powerlineblog--2020-10-18--S.F. Bay area sports teams support racial discrimination

Less controversial language is difficult to imagine in a nation or a state that hasn ’ t lost its way .
That ’ s why Proposition 16 , the left ’ s attempt to repeal California ’ s ban on discrimination , has been behind in the polls .
But the sponsors of Prop 16 have an enormous financial advantage , in excess of 10-1 , over their opponents .
In addition , they have the support of the entire state political establishment , plus the wokerati .
This includes nearly all professional sports teams in the San Francisco Bay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York now resides in the Bay area .
He tells me : An ad in Sunday ’ s East Bay Times listing supporters of the measure includes the Oakland A ’ s , SF Giants , Golden State Warriors , San Jose Sharks and San Jose Earthquakes as backers .
They are listed as supporters along with every leading Democratic pol in the state .
.
.
.Wonder how the SF 49ers have thus far failed to resist the pressure to join this bandwagon or was their absence on list of supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future , and before too long I hope , professional sports teams will be allowed to try and fill their stadiums with paying customers .
But why would any conservative — or , indeed , any American who shares Martin Luther King ’ s vision of a society that judges people on the basis of their character rather than their skin color — want to lend financial support to a sports team that favors racial discrimination ?
I can ’ t imagine ever doing so .
If you want to help defeat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributing here .

California’s constitution provides:
The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, and public contracting.
Less controversial language is difficult to imagine in a nation or a state that hasn’t lost its way. That’s why Proposition 16, the left’s attempt to repeal California’s ban on discrimination, has been behind in the polls.
But the sponsors of Prop 16 have an enormous financial advantage, in excess of 10-1, over their opponents. In addition, they have the support of the entire state political establishment, plus the wokerati.
This includes nearly all professional sports teams in the San Francisco Bay area. My conservative cousin formerly from New York now resides in the Bay area. He tells me:
An ad in Sunday’s East Bay Times listing supporters of the measure includes the Oakland A’s, SF Giants, Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks and San Jose Earthquakes as backers. They are listed as supporters along with every leading Democratic pol in the state. . . .Wonder how the SF 49ers have thus far failed to resist the pressure to join this bandwagon or was their absence on list of supporters a typo?
At some point in the future, and before too long I hope, professional sports teams will be allowed to try and fill their stadiums with paying customers. But why would any conservative — or, indeed, any American who shares Martin Luther King’s vision of a society that judges people on the basis of their character rather than their skin color — want to lend financial support to a sports team that favors racial discrimination?
I can’t imagine ever doing so.
If you want to help defeat Prop 16, you can so by contributing here.


powerlineblog--2020-10-18--Hunter Wants His Laptop Back

Hunter Wants His Laptop Back

Reporter Adam Housley has evidently been talking with John Paul Isaac , the owner of the repair shop where Hunter Biden brought three devices in 2019 , one of which is his now-infamous laptop .
According to Housley , Biden ’ s lawyer called Isaac the day before the New York Post broke its first story : The lawyer , George Mesires , followed up with an email to Isaac referring to their conversation : George Mesires is a lawyer in my old law firm , much expanded now after a couple of mergers .
It was a highly respectable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mesires ’ s bio looks legit , although it is not clear why Biden would use a bankruptcy lawyer to try to retrieve his laptop .
Mesires posted his account of Hunter ’ s dealings in Ukraine and China ( the controversial ones that have come to light as a result of the abandoned laptop ) at Medium on October 13 .
[ UPDATE : Reader Max Cossack points out that the Medium statement is dated October 13 , 2019 , something I overlooked .
In that context , it is remarkably prescient @ @

Reporter Adam Housley has evidently been talking with John Paul Isaac, the owner of the repair shop where Hunter Biden brought three devices in 2019, one of which is his now-infamous laptop. According to Housley, Biden’s lawyer called Isaac the day before the New York Post broke its first story:
Hunter Biden’s attorney called John Paul’s shop a few days back and asked for Hunter’s computers back. FYI. You don’t ask for someone else’s computers…you ask for your own. FYI — Adam Housley (@adamhousley) October 17, 2020
The lawyer, George Mesires, followed up with an email to Isaac referring to their conversation:
Here ya go….this is the email sent to John Paul by Hunter Biden's lawyer. It is in reference to returning the laptops. Also…the attorney said Hunter dropped em off in 2017. Nope..try April 2019. He didn't even know when he left em there. Redactions on this document are mine https://t.co/QszglOJV1d pic.twitter.com/VvEguJ0Cec — Adam Housley (@adamhousley) October 17, 2020
George Mesires is a lawyer in my old law firm, much expanded now after a couple of mergers. It was a highly respectable firm when I was there, and Mesires’s bio looks legit, although it is not clear why Biden would use a bankruptcy lawyer to try to retrieve his laptop. Mesires posted his account of Hunter’s dealings in Ukraine and China (the controversial ones that have come to light as a result of the abandoned laptop) at Medium on October 13. [UPDATE: Reader Max Cossack points out that the Medium statement is dated October 13, 2019, something I overlooked. In that context, it is remarkably prescient!]


powerlineblog--2020-10-18--Podcast: The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Weiss-Cracking

For this week ’ s recap of the news I settle in with some Japanese Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky while “ Lucretia ” abandons her “ whisky cougar ” ways with a bona fide Glenlivet 18 so we can celebrate Amy Coney Barrett ’ s star turn driving Democrats to embarrass themselves last week .
The hearings illustrate what ’ s wrong with the “ side of history ” liberals , as expressed in an especially lazy column from Nick Kristof in the New York Times , and a series of coordinated tweets from Democrats trying to assail constitutional originalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own invincible ignorance .
( And yes , the science is settled : Mazie Hirono is the dumbest member of the Senate . )
The main event of this episode is reviewing our pick for Article of the Week , Bari Weiss ’ s essay “ Stop Being Shocked ” in The Tablet .
It ’ s a great essay , with its bracing warning of the existential threat to Jews from the new illiberalism , but it has two problems : it get Trump wrong ( though Lucretia proposes that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its focus on the precariousness of Jews under the rising assault from the social justice left may not go far enough in forecasting the menace facing everyone .
Guess who foresaw the problem of the Jews in a decaying liberal democracy 60 years ago ?
Yup , that L– S—— guy again .
You know what to do now : listen here , or download from our hosts at Ricochet , or from you favorite podcast platform .

For this week’s recap of the news I settle in with some Japanese Nikka Coffey Grain Whisky while “Lucretia” abandons her “whisky cougar” ways with a bona fide Glenlivet 18 so we can celebrate Amy Coney Barrett’s star turn driving Democrats to embarrass themselves last week. The hearings illustrate what’s wrong with the “side of history” liberals, as expressed in an especially lazy column from Nick Kristof in the New York Times, and a series of coordinated tweets from Democrats trying to assail constitutional originalism, but mostly succeeding only in exposing their own invincible ignorance. (And yes, the science is settled: Mazie Hirono is the dumbest member of the Senate.)
The main event of this episode is reviewing our pick for Article of the Week, Bari Weiss’s essay “Stop Being Shocked” in The Tablet. It’s a great essay, with its bracing warning of the existential threat to Jews from the new illiberalism, but it has two problems: it get Trump wrong (though Lucretia proposes that this may be tactical cleverness), and its focus on the precariousness of Jews under the rising assault from the social justice left may not go far enough in forecasting the menace facing everyone. Guess who foresaw the problem of the Jews in a decaying liberal democracy 60 years ago? Yup, that L– S—— guy again.
You know what to do now: listen here, or download from our hosts at Ricochet, or from you favorite podcast platform.


powerlineblog--2020-10-18--Fear & loathing in the Biden crime family

With the all the media suppression and apologetics about the saga of Hunter Biden et al.
, Howie Carr is @ @ @ @ @ strong stuff straight in the Boston Herald column “ Fear and loathing in the Biden @ @ @ @ @ hurts when I laugh , but Howie had me laughing with this : The usual @ @ @ @ @ , NBC “ News , ” Rep. Adam Schiff — went through the tired motions @ @ @ @ @ all on , who else , the Russians .
But seriously , how many times @ @ @ @ @ , even to Wolf Blitzer ?
” Howie adds : “ Dementia Joe ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Hunter was capable of getting Pop into this kind of a jam.
” Much more @ @ @ @ @ to have made itself an honorary member of the family ( tweet below ) .

With the all the media suppression and apologetics about the saga of Hunter Biden et al., Howie Carr is on hand to deliver the strong stuff straight in the Boston Herald column “Fear and loathing in the Biden crime family.” It only hurts when I laugh, but Howie had me laughing with this:
The usual alt-left suspects — the AP, NBC “News,” Rep. Adam Schiff — went through the tired motions of trying to blame it all on, who else, the Russians. But seriously, how many times can these hacks cry wolf, even to Wolf Blitzer?”
Hey, don’t forget David Corn.
Howie adds: “Dementia Joe’s keepers have always understood that Hunter was capable of getting Pop into this kind of a jam.” Much more here.
And Twitter seems to have made itself an honorary member of the family (tweet below).


Coronavirus timeline

The Hudson Institute has produced the brief video below highlighting its Coronavirus timeline chronicling the progression of the virus from @ @ @ @ @ , and efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to suppress key facts and spread disinformation @ @ @ @ @ origins .
A year ago this past October 15 hospitals in Wuhan first began experiencing @ @ @ @ @ would later be connected to COVID-19 and mark the beginning of a pandemic that has @ @ @ @ @ lives .
Citing open-source information and news outlets , this timeline provides a clear and @ @ @ @ @ crisis in real time , enabling journalists , researchers and others to continue tracking the @ @ @ @ @ It focuses on the origins of the virus and the Chinese Communist Party ’ s @ @ @ @ @ update it as new information emerges .

