DIY Politics

Arranged roughly in the categories I collect them. No time for patter  because I'm fishing:

Election

Introducing Fox News Power Rankings for 2022 | Fox News
Yowza: Joe Biden Reaches Blowout Territory in New Poll
Blue alert: Biden's and Harris's approvating ratings now underwater -- in California – HotAir
Trust in elected leaders and media hits bottom | Washington Examiner
GOP culture war attacks 'alarmingly potent,' DCCC warns - POLITICO
Democrats warned to deny backing 'amnesty' ahead of midterms: report | Fox News
Vulnerable Senate Dems try to run as tax-cutters - POLITICO
Howie Carr: Biden inflation a pain at the pump, grocery store
Kraft-Heinz Announce Price Increases for Next Wave of Wholesale Grocery Inflation, Rates in Low Teens - The Last Refuge
NBC News: Rent inflation is real, and is spectacularly bad for working-class Americans – HotAirIn Texas, New Law Is Already Stopping the Steal in Their Elections
Arizona lawmakers move to return to paper ballots, hand counts | Arizona | thecentersquare.com
Ace of Spades HQ Arizona Bill to Outlaw Voting Machines Moves Forward
11 implications of Durham probe threaten to undermine Biden | Fox News
Ace of Spades HQ "MDM" and the End of Free Speech
VDARE Case Could Be the Death of Free Speech
The Media Desperately Wants a Republican Civil War
Redistricting | Shot in the Dark
STUMP Positioning for a Potential Interest Rate Hike: Public Finance and More
Biden Admin Begs Court To Bury Report On Dominion Voting Machines, But Why…? | Weasel Zippers

Breyer Resignation and Supreme Court Nomination

Instapundit » Blog Archive » FEDERAL JUDGE MAKES SURPRISE CHANGE IN SPEECH AT GEORGETOWN LAW: Scheduled to talk about originalism…
Appeals Court Judge James Ho: “if Ilya Shapiro is deserving of cancellation, then you should go ahead and cancel me too”

Jan. 6

Klobuchar blocks GOP Senate resolution to reopen the Capitol – HotAir
Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 on Twitter: "A Biden campaign staffer & political operative for Democrats (@cliffschecter) blamed the assassination attempt on a Louisville mayoral candidate on “right-wing rhetoric.” But the attempted murder suspect is a prominent #BLM activist & anti-guns campaigner. https://t.co/Ce8sWg92yA" / Twitter
Rachel DrozeTV on Twitter: "Just spoke with @BLMLouisville. They are heading to the bank to get a cashiers check to post Quintez Brown’s bail. Brown is charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting at mayoral candidate @RunWithCraig." / Twitter
Biden orders release of Trump visitor logs to Jan. 6 committee - Axios
UPDATED: Louisville Community Bail Fund says it posted bail for accused shooter Quintez Brown – 89.3 WFPL News Louisville
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson: Trump 'Endured Eternal Coup' During Presidency - The Wisconsin Daily Star

Mask and Culture war

"Restoring power back to parents": Youngkin signs bill ending school mask mandate in Virginia – HotAir
Ace of Spades HQ Governor Youngkin Will Sign Mask-Optional Law This Afternoon
Texas sues Biden admin. over federal mask mandate on planes, in airports | Fox News
Instapundit » Blog Archive » IT’S ALL RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE NOW ANYWAY: Super Bowl masking double-standard called out one month a…
Fauci claims blue states easing COVID mandates has 'nothing to do with politics' | Daily Mail Online
Disaster? Republicans and independents now say schools shouldn't be allowed to mandate any vaccines – HotAir
Texas AG Ken Paxton Sues Biden Admin over Airplane Mask Mandate
Wow: 77% say they're ready to return to normal from the pandemic -- including 68% of Dems – HotAir
73 Percent of Democrats Believe Teachers' Unions Should Supersede Parents
The Great Awakening
‘Deeply messed up’: Libs of Tik Tok had better not get suspended for showcasing teacher who advises concerned parents to ‘get bent’ [video] – twitchy.com
New CRT laws have teachers scared, confused, and self-censoring – HotAir
Ace of Spades HQ San Francisco Votes Overwhelmingly To Eject Three Woke Hyperpartisan School Board Members
San Francisco Voters Fire 3 School Board Members
In The Mailbox: 02.16.22 : The Other McCain
Genuine Culture War: Accept No Substitutes - The American Conservative
American Power: Three San Francisco School Board Members Recalled (VIDEO)
The Left Didn’t Suddenly Become Totalitarians | Da Techguy's (no longer backup) BlogFirst Virginia, Now This | hogewash
The Parents Are Restless And They Must Be Crushed
Meet The Sex Shop Founder Grooming Children Through School Libraries

Maryland, My Maryland

 Fox, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan rules out 2022 Senate run but not 2024 White House bid

Hogan, who’s been courted by some top Senate Republicans in the nation’s capital to launch a GOP challenge against Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen in the 2022 midterm elections, made his announcement near the end of a news conference in Maryland’s state capital city of Annapolis.

"I want to put to rest a question that some of you have been asking me," the governor said. "I want to let you know that I will not be a candidate for the United States Senate."

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced he will not run for U.S. Senate during a news conference on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022 in Annapolis, Md. The Republican governor said he does not aspire to be a U.S. senator, and he will remain focused on governing the state of Maryland in his last year in office. (AP Photo/Brian Witte)

"I sincerely appreciate all the people who have been encouraging me, encouraging me to consider it. A number of people have said that they thought I could make a difference in the Senate and be a voice of common sense and moderation. I was certainly humbled by that, and it gave me and my family reason to consider it," Hogan explained.
. . .
The governor said that his decision not to run for the Senate this year "does not mean that I plan to sit on the sidelines when it comes to the serious challenges facing our country and our democracy. I'm going to continue to call it like I see it, and I'll keep speaking out about the divisiveness and dysfunction in Washington and about fixing the broken politics."

And looking ahead, he noted that "my current job as governor runs until January 2023, and then we'll take a look and see what the future holds after that."

That doesn't sound like someone bound and determined to run to me. Which is fine. While he's been about as good a governor as we Republicans could hope for in Maryland (not a high bar), I don't think he'd represent us well as President, nor do I think there's a huge craving in the country at large for Hogan. 

By the way, if the link to Fox doesn't work, try putting the cursor in the address bar at the end of the address and hitting return; it should work then. I don't know why, but Fox links don't seem to work directly from an embed. 

