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FEBRUARY 11,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

COMPLETELY CRAZY – FROM STARTRIBUNE.COM:   U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar is rising on the House Foreign Affairs Committee as she steps into the role of vice chairwoman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over Africa and global human rights issues.  Omar's office said her new position was being announced Thursday in Washington. The panel's full name is the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations.  "Upholding basic human rights around the world is a core priority for me and the Fifth District of Minnesota," Omar, a Democrat, said in a prepared statement. "As someone who represents a large African diaspora community and is the first African-born immigrant to serve in Congress, I am particularly excited to play a leadership role in overseeing our international aid and foreign policy on the continent."  The Twin Cities boasts the largest Somali community in the U.S. Omar was born in Somalia but her family left amid civil war when she was a child.  It almost feels as if this nation is committing suicide.  This woman despises the United States, has spouted anti-Semitism, and is one of the most unintelligent members of Congress, and yet gets promoted.

YOU CANNOT BELIEVE THIS – FROM DAILY MAIL:   A gay white father of a mixed-race child has been denied a spot on the San Francisco Board of Education's volunteer parent committee because his race doesn't bring enough diversity to the group.   The issue of whether to allow Seth Brenzel to volunteer for the 15-person parent advisory council was debated for almost two hours on Tuesday night during a board meeting.   The parent advisory council, who had unanimously supported Brenzel to join their all-female committee, had submitted his name to be approved by the school board.   His candidacy, however, faced opposition from some board members and members of the public who argued that there wasn't enough diversity on the council - even though there are five seats currently empty.  It's San Francisco, not a real place, at least not in these United States. 

February 11, 2021       Permalink

INCITEMENT OR NOT? – OVERNIGHT:  The Democrats have finished delivering their impeachment case against former President Trump.  It centers on the charge of incitement.  Did they make their case?   Former prosecutor Andrew McCarthy analyzes.  From Fox: 

In an incitement case, the issue is what the accused says, not how the mob hears it. Indeed, that is always the First Amendment analysis. If what a person says is constitutionally protected expression, we protect the speech and we don’t give the heckler – or the rioter – a veto.

Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., one of the House impeachment managers, noted on Wednesday afternoon that, 15 minutes into his Jan. 6 Ellipse speech, then-President Trump asserted that he knew the crowd was about to march peacefully on the Capitol.

She grudgingly conceded that this was "one of his defenses" to the incitement charge. In point of fact, it would be a complete defense to an incitement charge if a prosecutor brought one in a real court, which would be inexplicable on the evidence the House managers are presenting.

Obviously aware of this inconvenient problem, Congresswoman Dean instantly pivoted from what Trump said to the belligerent threats being simultaneously chanted by some elements of the crowd (a crowd that numbered in the tens of thousands).

In a real criminal case, a defendant may not be convicted unless the prosecutor proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had bad intent.

In Trump’s case, that would be intent to cause a violent attack on the Capitol. If what Trump said did not constitute incitement in the criminal law sense – i.e., clearly intentional and unambiguous solicitations to violence that was imminent and probable – then the failure to establish criminal intent cannot be repaired by showing that other people had criminal intent.

If you argue that Trump engaged in utterly irresponsible rhetoric, I’m right there with you. If you contend that it is an impeachable dereliction of duty for a president to intentionally mislead the public about the election and, especially, to aggressively pressure public officials – the vice president and the Congress – to take unconstitutional actions (viz., to reject the state-certified election results that established now-President Biden as the winner of the election), I would agree with that, too. And I myself have posited that the most impeachable conduct by the president was his dereliction of duty as commander-in-chief in failing to act while the Capitol was under siege.

The problem is that the House did not file such articles of impeachment. They accuse Trump of inciting insurrectionist violence at the Capitol.

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  It's a fascinating analysis that by no means excuses some of Trump's vociferous behavior, but makes clear that the Dems failed to make their point on the incitement charge.

February 11, 2021       Permalink

WHA..?  IS HE WOKE?  IS HE TRULY WOKE? – AT 7:43 P.M. ET:  The president of the United States has spoken with the president of China.  Apparently, our president has now figured out that the Chinese gentleman is not our BFF.  From Fox: 

President Biden warned that China will "eat our lunch" on Thursday after speaking with Chinese President Xi Jinping for the first time Wednesday night since becoming president – a sentiment that seemed to contradict some of his statements on the campaign trail.

"Last night I was on the phone with for two straight hours with Xi Jinping," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office. "It was a good conversation, I know him well, we spent a lot of time together over the years I was vice president, but if we don't get moving, they're going to eat our lunch. They have major, major new initiatives on rail, they already have rail that goes 325 miles per hour with ease. They are working very hard to do what I think we're gonna have to do."

"The auto industry is already there. So is labor. They're working very hard to try to move in a position where they end up being the source of a new way in which to power automobiles, which they're going to invest a lot of money. They're investing billions of dollars in dealing with a whole range of issues that relate to transportation and the environment ... so we just have to step up," Biden continued.
Biden's comments on Thursday seemed in direct opposition to his position in 2019.

"China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man!" Biden said at a rally in 2019.
He was critical of former President Donald Trump's tariff battle with China.

"The president has done nothing but increase the tariffs, the debt and the trade deficit. The way we have to proceed is we have to have our allies with us. It’s not just us. We have to keep the world together," Biden said in 2019.

In a statement Wednesday night, the White House said Biden "shared his greetings and well wishes with the Chinese people on the occasion of Lunar New Year."

COMMENT:  So is Biden woke?  Sounds like he's partly woke, no more.   No mention of jobs lost in the U.S., no mention of the collusion between American corporations and the Chinese government, no mention of the most important factor, the buildup of the Chinese military. 