The Hudson Institute has produced the brief video below highlighting its Coronavirus timeline chronicling the progression of the virus from Wuhan, its global spread, and efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to suppress key facts and spread disinformation about the virus’s origins. A year ago this past October 15 hospitals in Wuhan first began experiencing a surge in hospitalizations that would later be connected to COVID-19 and mark the beginning of a pandemic that has claimed more than a million lives.
Citing open-source information and news outlets, this timeline provides a clear and accessible record of the global crisis in real time, enabling journalists, researchers and others to continue tracking the impact of the virus. It focuses on the origins of the virus and the Chinese Communist Party’s response. Hudson promises to update it as new information emerges.


powerlineblog--2020-10-18--The Brownshirts Are Back

The Brownshirts Are Back

Some American cities , like Portland , Seattle and San Francisco , are starting to look like Germany in the @ @ @ @ @ speech rally was held in downtown San Francisco .
Those marching for free speech were @ @ @ @ @ .
Zero Hedge has collected photos and videos .
Event organizer Philip Anderson was attacked @ @ @ @ @ knocked out his front teeth .
White mob attacks black man and knocks out his @ @ @ @ @ OK , they ’ re Democrats : This Trump supporter was taken away in an @ @ @ @ @ were injured by the fascists : More at the link .
Until now , America @ @ @ @ @ fascist movement .
Antifa must be crushed , those who perpetrate violence must be jailed @ @ @ @ @ violent extremism must be exposed .
And Joe Biden and the Democratic Party must stop @ @ @ @ @ .

Some American cities, like Portland, Seattle and San Francisco, are starting to look like Germany in the 1930s. Yesterday a free speech rally was held in downtown San Francisco. Those marching for free speech were attacked by fascists from Antifa. Zero Hedge has collected photos and videos.
Event organizer Philip Anderson was attacked by the Brownshirts, who knocked out his front teeth. White mob attacks black man and knocks out his teeth? It’s OK, they’re Democrats:
Antifa formed a mob to attack a black man. You couldn’t make this up. pic.twitter.com/Zowc3LcuX7 — Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 17, 2020
This Trump supporter was taken away in an ambulance:
Three police officers were injured by the fascists:
More at the link. Until now, America has never had a serious fascist movement. Antifa must be crushed, those who perpetrate violence must be jailed, and those who finance violent extremism must be exposed. And Joe Biden and the Democratic Party must stop covering for their militant wing.


powerlineblog--2020-10-19--Joe Biden and the Jews with trembling knees

Joe Biden , like his mentor Barack Obama , seems to get off on talking tough to Israeli leaders .
In this guest post , Stephen Silbiger recalls an early instance of such behavior .
He goes on to call out American Jewish leaders for their self-interested disregard of what a Biden administration would mean for Israel and its supporters .
Stephen Silbiger was the chief legislative aide to Congressman Stephen J. Solarz of Brooklyn .
He also was the lobbyist for the American Federation of State , County and Municipal Employees ( AFSCME ) and was the Washington Representative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently is practicing law in Washington , D.C. Before the Democratic Party ’ s lurch to the Left and his elevation by Barack Obama , Joe Biden saw himself as a quasi-Dixiecrat .
In his first try for the Democratic Presidential he bragged that he had received an award from George Wallace and boasted that “ Delawareans were on the side of the South in the Civil War.
” In 1982 , as he was probably beginning to plan that campaign , Biden thought he could appeal to the perceived nativism of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid to the Jewish state .
In July of that year , he used an appearance of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin before the Senate Finance Committee to threaten to cut off aid to Israel .
After enduring Biden ’ s fist-pounding tirade , Begin responded with the eloquence that was his trademark .
Looking directly at Biden , he said : Don ’ t threaten us with cutting off aid to Israel .
It will not work .
I am not a Jew with trembling knees .
I am a proud Jew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens .
Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country .
We paid for it .
We fought for it .
We died for it .
We will stand by our principles .
We will defend them .
And , when necessary , we will die for them again , with or without your aid .
The always proper and dignified Begin then lectured Biden on his manners .
Looking directly at him he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for writing , not for fists.
” Biden ’ s behavior was so out of line that immediately afterwards , Senator Moynihan approached the Israeli Prime Minister and praised him for his cutting reply .
Unfortunately , much of the American Jewish Community is composed of Jews with trembling knees .
Although Donald Trump has been the most pro-Israel president in history and will receive a record Jewish vote , he may receive fewer votes than Joe Biden , despite the latter ’ s checkered record on Israel and his support for reinstating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It has now been established beyond any reasonable doubt that the Ayatollah ’ s nuclear program has no peaceful purpose and is designed to fulfill his stated goal of destroying the Jewish state .
And there is no doubt that a Democratic victory will encourage the most belligerent elements in the Arab world to step up their terrorism and viciously target Jews for murder .
Yet Democratic operatives who are afraid of their political futures and Jewish Wall Street financers afraid of missing out on deals are working overtime to defame Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Holocaust in responding to Biden .
Begin ’ s parents , his older brother , and numerous relatives and friends were killed by the Nazis .
Begin ’ s speeches were full of references to the Holocaust , and like many European Jews he was critical of American Jewry ’ s failure to push Roosevelt to do more to save European Jewry .
However , even Begin would have to admit that Roosevelt was better than the current crop of Democrats .
After all , Roosevelt fought Hitler and did not fund @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ayatollahs of Iran , who call for the annihilation of the State of Israel and the more than six million Jews who live there , one hundred and fifty billion dollars .
Following the receipt of the money , Iran stepped up its activities in Syria , Yemen and Iraq which have resulted in the displacement of millions of people and the death of hundreds of thousands civilian Muslims .
Iran also funded Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza , which sent , and continue to send , rockets into Israel .
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Iran , paid for the murder and maiming of Jews hit by Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets ?
Even though the current Democrat Party includes many office holders who want to boycott Israel and eliminate American support for the Jewish state , Jewish Democratic operatives and Wall Street traders are hoping that if they support Biden and go along with some criticism of Israel they can still flourish in Democrat political and financial circles .
But they may soon realize that this is not assured in today ’ s woke Democrat party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future , they should look at what happened to Elliot Engel , the about-to-be former member of Congress from New York .
Engel was a loyal Democrat Congressman from the Bronx and parts of Westchester County .
Although he fundraised aggressively among pro-Israel Jews , he trimmed his sails when he was being challenged in the primary by a Bernie Sanders “ Socialist.
” Although he was Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , he did not go to the opening of the American Embassy in Jerusalem .
He used his Chairmanship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Donald Trump .
He even spoke at a rally protesting police “ brutality.
” Despite all his kowtowing to the extreme Left , he was challenged and defeated by a Bernie Sanders Democrat in the primary .
Bernie Sanders Leftists will not be appeased .
Sanders may claim he is a democratic socialist , but he was an admirer of the Soviet Union and still supports communist countries such as Cuba .
He was so blinded by his hatred of the United States that he honeymooned in the Soviet Union in 1988 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that totalitarian country with a dysfunctional economy the year before it collapsed .
If you research Sanders ’ organization , the Democratic Socialists of America , you will find vicious , hate-filled , attacks on the United States and you will see individuals proclaiming themselves to be Communists .
That organization includes many totalitarians who seek total power the way Lenin did .
They see Biden as a vehicle to gaining that power , as Hitler saw being part of Hindenburg ’ s government as a way to total power .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followers are determined to impose on the United States , there is no room for Israel or for Jews and non-Jews who see Israel as a democratic ally and strategic asset .

Joe Biden, like his mentor Barack Obama, seems to get off on talking tough to Israeli leaders. In this guest post, Stephen Silbiger recalls an early instance of such behavior. He goes on to call out American Jewish leaders for their self-interested disregard of what a Biden administration would mean for Israel and its supporters.
Stephen Silbiger was the chief legislative aide to Congressman Stephen J. Solarz of Brooklyn. He also was the lobbyist for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and was the Washington Representative for the American Jewish Congress. He currently is practicing law in Washington, D.C.
Before the Democratic Party’s lurch to the Left and his elevation by Barack Obama, Joe Biden saw himself as a quasi-Dixiecrat. In his first try for the Democratic Presidential he bragged that he had received an award from George Wallace and boasted that “Delawareans were on the side of the South in the Civil War.”
In 1982, as he was probably beginning to plan that campaign, Biden thought he could appeal to the perceived nativism of the Dixiecrats by publicly threatening to cut off aid to the Jewish state. In July of that year, he used an appearance of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin before the Senate Finance Committee to threaten to cut off aid to Israel.
After enduring Biden’s fist-pounding tirade, Begin responded with the eloquence that was his trademark. Looking directly at Biden, he said:
Don’t threaten us with cutting off aid to Israel. It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens. Nobody came to our aid when we were striving to create our country. We paid for it. We fought for it. We died for it. We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid.
(Emphasis added)
The always proper and dignified Begin then lectured Biden on his manners. Looking directly at him he said, “This desk is designed for writing, not for fists.” Biden’s behavior was so out of line that immediately afterwards, Senator Moynihan approached the Israeli Prime Minister and praised him for his cutting reply.
Unfortunately, much of the American Jewish Community is composed of Jews with trembling knees. Although Donald Trump has been the most pro-Israel president in history and will receive a record Jewish vote, he may receive fewer votes than Joe Biden, despite the latter’s checkered record on Israel and his support for reinstating Obama’s deal with Iran.
It has now been established beyond any reasonable doubt that the Ayatollah’s nuclear program has no peaceful purpose and is designed to fulfill his stated goal of destroying the Jewish state. And there is no doubt that a Democratic victory will encourage the most belligerent elements in the Arab world to step up their terrorism and viciously target Jews for murder. Yet Democratic operatives who are afraid of their political futures and Jewish Wall Street financers afraid of missing out on deals are working overtime to defame Trump.
It was not surprising that Begin invoked the Holocaust in responding to Biden. Begin’s parents, his older brother, and numerous relatives and friends were killed by the Nazis. Begin’s speeches were full of references to the Holocaust, and like many European Jews he was critical of American Jewry’s failure to push Roosevelt to do more to save European Jewry.
However, even Begin would have to admit that Roosevelt was better than the current crop of Democrats. After all, Roosevelt fought Hitler and did not fund him.
The Obama-Biden administration gave the Ayatollahs of Iran, who call for the annihilation of the State of Israel and the more than six million Jews who live there, one hundred and fifty billion dollars. Following the receipt of the money, Iran stepped up its activities in Syria, Yemen and Iraq which have resulted in the displacement of millions of people and the death of hundreds of thousands civilian Muslims. Iran also funded Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, which sent, and continue to send, rockets into Israel. Is there any doubt that American money sent to Iran, paid for the murder and maiming of Jews hit by Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets?
Even though the current Democrat Party includes many office holders who want to boycott Israel and eliminate American support for the Jewish state, Jewish Democratic operatives and Wall Street traders are hoping that if they support Biden and go along with some criticism of Israel they can still flourish in Democrat political and financial circles. But they may soon realize that this is not assured in today’s woke Democrat party.
If they want to see their future, they should look at what happened to Elliot Engel, the about-to-be former member of Congress from New York. Engel was a loyal Democrat Congressman from the Bronx and parts of Westchester County. Although he fundraised aggressively among pro-Israel Jews, he trimmed his sails when he was being challenged in the primary by a Bernie Sanders “Socialist.”
Although he was Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he did not go to the opening of the American Embassy in Jerusalem. He used his Chairmanship to actively and vociferously support the impeachment of Donald Trump. He even spoke at a rally protesting police “brutality.”
Despite all his kowtowing to the extreme Left, he was challenged and defeated by a Bernie Sanders Democrat in the primary.
Bernie Sanders Leftists will not be appeased. Sanders may claim he is a democratic socialist, but he was an admirer of the Soviet Union and still supports communist countries such as Cuba. He was so blinded by his hatred of the United States that he honeymooned in the Soviet Union in 1988. He came back singing the praises of that totalitarian country with a dysfunctional economy the year before it collapsed.
If you research Sanders’ organization, the Democratic Socialists of America, you will find vicious, hate-filled, attacks on the United States and you will see individuals proclaiming themselves to be Communists. That organization includes many totalitarians who seek total power the way Lenin did. They see Biden as a vehicle to gaining that power, as Hitler saw being part of Hindenburg’s government as a way to total power.
In the totalitarian world that Sanders and his followers are determined to impose on the United States, there is no room for Israel or for Jews and non-Jews who see Israel as a democratic ally and strategic asset.


