hotair--2020-07-28--Portland mayor: Okay, *now* I want a meeting with DHS

Really ?
Two weeks ago , DHS Secretary Chad Wolf was at least available in the same city as Ted Wheeler , but the mayor publicly disdained the very idea of a meeting .
And Wheeler made that disdain very well known at the time as well : What a difference a fresh deployment of fifty more officers makes .
Now Wheeler and commissioner JoAnn Hardesty are demanding a meeting with DHS to determine how to implement a “ cease fire.
” That seems rather fatuous , as the mayor and the commissioner have the means for such an outcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty are requesting a meeting with Department of Homeland Security leadership “ to discuss a ceasefire and removal of heightened federal forces from Portland.
” Monday evening ’ s statement is a turnabout for Wheeler , who previously said he wouldn ’ t meet with DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf even if he was invited .
Wheeler had a phone conversation with Wolf two weeks ago .
He said he wanted federal officers off Portland streets , and then “ asked him to clean up the graffiti @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a longtime police reform advocate , has also denounced federal officers being in Portland .
She has also been critical of Wheeler ’ s leadership during the protests , even going as far as telling the mayor , who is also the police commissioner , that if he “ can ’ t control the police , give me the Portland Police Bureau.
” Er … how will Wheeler negotiate a cease-fire ?
Does he lead one of the combatant factions ?
Wheeler isn ’ t demanding a cease-fire — he ’ s demanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrender .
The answer from DHS to Wheeler ’ s stand-down demand appears to be a big , hearty naah for the moment .
The Washington Post reported shortly after Wheeler suddenly found time on his schedule for a meeting that DHS will deploy fifty more officers to Portland to support the agents already under fire : The U.S .
Marshals Service decided last week to send more deputies to Portland , according to an internal email reviewed by The Washington Post , with personnel beginning to arrive last Thursday night .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a plan to send an additional 50 U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to the city , according to senior administration officials involved in the federal response who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations .
Such moves would mark a significant expansion of the federal force operating at the Portland federal courthouse — there were 114 federal agents there in mid-July — though it is unclear how many existing personnel could be sent home after the arrival of at least 100 reinforcements , according to internal Marshals emails .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ police could protect federal property .
Under Wheeler ’ s direction , Portland police haven ’ t been able to protect much of anything , let alone keep the peace .
These riots have been going on for more than 60 days now , and the deployment of federal officers became necessary when it became clear that Wheeler wasn ’ t going to gain control of the situation .
And because it ’ s still clear that Wheeler isn ’ t going to gain control of the situation , DHS can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ properties they are defending .
Is that Hardesty ’ s point ?
Likely not ; Hardesty has been an advocate of policing reform and retreat , not assertiveness .
At least Hardesty has identified the point of failure correctly — in part .
Wheeler ’ s not alone in responsibility for policing and maintaining public peace , and the sixty-plus days of violent demonstrations are a failure of the entire civic leadership .
It won ’ t be long before voters — even in Portland — reach the same conclusion .
Even the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry about backfire .
“ They ’ re telling people that if they see acts of violence downtown , ” KOIN reporter Wayne Havrelly said , “ they say it ’ s time to go home .
They say that doesn ’ t represent the movement.
” Actually , it increasingly does represent the movement — and that ’ s what worries BLM activists .
Lie down with Antifa , get up with violent-anarchy fleas .
At some point , voters will get sick and tired of the violence and start putting people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it rather than appease it .
Hopefully , soon .

Really? Two weeks ago, DHS Secretary Chad Wolf was at least available in the same city as Ted Wheeler, but the mayor publicly disdained the very idea of a meeting. And Wheeler made that disdain very well known at the time as well:
A number of people have asked if I know DHS leadership is in town, and if I’m going to meet with them. We’re aware that they’re here. We wish they weren’t. We haven’t been invited to meet with them, and if we were , we would decline. — Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) July 16, 2020
What a difference a fresh deployment of fifty more officers makes. Now Wheeler and commissioner JoAnn Hardesty are demanding a meeting with DHS to determine how to implement a “cease fire.” That seems rather fatuous, as the mayor and the commissioner have the means for such an outcome in their own hands:
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty are requesting a meeting with Department of Homeland Security leadership “to discuss a ceasefire and removal of heightened federal forces from Portland.” Monday evening’s statement is a turnabout for Wheeler, who previously said he wouldn’t meet with DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf even if he was invited. Wheeler had a phone conversation with Wolf two weeks ago. He said he wanted federal officers off Portland streets, and then “asked him to clean up the graffiti on local federal facilities.” Hardesty, a longtime police reform advocate, has also denounced federal officers being in Portland. She has also been critical of Wheeler’s leadership during the protests, even going as far as telling the mayor, who is also the police commissioner, that if he “can’t control the police, give me the Portland Police Bureau.”
Er … how will Wheeler negotiate a cease-fire? Does he lead one of the combatant factions? Wheeler isn’t demanding a cease-fire — he’s demanding that the Trump administration partner in his surrender.
The answer from DHS to Wheeler’s stand-down demand appears to be a big, hearty naah for the moment. The Washington Post reported shortly after Wheeler suddenly found time on his schedule for a meeting that DHS will deploy fifty more officers to Portland to support the agents already under fire:
The U.S. Marshals Service decided last week to send more deputies to Portland, according to an internal email reviewed by The Washington Post, with personnel beginning to arrive last Thursday night. The Department of Homeland Security is also considering a plan to send an additional 50 U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel to the city, according to senior administration officials involved in the federal response who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. Such moves would mark a significant expansion of the federal force operating at the Portland federal courthouse — there were 114 federal agents there in mid-July — though it is unclear how many existing personnel could be sent home after the arrival of at least 100 reinforcements, according to internal Marshals emails.
That would not be necessary if Portland police could protect federal property. Under Wheeler’s direction, Portland police haven’t been able to protect much of anything, let alone keep the peace. These riots have been going on for more than 60 days now, and the deployment of federal officers became necessary when it became clear that Wheeler wasn’t going to gain control of the situation. And because it’s still clear that Wheeler isn’t going to gain control of the situation, DHS can’t pull its agents out of the federal properties they are defending.
Is that Hardesty’s point? Likely not; Hardesty has been an advocate of policing reform and retreat, not assertiveness. At least Hardesty has identified the point of failure correctly — in part. Wheeler’s not alone in responsibility for policing and maintaining public peace, and the sixty-plus days of violent demonstrations are a failure of the entire civic leadership. It won’t be long before voters — even in Portland — reach the same conclusion.
Even the Black Lives Matter leadership is beginning to worry about backfire. “They’re telling people that if they see acts of violence downtown,” KOIN reporter Wayne Havrelly said, “they say it’s time to go home. They say that doesn’t represent the movement.” Actually, it increasingly does represent the movement — and that’s what worries BLM activists. Lie down with Antifa, get up with violent-anarchy fleas. At some point, voters will get sick and tired of the violence and start putting people in office who will pledge to end it rather than appease it. Hopefully, soon.


hotair--2020-07-28--Get the popcorn: Sanders co-chair says voting for Biden is like "eating half a bowl of s**t"