The Morning Election Madness

We're still waiting for some breakout in the McAuliffe/Youngkin contest for Gubernor of Virginia. As it stands now, it still looks like a dead heat. Capt. Ed at Haut Hair, Dead heat, squared: Youngkin catches McAuliffe in Virginia, USA Today, McAuliffe and Youngkin are in a dead heat with one week to Virginia governor election, poll shows, Paul Bedard at WaEx, Fourth poll shows Youngkin and McAuliffe tied, GOP enthusiasm surging. Remember kids, ties go to whoever cheats the harderst.

It's so bad, that despite the fact that Biden Won Virginia In 2020 By 10. New Poll Shows His Approval Underwater By 10 (Da Wire), the McAuliffe campaign called in Slow Joe to stump for him, with predictable results. Fox,  Biden briefly ‘stumbles’ during speech at McAuliffe rally, critics seize Nick Arama at Red State siezed., Biden Throws Spit and Incoherence at McAuliffe Rally. WaEx, Joe Biden helps Terry McAuliffe paint Youngkin as an ‘acolyte of Donald Trump’. As a child, I was an acolyte occasionally. At RCP, Biden Warns At McAuliffe Rally: Extremism Can "Come In A Smile And A Fleece Vest". It can also come in Depends and aviator sunglasses. Twitchy, ‘You can feel the energy’: Here’s the crowd to see President Biden campaigning for Terry McAuliffe

50 voters and 100 press for POTUS https://t.co/blvF7Gg3f8

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) October 26, 2021

Sister Toldja at Red State, A Former Virginia Governor (D) Just Unloads on Terry McAuliffe With Polls Tied and One Week to Go 

The characteristically outspoken Wilder – who is well-respected in Democrat circles in the state – took specific aim at McAuliffe’s courting of the black vote, suggesting he was “springboarding” off the infamous Gov. Ralph Northam blackface incident to revive his political career and was in effect pulling a con on black voters in the process

From Fox, McAuliffe buys 'fake news' ads in effort to sway voters, Fox News investigation finds. Capt. Ed at Haut Hair, Too fun to check: Is McAuliffe hoodwinking voters with fake-news websites?. Well, he's a politician, right? Also a Democratic trick, the WaPoo fact checker reluctantly admits Terry McAuliffe keeps inflating coronavirus numbers and gets four noses. Fear for your life, and vote for me!

The issue bedeviling the McAuliffe campaign at this point is mostly education. At WaEx, Biden and McAuliffe make Beloved book-banning fear key to closing argument. Althouse, "Youngkin’s new ad features the heart-wrenching story of Laura Murphy, a mother who tried to shield her son from having to read Beloved, by Toni Morrison." In high school, I read "The Painted Bird" (link to my Amazon affiliate account that never makes me any money, but might if you buy the book)because it was lying around the house. I wouldn't recommend it in a curriculum.

BPR, Footage shows McAuliffe declaring ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’ are ‘as important as’ math and English. Hey, there's good money to be made in the "diversity and inclusion" scam. Phil Klein at NR, McAuliffe’s Infamous ‘Parents’ Quip Wasn’t a Gaffe — It’s How Democrats Think. Indeed, as Breitbart reports a Poll: 70% of Virginia Democrats Want School Boards in Control of Curriculum, Not Parents. It's silly to think that parent can directly manage a curriculum, unless they home school. I think what they're asking for is that school boards be more responsive to what parents care about, and less responsive to the woke teaching establishment. John Lucas at Da Fed, Washington Post Backs Terry McAuliffe In Telling Outraged Virginia Parents ‘Public Schools Don’t Belong To You’. At ET Michael Walsh says A Country Gone Mad Needs a Counter-Revolution but according to Sundance, the choice between McAuliffe and Youngkin is between Democrat and Democratlite; Virginia Politics Is a Very Narrow Ideological Segment Where Inside Clubs Play

Virginia politics is where the UniParty swamp creatures argue among themselves. In Virginia the elites in the DNC club debate their high-brow outlooks with the elites in the RNC club. Virginia is where the traditional DC political establishment of both clubs gather socially to pontificate about their importance in the world of everything political.

Meanwhile out in Loundoun County, Matt Margolis at PJ Media reminds us a Gender-Fluid Teen Raped Girl, Judge Rules, After Obama Dismissed 'Fake Outrage' at School Boards and Kevin Downey reports Loudoun County Students Walk Out of Class in Protest, at Breitbart, Students Walk Out in Loudoun County: District ‘Protects Rapists’, WJLA, 'This is BS': Loudoun County, Va. students walk out in protest of sexual assault reports, Fox, Dozens of Loudoun County students stage walkout over sexual assault by boy in girls' bathroom, and even NR, Loudoun County Students Stage Walk-Outs to Protest Sexual Assault in Schools. I'll bet it doesn't get the same national attention as the Netflix walk-out. Insty, DEVELOPING: Loudoun County Students Walk Out of Class in Protest. "But will their protest gain any traction in the DNC-MSM?"

Via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 10.26.21, at Da Fed Eric Lendrum reminds us Loudoun County Parents Forced to Sign NDA in Order to Read New Race-Based Curriculum. Tyler O'Neil, now at Fox, reports Loudoun County parents demand superintendent, school board resign after alleged sexual assault email. Insty, FAIRFAX SCHOOLS: WE’RE NOT TEACHING CRITICAL RACE THEORY. Also Fairfax Schools: Critical race theory is a ‘frame’ for ‘our work.

Outrageous: Minnesota school board prohibits parents from criticizing individual school officials and forces public commenters to reveal their home address—exposing them to potential harassment and property damage.pic.twitter.com/UnOPIqf7fp

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 26, 2021

Also former Miss California

Civil Deadline, Wife Of NFL Quarterback Goes Viral In EPIC Takedown Of School Board (VIDEO)

And I don’t know who you think you are, that you think you have more of a say than us the parents and our doctors. I don’t know who any of you think you are—I really don’t—but it ends today.

We are declaring our freedom tonight. We do not consent to the lies, fearmongering, and abuse. You all know it’s abuse.

This is tyrannical leadership—it’s poor leadership.

This is why we’re all here tonight—because we are all fed up. We’re done asking for permission. See those chairs you’re sitting in? We own those chairs. See these lights? We pay for the lights—not you."

 

Boller then went on to promise to campaign against everyone on that school board because most of their terms are up next year.

