Pardon Me!

Hey, why not? Everyone else seems to be getting one. On his last half day of "work" former President Biden issued two sets of preemptive pardons. Early in the day the white house released pardons for Anthony Fauci, Gen. Milley, the entire Jan. 6 Committee, and the members of the Capitol and DC police who testified to the committee. Then later, while the inauguration ceremony was getting started, they released a second blanket pardon Biden's family, brother, sister, their spouses and children, much like Hunter's that started upon Joe Biden's assumption of the Vice Presidency in 2011. VodkaPundit at PJM, Dear Joe: NOW Are You Done Breaking the Country? Bonchie, at RedState, Biden Pardons Fauci, Milley, Cheney, Others in Shocking Abuse of Presidential Power. Charlie Spiering @charliespiering, "Joe Biden Inaguration Day: "...I am exercising my authority under the Constitution to pardon General Mark A. Milley, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Members of Congress and staff who served on the Select Committee, and the U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metropolitan police officers who testified before the Select Committee." NewsMax, Biden Pardons Fauci, Milley, Others to Prevent Trump 'Revenge.' Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, BREAKING: Biden Pardons Fauci, Milley, J6 Committee and Hillary Pollster: These Corrupt Biden Pardons Are 'The Last Straw'; UPDATE: Fauci Pardon For 11 Years? Leah Barkoukis at TownHall, BREAKING: Biden Issues Pre-Emptive Pardons on Last Day in Office. Larry Correia @monsterhunter45, "The Jan 6 committee members getting preemptively pardoned because “government persecution ruins even the innocent” is highly fucking ironic." Libs of TikTok @libsoftiktok, "Jamie Raskin on presidential pardons: “The seeking of pardons is powerful demonstration of the consciousness of guilt, or at least the consciousness that you may be in trouble.” Biden just preemptively pardoned him for his role in the Jan 6th committee." Althouse, "Biden pardons Anthony Fauci, Mark Milley and the Jan. 6 committee in an extraordinary use of presidential power against potential Trump 'revenge.'" 

AP reports.

“The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense,” Biden said in a statement. “Our nation owes these public servants a debt of gratitude for their tireless commitment to our country.”

It’s customary for a president to grant clemency at the end of his term, but those acts of mercy are usually offered to everyday Americans who have been convicted of crimes. But Biden has used the power in the broadest and most untested way possible: to pardon those who have not even been investigated yet....

Leah Barkoukis again, Fauci Issues Statement After Pre-Emptive Pardon. Conservatives Respond. "I really truly appreciate the action President Biden has taken today on my behalf. Let me be perfectly clear, Jon, I have committed no crime, you know that, and there are no possible grounds for any allegation or threat of criminal investigation or prosecution of me,” he said." We'll, he pretty clearly lied to Congress on a few occasions. But that's only illegal when Republicans do it. Curious that his pardon for 11 years reaches several years before the pandemic, and probably covers the time he was surreptitiously funding gain of function research.VodkaPundit at Insty, OUR NEW NORM IS “ANYTHING GOES:” Hans Mahncke @HansMahncke, "The fact that Fauci's pardon specifically and explicitly addresses his Covid-related offenses, while being backdated to 2014—the year the gain-of-function ban took effect, which Fauci circumvented by outsourcing experiments to China—speaks volumes as to what this is really about."

OK, I changed my mind. These pardons were worth it just so I could see Rachel Vindman throw a tantrum over not getting one. pic.twitter.com/HFzUmgaaZh

— Noam Blum (@neontaster) January 20, 2025

Ace points out something about Biden Pardons: Fauci, Cheney, Milley et al Cannot Refuse to Testify About their Illegal Actions Now that They Have Immunity Due to Their Pardons. 

NewsMax, Biden Pardons His Siblings and Their Spouses. VodkaPundit at Insty, calls it ONE LAST FU ON HIS WAY OUT THE DOOR: “FOR ANY NONVIOLENT OFFENSES against the United States which they may have committed or taken part in during the period from January I, 2014, through the date of this pardon.” Hat Hair's Duane Patterson calls it Joe Biden's Final Withered, Bony Middle Finger To America? Jeff Carlson @themarketswork, "Got any follow up comment Ruth?" Quote, "Ruth Ben-Ghiat@ruthbenghiat, "Did you know that Mussolini pardoned all political criminals --the thugs who helped him get to power--after he declared dictatorship? Fascists think alike. Read #Strongmen for the details. x.com/atrupar/status…" John Sexton at Hat Hair collects Reactions to Biden's Last Minute Pardons of His Family. Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley "Just minutes before leaving office, President Biden completed his race to the bottom of government ethics. He issued pardons for additional family members, including The pardon applies to James Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John Owens, and Francis Biden..." 

Glenn Youngkin, Governor Glenn Youngkin Decries President Biden’s Clemency for the Killers of a Virginia Police Officer. 

Update. 

Two weeks ago, Joe Biden awarded Liz Cheney with the Presidential Citizens Medal.

Today, Joe Biden preemptively pardoned Liz Cheney.

How does one receive the nation's second highest civilian honor AND a pardon?

