westernjournal--2020-02-05--Veteran Limbaugh Producer Bo Snerdley Silences Acosta After Attack on Cancer-Stricken Rush

When Rush Limbaugh announced earlier this week he had been diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer , conservatives across the nation rallied around him .
America ’ s outpouring of support came to a head Tuesday night as President Donald Trump awarded the conservative talk show host the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian honor in the United States .
Of course , the mere mention of Rush Limbaugh set off many on the political left .
The disturbing reactions of Limbaugh haters to the radio icon ’ s cancer announcement was a shocking sight to see , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer diagnosis to divine retribution for the actions of Republican senators .
While these disturbing reactions should have been expected from those on the far left , supposedly unbiased CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta joined the fray , slamming Rush over his allegedly “ derogatory ” remarks about black Americans .
Acosta ’ s sickening take came after Trump ’ s jaw-dropping State of the Union speech .
The CNN correspondent took the focus off Trump for a second , slamming Limbaugh as someone with “ a history of making derogatory comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who work closest with Limbaugh know better .
James Golden , who works under the name Bo Snerdley , has been with Limbaugh for three decades as the conservative powerhouse dominated the airwaves .
Golden , a black man and Limbaugh ’ s senior producer , took on the sarcastic title of “ Official Obama Criticizer ” for his seeming immunity to accusations of racism .
He confronted Acosta over the outright lies about his boss .
“ I just saw the footage from CNN ’ s Jim Acosta saying Rush has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about African Americans , ” Golden tweeted .
“ I have been in the studio with Rush for 30 years .
I would like to formally challenge CNN and @ Acosta to provide the list.
” RELATED : 'The View ' Complains Medal of Freedom Is for People Who 'Did Stuff ' - Remember Who Obama Gave It To ?
So far , neither CNN nor Jim Acosta have reacted to Golden ’ s challenge .
It is telling , however , that Acosta chose to go after Limbaugh instead of celebrate Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was clearly a win for America .
From the celebration of one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen to a soldier returning from deployment to surprise his wife and children , the speech was one to be celebrated by those without a grudge against the Trump administration .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

When Rush Limbaugh announced earlier this week he had been diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer, conservatives across the nation rallied around him.
America’s outpouring of support came to a head Tuesday night as President Donald Trump awarded the conservative talk show host the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian honor in the United States.
Of course, the mere mention of Rush Limbaugh set off many on the political left.
The disturbing reactions of Limbaugh haters to the radio icon’s cancer announcement was a shocking sight to see, with at least one person even likening the cancer diagnosis to divine retribution for the actions of Republican senators.
While these disturbing reactions should have been expected from those on the far left, supposedly unbiased CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta joined the fray, slamming Rush over his allegedly “derogatory” remarks about black Americans.
Acosta’s sickening take came after Trump’s jaw-dropping State of the Union speech.
The CNN correspondent took the focus off Trump for a second, slamming Limbaugh as someone with “a history of making derogatory comments about African-Americans.”
Snide Jim @Acosta slimes Limbaugh: “He was trying to make appeals to the African-American community, it can’t be forgotten that he was awarding the medal of freedom to Rush Limbaugh who has a history of making derogatory comments about African-Americans.” #SOTU pic.twitter.com/gfdZv8cqfg — Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) February 5, 2020
Of course, those who work closest with Limbaugh know better.
James Golden, who works under the name Bo Snerdley, has been with Limbaugh for three decades as the conservative powerhouse dominated the airwaves.
Golden, a black man and Limbaugh’s senior producer, took on the sarcastic title of “Official Obama Criticizer” for his seeming immunity to accusations of racism.
He confronted Acosta over the outright lies about his boss.
“I just saw the footage from CNN’s Jim Acosta saying Rush has a ‘history’ of saying disparaging things about African Americans,” Golden tweeted. “I have been in the studio with Rush for 30 years. I would like to formally challenge CNN and @Acosta to provide the list.”
I just saw the footage from CNN’s Jim Acosta saying Rush has a “history” of saying disparaging things about African Americans. I have been in the studio with Rush for 30 years. I would like to formally challenge CNN and @Acosta to provide the list. — Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) February 5, 2020
So far, neither CNN nor Jim Acosta have reacted to Golden’s challenge.
Will Acosta or CNN ever respond to Golden's challenge? Yes No
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It is telling, however, that Acosta chose to go after Limbaugh instead of celebrate Trump’s State of the Union speech, which was clearly a win for America.
From the celebration of one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen to a soldier returning from deployment to surprise his wife and children, the speech was one to be celebrated by those without a grudge against the Trump administration.
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--‘The View’ Complains Medal of Freedom Is for People Who ‘Did Stuff’ – Remember Who Obama Gave It To?

