hotair--2020-09-17--Nervous swing-state Dems wonder: <i>Where's Joe?</i>

The Times ’ s headline for this story is “ Does Biden Need a Higher Gear ?
Some Democrats Think So.
” Higher gear ?
He ’ s 200 years old , man .
Be happy that he can still get around under his own power .
This report will feel familiar , as it has the same thesis as the Time article that Ed wrote about yesterday .
That piece described Democrats in Michigan getting anxious about Joe ’ s light footprint ; today ’ s NYT story finds the same thing happening across various swing states .
Simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there ’ s little evidence in battleground states that the Biden campaign actually , you know , exists .
Which is bizarre given the mammoth fundraising haul that they enjoyed last month , an amount so enormous that not only did it set a record for the biggest one-month take in American history ( $ 365 million ) , it wasn ’ t far off from doubling Trump ’ s own gigantic take ( $ 210 million ) .
I ’ ve written more than one post lately wondering what the Trump campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money .
It ’ s time to ask what the hell Team Joe is doing with all of its money instead .
They have a de facto license to print currency right now as anxious anti-Trumpers rain cash on them in hopes of ousting the president in November .
They can ’ t drop $ 100 million or whatever to substantially beef up their ground game in Florida , Wisconsin , Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Arizona ?
All of that is a long way of saying that you should read this story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pulling another upset , this will be the go-to explanation among political junkies as to how Biden blew it .
In 2016 the go-to explanation for Clinton ’ s defeat was her taking the “ blue wall ” of the Rust Belt for granted , most infamously by never once visiting Wisconsin .
In 2020 it ’ ll be Team Joe ’ s protracted passivity towards Trump .
There ’ s a strategy behind that passivity — they ’ re trying to leave Trump alone in the spotlight , believing that he alienates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he ’ ll hand the presidency to Biden on a silver platter .
They ’ re making the election a referendum on the president by doing what they can to downplay the fact that it ’ s a choice .
But at some point that passivity may begin to look to voters like disinterest , or a Clintonesque arrogance in believing that Democrats don ’ t need to compete aggressively .
Worse , it may play into suspicions that Biden ’ s not actively campaigning because he ’ s simply unable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that point already ?
Some swing-state Dems are wondering .
Yet as Mr. Trump barrels ahead with crowded , risky rallies , some Democrats in battleground states are growing increasingly anxious about the trade-offs Mr. Biden has made .
With some polls tightening since the beginning of the summer , they are warning him that virtual events may not be enough to excite voters , and urging him to intensify in-person outreach… Now Democrats from Florida to Nevada have worried that the team is behind where it should be in engaging some core @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have implications for new voter registrations .
In Erie County , Pa. , for instance , local party leaders have been imploring the Biden campaign to have more of a presence on the ground .
They became so impatient to begin interacting directly with voters that they took it upon themselves to go from house to house to distribute campaign signs , drop literature and speak with people at a pandemic-acceptable distance… Mr. Biden has visited Wisconsin only once in 2020 , for a one-day trip to Kenosha two weeks ago after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week , he had made no trips to Michigan since the primary election there in March .
He has yet to travel this year to Arizona .
If Biden underperforms on November 3 and falls short of 270 , you ’ ll see that passage quoted many times in the weeks and months afterward .
What ’ s worrisome for Dems is that it ’ s not the only evidence out there of Team Joe overlooking hugely important constituencies .
All the way back in mid-May , Politico was hearing grumbling from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s outreach to Latinos was weak and without a clear message .
Fast-forward three and a half months and the state is once again a pure toss-up , with allies screaming at them via reporters to get on the case .
( Biden finally visited the state a few days ago to try to woo Latinos . )
It ’ s risky to second-guess a campaign whose strategy worked like a charm in the primaries and has worked like a charm against Trump thus far , with Biden leading in head-to-head polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obvious , potentially very costly mistakes seemingly being made here .
The real source of Democratic anxiety , though , isn ’ t Biden ’ s personal presence in these states .
It ’ s the lack of door-knocking by his campaign , a glaring contrast with Team Trump ’ s practice of knocking on hundreds of thousands of doors each week to engage voters ( or so they claim ) .
Personal face-to-face contact with voters is basic , basic retail politics , a given in every campaign — until this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic made personal contact sufficiently risky that voters would appreciate people *not* coming to their door .
They ’ ve gambled Biden ’ s campaign and ultimately the presidency on the idea that virtual outreach is just as good as the real thing .
They ’ re calling and texting people to encourage them to apply for mail-in ballots or to vote early in person , etc , but they ’ re not sending anyone out .
If Biden ends up winning , his team will be heralded as daring visionaries who realized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and just as effectively through digital means while their colleagues scoffed .
If Biden loses , they ’ ll be excoriated by all sides for their hubris .
Eschewing door-knocking will be treated , correctly , as a far more disastrous blunder than Hillary ’ s travel schedule four years ago .
But Team Joe is sticking to its guns .
Henry Gomez of BuzzFeed transcribed these comments about door-knocking made recently by Biden campaign manager Jen O ’ Malley Dillon : We ’ ll know in seven weeks if she was right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s worth noting , though , that Biden ’ s campaign isn ’ t the only turnout operation that ’ s going light because of COVID-19 .
The Democratic machine in Nevada , which has had remarkable success over the past 10 years getting voters to come out for its party , has also backed off during the pandemic , which may explain why Biden ’ s lead in that state is surprisingly thin .
Things are reportedly changing lately , but you can see the narrative for a Biden loss congealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoe-leather effort by Democrats .
In fact , according to the Nevada story , “ one unexpected benefit of the crisis … is that voters are far more likely to answer their doors : Canvassers are successfully speaking to roughly 30 percent of the people they try to reach , compared to about 6 percent in previous years.
” If that ’ s true across all battlegrounds , Team Trump is likely getting far more bang for its buck from door-knocking than they would in normal times , making Biden ’ s virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s entire strategy is to play to his base relentlessly and then figure out a way to turn every last one of them out , plus millions more working-class white voters who didn ’ t bother showing up for him in 2016 .
A strategy that ’ s heavy on organization , as the Trump campaign ’ s is , seems well-suited to do that .
Biden ’ s strategy ( so far ) seems to be to focus on advertising to make the case against Trump — even though all but a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made up about him one way or another .
That strategy seems … less well-suited .
I hope for Sleepy Joe ’ s sake they know what they ’ re doing .