— Lance Gooden (@Lancegooden) January 20, 2025

Flotsam and Jetsam - Biden's Border Boondoggle, Hunter on Trial

Preznit Biden issued a new executive order, restricting asylum seekers to a mere 2,500 per day or 1 3/4 million per year. From Reason, Biden Announces Sweeping Asylum Restrictions at U.S.-Mexico Border "When border encounters between ports of entry hit an average of 2,500 per day over a seven-day period, migrants will no longer be allowed to seek asylum unless they qualify for a narrow exception or request an appointment at a port of entry through an app (a process that has been glitchy and cumbersome). The restrictions will lift two weeks after the daily number of encounters between ports of entry falls below 1,500 on average over a seven-day period." A nod toward sanity, but barely. Mary Chastain at LI, Biden’s Border Executive Order Accomplishes a Bunch of Nothing "Boll Melugin: “Also, asylum has already been banned for most migrants who cross illegally since the end of Title 42 last year – and that hasn’t stopped them from coming.”"  At Da Caller, ‘Fool The American People’: Biden’s Immigration Order Has More Holes Than The Border, Experts Say. Althouse cited the Biden friendly NYT, "We must face a simple truth. To protect America as a land that welcomes immigrants, we must first secure the border and secure it now." "Said President Biden, in the 4th year of his presidency, facing up, at long last, to the "simple truth."" Ace, Biden Signs "Tough" Immigration Order That Will Lock In 1,750,000 Illegal Aliens Per Year, Minimum, "The Permanent (?) Invasion." Da Signal, Biden’s Edict on Southern Border Is an Election Year Stunt, Republicans Say. OTP, paraphrases Anxious, Election, June Debate Force Biden’s Hand On Illegal Immigration. Spencer Brown at TownHall hears Sen. John Kennedy Sums Up Biden's Border Executive Order As Only He Can. Hat Hair, Senator Kennedy: Here's Why Joe Biden Is in Big Trouble. OTP, Trump: Deport Biden. Leah Barkoukis at TownHall, Trump Campaign Blasts Biden's Immigration Executive Order. NewsMax, Trump to Newsmax: Biden's Border Action 'Public Relations'. Atop Da Hill some liberal wonders Will Biden’s new border restrictions sway voters? I doubt it, but it will give them talking points. Matt Vespa at Town Hall, CNN Analyst Had Just Two Words to Describe Voters' Shift to Trump on Handling Immigration, “My goodness.”

Hunter Biden's trial for lying on a federal form about his drug addiction is getting underway in Delaware, with the exact opposite of the Trump trial situation, an extremely friendly jury pool. Ace, "Comically Rigged" Hunter Biden Jury Features a... Family Friend of the Bidens and a Former Secret Service Employee and Jurors Who Say Drug Addicts Should be Allowed to Buy Guns "PLUS: We now know why Joe Biden made his secret trip to visit Beau's former wife and Hunter's former slam-piece Hallie Biden. But first: They want a revolution. John Sexton at Hat Hair VIP, Hunter Biden Trial Day Two: Opening Statements and Already One Juror in Tears. Nick Ballasay at JTN reports Opening statements in Hunter Biden’s gun trial delayed after jurors absent at courthouse "The judge revealed that she would exempt one juror as a result of hardship and the spot would have to be filled by one of the alternate jurors." Hat Hair's KT hears Joe and Jill Biden Send a Message to Hunter's Jury. "This is exactly what it looks like. The president and the first lady are intimidating the jury into letting their son off the hook on criminal gun charges." Chris Datoc at WaEx, Hunter Biden trial to test president’s loyalty to independent judicial system. From Jacob Sullum at Reason, Hunter Biden's Trial Highlights a Widely Flouted, Haphazardly Enforced, and Constitutionally Dubious Gun Law "The president's son, who is charged with crimes that violated no one's rights, theoretically faces up to 25 years in prison." Et Al at Da Fed, Here’s Everything You Need To Know About Hunter Biden’s Criminal Gun Trial. From NYPo, Joe Biden told Hunter to ‘get some help’ in 2018 voicemail — three days after son allegedly lied to buy gun and Hunter Biden’s wife lashes out at ex-Trump adviser in trial break: ‘Nazi piece of s–t’. Cam Edwards at Bearing Arms notes Biden Defense Attorney Throws Hallie Biden Under the Bus, over cocaine found on the gun. Steve Richards at JTN, Hunter Biden defense lawyer says he will call presidential brother James Biden to testify "Jim Biden is a central figure in GOP concerns about him and nephew Hunter Biden using the family name to secure lucrative business deals." The family that grifts together. From NewsBusters, Five New Biden Family Scandals ABC, CBS, NBC Are Censoring.

At OTP, Time Calls Biden ‘Scattershot’. John Sexton at Hat Hair details how Joe Biden Seems Out of Touch With Reality In This Time Magazine Interview. Reagan Reese at Da Caller, Joe Biden’s Time Interview Was Full Of Senior Moments. Nick Arama at RedState, thinks Biggs Absolutely Levels Garland, Blows Up the Excuses Not to Turn Over Hur Audio. Madeleine Hubbard at JTN, Transcript tampering? DOJ says written record of Biden interview with prosecutors omitted wordsTranscript tampering? DOJ says written record of Biden interview with prosecutors omitted words. "Even though the Justice Department stated that the transcript was altered, it still contains some repeat and filler words."  Jason Miller to Newsmax: Attorney General Garland 'Lying' to US. Sundance at CTH hosts Matt Gaetz Questioning AG Merrick Garland About Coordinated Lawfare. Dave Harsanyi at Da Fed says Merrick Garland Shouldn’t Be Praised. He Should Be Impeached. NewsMax, Biggs, Roy, Massie to Garland: Question Jan. 6 Prosecutions. CNN, whines ‘I will not be intimidated’: Attorney General Merrick Garland to slam attacks against Justice Department.

