Please note that you can leave a comment on any of our posts at our Facebook page.  Subscribers can also comment at length at our Angel's Corner Forum.

MAY 16-17,  2023

SOON TO BE A CANDIDATE: It's becoming clear that Governor Ron DeSantis will be entering the race for the Republican presidential nomination, possibly this week or the week after.

Good.  Let's have a real contest for the Republican nomination.  The numbers and polls don't mean much at this point, and I want to see our side present its case and its best contenders.

There are no sure things here.  People who say Trump has the nomination in the bag don't realize how big the bag is and how bumpy a ride Trump will have.  He is both loved and despised, and faces serious legal challenges that can derail his quest for a second term.  Or...a great candidate can emerge.

On the socialist, uh, I mean Democratic side, the uncertainties seem to grow.  They revolve around the mental fitness of Joe Biden and the lack of mental fitness of Kamala Harris, now playing the role of heiress to the throne.  The latest buzz, by the way, is that a plot is being hatched to draft Michelle Obama for president.   The theory is that it can happen if Biden's impairment gets worse, that he either steps aside or fades away, and that Harris herself realizes that her public unpopularity is too much to overcome.  I'm not so sure.  I'm really not sure that Michelle, however popular she is in some circles, is really seen as presidential material.  And I'm not sure that Kamala would go under the bus that easily.

One of the best reporters in the country, Salena Zito, has written a profile of DeSantis, and I thought it was worth quoting here.  From RealClearPolitics: 

This past weekend, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., reminded voters, and a skeptical press that has spent an inordinate amount of time writing his political obituary before he even launched his candidacy, that he not only possesses the promise and nimbleness needed to be a candidate for president but that he also has the staff and network needed to pull off just the right move to strike a blow against his rival, former President Donald Trump.

People underestimate DeSantis only at their own peril.

The Florida governor began the weekend Friday in Illinois as the keynote speaker at the Lincoln Day Dinner for Peoria and Tazewell counties. The Peoria Journal Star said he drew a crowd of more than 1,100 to the Peoria Civic Center.

Early Saturday morning, DeSantis started his first campaign event in Sioux Center, Iowa, as a guest at Rep. Randy Feenstra's annual Feenstra Family Picnic, spent time greeting folks at a classic car museum, stopped at a Pizza Ranch, and finished out the day at an unplanned event, standing on a table with his wife at Jethro's BBQ.

All of DeSantis's headline events went off without a hitch. In that regard, they were very similar to speeches I attended several weeks ago that he gave in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and Akron, Ohio, where he was greeted with robust support after delivering speeches that outlined his aspirations for the country, his accomplishments as a governor and his promise to take on the cultural headwinds in our country.

DeSantis and Trump were scheduled on Saturday to be in Iowa, the state with the first-in-the-country contest for 2024, but Trump's team canceled the event after the threat of a tornado warning. DeSantis took full advantage of his absence with an impromptu stop in the same area Trump was supposed to be, thus casting shade on the former president, who has spent months maligning DeSantis's character.

"My better half and I have been able to be all over Iowa today, but before we went back to Florida, we wanted to come by and say hi to the people of Des Moines," DeSantis said to a cheering and surprised crowd at the barbecue as he and his wife Casey stood on a picnic table outside. "So thank you all for coming out. It's a beautiful night. It's been a great day for us."

COMMENT:  Read the rest.  I'm looking forward to this contest.  And, after all, the future of the country depends on it.

May 17, 2023       Permalink 

IT DOESN'T GET LOWER THAN THIS:  Members of Congress's so-called "Squad" hit rock bottom.  From Fox: 

Two members of progressive group "the Squad" were the only Democrats to vote against a resolution that memorialized police officers killed in the line of duty and expressed condolences to their loved ones.

During a vote Monday recognizing National Police Week, Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Cori Bush, D-Mo., uttered the only nays heard from the House floor as the chamber voted on the pro-law enforcement resolution.

The resolution, which passed with unanimous support from Republicans and nearly all Democrats, amended H.Res. 363 title to read: "Resolution memorializing law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty." 