"This is tyrannical leadership, poor leadership, and none of you are willing to stand up for our children. This is why we are all here tonight because we’re fed up, we’re done asking permission, we’re done playing games, the pandemic is over, we are done.

I would love to run for school board to replace all of you. So I’m going to promise you tonight that I will campaign against you, I will, I will fundraise against you, and I will make sure that none of you ever serve in a public space ever again."

At Am Think, Mark Schneider wonders Are Parents a National Security Threat? At NYPo, Miranda Devine divines that Attorney General Merrick Garland must call off war on parents. At TNP, The Biden Effect: Attorney General Merrick Garland Tanks in Latest Approval Data. "Everything Biden-related is collapsing fast."

Another outcome of the FBI vs parents kerfuffle is that schools board are bailing out of the national parent organization left and right. Breitbart, Ohio School Boards Association Cuts Ties with NSBA over Letter to Biden Targeting Parents as ‘Domestic Terrorists’, Star News, Ohio School Boards Association Terminates Affiliation with National School Board Association, Highland County Press, Ohio School Boards Association trustees vote to leave national school boards group. Stephen Kruiser at PJ Media, So Much for 'Phony Outrage'—Missouri and Ohio Leave National School Boards Association. National File, Missouri School Boards Association WITHDRAWS from NSBA Over ‘Domestic Terrorists’ Letter. At JTN, School board recall elections in Kansas and Wisconsin on ballot Nov. 2, "One Kansas school board member and four Wisconsin school board members face recalls." Joy Pullman at Da Fed finds a  Columbia Law Professor who Explains Why Public Schools Are Tearing America Apart. Gwen Syms at PJ Media reminds us Biden Admin Appoints NSBA Official Who Penned 'Terrorist' Letter to Federal Education Board. A promotion for work well done. 

Althouse catches "Do these angry parents know how much planning it takes to fill six hours each day with material that’s interesting enough to keep children from breaking everything in the classroom by hitting each other with it (elementary school) or texting each other TikToks about recreational drug use and open-minded sexual promiscuity (contemporary high school, I assume)?" - From "As a Parent, I Would Rather Fake My Own Death Than Take Over Curriculum Planning From Teachers and School Boards" by Ben Mathis-Lilley (Slate).

2. The "angry parents" don't believe that what teachers and school boards are doing is just trying to make the material "interesting enough." It's hardly a dispute about interestingness.


3. Why is it acceptable to portray children as little monsters? We immobilize them in schoolrooms and then express hostility toward them for failing at utter docility.


4. Just because you can't or won't do a government official's job in its entirety doesn't mean it's wrong to criticize the way that work is done. On the contrary, it's exactly what we do all the time in a representative democracy.

Regarding the Revolver piece I featured yesterday, Vicky Taft at PJ Media responds, Ugly: He Urged Jan. 6 Protesters to Attack the Capitol, but Is This Instigator Really a 'Fed! Fed! Fed!'?, and Ace notes FBInsurrection: Merrick Garland Refuses to Answer Whether Federal Agents Encouraged and Ring-Lead the Capitol Riots. Almost certainly, now. But remember, Garland wasn't AG then; Barr had resigned and Rosen was in place. Wray was still FBI Director, though, and the finger points squarely at him. Matt Vespa asks Did You Catch What Was Very Wrong with Rolling Stone's Piece About the January 6 Riot? That it was published at all?

IJR reports that as expected, White House Declares Trump's Claim of Executive Privilege Is 'Not Justified'. Just wait until his (and Hunter's) turn in the barrel. At Da Mail, Biden administration is expected to tap Republican secretary of state who stood up to Trump's claims of fraud for key role in protecting elections from interference and Grabien, MSNBC: Biden to Appoint GOP Trump Critic Kim Wyman to Key Election Security Role. Only Democrats are to be encouraged to call out election fraud. Even after his guy won, Juan Williams whines Trump is killing American democracy (Da Hill). Star News, Wisconsin Senate to Launch New 2020 Election Investigation. At Da Fed, John Lott notes that If Voter ID Laws Are ‘Undemocratic,’ Then So Is Europe.

AllahPundit at Haut Hair nonplussed at Manchin on switching parties: "I don't know where in the hell I belong". Anxious is anxious about Democratic retirements spark worry over holding House majority. 

At NYPo, Grants tied to Facebook boosted Democrats in Pennsylvania, report says. The best election Mark Zuckerberg could buy. From Breitbart, Tom Cotton on Suppression of Breitbart: Facebook Acts Like a ‘Wing of the Democratic Party’. But WaEx reports Anti-cancel culture platforms Rumble and Locals combine to take on Big Tech.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Danielle Rose Russell and FMJRA 2.0: Totem up on time at The Other McCain.

Election 2020: The Red Queen Gets Another Pawn

Verdict first, trial afterwards, with a jury selected with convictions already set. First Mediaite reports JUST IN: Nancy Pelosi Says She’s Speaking to GOP Rep. Kinzinger About Joining January 6 Committee, and at Breitbart, Pelosi: ‘My Plan’ Is to Appoint Rep. Kinzinger to the January 6 Select Committee. Kinzinger is, of course, the virulently Never-Trump congresscritter from Illinois who voted "aye" in the second impeachment. Then, Hot Hair cites a Forbes tweet, Adam Kinzinger accepts Pelosi appointment to January 6 committee. Sundance at CTH, Nancy Pelosi Enlists Adam Kinzinger For J6 Committee to Re-elect Democrats, Giddy Kinzinger Thanks Pelosi For The Opportunity to “Serve” Her Needs. 

Both Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are likely to be destroyed in the 2022 republican primary election, so it makes sense for them to do as much damage as possible before they formally announce their party affiliation switch to Democrat; following Florida’s famous Obama hugger, Charlie Crist, and his career path.

and REMINDER, Ten House Republicans Who Voted to Impeach President Trump, and Links To Their Primary Opponents Who Need Support

The Peacock crows that Liz Cheney's role on Jan. 6 committee grows after GOP pulls participation. WaPoo says Jan. 6 select committee to open investigation amid political chaos and controversy. At NYPo, Miranda Devine thinks Nancy Pelosi’s on her last legs: Devine. At WaEx, Byron York's Daily Memo details: Democrats, double standards, and the Capitol riot committee;

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she barred Representatives Jim Jordan and Jim Banks from the Capitol riot investigating committee because the two Republicans "had made statements and taken actions that I think would impact the integrity of the committee." Pelosi said Jordan and Banks also "made statements and took actions that just made it ridiculous to put them on such a committee seeking the truth."