 Da Mail, How most voters want Trump and Biden drug tested before the presidential debate. At Insty, DISPATCHES FROM THE PALACE GUARD MEDIA: Alex Thompson@AlexThompAlex Thompson@AlexThomp "Asked if he can do the job at 85 years old (which he would be in a second term), Biden tells TIME: “I can do it better than anybody you know. You’re looking at me, I can take you too.” https://time.com/6984968/joe-bi" From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.04.24 (Morning Edition), Da Tech Guy, Meta AI on Facebook gives biased answers on Biden and Trump’s health and Twitchy, and Biden Visits His (Black, Irish, Italian, Puerto Rican) Childhood Home & The Jokes Write Themselves.anscript-2024-interview/

From Semafor, Why Biden’s economic comeback story is falling flat. At MarketWatch, ‘The manufacturing side of the economy appears to have stalled,’ ISM says. Ace, Wall Street Journal: Unexpectedly. the Economy Is Grinding to a Halt "Best economy in history, Jack! My word as a Biden. Also I was appointed to Annapolis but blew it off because I was a Big Football Hero but Annapolis already had Roger Staubach as a quarterback so I went to the University of Delaware and rode the bench, Jack! David Strom is one of those lucky people who has a subscription to the WSJ, so I'll quote his quote . . ." From NewsMax, an Economic Poll: Middle Class Majority Reports Financial Struggle. PJM's Stephen Kruiser finds The Most Delusional Paul Krugman Headline in the History of Delusional Paul Krugman Headlines. AZ SunTime is pissed that the Biden DOJ Claims Arizona Powerless to Stop 1 Million Acre Grand Canyon Monument. 

PJM's VodkaPundit thinks Even the MSM Can't Hide How Stupid Biden's Ceasefire Plan Is. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Biden: Israel May Have Committed War Crimes, and Netanyahu Wants War to Keep Power. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.04.24 (Morning Edition), American Conservative: Biden Administration Allows Ukraine to Strike Inside Russia with U.S. Weapons. At WaEx, Biden to veto House GOP military funding bill over abortion, gay rights, and DEI provisions.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.04.24 (Morning Edition), Da Tech Guy: These are the type of Numbers that Might Trigger the Worst Case Scenario, The Lid: Obama’s Top Adviser Says that It’s a ‘Fantasy’ to Replace Biden on 2024 Ballot. NewsMax, Morning Consult Poll: Trump Keeps Edge After Conviction. TNP has the DATA: Trump Surges With Black Voters, Up 15% Since Manhattan Conviction.  Leading Leading Report@LeadingReport "BREAKING: Black Panthers founding member David Hilliard is backing Donald Trump for president, calling him an “ally of the black population.”"  Sundance at CTH is pleased as punch that President Trump Gains 3 million TikTok Followers in 24 Hours – Raises Quarter Billion Dollars in Three Days. Don Surber says Media pays for getting Trump wrong. At Althouse, "Most of the prominent Democrats with whom I speak have been concerned to the point of panic about how inept they’ve found [Biden's] campaign." "Said Frank Bruni in a "Round Table" discussion at the NYT, "Trump Is Blocking Out the Sun: Three Writers on the Political Impact of the Guilty Verdict.""

Also at Althouse, "Fetterman’s health has improved more and faster than expected, and in what may not be a coincidence..." ""... the more his brain damage recedes, the less he agrees with lefty activists and the Democratic Party’s functionaries. . . . Writes Glenn Reynolds, in "Mea culpa, Fetterman: I was wrong about the senator and his illness" (NY Post)." Salena Zito at WaEx, notes This time, Pennsylvania Republicans embrace mail-in voting. Got play the game by the rules that are, not what you want them to be. Capt. Ed comments "It's one thing to oppose mail-in balloting, which I do as a large-scale practice. But if it's legal, then both parties have to learn to compete. Republicans refused to do so in 2020 and paid a big (and unnecessary) price for their principles. Win elections, then pass policies that provide more reliable methods of conducting the next elections to come." At OTP, Over 500 Noncitizens Registered To Vote In DC. How much over? At WaEx Paul Bedard opines ‘Elites’ don’t want you to vote. 

At PM, Independents favor Trump by 12 points despite guilty verdict: I&I/TIPP poll. From WaEx, Sununu says support for Trump despite conviction shows how ‘bad’ Biden is. Da Fetched features a   Liberal Guest on Piers Morgan Show Becomes Visibly Confused When Asked What Crimes Trump Committed – WATCH. Herr Professor Jacobson at LI on the Trump Guilty Verdict: “There are some serious constitutional problems with this case” "Yale Law Professor Jed Rubenfeld lays out the basics and problems of the verdict: “What exactly was Trump just found guilty of?”"

Da Wire reminds us Biden’s Number 3 At DOJ Left To Prosecute Trump In NY. A Lawsuit Seeks Insight Into The Move. Arainna Villarreal at WaEx, Loren Merchan Silent As Her Clients Raise Millions From Trump Conviction Her Dad Oversaw. Da Fetched, ’Biden Campaign Spokesman: ‘We’ll End Threat of Trump Presidency ‘Once and for All’ and Stephen Colbert Gleefully Leads Audience in ‘Lock Him Up’ Chants Celebrating Trump Verdict – WATCH. Cutie Pavlich at TownHall, Democrats Demand Jail Time for Trump in Fundraising Emails. TNP, Trump Warns of Public Outrage if Jailed: 'There's a Breaking Point!'

CNN whines that After 1,000 complaints in one week, court no longer accepting ‘orchestrated’ complaints about judge in Trump’s Florida case. Sundance, Chief Justice for 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Tells Clerk to Trash All Further Complaints Against Judge Cannon and Make it Public. 

Fox, Trump's appeal to disqualify Fani Willis from GA case gets October hearing date, 'This case should be dismissed and Fulton County DA Willis should be disqualified.' Matt Margolis at PJM, LOL! Fani Willis Won’t Be Happy About This. 

From WaEx, Elon Musk’s X requests Supreme Court investigate how Jack Smith obtained Trump’s social media files.

Bob Spencer at PJM, Maxine Waters Calls Trump Supporters ‘Domestic Terrorists,’ Demands Action Against Them. Twitchy hears NBC News: Ex-Intel Officials Warn That Trump Could Weaponize US Spy Services. You mean, weaponize them in his favor instead of yours? Da Signal sees ‘Total Vindication’ for FBI Whistleblower Who Questioned Wray’s Narrative on Jan. 6. Spectrum News (NC), Trump allies Chesebro, Troupis, Roman charged in Wisconsin over fake electors scheme. Don't call them fake, call them alternate. 