It ’ s not exactly an eloquent comparison but it sure gets the message across .
The co-chair of Bernie Sanders ’ failed 2020 presidential campaign sounds as though she is only grudgingly going to vote for Joe Biden in the November election .
Nina Turner certainly provided an eyebrow-raising quote in a piece published in The Atlantic .
The piece is titled “ Don ’ t Count Trump Out ” and the author lists five reasons that the election can go Trump ’ s way in November .
It has been interesting to watch the media narrative slowly turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone from unequivocally stating that Trump is toast and will be denied a second term in office by voters to beginning to say , well , maybe he can win if this happens or that happens .
This is encouraging news for the Trump campaign , which , let ’ s face it , has been dealing with a rough patch lately .
The Bernie bros wing of the Democrat Party , though , is giving acute cases of heartburn to Team Biden and the DNC .
Nina Turner ’ s quote is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s got his own problems .
There is also a very strong quote from Cornel West .
The idea is that Biden may be someone who can express empathy for Americans going through tough times but to the far-left wing of the party , he ’ s the kind of moderate that must be moved out of the way , not elected as president .
“ We have to be true to ourselves and acknowledge that Biden is a mediocre , milquetoast , neoliberal centrist that we ’ ve been fighting against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West , the Harvard University professor and a Bernie Sanders supporter , told me .
If Sanders ’ s primary voters stay home on Election Day out of pique , that could damage Biden ’ s chances , especially in must-win swing states .
Nina Turner , a co-chair of the Sanders campaign , told me she has no appetite for the choice she faces : “ It ’ s like saying to somebody , ‘ You have a bowl of shit in front of you , and all you ’ ve got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of the whole thing.
’ It ’ s still shit.
” So , we ’ ll just say that there is still a lot of tension between Bernie ’ s supporters and the Biden campaign .
Given that this is the second presidential year cycle that they have had to step aside for a standard Democrat establishment candidate , it isn ’ t surprising that there is a lot of resentment still floating around .
It is less than 100 days until the election , though , and Biden has a real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t help .
Plus , as the article points out , you can bet your bottom dollar that President Trump will take advantage of the tension between the two camps and stir the pot every chance he gets .
He boasts that Bernie voters voted for him in 2016 and you can believe he ’ ll do the same this time .
Trump would be a fool not to take advantage of the opportunity .
The Biden campaign has the Never Trumper Republicans and the Trump campaign has the Bernie bros. Sanders ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers to protest Biden and vote for Trump , and they certainly won ’ t admit it out loud , but it could be a small factor in Trump ’ s re-election victory .
It ’ s a legitimate thought , anyway .
That leads to the fifth reason that Trump may win re-election – Biden ’ s voters may just stay home and not vote at all .
The Atlantic piece blames voter suppression due to the coronavirus and voters not wanting to risk their health to vote ( though polling places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread of the virus . )
It ’ s an excuse to promote mail-in voting , which Trump and Republicans oppose , on a nationwide basis .
Most states are not set up to handle all mail-in voting and it would be chaos .
Election results would be delayed for days , maybe weeks , in many places .
It isn ’ t voter suppression , it ’ s the reality of the situation .
Voting in-person is still the best way to avoid voter fraud and protect election integrity .
California ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a list of three women for Biden to take into consideration for his running mate .
Nina Turner is one of those women .
The other two women are Rep. Barbara Lee , and Rep. Karen Bass .
That list will give Karen Bass heartburn , as she is trying to show she is a non-controversial choice .
In an open letter to Biden released on last week , California delegates who were chosen as supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wrote : This is why it is fun to watch a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Senate and accumulated an almost 50-year voting record now try to straddle the fence as he tries to be all things to all factions of his party .
Is he a moderate or a far-left progressive ( socialist ) ?
He ’ s neither .
He ’ s an opportunist with very little backbone and certainly no long-standing principles .
He was pushed farther and farther to the left in the Democrat primary and he did so willingly to appeal to voters who were not at all impressed with him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s a follower .
The far-left of the party knows he is a phony .
Yesterday , “ a key Democratic Party committee on Monday approved a 2020 platform that presents a liberal outline for the country but rejects many policies pursued by the left ’ s most outspoken progressives.
” The far-left was holding up the process in order to negotiate their demands .
The final draft endorses universal health care coverage but , as Biden does , calls for a “ public option ” insurance plan to compete in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step .
Committee members overwhelmingly rejected amendments to more explicitly endorse the single-payer insurance model like what Bernie Sanders pushed .
In a lengthy passage demanding an overhaul of the criminal justice system , Democrats decry the effects of a decadeslong “ war on drugs.
” But committee members rejected an amendment calling to legalize marijuana .
The same section demands an end to police violence against Americans , but it does not endorse some activists ’ calls to “ defund the police.
” In total , the platform is part of Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establishment that has been his political home for decades with the party ’ s ascendant progressive wing represented by high-profile figures like Sanders , Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
In fact , the drafting process included a series of policy committees that Biden ’ s campaign convened with Sanders ’ campaign after the Vermont senator finished as runner-up in the nominating fight .
Ocasio-Cortez was included in that process , while Warren has emerged as a key policy adviser who talks regularly with Biden .
The platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bros yet their more aggressive policies were not approved .
The DNC isn ’ t so stupid as to run a candidate with Bernie ’ s most extreme views .
Remember , the establishment wanted to get rid of Bernie .
Though Team Biden was trying to squash the tension , this likely won ’ t help with the rank and file voters .

It’s not exactly an eloquent comparison but it sure gets the message across. The co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ failed 2020 presidential campaign sounds as though she is only grudgingly going to vote for Joe Biden in the November election. Nina Turner certainly provided an eyebrow-raising quote in a piece published in The Atlantic.
The piece is titled “Don’t Count Trump Out” and the author lists five reasons that the election can go Trump’s way in November. It has been interesting to watch the media narrative slowly turn in recent days. The media has gone from unequivocally stating that Trump is toast and will be denied a second term in office by voters to beginning to say, well, maybe he can win if this happens or that happens. This is encouraging news for the Trump campaign, which, let’s face it, has been dealing with a rough patch lately. The Bernie bros wing of the Democrat Party, though, is giving acute cases of heartburn to Team Biden and the DNC.
Nina Turner’s quote is included in reason number five – Biden’s got his own problems. There is also a very strong quote from Cornel West. The idea is that Biden may be someone who can express empathy for Americans going through tough times but to the far-left wing of the party, he’s the kind of moderate that must be moved out of the way, not elected as president.
“We have to be true to ourselves and acknowledge that Biden is a mediocre, milquetoast, neoliberal centrist that we’ve been fighting against in the Democratic establishment,” Cornel West, the Harvard University professor and a Bernie Sanders supporter, told me. If Sanders’s primary voters stay home on Election Day out of pique, that could damage Biden’s chances, especially in must-win swing states. Nina Turner, a co-chair of the Sanders campaign, told me she has no appetite for the choice she faces: “It’s like saying to somebody, ‘You have a bowl of shit in front of you, and all you’ve got to do is eat half of it instead of the whole thing.’ It’s still shit.”
So, we’ll just say that there is still a lot of tension between Bernie’s supporters and the Biden campaign. Given that this is the second presidential year cycle that they have had to step aside for a standard Democrat establishment candidate, it isn’t surprising that there is a lot of resentment still floating around. It is less than 100 days until the election, though, and Biden has a real enthusiasm problem so these quotes don’t help. Plus, as the article points out, you can bet your bottom dollar that President Trump will take advantage of the tension between the two camps and stir the pot every chance he gets. He boasts that Bernie voters voted for him in 2016 and you can believe he’ll do the same this time. Trump would be a fool not to take advantage of the opportunity.
“Last time I got a lot of Bernie Sanders voters, as you know, a very good percentage. People were shocked, mostly because of trade,” Trump said in a Father’s Day discussion last month with his son Donald Trump Jr. “One thing Bernie was right on was trade. He said that everybody in this country is being hurt badly by our trade deals. They’re so bad. And I get a lot of support from Bernie Sanders [supporters]. I think I’m going to have it again this time.”
The Biden campaign has the Never Trumper Republicans and the Trump campaign has the Bernie bros. Sanders’ voters may not come out in strong numbers to protest Biden and vote for Trump, and they certainly won’t admit it out loud, but it could be a small factor in Trump’s re-election victory. It’s a legitimate thought, anyway.
That leads to the fifth reason that Trump may win re-election – Biden’s voters may just stay home and not vote at all. The Atlantic piece blames voter suppression due to the coronavirus and voters not wanting to risk their health to vote (though polling places have methods in place to mitigate the spread of the virus.) It’s an excuse to promote mail-in voting, which Trump and Republicans oppose, on a nationwide basis. Most states are not set up to handle all mail-in voting and it would be chaos. Election results would be delayed for days, maybe weeks, in many places. It isn’t voter suppression, it’s the reality of the situation. Voting in-person is still the best way to avoid voter fraud and protect election integrity.
California’s large delegation of Bernie supporters has a list of three women for Biden to take into consideration for his running mate. Nina Turner is one of those women. The other two women are Rep. Barbara Lee, and Rep. Karen Bass. That list will give Karen Bass heartburn, as she is trying to show she is a non-controversial choice.
In an open letter to Biden released on last week, California delegates who were chosen as supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders wrote:
In order to meet this historic moment, Democrats must select an exceptional progressive Vice Presidential candidate who will both inspire the 90 million Americans who did not vote in 2016 to cast a ballot this November and lead America into a new era of equality, compassion, and economic justice. As 2020 DNC delegates representing progressives of California, the state with the largest delegation to the presidential nominating convention, we enthusiastically recommend as nominees for Vice President: Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), former State Senator Nina Turner (D-OH), Representative Karen Bass (D-CA).
This is why it is fun to watch a man who has spent his entire career in the U.S. Senate and accumulated an almost 50-year voting record now try to straddle the fence as he tries to be all things to all factions of his party. Is he a moderate or a far-left progressive (socialist)? He’s neither. He’s an opportunist with very little backbone and certainly no long-standing principles. He was pushed farther and farther to the left in the Democrat primary and he did so willingly to appeal to voters who were not at all impressed with him. He isn’t a leader, he’s a follower. The far-left of the party knows he is a phony.
Yesterday, “a key Democratic Party committee on Monday approved a 2020 platform that presents a liberal outline for the country but rejects many policies pursued by the left’s most outspoken progressives.” The far-left was holding up the process in order to negotiate their demands.
The final draft endorses universal health care coverage but, as Biden does, calls for a “public option” insurance plan to compete in existing private insurance markets as the next step. Committee members overwhelmingly rejected amendments to more explicitly endorse the single-payer insurance model like what Bernie Sanders pushed. In a lengthy passage demanding an overhaul of the criminal justice system, Democrats decry the effects of a decadeslong “war on drugs.” But committee members rejected an amendment calling to legalize marijuana. The same section demands an end to police violence against Americans, but it does not endorse some activists’ calls to “defund the police.” In total, the platform is part of Biden’s effort to balance the center-left establishment that has been his political home for decades with the party’s ascendant progressive wing represented by high-profile figures like Sanders, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In fact, the drafting process included a series of policy committees that Biden’s campaign convened with Sanders’ campaign after the Vermont senator finished as runner-up in the nominating fight. Ocasio-Cortez was included in that process, while Warren has emerged as a key policy adviser who talks regularly with Biden.
The platform committee felt the pressure from the Bernie bros yet their more aggressive policies were not approved. The DNC isn’t so stupid as to run a candidate with Bernie’s most extreme views. Remember, the establishment wanted to get rid of Bernie. Though Team Biden was trying to squash the tension, this likely won’t help with the rank and file voters.
Keep the popcorn handy.