Even cast of “ The View ” doesn ’ t usually put its ignorance on view like this .
Regular watchers of ABC ’ s daytime program had a new chance to witness witlessness in action on Wednesday , when Whoopi Goldberg and her crew decided to take on President Donald Trump ’ s State of the Union address .
Among other things , the women decided to bash Trump ’ s decision to award conservative commentator and genuine American change agent Rush Limbaugh a Presidential Medal of Freedom on live television , with the assistance of first lady Melania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of her co-hosts weren ’ t happy with the decision — anyone even vaguely familiar with Rush and “ The View ” knows they aren ’ t exactly simpatico .
( In fact , it was about as predictable as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ’ s sophomoric reaction to the news . )
But complaining , as Goldberg did , that Rush didn ’ t deserve a medal because it should go to “ people who actually did stuff ” not only ignored what the radio icon has accomplished over the past three decades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what the medal is about — and the kind of characters President Barack Obama decided to favor with it , too .
Has Gloria Estefan done something more important than Rush Limbaugh ?
Obama gave the medal to the former Miami Sound Machine frontwoman in November 2015 , according to the White House archives .
Has cellist Yo-Yo Ma had more impact than Rush ?
Obama gave Ma the medal in November 2010 .
( That might have been because he appeared at Obama ’ s inauguration in 2009 , though even NPR @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — one of the early signs that honesty wasn ’ t going to be a hallmark of the Obama years . )
Biden got the Medal of Freedom from Obama in a Stalinesque ceremony conducted in the Obama administration ’ s dying days .
( It was Jan. 12 , 2017 , as NPR reported at the time — a scant eight days before Trump ’ s inauguration . )
Not only did Biden get the medal , it was awarded “ with distinction.
” That ’ s some pretty rarified air .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upgraded version of the medal , and as The Christian Post reported when Biden received it , at the time the previous three recipients were Pope John Paul II , former President Ronald Reagan , and retired four-star Army general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell .
One of them is now a Catholic saint , one of them won the Cold War for the West .
And Powell actually received the medal twice — from Presidents George H.W .
Bush and Bill Clinton — the second time “ with distinction.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for even an occasionally irrational liberal like Goldberg to argue Biden belongs in that company — if he weren ’ t running for president in 2020 , it ’ s a fair bet he would have been consigned to the history books already as an inconsequential footnote to Obama ’ s disastrous 8 years in power .
Rush Limbaugh , meanwhile , has been a genuine cultural force in the United States for more than 30 years .
As usual on social media , liberals were out in force celebrating “ The View @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but there were quite a few sane users too : But this one put it perfectly : It ’ s a common misconception that the Medal of Freedom is a kind of civilian equivalent to the Medal of Honor , but it ’ s not even close .
The Medal of Honor is reserved for acts of bravery that are extraordinary even by the extraordinary standards of the U.S. military .
The Medial of Freedom isn ’ t quite that .
Some receive it for genuine meritorious service to the country — like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1963 for his commitment to entertaining American troops abroad .
For others , it ’ s basically an acknowledgment that Very Important People think they ’ re very important too .
Rush Limbaugh is one of the ones who earned it .
It ’ s no exaggeration to say he helped transform the political life of the American Republic , from the 1990s on — earning honorary membership in the congressional class of 1995 after the Gingrich revolution engineered the first Republican takeover of the House of Representatives in 40 years .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times to report that . )
Through the Clinton years , through the George W. Bush years , through the Obama years , Rush Limbaugh has been one of the premier spokesmen for the conservative movement — with an impact on American culture few could hope to match .
The women on “ The View ” will never admit it — along with Wednesday ’ s guest Alec Baldwin — but it would take Joe Biden winning the presidency to even get close to Limbaugh .
( And not to pick on Gloria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other recipients of the medal don ’ t have a prayer . )
Goldberg and her co-hosts are free to disparage their betters like Rush Limbaugh all they want — it ’ s a free country .
But they could at least keep their ignorance a little more out of view .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Even cast of “The View” doesn’t usually put its ignorance on view like this.
Regular watchers of ABC’s daytime program had a new chance to witness witlessness in action on Wednesday, when Whoopi Goldberg and her crew decided to take on President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Among other things, the women decided to bash Trump’s decision to award conservative commentator and genuine American change agent Rush Limbaugh a Presidential Medal of Freedom on live television, with the assistance of first lady Melania Trump.
Naturally, Goldberg and most of her co-hosts weren’t happy with the decision — anyone even vaguely familiar with Rush and “The View” knows they aren’t exactly simpatico. (In fact, it was about as predictable as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s sophomoric reaction to the news.)
But complaining, as Goldberg did, that Rush didn’t deserve a medal because it should go to “people who actually did stuff” not only ignored what the radio icon has accomplished over the past three decades, it showed a basic misunderstanding of what the medal is about — and the kind of characters President Barack Obama decided to favor with it, too.
Check out “The View” segment here:
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
Has Gloria Estefan done something more important than Rush Limbaugh? Obama gave the medal to the former Miami Sound Machine frontwoman in November 2015, according to the White House archives.
Has cellist Yo-Yo Ma had more impact than Rush? Obama gave Ma the medal in November 2010. (That might have been because he appeared at Obama’s inauguration in 2009, though even NPR had to admit the performance was faked — one of the early signs that honesty wasn’t going to be a hallmark of the Obama years.)
Did Rush Limbaugh deserve the Medal of Freedom? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 99% (1969 Votes) No: 1% (22 Votes)
What about Joe Biden?
Biden got the Medal of Freedom from Obama in a Stalinesque ceremony conducted in the Obama administration’s dying days. (It was Jan. 12, 2017, as NPR reported at the time — a scant eight days before Trump’s inauguration.)
Not only did Biden get the medal, it was awarded “with distinction.” That’s some pretty rarified air.
Only a handful of people have received the upgraded version of the medal, and as The Christian Post reported when Biden received it, at the time the previous three recipients were Pope John Paul II, former President Ronald Reagan, and retired four-star Army general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.
One of them is now a Catholic saint, one of them won the Cold War for the West. And Powell actually received the medal twice — from Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton — the second time “with distinction.”
It’s would be hard for even an occasionally irrational liberal like Goldberg to argue Biden belongs in that company — if he weren’t running for president in 2020, it’s a fair bet he would have been consigned to the history books already as an inconsequential footnote to Obama’s disastrous 8 years in power.
(The fact that Obama has not endorsed Biden for the presidency might be a good indication that the “with distinction” business wasn’t all that sincere.)
Rush Limbaugh, meanwhile, has been a genuine cultural force in the United States for more than 30 years.
As usual on social media, liberals were out in force celebrating “The View’s” liberal party line, but there were quite a few sane users too:
The View is trash. They just attacked Rush Limbaugh, who was just diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer, for receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Whoopi Goldberg should be fired. — Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) February 5, 2020
These people are the ones who call Trump (us) divisive. They have no decency yet criticize everyone else. They have been blinded to their own behaviors. — Brenda ✝??⭐⭐⭐ (@CBiggerPic) February 5, 2020
The View has been trash for years. Only time I watch it is when I have no choice, as in waiting room at the doctor, hospital, etc. — Diana Chelf (@ladyjack82) February 5, 2020
But this one put it perfectly:
He was a trailblazer for the conservative voice in America. Liberals hate that he showed the silent majority how to fight. — v (@vvt7777) February 5, 2020
It’s a common misconception that the Medal of Freedom is a kind of civilian equivalent to the Medal of Honor, but it’s not even close.
The Medal of Honor is reserved for acts of bravery that are extraordinary even by the extraordinary standards of the U.S. military.
The Medal of Freedom isn’t quite that. Some receive it for genuine meritorious service to the country — like comedy legend Bob Hope getting it in 1963 for his commitment to entertaining American troops abroad.
For others, it’s basically an acknowledgment that Very Important People think they’re very important too.
Rush Limbaugh is one of the ones who earned it.
It’s no exaggeration to say he helped transform the political life of the American Republic, from the 1990s on — earning honorary membership in the congressional class of 1995 after the Gingrich revolution engineered the first Republican takeover of the House of Representatives in 40 years. (It must have pained The New York Times to report that.)
Through the Clinton years, through the George W. Bush years, through the Obama years, Rush Limbaugh has been one of the premier spokesmen for the conservative movement — with an impact on American culture few could hope to match.
The women on “The View” will never admit it — along with Wednesday’s guest Alec Baldwin — but it would take Joe Biden winning the presidency to even get close to Limbaugh. (And not to pick on Gloria Estafan or Yo-Yo Ma, but most other recipients of the medal don’t have a prayer.)
Goldberg and her co-hosts are free to disparage their betters like Rush Limbaugh all they want — it’s a free country.
But they could at least keep their ignorance a little more out of view.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--Cosmo Pulls Cover with ‘Bachelor’ Contestant After Learning She Modeled ‘White Lives Matter’ Apparel

Cosmopolitan has pulled a magazine cover featuring a contestant on the current season of “ The Bachelor ” after learning that the woman had modeled merchandise in a “ White Lives Matter ” apparel line .
Contestant Victoria Fuller was selected for the cover photoshoot during a “ group date ” in the latest episode by winning the swimsuit competition judged by Cosmopolitan Editor-in-Chief Jessica Pels , BuzzFeed News reported .
However , despite the outcome of the competition , Pels announced in a letter from the editor that Fuller will no longer appear on the cover due to her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the White Lives Matter movement does not reflect the values of the Cosmo brand , ” Pels wrote .
“ We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter , and any cause that fights to end injustices for people of color.
” A photograph from the @ wlmapparel_clothing Instagram account , which is no longer active , appears to show Fuller wearing a blue hat with the letters “ WLM ” on it .
Despite the leftist cries of racism , the apparel was created to promote the conservation of white and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when it was sold in Ocean City , Maryland , before the White Marlin Open fishing tournament in 2016 .
“ We ’ re promoting people to use circle hooks , to bring them in safely and to release them back , ” shirt designer George Lamplugh said at the time , adding that he wasn ’ t trying to create controversy , USA Today reported .
“ And as soon as we bring in the first black marlin , we ’ ll have a Black Lives Matter shirt , ” he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Ivory Smith criticized the shirts for mockery of the Black Lives Matter movement .
“ Let me be clear , all lives do matter , whether they ’ re white or black , cop or civilian , fish or dog , ” Smith said .
“ However , we ’ re living in a time where African-Americans are suffering from a disproportionate amount of violence , and we do need to address that.
” Fuller addressed the controversy last month , indicating the “ WLM ” on her hat in the photo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” according to Us Magazine .
“ It would be nice for you to gather all the facts before jumping to bash someone , ” she reportedly wrote in the comments of a Jan. 3 Instagram post by BachelorClues that showed her bio and photoshoot .
“ The company ‘ We Love Marlins ’ is in support of catching white , blue , & black marlins & releasing them back into the wild.
” Fuller added , “ In regards to a sensitive topic , I come from a very diverse background & @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virginia Beach is a VERY large fishing town where Marlin tournaments are held every year !
Glad to clear this up.
” Despite the reported fishy nature of the shirts , Pels stood by her decision to pull the cover .
“ It ’ s been reported that what she modeled for was actually a Marlin Lives Matter organization focused on preventing white and blue marlin from being overfished , which used ‘ white lives matter ’ and ‘ blue lives matter ’ messaging on its promotional shirts and hats , ” Pels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nature of the organization is neither here nor there — both phrases and the belief systems they represent are rooted in racism and therefore problematic , ” she said .
In an interview with BUILD , bachelor Peter Weber defended Fuller and said he hoped viewers formed their opinion of her based on what happens on the show .
“ All I can speak on is the time I was able to spend with Victoria throughout this experience , ” Weber said .
“ And I truly enjoyed my experience with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a good person .
She ’ s got a lot of endearing qualities.
” He added , “ She ’ s not perfect , I ’ m not perfect , no one ’ s perfect.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Cosmopolitan has pulled a magazine cover featuring a contestant on the current season of “The Bachelor” after learning that the woman had modeled merchandise in a “White Lives Matter” apparel line.
Contestant Victoria Fuller was selected for the cover photoshoot during a “group date” in the latest episode by winning the swimsuit competition judged by Cosmopolitan Editor-in-Chief Jessica Pels, BuzzFeed News reported.
However, despite the outcome of the competition, Pels announced in a letter from the editor that Fuller will no longer appear on the cover due to her recently uncovered modeling gig.
“Unequivocally, the White Lives Matter movement does not reflect the values of the Cosmo brand,” Pels wrote. “We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, and any cause that fights to end injustices for people of color.”
A photograph from the @wlmapparel_clothing Instagram account, which is no longer active, appears to show Fuller wearing a blue hat with the letters “WLM” on it.
Despite the leftist cries of racism, the apparel was created to promote the conservation of white and blue marlins. It also drew controversy when it was sold in Ocean City, Maryland, before the White Marlin Open fishing tournament in 2016.
“We’re promoting people to use circle hooks, to bring them in safely and to release them back,” shirt designer George Lamplugh said at the time, adding that he wasn’t trying to create controversy, USA Today reported.
“And as soon as we bring in the first black marlin, we’ll have a Black Lives Matter shirt,” he added.
ApPaReNtLy this is for white marlin conservation but I’m having a hard time believing that’s the only message these clothes are sending https://t.co/opYMqcLDaH — rach against the machine (@rchlmllnd) January 7, 2020
Worcester County, Maryland, NAACP President Ivory Smith criticized the shirts for mockery of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Let me be clear, all lives do matter, whether they’re white or black, cop or civilian, fish or dog,” Smith said. “However, we’re living in a time where African-Americans are suffering from a disproportionate amount of violence, and we do need to address that.”
Fuller addressed the controversy last month, indicating the “WLM” on her hat in the photo stood for “We Love Marlins,” according to Us Magazine.
“It would be nice for you to gather all the facts before jumping to bash someone,” she reportedly wrote in the comments of a Jan. 3 Instagram post by BachelorClues that showed her bio and photoshoot. “The company ‘We Love Marlins’ is in support of catching white, blue, & black marlins & releasing them back into the wild.”
Fuller added, “In regards to a sensitive topic, I come from a very diverse background & am in support of all races! Virginia Beach is a VERY large fishing town where Marlin tournaments are held every year! Glad to clear this up.”
Do you think Cosmopolitan overreacted? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 98% (164 Votes) No: 2% (3 Votes)
Despite the reported fishy nature of the shirts, Pels stood by her decision to pull the cover.
“It’s been reported that what she modeled for was actually a Marlin Lives Matter organization focused on preventing white and blue marlin from being overfished, which used ‘white lives matter’ and ‘blue lives matter’ messaging on its promotional shirts and hats,” Pels wrote.
“In my view, the nature of the organization is neither here nor there — both phrases and the belief systems they represent are rooted in racism and therefore problematic,” she said.
So if white lives matter and blue lives matter are “rooted in racism” it means black lives matter is too? ? — baseballfan2019 (@baseballfan2019) February 5, 2020
In an interview with BUILD, bachelor Peter Weber defended Fuller and said he hoped viewers formed their opinion of her based on what happens on the show.
“All I can speak on is the time I was able to spend with Victoria throughout this experience,” Weber said. “And I truly enjoyed my experience with her. I really feel like she’s a good person. She’s got a lot of endearing qualities.”
He added, “She’s not perfect, I’m not perfect, no one’s perfect.”
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--Mitt Romney Announces He Is Siding with Democrats To Vote To Convict Trump