But at least we got some crumbs out of this president, a new belief that China will eat our lunch.  The problem is that Biden has no clue as to how to limit China's appetite.  And some very powerful people in this country have no desire to do so.

February 11, 2021       Permalink

FEBRUARY 10,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

TRIUMPH OF THE GOOD – FROM DAILY MAIL:   The Dallas Mavericks have played the national anthem before a home game against the Atlanta Hawks, just hours after billionaire team owner Mark Cuban relented to the NBA's demand that the song be played at all games.  A recorded version of the Star-Spangled Banner was played before Wednesday night's game at American Airlines Center, while Mavericks and Hawks players and staff stood lined up on the court.  As the anthem concluded, the smattering of fans in attendance broke out in applause and cheers. The Mavericks are currently allowing 1,500 fans at home games, with tickets available to vaccinated healthcare and essential workers.   It came hours after the NBA issued a stark statement saying 'all teams will play the national anthem', forcing Cuban to reverse course after he announced the practice would be discontinued, saying the Star-Spangled Banner does not represent 'all communities'.  The big loser here is Mark Cuban, who has probably committed political suicide.  There'd been much talk of his entering politics.  The big winner is the United States of America. 

I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT – FROM THE HILL:    MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday apologized for wrongly correcting Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) about the source of the quote “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”  “@SenTedCruzsays #ImpeachmentTrial is like Shakespeare full of sound and fury signifying nothing. No, that’s Faulkner,” Mitchell tweeted. The quote “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing” appears in the fifth act of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” William Faulkner’s 1929 Southern Gothic novel derives its title from the quote.  “I clearly studied too much American literature and not enough Macbeth. My apologies to Sen. Cruz,” Mitchell said in a followup tweet, after numerous tweets correcting her.   Well, I guess anyone can make that mistake, but Ms. Mitchell's error reflects the general level of research done in today's news industry. 

February 10, 2021       Permalink

ANY CONDEMNATIONS FROM THE DEMS? – OVERNIGHT:   Some Portland rioters rudely engaged in some violence today, diverting attention the Democratic Party's attempt in Washington to convict former President Trump for...inciting violence.  From Fox: 

Rioters are attempting to break down the door of the Portland Police Association, law enforcement said on Wednesday evening.

"A protest has developed near North Lombard Street and North Campbell Avenue, where participants have tried to break down the door to the Portland Police Association," the Portland police tweeted. "We are monitoring the situation."

Police added that those trying to break in were subject to arrest.

"To those participating in the protest, this direction is being given over loudspeaker: stay on the sidewalk, do not try to break into the building or violate any other laws. If you do you're subject to arrest and/or use of force including less lethal weapons."

The incident came as Portland saw months of unrest. Journalist Andy Ngo, who frequently tracks these types of demonstrations, posted purported footage of recent demonstrations online.

Left-wing protests in Portland have caused roughly $2.3 million in damage to federal buildings since they broke out over the summer, according to local media.

COMMENT:  News of the Portland riots has apparently not reached Washington.  And it is just too 2020 for the major news organizations to notice.

What is that impeachment trial in the Senate about?  I forgot.

February 10, 2021       Permalink

FIGHTING BACK – AT 8:18 P.M. ET:  The Trump defense woke up on the second day of the Ringling Brothers Barnum... I mean the impeachment trial.  From Fox: 

The Trump War Room is firing back at the House Democrat impeachment managers who were making their case against former President Donald Trump during the opening arguments of his trial.

On Wednesday, the impeachment managers spent hours attempting to convince enough senators to convict the former president that he incited the insurrection on Capitol Hill last month. Much of their argument relied on Trump's rhetoric, including when he told his supporters on the National Mall on Jan. 6 to "fight like hell."

However, the Trump War Room turned the tables on the Democrats by reviving various examples of them using the same language.

The Trump campaign account pointed to a "FLASHBACK" of Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the leading impeachment manager, who said during a 2019 interview with The Atlantic he'd "fight like hell" for the Constitution on the subject of the conservative-controlled Supreme Court and judiciary.

A tweet made by Raskin from September 2020 urges his Twitter followers to "fight like hell" amid the Supreme Court battle following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

In 2017, Raskin similarly said, "We’ve to wake up every day and fight like hell for liberal democracy, not just in Maryland, not just in the United States, but all over the world..."

During the Russia investigation, Raskin also tweeted, "This is our Democracy--fight for it."

Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., who has beenn widely praised as the breakout star of the impeachment trial, was similarly called out by the Trump campaign for a tweet from April 2018 touting the endorsement of then-Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.

"Humbled to have the support of such a fearless leader as we fight to take back Congress and make Colorado history!" Neguse exclaimed.

The War Room repeatedly took aim at Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., for his past ties to an alleged Chinese spy, but it also revived comments he made during a 2019 CNN interview.

"I'll fight like hell to make sure that we see this report whether it's organizing again, whether it's using my lungs, whether it's out-maneuvering with our minds, the American people are going to see this report," Swalwell told Don Lemon about the Mueller report.

The War Room retweeted criticism at Swalwell's appointment as an impeachment manager by pointing to his dismissal of the threats Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, received amid the bitter Supreme Court confirmation battle of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

COMMENT:  And that's only the start.  The violent threats of Auntie Maxine Waters would take many minutes to recite and study. 

And what about the Democrats' refusal to condemn the violence over the summer that destroyed thousands of businesses, many of them built by minority entrepreneurs and immigrants?  No problem there, apparently.

The president's rhetoric may have been unwise, or even over the top.  But he never advocated violence of any kind. 

February 10,  2021     Permalink