hotair--2020-07-28--Too good to check: Seattle radio host denies riots are happening until his apartment is looted

Does it sound like I ’ m gloating in an uncharitable fashion ?
Because I really don ’ t want to come off like that sort of person .
Oh , who am I kidding ?
I bet almost all of you were waiting for a story like this .
Seattle radio host Paul Gallant had been having a good time on the air this month mocking President Trump over his actions related to the ongoing violence in the city .
He insisted that the riots were largely a myth and that a few scattered incidents of violence or crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful protests seeking racial equality , justice for George Floyd and whatever else they had on their minds .
But that all changed suddenly in recent days , apparently because the riots and fires came to Gallant ’ s part of town and his apartment complex fell victim to the looters .
He ’ s also apparently developed a sudden , new appreciation for the Second Amendment .
( The Post Millenial ) Seattle radio host and Twitter-based criminal defense advocate Paul Gallant “ dunked ” on President Donald Trump last month by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then the radio host was scored on by rioters who set fire to his apartment .
Now he ’ s taking up arms .
“ Walked through it last night out of curiosity and saw no burning , pillaging , or deaths , ” Gallant responded in June to Trump ’ s tweet calling out the violent leftists who continue to terrorize Seattle .
“ Chill dawg , ” Gallant added sarcastically .
Last night , Gallant had a sudden change of heart towards the “ peaceful protestors ” when he came home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found the Starbucks underneath torched with graffiti plastered on the storefront .
Cops told residents to stay away in case of explosives inside… “ I feel like I need to buy a firearm , because clearly this is going to keep happening .
Enough is enough , ” Gallant furiously typed .
One Twitter user somewhat unkindly pointed out that people ’ s attitudes can shift quickly when reality comes along and slaps you in the face .
Okay , I don ’ t want to go on with the giggling for too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious when I say that I don ’ t want to see any law-abiding citizens being killed , assaulted , injured , or suffering property damage in these riots .
Everyone deserves the same protection by law enforcement under the normal rules of order ( assuming you can find a cop around there ) no matter their political beliefs .
With that in mind , however , I do have to wonder how serious Mr. Gallant is about looking into purchasing a firearm .
Keep in mind that he ’ s a resident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of Washington .
For a while now they ’ ve been enacting new gun control laws and I suspect Mr. Gallant was cheering them on in the effort .
As we ’ ve already seen in California when liberals are suddenly awakened to reality and attempt to purchase a firearm , hilarity ensues when they find out how time-consuming , frustrating and expensive the process is in their state .
WIth the windows busted out of his building , a fire having been set and the police warning of possible explosives on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like he needs to purchase a gun right now .
But depending on what type of firearm he is seeking , under a new initiative passed in 2018 , he may have to complete an “ enhanced background check ” that can take weeks or months to complete .
He may also have to complete a state-approved firearms safety training course , assuming he can find an instructor that ’ s offering the class .
Even if he can manage to jump through all of those hoops , there will still be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the purchase can be completed .
But don ’ t worry , Paul .
If you simply go outside and explain to the peaceful protesters that they ’ re going to need to hold off for a few weeks while you go through the process of obtaining a gun , I ’ m sure they ’ ll understand and work with you on this .
They seem like a reasonable bunch of good eggs .

Does it sound like I’m gloating in an uncharitable fashion? Because I really don’t want to come off like that sort of person.
Oh, who am I kidding? I bet almost all of you were waiting for a story like this. Seattle radio host Paul Gallant had been having a good time on the air this month mocking President Trump over his actions related to the ongoing violence in the city. He insisted that the riots were largely a myth and that a few scattered incidents of violence or crime did little to detract from the predominantly peaceful protests seeking racial equality, justice for George Floyd and whatever else they had on their minds. But that all changed suddenly in recent days, apparently because the riots and fires came to Gallant’s part of town and his apartment complex fell victim to the looters. He’s also apparently developed a sudden, new appreciation for the Second Amendment. (The Post Millenial)
Seattle radio host and Twitter-based criminal defense advocate Paul Gallant “dunked” on President Donald Trump last month by denying that the riots are violent, then the radio host was scored on by rioters who set fire to his apartment. Now he’s taking up arms. “Walked through it last night out of curiosity and saw no burning, pillaging, or deaths,” Gallant responded in June to Trump’s tweet calling out the violent leftists who continue to terrorize Seattle. “Chill dawg,” Gallant added sarcastically. Last night, Gallant had a sudden change of heart towards the “peaceful protestors” when he came home to his apartment complex vandalized. He found the Starbucks underneath torched with graffiti plastered on the storefront. Cops told residents to stay away in case of explosives inside… “I feel like I need to buy a firearm, because clearly this is going to keep happening. Enough is enough,” Gallant furiously typed.
One Twitter user somewhat unkindly pointed out that people’s attitudes can shift quickly when reality comes along and slaps you in the face.
Life comes at you fast. pic.twitter.com/tSXyYBSIfu — Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) July 26, 2020
Okay, I don’t want to go on with the giggling for too long here. I’m being serious when I say that I don’t want to see any law-abiding citizens being killed, assaulted, injured, or suffering property damage in these riots. Everyone deserves the same protection by law enforcement under the normal rules of order (assuming you can find a cop around there) no matter their political beliefs.
With that in mind, however, I do have to wonder how serious Mr. Gallant is about looking into purchasing a firearm. Keep in mind that he’s a resident of the city of Seattle and the state of Washington. For a while now they’ve been enacting new gun control laws and I suspect Mr. Gallant was cheering them on in the effort. As we’ve already seen in California when liberals are suddenly awakened to reality and attempt to purchase a firearm, hilarity ensues when they find out how time-consuming, frustrating and expensive the process is in their state.
WIth the windows busted out of his building, a fire having been set and the police warning of possible explosives on the premises, Mr. Gallant may feel like he needs to purchase a gun right now. But depending on what type of firearm he is seeking, under a new initiative passed in 2018, he may have to complete an “enhanced background check” that can take weeks or months to complete. He may also have to complete a state-approved firearms safety training course, assuming he can find an instructor that’s offering the class. Even if he can manage to jump through all of those hoops, there will still be a waiting period of up to ten days before the purchase can be completed.
But don’t worry, Paul. If you simply go outside and explain to the peaceful protesters that they’re going to need to hold off for a few weeks while you go through the process of obtaining a gun, I’m sure they’ll understand and work with you on this. They seem like a reasonable bunch of good eggs.


hotair--2020-07-28--Man arrested for driving through protest crowd, but with a couple of big twists