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah announced Wednesday that he will vote to convict President Donald Trump in the Senate impeachment trial for abuse of power .
“ The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust , ” Romney said from the Senate floor , ahead of the vote on whether to convict Trump , according to Politico .
“ What he did was not ‘ perfect.
’ No , it was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights , our national security and our fundamental values.
” “ The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor ?
Yes , he did.
” House Democrats passed two articles of impeachment in December accusing the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in relation to Trump ’ s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky .
During the call , Trump asked Zelensky to look into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden ’ s dealings in Ukraine while the elder Biden was vice president and point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy toward Kyiv .
The president placed a temporary hold on $ 391 million in military aid to the Ukraine the same month as the phone call , which he released in mid-September .
Romney said the reason he supported having former National Security Advisor John Bolton testify is that he hoped the former Trump aide could provide additional information that would allow the senator to reach a different conclusion about the president ’ s conduct .
The lawmaker said his conscience and a look toward the judgement of history informed his decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of power .
“ I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice .
I am profoundly religious .
My faith is at the heart of who I am .
I take an oath before God as enormously consequential , ” Romney said .
“ My vote will likely be in the minority in the Senate , ” he added , “ but irrespective of these things , with my vote I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability believing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The senator said that future generations will be able to look at his vote and know that he believed what Trump did was “ grievously wrong.
” The other three moderate Republican senators who political watchers thought might join with Democrats to convict Trump — Sens .
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska , Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee — have all stated they will not .
In a Friday statement after the vote against calling in further witnesses , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said , “ A majority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numerous witnesses and 28,000-plus pages of documents already in evidence are sufficient to judge the House Managers ’ accusations and end this impeachment trial.
” A total of 17 witnesses called by Democrats testified during the House impeachment inquiry .
A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll released earlier this week found that 53 percent of Utah voters give Trump a positive job approval rating , while 52 percent rated Romney favorably .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah announced Wednesday that he will vote to convict President Donald Trump in the Senate impeachment trial for abuse of power.
“The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust,” Romney said from the Senate floor, ahead of the vote on whether to convict Trump, according to Politico. “What he did was not ‘perfect.’ No, it was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security and our fundamental values.”
“The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor? Yes, he did.”
House Democrats passed two articles of impeachment in December accusing the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in relation to Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the call, Trump asked Zelensky to look into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden’s dealings in Ukraine while the elder Biden was vice president and point man for the Obama administration’s policy toward Kyiv.
Neither impeachment article identified criminal conduct by Trump.
Sen. @MittRomney becomes the first GOP senator to say he will vote to convict in Trump’s impeachment trial.
“Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.”https://t.co/W3ycY0PEQF pic.twitter.com/1arw8EclIs — CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) February 5, 2020
The president placed a temporary hold on $391 million in military aid to the Ukraine the same month as the phone call, which he released in mid-September.
Do you think Romney let his personal views of Trump dictate his vote? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 99% (411 Votes) No: 1% (5 Votes)
Romney said the reason he supported having former National Security Advisor John Bolton testify is that he hoped the former Trump aide could provide additional information that would allow the senator to reach a different conclusion about the president’s conduct.
The lawmaker said his conscience and a look toward the judgement of history informed his decision to vote to convict Trump for abuse of power.
“I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential,” Romney said.
“My vote will likely be in the minority in the Senate,” he added, “but irrespective of these things, with my vote I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability believing that my country expected it of me.”
The senator said that future generations will be able to look at his vote and know that he believed what Trump did was “grievously wrong.”
The other three moderate Republican senators who political watchers thought might join with Democrats to convict Trump — Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee — have all stated they will not.
In a Friday statement after the vote against calling in further witnesses, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “A majority of the U.S. Senate has determined that the numerous witnesses and 28,000-plus pages of documents already in evidence are sufficient to judge the House Managers’ accusations and end this impeachment trial.”
A total of 17 witnesses called by Democrats testified during the House impeachment inquiry.
A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll released earlier this week found that 53 percent of Utah voters give Trump a positive job approval rating, while 52 percent rated Romney favorably.
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--Longtime Democrat Strategist James Carville: ‘I’m Scared to Death’ for Democratic Party

Democratic strategist James Carville expressed his concerns for the Democratic Party in a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC .
“ I ’ m 75 years old , why am I here doing this ?
Because I ’ m scared to death , that ’ s why , ” Carville said .
“ Let ’ s get relevant here , people , for sure .
All the [ Bernie ] Sanders people are taking pictures wishing Jeremy Corbyn the best , ” he said .
“ I don ’ t want to go down that path.
” The former Clinton adviser pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2018 midterm election and said that who it picks as its 2020 candidate “ matters.
” “ We had the highest turnout in 2018 since women were granted the right to vote .
We had the biggest margin .
We ran a smart campaign and it worked , ” he said .
“ It matters who the candidate is .
It matters what a party chooses to talk about.
” He added that the Democratic party needs to “ wake up ” and “ talk about things that are relevant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to 2018 where we had good , diverse , strong candidates that had real connections … and talked about real things , ” he said .
Carville said that the only “ moral imperative ” for 2020 is “ to beat Donald Trump ” and the reason the Democratic Party doesn ’ t win elections is that “ we talk about stuff that is not relevant.
” “ So , hopefully , we have time time to jerk this thing back and be about health care , prescription drug prices , education @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejuvenating whatever it is , ” he said .
“ These campaigns have got to be more relevant.
” In January , Carville formally endorsed Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet for president , WMUR-TV reported .
In the MSNBC interview , Carville also criticized the party for the calculation of the results in Monday ’ s Iowa caucuses , adding that polls indicate “ enthusiasm among Democrats is not as high as we might like it.
” “ I ’ m just looking at the mega-polling averages , I ’ m looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve got to snap back and get this thing going , ” he said .
“ This is , so far , not so good.
” The Democratic strategist said that the media corps went “ AOC crazy ” in its coverage of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , but more moderate Democratic candidates like former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg received a lot of votes in Iowa .
“ We ’ ve got to decide what we want to be .
Do we want to be an ideological cult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a majoritarian instinct to be a majority party ?
” Carville asked .
“ What we need is power , you understand ?
That ’ s what this is about .
Without power , you have nothing .
You just have talking points.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Democratic strategist James Carville expressed his concerns for the Democratic Party in a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC.
“I’m 75 years old, why am I here doing this? Because I’m scared to death, that’s why,” Carville said.
“Let’s get relevant here, people, for sure. All the [Bernie] Sanders people are taking pictures wishing Jeremy Corbyn the best,” he said. “I don’t want to go down that path.”
The former Clinton adviser pointed to the Democratic Party’s success in the 2018 midterm election and said that who it picks as its 2020 candidate “matters.”
“We had the highest turnout in 2018 since women were granted the right to vote. We had the biggest margin. We ran a smart campaign and it worked,” he said.
“It matters who the candidate is. It matters what a party chooses to talk about.”
He added that the Democratic party needs to “wake up” and “talk about things that are relevant to people.”
“We have to go back to 2018 where we had good, diverse, strong candidates that had real connections … and talked about real things,” he said.
Do you think the Democratic Party needs to be more relevant? Yes No
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Carville said that the only “moral imperative” for 2020 is “to beat Donald Trump” and the reason the Democratic Party doesn’t win elections is that “we talk about stuff that is not relevant.”
“So, hopefully, we have time time to jerk this thing back and be about health care, prescription drug prices, education, infrastructure, climate, diplomacy, rejuvenating whatever it is,” he said. “These campaigns have got to be more relevant.”
In January, Carville formally endorsed Democratic Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet for president, WMUR-TV reported.
In the MSNBC interview, Carville also criticized the party for the calculation of the results in Monday’s Iowa caucuses, adding that polls indicate “enthusiasm among Democrats is not as high as we might like it.”
“I’m just looking at the mega-polling averages, I’m looking at public opinion right now, and frankly we’ve got to snap back and get this thing going,” he said. “This is, so far, not so good.”
The Democratic strategist said that the media corps went “AOC crazy” in its coverage of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but more moderate Democratic candidates like former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg received a lot of votes in Iowa.
“We’ve got to decide what we want to be. Do we want to be an ideological cult? Or do we want to have a majoritarian instinct to be a majority party?” Carville asked.
“What we need is power, you understand? That’s what this is about. Without power, you have nothing. You just have talking points.”
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--Walt Disney Heiress Comes Out with Scathing Kobe Rebuke: He ‘Was a Rapist. Deal with It’