powerlineblog--2020-10-19--Is the “Zoom Dick Incident” Peak 2020? (Updated)

If you thought 2020 couldn ’ t get any more weird , behold a headline so awesome that even the New York Post couldn ’ t have made it up : Of course , this story ( and headline ) understates it , as it merely confirms what every sentient being has long known about Toobin .
Zooming in was hardly necessary .
Though , eew .
( Maybe he was just pining to be cast in the remake of Blazing Saddles .
See below .
* ) UPDATE : Additional reporting claims that Toobin was participating in a live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mis-heard one or both of the terms .
Could happen to anyone .
Meanwhile , Slow Joe Biden revealed his ignorance for the millionth time with his suggestion that police try to shoot people in the leg in potentially violent situation , which assures that more stray bullets will put innocent bystanders at risk .
But then what do you expect from a balladier of his advanced expertise : JOHN adds : Sometimes Steve is too subtle .
On the off chance you haven ’ t already read about it , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one encounter with Toobin , some years ago , but it was enough to convince me that he is a bad guy .
Mollie Hemingway reminds us :

If you thought 2020 couldn’t get any more weird, behold a headline so awesome that even the New York Post couldn’t have made it up:
Of course, this story (and headline) understates it, as it merely confirms what every sentient being has long known about Toobin. Zooming in was hardly necessary. Though, eew. (Maybe he was just pining to be cast in the remake of Blazing Saddles. See below.*)
UPDATE: Additional reporting claims that Toobin was participating in a live “election simulation.” He must have mis-heard one or both of the terms. Could happen to anyone.
Meanwhile, Slow Joe Biden revealed his ignorance for the millionth time with his suggestion that police try to shoot people in the leg in potentially violent situation, which assures that more stray bullets will put innocent bystanders at risk. But then what do you expect from a balladier of his advanced expertise:
* Toobin’s inspiration?
JOHN adds: Sometimes Steve is too subtle. On the off chance you haven’t already read about it, this is what happened:
This is not the kind of editor's note you want to see in a story about yourself: "This piece has been updated with more detail about the call and the headline has been updated to reflect that Toobin was masturbating." https://t.co/iWJ6Llzb6a — Grace Panetta (@grace_panetta) October 19, 2020
I have had only one encounter with Toobin, some years ago, but it was enough to convince me that he is a bad guy. Mollie Hemingway reminds us:


Weimar America?

For those of you who haven ’ t listened to our latest “ Three Whisky Happy Hour ” podcast where “ Lucretia ” and I ponder Bari Weiss ’ s Tablet article “ Stop Being Shocked , ” we summarized and extended her case that the post-liberal progressivism now clearly ascendant in the Democratic Party represents an existential threat not just to Jews , but eventually to everyone who dissents from woke-progressive-social justice orthodoxy .
This in turn sent me back to Leo Strauss ’ s famous “ autobiographical preface ” to a new edition of his early book Spinoza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he explains in profound detail the dilemma of Jews in a liberal democracy , specifically Weimar Germany where the problems were evident even before Hitler came to power .
And recalling Allan Bloom ’ s famous comment that modern America was becoming “ a Disneyland version of the Weimar Republic , ” I read this passage from Strauss in a new light : If the polls are right , we ’ re about to elect our equivalent of Field Marshall von Hindenburg , in the form of a 78-year-old with obviously failing mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown him always unable to resist the blandishments of the left .
Biden is , at best , a transitional figure to the complete wokification of the Democratic Party , and the further extension of the administrative state that is its preferred instrument of rule .
If you think I exaggerate , check out this Tweet from former Labor Secretary and major leftist celebrity : Just think of it as the Fourth Reich .
Which bring me to Thomas Klingenstein ’ s recent speech , recommended last week by Rush Limbaugh among others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election in a larger context than the usual transient bread and butter issues of the economy and such .
A bit of background : Klingenstein told me that a year ago , when the NY Times first came out with its 1619 Project , he visited a number of Republican officer holders in Congress , and brought up the 1619 Project .
None of them had heard of it .
It ’ s one thing for Republicans to regard the NY Times with contempt and to ignore it most of the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this kind of studied ignorance of something as significant as the 1619 Project , which is of a piece with the broader revolutionary aims of Black Lives Matter .
Hence the feebleness of Republican resistance to the leftist tsunami of 2020 .
The multicultural movement , which has taken over the Democratic party , is a revolutionary movement .
I do not mean a metaphorical revolution .
It is not like a revolution ; it is a revolution , an attempt to overthrow the American Founding as President Trump said in his excellent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the same thing .
Republicans everywhere , at every level and at every opportunity .
.
.
This suggests one way to frame the coming election : as a contest between a man , Trump , who believes America is good and a man , Biden , who is controlled by a movement that believes America is bad .
I do not think it is any more complicated than that .
His diagnosis is hardly unique .
If you missed the September issue of Commentary , Abe Greenwald had a fine piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Revolution.
” The battle for the survival of the United States of America is upon us .
It has not come in the form of traditional civil war .
There are no uniformed armies , competing flags , or alternate constitutions .
The great showdown is not being fought within the physical limits of a battlefield .
It is instead happening all around us and directly to us .
It defines our culture , sustains our media , and gives new shape to our public and private institutions .
In this fight , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once known as the culture war and politics rightly understood .
The confrontation stretches through time and space , reframing our distant past even as it transforms the horizon , erupting from coast to coast , and constraining our lives in subtle and obvious ways .
And it ’ s happening too fast for us to take its full measure .
.
.
We know it ’ s different this time because the stakes are continually articulated by the enemies of the current order .
They are demanding , and in some cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The police are indeed being defunded .
The statues are coming down .
The heretics are being outed .
The dissenters are being silenced .
The buildings are burning , and the demands are ever growing .
Amidst this new scene , there is something perverse about complaining that President Trump is “ shredding ” our democratic norms .
I must have missed where he pulled down statues of Washington , Jefferson , Lincoln , Frederick Douglass , and Teddy Roosevelt , let alone prescribing wholesale changes to the Constitution ( abolishing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settled political practices ( size of the Supreme Court , new states admitted purely on a partisan basis , etc ) .
To complain that Trump is “ rude , ” and vote primarily because of that , is an extravagance that could cost us our country .