But what about Pelosi's Democratic choices for the committee? Might some of their statements and actions in the past impact the integrity of the committee? And have some of them said and done things that were so at odds with the facts as to make it ridiculous to put them on a committee seeking the truth? 
. . .
Then there is another Democratic member, Representative Adam Schiff. As the ranking minority on the House Intelligence Committee, Schiff promoted the slanderous and unsubstantiated theories of the Steele dossier. For example, Schiff publicized a theory that Russia offered low-level Trump campaign adviser Carter Page potentially billions of dollars to influence Trump -- Schiff actually read the dossier's allegations aloud at an Intelligence Committee hearing. Schiff protested bitterly when his Republican counterpart on the committee, Chairman Devin Nunes, revealed that the dossier was paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic Party and that the FBI improperly used it to get a court-approved warrant to wiretap Page. Of course, the Trump-Russia special counsel, Robert Mueller, found no evidence to establish the claim about Page.

On the broader issue of collusion, Schiff claimed to have proof that it was true. There was "ample evidence of collusion in plain sight," he said. But the Mueller investigation, which had infinitely more resources than Schiff, plus full law enforcement powers, could not establish that collusion ever took place, much less that it involved anyone in the Trump campaign. Schiff devoted years to leading his party -- and much of the media -- on a wild goose chase, even before he was chosen by Pelosi to lead the first Trump impeachment, which failed to convict the president.

Could one argue that Schiff has made statements and taken actions that would impact the integrity of the Capitol riot investigating committee?

No one really expects congressional committees to be fair, but this one is ridiculous even by the standards of congress. 

Andrea Widburg at Am Think thinks she knows why There may be some method to the January 6 overcharging madness

Democrats, by likening those involved in January 6's Capitol fracas to the Civil War, Pearl Harbor, Kristallnacht, and 9/11, all rolled into one, created a conceptual problem for themselves because even felony charges will result in short sentences. The resulting cognitive dissonance will make people question the overheated claims about January 6. My friend Anony Mee, however, may have figured out one of the more nefarious things that's going on with the extremist hysteria to justify those felony charges:

It occurs to me that there is a reason behind charging the January 6 trespassers with felonies. It's so they can never again own guns or, in some states, vote.

The BLM/Antifa rioters and their hench-looters, if they were charged at all, were mostly charged with misdemeanors. Only some of those who seriously injured someone else were hit with a felony. They can still carry guns and vote.

The homeless who commit felony after felony are only charged with misdemeanors, if charged at all, so their "right" to vote is never in question.

The feds are still hunting down everyone who can be identified as having been anywhere near DC so that they can take away their guns and their right to vote.

Green Glenwalt reports FBI Using the Same Fear Tactic From the First War on Terror: Orchestrating its Own Terrorism Plots. The Babylon Bee, FBI Discovers Building Full Of Dangerous Extremists Organizing Acts Of Terror Across Country. A building named after J Edgar.  At Am Great, Roger Kimball wonders if we are Losing Our Liberty All at Once?. 

Joseph Hackett, you see, is a 51-year-old Trump supporter and member of an organization called the “Oath Keepers,” a group whose members have pledged to “defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.” (You can see how this ends already, can’t you?) The FBI does not like the Oath Keepers. They arrested its leader in January and have picked up many other members in the months since. Hackett came from his home in Florida to join the Trump “Stop the Steal” rally that took place on January 6. According to court documents, he entered the Capitol at 2:45 that afternoon. He left some ten minutes later, at 2:54. The next day, he went home. On May 28, he was apprehended by the FBI and indicted on a long list of charges, including conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding, destruction of government property, and illegally entering a restricted building.

As far as I have been able to determine, no evidence of his destroying property has been made public. According to his wife, it is not even clear that he entered the Capitol. But he certainly was in the environs. He was a member of the Oath Keepers. He was a supporter of Donald Trump. Therefore, he must be neutralized. What about the Antifa and Black Lives Matter “peaceful protestors” who destroyed some $2 billion of property, killed or injured scores, and toppled countless public monuments? Take your time.

Dan Chaitin at WaEx reports a Pennsylvania senator to seek subpoenas for election audit. Another dangerous radical!

Letters were sent to Philadelphia, York, and Tiago counties earlier this month. Mastriano set a deadline of July 31 and threatened to pursue subpoenas if they did not comply, setting up a process reminiscent of the run-up to the GOP-led Arizona Senate's audit in Maricopa County. Some officials in these Pennsylvania counties already signaled they would not fully comply with the request as things stood.

 At Am Think, Jay Valentine says Want to See Election Fraud in 24 Hours? Send Us Your Data! "Voter fraud comes in many forms.  It is all over the place.  It is really hard for any citizen to see quickly, simply.  That's why it has worked so well for thirty years, especially in 2020." The Peacock whines that  Republicans increasingly look to ballot initiatives as way to enact voting measures, "Voting rights advocates say they fear the efforts in three states will prove successful and spread to others where such initiatives are legally possible." What! Republican want to vote on it? The dastards! Politico whines that Trump clings to false election claims at Arizona rally "The former president repeatedly hyped an ongoing partisan audit of poll results in Maricopa County." Nobody has ever hyped a partisan poll before.

At Am Think (again), Thomas Lifson calls it Fleebagger fail: Two fugitive Texas Dems return home while a third whines that Biden won’t meet with them

At Town Hall, Landon Mion reports that Democrat Sens. Klobuchar, Luján Introduce Legislation to Crackdown on Online 'Misinformation, otherwise known as information the contradicts the Democrat agenda.

Stacey Matthews at LI explains how NSA Confirms Unmasking Tucker Carlson, Gives Inconsistent Denial on Spying Allegations. I see how it happened. I just want someone to out the NSA officials who leaked it to the press. And speaking of Tuckuh!, Andrea Widburg reports that The man who accosted Tucker Carlson has an interesting background, working for an NGO that was a CIA front, once upon a time. 

Election 2020: Texas Fleebaggers Seek Comfort in DC

This is kind of an insurrection, isn't it? Sundance, Milk Carton Democrats Strike Again – Texas Democrats Leave State to Block Legislation, Fly Private Jets to Washington DC for Support.

We saw this exact same strategy play out in Wisconsin circa 2011 when the Democrats in state legislature fled the state to avoid showing up to a legislative session. They left the state specifically to avoid state police arresting them and forcibly returning them to work. This is how Democrats operate.