The Times’s headline for this story is “Does Biden Need a Higher Gear? Some Democrats Think So.” Higher gear?
He’s 200 years old, man. Be happy that he can still get around under his own power.
This report will feel familiar, as it has the same thesis as the Time article that Ed wrote about yesterday. That piece described Democrats in Michigan getting anxious about Joe’s light footprint; today’s NYT story finds the same thing happening across various swing states. Simply put, apart from TV advertising, there’s little evidence in battleground states that the Biden campaign actually, you know, exists. Which is bizarre given the mammoth fundraising haul that they enjoyed last month, an amount so enormous that not only did it set a record for the biggest one-month take in American history ($365 million), it wasn’t far off from doubling Trump’s own gigantic take ($210 million).
I’ve written more than one post lately wondering what the Trump campaign has been doing with all of its money. It’s time to ask what the hell Team Joe is doing with all of its money instead. They have a de facto license to print currency right now as anxious anti-Trumpers rain cash on them in hopes of ousting the president in November. They can’t drop $100 million or whatever to substantially beef up their ground game in Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona?
All of that is a long way of saying that you should read this story now because, if Trump ends up pulling another upset, this will be the go-to explanation among political junkies as to how Biden blew it. In 2016 the go-to explanation for Clinton’s defeat was her taking the “blue wall” of the Rust Belt for granted, most infamously by never once visiting Wisconsin. In 2020 it’ll be Team Joe’s protracted passivity towards Trump. There’s a strategy behind that passivity — they’re trying to leave Trump alone in the spotlight, believing that he alienates so many voters with his daily antics that he’ll hand the presidency to Biden on a silver platter. They’re making the election a referendum on the president by doing what they can to downplay the fact that it’s a choice. But at some point that passivity may begin to look to voters like disinterest, or a Clintonesque arrogance in believing that Democrats don’t need to compete aggressively. Worse, it may play into suspicions that Biden’s not actively campaigning because he’s simply unable, physically and mentally.
Have we reached that point already? Some swing-state Dems are wondering.
Yet as Mr. Trump barrels ahead with crowded, risky rallies, some Democrats in battleground states are growing increasingly anxious about the trade-offs Mr. Biden has made. With some polls tightening since the beginning of the summer, they are warning him that virtual events may not be enough to excite voters, and urging him to intensify in-person outreach… Now Democrats from Florida to Nevada have worried that the team is behind where it should be in engaging some core constituencies, a problem that may also have implications for new voter registrations. In Erie County, Pa., for instance, local party leaders have been imploring the Biden campaign to have more of a presence on the ground. They became so impatient to begin interacting directly with voters that they took it upon themselves to go from house to house to distribute campaign signs, drop literature and speak with people at a pandemic-acceptable distance… Mr. Biden has visited Wisconsin only once in 2020, for a one-day trip to Kenosha two weeks ago after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Until last week, he had made no trips to Michigan since the primary election there in March. He has yet to travel this year to Arizona.
If Biden underperforms on November 3 and falls short of 270, you’ll see that passage quoted many times in the weeks and months afterward. What’s worrisome for Dems is that it’s not the only evidence out there of Team Joe overlooking hugely important constituencies. All the way back in mid-May, Politico was hearing grumbling from Democrats in Florida that the Biden campaign’s outreach to Latinos was weak and without a clear message. Fast-forward three and a half months and the state is once again a pure toss-up, with allies screaming at them via reporters to get on the case. (Biden finally visited the state a few days ago to try to woo Latinos.) It’s risky to second-guess a campaign whose strategy worked like a charm in the primaries and has worked like a charm against Trump thus far, with Biden leading in head-to-head polling all year, but there are very obvious, potentially very costly mistakes seemingly being made here.
The real source of Democratic anxiety, though, isn’t Biden’s personal presence in these states. It’s the lack of door-knocking by his campaign, a glaring contrast with Team Trump’s practice of knocking on hundreds of thousands of doors each week to engage voters (or so they claim). Personal face-to-face contact with voters is basic, basic retail politics, a given in every campaign — until this year, when Team Joe concluded that the pandemic made personal contact sufficiently risky that voters would appreciate people *not* coming to their door. They’ve gambled Biden’s campaign and ultimately the presidency on the idea that virtual outreach is just as good as the real thing. They’re calling and texting people to encourage them to apply for mail-in ballots or to vote early in person, etc, but they’re not sending anyone out. If Biden ends up winning, his team will be heralded as daring visionaries who realized that politics can be done more efficiently and just as effectively through digital means while their colleagues scoffed.
If Biden loses, they’ll be excoriated by all sides for their hubris. Eschewing door-knocking will be treated, correctly, as a far more disastrous blunder than Hillary’s travel schedule four years ago. But Team Joe is sticking to its guns. Henry Gomez of BuzzFeed transcribed these comments about door-knocking made recently by Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon:
We’ll know in seven weeks if she was right or grossly, grossly wrong. It’s worth noting, though, that Biden’s campaign isn’t the only turnout operation that’s going light because of COVID-19. The Democratic machine in Nevada, which has had remarkable success over the past 10 years getting voters to come out for its party, has also backed off during the pandemic, which may explain why Biden’s lead in that state is surprisingly thin. Things are reportedly changing lately, but you can see the narrative for a Biden loss congealing in real time here: Not enough shoe-leather effort by Democrats.
In fact, according to the Nevada story, “one unexpected benefit of the crisis … is that voters are far more likely to answer their doors: Canvassers are successfully speaking to roughly 30 percent of the people they try to reach, compared to about 6 percent in previous years.” If that’s true across all battlegrounds, Team Trump is likely getting far more bang for its buck from door-knocking than they would in normal times, making Biden’s virtual strategy that much riskier. Trump’s entire strategy is to play to his base relentlessly and then figure out a way to turn every last one of them out, plus millions more working-class white voters who didn’t bother showing up for him in 2016. A strategy that’s heavy on organization, as the Trump campaign’s is, seems well-suited to do that. Biden’s strategy (so far) seems to be to focus on advertising to make the case against Trump — even though all but a tiny percentage of voters have their minds made up about him one way or another. That strategy seems … less well-suited. I hope for Sleepy Joe’s sake they know what they’re doing.


hotair--2020-09-17--Census Bureau: American incomes hit all-time high in 2019

President Trump touts the pre-coronavirus pandemic American economy at every opportunity , as he should .
Before the pandemic brought the economy to its knees with shutdowns , President Trump was cruising to re-election thanks to a very strong economy .
Across the board , the numbers were very good .
Critics like to mock Trump for talking about what was , instead of the current reality , but recent data released by the Census Bureau backs up Trump ’ s claims .
The numbers are impressive .
The president would be foolish not to play up his success with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Median household income reached an all-time high , coming in at $ 68,700 in 2019 .
That is a 6.8 % increase , from $ 64,324 in 2018 , the largest one-year increase on record .
The poverty rate fell to the lowest in recorded history , at 10.5 % , a decline of 1.3 % .
The poverty level fell for the fifth consecutive year .
The specifics that Trump often refers to – the categories of specific demographics tell the tale , too .
Real median incomes grew for black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans ( 7.1 % ) , and Asian Americans ( 10.6 % ) .
Remember when then-candidate Trump asked minority voters , “ What the hell do you have to lose ?
” Any minority voter that took that challenge to heart has been vindicated , certainly economically speaking .
Income levels for minorities reached record levels .
There were 2.2 million more people working at some point in 2019 compared with 2018 and 1.2 million more people working full-time year-round .
Women workers drove the increase in full-time year-round workers .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lifted out of poverty between 2018 and 2019 .
Child poverty fell to a near 50-year low , and the poverty rate fell to an all-time low for every race and ethnic group .
Declines in minority poverty rates were greater than declines in overall poverty rates – Black ( -2.0 % ) , Hispanic ( -1.8 % ) , and Asian ( -2.8 % ) .
Trump ’ s policies worked – deregulation and tax cuts produce economic growth and encourage employment .
All of this was great before the pandemic but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now Trump ’ s challenge is to convince voters that he can do the same for the economy that he did before the pandemic .
We are off to a good start in economic recovery but it will be months before results are felt .
For now , during the presidential campaign , Joe Biden is busy blaming the country ’ s economic condition on Trump , not the pandemic itself .
He pulls numbers out of the air and passes them off as hard data .
Millions of workers are unemployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though .
Pre-pandemic , the unemployment rate was at a near-historic low , at under 4 % in February which then went to 15 % in April .
It has since fallen to below 9 % and likely to continue to drop .
With the country slowly re-opening and safety measures put into place against further outbreaks of the coronavirus , this progress will likely continue through the end of the year .
One sticking point that the Trump campaign needs to address is the number of Americans without health insurance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , to 29.6 million .
Democrats always hit Republicans on health insurance and this year is no different .
Suburban women , an important demographic in elections , are particularly concerned about health insurance coverage .
All in all , the Census Bureau ’ s numbers are good for President Trump .
Now he just needs to do it again , assuming he is re-elected .
It is possible for a full pre-pandemic recovery by the end of 2021 .
In 2020 , we ’ ll take all the good news – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can get .