ET, Fauci Disavows Adviser Who Deleted Emails "Dr. Anthony Fauci downplayed his connection to Dr. David Morens."

At Da Signal, Mary Margret Olohan reports Vermont Blocked Christian Families From Fostering Over Gender Ideology, Lawsuit Alleges.  (Capt. Ed says "This isn't about concern for children. It's about validation for the adults in the prog-left elite clique.")  and Tyler O'Neal sees the MASK OFF: Vermont Foster Care Rule Reveals the Left’s Terrifying New State Religion. Spiked wants the press to Stop lying about the sex of suspected murderers "A man alleged to have killed his husband with a samurai sword should not be treated as a woman." At Hat Hair, The LGBTQ Mob Has a Message for Straight, 'Cisgendered' Individuals

At ET, Texas Asks Court to Block Federal Workplace Guidance on ‘Gender Identity. Da Signal sees FBI Agents March, Wave LGBTQ Flags at California ‘Pride’ Parade. Leslie Eastman at LI reports an Idaho Bar Declares June ‘Heterosexual Awesomeness Month’, "Old State Saloon to give all straight men one free beer on Mondays in June."

From NYPo, Fox's Pete Hegseth opines on How a woke military has created a recruiting crisis — and put Americans in danger. Mark Judge (remember him) at Hat Hair VIP, Thirty Years Ago, I Broke With the WaPo. I Saw the DEI Cancer Even Then. Reason claims Harvard To Stop Requiring DEI Statements for Many Faculty Positions "Harvard is taking steps away from politicization. Will other schools follow?" At the Goldwater Institute, Anti-Bug Bigotry? University of Arizona’s DEI Boondoggle Tells Students to ‘Live Like a Bug’. Hat Hair's KT reports on a DePaul University Professor Fired over Optional Course Assignment. At the NH Journal, Nashua Says No to Displaying Historic N.H. Pine Tree Flag. 

The College Fix reports UC Santa Barbara pro-Hamas encampment now an ‘autonomous society’. Campus Reform, Anti-Israel protesters burn UC Berkeley police vehicle with 'incendiary device' in 'retaliation' for arrestsnull "Pro-Palestine protesters burned a University of California, Berkeley, police car over the weekend. PJM's Cathy Salgado, U.S. Media and Students Do Precisely What Hamas Leader Urged. At Breitbart, Michael Douglas Slams ‘Brainwashing’ Behind Anti-Israel Campus Protests: ‘There Is No Education, There’s No Knowledge’. 

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad up at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - A Bridge too Far

A quick run around news and commentary on the Key Bridge disaster. Of eight people thought to be lost, two bodies of road workers were found in a pickup truck in 25 ft. of water.  The rest are presumed lost in the tangle of steel and road way on the bottom. Just for the record, I believe it to almost certainly be an accident and not sabotage. Ships get into to problems all the time, this time it just happened to be at a critical point. Poor maintenance, and cutting corners, both by the ship owner and the bridge authorities undoubtedly contributed, but that's the nature of the world. I would hold out only slim hope for conspiracy theorists who think the Russians, the Chinese or the Trump lovers are responsible. Balmer Sun, NTSB: Data consistent with power loss before Key Bridge strike; crew interviews ongoing. Sundance at CTH hosts NTSB Give Update on Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Investigation and Current HAZMAT Concerns for Baltimore Harbor. Short version, we're just not collecting the data, it'll be months before we can say much more, but for now it looks like an accident. Da Wire, 8 People Were On Baltimore Bridge At Time Of Collapse; Ship Issued A Mayday Before Collision: Authorities  Breitbart, No Indication of Terrorism in Baltimore Bridge Collapse, Says FBI, and they just might be playing this one straight. Bob Spencer at Front Page, Tragic Boat Accident in Baltimore — And Yet… "In Old Joe Biden’s America, nothing can be taken for granted."  NewsMax astonished that Ship That Collapsed Baltimore Bridge Was Carrying Hazardous Materials, Officials Say. You don't say? With only 10,000 containers, what are the chances? At Althouse, "The majority of the financial fallout is likely to lay primarily with the insurance industry...." ""Industry experts told FT that insurers could pay out losses for bridge damage, port disruption, and any loss of life. The collapse could drive 'one of the largest claims ever to hit the marine (re)insurance market,' John Miklus, president of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters, told Insurance Business.... The Dali is covered by the Britannia Steam Ship Insurance Association Ltd.... Britannia... told FT it was 'working closely with the ship manager and relevant authorities to establish the facts and to help ensure that this situation is dealt with quickly and professionally.'" It's gonna be a big bill. Charles@charlesbonnerjr "No surprise maritime professionals wanted a tunnel, but the government cut corners and built a bridge, now we suffer the consequences - “just a matter of time”" I have also heard that until recently, tugs stayed with ships until they passed the bridge, but that was cut due to costs. Contributory negligence? Breitbart astonished, Joe Biden: Government Will Pay ‘Entire Cost’ of Rebuilding Baltimore Bridge. Well, it is part of the Interstate Highway system. I'm sure the federal government will be happy to cash any settlement checks, but rebuilding it will be on them. At Da Signal, Distracted By Climate Change? Former Trump Transportation Official Weighs in on Bridge Collapse. They're wasting enormous amounts of time and money on climate change, but a very big ship hit the bridge. End of story. From the Wombat's  In The Mailbox: 03.27.24, 357 Magnum,  MV Dali Has Become The Conspiracy Theory Du Jour, Twitchy Baltimore Has Bigger Problems Than Just A Bridge and Transterrestrial Musings: Baltimore.