In spite of all the tributes honoring Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant following his death , Walt Disney Company heiress and documentary filmmaker Abigail Disney suggested the allegation of rape against Bryant should not be forgotten in the accounts of his legacy .
Three days after Bryant died in a helicopter accident , Disney tweeted that she could no longer remain silent about the issue .
“ I haven ’ t said anything about Kobe so far because I felt some time needed to pass before weighing in .
But yes , it ’ s time for the sledgehammer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jan. 29 .
“ The man was a rapist .
Deal with it.
” Disney attached a link to a Washington Post Op-Ed by columnist David Von Drehle , who argued media outlets should not ignore the more controversial aspects Bryant ’ s life — no matter how uncomfortable they might be to consider .
Bryant had been arrested and charged with sexual assault and false imprisonment in 2003 ; however , the 19-year-old woman who accused him later declined to testify , the New York Post reported .
According to the Independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failed to prove Bryant ’ s guilt , and prosecutors eventually dropped the charges .
Bryant issued a formal apology to the woman through his lawyer , saying that though he thought their sexual encounter was consensual , he was sorry for any pain he had caused .
A civil suit regarding the matter was settled in 2005 .
Disney appeared to agree with Von Drehle ’ s sentiment that the allegation against Bryant should not be ignored , even in light of his tragic death .
Many on Twitter felt that Disney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Mark Dantonio Steps Down as Coach at Michigan State : 'My Family Must Now Become My Priority' In his Op-Ed , Von Drehle defended his colleague Felicia Sonmez , who was temporarily suspended by The Post after tweeting a link to a Daily Beast article outlining the rape accusation against Bryant shortly after his death .
Sonmez was not the only reporter keen on reminding the public of Bryant ’ s alleged misconduct .
A CNN reporter also faced backlash for bringing up the rape allegation on the same day that Bryant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same Daily Beast article as Sonmez .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

In spite of all the tributes honoring Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant following his death, Walt Disney Company heiress and documentary filmmaker Abigail Disney suggested the allegation of rape against Bryant should not be forgotten in the accounts of his legacy.
Three days after Bryant died in a helicopter accident, Disney tweeted that she could no longer remain silent about the issue.
“I haven’t said anything about Kobe so far because I felt some time needed to pass before weighing in. But yes, it’s time for the sledgehammer to come out,” Disney tweeted Jan. 29. “The man was a rapist. Deal with it.”
I haven’t said anything about Kobe so far because I felt some time needed to pass before weighing in. But yes, it’s time for the sledgehammer to come out. The man was a rapist. Deal with it. https://t.co/9jfZHSqnnQ — Abigail Disney (@abigaildisney) January 29, 2020
Disney attached a link to a Washington Post Op-Ed by columnist David Von Drehle, who argued media outlets should not ignore the more controversial aspects Bryant’s life — no matter how uncomfortable they might be to consider.
Bryant had been arrested and charged with sexual assault and false imprisonment in 2003; however, the 19-year-old woman who accused him later declined to testify, the New York Post reported.
According to the Independent, DNA evidence provided by the accuser failed to prove Bryant’s guilt, and prosecutors eventually dropped the charges.
Do you think it was wrong to talk about Bryant's rape case right after his death? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 55% (493 Votes) No: 45% (408 Votes)
Bryant issued a formal apology to the woman through his lawyer, saying that though he thought their sexual encounter was consensual, he was sorry for any pain he had caused. A civil suit regarding the matter was settled in 2005.
Disney appeared to agree with Von Drehle’s sentiment that the allegation against Bryant should not be ignored, even in light of his tragic death.
Many on Twitter felt that Disney’s comments were unjust:
This is unfair and not ok. Feel how you will about him but his wife lost her husband, his daughters lost their father. If you must go down this road, educate yourself fully on that situation first, you just may feel a bit differently. — Cindy Barr (@cindeelbarr) January 29, 2020
Each of us is more than our worst deeds, and less than our best. People aren’t easily divided into good and bad. I won’t excuse or defend what KB may have done that night, but if you aren’t moved by the hundreds of stories of his generosity and kindness, you aren’t paying attn. — Sam Ackerman (@BeastStroganoff) January 29, 2020
Serious questions for you: Can people redeem themselves, reform, or are we forever to be judged by our past actions? — OlympicDane (@mortenbc58) January 29, 2020
Others expressed support for Disney’s statement:
kobe fans want to delete a part of his history — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez farting cow (@OcasioCow) January 30, 2020
Thank you! I have been struggling with this. I cannot believe it’s being looked at like it never happened. — Helena Burkett (@09SoccerGirl09) January 30, 2020
In his Op-Ed, Von Drehle defended his colleague Felicia Sonmez, who was temporarily suspended by The Post after tweeting a link to a Daily Beast article outlining the rape accusation against Bryant shortly after his death.
Sonmez was not the only reporter keen on reminding the public of Bryant’s alleged misconduct.
A CNN reporter also faced backlash for bringing up the rape allegation on the same day that Bryant died:
Yes Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but he’s also faced a very credible rape accusation where the woman was choked and submitted to a rape-kit test which found injuries “not consistent with consensual sex.”https://t.co/HsItwC7VaC — Nathan McDermott (@natemcdermott) January 26, 2020
Reporter Nathan McDermott linked to the same Daily Beast article as Sonmez.
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--Paramedic’s Daughter Dies After She’s Trapped in House Fire, Dad Responds to Call

Police , firefighters and paramedics see a lot of things most of us don ’ t have to deal with on a daily basis .
Being the first to the scene means they see some really horrible accidents , and though their help is indispensable , the imagery sticks with them .
For one paramedic , the address that came up while he was on the job was his own .
According to a news release , at around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday morning , a call came in to the Altamahaw-Ossipee Fire Department about a house fire .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County , North Carolina , responded to the address — his own — where it was soon discovered that his daughter , 40-year-old Candice Thomas Wynn , was trapped .
First responders were able to locate and remove Wynn , and then they performed CPR on her before she was taken to the hospital .
Thomas was one of the responders who worked to save his daughter ’ s life , but sadly they were unable to save her and she passed away at the hospital .
To see a life slip away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but when it ’ s your own daughter ?
That amount of pain is something no one should have to deal with .
To help support the Thomas family , Paul McNabb started a GoFundMe page on Tuesday , and so far over $ 9,500 of the $ 10,000 goal has been raised for the grieving family .
“ Eddie Thomas ( a 30+ year paramedic with Alamance County ) and his wife Camille ’ s house caught fire on 02/04/2020 , ” he wrote .
“ Tragically , their daughter Candice lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundraiser is to assist Eddie and Camille , with medical expenses and funeral costs for Candice , along with repairing and/or replacing the property damaged or destroyed in the fire.
” In the Wednesday news release , the Altamahaw-Ossipee Fire Department explained what had happened and extended their condolences to the Thomas family .
“ The A-O Fire Department is saddened by this tragic event , the fire happened at the residence of one of our dedicated members , ” the release said .
“ This member has over 30 years of service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our dept and Alamance County EMS.
” “ Please keep the member of our department and his family in your thoughts and prayers in this difficult [ time ] .
A Go-Fund me page has been setup for him and family to help with Medical expenses , funeral expenses and property loss.
” Wynn reportedly also leaves behind a family of her own .
“ My beautiful sister-in-law , Candice Thomas Wynn , passed away in a fire at her dad ’ s house this morning , ” Tracy Hall , who identified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Candice was the only one there at the time.
” “ Please keep the Thomas family in your prayers , as well as my brother , Billy , and their kids , Rebekkah and Garrett.
” The cause of the fire is not yet known , but the fire department said that the Alamance County Fire Marshall Office , the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshall and ATF are investigating the incident .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards @

Police, firefighters and paramedics see a lot of things most of us don’t have to deal with on a daily basis. Being the first to the scene means they see some really horrible accidents, and though their help is indispensable, the imagery sticks with them.
For one paramedic, the address that came up while he was on the job was his own. According to a news release, at around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday morning, a call came in to the Altamahaw-Ossipee Fire Department about a house fire.
According to WGHP, Paramedic Eddie Thomas from Alamance County, North Carolina, responded to the address — his own — where it was soon discovered that his daughter, 40-year-old Candice Thomas Wynn, was trapped.
First responders were able to locate and remove Wynn, and then they performed CPR on her before she was taken to the hospital. Thomas was one of the responders who worked to save his daughter’s life, but sadly they were unable to save her and she passed away at the hospital.
To see a life slip away in such a fashion is heartbreaking — but when it’s your own daughter? That amount of pain is something no one should have to deal with.
To help support the Thomas family, Paul McNabb started a GoFundMe page on Tuesday, and so far over $9,500 of the $10,000 goal has been raised for the grieving family.
“Eddie Thomas (a 30+ year paramedic with Alamance County) and his wife Camille’s house caught fire on 02/04/2020,” he wrote.
“Tragically, their daughter Candice lost her life in the fire. This fundraiser is to assist Eddie and Camille, with medical expenses and funeral costs for Candice, along with repairing and/or replacing the property damaged or destroyed in the fire.”
In the Wednesday news release, the Altamahaw-Ossipee Fire Department explained what had happened and extended their condolences to the Thomas family.
“The A-O Fire Department is saddened by this tragic event, the fire happened at the residence of one of our dedicated members,” the release said. “This member has over 30 years of service to the citizens of Alamance County through our dept and Alamance County EMS.”
“Please keep the member of our department and his family in your thoughts and prayers in this difficult [time]. A Go-Fund me page has been setup for him and family to help with Medical expenses, funeral expenses and property loss.”
Wynn reportedly also leaves behind a family of her own.
“My beautiful sister-in-law, Candice Thomas Wynn, passed away in a fire at her dad’s house this morning,” Tracy Hall, who identified herself as family, posted on Facebook. “Candice was the only one there at the time.”
“Please keep the Thomas family in your prayers, as well as my brother, Billy, and their kids, Rebekkah and Garrett.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the fire department said that the Alamance County Fire Marshall Office, the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshall and ATF are investigating the incident.
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--January Jobs Numbers: Nearly Double Expected Gain, Best Month Since 2015

The U.S. economy seems to have entered the new year rock steady as non-farm , private-sector employment expanded by a staggering 291,000 jobs this past January .
According to ADP and Moody Analytics ’ most recent National Employment Report , the rapid surge in job growth signified the single best month for private-sector payrolls since May 2015 , bringing with it roughly 45,000 franchise employment opportunities and more than double that in the way of small business hirings .
“ The labor market experienced expanded payrolls in January , ” ADP Research Institute Vice President Ahu Yildirmaz said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added jobs , particularly in construction and manufacturing , while service providers experienced a large gain , led by leisure and hospitality.
” “ Job creation was strong among midsized companies , though small companies enjoyed the strongest performance in the last 18 months , ” Yildirmaz added .
This January growth nearly doubled that of numerous highly regarded Wall Street projections , all of which estimated expansion would fall somewhere in the ballpark of 150,000 jobs created , UPI reported .
Instead , the leisure and hospitality , and education and health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 166,000 total jobs .
The leisure and hospitality itself contributed 96,000 with “ an outsized increase in jobs ” — the potential product of increased commerce driven by a calm early winter , Moody Analytics ’ chief economist Mark Zandi wrote .
“ It ’ s juiced by very mild winter weather , ” Zandi told CNBC .
“ The fingerprints of that are all over this report.
” Zandi did warn , however , against the expectation that such numbers would be the yearlong trend .
“ Abstracting from the vagaries of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 125,000 per month , which is consistent with low and stable unemployment , ” the economist wrote .
President Donald Trump boasted heavily with regard to the U.S. economy during the State of the Union address Tuesday evening , touting , among other accomplishments , 50-year low unemployment under his administration .
RELATED : US Trade Deficit Drops for First Time in Six Years as Trump Piles Tariffs on China “ Incredibly , the average unemployment rate under my administration is lower than any administration in the history of our country , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had not reversed the failed economic policies of the previous administration , the world would not now be witness to America ’ s great economic success.
” “ This is a blue-collar boom , ” the president went on to say .
On Friday , the U.S. Department of Labor will release its own official jobs report regarding the last quarter of 2019 .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The U.S. economy seems to have entered the new year rock steady as non-farm, private-sector employment expanded by a staggering 291,000 jobs this past January.
According to ADP and Moody Analytics’ most recent National Employment Report, the rapid surge in job growth signified the single best month for private-sector payrolls since May 2015, bringing with it roughly 45,000 franchise employment opportunities and more than double that in the way of small business hirings.
“The labor market experienced expanded payrolls in January,” ADP Research Institute Vice President Ahu Yildirmaz said in a Wednesday news release. “Goods producers added jobs, particularly in construction and manufacturing, while service providers experienced a large gain, led by leisure and hospitality.”
“Job creation was strong among midsized companies, though small companies enjoyed the strongest performance in the last 18 months,” Yildirmaz added.
Payrolls grew by 291,000 in January. Private-sector employment grew by a whopping 291,000 jobs in January, according to data released today by @ADP and Moody’s Analytics, surpassing the impressive 202,000 jobs reported last month. https://t.co/A7c2Wbyl8H #Compensation #Data pic.twitter.com/8pI5Rll2UG — SHRM (@SHRM) February 5, 2020
This January growth nearly doubled that of numerous highly regarded Wall Street projections, all of which estimated expansion would fall somewhere in the ballpark of 150,000 jobs created, UPI reported.
Instead, the leisure and hospitality, and education and health services industries alone managed to combine for 166,000 total jobs.
The leisure and hospitality itself contributed 96,000 with “an outsized increase in jobs” — the potential product of increased commerce driven by a calm early winter, Moody Analytics’ chief economist Mark Zandi wrote.
“It’s juiced by very mild winter weather,” Zandi told CNBC. “The fingerprints of that are all over this report.”
Zandi did warn, however, against the expectation that such numbers would be the yearlong trend.
“Abstracting from the vagaries of the data underlying job growth is close to 125,000 per month, which is consistent with low and stable unemployment,” the economist wrote.
President Trump touts the strength of the U.S. economy during his State of the Union address. “In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline.” #SOTU https://t.co/QxSmkUuLtq pic.twitter.com/q7VGRGkBXp — CNBC Politics (@CNBCPolitics) February 5, 2020
President Donald Trump boasted heavily with regard to the U.S. economy during the State of the Union address Tuesday evening, touting, among other accomplishments, 50-year low unemployment under his administration.
“Incredibly, the average unemployment rate under my administration is lower than any administration in the history of our country,” Trump said.
Do you think Trump is responsible for the current economic boom? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 100% (19 Votes) No: 0% (0 Votes)
“If we had not reversed the failed economic policies of the previous administration, the world would not now be witness to America’s great economic success.”
“This is a blue-collar boom,” the president went on to say.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor will release its own official jobs report regarding the last quarter of 2019.
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--Alan Alda Responds to Death of ‘Friend and Mentor’ Gene Reynolds with Heartbreaking Post

In response to the death of television director and producer Gene Reynolds , actor and writer Alan Alda wrote a sentimental tribute to his “ friend and mentor.
” Reynolds , six-time Emmy award winner and co-creator of “ MASH ” and “ Lou Grant , ” died Monday in Burbank , California , Variety reported .
He was 96 years old .
Reynolds was the brilliant mind behind the wildly successful television series “ MASH , ” which centered around an army surgical hospital in the Korean War .
The series ran for 11 seasons and starred Alan Alda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the chief surgeon of the 4077th MASH unit .
Alda responded to the news of Reynolds ’ death in a heartbreaking social media post on Wednesday .
“ My friend and mentor Gene Reynolds has died but his brain and heart lives on in MASH , the classic he helped create , and produced and directed , ” Alda wrote .
“ He changed my life and touched the lives of tens of millions of us .
Goodbye , farewell and amen , Gene .
Love you.
” Reynolds earned 24 Primetime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six of them , as well as a host of other accolades and awards , including a Humanitas Prize for “ Lou Grant ” and Directors Guild of America awards for “ MASH ” and “ Lou Grant.
” Reynolds served 4 years as the president of the DGA , a term that began in 1993 .
Other stars took to social media to express their sadness over Reynolds ’ death , including “ Lou Grant ” actor Ed Asner .
“ Good night old friend .
I was blessed to know you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Actress Shannen Doherty Reveals Her Cancer Has Returned and It 's Stage 4 : ' A Bitter Pill To Swallow' “ Thank you for for everything.
” DGA President Thomas Schlamme said Reynolds ’ influence on the DGA during his lifetime was “ significant and lasting , ” according to a statement from the guild .
“ He was passionate about this Guild , ” Schlamme wrote , “ spirited in his beliefs and dedicated until the end.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read @ @ @ @