For those of you who haven’t listened to our latest “Three Whisky Happy Hour” podcast where “Lucretia” and I ponder Bari Weiss’s Tablet article “Stop Being Shocked,” we summarized and extended her case that the post-liberal progressivism now clearly ascendant in the Democratic Party represents an existential threat not just to Jews, but eventually to everyone who dissents from woke-progressive-social justice orthodoxy.
This in turn sent me back to Leo Strauss’s famous “autobiographical preface” to a new edition of his early book Spinoza’s Critique of Religion, where he explains in profound detail the dilemma of Jews in a liberal democracy, specifically Weimar Germany where the problems were evident even before Hitler came to power. And recalling Allan Bloom’s famous comment that modern America was becoming “a Disneyland version of the Weimar Republic,” I read this passage from Strauss in a new light:
The election of Field Marshall von Hindenburg to the presidency of the German Reich in 1925 showed everyone who had eyes to see that the Weimar Republic had only a short time to live.
If the polls are right, we’re about to elect our equivalent of Field Marshall von Hindenburg, in the form of a 78-year-old with obviously failing mental capacity whose career in any case has shown him always unable to resist the blandishments of the left. Biden is, at best, a transitional figure to the complete wokification of the Democratic Party, and the further extension of the administrative state that is its preferred instrument of rule.
If you think I exaggerate, check out this Tweet from former Labor Secretary and major leftist celebrity:
Just think of it as the Fourth Reich.
Which bring me to Thomas Klingenstein’s recent speech, recommended last week by Rush Limbaugh among others, which presents the stakes of this election in a larger context than the usual transient bread and butter issues of the economy and such. A bit of background: Klingenstein told me that a year ago, when the NY Times first came out with its 1619 Project, he visited a number of Republican officer holders in Congress, and brought up the 1619 Project. None of them had heard of it. It’s one thing for Republicans to regard the NY Times with contempt and to ignore it most of the time, but it is political malpractice to maintain this kind of studied ignorance of something as significant as the 1619 Project, which is of a piece with the broader revolutionary aims of Black Lives Matter. Hence the feebleness of Republican resistance to the leftist tsunami of 2020.
Here’s the key section of Tom’s message:
The multicultural movement, which has taken over the Democratic party, is a revolutionary movement. I do not mean a metaphorical revolution. It is not like a revolution; it is a revolution, an attempt to overthrow the American Founding as President Trump said in his excellent Mt. Rushmore speech. Republicans should say the same thing. Republicans everywhere, at every level and at every opportunity. . . This suggests one way to frame the coming election: as a contest between a man, Trump, who believes America is good and a man, Biden, who is controlled by a movement that believes America is bad. I do not think it is any more complicated than that.
His diagnosis is hardly unique. If you missed the September issue of Commentary, Abe Greenwald had a fine piece entitled “Yes, This Is a Revolution.”
The battle for the survival of the United States of America is upon us. It has not come in the form of traditional civil war. There are no uniformed armies, competing flags, or alternate constitutions. The great showdown is not being fought within the physical limits of a battlefield. It is instead happening all around us and directly to us. It defines our culture, sustains our media, and gives new shape to our public and private institutions. In this fight, there is no distinction between what was once known as the culture war and politics rightly understood. The confrontation stretches through time and space, reframing our distant past even as it transforms the horizon, erupting from coast to coast, and constraining our lives in subtle and obvious ways. And it’s happening too fast for us to take its full measure. . . We know it’s different this time because the stakes are continually articulated by the enemies of the current order. They are demanding, and in some cases getting, a new and exotic country. The police are indeed being defunded. The statues are coming down. The heretics are being outed. The dissenters are being silenced. The buildings are burning, and the demands are ever growing.
Amidst this new scene, there is something perverse about complaining that President Trump is “shredding” our democratic norms. I must have missed where he pulled down statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Teddy Roosevelt, let alone prescribing wholesale changes to the Constitution (abolishing the electoral college) and changes to settled political practices (size of the Supreme Court, new states admitted purely on a partisan basis, etc). To complain that Trump is “rude,” and vote primarily because of that, is an extravagance that could cost us our country.


powerlineblog--2020-10-19--When “science” follows the left

When “science” follows the left

Vaping is an alternative to smoking .
It ’ s a way in which nicotine addicts can access that drug without exposure to the harmful tars and chemicals in cigarettes that cause cancer , heart disease , and other maladies .
It therefore presents the possibility of saving millions of lives .
However , much of the left hates vaping .
So it ’ s not surprising that “ science ” has been marshaled against it .
Last year , the Journal of the American Heart Association published a study finding that vaping posed as great a heart risk as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that study fueled public policies that stifled the industry , damaging or destroying many small businesses and denying smokers the leading alternative to cigarettes .
But now , the study in question has been been retracted .
The editors are “ concerned that the study conclusion is unreliable ” due to what appears to have been an uncompleted peer review process .
The retraction states : During peer review , the reviewers identified the important question of whether the myocardial infarctions occurred before or after the respondents initiated e‐cigarette use , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the PATH codebook ( age of first MI and age of first e‐cigarettes use ) to address this concern .
While the authors did provide some additional analysis , the reviewers and editors did not confirm that the authors had both understood and complied with the request prior to acceptance of the article for publication .
Yet , the study was published anyway .
Anyone can make a mistake .
However , publishing an article even though the questions of reviewers have not been addressed seems like more than just a mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” always seem to cut in favor of the left ’ s agenda .
Coincidence ?
Probably not .
Smith points out : .
.
.
[ S ] cience journals have grown increasingly ideological .
Nature has endorsed Joe Biden for president and promised to publish more political science — which isn ’ t “ science ” at all .
The New England Journal of Medicine should change its name to the New Ideology Journal of Medicine .
Science has endorsed “ nature rights.
” The list goes on and on .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonder whether establishment science follows the data wherever it leads or , instead , is often influenced by political and social agendas .
And once you wonder about that , you really shouldn ’ t blindly “ follow the science ” — or at least “ science ” produced after the left ’ s march through our institutions reached reached the scientific establishment .

Vaping is an alternative to smoking. It’s a way in which nicotine addicts can access that drug without exposure to the harmful tars and chemicals in cigarettes that cause cancer, heart disease, and other maladies. It therefore presents the possibility of saving millions of lives.
However, much of the left hates vaping. So it’s not surprising that “science” has been marshaled against it.
Last year, the Journal of the American Heart Association published a study finding that vaping posed as great a heart risk as smoking does. According to Wesley Smith, that study fueled public policies that stifled the industry, damaging or destroying many small businesses and denying smokers the leading alternative to cigarettes.
But now, the study in question has been been retracted. The editors are “concerned that the study conclusion is unreliable” due to what appears to have been an uncompleted peer review process. The retraction states:
During peer review, the reviewers identified the important question of whether the myocardial infarctions occurred before or after the respondents initiated e‐cigarette use, and requested that the authors use additional data in the PATH codebook (age of first MI and age of first e‐cigarettes use) to address this concern. While the authors did provide some additional analysis, the reviewers and editors did not confirm that the authors had both understood and complied with the request prior to acceptance of the article for publication.
Yet, the study was published anyway.
Anyone can make a mistake. However, publishing an article even though the questions of reviewers have not been addressed seems like more than just a mistake.
And these kinds of “mistakes” always seem to cut in favor of the left’s agenda. Coincidence? Probably not. Smith points out:
. . .[S]cience journals have grown increasingly ideological. Nature has endorsed Joe Biden for president and promised to publish more political science — which isn’t “science” at all. The New England Journal of Medicine should change its name to the New Ideology Journal of Medicine. Science has endorsed “nature rights.” The list goes on and on.
It’s enough to make you wonder whether establishment science follows the data wherever it leads or, instead, is often influenced by political and social agendas. And once you wonder about that, you really shouldn’t blindly “follow the science” — or at least “science” produced after the left’s march through our institutions reached reached the scientific establishment.


powerlineblog--2020-10-19--Speaking of disinformation, cont’d

Speaking of disinformation, cont’d

“ Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.
” Winston Churchill “ Proclaim Liberty throughout @ @ @ @ @ the Inhabitants Thereof.
” Inscription on the Liberty Bell

“Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.” Winston Churchill
“Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.” Inscription on the Liberty Bell


Hunter Biden’s laptop

Andy McCarthy trains his trial lawyer ’ s eye on the evidentiary quality of the Hunter Biden laptop and its contents .
He concludes : McCarthy ’ s case for this conclusion begins , where it would in court , with the items of evidence themselves .
As far as we can tell , nothing on their face suggests they are anything other than what those putting them it forth say they are .
Compare this , say , with the documents that CBS presented to the public in 2004 that purported to show George W. Bush shirked his military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly became apparent that the documents weren ’ t written when Bush was in the National Guard , as CBS claimed .
They weren ’ t formatted the way such documents were and , in fact , the technology of that day couldn ’ t produce documents that looked like the ones CBS vouched for .
Here , by contrast , we have thousands of Biden photographs and videos that plainly appear to be real .
Moreover , as McCarthy says , “ the emails make contextual sense , and they fit what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business activity ( about which a great deal of investigative journalism has been done , most effectively by Peter Schweizer ) .
And according to Fox News , one unidentified participant in an email about Hunter ’ s Chinese business dealings has acknowledged the email ’ s authenticity .
Then , there ’ s the fact that neither Hunter Biden nor the Biden campaign has claimed the materials are fabricated .
In the case of CBS ’ s hit job on George W. Bush , the president and his campaign weren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authenticity of the memos because they purportedly were written by others .
However , the Bidens know whether the materials belong to Hunter Biden .
Their failure to deny that they do is telling .
In addition , the FBI and the Delaware U.S. attorney ’ s office have issued a grand jury subpoena for the laptop .
It ’ s not likely they would have done this if they had any good reason to believe the documents are fabricated .
What evidence or indications suggest that the materials are inauthentic ?
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the idea that Hunter Biden dropped the laptop off at a repair store and never picked it up .
But Hunter Biden has admitted to drug abuse and has a record of erratic behavior .
Thus , it ’ s plausible that he would behave that oddly .
Beyond this , I ’ m not aware of evidence that the materials are inauthentic .
What I ’ m aware of are rote assertions that they are “ Russian disinformation ” and “ hacked materials.
” This amounts , in essence , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that the president ’ s private lawyer , Rudy Giuliani .
.
.was dealing with people suspected of Kremlin ties when he investigated the Bidens ’ business and political activities in Ukraine .
Even if that ’ s true — and we don ’ t know that it is — what that has to do with a laptop apparently left by Hunter Biden in a Delaware repair shop is not obvious .
.
.
.
[ T ] he Clinton campaign , the Obama administration , U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for dead certain that the Steele dossier was Clinton campaign-sponsored political opposition research , sourced to Russians — a key one of whom , we now know , was suspected by the FBI of being a Kremlin asset .
Far from the information being dismissed out of hand , we were taken by the media-Democratic complex on a four-year “ collusion ” ride .
What about allegations of “ hacking ?
” I ’ m not aware of credible evidence that the hacking consists of someone somehow manufacturing the documents and causing them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the kind of hacking desperate people ( e.g .
Steve Scully ) cite to explain away incriminating material on Twitter — the adult equivalent of “ the dog ate my homework.
” It ’ s conceivable that the items in question in Hunter Biden ’ s case might have been hacked in the way DNC emails were hacked during the 2016 campaign , though I don ’ t think there ’ s any evidence of this here .
But even if this occurred , it wouldn ’ t go to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethics of the hackers .
As McCarthy puts it , “ Hacking is a bad thing , but there ’ s nothing about it that makes the stolen information suspect .
It ’ s bad for the opposite reason.
” At some point , evidence may emerge that casts doubt on the authenticity of the laptop and/or the materials it contains .
But as of now , that hasn ’ t happened .
Thus , there ’ s no reason at this point to doubt their authenticity .