Bob Spencer at PJM, Obama Has 'Grave Concern' Biden Will Lose, Is Ready to Intervene. From TNP, Biden Camp in Panic Over RFK.  At PJM Matt Margolis sees the  DNC Goes Into Full Panic Mode About Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Presidential Bid and Stephen Kruiser finds The RFK Jr. Running Mate Nonsense Was a Welcome Break on a Dark Day. PI, Jill Biden Outrageously Compares Florida To Nazi Germany. Ace, Joe Biden Tells Security to Let Anti-Israel Protesters Heckle Him: "They Have a Point."  Once again, he panders to the Jihad Chorus and tells security to allow an obviously-Arab woman continue rating about Israel, and then says "They have a point." From the Wombat's  In The Mailbox: 03.27.24,  Behind The Black:  Part 3: The expected tantrum of madness should Biden actually lose the election

Biden and Trump are both flying to New York tomorrow. Spot the difference. pic.twitter.com/l7Hfc8xgyS

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 27, 2024

Nick Pope at Da Caller, Feds Reportedly Probed Transactions Linked To Joe Biden’s Brother In Connection With Criminal Investigation. Lincoln Brown at PJM reports DOJ Moves to Drop Lawsuit Against Dish Network After Donation to Biden Campaign. Just a coincidence, I'm sure. 

Ace, Illegitimate Tyrant Biden Is Considering Granting Amnesty and Handing Out Green Cards to Illegal Aliens, On No Authority Except The Power He Has Usurped. "Democracy's on the ballot, guys. January 6th. It was a bloodbath or something." James Varney and Abigail Degnan at RCW, The Many Ways a Porous Border Means Crime Without Boundaries. At NewsMax, Rep. John James: 'Biden's Open Border' Claims Another. 

Mary Chastain at LI, Biden Energy Dept. Giving $6 Billion for Projects Targeting Greenhouse Gas Emissions "Rhetorical question: Why are WE subsidizing these projects?! Make it stop!" Elizabeth
Dicken at the Pipeline explains How 'Green' Projects Are Looting the Treasury. 

At Breitbart, Judge Merchan Gags Donald Trump in New York Criminal Case. Sundance contributes President Trump Blasts Juan Merchan’s Conflict of Interest and Familial Opposition – Insufferable “Hush Money” Lawfare Case  "So, let me get this straight, the Judge’s daughter is allowed to post pictures of her “dream” of putting me in jail, the Manhattan D.A. is able to say whatever lies about me he wants, the Judge can violate our Laws and Constitution at every turn, but I am not allowed to talk about the attacks against me, and the Lunatics trying to destroy my life, and prevent me from winning the 2024 Presidential Election, which I am dominating? Maybe the Judge is such a hater because his daughter makes money by working to “Get Trump,” and when he rules against me over and over again, he is making her company, and her, richer and richer. How can this be allowed?" Chuck Callesto@ChuckCallesto "BOMSHELL REPORT:  Accusations emerge that Michael Cohen was HAVING AN AFFAIR with Stormy Daniels since 2006 and that the "hush money scheme was cooked up by Michael Cohen to EXTORT THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION before the 2016 election".. "Avenatti shared details of his client Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, case and the fact that her and Michael Cohen were actually having an affair since 2006." -Tony Seruga". That would explain a lot.

NYPo reports Jon Stewart benefited by 829% ‘overvalue’ of his NYC home even as he labels Trump’s civil case ‘not victimless’ "Comedian Jon Stewart ranted this week that Donald Trump’s civil real-estate case overvaluing his properties was “not victimless,” yet when it came to his own home, Stewart benefited from a similar inflation. . . .  it didn’t take long for internet sleuths to look into Stewart’s own property history, which shows his New York City penthouse sold for 829% more than its assessed value, records confirmed by The Post reveal. In 2014, Stewart sold his 6,280-square-foot Tribeca duplex to financier Parag Pande for $17.5 million. The property’s asking price at that time is not available in listing records. But according to 2013-2014 assessor records obtained by The Post, the property had the estimated market-value at only $1.882 million." At Am Spec Deroy Murdock thinks Trump Should Sue Letitia James for Sex and Race Discrimination "He must demand justice under America’s keystone civil-rights law." At Da Fed, Mark Hemingway notes New York’s Fraud Judgment Against Trump Is So Bad, Even His Biggest Critics Aren’t Defending It. 

Althouse, "Mr. Trump ended the first day of public trading $4.6 billion richer on paper...." "I'm reading "Trump’s Social Media Company Opens New Avenue for Conflicts of Interest/Ethics experts say Trump Media, now a publicly traded company, would present a new way for foreign actors or others to influence Donald J. Trump, if he is elected president" (NYT). Isn't it funny how his haters got him kicked off Twitter and — only because of that — he made his own website and 3 years later, it makes him $4.6 billion?" Don Surber calls it The greatest Trumpenfreude of all "They kicked President Trump off Twitter. That's about to make him $3,600,000,000." Althouse, It's a trap, and they fall into it.

From Am Con Peter Tonguette proposes Trump 2028 "The Twenty-second Amendment is an arbitrary restraint on presidents who serve nonconsecutive terms—and on democracy itself." Pesky constitution. At I&I, Tulsi Gabbard For VP? No, Tulsi Gabbard for SecDef. Daniel Thornton @Panamadan61 "BREAKING: Governor DeSantis has begun transporting squatters to occupy the homes of Martha's Vineyard." Babylon Bee quips DeSantis Kicked Out Of Republican Party For Accomplishing Too Many Things. Hat Hair's Capt. Ed quips back "Yeah, it's satire ... but not by much."

Stephen Kruiser again, NBC News Division Cretins Are So Awful That They're Almost Making Me Like Ronna McDaniel. Fox chortles NBC's ousting of Ronna McDaniel reinforces status as anti-Trump, pro-Biden network. "Rachel Maddow, Chuck Todd led the revolt against NBC bosses over hiring the ex-RNC chair." Sundance is amused, $600,000 For 20 Minutes Work – Ronna McDaniel Likely to Have Significant Payday After NBC Firing. 