By this point , we ’ ve sadly grown used to stories about some motorist who finds themself trapped in the middle of a street that ’ s been shut down by a Black Lives Matter protest .
When rioters begin to menace them , the frightened driver punches the gas and begins knocking down or running over demonstrators in an effort to flee for their lives .
A similar – and yet very different – scene played out this weekend in the tiny town of Eaton , Colorado ( population 4,365 ) , located well to the north of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicular assault mark it as an incident nearly the opposite of almost all the ones you ’ ve been hearing about this year .
First of all , the protest in question wasn ’ t a Black Lives Matter march .
It was a Blue Lives Matter demonstration in support of law enforcement officials .
Also , the driver in question hadn ’ t been blockaded in the middle of the street .
The protest was taking place on the grassy field of a local park .
And the motorist wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He deliberately steered his SUV off of the street and went crashing across the park to intentionally run down the demonstrators .
( CBS Denver ) The Eaton Police Department arrested a man accused of driving an SUV through a crowd of pedestrians at a “ Blue Lives Matter ” rally on Saturday .
The driver of a maroon SUV exited the roadway in the 200 block of Collins Street and drove through the grass park where the participants were gathered , investigators said on Facebook .
The driver sped off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ later at the 1100 block of 2nd Street Road .
During a press conference held later , the police declined to identify the subject .
But in a hamlet of barely 4,000 people , there isn ’ t a lot of police data to sift through on any given day .
Police records show that there was only one arrest made on Saturday and the driver in question was 21-year-old Isaiah Cordova .
Cordova has been charged with seven counts of attempted first-degree assault , seven counts of felony menacing , and reckless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the attack or he ’ d have been looking at vehicular homicide charges on top of everything else .
No information was available regarding previous incidents of criminal activity involving Cordova .
Even taking into consideration the fact that this attack took place in such a small village as opposed to something in Seattle , Portland or the Big Apple , it ’ s still somewhat remarkable that we haven ’ t heard more about this from the mainstream media .
While smaller in size , this was still a protest relevant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States .
And ramming into a crowd with an SUV is still an obvious attempt at murdering people who were exercising their First Amendment rights .
And to top it off , these protesters were actually behaving peacefully .
( Go figure , right ? )
The demonstrators also apparently had a permit to be in the park for this event .
It shouldn ’ t require an advanced college degree to pick out some of the differences between this attack and previous vehicular incidents in terms of both the demonstrators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ menaced by the participants in the Blue Lives Matter demonstration .
There were no fires being set , no storefront windows being smashed , no shops being looted and there wasn ’ t a Molotov cocktail on display for as far as the eye could see .
The motorist was neither trapped nor threatened and nobody was attempting to damage his vehicle or drag him out of it .
He was free to continue about his business but chose instead to attempt to murder some people for the sin of supporting their local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest being shown by our favorite cable news outlets , I ’ ll pin Mr. Cordova in a saved search slot and try to keep track of what happens to him .
I ’ m guessing somebody from the ACLU will be along to provide him with a free lawyer in short order .

By this point, we’ve sadly grown used to stories about some motorist who finds themself trapped in the middle of a street that’s been shut down by a Black Lives Matter protest. When rioters begin to menace them, the frightened driver punches the gas and begins knocking down or running over demonstrators in an effort to flee for their lives. A similar – and yet very different – scene played out this weekend in the tiny town of Eaton, Colorado (population 4,365), located well to the north of Denver. But the details of the vehicular assault mark it as an incident nearly the opposite of almost all the ones you’ve been hearing about this year.
First of all, the protest in question wasn’t a Black Lives Matter march. It was a Blue Lives Matter demonstration in support of law enforcement officials. Also, the driver in question hadn’t been blockaded in the middle of the street. The protest was taking place on the grassy field of a local park. And the motorist wasn’t “fleeing in terror” from anyone. He deliberately steered his SUV off of the street and went crashing across the park to intentionally run down the demonstrators. (CBS Denver)
The Eaton Police Department arrested a man accused of driving an SUV through a crowd of pedestrians at a “Blue Lives Matter” rally on Saturday. The driver of a maroon SUV exited the roadway in the 200 block of Collins Street and drove through the grass park where the participants were gathered, investigators said on Facebook. The driver sped off. The suspect was taken into custody minutes later at the 1100 block of 2nd Street Road.
During a press conference held later, the police declined to identify the subject. But in a hamlet of barely 4,000 people, there isn’t a lot of police data to sift through on any given day. Police records show that there was only one arrest made on Saturday and the driver in question was 21-year-old Isaiah Cordova.
Cordova has been charged with seven counts of attempted first-degree assault, seven counts of felony menacing, and reckless driving. Thankfully, nobody was killed during the attack or he’d have been looking at vehicular homicide charges on top of everything else. No information was available regarding previous incidents of criminal activity involving Cordova.
Even taking into consideration the fact that this attack took place in such a small village as opposed to something in Seattle, Portland or the Big Apple, it’s still somewhat remarkable that we haven’t heard more about this from the mainstream media. While smaller in size, this was still a protest relevant to the current debates over policing in the United States. And ramming into a crowd with an SUV is still an obvious attempt at murdering people who were exercising their First Amendment rights. And to top it off, these protesters were actually behaving peacefully. (Go figure, right?)
The demonstrators also apparently had a permit to be in the park for this event. It shouldn’t require an advanced college degree to pick out some of the differences between this attack and previous vehicular incidents in terms of both the demonstrators and the attacker. Nobody was being menaced by the participants in the Blue Lives Matter demonstration. There were no fires being set, no storefront windows being smashed, no shops being looted and there wasn’t a Molotov cocktail on display for as far as the eye could see. The motorist was neither trapped nor threatened and nobody was attempting to damage his vehicle or drag him out of it. He was free to continue about his business but chose instead to attempt to murder some people for the sin of supporting their local police department.
Despite the lack of interest being shown by our favorite cable news outlets, I’ll pin Mr. Cordova in a saved search slot and try to keep track of what happens to him. I’m guessing somebody from the ACLU will be along to provide him with a free lawyer in short order.


hotair--2020-07-28--Steeler: "I'm not kneeling for the flag..."

Prediction : Lots and lots of his teammates will have a problem with it .
Remember what happened when Alejandro Villanueva simply got caught in the open during the anthem three years ago ?
His Pittsburgh Steeler teammates threw him under the bus for not getting out of sight , and after a brief spike in Villanueva jersey sales , the lineman ended up issuing a public apology .
Stephon Tuitt has decided to dispense with the whole apology approach up front .
In fact , Tuitt invites anyone who objects to perform an unnatural act on themselves : That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position , which will gain Tuitt … exactly nada .
Villanueva ’ s status as a combat veteran didn ’ t get him a pass in 2017 , when adoption of protests were not universally embraced by the league .
In 2020 , when the NFL is practically supplying spare kneelers from local Catholic churches , Tuitt ’ s grandmother won ’ t cut it this time around , either .
Hall of Famer-to-be and super-community-leader Drew Brees tried offering love of country along with a heartfelt support of the good intentions of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offering two apologies and his wife added a third when his own teammates tore him to shreds in the media .
Tuitt is making it clear , however , that he ’ s not terribly concerned about reactions from teammates and fellow players .
That ’ s one big difference between Tuitt and Villanueva back then and Brees now .
Both wanted to keep their standing and reputation in the league , which made him vulnerable to pressure .
If Tuitt ’ s serious about his screw-you approach , shaming efforts won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crosses over like he did with Brees .
Theoretically , anyway .
Tuitt had better prepare himself for a constant stream of invective over this , at least in the short run .
He won ’ t get the DeSean Jackson pass from his colleagues , mainly because he ’ s not offering the kind of anti-Semitism that is apparently much more acceptable than dissent from the activist Left in the NFL , and now from the NFL itself these days .
If he ’ s not kneeling by Week Three , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of his other colleagues , or the NFL has canceled the season by that point .
Kudos in the meantime , Mr. Tuitt , and to the screw-you strategy that might just work if more people adopted it in the face of the cancel culture .

Prediction: Lots and lots of his teammates will have a problem with it. Remember what happened when Alejandro Villanueva simply got caught in the open during the anthem three years ago? His Pittsburgh Steeler teammates threw him under the bus for not getting out of sight, and after a brief spike in Villanueva jersey sales, the lineman ended up issuing a public apology.
Stephon Tuitt has decided to dispense with the whole apology approach up front. In fact, Tuitt invites anyone who objects to perform an unnatural act on themselves:
Also I’m not kneeling for the flag and screw anybody who have a problem with that. My grandmother was a immigrant from the Carribean and age worked her ass off to bring 20 people over the right way. She had no money and educated herself to be a nurse. She living good now. — stephon tuitt (@DOCnation_7) July 27, 2020
That’s a good explanation for his position, which will gain Tuitt … exactly nada. Villanueva’s status as a combat veteran didn’t get him a pass in 2017, when adoption of protests were not universally embraced by the league. In 2020, when the NFL is practically supplying spare kneelers from local Catholic churches, Tuitt’s grandmother won’t cut it this time around, either. Hall of Famer-to-be and super-community-leader Drew Brees tried offering love of country along with a heartfelt support of the good intentions of others kneeling, and he ended up offering two apologies and his wife added a third when his own teammates tore him to shreds in the media.
Tuitt is making it clear, however, that he’s not terribly concerned about reactions from teammates and fellow players. That’s one big difference between Tuitt and Villanueva back then and Brees now. Both wanted to keep their standing and reputation in the league, which made him vulnerable to pressure. If Tuitt’s serious about his screw-you approach, shaming efforts won’t work, even if LeBron James crosses over like he did with Brees.
Theoretically, anyway. Tuitt had better prepare himself for a constant stream of invective over this, at least in the short run. He won’t get the DeSean Jackson pass from his colleagues, mainly because he’s not offering the kind of anti-Semitism that is apparently much more acceptable than dissent from the activist Left in the NFL, and now from the NFL itself these days. If he’s not kneeling by Week Three, either Tuitt has a lot more spine than some of his other colleagues, or the NFL has canceled the season by that point. Kudos in the meantime, Mr. Tuitt, and to the screw-you strategy that might just work if more people adopted it in the face of the cancel culture.


