Flotsam and Jetsam - Some Saturday Slop

 I'm having trouble identifying an important breaking story in this mess:

At RCP, Cornyn's Defeat and the Remaking of the GOP. "In a Wednesday appearance on The Hugh Hewitt Show, Thune described the GOP’s newfound advocacy for Paxton. “Obviously, we are making the pivot,” Thune said. “He’s all-in, ready to go for the fall election, and not taking any time off, already on the phone raising money and all the things you’re going to have to do to be successful.”" From Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog, Cornyn’s Slaughter: A Postmortem, "No, the reason that Cornyn lost was because Texas Republicans were finally well and truly tired of him. Cornyn’s playing footsie with illegal alien amnesty while claiming he was against amnesty was one of the biggest reasons voters rejected him."

Marc J. Randazza @marcorandazza, "Its funny how the highest ranking gay man to ever hold office is a Republican, and he's more a damn based motherfucking bad ass than the "straight" guys the Democrats got to try to "relate" to us." Quote Rapid Response 47 @RapidResponse47, "Reporter: "You wrote 'resilience' on your Cabinet meeting notes... why did you write all those notes?" @SecScottBessent: "So people could look over my shoulder, photograph them, and think they got a scoop."" Sundance at CTH hosts Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent Delivers Economic and National Security Remarks to Reagan Economic Forum.

TownHall's Matt Vespa notes Trump's Physical Went Off Without a Hitch, but the Liberal Media Tried to Stir Up Controversy Over This. At Althouse, "[Jill] Biden is a longtime English professor who casually uses the correct group noun for starlings ('murmuration')." So writes Alexandra Jacobs in "Jill Biden’s New Memoir Shows Off a Sharp Eye, if Not a Sharp Elbow/Beyond a few pointed digs at her husband’s successor, 'View From the East Wing' largely sticks to the head-spinning details of first lady-hood" (NYT)." Alexandra Jacobs is wrong about murmuration. It is not just a collection of starlings, which on the ground would be a flock, but an aerial mass movement of starlings, where they swirl together. That's what happens when literary folk attempt to feign knowledge of biology. It's not clear from the quote how Jill used the word, so I won't cast aspersions there. Amy Curtis at TownHall sees The Media Have Cracked the Case on Who's Paying to Clean Up D.C. Bonchie @bonchieredstate, "Kind of wild to call the restoration of American monuments a “vanity project.” I mean, Democrats didn’t have to let fountains dry up, the reflecting pool turn to sewage, and monuments be covered with “free Palestine.”" Quote Headquarters @HQNewsNow, "New reporting reveals the Trump admin has used $67,000,000 of National Parks entrance fees to fund Trump's vanity projects in DC. This includes the painting of the Reflecting Pool, which he doled out to a MAGA contractor for $7,000,000." Beege Welborn at Hat Hair has the Outrage Du Jour: No Female Admirals Selected Last Year - I Yawn in Your General Direction.

Beege Welborn again, The Canadian Carney-Val Continues: I Spy With My Little Eye a Syrupian Recession. Sundance reports Canada Officially Enters a Recession After Two Consecutive Quarters of Negative GDP Growth.

John Sexton at Hat Hair, Ukrainian Drones Put Russia Under Pressure. NOELREPORTS @NOELreports, "Russian channels are complaining that Ukraine has begun active remote mining of rear roads in occupied territory. #Ukraine." Aljazeera reports Russia to task bankers with shooting down Ukrainian drones.

Sundance, President Trump Updates on “Final Determination” of Iran Negotiations. I'm not holding my breath. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears IRGC Warn We Will Bring 'Utter Ruin' If Blockade Continues. Their military may suck, but they have great bluster. Paul Sperry at RCI, GOP Battles Sharia: Is Islamic Law a Threat or Dog Whistle?

At the Free Bacon, Don't Take Medical Advice from Jill Biden. Ace, No One Believes Jill Biden's "Gaslighting" Campaign -- Especially Not the Leftwing Media Operatives and Democrats Who Conspired to Cover This Up, and Now Have Pretend They Were "Fooled" by a Conspiracy They Were Always Part of. Matt Margolis hears Jessica Tarlov Accidentally Admits the Democrats’ Biggest Dirty Secret "It feels unfair, essentially, at this point, to the party, that if you want to cement any piece of your husband's legacy, let people move on from this and win some more elections, and then they can point to things and say, like, we're building on the successes that we saw under the Biden administration. That's why we're adding X, Y, or Z thing."