President Trump touts the pre-coronavirus pandemic American economy at every opportunity, as he should. Before the pandemic brought the economy to its knees with shutdowns, President Trump was cruising to re-election thanks to a very strong economy. Across the board, the numbers were very good.
Critics like to mock Trump for talking about what was, instead of the current reality, but recent data released by the Census Bureau backs up Trump’s claims. The numbers are impressive. The president would be foolish not to play up his success with the economy before a worldwide pandemic struck.
Median household income reached an all-time high, coming in at $68,700 in 2019. That is a 6.8% increase, from $64,324 in 2018, the largest one-year increase on record. The poverty rate fell to the lowest in recorded history, at 10.5%, a decline of 1.3%. The poverty level fell for the fifth consecutive year.
The specifics that Trump often refers to – the categories of specific demographics tell the tale, too. Real median incomes grew for black Americans (7.9%), Hispanic Americans (7.1%), and Asian Americans (10.6%). Remember when then-candidate Trump asked minority voters, “What the hell do you have to lose?” Any minority voter that took that challenge to heart has been vindicated, certainly economically speaking. Income levels for minorities reached record levels.
There were 2.2 million more people working at some point in 2019 compared with 2018 and 1.2 million more people working full-time year-round. Women workers drove the increase in full-time year-round workers.
On poverty, over 4 million people were lifted out of poverty between 2018 and 2019. Child poverty fell to a near 50-year low, and the poverty rate fell to an all-time low for every race and ethnic group. Declines in minority poverty rates were greater than declines in overall poverty rates – Black (-2.0%), Hispanic (-1.8%), and Asian (-2.8%).
Trump’s policies worked – deregulation and tax cuts produce economic growth and encourage employment. All of this was great before the pandemic but that was then and this is now. Now Trump’s challenge is to convince voters that he can do the same for the economy that he did before the pandemic. We are off to a good start in economic recovery but it will be months before results are felt. For now, during the presidential campaign, Joe Biden is busy blaming the country’s economic condition on Trump, not the pandemic itself. He pulls numbers out of the air and passes them off as hard data.
“If Donald Trump had acted just two weeks earlier, 54,000 lives could have been spared in March and April alone,” Biden tweeted last week. “Instead, he downplayed the threat and refused to take action — costing lives and sending our economy into a tailspin. It’s an unjustifiable dereliction of duty.”
Millions of workers are unemployed right now. That number is falling, though. Pre-pandemic, the unemployment rate was at a near-historic low, at under 4% in February which then went to 15% in April. It has since fallen to below 9% and likely to continue to drop. With the country slowly re-opening and safety measures put into place against further outbreaks of the coronavirus, this progress will likely continue through the end of the year.
One sticking point that the Trump campaign needs to address is the number of Americans without health insurance. That number increased by 1 million last year, to 29.6 million. Democrats always hit Republicans on health insurance and this year is no different. Suburban women, an important demographic in elections, are particularly concerned about health insurance coverage.
Sarah Chamberlain, a GOP strategist, previously told Fox News that her project, Women2Women Conversations Tour, is finding high concern about health care in focus groups with suburban women. “The number one, two, and three issue is health care,” Chamberlain said.
All in all, the Census Bureau’s numbers are good for President Trump. Now he just needs to do it again, assuming he is re-elected. It is possible for a full pre-pandemic recovery by the end of 2021.
The Philadelphia Federal Reserve published results of a survey of 35 economic forecasters on August 14, 2020. They predicted the US economy would expand at an annual rate of 19.1 percent in the third quarter. This was almost double the prediction of 10.6 percent from the last survey. The forecasters expected real GDP to decrease 5.2 percent in 2020 but to recover and annual rates of between 2.2 percent to 3.5 percent over each of the following three years.
In 2020, we’ll take all the good news – and hope for the near future – we can get.


hotair--2020-09-17--Ben Shapiro is taking his Daily Wire and saying "adios" to California

This is something I ’ ve been saying about New York City pretty much all year without even a hint of irony .
Get out if you have the means to do so .
And while it may come up less often , much the same can be said for Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay region .
Or , if you prefer , the entire state of California for that matter .
It turns out that this is some advice that Daily Wire co-founder and editor Ben Shapiro has taken to heart .
This week , Shapiro announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California to Nashville , Tennessee , in the hopes of living under a somewhat less insane system of governance .
His parting words to his native state should serve as a warning to the citizens who keep electing the same batch of self-destructive liberals over and over again .
‘ Terrible governance has consequences ‘ ( The Hill ) The Daily Wire is moving its headquarters from Los Angeles to Nashville , Tenn. later this year , the conservative media company , which was co-founded by Ben Shapiro , announced on Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and over and over again when we would leave California .
The answer : now .
See you in Nashville , gang !
” Shapiro wrote to his more than 3.1 million followers on Twitter .
“ I ’ ve lived my entire life in California .
Within weeks , we ’ ll be taking our 75 jobs and leaving .
We ’ re not the first .
And we certainly won ’ t be the last .
Terrible governance has consequences , ” he added in a subsequent post .
Why leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weather is so awesome !
Ben does give a nod to the pleasant weather in his soon-to-be-former home state , but declares that nice weather isn ’ t enough to overcome the rest of the tragedy that the Golden State has become .
Insane policies that shut down businesses in the gig economy , actually promote wildfires rather than retarding them , and restrict the free speech rights of anyone who is deemed insufficiently woke are only the beginning .
Outrageous taxes being put to outrageous uses , along with a continually rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incentive for people to abandon the beaches and head east .
Shapiro ’ s company may only employ 75 people so the net effect on the state ’ s total economy won ’ t be a death blow , but the problem for Gavin Newsom is that Ben is hardly the only business operator making this decision .
We recently learned that Joe Rogan , the host of what is arguably the most popular podcast in the world , is similarly packing his bags and heading to Texas .
Rogan ’ s politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s , having a decidedly more libertarian flavor , but that only goes to demonstrate that this isn ’ t really a partisan issue .
It ’ s a matter of survival of the fittest , or at least the survival of those smart enough to get out of the road when there ’ s a figurative T-Rex about to eat the back half of your Jeep .
These events are only some of the more high-profile examples of a trend that ’ s been growing for a while now , whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals .
Last year was the first time in recent memory that more people left California than moved there .
And that was before the plague hit .
One of the same markers that was observed in the New York City to Connecticut exodus this summer has shown up on the west coast .
U-Haul prices and waiting times to rent trucks and trailers have spiked over the summer .
We won ’ t know the final numbers until some time later in the winter , but it ’ s a fairly solid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue for a while .
Sooner or later it ’ s going to start costing them congressional seats .
And all of this is based on the assumption that there will be enough of the state left after the fires to rebuild the place .
Good luck , Ben .
I ’ ve never lived in Nashville , but I ’ ve spent a lot of time in Chattanooga and I can tell you that you ’ ll meet some nice people in those parts .