Its passing honored "the 556 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, including 224 officers killed in 2022, as well as 332 officers killed in previous years whose stories were recovered during 2022," while also ensuring police are equipped with the resources and training necessary to keeping communities safe.

The amendment opposed by the Democrats expressed "unwavering support" for law enforcement officers and offered "condolences and solemn appreciation" for the loved ones of lost officers.

"Why did Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib just vote against a simple resolution to honor law enforcement officers during National Police Week?" Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas., posted on Twitter after the vote.The resolution vowed that the House of Representatives would acknowledge "that police officers and other law enforcement personnel, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, should be remembered and honored," and recognized as heroes.

Several representatives in the "Squad" have a history of anti-police rhetoric. But fellow original members Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., all voted in favor of the resolution. 

COMMENT:  Bush and Tlaib have to be two of the worst representatives in recent memory.  Is there no one who could defeat them in their Congressional districts?  I'll bet there is, and maybe some brave Republicans should step up, get into the race, and start the process of flipping those districts, if possible. Never give up, and never stop trying.  I'll guess that many of of these losers' constituents feel the same way about them that we do.  But the opposition has to be led.

May 16, 2023       Permalink

MAY 14-15,  2023

DURHAM: You're all aware now that the Durham report has finally been released.   It is more than 600 pages long, and, obviously, even knowledgeable lawyers will take some time to absorb it all, ask the right questions, and come to the right conclusions.

Special Counsel John Durham was tasked, in general terms, with investigating the circumstances surrounding the federal government's probes into whether candidate Donald Trump, and then President Donald Trump, was involved in improper dealings with Russia, the implication being that Trump was being used by the Russian government.

Durham's basic finding was that there was no actual, factual basis for the government to investigate Trump, and that the Department of Justice and FBI "failed to uphold their mission of strict fidelity to the law" when it launched the Trump-Russia investigation.

That is a devastating finding.  In effect, Durham charges, and supports his charges with evidence, that a probe that tormented Mr. Trump for at least three years had no real basis, and that the Justice Department and its subsidiary, the FBI, were responsible for what amounted to a hoax that helped political enemies of Trump, including Hillary Clinton.

Although Durham's task did not include a probe of the press coverage, any of us can think back at the manner in which some major news organizations, starting with CNN, tormented President Trump and grabbed at any half-baked charge against him.  I don't recall any other president being treated that way by so-called journalists.  And so it was interesting today to see the way the media handled the Durham report.  Some played it reasonably straight, but it was clear that others worked hard to minimize the impact of the report and make it into a one-day story.  I'd put CNN in that category, and even the Associated Press.  ABC would have to be included.  I would add that Jake Tapper of CNN had the courage to go against his network's institutional bias and bluntly stated how significant the Durham report is.

A few cautionary notes:  Some have made much of the fact that the Durham report doesn't recommend any further prosecutions.  I personally don't care.  The standard that "it isn't against the law" is the lowest possible standard in government.  An act can be legal and yet be severely damaging to the country.  And that can include a campaign commercial or a politically slanted government action.

Second, beware of claims that "mistakes were made but all has been corrected."  Real journalists will insist on knowing whether the offending government agencies have been fixed, semi-fixed, or ignored.  I want assurance that the FBI, one of the most powerful government agencies in the world, and staffed by some of the bravest special agents, is pure in its top ranks.

May 15, 2023       Permalink

WHERE IS THE AMERICAN PRESS?  One of the things we try to do at Urgent Agenda is to bring you important stories that are underplayed, or not played at all, by the American press.  The march of China across many continents is one of them.  Consider this, from the Daily Mail: 

As headlines about the frosty relationship between China and the United States are dominated by spy balloons, Taiwan and botched attempts at diplomacy, commanders in the Pentagon are increasingly worried by a more insidious threat: Beijing's growing stronghold on Latin America.

From tens of billions of dollars in funding for key infrastructure projects across the region to its own secretive, military-run space station in Argentina that could target American satellites, China's presence has grown.

Some 21 countries in Latin America are signed up to Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative - a defining policy introduced by President Xi Jinping in 2013 that wins power and influence by funding global infrastructure projects.