From Behind the Black, Part 2: A further list of upcoming Democratic Party election chaos "In part one of this series yesterday I outlined one Democratic Party scenario for stealing a Trump election victory, based on the possibility that they might regain control of both Houses of Congress this year due to Republican resignations, and use that power to interfere with the election result as a lame duck Congress." From the Wombat's  In The Mailbox: 03.27.24, at  Da Fed,  Jen Psaki Lies About Lying, Biden’s 2025 Budget Spends Too Much Money On All The Wrong Things, DeKalb County GOP Calls On Georgia Election Board Member To Resign Over Lobbying Conflicts, and Leftists Bragged About ‘Fortifying’ The 2020 Election. Now They’re Flaunting Plans To Do It Again In 2024, and Mark Steyn: Peaceful Transfer of Power Update!Also at Da Fed, Exclusive: School Board Members Accuse Wisconsin Public Schools Superintendent Of Election Meddling, Wisconsin Voters Have A Chance To Rid Their Elections Of ‘Zuckbucks’ For Good and Alabama Secretary Of State Warns Of ‘Misleading’ Voter Registration Mailer By Leftist Group. George@BehizyTweets, "BREAKING: The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that mail-in ballots with no dates can't be counted by Pennsylvania election officials Democrats were fighting so that every ballot that showed up would count... this ruling stops that insanity"

From Da Wire, Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin Vetoes Dozens Of Gun Control Bills, Emerges As ‘Brick Wall’ Against Democrats.

Rick Moran at PJM VIP, DeSantis Signs Bill Restricting Social Media Access for Kids Under 14 Years Old. Nice try, but I'll bet it gets overturned. Mary Chastain again reports  the  Missouri AG Files Petition to Force Media Matters to Comply With Civil Investigative Demand. “My office has reason to believe Media Matters used fraud to solicit donations from Missourians in order to bully advertisers into pulling out of X, the last social media platform dedicated to free speech in America…” 'Bonchie' at RedState sees  '60 Minutes' Get Caught Red-Handed After Interview With 'Misinformation Expert'. Nate Hochman at Am Spec hears  The Censorship Lobby Is Worried About … Censorship? "A “misinformation research” team claims its findings are being “chilled” on social media." Free speech for them, but not us. At Insty, THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE IS NOW BASICALLY PRO-DEFAMATION:

The ADL is claiming that “100%” is racist and white supremacist. Beyond parody. The ADL is 100% a joke. pic.twitter.com/k34vj3uwJ5

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 26, 2024

Volokh at the Volokh Report reports Private Employee's Claim That She Was Fired for Peacefully Attending Jan. 6 Events Can Go Forward, "under California statutes that protect private employees' political activity; the plaintiff claimed that "[s]he listened to speeches being made and walked to the Capitol, and then she left," and "did not participate in any rioting." From TNP, Trump SecDef Says Jan 6 Committee Threatened Him Into Silence and Secret Service, Bomb Squad Rush to Biden Advisor Home… Turns Out Someone Dumped Manure Outside.

Bill Brown at Da Fed tells How I Became A Casualty Of The Ongoing Ideological Purge In American Jurisprudence. Hat Hair's Dave Strom reports a school District Hiring 'Whiteness' Superintendent to Root Out White Supremacy. Da Wire, hears ‘BRING IT ON’: School Board President Challenges Parents Concerned Over Gender Policy Changes. Herr Professor Jacobson at LI, DoE Civil Rights Office Opens Investigation Into UW-Madison ‘BIPOC’ Fellowship After Complaint By Equal Protection Project. “OCR will investigate the following issue: Whether the University excluded applicants based on race, color and national origin from its Creando Comunidad: Community Engaged Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Fellows fellowship program (Fellowship Program) in a manner inconsistent with the requirements of Title VI.” From NYPo, Private school students get fake ADHD diagnoses for 200-point boost to SAT, ACT after tests brought back by Ivy League. Larry Sand at Am Great thinks The Plague That Besets Our Schools Is Extensive. "Armpit licking, condoms, transgenderism, and socialism are on full display." Armpit licking? 

Stacy McCain expounds on The Cruel and Stupid Lies of the Media’s Transgender Victimhood Narrative. Grayson Bakich at PJM, Canadian Man Allegedly Attacks 10-Year-Old Girl When Confronted About Being in Changing Room. O Canada!

Ace, Illinois Parole Board Lets Criminal Out of Prison Despite His Menacing a Mother With a Child; The Day After He's Set Free, He Attacks the Mother and Kills the Child "The 11-year-old boy was trying to protect his mom from this dangerous criminal, so the murderer stabbed him to death. . . .  Two members of the parole board have now resigned. But the murdered child has not been resurrected." Bill Otis at Ringside of the Reckoning sees us get Back to Mayhem with Just One Bad Idea. "Criminal justice reform" isn't getting "smart on crime." It's getting stupid -- again. And thousands of times, it's getting us hurt or dead."

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Paige For Purdue! and FMJRA 2.0: Gloom, Despair, Etc. up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

Flotsam and Jetsam - More on the Baltimore Bridge Disaster, Smithsonian Pays for Anti-Conservative Bias

I'm going to do a little on yesterday's big news, the collision of the MV Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor, which resulted in a complete collapse of the bridge into the harbor. As of this morning, seven people are thought to be missing, almost certainly dead given a 185 foot fall into 48 F water. However, the toll could have been much worse, as the bridge was shut down because of a May Day call from the Dali. The Port of Baltimore will most certainly be closed for months, if not years, as they clear the debris, and of course, the reconstruction of the bridge will take longer, and is a federal responsibility, since it is an interstate highway, if it is reconstructed at all. Of course, politicians immediately used it as an excuse to pontificate on their pet projects, and Joe Biden reminisced on the many times he had crossed the bridge by rail, even though there was no rail line on the bridge, and no rail line that crosses the harbor at all. 

