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MARCH 25,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

FIGHTING BACK AGAINST INSANITY – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  The president of Emory University will not bow to pressure from the campus Young Democrats who want a campus arts center renamed.  The Emory Wheel reports President Gregory Fenves “declined to take action” on the Young Democrats of Emory’s proposal regarding the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, stating the “generous benefactors” are “devoted” to the university.  The Young Democrats, supported by resolutions from the College Council and Student Government Association, want the center’s name changed because Mr. Schwartz sponsored an event featuring conservative commentator and author Heather Mac Donald over a year ago.  The Wheel notes Mac Donald “ignited campus-wide dissent” with claims about campus rape and minority students asserting victimhood without reason. Fenves said that while Mac Donald “angered and alienated many,” her appearance was “consistent with Emory policy and [its] commitment to the free expression of ideas.”  Young Democrats of Emory President Alex Chanen said his group would not drop the effort to rename the center, saying “We plan to continue to hold the Emory administration accountable to help create a more equitable community.”  I wish someone would explain to these "students" that they are guests of the university, and should behave accordingly.  I'm glad Emory stood up to the craziness.  It happens too rarely.

SO THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE – FROM FOX:   Civil rights leader and MSNBC host Al Sharpton threatened to accuse Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona of "supporting racism" over their approval of the Senate filibuster.  "The pressure that we are going to put on Sinema and Manchin is calling [the filibuster] racist and saying that they are, in effect, supporting racism," Sharpton told Politico. "Why would they be wedded to something that has those results? Their voters need to know that."  Sharpton is part of a larger push from the left to eliminate the filibuster in order to pass Democrats' election and voting rights legislation known as S.1.  Manchin said earlier in March that he would "never" stop supporting the filibuster. Sinema has said that she is not open to "changing her mind."  Their views on the filibuster are important because the Senate is evenly split 50-50, with the deciding vote going to Vice President Harris. In most legislation, there is a 60-vote threshold to advance to President Biden’s desk.  Pretty disgraceful.  Just accuse someone of racism, whether true or not.  Just destroy and destroy.  There used to be a word for this.  It's called McCarthyism, but affects vastly more people.

March 25, 2021       Permalink

THE PRESIDENT SPEAKS, WELL, SORT OF – AT 10:30 P.M. ET:  Today the president held his first formal press conference since taking office.  It wasn't as big a hit as "South Pacific."  In fact, linguists all over the world are trying to figure out exactly what he said and why he said it. 

The image Mr. Biden presented was that of a man only semi-present, briefed by his staff, and equipped with notes to which he frequently referred.  He also had before him a sheet with reporters' names and their photos.  He would not call on a single opposition reporter during the conference.  Compare please with President Trump, who loved the give and take.  From From Fox: 

President Biden referenced "cheat sheets" detailing key policy points and the identities of attending journalists when he conducted the first formal press conference of his presidency on Thursday.

Photos taken at the event showed Biden holding a card labeled "infrastructure," with key statistics and talking points. One bullet point noted that "China spends 3 times more on infrastructure than U.S."

In another photo, Biden was seen consulting a sheet that appeared to show the pictures and news outlets of journalists who attended his press conference. Some of the pictured reporters had a circled number next to their images.

Just 25 reporters were permitted to attend the press conference. Biden took a limited number of questions from a list of pre-selected reporters before leaving the podium. Fox News’s Peter Doocy was not among the reporters who were selected to ask a question.

Biden answered questions related to the ongoing crisis at the southern border, his view on calls to end the filibuster, and an array of other topics. The president said he intends to run for reelection in 2024.

Critics of the Biden administration have called on administration officials to make Biden available to the press on a regular basis. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds daily briefings.

The use of note cards is not unprecedented at press conferences. In November 2019, Trump held a notebook with handwritten prompts during a press conference on testimony delivered at his first impeachment hearing.

Biden made no attempt during the press conference to extend a hand of bipartisanship to the Republicans or show any interest in real compromise, even in areas often handled on a bipartisan basis in the past.  From Ari Fleischer at Fox: 

President Biden has detached himself from his highly touted inaugural promise to promote national "unity" and furthermore made stunning comments in defending the administration's purported transparency when it comes to access to federal border facilities -- some of which are exponentially above capacity, according to former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer.

Fleischer, who served in the George W. Bush White House, told "The Story" following Thursday's press conference that Biden conducted one of the most "partisan news conferences" in history and egregiously dismissed his own promise of fomenting unity.

"This was Joe Biden saying that all the problems are the Republican problems. As somebody whose whole soul's for unity, who says the issue is that Republicans are posturing?"

Fleischer also called out Biden for his comments when asked about the lack of proper media access to federal holding facilities on the southern border, where an immigration crisis is rapidly growing.

"I will commit when my plan very shortly is underway to let you have access to not just them," Biden said. "I will commit to transparency."

Fleischer said he translated that to mean essentially that the media must wait until the administration tries to clean up the crisis somewhat before allowing the public proper open access via the media.

"He said 'I'm not letting you in now. I'll only let you in when my plans go into place' -- That is like a co-conspirator saying when the police knock on their door 'oh sure, I'll let you in but let me hide the evidence'," he said.