In Texas the milk-carton Democrats do not have the numbers to block legislation; however, they can deny a legislative quorum by not showing up to work. The Democrats took buses to a private airport where they took private charter flights to Washington DC; all of their manipulative schemes paid for by Democrat activist groups. The cases of beer on the seats is a nice touch.

Meanwhile, Texas citizens are paying taxes to fund the salaries of officials who refuse to come to work.

Karen Townsend at Hot Hair,  More Texas Legislature drama: Democrats decide to flee to welcoming arms in D.C.. Breitbart looks to the past, ‘Fleebaggers’: A History of Democrats Running Away to Deny a Quorum. Tyler O'Neil at PJ Media, PEACE OUT: Texas Dems Vote With Their Feet... for a Federal Takeover of Election Law. Nick Arama at Red State, Kamala Should Get All the Pinocchios for Description of Runaway Texas Dems

“I applaud them standing for the rights of all Americans and all Texans to express their voice through their vote, unencumbered.”

At the minimum, should that be "fleeing for the rights"? AllahPundit at Hot Hair noted No masks on plane for Texas Dems as they flee the state to block new voting bill, in violation of current FAA regs. Insty, 

UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY AND VIOLATING FEDERAL MASK REGULATIONS IN ONE PHOTO. At Twitchy, More Failings of the Texas Dems Flee-ibuster: State Reps delete tweet of their cheerful departure with a case of beer (we caught it).

Don’t misunderstand, we are in full agreement — just not with the selection. Miller Lite?!?! Here is a troupe posturing that they are representing Texans, and they do not even take texas beers with them.

They could have at least grabbed a case of Shiner Light Blonde.

Fox, Texas’ Abbott says Dems who ‘fled’ state over elections bill will be arrested upon return. Karen Townsend again, Abbott responds to Texas Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C.

“Once they step back into the State of Texas, they will be arrested and brought to the Texas Capitol and we will be conducting business.” That is what Texas Governor Greg Abbott said to FNC’s Laura Ingraham last night about the state Democrat lawmakers who fled rather than maintain a quorum in the Texas House of Representatives. Democrats are using their flight from the state as a filibuster against moving forward in the special session with an election integrity bill.

Dan Chaitin at WaEx, Tucker Carlson teases 'new evidence' of voter fraud in Georgia's Fulton County. Tonight. Also from Chaitin, Trump releases letter from ex-US attorney criticizing Barr handling of election fraud claims in Pennsylvania. 

"On Election Day and afterwards, our Office received various allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities," the letter said. "As part of my responsibilities as U.S. Attorney, I wanted to be transparent with the public and, of course, investigate fully any allegations. Attorney General Barr, however, instructed me not to make any public statements or put out any press releases regarding possible election irregularities. I was also given a directive to pass along serious allegations to the State Attorney General for investigation — the same State Attorney General who had already declared that you could not win."

McSwain wrote that he "disagreed with that decision" but noted he had been a Marine infantry officer, so he would follow orders from his superior even if he did not agree with them.

Sundance at CTH, Wow, It was McSwain – President Trump Releases US Attorney Letter Notifying Him of Bill Barr Efforts to Block Investigation of Election Fraud. So, Barr actively blocked McSwains attempts to investigate reported election irregularities in Pennsylvania, and then claimed  ” To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election.” There are none so blind . . .

Jack Phillips at ET, Texas Now Investigating 386 More Cases of Voter Fraud, Attorney General Tells CPAC. Paula Bolyard at PJ Media, Donna Brazile Doesn't Understand Why It's 'Criminal' to Violate Election Laws

Here’s what former interim DNC chair Donna Brazile said on ABC “This Week” on Sunday: “I’m an election official, ok? And if I began to give people access to the ballot through online applications for absentee ballots, I can be arrested. It’s criminalizing voting in ways we should not criminalize voting.”

Well, yes. If you break the law, you’re a criminal. This is not complicated. If you violate election laws passed by the duly elected legislature, what you’re doing is illegal. No one should have the power to unilaterally change election laws, although several governors and secretaries of state did in 2020—illegally, in my opinion—citing COVID concerns.

Via Wombats' In The Mailbox: 07.12.21, Margot Cleveland at Da Fed says Ignoring Georgia Illegal Voting Proves Democrats Don’t Care About Election Integrity At All, but  Stephen Kruiser at PJ Media goes further, and I think, gets closer to the truth, Democrats Want All Elections to Be Lawless Fraud-Fests "Of course, chaos and an election riddled with irregularities worked out well for them last year, so one can see why they’d like that to be the norm. That’s what H.R. 1 is all about." At Ace's, Dave in Fla has an interesting analysis in 81 Million Votes 

Now you be honest. If the week before the election, you had been told with certitude that Trump would increase his vote total over 2016 by 11,231,329 votes, would you have believed that he could lose? While I didn’t know the exact number, I was tracking this enthusiasm surge, which is why I discounted the magnitude of fraud possible.

There is no question that Joe Biden is not a charismatic candidate. He inspired enthusiasm in only those who were going to vote Democrat regardless of the candidate. Attendance at his rallies could be counted on two hands, a phenomenon that continues today, despite being President.

This makes Trump the most unique candidate in political history, worldwide. To accept the official narrative of the 2020 election, we must accept that Donald Trump was the singular motivator to convince 26,616,737 new voters, a 21% increase over 2016, to turn out to vote. In the middle of a pandemic where everyone was locked in their homes.

He inspired 11,231,329 new voters to show up at the polls to reelect him. And he disgusted 15,385,408 new voters so much that they voted against him.

Yes, there is math ahead, I apologize. . . .

Worse, there are models. And as they say, all models are wrong, but some models are useful.  

By way of the Wombats' In The Mailbox: 07.12.21, At Da Lid, K. Walker dissects (in a good way) the Epic Twitter Thread that Gives a Perfect Primer On Why MAGA Folks Doubt 2020 Election Results. At the Slantic, Trump’s Revenge Begins in Georgia "In standing up to Donald Trump, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger likely sacrificed a second term." while Bulwark Girlz Amanda Carpenter whines about The Real Point of the Arizona Audit. 

