Flotsam and Jetsam - Christmas Time is Here by Golly, Disapproval Would Be Folly

Yeah, Monday's are traditionally slow, but this feels like we're winding down towards Christmas. Nevertheless Democrats are still desperately looking for the pony in the pile of Epstein horseshit. Nick Arama asserts Democrats' Latest Epstein Effort About Photo of Trump Fails Again—There Are a Few Big Problems. Oversight Dems @OversightDems, "This photo, file 468, from the Epstein files that includes Donald Trump has apparently now been removed from the DOJ release. @AGPamBondi is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public." Byron York @ByronYork, "This appears to be the photo in the photo that includes Trump -- from 2000 and public for years." Sundance at CTH hosts Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche Explaining the Epstein File Releases, where among other things, he clearly states that the law makes redacting victims trumps the Dec. 19 deadline. Matt Vespa at TownHall approves of how Scott Jennings Schools Libs on the Trump-Kennedy Center and the Epstein Files on CNN. "As Jennings noted, Trump is a twice-elected president; some stuff will be named after him." A Driscoll post at Insty, OLD AND BUSTED: "Statue Toppling Endorsed by College Professors and Once Respectable Publications. The New Hotness? JFK’s Niece Kerry Kennedy Vows to Remove Trump’s Name from the Kennedy Center with a ‘Pickax.’" FWIW, I think buildings and bridges should be named after dead people, but it's fun to hear Democrats and the media (but I redund) squeal.

Sundance also hosts Vice President JD Vance Delivering his Speech to Turning Point USA Audience. Matt Vespa is pretty sure Oh, You Know the Libs Melted Down Over That Line JD Vance Delivered at AmFest, " In the United States of America, you don't have to apologize for being white anymore. "Stephen Kruiser at PJM hears Nicki Minaj Has a MAGA Moment, Dem False Narratives Hardest Hit. Althouse links "He has given so many people hope that there’s a chance to beat the bad guys..." "Said Nicki Minaj (talking to Erika Kirk about President Trump):"

Stacy McCain has Thoughts From a ‘Heritage American’ "In the long-running battle between neocons and paleocons, my sympathies are decidedly paleo (cf., “First They Came for Mel Bradford”). However, the really important battle is to keep Democrats from getting back in power and ruining everything while we are quarreling amongst ourselves, hurling insults back and forth. The whole intramural donnybrook between Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, et al., pains me for this reason. We are less than a year away from a crucial midterm election, with the historical odds against us, and should be united, not divided." Roger Simon foresees J. D. Vance Has a Tucker Carlson Problem, how to disown his comments about Jews and not piss off his followers.

Ben Smith at LI, reports the U.S. Pursues Third Oil Tanker Near Venezuela "We “will continue to pursue the illicit movement of sanctioned oil that is used to fund narco terrorism in the region. We will find you, and we will stop you.”" The Great Victor Davis Hanson has a trio of related posts at Da Signal, warning War With Venezuela Could Break Trump’s MAGA Base, asserting Hegseth Did What Biden Called ‘Impossible’, raising recruitment to the military, and looking at The Inconvenient Truths Within Trump’s New National Security Strategy. Bill Woodruff at Da Fed is worried the Biggest Military Funding Bill Still Allows Promoting Soldiers By Race And Sex. 

Kevin Killough at JTN reports Trump touts low Christmas season gasoline prices, and analysts say they should hold into 2026 "December gasoline prices have not been this low since 2020. Analysts say many factors are contributing to the low prices, including a better regulatory environment for oil and gas, industry operation efficiencies, and high supply with expectations of low demand on the global market." But in Newsom's California, New study recommends loosening California oil regulations to avoid skyrocketing fuel prices. They're talking about possible $10 a gallon there. Well, they voted for it. Driscoll at Insty hears RINO Romney Calls for Tax Hikes, Raising Retirement Age., "Here are his suggestions for outright tax increases…" Still better than Obama. At Da Signal, the Great Victor Davis Hanson remembers The Political Meme That Destroyed a Presidency. “It’s the economy, stupid.” Hat Hair's Betsey McCaughey sees a Property Tax Revolt Exploding Across US. Here in MD, between State (1.003 % of assessed value) and Calvert County (0.89%) we're among the high tax states. 

From NYPo notes Trump cleaned up crime in DC – and taught everyone a lesson in public safety. It can be done. 

Cleaning up from the weeks murders, Matt Vespa points out Here's the Error in the Brown University Shooter Affidavit "Valente’s body was found in Salem, New Hampshire, on December 18, though authorities heavily insinuated that he didn’t commit suicide that day. Based on the autopsy, he killed himself on December 16, a day after killing Loureiro. So, yes, the affidavit contains an error: it says Valente contacted the car rental service on December 18." So they spent days looking for a dead man. OpinionistNZ @OpinionistNZ, "Why would Australia give a non-citizen on a Visa, SIX gun licenses? And why would he be given six licenses when his son has known links to ISIS? Then he trains for a month with ISIS in November, and he STILL has six guns? Big questions to answer." That's racist! That's why. From RCP, Blood on the Sand: Australian Massacre Exposes Hollow Core of Anti-Zionism.

At Ars Technica, word is ByteDance confirms TikTok will be controlled by US owners. "Closing TikTok deal avoids 2026 ban, but app may be buggy, “100% MAGA.”" I'm only a little reassured. It will still be mind rot. Just not Chinese spy mind rot.