This is something I’ve been saying about New York City pretty much all year without even a hint of irony. Get out if you have the means to do so. And while it may come up less often, much the same can be said for Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay region. Or, if you prefer, the entire state of California for that matter. It turns out that this is some advice that Daily Wire co-founder and editor Ben Shapiro has taken to heart. This week, Shapiro announced that his operation will be moving from California to Nashville, Tennessee, in the hopes of living under a somewhat less insane system of governance. His parting words to his native state should serve as a warning to the citizens who keep electing the same batch of self-destructive liberals over and over again. ‘Terrible governance has consequences‘ (The Hill)
The Daily Wire is moving its headquarters from Los Angeles to Nashville, Tenn. later this year, the conservative media company, which was co-founded by Ben Shapiro, announced on Tuesday. “We’ve been asked over and over and over again when we would leave California. The answer: now. See you in Nashville, gang!” Shapiro wrote to his more than 3.1 million followers on Twitter. “I’ve lived my entire life in California. Within weeks, we’ll be taking our 75 jobs and leaving. We’re not the first. And we certainly won’t be the last. Terrible governance has consequences,” he added in a subsequent post.
We've been asked over and over and over again when we would leave California. The answer: now. See you in Nashville, gang! https://t.co/CP0ZErmSEM — Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) September 16, 2020
Why leave California, Ben? I mean… the weather is so awesome!
Ben does give a nod to the pleasant weather in his soon-to-be-former home state, but declares that nice weather isn’t enough to overcome the rest of the tragedy that the Golden State has become. Insane policies that shut down businesses in the gig economy, actually promote wildfires rather than retarding them, and restrict the free speech rights of anyone who is deemed insufficiently woke are only the beginning. Outrageous taxes being put to outrageous uses, along with a continually rising cost of living have been increasing the incentive for people to abandon the beaches and head east.
Shapiro’s company may only employ 75 people so the net effect on the state’s total economy won’t be a death blow, but the problem for Gavin Newsom is that Ben is hardly the only business operator making this decision. We recently learned that Joe Rogan, the host of what is arguably the most popular podcast in the world, is similarly packing his bags and heading to Texas. Rogan’s politics are bit harder to discern than Shapiro’s, having a decidedly more libertarian flavor, but that only goes to demonstrate that this isn’t really a partisan issue. It’s a matter of survival of the fittest, or at least the survival of those smart enough to get out of the road when there’s a figurative T-Rex about to eat the back half of your Jeep.
These events are only some of the more high-profile examples of a trend that’s been growing for a while now, whether you’re talking about businesses or individuals. Last year was the first time in recent memory that more people left California than moved there. And that was before the plague hit. One of the same markers that was observed in the New York City to Connecticut exodus this summer has shown up on the west coast. U-Haul prices and waiting times to rent trucks and trailers have spiked over the summer.
We won’t know the final numbers until some time later in the winter, but it’s a fairly solid guess that the California exodus is going to continue for a while. Sooner or later it’s going to start costing them congressional seats. And all of this is based on the assumption that there will be enough of the state left after the fires to rebuild the place. Good luck, Ben. I’ve never lived in Nashville, but I’ve spent a lot of time in Chattanooga and I can tell you that you’ll meet some nice people in those parts.


hotair--2020-09-17--Flashback: Biden-surrogate Kerry breaks down why Trump did the impossible in the Middle East

Robert Gates , the former Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush and Barack Obama , once wrote that Joe Biden has “ been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.
” Gates stood by that statement last year , in fact , but Biden might not be the worst the Democratic Party has to offer .
Former Obama-Biden Secretary of State John Kerry , now a surrogate for Biden , managed to accidentally prophesy how Donald Trump would accomplish the impossible in the Middle East — get Arab nations to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealing with the Palestinians .
This pretty much explains why neither Biden nor Kerry should ever have been within reach of American foreign policy : KERRY : There will be no separate peace between Israel and the Arab world .
I want to make that very clear to all of you .
I ’ ve heard several prominent politicians in Israel sometimes saying , “ Well , the Arab world is in a different place now .
We just have to reach out to them and we can work some things with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with the Palestinians.
” No .
No , no , and no .
I can tell you that , reaffirmed even in the last week , as I have talked to leaders in the Arab community .
There will be no advance and separate peace with the Arab world without the Palestinian process and Palestinian peace .
Everybody needs to understand that .
That is a hard reality .
It ’ s tough to choose what is the most embarrassing quality of this Kerry declaration from four years ago on the impossibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it his dead certainty of his own position ?
The way Kerry uses his cheaters to look down on the audience in his faux-professorial manner ?
The way he condescendingly dismisses politicians in Israel who actually turned out to be right , and to whom Kerry should have listened ?
It ’ s an abundance of riches , my friends , an abundance of riches in 44 seconds .
The biggest takeaway , though , is the realization that the biggest obstacle to normalized Israeli-Arab relations might have been the US , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign policy .
From this clip , it certainly sounds as though the Obama administration never bothered to try achieving anything like the Abraham Accord .
It sounds as though Obama , Biden , and Kerry were the ones insisting that Israel deal with the Palestinians first , giving cover to the Arab nations to stick to that demand .
And of course , Kerry ’ s making these categorical and stupendously idiotic declarations a year after the Obama administration sent pallets of cash to Iran , the nation that Arab nations fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do Israel .
Had Hillary Clinton and the old establishment won the 2016 election , this never would have come to pass .
And seeing just how spectacularly wrong they were , crystallized in this pompous-ass clip from that same year , should be a good argument for keeping their hands off of foreign policy for at least another four years — if not forever .

Robert Gates, the former Secretary of Defense under George W. Bush and Barack Obama, once wrote that Joe Biden has “been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.” Gates stood by that statement last year, in fact, but Biden might not be the worst the Democratic Party has to offer. Former Obama-Biden Secretary of State John Kerry, now a surrogate for Biden, managed to accidentally prophesy how Donald Trump would accomplish the impossible in the Middle East — get Arab nations to sign a separate peace with Israel without dealing with the Palestinians.
This pretty much explains why neither Biden nor Kerry should ever have been within reach of American foreign policy:
John Kerry with a 2016 Middle East take that aged like milk in a sauna. pic.twitter.com/2Vae6yDJFt — Noam Blum (@neontaster) September 16, 2020
KERRY: There will be no separate peace between Israel and the Arab world. I want to make that very clear to all of you. I’ve heard several prominent politicians in Israel sometimes saying, “Well, the Arab world is in a different place now. We just have to reach out to them and we can work some things with the Arab world, and we’ll deal with the Palestinians.” No. No, no, and no. I can tell you that, reaffirmed even in the last week, as I have talked to leaders in the Arab community. There will be no advance and separate peace with the Arab world without the Palestinian process and Palestinian peace. Everybody needs to understand that. That is a hard reality.
It’s tough to choose what is the most embarrassing quality of this Kerry declaration from four years ago on the impossibility of what Trump has achieved. Is it his dead certainty of his own position? The way Kerry uses his cheaters to look down on the audience in his faux-professorial manner? The way he condescendingly dismisses politicians in Israel who actually turned out to be right, and to whom Kerry should have listened? It’s an abundance of riches, my friends, an abundance of riches in 44 seconds.
The biggest takeaway, though, is the realization that the biggest obstacle to normalized Israeli-Arab relations might have been the US, at least for the eight years Obama ran foreign policy. From this clip, it certainly sounds as though the Obama administration never bothered to try achieving anything like the Abraham Accord. It sounds as though Obama, Biden, and Kerry were the ones insisting that Israel deal with the Palestinians first, giving cover to the Arab nations to stick to that demand. And of course, Kerry’s making these categorical and stupendously idiotic declarations a year after the Obama administration sent pallets of cash to Iran, the nation that Arab nations fear in the region even more than they do Israel.
Had Hillary Clinton and the old establishment won the 2016 election, this never would have come to pass. And seeing just how spectacularly wrong they were, crystallized in this pompous-ass clip from that same year, should be a good argument for keeping their hands off of foreign policy for at least another four years — if not forever.