Scott Pinsker at PJM hears The Democrats’ Greatest Fear: The GOP Will Turn James Talarico Into a Creepy, Unmanly Weirdo. Turn him into? Tom Bevan @TomBevanRCP, "Um, because he's on tape bragging publicly about running a "meatless" campaign to help fight climate change. The amount of water the media is going to carry on behalf of Talarico will set records." Puck @PuckNews, "Republicans gleefully seize on Talarico’s “six sexes” comments while Trump says Democrats want “transgender for everybody.” Can the party defuse the G.O.P.’s “they/them” playbook before it trips them up again in November?" Republicans seize, when they don't pounce! Texas Monthly @TexasMonthly, "Republicans have pounced on an old statement as they seek to make gender politics the focus of the Senate campaign." Twitchy outs Talarico's Mystery Vegan Gal Pal: Ex-Chief of Staff, Gay Bar Dancer, and the Most Convenient Reveal Ever. Lena @Lena178159, "That's his neighbour with a uterus." Stephen Kruiser at PJM thinks James Talarico Is Playing to a National Audience That Won't Be Voting for Him.

Ace hears The Soldier Who Was Mocked by Unemployed Nazi Gerald Platner Speaks. "Flannel shirt and all, Graham Platner is Tim Walz on steroids. An entitled brat who campaigns with socialist Bernie Sanders. A real man by the lights of the Democratic Party, he presents himself as "relatable" to working-class Americans, but in reality he's a typical elitist who believes blue-collar, hardworking, salt-of-the-earth rural Americans are stupid and racist. I couldn't care less about the comments he made about me, but they are a reflection of his character. I never thought I'd see the day when Democrats would even consider backing a candidate like this." At Twitchy, SO MANY Idiot Dems Are Trying to Dunk on Susan Collins for 'Sending Platner to War,' Here Are the DUMBEST The Maine Wire @TheMaineWire, "Senator Collins responds to the scurrilous claim from Graham Platner that she sent him to "die in Iraq." "That was Platner's decision to serve. He was not drafted."" Betsy Stauffer at LI informs us the MI Senate Frontrunner ‘Struggles’ With Israel’s Right to Exist as a Jewish State. "It appears that the more incendiary El-Sayed’s rhetoric becomes, the more he rises in the polls. … It’s hard to say whether that is despite his antisemitic remarks or because of them."

Nick Arama at RedState says Boom: New Spencer Pratt Ad Leftist Calls 'Deeply Insulting' May Be the Best One Yet. It's good, but not the best IMHO. Also at RedState, Jen O'Connell calls it Savage: One Advocacy Group's Viral Campaign Delivers Homelessness to LA Mayor Candidate's Doorstep. From Ace, Spencer Pratt, Donald Trump, and the Democrat (and GOP Establishment) Taboo Against Simple, Direct Honesty. "They have built an Empire of Lies and demand we all pledge our fealty." Western Lensman @WesternLensman, "The threaded NBC clip exemplifies exactly what Pratt said here about being honed for debate by constant battle with hostile media hacks — Unlike his Democrat opponents: “Every interview I do it's opposition. When Bass or Raman talk to the media, they can just lie." Chef Andrew Gruel @ChefGruel, "The argument that Spencer Pratt can’t be mayor because he’s a reality TV star is hilarious. Los Angeles has been run into the ground by people with impeccable resumes, elite endorsements, and decades of political experience. At some point, the “qualified” candidates need to answer for the results. Chatting @spencerpratt on @Gutfeldfox." John Sexton at Hat Hair wonders Could Spencer Pratt Actually Pull This Off? I hope so, but then, I root for Bigfoot, too.

Susan Crabtree @susancrabtree, "SCOOP: A taxpayer-funded California nonprofit with close ties to
@XavierBecerra is working to keep illegal immigrants convicted of assault with a deadly weapon — even when it involves domestic abuse and aggravated felony cases — from being deported. ...." The Orange County Register registers A bipartisan effort to reform California’s top-two primary system is underway – Orange County Register. If you don't like how the election is going, change the rules! Insty says HOW ABOUT A 100% FEDERAL TAX ON BENEFITS PAID TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS? Newsom says he wants 100% tax on Californians that get money from Trump’s J6 compensation fund.

Victory Girls report No Zohran Mamdani For The Israel Day Parade. Omri Ceren @omriceren, "It's because he hates Jews. That's why. That's the reason." Quote Fox News @FoxNews "Mayor Zohran Mamdani defends his decision to skip the Israel Day Parade, making him the first New York City mayor to bypass the historic event since 1964. "I said on the campaign trail that I wouldn't be attending the parade, and I've made my views on the Israeli government abundantly clear...” At NYPo, NYC already spent $1.3M on controversial new East Village homeless shelter — as neighbors desperately try to stop it.

TownHall's Joe Chalfant is outraged Mary Peltola Caught Trying to Plant Fake Candidate in Alaska Also Named ‘Dan Sullivan,’ to siphon votes from her opponent. From Ace, Seattle's Communist Woke Wallflower Mayor Says She Refuses to Investigate Medicaid Fraud In Her City Because That Would Hurt Our Precioius Nomadic Pirates, "The Post-Millennial..." Alpha News, Former Minnesota employee reveals suspected fraud scheme of ‘fake injuries’ at Somali businesses. "With the benefit of hindsight, Janeen Balsimo thought, "wow, so the fraud went as far as the employee was a fake employee, probably with fake injuries, because there is no people at these places."" They saw a vulnerability, and they exploited it.