The asshole, Matthew Rozsa at Salon, claims Ashli Babbitt is the 21st-century Horst Wessel: Symbolic martyr to the fascist cause "Trump's followers are trying to turn Babbitt into their movement's martyr: All she needs now is a hit song," meanwhile, from ET, DOJ Retracts Claim It Seized ‘Fully Constructed’ Lego Set From Accused Capitol Rioter. At Ace's Morning Rant, the Big Monkey says THEY GOT NOTHING. Lying liars who lie without consequence. At Fox, Liz Peek opines Pelosi, Democrats need Trump – Jan. 6 commission created for this one reason. Is Trump the ultimate Immanuel Goldstein? American Military News reveals Capitol Police to use Army surveillance gear to monitor Americans and ‘identify emerging threats’ The militarization and criminalization of US politics under the Biden/Harris administration continues apace.

The NYT (cited at Hot Hair) thinks Trump suits against Big Tech face steep First Amendment hurdles, but at the WSJ Vivek Ramaswamy opines Trump Can Win His Case Against Tech Giants. I hope so, but I fear not. Charles Glasser at Insty, GOOD IDEA, BUT BAD EXECUTION:

JustTheNews has a report about Wisconsin state Sen. Julian Bradley (R-Franklin) proposing a new piece of legislation that would force the tech companies to show their algorithms and explain the policies that decide who gets blocked and who gets to post freely.

I’m all for it in concept, but Bradley makes in part, a fundamental error in saying:

“Bradley is quick to point out that judges have ruled lawmakers and other elected officials cannot block or ban people from commenting on their posts, even if those comments are negative or ugly. The courts have ruled, essentially, that social media is the new public town hall and some online speech is protected.”

Bradley’s error is reading the caselaw a little too broadly. The courts have not ruled essentially, that “social media is the new public town hall.” What they have ruled is that when public officials (be they Trump or AOC) use these platforms, their accounts are “official” government business and Freedom of Information or “Government in the Sunshine” laws, as well as the First Amendment prohibit blocking any segment of the public from reading those communiques. That’s not the same as declaring social media a “public square.”

Unless and until Congress drafts a law (or the Supreme Court rules, I suppose) declaring these platforms a “public square” the Tech Barons will still have filtering control. Given the current make-up of Congress, it inures to the Dems’ benefit to keep letting their donor Tech Barons filter out contrarian voices, so I would not look for this kind of law soon. For the record, I do think these platforms are already a de facto public square.

From ET, at CPAC: Richard Grenell Urges Federal Action Over Alleged ‘Unmasking’ of Tucker Carlson. Insty, FASTER, PLEASE: Rand Paul Sends Letter to the NSA Demanding an Investigation on the Spying and Unmasking of Tucker Carlson. Related: Tucker Carlson Gets Contacted by Brian Stelter and Pure Savagery Follows. Yeah, I'm sure the Biden/Harris administration will get right on that. /sarc

At Bongino, Alaska GOP Endorses Trump-Backed Challenger to Murkowski. Good. 

Election 2020: Adventures in Legoland

Heh!

After taking a day off of cataloging the follies of the 2020 election cycle, my digital bin is stuffed to the gills. For the title subject, lets consider the case of the Jan. 6 protester who, in the DOJ charging documents was accused of having an assemble model of the US Capitol, the implication being that he was using the model (available as a kit) to plan his nefarious plot, that is, wander aimlessly through the Capitol for 13 minutes and leave peacefully. Now it turns out, the DOJ has filed new documents indicating the kit was unassembled and still sitting in the original box. Breitbart, DOJ Retracts Claim of ‘Fully Constructed’ Capitol LEGO Set; LEGO of Riot Suspect ‘in a Box’. Insty, VIA INSTAGRAM, THOUGHTS ON THE LEGO INSURRECTION: Ashe Schow at Da Wire, Botched: More Embarrassing Details Emerge In FBI’s Snag Of Rioter With Lego Set

“Federal investigators seized an unusual piece of evidence from a Pennsylvania man indicted last month for his role in the Capitol riot — a Lego replica of the building he allegedly stormed,” The Daily Beast originally reported. “Robert Morss, 27, is accused of leading fellow rioters in what prosecutors say was ‘one of the most intense and prolonged clashes’ with officers on Jan. 6.”

But in a new court filing, highlighted by Julie Kelly of American Greatness, it is said that the original detention memoranda, which denied bail Morss of Pennsylvania, was inaccurate.

“In original detention memoranda, the undersigned stated that law enforcement found a ‘fully constructed U.S. Capitol Lego set.’ That statement appears to be inaccurate. The Lego set was in a box and not fully constructed at the time of the search,” the new filing says.

So, the DOJ lied in the original charging document? Lift the law license of any DOJ attorney who had anything to do with this document. Just to be sure.  Insty, “LEGO INSURRECTION” CHARGING DOCUMENTS FAIL TO IMPRESS:

Stephen Kruiser, PJ Media, FBI: Narc on Your Loved Ones to Battle 'Homegrown Violent Extremism'

Your agency thought MLK was a domestic terrorist.

Please sit back down. https://t.co/PlHPSUvz5n

— Being Libertarian (@beinlibertarian) July 11, 2021

Kevin Downey at PJ, Feds Spend Millions Building Massive Database on January 6 Riot, None on Antifa. NYT, cited at Hot Hair, Oath Keepers leader sat for FBI questioning against legal advice. Beware of perjury traps. 

Taylor Day at Am Think worries about Nationalizing the Capitol Police. Me too. "Do we really want a nationwide federal police force accountable solely to a small number of legislators, not subject to FOIA and other citizen protections applicable to the executive branch? " No. 

At Red State, Nick Arama is on to the twitter thread by podcaster Darryl Cooper, @MartyrMade that I linked to last time, Tucker Carlson Highlights Must-Read Thread About the Regime vs. Trump

Tucker Carlson Reading @martyrmade's Viral Thread On Why So Many Trump Supporters Have Questions About The 2020 Election & Their Distrust Of The Mainstream Media pic.twitter.com/HY6MECgd3s

— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) July 10, 2021

Althouse, "This makes it postable!"

ET,  Pennsylvania Department of State Tells Counties Not to Allow Outside Access to Voting Systems

Directive comes after state senator initiated forensic investigation into 2020, 2021 elections.  At Am Think, Tom Lifson thinks he sees Definite sign of panic as Pennsylvania acting Secretary of State issues illegal orders to obstruct audit of 2020 election. Sundance at CTH, Pennsylvania Acting Secretary of State and State AG Warn Philadelphia Not To Comply With Senate Authorized Ballot Audit, Senator Mastriano Responds and During Speech President Trump Reveals Letter from Pennsylvania U.S Attorney Detailing Bill Barr Blocking Philadelphia Vote Fraud Investigation

In previous comments attributed to AG Bill Barr, he claimed to have seen no evidence of election fraud. The Atlantic Article cites Bill Barr stating to an AP journalist December 1st 2020: ” To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election,” and then the article covers the fallout with the White House from that AP interview.