First off, a reconstruction of the collision on YouTube, an attempt to dispel rumors that the collision was deliberate: MV Dali Hitting Key Bridge in Baltimore - Track and Video Analysis.

Stacy McCain, no fan of Baltimore says Baltimore, a Reeking Hellhole of a City, Somehow Just Got Even Worse. Laughing Wolf, Baltimore "Baltimore is about the 12th or 13th busiest port in the United States. For all intents and purposes, consider it offline for at least a year. For the next few months, the ships that are there are likely to stay there, and no new ships will arrive. This is going to have several major impacts." From the Slantic, Baltimore Lost More Than a Bridge "Looking out from the harbor used to be an exercise in optimism." Reuters Baltimore Port: What impact will bridge collapse have on shipping?. At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.26.24, 357 Magnum: A Bridge Collapse From The 1980s With Similarities To Today, EBL,  Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapses in Baltimore After Cargo Ship Collision, The Geller Report, Iconic Maryland Bridge Collapses After Cargo Vessel Steers Directly Into Bridge’s Support Column, Victory Girls: Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse Is An Economic Disaster. NYPo, Biden claims he commuted over collapsed Baltimore Key Bridge by train ‘many times’ – but it doesn’t have any rail lines. At PM, Biden claims he took the train over Francis Scott Key bridge 'many, many times'—there are no rail lines "Biden vowed to "move heaven and earth" to repair the bridge after the collapse." PJM's Matt Margolis thinks Joe Biden Tells a Huge Whopper to Make Key Bridge Collapse About Himself. AP is already making the case for changing the bridge's name (Key was a slave owner, of course)  Who was Francis Scott Key, whose namesake bridge fell? His poem became ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’. brit@pashedmotatos "Only took 12 hours for “the bridge was racist” articles." And the Babylon Bee snarks Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Holds Emergency Press Conference To Announce He Is Taking 3 More Months Maternity Leave "It has come to my attention that the twin babies I purchased at the baby store require more undivided attention," said Buttigieg. "I will be taking some much-needed time off to care for my children, and that is in no way related to the tragic bridge collapse that apparently happened somewhere. Right now, I need to be a mother to my children. Please respect my family's privacy during this time." Larry at Hat Hair, Trump: Cash King, Buttigieg: Bridge Bust!

Dave Catron at Am Spec on Why Biden Is Bleeding Non-White Voters. "Black and Latino voters have been hit hard by inflation and they aren't buying Biden's happy talk." From Da Caller's Reagan Reese, Could Joe Biden Deliver A MAGA Tidal Wave 8 Years In The Making? and Team Biden Reportedly Building Mass Operation To Take Down 3rd Party Candidate They Fear Could Cost Him Election. Ace,
RFK Jr. Picks "Radical Leftist" as Running Mate, Ending Chances of Pulling Many Republican Votes "Though, it must be said, NeverTrump has really embraced radical leftists, so who knows. Oh wait, he's anti-vax. NeverTrumpers all share the single allowed Liberal White Suburban Housewife Opinion on questions of covid and vaccines. So he was never a possibility. They'll just all vote for Biden again. You know, Mr. Sensible Conservative." Capt. Ed at Hat Hair adds "Or as I like to put it: It's the first time in a very long while that a Kennedy needed to marry for the money. Shanahan is the antithesis of the RFK anti-establishment groove. Furthermore, she has absolutely zero prep to be one heartbeat away from the Oval Office, not even entrepreneurial experience a la Trump.  This now looks more like a Green Party ticket rather than a Libertarian ticket. And maybe it will wind up replacing Jill Stein in the end."

NewsMax reports Feds Widen Probe in Jim Biden's Americore Dealings. Matt Vespa at TownHall tells The Curious Case of the Man Who Bought Most of Hunter Biden's Overpriced Art. Why did the CIA wave off the IRS probe of first bro Kevin Morris? Reagan Reese again, KJP Ragequits Local Radio Appearance After Host Asks Point Blank If Biden ‘Has Dementia’. Capt. Ed, ""I don't understand the fragility of this person," said one of the hosts at the end. That's the fragility of progressivism, especially its woke variant, which seeks to end debate and dissent on all issues." NYPo, Karine Jean-Pierre blasts ‘insulting’ radio host for asking if Biden has dementia.

At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.26.24, from Twitchy, Carol Roth DEMOLISHES the Biden Administration's Lies About the Reality of Income Tax Rates. Victory Girls, Biden Panders To Youth Vote By Offering Marijuana Policy Change, or as Hat Hair  puts it, Hey, Kids. I'll Legalize Pot if You Vote For Me. Joel Kotkin at The Telegraph thinks Electric cars will decide the outcome of the American election "If the President loses voters in key Midwestern swing states this election, he’ll have nobody to blame but himself." I Meme Therefore I Am@ImMeme "This is THE BEST RED PILLED video you will ever see." Jake Smith at Da Caller, Pentagon Spent Every Last Penny Of Latest Ukraine Package Before Congress Even Approved It. 

KT at Hat Hair, More, Please: First Illegal Alien Charged with Assault on Texas National Guardsman. From NottheBee, Someone just put up these signs at the Colorado Capitol. Check it out.