Chinese state banks have loaned $136 billion to Latin American countries since 2005 with terms US officials have dubbed a 'spiraling trap'. The cash has funded everything from major energy projects to roads, sports stadiums and covid vaccines.

Meanwhile, private Chinese firms control major ports on the Panama Canal which US officials say 'could be turned quickly toward military capabilities'. They supply the majority of Mexico's telecoms equipment and mine vast amounts of crucial minerals on the continent.

And as China's influence has increased, America's has diminished.

This ongoing power shift has triggered the consternation of political and military leaders who no longer hide their frustration.

General Laura Richardson, the head of US Southern Command, told a House Armed Services Committee Hearing in March: 'The [People's Republic of China] has the capability and intent to eschew international norms, advance its brand of authoritarianism, and amass power and influence at the expense of these democracies.

'The PRC has expanded its ability to extract resources, establish port, manipulate governments through predatory investment practices, and build potential dual-use space facilities — the most space facilities in any combatant command region.'

Richardson also said previously that President Xi calls leaders across the region 'all the time' to strengthen relations - and issued a veiled criticism of Washington's attempts at diplomacy.

'We need to do the same,' she said. 'And I think we can do better in that respect.'

She has also criticized the fact many major players in the region, including Brazil, Panama and Chile, have spent years with no US ambassador in place. 

'When countries see that we don’t have our senior diplomat there, it shows that we’re not serious,' she said. That's the message that it sends, and then they don’t really do anything of substance with the United States when we don’t have our senior diplomats there.' 

In Argentina, China is even accused of broadening its interests beyond simply civilian and infrastructure projects. Some US officials fear the Espacio Lejano space station in a remote area in the western Neuquén Province could be used for military purposes.

The secretive 200-hectare facility, which opening in 2018 at a cost of $50 million, includes a powerful 16-storey antenna which reportedly played a key role in China landing a lunar rover on the dark side of the moon.

China's space program is run by the People's Liberation Army and critics claim the station could form part of China's efforts to 'militarize' space and interfere with American satellites.

Argentina's former foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, told Reuters the country has no oversight of operations at the facility.

Beijing's foreign ministry said the station is for peaceful, civilian purposes only. 'The suspicions of some individuals have ulterior motives,' it said.

Washington claimed the station was 'agreed to in secret' and 'is another example of opaque and predatory Chinese dealings that undermine the sovereignty of host nations'.

In Panama, the US has also expressed concerns about China's ownership of major ports at both the Atlantic and Pacific ends of the Panama Canal, which carries about $270 billion of cargo each year.

The US Department of Defense has made the chilling assessment that these ports could 'be turned quickly toward military capabilities'. 

COMMENT:  And in the United States, many journalists are offended when the Bidfen family is probed regarding its own financial interests in China.  I mean, what could possibly be wrong with that?

America is asleep.  It has happened before.  But the year is 2023, not 1942.  We may not have time to catch up, and even appoint ambassadors, if the confrontation with China goes critical.

Read the rest of the Daily Mail piece.  It's important.

May 15, 2023       Permalink

MAY 12-13,  2023

BIDEN GROVELS:  POLLS SHOW THAT AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE STARTING TO SHIFT AWAY FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.  NO, OUR SIDE WON'T WIN A MAJORITY, BUT A CHANGE OF JUST FIVE OR SIX POINTS IN THE "BLACK VOTE" CAN SWING A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  SO PRESIDENT BIDEN'S GROVELING COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY, A TRADITIONALLY BLACK SCHOOL, MAY BE UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT IT WAS STILL A DISGRACE.  FROM  THE NEW YORK POST: 

President Biden was slammed by critics Saturday after denouncing white supremacy as the “most dangerous terrorist threat” to the nation during a graduation address to students at Howard University

“Stand up against the poison. White supremacy … is the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland,” Biden declared to a heavy round of applause.

“And I’m not just saying this because I’m at a Black HBCU. I say this wherever I go.”

Biden said that the US is still embroiled in its long battle against racism, but said that the graduating class of 2023 would carry out the work to “redeem the soul of this nation.”