COMMENT:  We don't know when the next "real" press conference will be held, or who will be permitted to ask questions.  Or whether Biden will show up or send Ed McMahon.

March 25,  2021     Permalink

MARCH 24,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

THIS IS TERRIFIC – FROM NATIONAL REVIEW:    More than 40 African American intellectuals are asking Smith College to end the “forced, accusatory ‘anti-bias’ training” that was mandated for campus service workers after a student falsely accused some workers of racially-profiling her.The letter, obtained by National Review, was sent on Monday to Smith College president Kathleen McCartney by Bob Woodson, a veteran of the Civil Rights Movement and founder of “1776 Unites,” and 44 fellow black intellectuals. The signatories ask McCartney to “rethink how you have handled” the fallout over an alleged incident of racial profiling in the summer of 2018, and urge her to “publicly apologize” and “compensate” the school’s service workers who were caught up in the firestorm...The letter’s signatories — scholars Glenn Loury, John McWhorter, and Shelby Steele among them — express disgust at the way McCartney has handled the situation.  “Many of us participated in the Civil Rights Movement, fighting for equal treatment under the law, which included due process and the presumption of innocence,” they write. “We didn’t march so that Americans of any race could be presumed guilty and punished for false accusations while the elite institution that employed them cowered in fear of a social media mob. We certainly didn’t march so that privileged Blacks could abuse working class whites based on ‘lived experience.’”  These black intellectuals have performed a major public service, no doubt at great risk to themselves.  We are seeing signs everywhere of good people starting to fight back against reverse racism and the cancel culture.  Unfortunately, our new national administration, and a good chunk of the wayward press, are on the other side.

AWFUL – BUT WE WAIT FOR DEFINITIVE EVIDENCE – FROM FOX:    New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York Health Commissioner Howard Zucker directed health officials to prioritize the governor's own family and figures with ties to his administration in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, the Albany Times-Union reported Wednesday.  Cuomo's brother, mother and one of his sisters were among those who allegedly received priority tests in March 2020, the newspaper reported, citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter.  The bombshell report emerged as Cuomo faces calls to resign after eight women, including current and former aides, accused him of sexual harassment or misconduct. The New York State Attorney General’s Office and the State Assembly are investigating the claims.  Separately, federal authorities opened a probe into members of the Cuomo administration over their handling of New York’s COVID-19 nursing home crisis. The governor’s office has denied claims that it significantly underreported or covered up the number of COVID-19 deaths that occurred at nursing home facilities.  If the story in the Times-Union is true, I don't know how Andrew Cuomo can face the citizens of New York.  Oh, wait, he's a liberal Democrat.  The usual rules don't apply.

March 24,  2021     Permalink

WELL NOW THEY'RE BRINGING IN THE BIG GUNS (CHOKE) –AT 6:43 P.M. ET:  The excitement builds.   Hollywood studios are ready to bid.  This is the real "High Noon."  Why?  Kamala is being sent.  Hear the people cheer!  From Fox: 

Vice President Kamala Harris, whom President Biden tapped to lead the administration's response to the border crisis, once indicated she was in favor of decriminalizing illegal border crossings and sparked backlash in 2018 when she compared ICE to the KKK.

Biden on Thursday appointed Harris to lead his administration’s efforts to address a record surge in migrants, including unaccompanied minors, that has strained capacity at immigration facilities at the southern border in recent weeks. "When she speaks, she speaks for me," Biden said Thursday.

Or, as some observers think, vice versa.

Harris will serve as the administration’s diplomatic liaison in talks with Mexico and the "Northern Triangle" nations of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador on how best to address the root causes of the migrant surge.

Harris has been accused of flip-flopping on decriminalizing illegal border crossings.

She was among the Democrats who raised their hands during a June 2019 presidential primary debate when asked if they were in favor of decriminalization. When Megan McCain asked her about it on "The View," Harris denied it, though she still said the law shouldn't be criminally enforced.
"I would not make it a crime punishable by jail. It should be a civil enforcement issue but not a criminal enforcement issue," she said.

Harris generated outrage in 2018 when she attempted to convince former Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Ronald Vitiello to compare the agency to the KKK.  "Are you aware of the perception of many about how the power and the discretion at ICE is being used to enforce the laws and do you see any parallels [with the KKK]?," she said.

"Are you aware that there is a perception that ICE is administering its power in a way that is causing fear and intimidation, particularly among immigrants and specifically among immigrants coming from Mexico and Central America?" she continued.

COMMENT:  I'm sure the federal agents at the border are thrilled that Kami is coming.  And I'd love to hear the questions she'll be asked by reporters from the woke press.  Wow, I'll bet they'll be tough.

This is a farce.  I wonder if it was even Biden's decision.  Why does the name "Barack Obama" come to mind?  Don't be shocked if you start hearing the buzz from Washington that Kami is being prepped to become president, and soon.

Put yourself in the mind of a Chinese general watching all this.  What advice would you give President Xi Jinping?  The possibilities are grim.  American weakness has its price, and we have paid it before.

March 24, 2021       Permalink