Andy McCarthy trains his trial lawyer’s eye on the evidentiary quality of the Hunter Biden laptop and its contents. He concludes:
At the moment, the known evidence overwhelmingly tends to establish that the laptop is exactly what it is represented to be: the repository of Hunter Biden’s authentic emails, documents, photos and videos. The claims that it may be Russian disinformation, or should be dismissed because of “hacking,” are frivolous.
McCarthy’s case for this conclusion begins, where it would in court, with the items of evidence themselves. As far as we can tell, nothing on their face suggests they are anything other than what those putting them it forth say they are.
Compare this, say, with the documents that CBS presented to the public in 2004 that purported to show George W. Bush shirked his military service. In that case, it quickly became apparent that the documents weren’t written when Bush was in the National Guard, as CBS claimed. They weren’t formatted the way such documents were and, in fact, the technology of that day couldn’t produce documents that looked like the ones CBS vouched for.
Here, by contrast, we have thousands of Biden photographs and videos that plainly appear to be real. Moreover, as McCarthy says, “the emails make contextual sense, and they fit what is known about Hunter Biden’s business activity (about which a great deal of investigative journalism has been done, most effectively by Peter Schweizer). And according to Fox News, one unidentified participant in an email about Hunter’s Chinese business dealings has acknowledged the email’s authenticity.
Then, there’s the fact that neither Hunter Biden nor the Biden campaign has claimed the materials are fabricated. In the case of CBS’s hit job on George W. Bush, the president and his campaign weren’t in a position immediately to deny the authenticity of the memos because they purportedly were written by others. However, the Bidens know whether the materials belong to Hunter Biden. Their failure to deny that they do is telling.
In addition, the FBI and the Delaware U.S. attorney’s office have issued a grand jury subpoena for the laptop. It’s not likely they would have done this if they had any good reason to believe the documents are fabricated.
What evidence or indications suggest that the materials are inauthentic? There’s the oddity of their provenance — the idea that Hunter Biden dropped the laptop off at a repair store and never picked it up. But Hunter Biden has admitted to drug abuse and has a record of erratic behavior. Thus, it’s plausible that he would behave that oddly.
Beyond this, I’m not aware of evidence that the materials are inauthentic. What I’m aware of are rote assertions that they are “Russian disinformation” and “hacked materials.” This amounts, in essence, to name-calling, not evidence.
As McCarthy explains:
It is said that the president’s private lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. . .was dealing with people suspected of Kremlin ties when he investigated the Bidens’ business and political activities in Ukraine. Even if that’s true — and we don’t know that it is — what that has to do with a laptop apparently left by Hunter Biden in a Delaware repair shop is not obvious. . . . [T]he Clinton campaign, the Obama administration, U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, congressional Democrats and the legacy press knew for dead certain that the Steele dossier was Clinton campaign-sponsored political opposition research, sourced to Russians — a key one of whom, we now know, was suspected by the FBI of being a Kremlin asset. Far from the information being dismissed out of hand, we were taken by the media-Democratic complex on a four-year “collusion” ride.
What about allegations of “hacking?” I’m not aware of credible evidence that the hacking consists of someone somehow manufacturing the documents and causing them to appear on the laptop. That’s the kind of hacking desperate people (e.g. Steve Scully) cite to explain away incriminating material on Twitter — the adult equivalent of “the dog ate my homework.”
It’s conceivable that the items in question in Hunter Biden’s case might have been hacked in the way DNC emails were hacked during the 2016 campaign, though I don’t think there’s any evidence of this here. But even if this occurred, it wouldn’t go to the authenticity of the items — only the ethics of the hackers. As McCarthy puts it, “Hacking is a bad thing, but there’s nothing about it that makes the stolen information suspect. It’s bad for the opposite reason.”
At some point, evidence may emerge that casts doubt on the authenticity of the laptop and/or the materials it contains. But as of now, that hasn’t happened. Thus, there’s no reason at this point to doubt their authenticity.


powerlineblog--2020-10-20--Will Voter Fraud Swing the Election?

Will Voter Fraud Swing the Election?

As in 2016 , polling is tightening as we near Election Day and voters begin to take seriously the prospect of a Joe Biden presidency and an anti-American Senate .
I am reasonably optimistic that President Trump may be re-elected , but a cloud hangs over this year ’ s election–the cloud of voter fraud .
In many states , millions of ballot applications have been mailed to people on outdated registered voter lists .
Millions of those applications will result in ballots being returned , but how many of them are actually mailed in by legitimate voters is unknown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ routine .
Ballot harvesters dump hundreds of filled-out ballots into mail boxes .
Who filled them out ?
Who knows ?
Moreover , in urban areas across the country , Democratic Party dominance has led to a monopoly , or virtual monopoly , of Democrats among those who will count the ballots and resolve disputes .
So the risk that 2020 ’ s election will be decided by voter fraud is real .
If you want to learn more about this critical issue , and what conservatives can still do to preserve an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a program on election integrity that Center of the American Experiment , which I run , will present on Thursday .
The event will feature an all-star panel of election integrity experts who will discuss the threat of voter fraud–how extensive it is , and what can be done about it .
They include : * Eric Eggers , author of Fraud : How the Left Plans to Steal the Next Election , published in 2018 .
* Andy Cilek , President of the Minnesota Voters ’ Alliance , the organization that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Minnesota for the last decade , and which not long ago won a case in the U.S. Supreme Court .
* Matthew Tyrmand , Director of Project Veritas , who oversaw PV ’ s undercover investigation of voter fraud in Minneapolis .
* Mary Kiffmeyer , former Secretary of State of Minnesota and current state Senator .
I will moderate the discussion , and we will take questions from the audience .
The event will be focused in part on Minnesota , but both Eric Eggers and Matthew Tyrmand bring a national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the most comprehensive and well-informed discussion of election integrity that you can see anywhere in 2020 .
If you can attend in person , doors will open at 5:00 and the program will take place from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday , October 22 .
It will be at International Market Square , west of downtown Minneapolis .
Extensive security will be provided , and full COVID precautions will be taken .
You can register for the event , which costs just $ 15 , here .
The event will also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can watch it no matter where you live .
This is the link .
Just go there shortly before 6 p.m. Central time on Thursday .
And the video will be archived thereafter , so you can watch it at your convenience .
The program will focus not only on what liberals have done to corrupt our electoral process , but also on what we conservatives can do , in the short time remaining , to reclaim democracy and frustrate attempts at voter fraud .
I hope you will join us .

As in 2016, polling is tightening as we near Election Day and voters begin to take seriously the prospect of a Joe Biden presidency and an anti-American Senate. I am reasonably optimistic that President Trump may be re-elected, but a cloud hangs over this year’s election–the cloud of voter fraud.
In many states, millions of ballot applications have been mailed to people on outdated registered voter lists. Millions of those applications will result in ballots being returned, but how many of them are actually mailed in by legitimate voters is unknown. Meanwhile, ballot harvesting has become routine. Ballot harvesters dump hundreds of filled-out ballots into mail boxes. Who filled them out? Who knows? Moreover, in urban areas across the country, Democratic Party dominance has led to a monopoly, or virtual monopoly, of Democrats among those who will count the ballots and resolve disputes.
So the risk that 2020’s election will be decided by voter fraud is real. If you want to learn more about this critical issue, and what conservatives can still do to preserve an honest election, you should tune in to a program on election integrity that Center of the American Experiment, which I run, will present on Thursday. The event will feature an all-star panel of election integrity experts who will discuss the threat of voter fraud–how extensive it is, and what can be done about it. They include:
* Eric Eggers, author of Fraud: How the Left Plans to Steal the Next Election, published in 2018.
* Andy Cilek, President of the Minnesota Voters’ Alliance, the organization that has exposed and fought against election insecurity in Minnesota for the last decade, and which not long ago won a case in the U.S. Supreme Court.
* Matthew Tyrmand, Director of Project Veritas, who oversaw PV’s undercover investigation of voter fraud in Minneapolis.
* Mary Kiffmeyer, former Secretary of State of Minnesota and current state Senator.
I will moderate the discussion, and we will take questions from the audience. The event will be focused in part on Minnesota, but both Eric Eggers and Matthew Tyrmand bring a national perspective. I hope that this will be the most comprehensive and well-informed discussion of election integrity that you can see anywhere in 2020.
If you can attend in person, doors will open at 5:00 and the program will take place from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 22. It will be at International Market Square, west of downtown Minneapolis. Extensive security will be provided, and full COVID precautions will be taken. You can register for the event, which costs just $15, here.
The event will also be livestreamed on Zoom, so you can watch it no matter where you live. This is the link. Just go there shortly before 6 p.m. Central time on Thursday. And the video will be archived thereafter, so you can watch it at your convenience.
The program will focus not only on what liberals have done to corrupt our electoral process, but also on what we conservatives can do, in the short time remaining, to reclaim democracy and frustrate attempts at voter fraud. I hope you will join us.


powerlineblog--2020-10-19--Amy Barrett Adopts a Troubled Youth

Amy Barrett Adopts a Troubled Youth

There is a serious point here .
Amy Barrett and Hunter ( Joe ) Biden represent , respectively , the @ @ @ @ @ America .
Yet the Democratic Party abhors the one and tolerates the other .
By @ @ @ @ @ it is worth , I understand that the New York Post is going to release @ @ @ @ @ s laptop that will stir more controversy .
If you think that Jeffrey Epstein-type behavior @ @ @

America’s newspaper of record unites two current stories:
Heartwarming: Amy Coney Barrett Just Adopted A Local Troubled Youngster Named Hunter https://t.co/PCM6qQoHyx — The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) October 19, 2020
There is a serious point here. Amy Barrett and Hunter (Joe) Biden represent, respectively, the best and the worst of America. Yet the Democratic Party abhors the one and tolerates the other.
By the way, for what it is worth, I understand that the New York Post is going to release photos from Hunter Biden’s laptop that will stir more controversy. If you think that Jeffrey Epstein-type behavior is controversial.


powerlineblog--2020-10-21--The Next Biden Shoe May Be About to Drop

What else was on Hunter Biden ’ s laptop ?
We are nearing the next chapter in a story that @ @ @ @ @ to playing itself out .
My source tells me that we are talking here about @ @ @ @ @ will see whether that turns out to be true .
One way or another , @ @ @ @ @ plumb the depths of the Biden family ’ s corruption .