In response to the death of television director and producer Gene Reynolds, actor and writer Alan Alda wrote a sentimental tribute to his “friend and mentor.”
Reynolds, six-time Emmy award winner and co-creator of “MASH” and “Lou Grant,” died Monday in Burbank, California, Variety reported.
He was 96 years old.
Reynolds was the brilliant mind behind the wildly successful television series “MASH,” which centered around an army surgical hospital in the Korean War.
The series ran for 11 seasons and starred Alan Alda, who played “Hawkeye” Pierce, the chief surgeon of the 4077th MASH unit.
Alda responded to the news of Reynolds’ death in a heartbreaking social media post on Wednesday.
“My friend and mentor Gene Reynolds has died but his brain and heart lives on in MASH, the classic he helped create, and produced and directed,” Alda wrote.
“He changed my life and touched the lives of tens of millions of us. Goodbye, farewell and amen, Gene. Love you.”
My friend and mentor Gene Reynolds has died but his brain and heart lives on in MASH, the classic he helped create, and produced and directed. He changed my life and touched the lives of tens of millions of us. Goodbye, farewell and amen, Gene. Love you. — Alan Alda (@alanalda) February 5, 2020
Reynolds earned 24 Primetime Emmy nominations during his career, winning six of them, as well as a host of other accolades and awards, including a Humanitas Prize for “Lou Grant” and Directors Guild of America awards for “MASH” and “Lou Grant.”
Reynolds served 4 years as the president of the DGA, a term that began in 1993.
Other stars took to social media to express their sadness over Reynolds’ death, including “Lou Grant” actor Ed Asner.
“Good night old friend. I was blessed to know you,” Asner wrote.
Good night old friend. I was blessed to know you. Thank you for for everything. https://t.co/h47nHuenOD — Ed Asner (@TheOnlyEdAsner) February 5, 2020
“Thank you for for everything.”
DGA President Thomas Schlamme said Reynolds’ influence on the DGA during his lifetime was “significant and lasting,” according to a statement from the guild.
“He was passionate about this Guild,” Schlamme wrote, “spirited in his beliefs and dedicated until the end.”
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--George Soros Sets His Sights on Facebook, Zuckerberg: They ‘Helped Trump Get Elected’

Billionaire far-left activist George Soros has accused Facebook of helping President Donald Trump get elected in 2016 and predicted that it would do the same in 2020 .
On Jan. 23 , Soros described what he believes to be a growing mutually beneficial relationship between Trump and Facebook and the potential implications of it .
“ I think there is a kind of informal mutual assistance operation or agreement developing between Trump and Facebook , ” he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , according to Bloomberg .
“ Facebook will work together to re-elect Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook so that this situation can not be changed and it makes me very concerned about the outcome for 2020.
” Andy Stone , a spokesperson for Facebook , responded on Twitter and denied Soros ’ claims .
“ I ’ ll say it because I think needs to be said , ” he wrote .
“ This is just plain wrong.
” Bloomberg reported at the time that Soros didn ’ t offer any evidence to prove his claims , but one week later , the billionaire — who in October said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be president , ’ but stopped short of an outright endorsement — wrote an Op-Ed for The New York Times in which he presented the reasoning behind his statements in Switzerland .
Soros argued that the tech giant is putting its interest in maximizing profits over what he believes is the company ’ s responsibility to regulate information posted on the platform .
“ Facebook helped Trump to get elected and I am afraid that it will do the same in 2020 , ” Soros claimed to have said during a dinner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its decision to not fact-check political ads , claiming that it has “ flung open the door for false , manipulated , extreme and incendiary statements.
” “ Facebook can post deliberately misleading or false statements by candidates for public office and others , and take no responsibility for them , ” Soros wrote .
On Sept. 24 , 2019 , Nick Clegg , Facebook ’ s VP of Global Affairs and Communications , said that the organization would not send “ organic content or ads ” from politicians to third-party fact-checking partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to help reduce the spread of false news and other types of viral misinformation , like memes or manipulated photos and videos , ” Clegg said .
RELATED : Zuckerberg Admits Facebook 's New Approach to Free Speech Will Make Many People Angry “ We don ’ t believe , however , that it ’ s an appropriate role for us to referee political debates and prevent a politician ’ s speech from reaching its audience and being subject to public debate and scrutiny.
” On Friday , Zuckerberg told those at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company ’ s shift from censorship to free speech would likely make many people angry .
“ But frankly , the old approach was pissing off a lot of people too , ” he said , according to CNN Business , “ so let ’ s try something different.
” Facebook came under fire after President Trump ’ s victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 for ads purchased on the platform between June 2015 and May 2017 .
In 2017 , the social media giant discovered that $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 470 “ inauthentic ” pages and accounts that were “ likely operated out of Russia.
” It was also criticized for allowing “ false news , ” which prompted a significant change to its algorithm in 2018 .
The change , which included the introduction of third-party fact-checkers , impacted all publishers on its platform and , more significantly so , conservative publishers .
Campbell Brown , Head of News Partnerships at Facebook , said in 2018 that the algorithm change would allow them to better promote “ quality news , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is not us stepping back from news , ” she said .
“ This is us changing our relationship with publishers and emphasizing something that Facebook has never done before : It ’ s having a point of view , and it ’ s leaning into quality news .
… We are , for the first time in the history of Facebook , taking a step to try to to define what ‘ quality news ’ looks like and give that a boost.
” That same year , The Western Journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ difference between the impact on conservative- and liberal-leaning outlets following the 2018 algorithm change .
“ This algorithm change , intentional or not , has in effect censored conservative viewpoints on the largest social media platform in the world , ” The Western Journal concluded .
“ This change has ramifications that , in the short-term , are causing conservative publishers to downsize or fold up completely , and in the long-term could swing elections in the United States and around the world toward liberal politicians and policies.
” On Friday , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ censorship have made him feel uncomfortable .
“ It kind of feels like the list of things that you ’ re not allowed to say socially keeps on growing , ” he said , according to The Salt Lake Tribune .
“ And I ’ m not really OK with that.
” “ The last thing I want is for our products to be used to divide people or rip society apart in any kind of way , ” he added .
“ But at some point , we ’ ve got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ re going to stand for free expression.
’ Yeah , we ’ re going to take down the content that ’ s really harmful , but the line needs to be held at some point.
” Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also been critical of Facebook ’ s recent decision , accusing the company of masking its true motivations behind an embrace of free speech .
“ They have , in my view , contorted themselves into making arguments about freedom of speech and censorship which they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their commercial interests , ” she told The Atlantic .
She further claimed Zuckerberg ’ s recent decisions display an “ authoritarian ” shift , saying that he has been “ somehow persuaded that it ’ s to his and Facebook ’ s advantage not to cross Trump.
” Soros ultimately called for the big tech giant , and its leaders , to face accountability for the “ false statements ” he fears the company ’ s new policies will allow to exist .
“ The responsible approach is self-evident , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a publisher not just a neutral moderator or ‘ platform.
’ It should be held accountable for the content that appears on its site.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Billionaire far-left activist George Soros has accused Facebook of helping President Donald Trump get elected in 2016 and predicted that it would do the same in 2020.
On Jan. 23, Soros described what he believes to be a growing mutually beneficial relationship between Trump and Facebook and the potential implications of it.
“I think there is a kind of informal mutual assistance operation or agreement developing between Trump and Facebook,” he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, according to Bloomberg.
“Facebook will work together to re-elect Trump, and Trump will work to protect Facebook so that this situation cannot be changed and it makes me very concerned about the outcome for 2020.”
Andy Stone, a spokesperson for Facebook, responded on Twitter and denied Soros’ claims. “I’ll say it because I think needs to be said,” he wrote. “This is just plain wrong.”
I’ll say it because I think needs to be said. This is just plain wrong. — Andy Stone (@andymstone) January 23, 2020
Bloomberg reported at the time that Soros didn’t offer any evidence to prove his claims, but one week later, the billionaire — who in October said Elizabeth Warren was the ‘most qualified to be president,’ but stopped short of an outright endorsement — wrote an Op-Ed for The New York Times in which he presented the reasoning behind his statements in Switzerland.
Soros argued that the tech giant is putting its interest in maximizing profits over what he believes is the company’s responsibility to regulate information posted on the platform.
Do you think Facebook should regulate information as Soros suggested? Yes No
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“Facebook helped Trump to get elected and I am afraid that it will do the same in 2020,” Soros claimed to have said during a dinner in Switzerland.
He chastised Facebook for its decision to not fact-check political ads, claiming that it has “flung open the door for false, manipulated, extreme and incendiary statements.”
“Facebook can post deliberately misleading or false statements by candidates for public office and others, and take no responsibility for them,” Soros wrote.
On Sept. 24, 2019, Nick Clegg, Facebook’s VP of Global Affairs and Communications, said that the organization would not send “organic content or ads” from politicians to third-party fact-checking partners.
“We rely on third-party fact-checkers to help reduce the spread of false news and other types of viral misinformation, like memes or manipulated photos and videos,” Clegg said.
“We don’t believe, however, that it’s an appropriate role for us to referee political debates and prevent a politician’s speech from reaching its audience and being subject to public debate and scrutiny.”
On Friday, Zuckerberg told those at the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit in Utah that the company’s shift from censorship to free speech would likely make many people angry.
“But frankly, the old approach was pissing off a lot of people too,” he said, according to CNN Business, “so let’s try something different.”
Facebook came under fire after President Trump’s victory over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 for ads purchased on the platform between June 2015 and May 2017.
In 2017, the social media giant discovered that $100,000 dollars worth of ads were purchased by 470 “inauthentic” pages and accounts that were “likely operated out of Russia.”
It was also criticized for allowing “false news,” which prompted a significant change to its algorithm in 2018.
The change, which included the introduction of third-party fact-checkers, impacted all publishers on its platform and, more significantly so, conservative publishers.
Campbell Brown, Head of News Partnerships at Facebook, said in 2018 that the algorithm change would allow them to better promote “quality news,” which would be identified by Facebook.
“This is not us stepping back from news,” she said. “This is us changing our relationship with publishers and emphasizing something that Facebook has never done before: It’s having a point of view, and it’s leaning into quality news. … We are, for the first time in the history of Facebook, taking a step to try to to define what ‘quality news’ looks like and give that a boost.”
That same year, The Western Journal conducted an analysis that showed the stark difference between the impact on conservative- and liberal-leaning outlets following the 2018 algorithm change.
“This algorithm change, intentional or not, has in effect censored conservative viewpoints on the largest social media platform in the world,” The Western Journal concluded. “This change has ramifications that, in the short-term, are causing conservative publishers to downsize or fold up completely, and in the long-term could swing elections in the United States and around the world toward liberal politicians and policies.”
On Friday, however, Zuckerberg said the ever-increasing requests for censorship have made him feel uncomfortable.
“It kind of feels like the list of things that you’re not allowed to say socially keeps on growing,” he said, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. “And I’m not really OK with that.”
“The last thing I want is for our products to be used to divide people or rip society apart in any kind of way,” he added.
“But at some point, we’ve got to stand up and say, ‘No, we’re going to stand for free expression.’ Yeah, we’re going to take down the content that’s really harmful, but the line needs to be held at some point.”
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has also been critical of Facebook’s recent decision, accusing the company of masking its true motivations behind an embrace of free speech.
“They have, in my view, contorted themselves into making arguments about freedom of speech and censorship which they are hanging onto because it’s in their commercial interests,” she told The Atlantic.
She further claimed Zuckerberg’s recent decisions display an “authoritarian” shift, saying that he has been “somehow persuaded that it’s to his and Facebook’s advantage not to cross Trump.”
Soros ultimately called for the big tech giant, and its leaders, to face accountability for the “false statements” he fears the company’s new policies will allow to exist.
“The responsible approach is self-evident,” he wrote in his Op-Ed. “Facebook is a publisher not just a neutral moderator or ‘platform.’ It should be held accountable for the content that appears on its site.”
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--9-Month-Old Puppy Accidentally Setting House On Fire Caught on Video