hotair--2020-09-17--Will the Senate GOP call it quits early?

The current session of Congress hasn ’ t produced much in the way of meaningful legislation being passed , though I ’ m sure that will come as a shock to many of you .
( Not . )
But they still have some important items on their to-do list to check off before heading home .
One of the biggest is the usual stopgap spending bill to keep the government in operation until next year .
There have been rumors swirling of a deal being in the works to make that happen for several weeks now , so we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the eve of the election .
But will they manage to do anything else ?
Reports from The Hill indicate that hopes are fading and some of the Senate Republicans are itching to get back home and out on the campaign trail .
Would Cocaine Mitch really just send everyone home without pushing any other pending legislation over the finish line ?
Senate Republican leaders are hoping to let their colleagues hit the campaign trail at the end of next week , acknowledging the slim chances of passing significant legislation other than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican senators say negotiations between the White House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) are not likely to produce a COVID-19 deal before the election , and their vulnerable colleagues are eager to get back home to campaign .
However , Pelosi emphasized this week that the House is committed to getting a coronavirus deal , is in no rush to leave the nation ’ s capital and has some leverage on the Senate ’ s plans .
Senate Majority Whip John Thune ( R-S.D . )
said the goal is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fund federal departments and agencies beyond Sept. 30 , which would free up senators to leave town until after the election .
We ’ re at the point where another round of Shutdown Theater isn ’ t going to boost the poll numbers of either party , so it seems likely that everyone will swallow some of their demands and just come up with a bare-bones package that keeps the government open past September 30 .
It ’ s not as if the congressional approval ratings could sink much lower , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and one-third of the Senate are up for election shortly and they really don ’ t want to have to go home and explain yet again why they can ’ t even manage to keep the government running .
Even if the CR goes through , however , that doesn ’ t address the other elephant in the room .
Both the White House and Nancy Pelosi want to get a second round of COVID stimulus spending passed before the election .
“ Free money ” is always popular , and if Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill passed , the Democrats will trumpet that as a big win over the GOP .
Conversely , President Trump will hit the trail claiming that he was the Art of the Deal guy who made it happen and take credit during the final days before the election .
( And to be honest , he ’ s been sounding a lot more like Pelosi and less like McConnell over the past couple of weeks . )
For her part , Pelosi is still saying that the House needs to remain in session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Midnight Mitch has shown zero appetite for the Speaker ’ s “ my way or the highway ” approach to the size of the bill .
The Senate GOP already approved a slimmed-down version of the relief bill that Pelosi could easily have pushed through the House to at least get something done , but Senate Democrats filibustered the bill to death at the urging of Chuck Schumer .
Everyone facing a tight election back home is eager to get out of town , but this is looking more and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They can see the value of going home to campaign in person , but if everyone coming to their town halls begins demanding to know why the federally enhanced unemployment benefits haven ’ t returned , what are they going to say in response ?
The GOP ’ s position seems a bit more tenable because they can simply point to the bill they already approved , throw up their hands and tell their constituents to go ask the Democrats why they wouldn ’ t pass it .
But the answer is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are up for reelection .
Most people are pragmatic enough to understand the divided nature of Congress and would be willing to stick with the idea of half a loaf being better than none .
But Pelosi has put her caucus in the position of having to say they would prefer everyone to get nothing if they can ’ t have everything .
That ’ s a classic case of allowing perfect to be the enemy of the good , and it ’ s not a winner with the public in most cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t be entirely surprised if the Senate passes the continuing resolution and just calls it a day .
If the House manages to agree to a compromise and somehow passes a palatable COVID relief bill , McConnell can still summon everyone back for a day or two so it can be pushed out to the President ’ s desk .
And Trump would be thrilled to sign almost anything at this point .

The current session of Congress hasn’t produced much in the way of meaningful legislation being passed, though I’m sure that will come as a shock to many of you. (Not.) But they still have some important items on their to-do list to check off before heading home. One of the biggest is the usual stopgap spending bill to keep the government in operation until next year. There have been rumors swirling of a deal being in the works to make that happen for several weeks now, so we might at least avoid a shutdown on the eve of the election. But will they manage to do anything else? Reports from The Hill indicate that hopes are fading and some of the Senate Republicans are itching to get back home and out on the campaign trail. Would Cocaine Mitch really just send everyone home without pushing any other pending legislation over the finish line?
Senate Republican leaders are hoping to let their colleagues hit the campaign trail at the end of next week, acknowledging the slim chances of passing significant legislation other than a government funding stopgap before Election Day. Republican senators say negotiations between the White House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are not likely to produce a COVID-19 deal before the election, and their vulnerable colleagues are eager to get back home to campaign. However, Pelosi emphasized this week that the House is committed to getting a coronavirus deal, is in no rush to leave the nation’s capital and has some leverage on the Senate’s plans. Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said the goal is to finish work on a stopgap spending measure to fund federal departments and agencies beyond Sept. 30, which would free up senators to leave town until after the election.
We’re at the point where another round of Shutdown Theater isn’t going to boost the poll numbers of either party, so it seems likely that everyone will swallow some of their demands and just come up with a bare-bones package that keeps the government open past September 30. It’s not as if the congressional approval ratings could sink much lower, but all of the members of the House and one-third of the Senate are up for election shortly and they really don’t want to have to go home and explain yet again why they can’t even manage to keep the government running.
Even if the CR goes through, however, that doesn’t address the other elephant in the room. Both the White House and Nancy Pelosi want to get a second round of COVID stimulus spending passed before the election. “Free money” is always popular, and if Pelosi can get her version of such a bill passed, the Democrats will trumpet that as a big win over the GOP. Conversely, President Trump will hit the trail claiming that he was the Art of the Deal guy who made it happen and take credit during the final days before the election. (And to be honest, he’s been sounding a lot more like Pelosi and less like McConnell over the past couple of weeks.)
For her part, Pelosi is still saying that the House needs to remain in session until a pandemic relief bill is passed. But Midnight Mitch has shown zero appetite for the Speaker’s “my way or the highway” approach to the size of the bill. The Senate GOP already approved a slimmed-down version of the relief bill that Pelosi could easily have pushed through the House to at least get something done, but Senate Democrats filibustered the bill to death at the urging of Chuck Schumer.
Everyone facing a tight election back home is eager to get out of town, but this is looking more and more like a trap for the vulnerable incumbents. They can see the value of going home to campaign in person, but if everyone coming to their town halls begins demanding to know why the federally enhanced unemployment benefits haven’t returned, what are they going to say in response? The GOP’s position seems a bit more tenable because they can simply point to the bill they already approved, throw up their hands and tell their constituents to go ask the Democrats why they wouldn’t pass it. But the answer is a lot trickier for the Democrats who are up for reelection.
Most people are pragmatic enough to understand the divided nature of Congress and would be willing to stick with the idea of half a loaf being better than none. But Pelosi has put her caucus in the position of having to say they would prefer everyone to get nothing if they can’t have everything. That’s a classic case of allowing perfect to be the enemy of the good, and it’s not a winner with the public in most cases. With that in mind, I won’t be entirely surprised if the Senate passes the continuing resolution and just calls it a day. If the House manages to agree to a compromise and somehow passes a palatable COVID relief bill, McConnell can still summon everyone back for a day or two so it can be pushed out to the President’s desk. And Trump would be thrilled to sign almost anything at this point.