What else was on Hunter Biden’s laptop? We are nearing the next chapter in a story that hasn’t come close to playing itself out.
BREAKING: @RudyGiuliani announces he has turned over Hunter Biden hard drive to Delaware State Police due to pictures of underage girls and inappropriate text messages — Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 20, 2020
My source tells me that we are talking here about underage Chinese girls. We will see whether that turns out to be true. One way or another, we have barely begun to plumb the depths of the Biden family’s corruption.


powerlineblog--2020-10-21--Republicans Closing the Gap?

Republicans Closing the Gap?

Party affiliation , as reflected in polls , is weirdly volatile .
While experience suggests that most people change their party affiliation only rarely if at all , what respondents tell pollsters tends to bounce around .
Currently , Gallup finds that slightly more Americans identify as Republicans than Democrats .
Click to enlarge : At the link , you can see the numbers going back to 2004 .
For what it is worth , in October 2016 the Democrats held a five-point lead .
On the negative side , when independents were asked which way they lean , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Still , the recent shift toward Republican identification is interesting .
Maybe some voters , when they focus more closely on what Democrats are doing , don ’ t like what they see .
Maybe the Democrats ’ violent wing , Antifa and BLM , has tarred the party .
As I understand how conventional polling works , pollsters weight their raw findings to achieve demographic and political balance .
Thus , if they happen to oversample men , they will adjust the numbers to reflect the gender breakdown of the electorate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ raw numbers to reflect their assumptions about the breakdown among Republicans , Democrats and independents among likely voters .
I may be wrong about this , but my understanding is that an incorrect assumption about party identification will throw off poll numbers as reported .
Those who understand this better than I do can contribute in the comments .
In any event , it is extraordinary that , despite non-stop propaganda from the press , academia and Hollywood , at least as many Americans currently consider themselves Republicans as Democrats .

Party affiliation, as reflected in polls, is weirdly volatile. While experience suggests that most people change their party affiliation only rarely if at all, what respondents tell pollsters tends to bounce around. Currently, Gallup finds that slightly more Americans identify as Republicans than Democrats. Click to enlarge:
At the link, you can see the numbers going back to 2004. For what it is worth, in October 2016 the Democrats held a five-point lead. On the negative side, when independents were asked which way they lean, they said Democrat by a three-point margin.
Still, the recent shift toward Republican identification is interesting. Maybe some voters, when they focus more closely on what Democrats are doing, don’t like what they see. Maybe the Democrats’ violent wing, Antifa and BLM, has tarred the party.
As I understand how conventional polling works, pollsters weight their raw findings to achieve demographic and political balance. Thus, if they happen to oversample men, they will adjust the numbers to reflect the gender breakdown of the electorate. Similarly, I believe they adjust the raw numbers to reflect their assumptions about the breakdown among Republicans, Democrats and independents among likely voters. I may be wrong about this, but my understanding is that an incorrect assumption about party identification will throw off poll numbers as reported. Those who understand this better than I do can contribute in the comments.
In any event, it is extraordinary that, despite non-stop propaganda from the press, academia and Hollywood, at least as many Americans currently consider themselves Republicans as Democrats.


powerlineblog--2020-10-20--Georgetown hires disgraced Peter Strzok

Georgetown hires disgraced Peter Strzok

Georgetown University has hired former FBI agent Peter Strzok as an adjunct professor .
He is now listed on the university ’ s staff page .
Apparently , Strzok is teaching a course on counterintelligence and national security .
Strzok lacks a PhD .
However , he knows something about counterintelligence .
Strzok was an important member of a crew that used false intelligence in an attempt to undermine President Trump .
And he succeeded in bringing down the president ’ s national security adviser , Michael Flynn .
But this doesn ’ t mean he should be teaching at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the FBI based on findings by an inspector general selected by President Obama .
The Justice Department ’ s letter to Strzok announcing his discharge states , in part : Your excessive , repeated , and politically charged text messages while you were assigned as the lead case agent on the FBI ’ s two biggest and most politically sensitive investigations in decades , demonstrated a gross lack of professionalism and exceptionally poor judgement .
Your misconduct has cast a pall over the FBI ’ s Clinton Email and Russia investigations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Mueller ( remember him ? )
must have agreed .
He kicked Strzok off of his investigative team .
Indeed , Aaron Blake , one of the Washington Post ’ s stable of Trump haters , says nobody ( other than Trump ) caused more damage to the Mueller investigation than Strzok did .
The message from Georgetown is clear .
Strzok is too sleazy to work for the FBI or for Robert Mueller , but not to teach at Georgetown University .

Georgetown University has hired former FBI agent Peter Strzok as an adjunct professor. He is now listed on the university’s staff page. Apparently, Strzok is teaching a course on counterintelligence and national security.
Strzok lacks a PhD. However, he knows something about counterintelligence. Strzok was an important member of a crew that used false intelligence in an attempt to undermine President Trump. And he succeeded in bringing down the president’s national security adviser, Michael Flynn.
In a sick way, that’s impressive work.
But this doesn’t mean he should be teaching at a respectable university. Strzok was fired by the FBI based on findings by an inspector general selected by President Obama. The Justice Department’s letter to Strzok announcing his discharge states, in part:
Your excessive, repeated, and politically charged text messages while you were assigned as the lead case agent on the FBI’s two biggest and most politically sensitive investigations in decades, demonstrated a gross lack of professionalism and exceptionally poor judgement. Your misconduct has cast a pall over the FBI’s Clinton Email and Russia investigations and the work of the Special Counsel.
Robert Mueller (remember him?) must have agreed. He kicked Strzok off of his investigative team. Indeed, Aaron Blake, one of the Washington Post’s stable of Trump haters, says nobody (other than Trump) caused more damage to the Mueller investigation than Strzok did.
The message from Georgetown is clear. Strzok is too sleazy to work for the FBI or for Robert Mueller, but not to teach at Georgetown University.


powerlineblog--2020-10-20--Liberals Confirm They Hate the Constitution

Forget court-packing , abolishing the electoral college , or adding Puerto Rico and DC as states to provide more Democrats in the Senate ( which they ’ d like to abolish in any case if they could ) : their real target is the Constitution itself .
Apparently it isn ’ t “ living ” enough for the left , so they want to kill it completely .
The New Republic magazine makes this abundantly clear in an article just out called “ The Constitution Is the Crisis.
” Here is the relevant portion of this long and tedious article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional order .
They ’ ve made use of it .
Things haven ’ t gone wrong because a system that was humming along fine until recently has been damaged in some fundamental way .
The system is humming along essentially as it always has with increasingly dire results .
The crisis is not that the American constitutional system is broken but that the American constitutional system is working—perhaps not as the Framers intended but , as a legal and administrative matter , mostly as it was designed to .
.
.
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurisdiction-stripping—Article III of the Constitution gives Congress the power to limit the Supreme Court ’ s authority to hear certain cases .
In 1982 , John Roberts , then at the Department of Justice , actually wrote memos defending the practice .
And as Matt Bruenig of the People ’ s Policy Project argued recently , policymakers could conceivably attempt to ignore the Supreme Court entirely .
“ All the president has to do is assert that Supreme Court rulings about constitutionality are merely advisory and non-binding , that [ Marbury vs. Madison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the constitutional document says absolutely nothing about the Supreme Court having this power , ” he wrote .
“ You don ’ t need a constitutional amendment .
You don ’ t need to pass a law .
And you don ’ t need to appoint any judges .
This is a completely reasonable position that also reflects the kind of power top courts have in other countries.
” But remember—it ’ s Trump who is “ shredding ” the norms of American democracy .
In fact , progressives might consider going even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitutional convention that would draw up a new document altogether ?
[ T ] he American left should work toward abolishing the Constitution someday—either for a new document or a new democratic order without a written constitution .
Chaser : Hatred of the Constitution is now explicitly taught in some universities .
The Young America ’ s Foundation recently reported on Vanderbilt University as follows : A group of Vanderbilt University professors recently claimed that the U.S. Constitution was “ designed to perpetuate white supremacy , ” penalizing any student who disagreed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required in PSCI 1150 : U. S. ELECTIONS 2020 , asked students to answer true or false to the question , “ Was the Constitution designed to perpetuate white supremacy and protect the institution of slavery ?
” One student answered “ false , ” and the question was marked wrong .