Matt Margolis says The Minnesota Fraud Scandal Is So Much Worse When You Put It This Way. According to Stephen Miller, “The amount of money that’s been stolen is larger than the entire GDP of Somalia.” At the Victory Girls, Walz And Lapdog MN Media Cover Up $9 Billion Somali Fraud. Newsom's California says "hold my beer and watch this:" Kevin Kiley @KevinKileyCA, "California is the Fraud Capital of America: $32 billion in unemployment fraud $24 billion in homeless funds "lost" $18 billion on nonexistent bullet train $650 million on scrapped 911 system. A scathing report from the State Auditor just identified 8 separate state agencies as “high-risk.” This means they exhibit serious “waste, fraud, abuse, or mismanagement," costing taxpayers billions. The number has doubled during Newsom's tenure."

From Responsible Statecraft (quite possibly an oxymoron), Pranked Biden official exposes lie that Ukraine war was inevitable. "She isn't the first to admit — after the fact — that taking NATO off the table to avoid Russian invasion was considered, and dismissed."

At Twitchy, Kaaa-BOOM! Anna Paulina Luna OBLITERATES Uber-Creepy Scott Wiener In Heated Exchange. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna @RepLuna, "Scott Weiner is a pedophile-protecting weirdo in the California State House currently pushing a bill to reclassify pedophiles as “minor attracted persons.” This guy is running to replace Nancy Pelosi. He also helped kill a bill to bring harsher penalties against soliciting minors for sex. What is with the freaky obsession of minors and sex? The only thing this guy should be running for is head of the looney bin. Keep your kids away from this guy." I like her. 

Jonathan Turley opines on Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan Found Guilty of Obstruction "Ultimately, Judge Lynn Adelman, a liberal long-standing jurist on the court, rejected half-baked arguments of judicial immunity in such actions. Twelve jurors in Milwaukee then rejected all of the atmospherics and bluster in ruling according to the law. They did what Dugan did not: they followed the rule of law rather than any personal or political impulse."

Sundance hosts Sunday Talks – Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes Talks about Debanking, Trump Targeting, Corrupt FBI Operations and More.

And another, Sunday Talks – Tom Homan Outlines “The Current U.S. Border is Secure,” the Efforts to Deport Illegal Aliens Continues. At Red State, Rusty Weiss sees 60 Minutes Torched Over Interview With Illegals Whining About 'Four Months of Hell' in El Salvador Prison and then Bob Hoge reports a Meltdown at CBS News: 60 Minutes Dumps Fawning Illegal Alien Deportation Segment at Last Second. "Bari Weiss said in a statement that more context was needed, which is code for “the story was hopelessly biased and leftist, and we’re trying to become something more trustworthy under my leadership.”" 

Mario Nawfal @MarioNawfal, "$14 TRILLION NGO EMPIRE: TAX EXEMPT, VOTER PROOF An essay citing Federal Reserve Financial Accounts says U.S. NGOs held $14.12 trillion in assets as of Q2 2025, which is bigger than the combined 2025 GDP of Japan, Germany, and India by roughly 5%. If your brain just tried to file “NGO” under soup kitchens and service dogs, congratulations, you have the same mental model the tax code is still using. The point is not that charity is bad, because plenty of nonprofits do real, direct help. The point is that a legal structure built for modest charities now covers universities, hospital systems, foundations, and advocacy groups sitting on Wall Street sized portfolios. A corporation with that kind of balance sheet would live under constant disclosure, regulation, and taxation. A state with that kind of power would face elections and public law. But this sector sits in a sweet spot: private, tax exempt, and often politically active without being formally partisan. . . ."

At AMAC, How DEI Is Destroying the American Family. Megan McArdle @asymmetricinfo, "Just to be clear, for those who have been telling me "This happened everywhere", I am not surprised they did it, I am surprised they TOLD THE WHITE MEN THEY DECLINED TO HIRE and WROTE IT DOWN. It's like pinning a "sue me" sign on your backside." Quote Megan McArdle @asymmetricinfo, "If this reporting is true true, Hollywood not only violeted CRA for years by discriminating against white men, but has been merrily telling the white men this, and writing it down in widely circulated emails in case they wanted to file a lawsuit. No words https://compactmag.com/article/the-lost-generation/" They felt safe the Biden administration wouldn't enforce it that way. They didn't expect Trump to be re-elected.

Rusty Weiss, Sleigh It Ain't So: Dem Mayor's Nativity Takedown Fails as SC Town Keeps Baby Jesus Up. Greg Price @greg_price11, "JD Vance perfectly sums up how Christianity produces great men: "Tyler Robinson is everything the far left wants from our young men. He rejected the conservatism, spiritually, and values of a small town family. He moved into a small apartment, he became addicted to porn, he became addicted to hate, and he slept with someone who doesn't know if they're a man or a woman." "The fruits of true Christianity are good husbands, patient fathers, builders of great things, and slayers of dragons. And men who are willing to die for a principle if that's what God asked them to do... It's better to die a patriot than live a coward." I'm not especially religious, but religious people generally make good neighbors.

From TCW, Puberty blocking is an act of neurological vandalism.

A prediction from Grummz @Grummz, "There is a big play to make AI the next outrage topic for the Left. Does this headline sound familiar? “everything is sexist, everything is racist, everything is homophobic, and you have to point it all out to everyone all the time.” That was the Sarkeesian attack that changed the entire AAA game industry and created a billion dollar tech industry consultancy focused on DEI. Now that DEI is dried up and viewed as toxic, they need a new cause. AI is that cause. From the bogus water consumption stats that get repeated as fact, to Bernie Sanders calling for the shut down of data centers, to the PC gamer headline here that goes after games like Expedition 33 (they hardly used AI at all and didn’t put it in the final game) the attacks are multiplying from the former woke cancel mob machinery. Who gains from the US falling behind in AI? Who is funding this and distributing the talking points? Anti-AI is the next big grift."