hotair--2020-07-29--Former Bush staffers join with Democrats to turn Texas blue

The State of Texas is not on the list of battleground states at Real Clear Politics but Democrats in Texas and in Washington , D.C. are fighting as though it is .
On Tuesday a new hashtag popped up as trending on Twitter – # TrumpKilledTexas .
The message is that the bad Orange Man has blood on his hands .
It ’ s the kind of hyperbole we ’ ve seen throughout Trump ’ s presidency but this one is a fundraising effort by Democrats disguised as a hashtag campaign .
Down deep , they know that Trump will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are continuing to lay the ground for future Democrat wins .
The battle truly began back in 2013 with a group called Battleground Texas .
At the time , Texas Republicans didn ’ t pay much attention though some conservative voters ( such as myself ) did take note and spoke up about the group .
In my case , I wrote about it , including about the time I attended Battleground Texas ’ s initial organizational meeting in Houston .
But , Texas Republicans were complacent after years of successful election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Republicans currently control a trifecta in Texas – when one party controls the three vital centers of state political power—the office of the governor , the state House , and the state Senate .
Democrats have made inroads in Texas , that is undeniable .
In 2018 , Democrats saw a lot of victories but still not at the state level .
My own congressional district went Democrat for the first time ever .
Democrats were more fired up to get out and vote than Republicans .
So , the national Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this presidential election year .
The group behind today ’ s hashtag works in conjunction with ActBlue .
Democrats are spending money on ads in Texas .
Texas Democrats say they will roll out a seven-figure digital ad buy closer to Election Day as part of a reinvigorated effort to win a huge electoral prize for Joe Biden , partly by turning out minority voters in the state who are seen as the key to a Democratic victory .
In addition to the ad buy , which will materialize closer to November , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its commitment to get 2 million Texans registered to vote for November .
This plays into the party ’ s already established strategy of winning back the state House this cycle .
“ Our basic theory is that the more voters that we register , the more likely the state is to turn blue , ” Abhi Rahman , director of strategic communications for the Texas Democratic Party , told The Hill in an earlier interview .
“ We feel like for every Republican voter that ’ s unregistered , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” While the race between Trump and Biden goes back and forth and is very close right now according to the latest polls , the race between Senator John Cornyn and his Democrat opponent is not close .
The last poll reported at Real Clear Politics , one from Quinnipiac , shows a nine-point lead for Cornyn .
Trump ’ s job from now until the election is to keep Texas Republicans enthusiastic about going to vote , not just for him but to vote for Republicans in down-ballot races .
The end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election year .
The Biden campaign hopes that for the first time in 20 years , a Democrat presidential nominee will win the senior vote .
The campaign is launching an ad blitz this week directed at voters age 65 and up in seven crucial general election battleground states .
The subject of the ads is Trump ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
The ads will run during daytime television hours when seniors are watching , as well as a Spanish-language version of the commercial that will run in Arizona and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign are some former staffers of George W. Bush .
After Bush ’ s refusal to vote for Trump as the Republican nominee in 2016 , I suppose it shouldn ’ t be a surprise that some of his former staffers are following his lead .
This , I will tell you , is not playing well in Texas .
Since the 2016 election , I have had many Republicans in Texas tell me that , essentially , the Bush family is dead to them .
It ’ s not just because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because any Republican voter in Texas can tell you that every election with a Bush on the ticket brought out demands from the Bush family that Republicans have to be loyal .
Loyal to the party and then the family very publicly did not do as they asked of others for many years .
Jeb Bush was never going to be the party ’ s nominee in 2016 yet instead of accepting his defeat in the GOP primary , they were sore losers .
A Houston woman is among those organizing a group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Imagine that – alleged Republicans helping a Democrat be elected as president .
Joe Biden offers absolutely nothing to Republicans as far as policy and personal judgment goes , yet , here we are .
“ I don ’ t know if this is a one-time thing , ” she said .
“ But I know if I vote for Joe Biden , especially in Texas , it could get Trump removed from office , which is the ultimate goal.
” Her husband and other family members are reported to be Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Bush administration officials “ disappointed by the damage done to our nation by Donald Trump ’ s presidency , ” are joining the group .
Trump remains wildly popular among the state ’ s Republican voters at the same moment Texas has emerged as a legitimate political battleground for the first time in decades .
Involvement in 43 Alumni for Biden , then , puts members directly on that fault line .
One further twist is that Bush , who didn ’ t vote for Trump in 2016 , has himself avoided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , part of his post-presidential policy of generally not commenting on news of the day .
His spokesman , Freddy Ford , said this year that Bush is “ retired from presidential politics.
” Members of the pro-Biden group are careful to say they aren ’ t speaking for Bush or trying to pressure him to weigh in .
But they also point out that Bush has long encouraged his charges , along with other Americans , to stay engaged in the civic discourse .
“ In the years that he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called on those of us who served in his administration to stay involved , to keep true to our values , ” said Kristopher Purcell , a Plano native who worked for Bush ’ s campaigns and in his White House .
I can confidently say that among Texas Republican voters , this will not play well .
Many did not vote for Trump in the GOP primary during the 2016 election but did rally and vote for him in the November 2016 election because it was , in fact , a binary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives .
The same is true of Joe Biden , who is being pushed farther and farther to the left .
He succumbs willingly .
With the country so bitterly divided politically today , Bush ’ s quiet acceptance and approval of his former staffers organizing against the Republican president is unacceptable .
The Houston woman , now a stay-at-home mom , says she just had to do something and speak up .
That ’ s fine , except it ’ s too bad she chose the wrong side to cheer for this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bush didn ’ t teach the lesson his family demanded of other Republicans .

The State of Texas is not on the list of battleground states at Real Clear Politics but Democrats in Texas and in Washington, D.C. are fighting as though it is. On Tuesday a new hashtag popped up as trending on Twitter – #TrumpKilledTexas. The message is that the bad Orange Man has blood on his hands.
It’s the kind of hyperbole we’ve seen throughout Trump’s presidency but this one is a fundraising effort by Democrats disguised as a hashtag campaign. Down deep, they know that Trump will win Texas in November but until then they are continuing to lay the ground for future Democrat wins. The battle truly began back in 2013 with a group called Battleground Texas. At the time, Texas Republicans didn’t pay much attention though some conservative voters (such as myself) did take note and spoke up about the group. In my case, I wrote about it, including about the time I attended Battleground Texas’s initial organizational meeting in Houston. But, Texas Republicans were complacent after years of successful election victories, most notably in statewide elections. Republicans currently control a trifecta in Texas – when one party controls the three vital centers of state political power—the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.
Democrats have made inroads in Texas, that is undeniable. In 2018, Democrats saw a lot of victories but still not at the state level. My own congressional district went Democrat for the first time ever. Democrats were more fired up to get out and vote than Republicans. So, the national Democrats and state Democrats are going all-in during this presidential election year. The group behind today’s hashtag works in conjunction with ActBlue.
If you think Texas is ready to turn blue, reply with #TrumpKillsTexas. Texans deserve better! — MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) July 28, 2020
Democrats are spending money on ads in Texas.
Texas Democrats say they will roll out a seven-figure digital ad buy closer to Election Day as part of a reinvigorated effort to win a huge electoral prize for Joe Biden, partly by turning out minority voters in the state who are seen as the key to a Democratic victory. In addition to the ad buy, which will materialize closer to November, the party is also doubling down on its commitment to get 2 million Texans registered to vote for November. This plays into the party’s already established strategy of winning back the state House this cycle. “Our basic theory is that the more voters that we register, the more likely the state is to turn blue,” Abhi Rahman, director of strategic communications for the Texas Democratic Party, told The Hill in an earlier interview. “We feel like for every Republican voter that’s unregistered, there’s three or four Democrats that are unregistered.”
While the race between Trump and Biden goes back and forth and is very close right now according to the latest polls, the race between Senator John Cornyn and his Democrat opponent is not close. The last poll reported at Real Clear Politics, one from Quinnipiac, shows a nine-point lead for Cornyn. Trump’s job from now until the election is to keep Texas Republicans enthusiastic about going to vote, not just for him but to vote for Republicans in down-ballot races. The end of straight-ticket voting goes into effect this election year.
The Biden campaign hopes that for the first time in 20 years, a Democrat presidential nominee will win the senior vote. The campaign is launching an ad blitz this week directed at voters age 65 and up in seven crucial general election battleground states. The subject of the ads is Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The ads will run during daytime television hours when seniors are watching, as well as a Spanish-language version of the commercial that will run in Arizona and Florida.
Helping Joe Biden in his campaign are some former staffers of George W. Bush. After Bush’s refusal to vote for Trump as the Republican nominee in 2016, I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise that some of his former staffers are following his lead. This, I will tell you, is not playing well in Texas. Since the 2016 election, I have had many Republicans in Texas tell me that, essentially, the Bush family is dead to them. It’s not just because they voted for Trump, it is mostly because any Republican voter in Texas can tell you that every election with a Bush on the ticket brought out demands from the Bush family that Republicans have to be loyal. Loyal to the party and then the family very publicly did not do as they asked of others for many years. Jeb Bush was never going to be the party’s nominee in 2016 yet instead of accepting his defeat in the GOP primary, they were sore losers.
A Houston woman is among those organizing a group called “43 Alumni for Biden”. Imagine that – alleged Republicans helping a Democrat be elected as president. Joe Biden offers absolutely nothing to Republicans as far as policy and personal judgment goes, yet, here we are. “I don’t know if this is a one-time thing,” she said. “But I know if I vote for Joe Biden, especially in Texas, it could get Trump removed from office, which is the ultimate goal.” Her husband and other family members are reported to be Trump supporters. Apparently, “hundreds of former Bush administration officials “disappointed by the damage done to our nation by Donald Trump’s presidency,” are joining the group.
Trump remains wildly popular among the state’s Republican voters at the same moment Texas has emerged as a legitimate political battleground for the first time in decades. Involvement in 43 Alumni for Biden, then, puts members directly on that fault line. One further twist is that Bush, who didn’t vote for Trump in 2016, has himself avoided weighing in on the White House race, part of his post-presidential policy of generally not commenting on news of the day. His spokesman, Freddy Ford, said this year that Bush is “retired from presidential politics.” Members of the pro-Biden group are careful to say they aren’t speaking for Bush or trying to pressure him to weigh in. But they also point out that Bush has long encouraged his charges, along with other Americans, to stay engaged in the civic discourse. “In the years that he’s been out of office, he has called on those of us who served in his administration to stay involved, to keep true to our values,” said Kristopher Purcell, a Plano native who worked for Bush’s campaigns and in his White House.
I can confidently say that among Texas Republican voters, this will not play well. Many did not vote for Trump in the GOP primary during the 2016 election but did rally and vote for him in the November 2016 election because it was, in fact, a binary choice. Hillary Clinton offered nothing for conservatives. The same is true of Joe Biden, who is being pushed farther and farther to the left. He succumbs willingly. With the country so bitterly divided politically today, Bush’s quiet acceptance and approval of his former staffers organizing against the Republican president is unacceptable.
The Houston woman, now a stay-at-home mom, says she just had to do something and speak up. That’s fine, except it’s too bad she chose the wrong side to cheer for this election cycle. Too bad working for Bush didn’t teach the lesson his family demanded of other Republicans.