Conservative pundits quickly took to Twitter to push back against Biden’s statement, with some accusing him of pandering as a political tactic.

“The Democratic Party spent most of the 19th Century and much of the 20th using overt racism to win elections. They are doing again in the 21st century. The racism just looks a lot different than the 19th century version,” wrote Jon Miltimore, editor of the Foundation for Economic Education.

“No you’re saying it because you’re a pathological liar propped up by the media to help fuel dangerous racial division,” snapped American Greatness journalist Julie Kelly.
RNC Research’s Jake Schneider lambasted Biden as a “divider-in-chief.”

Biden also boasted that Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was “brighter” than her colleagues on the high court.

“With your voices and votes, I was able to fulfill my commitment to put the first black woman on the Supreme Court of the United States of America. And by the way, she is brighter than the rest. She is one bright woman,” he said to applause from students at the historically black university. “Because of you. You turned up. You showed up when the votes counted.”

Biden nominated Jackson to the high court in February 2022 — fulfilling a controversial promise to only consider black women for the job. Her confirmation was marred by accusations that she treated child porn and “baby sex torture” cases too leniently.
Despite being the allegedly most intelligent Supreme Court justice, Jackson was famously unable to define the word “woman” when asked by Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) during Jackson’s confirmation hearing.

“I’m not a biologist,” she protested at the time.

COMMENT:  Just awful, just awful.  You wouldn't know that a president of the United States was speaking.  He sounded more like an enemy hack trying to degrade this nation.  Biden's time has passed.  And his party is a left-wing mess. 

May 13,  2023     Permalink

HOW EXCITING, DAHLINGS.  IT IS SUCH A JOY TO REPORT ON THE TRAVELS AND DINING OF KAMALA HARRIS.  WHY, SHE MAY BE OUR NEXT PRESIDENT, AND IT'S OUR OBLIGATION TO GET TO KNOW HER.  FROM THE NEW YORK POST:

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Atlanta on Friday for a Democratic Party “spring soiree” — instead of visiting the US-Mexico border in her role as migration czar as thousands of people illegally enter America after the lifting of the Title 42 COVID-19 expulsion policy.

Harris will depart Washington around noon and appear mid-afternoon at a Democratic National Committee finance event before being the guest of honor at the Democratic Party of Georgia’s Spring Soiree.

The optics of Harris attending political events instead of tending to the border crisis drew fresh condemnation from Republicans, who have accused her of not doing enough on border issues since President Biden tapped her in March 2021 to lead US efforts to reduce illegal immigration.

“Title 42 ended last night at midnight. Since then, absolute chaos has erupted at the southern border,” tweeted Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.). “Yet Joe Biden and Border Czar Kamala Harris are nowhere to be found.”

The vice president’s office did not share with The Post any specific plans for Harris to address the border rush in the coming days — with a Homeland Security intelligence analysis reported by the New York Times saying 660,000 migrants from around the world may be waiting in Mexico to cross into the US.

A White House official, however, emailed The Post a lengthy defense of the vice president.
Harris “has been engaged and regularly briefed on preparations for the end of public health emergency measures — including Title 42 — while continuing to make progress addressing the root causes of migration from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador,” the official said.

Where is this progress?  Am I the only one who hasn't been told?

The Biden administration says illegal border crossers will be presumed ineligible for asylum and expelled after Title 42 expired at 11:59 p.m. Thursday — reflecting a tougher policy than during Biden’s first two years in office.

The administration also planned to temporarily release migrants into the US if detention capacity runs out, but that idea was blocked Thursday by a federal judge in Florida.

Two former White House officials told Reuters in March that Biden was frustrated with Harris’s performance, including her aversion to risky assignments and failure to rise “to the occasion.”

Harris took heat throughout her vice presidency for appearing reluctant to embrace her assignment to reduce illegal immigration by addressing the “root causes” in other countries.

COMMENT:  Wow, it's so good to know that she is thoroughly prepared for the presidency.  Think of "the Harris era."  Well, you'd better not think.  Why bring unwanted pain?

May 13, 2023       Permalink