hotair--2020-09-17--UN accuses evil dictator of being evil dictator

It ’ s a rare day when we get the opportunity to toss some praise to the United Nations , but as the saying goes , even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while .
This week , the UN Human Rights Council made a somewhat unprecedented decision to accuse Venezuelan tyrant Nicolas Maduro and a number of his high-ranking officials of war crimes .
The accusations cover at least some of the socialist dictator ’ s many sins , including murder , torture , and “ arbitrary detention.
” One can only imagine the families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been thrown in dungeons , beaten to death in the streets or simply “ disappeared ” without a trace saying in unison… “ ya think ?
” ( Free Beacon ) The United Nations Human Rights Council accused Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan leaders of crimes against humanity , the New York Times reported Wednesday .
A UNHRC panel said it has “ reasonable grounds to believe ” that Maduro and other regime officials , including Venezuela ’ s defense minister and director of intelligence , “ ordered or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and torture .
“ Far from being isolated acts , these crimes were coordinated and committed pursuant to state policies , with the knowledge or direct support of commanding officers and senior government officials , ” said panel chairwoman Marta Valiñas .
“ High-ranking officials had effective command and control over the perpetrators and knowledge of their actions but failed to prevent or repress the violations.
” While we should give credit where due and support the UNHRC ’ s decision to take this action , it ’ s also worth asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you may recall , it was well more than a year ago that this same commission concluded a years-long investigation and issued a report confirming that the Maduro regime had been using torture and “ extrajudicial executions ” to maintain the dictator ’ s hold on power .
The most common form of executions was conducted by the President ’ s roving bands of hoods who would single out opponents on the street , claiming they intended to take them into custody .
The target would then be accused of “ resisting arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of you expressing concern over American police using lethal force against suspects who actually are resisting arrest , consider some of the numbers Maduro has racked up .
The UN confirmed that 5,287 people had been killed in this fashion just in 2018 .
And that ’ s in a country with a total population less than one-tenth that of the United States .
Of course , none of these tactics have been much of a secret ever since Maduro came to power .
Last year , a civil rights group operating inside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15,000 “ politically motivated detentions ” in just the first eight months of 2019 .
A significant number of those people were never seen again , despite no formal charges being filed and none of them actually going to trial .
Details are hard to come by because most of the families are afraid to speak up or go to the media for fear of further governmental retribution .
These charges come on the heels of the United States charging Maduro and 14 of his cronies with narco-terrorism , corruption and drug trafficking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the UN or our own government , will be largely meaningless , as with nearly all UN mandates .
The United Nations has almost no power to enforce its decrees beyond coaxing member nations into participating in sanctions .
And even the United States government lacks the ability and the authority to go bursting into Venezuela and arrest their president or bring him back to America to stand trial .
In the end , there is only one way that Nicolas Maduro will face justice and that ’ s if the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the military ) decide to stand up for themselves and remove him from power .
But as long as he retains the military and financial support of Russia , China , Iran and Turkey , that seems to be an unlikely proposition at best .
The most the rest of us can probably do is pray for the citizens of Venezuela .
They could definitely use help .

It’s a rare day when we get the opportunity to toss some praise to the United Nations, but as the saying goes, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while. This week, the UN Human Rights Council made a somewhat unprecedented decision to accuse Venezuelan tyrant Nicolas Maduro and a number of his high-ranking officials of war crimes. The accusations cover at least some of the socialist dictator’s many sins, including murder, torture, and “arbitrary detention.” One can only imagine the families of the literally thousands of people who have been thrown in dungeons, beaten to death in the streets or simply “disappeared” without a trace saying in unison… “ya think?” (Free Beacon)
The United Nations Human Rights Council accused Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelan leaders of crimes against humanity, the New York Times reported Wednesday. A UNHRC panel said it has “reasonable grounds to believe” that Maduro and other regime officials, including Venezuela’s defense minister and director of intelligence, “ordered or contributed to” arbitrary detention, murder, and torture. “Far from being isolated acts, these crimes were coordinated and committed pursuant to state policies, with the knowledge or direct support of commanding officers and senior government officials,” said panel chairwoman Marta Valiñas. “High-ranking officials had effective command and control over the perpetrators and knowledge of their actions but failed to prevent or repress the violations.”
While we should give credit where due and support the UNHRC’s decision to take this action, it’s also worth asking what took them so long. As you may recall, it was well more than a year ago that this same commission concluded a years-long investigation and issued a report confirming that the Maduro regime had been using torture and “extrajudicial executions” to maintain the dictator’s hold on power.
The most common form of executions was conducted by the President’s roving bands of hoods who would single out opponents on the street, claiming they intended to take them into custody. The target would then be accused of “resisting arrest” and summarily executed. For those of you expressing concern over American police using lethal force against suspects who actually are resisting arrest, consider some of the numbers Maduro has racked up. The UN confirmed that 5,287 people had been killed in this fashion just in 2018. And that’s in a country with a total population less than one-tenth that of the United States.
Of course, none of these tactics have been much of a secret ever since Maduro came to power. Last year, a civil rights group operating inside Venezuela issued a report detailing more than 15,000 “politically motivated detentions” in just the first eight months of 2019. A significant number of those people were never seen again, despite no formal charges being filed and none of them actually going to trial. Details are hard to come by because most of the families are afraid to speak up or go to the media for fear of further governmental retribution.
These charges come on the heels of the United States charging Maduro and 14 of his cronies with narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking. Sadly, these charges, both from the UN or our own government, will be largely meaningless, as with nearly all UN mandates. The United Nations has almost no power to enforce its decrees beyond coaxing member nations into participating in sanctions. And even the United States government lacks the ability and the authority to go bursting into Venezuela and arrest their president or bring him back to America to stand trial.
In the end, there is only one way that Nicolas Maduro will face justice and that’s if the people of Venezuela (hopefully with the support of the military) decide to stand up for themselves and remove him from power. But as long as he retains the military and financial support of Russia, China, Iran and Turkey, that seems to be an unlikely proposition at best. The most the rest of us can probably do is pray for the citizens of Venezuela. They could definitely use help.


hotair--2020-09-16--Grassley to Biden: Trump showed you his list, you show us yours