hotair--2020-07-29--VIP Gold Chat: Cam Edwards, Ed Morrissey, and Julio Rosas today!

Get ready for another tremendous live , interactive VIP Gold chat with Townhall ’ s Julio Rosas , Bearing Arms @ @ @ @ @ HotAir ’ s Ed Morrissey !
The trio will take VIP Gold members ’ questions @ @ @ @ @ in-depth analysis of the top topics of the day .
The live podcast starts at @ @ @ @ @ you are not a VIP Gold member , join below so you can watch today @ @ @ @ @ !
Use LOYALTY for 25 % off !
Julio watches out for nat-sec developments at @ @ @ @ @ his A-game on 2nd Amendment and liberty issues and makes sure to keep it real @ @ @ @ @ has kept pace with developments abroad , at home and at the local level as @ @ @ @ @ plenty to discuss and lots of time to take your questions .
The hot topics @ @ @ @ @ all the fast-moving developments , our VIP Gold members can get the latest as it @ @ @ @ @ , and Ed .

Get ready for another tremendous live, interactive VIP Gold chat with Townhall’s Julio Rosas, Bearing Arms’ Cam Edwards, and HotAir’s Ed Morrissey! The trio will take VIP Gold members’ questions and comments and give an in-depth analysis of the top topics of the day. The live podcast starts at 12:30 pm ET.
If you are not a VIP Gold member, join below so you can watch today and participate in future chats! Use LOYALTY for 25% off!
Julio watches out for nat-sec developments at Townhall, while Cam brings his A-game on 2nd Amendment and liberty issues and makes sure to keep it real along the way. Ed has kept pace with developments abroad, at home and at the local level as well.
We’ll plenty to discuss and lots of time to take your questions. The hot topics so far are:
Julio’s first-person reporting on riots and unrest
Gun sales skyrocketing
Atlanta’s crime wave
COVID-19 developments, and economic meltdown
The 2020 national election
With all the fast-moving developments, our VIP Gold members can get the latest as it happens from Cam, Julio, and Ed.


hotair--2020-07-29--WaPo style guide alert: Capitalize the B in Black ... and the W in White

Give the Washington Post credit for consistency , anyway .
When the Associated Press decided to start using capitals on racial identifiers rather than proper names alone , they later clarified that the new policy only applied to “ Black.
” To capitalize “ White ” could contribute to white supremacy , argued John Daniszewski , AP ’ s editor at large for standards : We ’ ll get back to that argument in a moment , but the Post decided to choose consistency over distinction : White is a “ distinct cultural identity ” ?
That might be news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least those outside of supremacist circles .
Most others take their cultural identity from their actual ancestry , not the color of their skin .
They identify as Irish-American , Italian-American , Polish-American , and so on .
That is why EWTN reporter Kevin Jones asked this question : There is a common problem in both the WaPo and AP explanations .
They differ on whether “ white ” is a “ distinct cultural identity ” while assuming “ black ” is a singular cultural identity .
Is it , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even that is too simplistic ) , but this glosses over the fact that African-Americans in the US have distinctions that a single label tends to obliterate .
Barack Obama , Kamala Harris , Karen Bass , and Ilhan Omar all have very different backgrounds , experiences , and likely very different cultural identities .
Isn ’ t it somewhat presumptuous to assume that they all share one culture merely on the basis of the color of their skin ?
Even apart from the capitalization use ?
This wasn ’ t a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grammatical rules in their style guides .
The adjective and noun uses of black , white , indigenous , and aboriginal didn ’ t get capitalized , while proper names or forms such as Asian , African , Pacific and so on did .
That allowed for a neutral handling of the issue by media outlets , and a less jarring experience for readers .
Once media outlets caved to one group demanding the capitalization of one word , it created pressure to address all of the other adjective and noun uses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inevitably led to silly distinctions and even sillier non-distinctions that erode credibility — while annoying readers .
Thus it goes in the Great Cultural Revolution , however .
We do not ask questions or rely on language standards ; instead , we must appease or put ourselves at the mercy of whatever caste of Robespierres are in ascendancy at the moment .
At least this form of appeasement is one of the more benign taking place , and at least the Washington Post ’ s new style guide has the virtue of consistency @

Give the Washington Post credit for consistency, anyway. When the Associated Press decided to start using capitals on racial identifiers rather than proper names alone, they later clarified that the new policy only applied to “Black.” To capitalize “White” could contribute to white supremacy, argued John Daniszewski, AP’s editor at large for standards:
“White people generally do not share the same history and culture, or the experience of being discriminated against because of skin color,” Daniszewski said.
We’ll get back to that argument in a moment, but the Post decided to choose consistency over distinction:
Starting now, the @washingtonpost will uppercase the B in Black to identify the many groups that make up the African diaspora in America and elsewhere. The Post will also use other racial and ethnic identifiers as follows (per company email): pic.twitter.com/D9FQUKc4vi — Rachel Leah Siegel (@rachsieg) July 29, 2020
The @washingtonpost will also capitalize the “W” in White, citing that “White is a distinct cultural identity in the United States…” and is a “collective group that has had its own cultural and historical impact on the nation.” https://t.co/k5d57qK1fD — Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) July 29, 2020
White is a “distinct cultural identity”? That might be news to many white people in the US, at least those outside of supremacist circles. Most others take their cultural identity from their actual ancestry, not the color of their skin. They identify as Irish-American, Italian-American, Polish-American, and so on. That is why EWTN reporter Kevin Jones asked this question:
How do I know if I’m white? I know my ethnicity due to family history and cultural upbringing. Nobody treated me as white until I went to college. — Kevin J. Jones (@kevinjjones) July 29, 2020
There is a common problem in both the WaPo and AP explanations. They differ on whether “white” is a “distinct cultural identity” while assuming “black” is a singular cultural identity. Is it, though? Perhaps as a political identity (and even that is too simplistic), but this glosses over the fact that African-Americans in the US have distinctions that a single label tends to obliterate. Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Karen Bass, and Ilhan Omar all have very different backgrounds, experiences, and likely very different cultural identities. Isn’t it somewhat presumptuous to assume that they all share one culture merely on the basis of the color of their skin? Even apart from the capitalization use?
This wasn’t a problem when media outlets stuck to basic grammatical rules in their style guides. The adjective and noun uses of black, white, indigenous, and aboriginal didn’t get capitalized, while proper names or forms such as Asian, African, Pacific and so on did. That allowed for a neutral handling of the issue by media outlets, and a less jarring experience for readers. Once media outlets caved to one group demanding the capitalization of one word, it created pressure to address all of the other adjective and noun uses in one way or another. And it inevitably led to silly distinctions and even sillier non-distinctions that erode credibility — while annoying readers.
Thus it goes in the Great Cultural Revolution, however. We do not ask questions or rely on language standards; instead, we must appease or put ourselves at the mercy of whatever caste of Robespierres are in ascendancy at the moment. At least this form of appeasement is one of the more benign taking place, and at least the Washington Post’s new style guide has the virtue of consistency.


hotair--2020-07-29--Report: Biden allies waging secret campaign against Harris as VP?