Forget court-packing, abolishing the electoral college, or adding Puerto Rico and DC as states to provide more Democrats in the Senate (which they’d like to abolish in any case if they could): their real target is the Constitution itself. Apparently it isn’t “living” enough for the left, so they want to kill it completely.
The New Republic magazine makes this abundantly clear in an article just out called “The Constitution Is the Crisis.” Here is the relevant portion of this long and tedious article:
Republicans haven’t flouted the constitutional order. They’ve made use of it. Things haven’t gone wrong because a system that was humming along fine until recently has been damaged in some fundamental way. The system is humming along essentially as it always has with increasingly dire results. The crisis is not that the American constitutional system is broken but that the American constitutional system is working—perhaps not as the Framers intended but, as a legal and administrative matter, mostly as it was designed to. . . One alternative idea gaining currency among progressives is jurisdiction-stripping—Article III of the Constitution gives Congress the power to limit the Supreme Court’s authority to hear certain cases. In 1982, John Roberts, then at the Department of Justice, actually wrote memos defending the practice. And as Matt Bruenig of the People’s Policy Project argued recently, policymakers could conceivably attempt to ignore the Supreme Court entirely. “All the president has to do is assert that Supreme Court rulings about constitutionality are merely advisory and non-binding, that [Marbury vs. Madison] was wrongly decided, and that the constitutional document says absolutely nothing about the Supreme Court having this power,” he wrote. “You don’t need a constitutional amendment. You don’t need to pass a law. And you don’t need to appoint any judges. This is a completely reasonable position that also reflects the kind of power top courts have in other countries.”
But remember—it’s Trump who is “shredding” the norms of American democracy.
To continue:
In fact, progressives might consider going even further—why not begin the push for a constitutional convention that would draw up a new document altogether? [T]he American left should work toward abolishing the Constitution someday—either for a new document or a new democratic order without a written constitution.
A new republic indeed.
Chaser: Hatred of the Constitution is now explicitly taught in some universities. The Young America’s Foundation recently reported on Vanderbilt University as follows:
A group of Vanderbilt University professors recently claimed that the U.S. Constitution was “designed to perpetuate white supremacy,” penalizing any student who disagreed on a class quiz. The quiz, required in PSCI 1150: U. S. ELECTIONS 2020, asked students to answer true or false to the question, “Was the Constitution designed to perpetuate white supremacy and protect the institution of slavery?” One student answered “false,” and the question was marked wrong.
And here’s the screen shot:


powerlineblog--2020-10-20--Republicans looking to confirm Judge Barrett on or around Oct. 26

The Hill reports that Senate Republicans are eyeing a final vote to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Monday , October 26 — less than a week from today .
That timeline isn ’ t locked down , but Republicans are planning a rare weekend session that would set up a final vote early next week .
My initial take was that Barrett probably wouldn ’ t be confirmed before the election ( and probably not afterwards , either ) .
I thought that Sens .
Collins , Murkowski , and Romney would all oppose her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator or two , with nothing to lose , would join them .
I also wondered whether McConnell could get a vote for Barrett this quickly .
But Romney immdediately made it clear that he was on board with confirming Barrett .
And now , it seems there ’ s a chance that even Murkowski will vote to confirm her .
As for timing , I suspect that McConnell and his caucus were highly motivated to get confirmation done because they saw it as a means of saving their Senate majority .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election are against them , and that they needed a game changer .
Confirming Barrett , they hoped , would do the trick , much like the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation is thought to have helped Republicans in the 2018 Senate races .
If the Democrats botched the confirmation hearings , so much the better .
The Democrats didn ’ t botch the Barrett hearings .
They managed to treat Barrett respectfully — if you count not smearing her and rarely asking her questions as respect .
Even so , at the end of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favors confirming Barrett according to Gallup .
Morning Consult says she is favored only by a plurality , but the split is 48-31 .
Does this mean the Barrett confirmation will tilt the playing field in favor of Senate Republicans ?
I doubt this , but it can ’ t hurt .
And if it saves a Senate seat of two , that would be great .
Is there a cost ?
I expect that if Joe Biden is elected and the Dems have control of the Senate , there will be an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that the confirmation of Barrett just before the election will be cited as somehow justifying the move .
But I think the Democratic leadership would have attempted to pack the Court in any case , citing the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh .
Filling Justice Ginsburg ’ s seat with a leftist wouldn ’ t have satisfied them .
It would have left Chief Justice Roberts as the swing vote .
That probably wouldn ’ t have been good enough for Joe Biden and the Democrats .
You know , Citizens United and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrett to the Supreme Court make an attempt to pack the Court more palatable to the public ?
Probably not , given that public opinion clearly favors her confirmation .
In sum , I ’ m delighted that McConnell pushed ahead aggressively with the confirmation process and , if all goes well , I look forward to celebrating Judge Barrett ’ s elevation to Justice next week .

The Hill reports that Senate Republicans are eyeing a final vote to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Monday, October 26 — less than a week from today. That timeline isn’t locked down, but Republicans are planning a rare weekend session that would set up a final vote early next week.
My initial take was that Barrett probably wouldn’t be confirmed before the election (and probably not afterwards, either). I thought that Sens. Collins, Murkowski, and Romney would all oppose her confirmation, and that a random GOP Senator or two, with nothing to lose, would join them. I also wondered whether McConnell could get a vote for Barrett this quickly.
But Romney immdediately made it clear that he was on board with confirming Barrett. And now, it seems there’s a chance that even Murkowski will vote to confirm her.
As for timing, I suspect that McConnell and his caucus were highly motivated to get confirmation done because they saw it as a means of saving their Senate majority. They probably recognized that the odds in this election are against them, and that they needed a game changer.
Confirming Barrett, they hoped, would do the trick, much like the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation is thought to have helped Republicans in the 2018 Senate races. If the Democrats botched the confirmation hearings, so much the better.
The Democrats didn’t botch the Barrett hearings. They managed to treat Barrett respectfully — if you count not smearing her and rarely asking her questions as respect.
Even so, at the end of the day a majority of the public favors confirming Barrett according to Gallup. Morning Consult says she is favored only by a plurality, but the split is 48-31 .
Does this mean the Barrett confirmation will tilt the playing field in favor of Senate Republicans? I doubt this, but it can’t hurt. And if it saves a Senate seat of two, that would be great.
Is there a cost? I expect that if Joe Biden is elected and the Dems have control of the Senate, there will be an attempt to pack the Supreme Court, and that the confirmation of Barrett just before the election will be cited as somehow justifying the move.
But I think the Democratic leadership would have attempted to pack the Court in any case, citing the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh. Filling Justice Ginsburg’s seat with a leftist wouldn’t have satisfied them. It would have left Chief Justice Roberts as the swing vote. That probably wouldn’t have been good enough for Joe Biden and the Democrats. You know, Citizens United and all that.
Will the elevation of Barrett to the Supreme Court make an attempt to pack the Court more palatable to the public? Probably not, given that public opinion clearly favors her confirmation.
In sum, I’m delighted that McConnell pushed ahead aggressively with the confirmation process and, if all goes well, I look forward to celebrating Judge Barrett’s elevation to Justice next week.


Who’s Toobin who

Lee Smith places the disgrace of Jeffrey Toobin into the context of the New Yorker ’ s political project in the Spectator USA column “ Jeffrey Toobin ’ s stroke of misfortune ” ( “ He is not the first journalist to get overexcited about ‘ coup porn ’ ” ) .
Lee painted the big media picture out of which it emerged in the Tablet column “ Don ’ t Believe Your Lying Eyes—or Joe Biden ’ s Big Mouth.
” Lee ’ s Spectator column made me think back to the New Yorker ’ s role in promoting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I devoted five posts to what I called “ Jane Mayer ’ s Dossiad ” ( all of them and more related items accessible at the link ) .
Mayer is the star New Yorker staff writer who gave Christopher Steele the Tiger Beat treatment .
As Lee suggests , Jeffrey Toobin represents a larger phenomenon .
I would describe the phenomenon as repetitive conduct performed disgracefully in public with a compulsive element .
Let us give make it a verb and call it Toobin in his honor .
Used in a sentence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Is the New Yorker Toobin again ?
Former members of the “ intelligence community ” are Toobin again big time .
Politico reports : “ Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo , dozens of former intel officials say.
” I infer that John Brennan was the ringleader of this particular circus .
A former Brennan aide provided the letter to Politico on Monday .
They really ought to stop it .
Many of them having promoted the Russia hoax from the inside — Brennan himself was a protagonist in the scandal — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the news emerging from Hunter Biden ’ s hard drive as Russian disinformation .
They concede in the letter : “ We want to emphasize that we do not know if the emails , provided to the New York Post by President Trump ’ s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani , are genuine or not and that we do not have evidence of Russian involvement — just that our experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case.
” Like Toobin ( the cretin ) , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t give it up and they make “ intelligence ” sound like an oxymoron .
They will be Toobin again in response to the news reported by the Post “ DOJ reportedly agrees Hunter Biden emails are not Russian disinformation ” and by FOX News “ The FBI and Justice Department concur with DNI Ratcliffe that the laptop is not part of a Russian disinformation campaign .
”

Lee Smith places the disgrace of Jeffrey Toobin into the context of the New Yorker’s political project in the Spectator USA column “Jeffrey Toobin’s stroke of misfortune” (“He is not the first journalist to get overexcited about ‘coup porn’”). Lee painted the big media picture out of which it emerged in the Tablet column “Don’t Believe Your Lying Eyes—or Joe Biden’s Big Mouth.”
Lee’s Spectator column made me think back to the New Yorker’s role in promoting the Steele Dossier back in 2018. I devoted five posts to what I called “Jane Mayer’s Dossiad” (all of them and more related items accessible at the link). Mayer is the star New Yorker staff writer who gave Christopher Steele the Tiger Beat treatment.
As Lee suggests, Jeffrey Toobin represents a larger phenomenon. I would describe the phenomenon as repetitive conduct performed disgracefully in public with a compulsive element. Let us give make it a verb and call it Toobin in his honor. Used in a sentence, for example, we may ask: Is the New Yorker Toobin again?
Former members of the “intelligence community” are Toobin again big time. Politico reports: “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.” I infer that John Brennan was the ringleader of this particular circus. A former Brennan aide provided the letter to Politico on Monday.
They really ought to stop it. Many of them having promoted the Russia hoax from the inside — Brennan himself was a protagonist in the scandal — they now seek to disparage and suppress the news emerging from Hunter Biden’s hard drive as Russian disinformation.
They concede in the letter: “We want to emphasize that we do not know if the emails, provided to the New York Post by President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, are genuine or not and that we do not have evidence of Russian involvement — just that our experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case.”
Like Toobin (the cretin), they have a problem. They won’t give it up and they make “intelligence” sound like an oxymoron. They will be Toobin again in response to the news reported by the Post “DOJ reportedly agrees Hunter Biden emails are not Russian disinformation” and by FOX News “The FBI and Justice Department concur with DNI Ratcliffe that the laptop is not part of a Russian disinformation campaign.”
Federal law enforcement official says FBI & DOJ agree with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that the Hunter Biden laptop emails are not part of a Kremlin disinformation campaign.@DCExaminer with @SaysSimonson https://t.co/YmipgV1i6c — JERRY DUNLEAVY (@JerryDunleavy) October 20, 2020