Senator Chuck Grassley , the former chairman and current member of the Senate Judiciary Committee , is calling on Joe Biden to release his list of potential nominees for the Supreme Court .
This comes after President Trump released a list of his last week .
In May 2016 , in order to shore up conservative support , then-candidate Trump released a list of candidates he would consider if he had the opportunity to place nominations before the Senate Judicial Committee .
The choices were excellent , frankly , and showed that thoughtful consideration had been employed by outside advisers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ promised to not go outside of the list .
So , in keeping with that tradition , Trump released an updated list last week .
Sleepy Joe has not released a list of his own .
Senator Grassley said that Biden should release his list by the end of the month .
He said there is “ no reason ” for Biden “ to hide ” the names .
“ I hope Vice President Biden will agree with me that the American people deserve this information before the election , not after .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ release the list of names from which he would nominate to the Supreme Court , no later than September 30th , ” Grassley said in a statement .
“ The Biden-Harris ticket owes voters the same transparency President Trump has demonstrated along with the same commitment to nominate from that list should there be a vacancy .
There ’ s no reason to hide something as consequential as who would be named to our highest court , ” he added .
Grassley isn ’ t the only person calling on Biden to release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do so for the same reason Trump did in 2016 – in this case , to energize voters who may be reluctant about who the former vice-president might choose .
That ’ s a double-edged sword for Democrats , though , because a list of far-left judges may appease the Bernie Bro wing of the party who are slow to warm up to voting for Biden but far-left judges will not be acceptable to more moderate Democrats .
So , a Biden spokesman just deflected when asked about releasing a list .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when , the Biden campaign would release a Supreme Court list , a spokesman referred to a recent statement asking when Trump would release his tax returns , something he has so far refused to do .
“ We look forward to Donald Trump releasing his tax returns in the spirit of his newfound appreciation for transparency , ” said Biden campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo .
We know that Biden committed to appointing a black woman to the Supreme Court and in June he said that his team was working on a list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list , though .
Since June he has punted on answering the question .
Democrat Senator Dick Durbin argues against transparency on potential nominees , though .
Transparency ?
We don ’ t need no stinkin ’ transparency .
He wants to go back to the old ways , maintain the pre-Trump status quo .
I don ’ t know that most voters pay attention to judicial choices or think about them when they go to vote .
I can tell you the reason many conservatives felt ok with voting for Trump was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative judges , and denying liberals more seats on benches .
The thought of Hillary Clinton putting judges on the Supreme Court or lower courts was a big factor for some voters .
With some of the justices getting a little long in the tooth – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 87 and Justice Stephen Breyer is 82 – it matters again this time .
I sure don ’ t want Kamala Harris to make the decision .
Let ’ s face it , she ’ ll be the decision-maker , not Joe @ @

Senator Chuck Grassley, the former chairman and current member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is calling on Joe Biden to release his list of potential nominees for the Supreme Court. This comes after President Trump released a list of his last week.
In May 2016, in order to shore up conservative support, then-candidate Trump released a list of candidates he would consider if he had the opportunity to place nominations before the Senate Judicial Committee. The choices were excellent, frankly, and showed that thoughtful consideration had been employed by outside advisers who helped make the recommendations. Trump promised to not go outside of the list. So, in keeping with that tradition, Trump released an updated list last week. Sleepy Joe has not released a list of his own.
Senator Grassley said that Biden should release his list by the end of the month. He said there is “no reason” for Biden “to hide” the names.
“I hope Vice President Biden will agree with me that the American people deserve this information before the election, not after. I call on Vice President Biden to release the list of names from which he would nominate to the Supreme Court, no later than September 30th,” Grassley said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris ticket owes voters the same transparency President Trump has demonstrated along with the same commitment to nominate from that list should there be a vacancy. There’s no reason to hide something as consequential as who would be named to our highest court,” he added.
Grassley isn’t the only person calling on Biden to release a list. Progressive groups want Biden to do so for the same reason Trump did in 2016 – in this case, to energize voters who may be reluctant about who the former vice-president might choose. That’s a double-edged sword for Democrats, though, because a list of far-left judges may appease the Bernie Bro wing of the party who are slow to warm up to voting for Biden but far-left judges will not be acceptable to more moderate Democrats. So, a Biden spokesman just deflected when asked about releasing a list.
Asked about guidance on if, or when, the Biden campaign would release a Supreme Court list, a spokesman referred to a recent statement asking when Trump would release his tax returns, something he has so far refused to do. “We look forward to Donald Trump releasing his tax returns in the spirit of his newfound appreciation for transparency,” said Biden campaign spokesman TJ Ducklo.
We know that Biden committed to appointing a black woman to the Supreme Court and in June he said that his team was working on a list. He has not released such a list, though. Since June he has punted on answering the question.
“We are putting together a list of a group of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to be on the court,” Biden said at the time. “I am not going to release that until we go further down the line in vetting them.”
Democrat Senator Dick Durbin argues against transparency on potential nominees, though. Transparency? We don’t need no stinkin’ transparency. He wants to go back to the old ways, maintain the pre-Trump status quo.
“I sincerely hope he does not do that,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told The Hill earlier this year. “We ought to go back to the regular order of things. If and when vacancies occur he can look for the very best person at that moment.”
I don’t know that most voters pay attention to judicial choices or think about them when they go to vote. I can tell you the reason many conservatives felt ok with voting for Trump was on filling vacancies at all levels with conservative judges, and denying liberals more seats on benches. The thought of Hillary Clinton putting judges on the Supreme Court or lower courts was a big factor for some voters. With some of the justices getting a little long in the tooth – Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 87 and Justice Stephen Breyer is 82 – it matters again this time. I sure don’t want Kamala Harris to make the decision. Let’s face it, she’ll be the decision-maker, not Joe Biden.


hotair--2020-09-18--In New York, another statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary torn down... on video

I keep asking myself at what point enough will finally be enough , but there doesn ’ t seem to be a limit to the depravity we ’ re seeing in the streets these days , particularly in New York City .
As most of you are likely aware , this isn ’ t the first incident of this type to take place in the Big Apple , but it ’ s probably one of the most brazen and audacious we ’ ve seen to date .
Another statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been destroyed by a vandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood of Brooklyn .
Making the crime all the more insane is the fact that the church in question , Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace , had a security camera running and the perpetrator ’ s entire performance was captured on video .
He and another pedestrian ( who apparently objected to the attack ) are seen looking at the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue before he climbs up into the display area , wrestles it off of its base and hurls it to smash on the sidewalk .
( CBS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the hunt for a man caught on camera vandalizing a religious statue in Brooklyn .
The statue stood outside Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace on West 17th Street and Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island .
It was worth $ 4,000 , and now the church has to raise funds to buy a new one .
The statue depicts Our Lady of Guadalupe , one of the most iconic images of the Virgin Mary , and it is particularly revered by Mexican-Americans .
Here ’ s the video from CBS News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do you see the suspect throwing the statue to the sidewalk in broad daylight , but he almost poses for his future mug shot as he prepares to climb the fence .
It ’ s strange how CBS chose to blur out the face of the man seen chatting with the vandal prior to the attack .
According to one witness , the second man allegedly objected to the suspect destroying the statue and even attempted to replace it back on its base after it was thrown down .
That led to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , so I ’ m sure he must have gotten a good look at him .
As I mentioned above , this wasn ’ t the first shocking attack of this kind .
We saw the vandalism of two statues of the Blessed Virgin earlier this summer , with one of the incidents being investigated as a potential hate crime .
But… why ?
Yet again we are left to ask what , if anything , this individual could have been “ protesting ” by doing this .
That church is primarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minority neighborhood .
The specific statue depicted Our Lady of Guadalupe , an image of particular reverence for Mexican-American Catholics , so this couldn ’ t be some sort of racial issue .
Was it an act of hatred against Catholics or , perhaps , simply Christians in general ?
Or was this just more random , nonspecific violence committed by someone who simply wants to watch the world burn ?
As for the local parishioners of Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace , they are dismayed but pulling together to restore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars to replace the statue , but the donations are coming in .
This is also a fine lesson in the wisdom of investing in a good security camera system .
If you happen to live in the area and have any information about this suspect you can help out the authorities as follows :