I wonder if this is why there ’ s suddenly been so much chatter about Susan Rice lately .
Maybe Biden ’ s moving steadily closer to choosing Harris and people around him are frantically searching for a “ break glass in case of emergency ” option to derail it .
If he won ’ t take Val Demings or Karen Bass over Harris , then w-w-w-what about Susan Rice ?
C ’ mon , Joe !
You know her !
You like her !
Going to the media about their misgivings escalates it even further .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doors , but knocking her in the press before she ’ s even been named is a shot across Biden ’ s bow not to follow through with his plans .
The AP photo yesterday of Biden ’ s notes with talking points about Harris had me 95 percent convinced that the deal was all but done .
But Ed made an excellent catch about the writing further down the page in the photo .
It *does* sound like he ’ s lining her up to be Attorney General , not vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( most notably in her weaselly navigation of Medicare for All in the primary ) reminds me of Ted Cruz in how her presidential ambition leads her into cynical , off-putting political posturing which she ’ s not personally charming enough to get away with .
Just as no Republican president would want Cruz as his veep , knowing how he ’ d try to muscle in on the spotlight for his inevitable run for the top job , no Democratic president wants Harris .
That doesn ’ t mean Biden won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boxes that need checking this year , and she checks them — but he won ’ t do it enthusiastically .
And the people around him won ’ t receive it enthusiastically either .
Some of Joe Biden ’ s allies are waging a campaign behind the scenes to stop Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif , from becoming his vice president… Some remain bitter about her attacks on Biden during primary debates last year , saying they bring into question her loyalty to the former vice president .
Others argue that she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be solely focused on becoming president herself .
Many of these Biden associates have been pushing alternatives to Harris , such as Rep. Val Demings , D-Fla , Rep. Karen Bass , D-Calif , former U.S. ambassador Susan Rice , and Sen. Tammy Duckworth , D-Ill… “ She would be running for president the day of the inauguration , ” Morgan said on Wednesday .
“ For me loyalty and friendship should mean something .
But as Bill Clinton once told me , the number one cause of Alzheimer ’ s is ambition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ’ s in favor of Demings .
“ I think a good number of people closest to Joe are pushing against Kamala , including me ” a Chicago based businessman backing Biden told CNBC .
“ I don ’ t like her and I don ’ t like the way she campaigned .
She seems not loyal at all and very opportunistic.
” All true .
Politico reported a few days ago that even some prominent Dems from Harris ’ s home state are whispering to the campaign to choose someone else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ask .
She ’ s the most prominent black female public official in the country , the only senator in the mix .
She ran for president herself so she has reasonably high name recognition .
She polls well enough in surveys asking voters whom they ’ d like to see Biden choose as VP so she wouldn ’ t be an obvious liability on the ticket .
Although Trump will certainly make hay of her “ busing ” attack on Biden at the first Democratic debate last year .
She ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pass her over and gamble on , say , Karen Bass , who could kill Biden ’ s chances in Florida thanks to her Castro baggage ?
Obamaites are still pleading Susan Rice ’ s case , with Politico claiming two days ago that she ’ s vaulted to the top of the veep heap .
I think if Biden were truly free to choose he ’ d choose her .
She ’ s familiar , she won ’ t overshadow him , and the people he trusts the most from Obama ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fans .
“ He has seen her not just in good times but on really hard and challenging occasions , ” said Valerie Jarrett , who served as a senior adviser to President Barack Obama .
Jarrett stressed that she ’ s not endorsing any particular candidate over others , but also said of Rice : “ There is a level and depth to her experience which would be a real asset.
” … The chatter is loud enough that allies of others being eyed for the vice presidency are increasingly worried about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties to Biden , who , as Obama ’ s No .
2 , had an office just steps away from hers .
Privately , some in California Sen. Kamala Harris ’ world have indicated that Rice could be Harris ’ most formidable rival for the vice presidential slot .
Harris is widely considered the candidate with the best shot at being Biden ’ s running mate — she went through the press wringer when she ran against him in the primary and has decent name recognition .
Like Rice , she would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major-party presidential ticket .
Does she do more harm to the ticket than good , though ?
Biden would have to deal with her Benghazi and unmasking baggage ; she ’ s perceived as too hawkish by the left ( although so is Joe ) ; she brings nothing to the election in terms of domestic policy whereas Harris can at least say that she ’ s supported most of their favorite initiatives like M4A , however half-heartedly and strategically .
If Democrats take back the Senate this fall , he should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of State .
He doesn ’ t need her as VP if he wants to work with her again .
If I were him , I think I ’ d roll the dice on Demings just because “ law and order ” looks to be the one issue that could conceivably bring Trump back into the race this fall even if America ’ s pandemic response continues to be , shall we say , sub-optimal .
There ’ s circumstantial evidence over the past two days that the race is tightening a bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spectacle of lefty radicals rampaging through parts of Portland , Oakland , and other cities .
If swing voters start to get nervous about the left feeling its oats under a Biden administration — and if they ’ re willing to overlook the fact that the current violence is happening with Trump in office , not Biden — then maybe things begin to get interesting .
In that case , it ’ d be useful to the Democrats to have a police chief on the ticket .
Granted , as the former AG @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some law-and-order cred .
But as top prosecutor , Harris was more of a policymaker on criminal justice in her state ( and has had many headaches from the left for some of those policies ) .
Demings , as chief of police , was more of a law enforcer .
And it ’ s easier , I think , for voters to assume that cops are “ tough on crime ” than it is to assume the same about prosecutors since state AGs are political creatures who are elected to office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ off by swing voters as presumptively a bleeding-heart liberal .
Thus Demings would give Biden the most cover on any exposure he has on crime right now , and I think the left would tolerate her police pedigree well enough purely in the interest of defeating Trump .

I wonder if this is why there’s suddenly been so much chatter about Susan Rice lately. Maybe Biden’s moving steadily closer to choosing Harris and people around him are frantically searching for a “break glass in case of emergency” option to derail it. If he won’t take Val Demings or Karen Bass over Harris, then w-w-w-what about Susan Rice? C’mon, Joe! You know her! You like her!
Going to the media about their misgivings escalates it even further. It’s one thing to badmouth Harris behind closed doors, but knocking her in the press before she’s even been named is a shot across Biden’s bow not to follow through with his plans.
The AP photo yesterday of Biden’s notes with talking points about Harris had me 95 percent convinced that the deal was all but done. But Ed made an excellent catch about the writing further down the page in the photo. It *does* sound like he’s lining her up to be Attorney General, not vice president.
Which would be gratifying. Harris (most notably in her weaselly navigation of Medicare for All in the primary) reminds me of Ted Cruz in how her presidential ambition leads her into cynical, off-putting political posturing which she’s not personally charming enough to get away with. Just as no Republican president would want Cruz as his veep, knowing how he’d try to muscle in on the spotlight for his inevitable run for the top job, no Democratic president wants Harris. That doesn’t mean Biden won’t choose Harris — there are certain boxes that need checking this year, and she checks them — but he won’t do it enthusiastically.
And the people around him won’t receive it enthusiastically either.
Some of Joe Biden’s allies are waging a campaign behind the scenes to stop Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif, from becoming his vice president… Some remain bitter about her attacks on Biden during primary debates last year, saying they bring into question her loyalty to the former vice president. Others argue that she’s too ambitious and that she will be solely focused on becoming president herself. Many of these Biden associates have been pushing alternatives to Harris, such as Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla, Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif, former U.S. ambassador Susan Rice, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill… “She would be running for president the day of the inauguration,” Morgan said on Wednesday. “For me loyalty and friendship should mean something. But as Bill Clinton once told me, the number one cause of Alzheimer’s is ambition,” he added, while noting he’s in favor of Demings. “I think a good number of people closest to Joe are pushing against Kamala, including me” a Chicago based businessman backing Biden told CNBC. “I don’t like her and I don’t like the way she campaigned. She seems not loyal at all and very opportunistic.”
All true. Politico reported a few days ago that even some prominent Dems from Harris’s home state are whispering to the campaign to choose someone else. But it’s a hard ask. She’s the most prominent black female public official in the country, the only senator in the mix. She ran for president herself so she has reasonably high name recognition. She polls well enough in surveys asking voters whom they’d like to see Biden choose as VP so she wouldn’t be an obvious liability on the ticket. Although Trump will certainly make hay of her “busing” attack on Biden at the first Democratic debate last year.
She’s a known quantity. How does he pass her over and gamble on, say, Karen Bass, who could kill Biden’s chances in Florida thanks to her Castro baggage?
Obamaites are still pleading Susan Rice’s case, with Politico claiming two days ago that she’s vaulted to the top of the veep heap. I think if Biden were truly free to choose he’d choose her. She’s familiar, she won’t overshadow him, and the people he trusts the most from Obama’s administration all seem to be big fans.
“He has seen her not just in good times but on really hard and challenging occasions,” said Valerie Jarrett, who served as a senior adviser to President Barack Obama. Jarrett stressed that she’s not endorsing any particular candidate over others, but also said of Rice: “There is a level and depth to her experience which would be a real asset.”… The chatter is loud enough that allies of others being eyed for the vice presidency are increasingly worried about Rice, especially because of her close ties to Biden, who, as Obama’s No. 2, had an office just steps away from hers. Privately, some in California Sen. Kamala Harris’ world have indicated that Rice could be Harris’ most formidable rival for the vice presidential slot. Harris is widely considered the candidate with the best shot at being Biden’s running mate — she went through the press wringer when she ran against him in the primary and has decent name recognition. Like Rice, she would represent the first Black woman on a major-party presidential ticket.
Does she do more harm to the ticket than good, though? Biden would have to deal with her Benghazi and unmasking baggage; she’s perceived as too hawkish by the left (although so is Joe); she brings nothing to the election in terms of domestic policy whereas Harris can at least say that she’s supported most of their favorite initiatives like M4A, however half-heartedly and strategically. If Democrats take back the Senate this fall, he should have little difficulty getting Rice confirmed as Secretary of State. He doesn’t need her as VP if he wants to work with her again.
Radical possibility: It … doesn’t matter whom Biden names.
If I were him, I think I’d roll the dice on Demings just because “law and order” looks to be the one issue that could conceivably bring Trump back into the race this fall even if America’s pandemic response continues to be, shall we say, sub-optimal. There’s circumstantial evidence over the past two days that the race is tightening a bit; the most logical reason is the spectacle of lefty radicals rampaging through parts of Portland, Oakland, and other cities. If swing voters start to get nervous about the left feeling its oats under a Biden administration — and if they’re willing to overlook the fact that the current violence is happening with Trump in office, not Biden — then maybe things begin to get interesting. In that case, it’d be useful to the Democrats to have a police chief on the ticket.
Granted, as the former AG of California, Harris would also bring some law-and-order cred. But as top prosecutor, Harris was more of a policymaker on criminal justice in her state (and has had many headaches from the left for some of those policies). Demings, as chief of police, was more of a law enforcer. And it’s easier, I think, for voters to assume that cops are “tough on crime” than it is to assume the same about prosecutors since state AGs are political creatures who are elected to office. An AG from California might be written off by swing voters as presumptively a bleeding-heart liberal. Thus Demings would give Biden the most cover on any exposure he has on crime right now, and I think the left would tolerate her police pedigree well enough purely in the interest of defeating Trump.