Mary Chastain at LI reports the Judge in Trump’s Hush Money Case Slaps Him With Gag Order. "The gag order doesn’t cover Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg." Capt. Ed says One has to wonder whether Judge Juan Merchan will impose similar restrictions on Bragg, but he probably won't need to issue that order. Letitia James wanted to litigate her lawsuit in the media, but I think Bragg wants a lower personal profile. Otherwise, these conditions are not really even a gag order per se, more of a comportment order. " Laura Loomer@LauraLoomer
Merchan’s daughter has @KamalaHarris as a Client at her company that focuses on Campaigns and elections!!! Judge Merchan, the NY State Supreme Court Judge who issued a GAG ORDER against President Trump today has a daughter named Loren Merchan. She is the President and Partner at a company called Authentic Campaigns @authentic_HQ that boasts @KamalaHarris as a Client! They also have Trump hater @AdamSchiff as a client. An X account belonging to Loren Merchan under the handle @LorenM426 shows her profile picture is President Trump behind bars in a jail cell." Simon Ateba@simonateba "NEW: Outraged New York Attorney General Letitia James EXPLODES, says Donald Trump isn’t off the hook but is still accountable for 'Staggering Fraud.’ In a statement, her office said, “Donald Trump is still facing accountability for his staggering fraud.” NOTE: James was reacting to New York appeals court which agreed to hold off collection of Trump's more than $454 million civil fraud judgment — if he puts up $175 million within 10 days. NOTE: James said collection of assets will be paused if Trump posts $175 million bond within 10 days as ordered by the Appeals Court." At Althouse, "No matter how much one disapproves of Mr. Trump, or wishes that his presidential ambitions fail, every defendant deserves due process, including recourse to appeal...." ""Seeking appeal should not be effectively impossible, or expensive to the point of imposing vast and irreparable harm, particularly when a defendant has a colorable argument before appellate judges, as Mr. Trump appears to have...." That's the Editorial Board of The Washington Post."

Also from Althouse, "Trump is America’s biggest comedian. His badinage is hardly Wildean, but his put-downs, honed to the sharpness of stilettos..." ""... are many people’s idea of fun. For them, he makes anger, fear, and resentment entertaining. For anyone who questions how much talent and charisma this requires, there is a simple answer: Ron DeSantis. Why did DeSantis’s attempt to appeal to Republican voters as a straitlaced version of Trump fall so flat? Because Trumpism without the cruel laughter is nothing." and I wasn't going to go out of my way to watch Trump's press conference, but now it's the next thing I'm going to do. Tom Jackson at Hat Hair VIP, Taking On Laurel Lee, Trump Launches Another Unnecessary Intramural Battle. 

OutKick, NBC Plans To Fire Ronna McDaniel Amid In House Backlash. Insty, YOU WILL NEVER FIND A MORE WRETCHED HIVE OF SCUM AND VILLAINY: There are no good guys at NBC. 

For YEARS you have falsely claimed that Trump stole the 2016 election by colluding with Russia. You spent years attacking people who didn't agree with your dangerous conspiracy theory. You can sit down.

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) March 26, 2024

At the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.26.24, from Da Fed, If Free Speech Doesn’t Survive Ruling Class Demagoguery Neither Will Democracy, Alabama Secretary Of State Warns Of ‘Misleading’ Voter Registration Mailer By Leftist Group, If Pennsylvania Is Going To Flood Elections With Mail-In Ballots, We Need A Flood Of Poll Watchers, Wisconsin Voters Have A Chance To Rid Their Elections Of ‘Zuckbucks’ For Good, Kristi Noem Would Be A Disaster As Donald Trump’s Veep, Exclusive: School Board Members Accuse Wisconsin Public Schools Superintendent Of Election Meddling, NBC’s Most Insufferable, Nagging Hosts Saved Democracy By Blowing Up Ronna McDaniel’s Contract, and Investigator Who Claims To Have ‘Disproven’ 2020 Fraud Claims Isn’t Telling The Whole Story. 

Ilya Somin at the Volokh Reports opines Squatters' Rights Laws Violate the Takings Clause. "Where these laws allow squatters to occupy houses without the owner's consent, they qualify as takings of private property that require payment of compensation under the Fifth Amendment."

From Behind the Black, Pushback: Smithsonian to pay Catholic students $50K and publicly apologize for ejecting them from Air & Space for wearing pro-life hats.

The Smithsonian has agreed to pay twelve Catholic students $50K and publicly apologize to them for ejecting them from the Air & Space museum last January because they were wearing pro-life hats.

That hat is to the right. Though many others were wearing t-shirts and hats with other political statements, museum officials singled these students out for harassment and ejection. According to their lawyer,

Once in the museum, they were accosted several times and told they would be forced to leave unless they removed their pro-life hats. The group all wore the same blue hat that simply said, “Rosary PRO-LIFE.” Other individuals in the museum were wearing hats of all kinds without issue.

The museum staff mocked the students, called them expletives, and made comments that the museum was a “neutral zone” where they could not express such statements. The employee who ultimately forced the students to leave the museum was rubbing his hands together in glee as they exited the building.

According to the settlement deal [pdf]:

…the Smithsonian has agreed to settle with our clients, providing a monetary amount of $50,000, a private tour to be given by the director of the National Air and Space Museum, personal apologies, and the public dissemination of an “after action” report that was conducted by the Smithsonian following the incident that occurred. In addition, the Smithsonian will “further reiterate via a bulk distribution method to all security officers stationed at all Smithsonian museums open to the public and the National Zoological Park, the current Smithsonian policy regarding the wearing of hats or other types of clothing with messages, including religious and political speech.”

The Smithsonian is also required to arrange a screening (in person or online) for the students where everyone will watch the security footage of the harassment. Very clearly this is intended to underline the egregious action taken by the museum staff in order to make sure such behavior is not repeated in the future.

As soon as this story hit the press, the Smithsonian immediately denied it had any policy forbidding the wearing of any political paraphernalia. It continues to say so, and though the settlement states that the actual individuals who behaved badly have been identified and been given a good talking to, the settlement also absolves the museum from any “admission of liability or fault,” and there is no indication those individuals have been disciplined in any way.

They should have been fired.  

The Wombat has FMJRA 2.0: Gloom, Despair, Etc. up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.