Beege Welborn, Some of the Congressional Performative Theater at Delaney Hall Is Suddenly Explained UPDATE. WWG1WGA @WWG1WGA_QQ, " HOLY CRAP! VP JD Vance just UNLEASHED on Democrats for their violent rhetoric against ICE and law enforcement, calls out Gavin Newsom BY NAME. "YOU CAN GO STRAIGHT TO HELL, and you have NO PLACE in the political conversation in the United States!" "Because HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS! When Democrats like Gavin Newsom say these people are 'part of an authoritarian government.' When they lie about who they're arresting...what they're doing is encouraging crazy people to go and commit VIOLENCE." "You don't have to agree with our policies. But if your political rhetoric encourages violence against our law enforcement, you can go STRAIGHT TO HELL!" WOW!." A Larry vid at Hat Hair, Anti-ICE Rioters Arrested As Loser Dems Roasted Outside Detention Center. Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley, "As Democrats demand the removal of the masks of ICE agents, a protester was shown yesterday yelling at an agent, "I've got your face. I'll kill your whole f**king family. You whole f**king family is dead. Your child, your wife, and all are dead. I have your face mother f**ker. You re dead." Eyal Yakoby @EYakoby, "Amazing and quick work by the FBI." Quote Nick Sortor @nicksortor, "BREAKING: FBI has just RAIDED and ARRESTED the man who I caught on video threatening the lives of an ICE agent and his family outside ICE Newark Nicholas Scelfo is facing FEDERAL FELONIES." 

Supervisor Jim Desmond @jim_desmond, "$13.4 million. That's what the proposed County budget spends on lawyers for illegal immigrants fighting deportation. For that same amount, San Diego County could fund hundreds of sheriff's deputies. Dozens of psychiatric beds. Pothole repair across every district. Real help for the homeless veteran sleeping under the overpass tonight. Instead, the Board majority wants to nearly triple a program that started at $5 million just three years ago. A program the County itself confirms has represented dozens of clients with criminal grounds in their case. A county is not the State Department. A county is not an immigration court. A county exists to keep streets safe, roads paved, and the most vulnerable residents cared for. This is not our job. It never was." Matt Vespa thinks House Dems Thought This Tweet Was a Banger. It Backfired Epically.

The Virginia Pilot reports a Judge says Kennedy Center board broke law putting Trump’s name on building, blocks closure. "The judge, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, ordered the defendants to remove Trump's name from the institution's façade and any “official materials,” such as digital or physical signs, within two weeks." Sundance, Judge Blocks Kennedy Center Restoration Effort – President Trump Directs the Commerce Dept to Give Congress Management. Let it fall apart, I don't care. At Althouse, "A federal judge in Miami reopened President Trump’s... case against the I.R.S.... saying that she wanted to investigate 'grievous allegations' that the hasty deal to resolve it was 'premised on deception.'..." "Judge [Kathleen M.] Williams’s decision came in response to court papers filed on Wednesday by a bipartisan group of 35 former federal judges who urged her to bring the case back to life and dig into the details of the agreement to settle it.... From: "Judge Reopens Trump’s I.R.S. Suit and Questions His ‘Weaponization’ Fund/The ruling was a blow to both President Trump, who had voluntarily dismissed the suit last week, and to the Justice Department, which used the suit to establish a fund likely intended for Trump allies" (NYT).

Matt Vespa says Uh Oh: E. Jean Carroll May Have Committed Perjury. Good Lawgic @TheFollowingPro, "If E. Jean Carroll had a $7,000,000 litigation bill covered by Reid Hoffman, that is taxable income. She SHOULD have paid roughly $2.5M in tax fees. Does @SecScottBessent and the @IRS know whether she "forgot" that too?

Dave Strom has hopes a US Investigation of UNRWA Could Lead to Its Being Labeled a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Northern Barbarian @xnoesbueno, "Weird. But that is what they were doing in East Germany not too long ago. Europe has always seen itself as a font of liberal freedoms and sophistication. In fact, Europe has always been plagued by repressive thuggishness. Rears its head now and then." Quote PeterSweden @PeterSweden7, "Germany just BANNED a political activist from leaving the country because he could be spreading "far-right extremist ideas". Stopping people from leaving the country because of political opinions."

At Campus Reform, a ‘Silver lining’: NYU praised for rapid response after swastika flag raised on campus.

PJM's Stephen Kruiser says Hide Your Kids — Pride Month Is Almost Here.

Still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 05.29.26 (Normal Evening Edition).