However, there’s a big difference between not seeing election fraud and purposefully blocking a United States Attorney Office from investigating allegations of fraud with an institutional motive not to discover or see it.

Also, Joe Biden Heading to Philadelphia July 13th, Will There Be Protests?

Joe Biden is responding to the Pennsylvania Senate likely conducting a forensic audit of Philadelphia ballots by urgently traveling to the city of brotherly love on Tuesday July 13th. Other than the original announcement the White House has not announced any details.

Perhaps it would be remarkable to see several thousands of people in the tri-state area show up to express their voice. It would appear there is plenty of time to organize some grassroots activity.

Then again, perhaps a large scale response from voters is exactly why the White House is keeping the details of the trip quiet.

ET reports the Arizona Senate Conducting New Count of Maricopa County Ballots and Stu Cvrk has some Key Questions While We’re Waiting for the Arizona Audit Report

The questions are obvious:

• Why don’t the certified vote total and the county totals reconcile (a 9,999-vote difference)?
• Where did the ~106K decline in minor party ballots from 2016 to 2020 go?
• How could there be 628,034 more absentee/early votes counted than reportedly received?
• How could there be zero write-in votes in over 3 million total ballots cast in Maricopa County?

NewNeo echos the question  What if the 2020 election audits end up revealing that Trump was actually the winner? Nothing regarding the presidency, but it will justify all of Republicans voting reform efforts (and more) and that's what Democrats are afraid of. Bill Saletan at Slate whines Early Voting Is Secure. So Why Are Republicans Against It? Assuming things not in evidence.

Following the story that Stacy broke the other day, at the Independent Chronical, Houston felon charged with voting twice illegally. Nick Fondacaro at NewsBusters, ABC Whines Texas Prosecuting Dem for Allegedly Casting Illegal Primary Vote, and Althouse read the NYT so you don't need to, "A 62-year-old Texas man who waited hours to cast a ballot in last year’s presidential primary was arrested this week on charges that he had voted illegally." He's facing 2-20 years, but being a Democrat, he'll get a slap on the wrist, I bet. I really don't want to see this guy locked up, but like the Democrats warn the Jan 6 protestors, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time"

At Politico, Top Biden ally pleads with him to scrap filibuster for election reform "Rep. Jim Clyburn said it’s time for the president to embrace more aggressive changes to the Senate rules" which is why, at Am Think, Andrea Widburg thinks Democrats haven’t abandoned the plan to jettison the filibuster. They won't abandon it once it works for them either. 

'Fuzzy Slippers' (I'm betting that's a nom du plume)  at LI asks Why Is Kamala The Last Democrat Still Arguing Against Voter I.D.? "Harris: It’s “almost impossible” for rural Americans to photocopy their i.d."  Insty steps up with the obvious answer, BECAUSE SHE’S VERY VERY DUMB AND VERY VERY EVIL . . . At Da Caller, Kamala Harris Ridiculed For Comment On Why Rural America Has A Hard Time With Voter ID and at Da Fed, Kamala Harris Claims It’s ‘Almost Impossible’ For Rural Americans To Make A Photocopy. I just use my scanner, but the IPad or cell phone work too.

Chuck Sullivan at Am Think maunders on about Trump v. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, et al

Each of the complaints asserts that congressional legislation (47 USC section 230) encouraged the defendants to censor Trump and other class members. The complaints give a history of the statute and assert that it does not give blanket authority to censor what would otherwise be constitutionally protected speech. A Harvard Law Review article is referenced:

As discussed in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, Leary, Mary Graw, “The Indecency and Injustice of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act,” Vol. 41, No. 2, pg. 564, 565 (2018) Congress expressly stated that th[is] is the policy of the United States ‘to ensure vigorous enforcement of Federal criminal laws to deter and punish trafficking in obscenity, stalking, and harassment by means of computer.’ That said, Congress appeared to recognize that unlimited tort-based lawsuits would threaten the then-fragile Internet and the ‘freedom of speech in the new and burgeoning Internet medium.’ Although these two goals required some balancing, it was clear from the text and legislative history of § 230 that it was never intended to provide a form of absolute immunity for any and all actions taken by interactive computer services. Section 230 is not ‘a general prohibition of civil liability for web-site operators and other content hosts.’ Rather, Congress sought to provide limited protections for limited actions.

Each of the complaints assert that the defendants willfully participated in joint activity with federal actors to censor Trump and other class members. Specific examples are given of how the defendants refused to publish facts or opinions that contradicted Dr. Anthony Fauci of the CDC including discussions of HCQ and the possible origins of COVID-19 in a lab in Wuhan, China.

Finally, each of the complaints seeks a declaratory judgment that section 230 of the communications decency act is unconstitutional. The complaints assert that Congress is constitutionally prohibited from passing legislation that limits protected speech and cannot pass a statute giving someone else that authority.

Pay attention to these cases. Trump has requested jury trials, class certification, and punitive damages in each of the cases. If any of these cases make it to trial in front of a Florida jury, the defendants could be looking at multibillion dollar judgments along with punitive damages. These cases really are an existential threat to the tech companies if they go to trial.

But Taylor Milliard at Hot Hair also winds on about why Why Texas' social media bills are doomed to fail in the courts. He might be right but I guess only time will tell.

Sundance does a happy dance at Senator Murkowski Tells Alaska Radio She Has Not Decided if She Will Run for Re-election, If She Does She Will Be Crushed Unless She Runs as a Democrat

Election 2020: Is the Left Trying to Start Another Capitol Riot?

 A real mish-mash today. Lets go first to Stu Cvrk at Red State for another A.U.D.I.T. of Elections: Democrats Can’t Stem the Flow of Revelations No Matter How Hard They Try. Lots of good stuff in here, some of which I've covered, some of which is new. Via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.09.21, Margot Cleveland at Da Fed claims New Evidence Indicates Enough Illegal Votes In Georgia To Tip 2020 Results, echoed by Pam Geller. Also,  Don Surber thinks Voter Reform Is Winning. Don't get cocky. At WaEx, Arizona judge presses for disclosure of donors funding Maricopa election audit. A nice theory of transparency, but considering how the left attacks, sometime physically, conservative donors, no thanks. From ET, Michigan Attorney General, Police to Probe People Who Made Election Fraud Claims. And what happened to freedom of speech in Michigan?