A 9-month-old puppy is responsible for accidentally starting a fire that damaged a home in Los Alamos County , New Mexico , last month .
If you have cared for a puppy lately , you are all too familiar with the myriad of ways their natural curiosity can lead to destruction .
Kahuna the puppy is no exception , as video footage showed the moment the curious pooch was sniffing around in a corner of its home , accidentally knocking over an ironing board that had been placed near the home ’ s heating grate .
As the ironing board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ items , including a backpack that fell on top of the furnace .
Within an hour , the items began to melt , initiating a fire down inside the furnace unit , according to a news release from the Los Alamos County Fire Department titled , “ Video Reveals Curious Pup Caused Home Fire.
” “ The furnace was operating and produced sufficient heat to melt some of the items , which flowed into the heater and served as necessary fuel to initiate the fire down inside the furnace unit , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housemate Paige were able to get away from the fire unharmed , and firefighters successfully to put out the fire , minimizing the damage caused to the home .
The homeowner later supplied the LAFD with video evidence that confirmed what everyone had suspected : a family pet had inadvertently started the fire .
A curious Kahuna was seen sniffing around and then racing away as the ironing board toppled over .
When the flames began to lick the walls , Paige , from her comfy position on the couch , did a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area .
The LAFD is hopeful that Kahuna ’ s story will raise awareness among homeowners to be careful about placing items too close to heating elements , especially when pets are home alone and allowed to wander .
RELATED : Quick-Thinking Man Uses Coffee To Rescue 3 Kittens Trapped in Heavy Snow “ Los Alamos Fire Department recommends homeowners ensure that smoke alarms are located in and outside all bedrooms , on each level of a home , and interconnected so that if one smoke alarm sounds , they all sound , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also recommends that combustible items not be placed on or within three feet of heating devices or heat-producing appliances , especially when pets are left home alone and could knock items onto the heaters.
” Meanwhile , Kahuna , who “ declined to comment , ” will be attending a dog training or fire prevention class , the LAFD reported on behalf of the homeowners .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A 9-month-old puppy is responsible for accidentally starting a fire that damaged a home in Los Alamos County, New Mexico, last month.
If you have cared for a puppy lately, you are all too familiar with the myriad of ways their natural curiosity can lead to destruction.
Kahuna the puppy is no exception, as video footage showed the moment the curious pooch was sniffing around in a corner of its home, accidentally knocking over an ironing board that had been placed near the home’s heating grate.
As the ironing board came crashing down, so did other items, including a backpack that fell on top of the furnace.
Within an hour, the items began to melt, initiating a fire down inside the furnace unit, according to a news release from the Los Alamos County Fire Department titled, “Video Reveals Curious Pup Caused Home Fire.”
“The furnace was operating and produced sufficient heat to melt some of the items, which flowed into the heater and served as necessary fuel to initiate the fire down inside the furnace unit,” the LAFD wrote.
Kahuna and her furry housemate Paige were able to get away from the fire unharmed, and firefighters successfully to put out the fire, minimizing the damage caused to the home.
The homeowner later supplied the LAFD with video evidence that confirmed what everyone had suspected: a family pet had inadvertently started the fire.
A curious Kahuna was seen sniffing around and then racing away as the ironing board toppled over.
When the flames began to lick the walls, Paige, from her comfy position on the couch, did a brief bit of investigating before leaving the area.
The LAFD is hopeful that Kahuna’s story will raise awareness among homeowners to be careful about placing items too close to heating elements, especially when pets are home alone and allowed to wander.
“Los Alamos Fire Department recommends homeowners ensure that smoke alarms are located in and outside all bedrooms, on each level of a home, and interconnected so that if one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound,” the statement read.
“LAFD also recommends that combustible items not be placed on or within three feet of heating devices or heat-producing appliances, especially when pets are left home alone and could knock items onto the heaters.”
Meanwhile, Kahuna, who “declined to comment,” will be attending a dog training or fire prevention class, the LAFD reported on behalf of the homeowners.
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--Army Wife Surprised by President Trump During SOTU When Deployed Husband Walks Down Steps