powerlineblog--2020-10-22--How to Help Hold the Senate

How to Help Hold the Senate

As everyone knows , control over the Senate is teetering on a knife ’ s edge .
If the Democrats take control ( perhaps needing a seat or two to spare ) , they will abolish the filibuster , pack the Supreme Court , make D.C. and Puerto Rico states , legalize 20 million illegal immigrants and give them the right to vote .
And that is just for openers .
How can you prevent that nightmare scenario from happening ?
It isn ’ t too late to go here and contribute to the campaign of our friend Jason Lewis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat incumbent Tina Smith .
A long-time radio host , Jason is a solid conservative who won ’ t go to Washington hoping for good notices in the Washington Post .
In a post earlier this afternoon , Scott noted that Jason was within the margin of error in the most recent public polling .
But I believe Scott was writing before this poll came out , just an hour ago : A few thoughts on those numbers : 1 ) In Minnesota , as across America generally , the tide is flowing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gap remains , Jason has two weeks to close it .
If he really is within a point or two , he likely will win .
2 ) I think the numbers in this poll , like others that have been taken in this race , are actually more positive than they appear .
At this late date , large numbers of Minnesotans claim to be undecided–12 % in this most recent poll .
That strikes me as unlikely .
The fact that an incumbent senator is only at 43 % ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) means she is highly vulnerable .
My guess is that most of those “ undecideds ” will vote for Jason Lewis .
3 ) Lewis has run , I think , a smart campaign .
He has linked his fortunes to those of President Trump , running essentially as a member of the Trump ticket .
He has focused his efforts largely on Greater Minnesota , where Trump should run up the score .
If Jason is closing in on Tina Smith , it probably means that President Trump is closing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the presidential race in Minnesota have , like the Senate race , shown a number of undecided voters that I think is implausible .
I think most of them will turn out to be Trump voters .
4 ) The joker in the deck is voter fraud .
The Democrats have been laying the groundwork for a long time to pad their legitimate vote totals with fake ballots .
Tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. Central time , my organization will sponsor a program on election integrity in Minnesota and across the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will discuss election integrity in Minnesota and nationally : State Senator and former Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer ; Andy Cilek , President of the Minnesota Voters Alliance ; Eric Eggers , author of Fraud : How the Left Plans to Steal the Next Election ; and Matthew Tyrmand , a Director of Project Veritas who ran Veritas ’ s explosive investigation of voter fraud in Minnesota .
If you live close enough to attend , you can sign up here .
The event will also be livestreamed .
You can sign up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it will be worth your time .
Once again , you can donate to Jason ’ s campaign here .
It ’ s not too late .

As everyone knows, control over the Senate is teetering on a knife’s edge. If the Democrats take control (perhaps needing a seat or two to spare), they will abolish the filibuster, pack the Supreme Court, make D.C. and Puerto Rico states, legalize 20 million illegal immigrants and give them the right to vote. And that is just for openers.
How can you prevent that nightmare scenario from happening? It isn’t too late to go here and contribute to the campaign of our friend Jason Lewis, who is seeking to unseat faceless Democrat incumbent Tina Smith. A long-time radio host, Jason is a solid conservative who won’t go to Washington hoping for good notices in the Washington Post.
In a post earlier this afternoon, Scott noted that Jason was within the margin of error in the most recent public polling. But I believe Scott was writing before this poll came out, just an hour ago:
KSTP/SURVEYUSA: Tina Smith 43%; Jason Lewis 42%; 12% undecided; 3% people other. Confidence Interval +/- 5%. Smith had 11-point lead in September and 7-point lead earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/mX91q0MI6X — Tom Hauser (@thauserkstp) October 21, 2020
A few thoughts on those numbers:
1) In Minnesota, as across America generally, the tide is flowing in a Republican direction. If a gap remains, Jason has two weeks to close it. If he really is within a point or two, he likely will win.
2) I think the numbers in this poll, like others that have been taken in this race, are actually more positive than they appear. At this late date, large numbers of Minnesotans claim to be undecided–12% in this most recent poll. That strikes me as unlikely. The fact that an incumbent senator is only at 43% (and not much higher in other recent polls) means she is highly vulnerable. My guess is that most of those “undecideds” will vote for Jason Lewis.
3) Lewis has run, I think, a smart campaign. He has linked his fortunes to those of President Trump, running essentially as a member of the Trump ticket. He has focused his efforts largely on Greater Minnesota, where Trump should run up the score. If Jason is closing in on Tina Smith, it probably means that President Trump is closing in on Joe Biden, too. Polls on the presidential race in Minnesota have, like the Senate race, shown a number of undecided voters that I think is implausible. I think most of them will turn out to be Trump voters.
4) The joker in the deck is voter fraud. The Democrats have been laying the groundwork for a long time to pad their legitimate vote totals with fake ballots. Tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. Central time, my organization will sponsor a program on election integrity in Minnesota and across the United States. We have an all-star panel that will discuss election integrity in Minnesota and nationally: State Senator and former Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer; Andy Cilek, President of the Minnesota Voters Alliance; Eric Eggers, author of Fraud: How the Left Plans to Steal the Next Election; and Matthew Tyrmand, a Director of Project Veritas who ran Veritas’s explosive investigation of voter fraud in Minnesota. If you live close enough to attend, you can sign up here. The event will also be livestreamed. You can sign up for the livestream here. I think it will be worth your time.
Once again, you can donate to Jason’s campaign here. It’s not too late.
UPDATE: This is Jason Lewis’s latest TV ad. Suffice it to say that he is not one of your namby-pamby Republicans:


powerlineblog--2020-10-21--With Ric Grenell in Minneapolis

With Ric Grenell in Minneapolis

Early this morning I received a media advisory from the Trump campaign inviting me to attend a volunteer appreciation event with former Acting Director of National Intelligence and Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell .
The event was scheduled over the lunch hour at the Trump campaign office in the Minneapolis suburb of Wayzata .
I was the only journalist in attendance and snagged a few minutes with Grenell on his way out the door after the event thanks to RNC press officer Preya Samsundar and regional desk coordinator Molly Safreed .
Molly kindly snapped the photo of me with Grenell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These are my observations and takeaways : • The event was packed .
It was standing room only .
Republican grassroots volunteers are fired up for Trump .
• Grenell is a rock star with grassroots Trump supporters because of his declassification of documents in the Russia hoax .
He is a high value campaign asset .
• He told me he had been dispatched to Minnesota after three days in Michigan and two days in Pennsylvania .
I infer that the Trump campaign thinks it can win Minnesota .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I am dubious , but I hope they ’ re right .
They came within 44,000 votes in 2016 and the feeling outside the Twin Cities is running high in favor of President Trump .
• The feeling is also running high in the Twin Cities , but in the wrong direction .
However , Grenell wouldn ’ t be here if senior Trump campaign officials didn ’ t think they can take Minnesota .
Biden should have Minnesota buttoned up at this point and he does not .
• GOP Senate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is running against incumbent Tina Smith , a generic Democrat and cipher if there ever was one .
Jason is within striking distance ( i.e.
, within the margin of error of the most recent public poll ) .
It should be a winnable race .
Contribute to Jason ’ s campaign here .
• I asked Grenell what he made of the former intelligence officials who issued the statement on the purported Hunter Biden “ Russia hoax ” that I referred to this morning in “ Who ’ s Toobin who.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former.
” He added that , having promoted the Clinton campaign Russia hoax , they have no credibility and should not be called upon to comment .

Early this morning I received a media advisory from the Trump campaign inviting me to attend a volunteer appreciation event with former Acting Director of National Intelligence and Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell. The event was scheduled over the lunch hour at the Trump campaign office in the Minneapolis suburb of Wayzata.
I was the only journalist in attendance and snagged a few minutes with Grenell on his way out the door after the event thanks to RNC press officer Preya Samsundar and regional desk coordinator Molly Safreed. Molly kindly snapped the photo of me with Grenell below in the office where we spoke.
These are my observations and takeaways:
• The event was packed. It was standing room only. Republican grassroots volunteers are fired up for Trump.
• Grenell is a rock star with grassroots Trump supporters because of his declassification of documents in the Russia hoax. He is a high value campaign asset.
• He told me he had been dispatched to Minnesota after three days in Michigan and two days in Pennsylvania. I infer that the Trump campaign thinks it can win Minnesota. It is making a final push to do so. I am dubious, but I hope they’re right. They came within 44,000 votes in 2016 and the feeling outside the Twin Cities is running high in favor of President Trump.
• The feeling is also running high in the Twin Cities, but in the wrong direction. However, Grenell wouldn’t be here if senior Trump campaign officials didn’t think they can take Minnesota. Biden should have Minnesota buttoned up at this point and he does not.
• GOP Senate candidate Jason Lewis introduced Grenell. He is running against incumbent Tina Smith, a generic Democrat and cipher if there ever was one. Jason is within striking distance (i.e., within the margin of error of the most recent public poll). It should be a winnable race. Contribute to Jason’s campaign here.
• I asked Grenell what he made of the former intelligence officials who issued the statement on the purported Hunter Biden “Russia hoax” that I referred to this morning in “Who’s Toobin who.” First he emphasized that they were “former.” He added that, having promoted the Clinton campaign Russia hoax, they have no credibility and should not be called upon to comment.


powerlineblog--2020-10-21--This Year’s Hardest-Hitting Ad

This Year’s Hardest-Hitting Ad