Ace introduces a Great Thread on How the Election Was Rigged, and How the Nation Was Stolen at https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1413165168956088321.html. You really need to read all of this. Insty finds CHEAP DEMAGOGUERY FROM A CHEAP DEMAGOGUE: Kamala Harris Says Republicans ‘Don’t Want You to Vote.’

Stacy McCain finds CNN’s ‘Hero’ Voter Is a Felon. It fits the Democrat brand, anyway. 

Hervis Rogers is a convicted felon, who was on probation at the time he voted for Democrats last year — twice, once in the primary and then again in November — and Rogers was arrested this week for illegally voting, which is also a felony in Texas. Now, ask yourself this question: If convicted felons are prohibited from voting, then how was it that Hervis Rogers was on the list of registered voters in Houston?

If convicted felons were permitted to vote illegally in Houston, what about Atlanta? Milwaukee? Phoenix? Philadelphia? The point here, see, is that making sure election laws are enforced is a job of local officials, but because Democrats control all the election offices in major cities, we have no idea how many people are voting illegally in those cities, because Democrats have no interest in actually enforcing election laws.

Tyler O'Neil at PJ Media, Toyota Blacklists Republicans Who Contested the 2020 Election. Now, Do Democrats. Don't make me give up my RAV-4 hybrid. 

NBC 4 (DC) reports  US Capitol Fencing Installed After Jan. 6 Coming Down, but "Security will still be elevated and access to the west side will be restricted" Hollywood in Toto, Hollywood Reporter Repeats Lies About Jan. 6 Protest "Far-left site stokes misinformation, part of a disturbing trend across news outlets" Are we shocked that reporters lie? If so, why? Pedo Lincoln Project's Steve Schmidt: Capitol riot worse than 9/11 attacks, 'likely to kill a lot more Americans'. The Biden administration intends to kill that many of us? Tyler O'Neil at PJ Media, Is the Left Trying to Start Another Capitol Riot? Probably. (Also refers to the twitter thread above).

If this relentless assault on conservative values does not stop, it will awaken a sleeping giant. I fervently pray that the backlash will take place at school board meetings, city council meetings, and the ballot box, rather than in acts of political violence like the Capitol riot. My fellow conservatives cannot afford to prove the Left’s heinous lies about our “extremism” correct. No, we have to win by following the rules of the game — but I sincerely fear that the Left is doing everything it can to pound us down until we do something we cannot take back.

Julie Kelly at Am Great is still on the case of the Jan. 6 participants jailed without bail, No Relief for Lego Man or Other January 6 Detainees "Prospects look dim for those caught up in Merrick Garland’s Capitol protest witch hunt." And grim for the justice system too. Jim Hanson at Am Con wonders if it's A Coup Against The Constitution? "The events of the last few years add up to an attempt to destroy our republican form of government." At Town Hall, Matt Vespa wonders So, What's with the Capitol Police Expanding Its Presence Across the Country? The legislative branch with its own Secret Police? What could go wrong?

At Ace's Morning Rant, The New Subversives

What was the message, the underlying narrative, if you will, of the coordinated social media campaign to stamp out certain dissenting (unapproved) opinions?

It is this:

--You shouldn't discuss certain things
--You shouldn't say certain things
--You shouldn't write certain things
--You shouldn't think certain things
--You shouldn't believe certain things

In other words, 2020 injected (re-introduced?) direct and explicit censorship into the mainstream.

Democrats 2020: "Make censorship great again!"

In light of this, Sundance at CTH considers how  President Trump Explains Why He is Suing Big Tech, With Links to Lawsuit Filings - The Last Refuge. Also from the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.09.21, at the Volokh Conspiracy, Volokh considers the case for The First Amendment and Treating Social Media Platforms as Common Carriers, and unlike co-blogger Ilya Somin, is amenable to it. 

Also from the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 07.09.21, at Da Fed, Fred Fleitz explains why he thinks  The White House Is Probably Behind The Tucker Carlson NSA Email Scandal. One word. History. 'streif' at Red State, Robert Mueller's Service Animal, Andrew Weissmann, Yaps About Tucker Carlson and the NSA and Confirms Your Worst Thoughts About Him

Andrew Weissmann, James Comey’s deputy during the Special Counsel travesty, then weighs in. He acknowledges that Carlson was probably under “incidental” surveillance because of his outreach to Putin’s staff…by the way, the source for the story that Carlson was trying to reach out to Putin for an interview is from the leak to Axios, not from Carlson…and, at 4:55, he says Carlson going public with the complaint rather than dealing privately with the Justice Department is “anti-American.”

Consider that for a moment. The guy who destroyed the accounting giant Arthur Andersen and put 20,000+ people out of work before he suffered the ignominy of being unanimously reversed by the US Supreme Court. is accusing Tucker Carlson of being anti-American. The guy who used his position on the special counsel to carry out a personal jihad against Paul Manafort is calling Tucker Carlson anti-American. The cretinous genius behind indicting a group of Russian companies for meddling in the 2016 election and then getting his ass handed to him in grand style is calling Tucker Carlson anti-American.

What is obvious from this is that no one, even the imbeciles on MSNBC, is denying that Carlson’s communications were intercepted. What they can’t explain is how those communications were made available to people outside the IC with Carlson’s name attached to them. The reason they can’t explain that is that this sequence of events is only possible if someone decided to unmask Carlson after he was swept up in legal surveillance and illegally distribute his communications…or if Carlson is under surveillance by the US government. Serious journalists, if we had any in this nation, would be trying to find out.

Sundance thinks Andrew Weissmann Says the Quiet Part Out Loud

In essence, what this segment reveals is Andrew Weissmann being so comfortable and casual with his reference point from time and experience inside the DOJ-NSD, that he doesn’t even realize what he is saying so matter-of-factly is something that is not supposed to take place.

The DOJ (or DOJ-NSD) is not supposed to have simple access to the NSA database without a reason for it. Or without a contact from the NSA with a directive to review an intercept because it might involve unlawful activity.

The DOJ-NSD personnel are not supposed to be randomly data-mining the NSA database just to see if they can find some issue they would be under the authority to investigate. Yet this frame of reference is exactly the casual nature of Weissmann’s diatribe.

Linked at Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links.