A military family was reunited during Tuesday night ’ s State of the Union address when a U.S. Army sergeant surprised his wife and two young children after spending months in Afghanistan .
Sgt .
1st Class Townsend Williams had been deployed in Afghanistan for seven months on his 4th deployment in the Middle East , President Donald Trump said Tuesday .
The sergeant ’ s wife , Amy Williams , was seated in the House chamber with their two children , Elliana , 6 , and Rowan , 3 .
Trump acknowledged the sacrifice that America ’ s military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying , “ War places a heavy burden on our nation ’ s extraordinary military families.
” Trump pointed out Williams and her children , thanking them for their sacrifice and acknowledging how hard Williams works to benefit her family and others .
With her spouse deployed in Afghanistan , Williams “ works full time , and volunteers countless hours helping other military families , ” the president said .
Williams and her children stood together as the crowd applauded the family .
“ Amy , your family ’ s sacrifice makes it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live in safety and peace , and we want to thank you , ” Trump said .
As Williams and her children prepared to sit down , Trump made a stunning announcement that left the Army wife in tears .
“ I am thrilled to inform you that your husband is back from deployment , he is here with us tonight , ” Trump said , “ and we couldn ’ t keep him waiting any longer.
” RELATED : ICYMI : Here Are the 8 Best Lines from Trump 's State of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1st Class Townsend Williams of the 82nd Airborne Division , who walked down the stairs to a roar of applause and cheers from a supportive crowd .
Reunited for the first time in months , Amy and Townsend shared a sweet kiss while the father hugged his children and scooped his little boy up into his arms .
Amy Williams struggled to hold back tears as she embraced her husband .
The U.S. Army also acknowledged Williams , sharing a video of him on social media as he thanked his family for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have Soldiers like Williams in our ranks , ” the post read .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A military family was reunited during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address when a U.S. Army sergeant surprised his wife and two young children after spending months in Afghanistan.
Sgt. 1st Class Townsend Williams had been deployed in Afghanistan for seven months on his 4th deployment in the Middle East, President Donald Trump said Tuesday.
The sergeant’s wife, Amy Williams, was seated in the House chamber with their two children, Elliana, 6, and Rowan, 3.
Trump acknowledged the sacrifice that America’s military families make on a daily basis, saying, “War places a heavy burden on our nation’s extraordinary military families.”
Trump pointed out Williams and her children, thanking them for their sacrifice and acknowledging how hard Williams works to benefit her family and others.
With her spouse deployed in Afghanistan, Williams “works full time, and volunteers countless hours helping other military families,” the president said.
Williams and her children stood together as the crowd applauded the family.
“Amy, your family’s sacrifice makes it possible for all of our families to live in safety and peace, and we want to thank you,” Trump said.
As Williams and her children prepared to sit down, Trump made a stunning announcement that left the Army wife in tears.
“I am thrilled to inform you that your husband is back from deployment, he is here with us tonight,” Trump said, “and we couldn’t keep him waiting any longer.”
Trump welcomed Sgt. 1st Class Townsend Williams of the 82nd Airborne Division, who walked down the stairs to a roar of applause and cheers from a supportive crowd.
Reunited for the first time in months, Amy and Townsend shared a sweet kiss while the father hugged his children and scooped his little boy up into his arms.
Amy Williams struggled to hold back tears as she embraced her husband.
Sgt. 1st Class Townsend Williams, @82ndABNDiv, was just reunited with his family at the #StateofTheUnion. They represent our great Army families & the sacrifices they make on behalf of the nation. We are honored to have Soldiers like Williams in our ranks. #SOTU2020 #SOTU pic.twitter.com/JjESFedQXT — U.S. Army (@USArmy) February 5, 2020
The U.S. Army also acknowledged Williams, sharing a video of him on social media as he thanked his family for their support.
“We are honored to have Soldiers like Williams in our ranks,” the post read.
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westernjournal--2020-02-05--Ocasio-Cortez Attacks Rush Limbaugh as ‘Racist,’ Calls His Medal of Freedom Win ‘Truly Nauseating’

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York accused President Donald Trump of cheapening the Presidential Medal of Freedom by awarding it to talk radio show icon Rush Limbaugh during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night .
Limbaugh announced on his nationally syndicated program Monday that he has advanced-stage lung cancer .
Ocasio-Cortez — who boycotted the State of the Union — described Limbaugh as a “ virulent racist ” in an Instagram Live video after Trump ’ s speech .
“ The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an extraordinarily sacred award , ” the freshman congresswoman said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting someone on the same level as Rosa Parks , you know , for example , in terms of their contributions to American progress.
” “ Rush Limbaugh is a virulent racist , but even just on top of that , to do it in the middle of a State of the Union and not even dignify it with its own ceremony as it has — there ’ s all sorts of norms that are being violated , not just for people ’ s humanity , but also it truly just cheapens the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She found it a “ joke ” that Limbaugh acted surprised when Trump announced the talk radio legend would be receiving the medal during the speech .
USA Today reported that during a lunch with reporters on Tuesday , the president said he planned to bestow the honor on Limbaugh as early as next week , so it is not clear Limbaugh knew he was going to receive the award during the State of the Union .
It “ was so disingenuous and to do that and to give it to Rush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in that audience that have contributed positively to the fabric of American society much more , frankly , than he has , ” Ocasio-Cortez argued .
“ You know , but it ’ s red meat to his base , ” she said .
“ Trump knows what he ’ s doing .
And he wants to assert that Rush Limbaugh is somehow on the same level as Rosa Parks and it ’ s truly nauseating , and this is one of the many reasons why I did not go.
” During his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ praised Limbaugh , who was seated in the House gallery next to first lady Melania Trump .
“ Here tonight is a special man , beloved by millions of Americans , who just received a stage 4 advanced cancer diagnosis , ” Trump said .
“ This is not good news , but what is good news is that he is the greatest fighter and winner that you will ever meet.
” RELATED : Trump Says Ocasio-Cortez Will Run Against Chuck Schumer and Easily Beat Him “ Rush Limbaugh , thank you for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country , ” Trump said .
“ Rush , in recognition of all that you have done for our nation , the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire and all of the incredible work that you have done for charity , I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country ’ s highest civilian honor , the Presidential Medal of Freedom , ” Trump said .
“ I will now ask the first lady of the United States to present you with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed the medal around Limbaugh ’ s neck .
The 69-year-old launched his nationally syndicated conservative radio program in August 1988 .
Fox News reported Limbaugh is “ a five-time winner of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for ‘ Excellence in Syndicated and Network Broadcasting , ’ a No .
1 New York Times bestselling author and a member of the Radio Hall of Fame and National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
” “ He also was named one of Barbara Walters ’ 10 Most Fascinating People in 2008 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Influential People in the World in 2009 , ” according to Fox .
Last August , Limbaugh listed some of the charities his supporters enabled him to contribute to over his 30-plus years on the air .
They included $ 3 million to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation , and over $ 5 million to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society .
Trump has awarded the Medal of Freedom to over a dozen people so far , including humanitarian and businessman Roger Penske , former Attorney General Edwin Meese , New York Yankees legend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , economist Art Laffer , former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia , singer Elvis Presley and former Yankees home run slugger George Herman “ Babe ” Ruth .
Some of the recipients under former President Barack Obama included Los Angeles Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , talk show host Ellen DeGeneres , basketball icon Michael Jordan , actor Robert De Niro , actor Tom Hanks , singer Diana Ross , baseball broadcaster Vin Scully and singer Bruce Springsteen .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our @ @ @

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York accused President Donald Trump of cheapening the Presidential Medal of Freedom by awarding it to talk radio show icon Rush Limbaugh during the State of the Union address on Tuesday night.
Limbaugh announced on his nationally syndicated program Monday that he has advanced-stage lung cancer.
Ocasio-Cortez — who boycotted the State of the Union — described Limbaugh as a “virulent racist” in an Instagram Live video after Trump’s speech.
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an extraordinarily sacred award,” the freshman congresswoman said. “We’re talking about putting someone on the same level as Rosa Parks, you know, for example, in terms of their contributions to American progress.”
“Rush Limbaugh is a virulent racist, but even just on top of that, to do it in the middle of a State of the Union and not even dignify it with its own ceremony as it has — there’s all sorts of norms that are being violated, not just for people’s humanity, but also it truly just cheapens the value of it,” Ocasio-Cortez added.
Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez viciously *mocks* Rush Limbaugh, who has stage 4 lung cancer, calls his reaction to being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom “disingenuous” Says that he, while having cancer, was a “joke,” needed an “Opera moment,” and was “nauseating” pic.twitter.com/VrsIj1Cmlj — Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) February 5, 2020
She found it a “joke” that Limbaugh acted surprised when Trump announced the talk radio legend would be receiving the medal during the speech.
USA Today reported that during a lunch with reporters on Tuesday, the president said he planned to bestow the honor on Limbaugh as early as next week, so it is not clear Limbaugh knew he was going to receive the award during the State of the Union.
Do you support Trump awarding Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 99% (1128 Votes) No: 1% (16 Votes)
It “was so disingenuous and to do that and to give it to Rush Limbaugh when there were plenty of people in that audience that have contributed positively to the fabric of American society much more, frankly, than he has,” Ocasio-Cortez argued.
“You know, but it’s red meat to his base,” she said.
“Trump knows what he’s doing. And he wants to assert that Rush Limbaugh is somehow on the same level as Rosa Parks and it’s truly nauseating, and this is one of the many reasons why I did not go.”
During his State of the Union address, Trump praised Limbaugh, who was seated in the House gallery next to first lady Melania Trump.
“Here tonight is a special man, beloved by millions of Americans, who just received a stage 4 advanced cancer diagnosis,” Trump said. “This is not good news, but what is good news is that he is the greatest fighter and winner that you will ever meet.”
“Rush Limbaugh, thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country,” Trump said.
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At that point, Limbaugh received a standing ovation.
“Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire and all of the incredible work that you have done for charity, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said. “I will now ask the first lady of the United States to present you with the honor.”
The first lady then placed the medal around Limbaugh’s neck.
The 69-year-old launched his nationally syndicated conservative radio program in August 1988.
Fox News reported Limbaugh is “a five-time winner of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for ‘Excellence in Syndicated and Network Broadcasting,’ a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author and a member of the Radio Hall of Fame and National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.”
“He also was named one of Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People in 2008 and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009,” according to Fox.
Last August, Limbaugh listed some of the charities his supporters enabled him to contribute to over his 30-plus years on the air.
They included $3 million to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and over $5 million to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Trump has awarded the Medal of Freedom to over a dozen people so far, including humanitarian and businessman Roger Penske, former Attorney General Edwin Meese, New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera, golf icon Tiger Woods, economist Art Laffer, former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, singer Elvis Presley and former Yankees home run slugger George Herman “Babe” Ruth.
Some of the recipients under former President Barack Obama included Los Angeles Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, basketball icon Michael Jordan, actor Robert De Niro, actor Tom Hanks, singer Diana Ross, baseball broadcaster Vin Scully and singer Bruce Springsteen.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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