hotair--2020-07-29--ESPN: NBA training academies in China were physically abusing young players (and the NBA knew)

There are two stunning things in this ESPN report .
The first is the behavior attributed to Chinese coaches at NBA facilities , which apparently included physically abusing players in their young teens .
The second stunning thing is that the NBA knew about all of this before the dust up last year about Houston Rocket ’ s General Manager Daryl Morey ’ s tweet supporting human rights in Hong Kong .
ESPN reports that the League set up three NBA training facilities in China in 2016 including one Xinjiang , the province where China has sent around 1 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few years .
The goal was to “ Find another Yao ” referring to Houston Rockets star Yao Ming .
The NBA training camps were not built from scratch but were housed in athletic facilities run by the Chinese government .
That meant that U.S. coaches were effectively working for the Chinese when they visited .
But the behavior of Chinese coaches toward young athletes those coaches saw at the NBA training camps shocked them .
One American coach who worked for the NBA in China described the project as “ a sweat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coaches left their positions in response to what they believed was mistreatment of young players .
One requested and received a transfer after watching Chinese coaches strike teenage players , three sources told ESPN .
Another American coach left before the end of his contract because he found the lack of education in the academies unconscionable : “ I couldn ’ t continue to show up every day , looking at these kids and knowing they would end up being taxi drivers , ” he said… The NBA brought in elite coaches and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ League and Division I basketball to work at the academies .
One former coach described watching a Chinese coach fire a ball into a young player ’ s face at point-blank range and then “ kick him in the gut.
” “ Imagine you have a kid who ’ s 13 , 14 years old , and you ’ ve got a grown coach who is 40 years old hitting your kid , ” the coach said .
“ We ’ re part of that .
The NBA is part of that.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse .
Young players at the academies were supposed to receive an education when they weren ’ t playing basketball but it turned out none of them were .
And conditions in the Xinjiang center seemed especially grim : “ In Xinjiang , players lived in cramped dormitories ; the rooms were meant for two people , but a former coach said bunk beds were used to put as many as eight to 10 athletes in a room.
” The NBA had been facing some criticism for having a training center in Xinjiang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t until after GM Daryl Morey ’ s tweet about Hong Kong that the NBA , suddenly facing a lot of new scrutiny of its business in China , pulled down the website for the center .
The hypocrisy of this is almost as shocking as the the horrible behavior of Chinese coaches .
The NBA knew about all of this because it had been reported multiple times before the Daryl Morey tweet became an issue .
So the silence from normally outspoken coaches and players wasn ’ t just covering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hong Kong it was covering the abuse of athletes in the NBA ’ s own training facilities .
A former league employee ( who isn ’ t named in the story ) pointed out the NBA ’ s flagrant hypocrisy .
Until last week , the NBA has never explained its decision to close the center in Xinjiang or why it did so .
The League was similarly hush-hush when it came to ESPN ’ s story , asking both current and former employees not to speak about the centers .
An @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coach an email saying , “ Please don ’ t mention that you have been advised by the NBA not to respond.
” The NBA is still hoping that if they keep quiet this will all go away .

There are two stunning things in this ESPN report. The first is the behavior attributed to Chinese coaches at NBA facilities, which apparently included physically abusing players in their young teens. The second stunning thing is that the NBA knew about all of this before the dust up last year about Houston Rocket’s General Manager Daryl Morey’s tweet supporting human rights in Hong Kong.
ESPN reports that the League set up three NBA training facilities in China in 2016 including one Xinjiang, the province where China has sent around 1 million minorities to re-education camps in the past few years. The goal was to “Find another Yao” referring to Houston Rockets star Yao Ming. The NBA training camps were not built from scratch but were housed in athletic facilities run by the Chinese government. That meant that U.S. coaches were effectively working for the Chinese when they visited. But the behavior of Chinese coaches toward young athletes those coaches saw at the NBA training camps shocked them.
One American coach who worked for the NBA in China described the project as “a sweat camp for athletes.” At least two coaches left their positions in response to what they believed was mistreatment of young players. One requested and received a transfer after watching Chinese coaches strike teenage players, three sources told ESPN. Another American coach left before the end of his contract because he found the lack of education in the academies unconscionable: “I couldn’t continue to show up every day, looking at these kids and knowing they would end up being taxi drivers,” he said… The NBA brought in elite coaches and athletic trainers with experience in the G League and Division I basketball to work at the academies. One former coach described watching a Chinese coach fire a ball into a young player’s face at point-blank range and then “kick him in the gut.” “Imagine you have a kid who’s 13, 14 years old, and you’ve got a grown coach who is 40 years old hitting your kid,” the coach said. “We’re part of that. The NBA is part of that.”
It wasn’t just the physical abuse. Young players at the academies were supposed to receive an education when they weren’t playing basketball but it turned out none of them were. And conditions in the Xinjiang center seemed especially grim: “In Xinjiang, players lived in cramped dormitories; the rooms were meant for two people, but a former coach said bunk beds were used to put as many as eight to 10 athletes in a room.”
The NBA had been facing some criticism for having a training center in Xinjiang as far back as 2018 but it wasn’t until after GM Daryl Morey’s tweet about Hong Kong that the NBA, suddenly facing a lot of new scrutiny of its business in China, pulled down the website for the center.
The hypocrisy of this is almost as shocking as the the horrible behavior of Chinese coaches. The NBA knew about all of this because it had been reported multiple times before the Daryl Morey tweet became an issue. So the silence from normally outspoken coaches and players wasn’t just covering up an unwillingness to back human rights in Hong Kong it was covering the abuse of athletes in the NBA’s own training facilities. A former league employee (who isn’t named in the story) pointed out the NBA’s flagrant hypocrisy.
“You can’t have it both ways,” the former employee said. “… You can’t be over here in February promoting Black History Month and be over in China, where they’re in reeducation camps and all the people that you’re partnering with are hitting kids.”
Until last week, the NBA has never explained its decision to close the center in Xinjiang or why it did so. The League was similarly hush-hush when it came to ESPN’s story, asking both current and former employees not to speak about the centers. An NBA PR staffer even sent a former coach an email saying, “Please don’t mention that you have been advised by the NBA not to respond.” The NBA is still hoping that if they keep quiet this will all go away.