another Wrinkle In California's Crazy Quilt? Houman David Hemmati, MD, PhD @houmanhemmati "BRAVO to @GavinNewsom & @KarenBassLA — somehow, in one day, you managed to create tens of thousands of new homeless people & create a new housing crisis we could never imagine. Thousands of families are living in hotels. NOT long term solution. Many moving away." Quote, Ben Pouladian@benitoz, "The housing crisis post-Palisades fire is so dire that this house just listed for rent had a line around the block right at the 12 PM start. People touring it like it’s an open house for a tech IPO. We are living in truly unprecedented times."


The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Return to Mediocrity up and running at The Other McCain.

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