I keep asking myself at what point enough will finally be enough, but there doesn’t seem to be a limit to the depravity we’re seeing in the streets these days, particularly in New York City. As most of you are likely aware, this isn’t the first incident of this type to take place in the Big Apple, but it’s probably one of the most brazen and audacious we’ve seen to date. Another statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been destroyed by a vandal, this time in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn. Making the crime all the more insane is the fact that the church in question, Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace, had a security camera running and the perpetrator’s entire performance was captured on video. He and another pedestrian (who apparently objected to the attack) are seen looking at the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue before he climbs up into the display area, wrestles it off of its base and hurls it to smash on the sidewalk. (CBS News 2 New York)
Police are on the hunt for a man caught on camera vandalizing a religious statue in Brooklyn. The statue stood outside Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace on West 17th Street and Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island. It was worth $4,000, and now the church has to raise funds to buy a new one. The statue depicts Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most iconic images of the Virgin Mary, and it is particularly revered by Mexican-Americans.
Here’s the video from CBS News 2 in New York. Not only do you see the suspect throwing the statue to the sidewalk in broad daylight, but he almost poses for his future mug shot as he prepares to climb the fence.
It’s strange how CBS chose to blur out the face of the man seen chatting with the vandal prior to the attack. According to one witness, the second man allegedly objected to the suspect destroying the statue and even attempted to replace it back on its base after it was thrown down. That led to a fight between the vandal and the second man, so I’m sure he must have gotten a good look at him.
As I mentioned above, this wasn’t the first shocking attack of this kind. We saw the vandalism of two statues of the Blessed Virgin earlier this summer, with one of the incidents being investigated as a potential hate crime. But… why?
Yet again we are left to ask what, if anything, this individual could have been “protesting” by doing this. That church is primarily attended by Hispanic worshippers in a predominantly minority neighborhood. The specific statue depicted Our Lady of Guadalupe, an image of particular reverence for Mexican-American Catholics, so this couldn’t be some sort of racial issue. Was it an act of hatred against Catholics or, perhaps, simply Christians in general? Or was this just more random, nonspecific violence committed by someone who simply wants to watch the world burn?
As for the local parishioners of Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace, they are dismayed but pulling together to restore their church. It will cost thousands of dollars to replace the statue, but the donations are coming in. This is also a fine lesson in the wisdom of investing in a good security camera system.
If you happen to live in the area and have any information about this suspect you can help out the authorities as follows:


hotair--2020-09-17--New: Former model accuses Trump of sexual assault during U.S. Open

Stop me if you ’ ve heard this story before – a woman comes forward to publicly speak of an alleged sexual assault that happened over twenty years ago , and her timing is likely intended to affect a political campaign .
This story is one that involved an ex-model and President Trump back in 1997 at the U.S. Open .
It ’ s probably just a coincidence that we are only 47 days out from the November 3 presidential election , right ?
As I often say , there are no coincidences in politics .
An exclusive story broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the left-wing British daily newspaper , about Amy Dorris , a former model and her claim of sexual assault by Trump .
The Guardian story alleges that Trump assaulted her outside the bathroom in his VIP box at the U.S. Open in New York on September 5 , 1997 .
The timing of publishing this story is suspect , if you ask me because Dorris first told it to The Guardian “ in confidence ” 15 months ago .
At that time , she was uncertain about going public .
Why , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a newspaper ?
Of course , she was going to go public , she was just deciding when exactly to do so .
What better time to maximize her 15 minutes of fame than to do so just 47 days before a presidential election ?
She ’ ll be interviewed by every television network in no time .
For background , Amy Dorris claims she and her then-boyfriend Jason Binn spent several days with Donald Trump in New York in September 1997 .
Binn told her at the time that Trump was his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the founder of several luxury fashion and lifestyle magazines .
Dorris was 24 years old at the time and Trump was 51 , married to his second wife , Marla Maples .
Dorris is 48 years old now and lives in Florida .
The Guardian said she provided evidence to support her claim , “ including her ticket to the US Open and six photos showing her with the real estate magnate over several days in New York.
” Dorris and Binn were among several friends Trump hosted in his VIP box .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the suite .
“ He just shoved his tongue down my throat and I was pushing him off .
And then that ’ s when his grip became tighter and his hands were very gropey and all over my butt , my breasts , my back , everything .
“ I was in his grip , and I couldn ’ t get out of it , ” she said , adding : “ I don ’ t know what you call that when you ’ re sticking your tongue just down someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it out with my teeth .
I was pushing it .
And I think I might have hurt his tongue.
” She elaborated that at first , she thought Trump was waiting to use the restroom .
Then when he allegedly grabbed her , she tried to stop him .
When she came out , she alleges , Trump was waiting outside .
“ Initially I thought that he was waiting to go to the bathroom , but that wasn ’ t the case , unfortunately , ” she said .
She alleges @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brief exchange in which she recalls nervously laughing and telling him : “ No , get away.
” She alleged she told Trump “ no , please stop ” but “ he didn ’ t care ” .
“ It doesn ’ t matter who you are , ” she said .
“ Any time anyone says no , no means no .
And that just didn ’ t work out for me .
It wasn ’ t enough.
” “ I just kind of was in shock , ” she added .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I still wasn ’ t processing it and just was trying to go back to talking to everyone and having a good time because , I don ’ t know , I felt pressured to be that way.
” So , after all that , why did she continue to socialize with Trump and , as it turned out , various celebrities over the course of several days ?
She said at the time she told Binn about the alleged assault and said , “ He ’ s all over me .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You have to do something.
” Now , Binn claims he does not remember any such incident .
Trump ’ s attorneys deny the allegation and say that Binn told them he has no recollection of her telling him such a story .
She says she phoned a friend that lived in NYC to tell her about it .
“ I think I just felt safe knowing that I had someone in New York that I could go to , God forbid it got worse , ” she said .
The next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Open and were again in Trump ’ s suite .
She said Trump didn ’ t assault her again but did continue to pursue her .
The day after the alleged assault , Dorris and Binn returned to Trump ’ s box at the US Open .
Dorris said she decided to wear a “ conservative ” outfit of khakis , a blue knit sweater and loafers in an effort to discourage further advances from Trump .
The couple stopped off at Trump ’ s apartment in Trump Tower on the way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrities who were also visiting the real estate tycoon before attending the tennis , including the musicians Lenny Kravitz and Sean Combs , AKA Puff Daddy .
Dorris said Trump continued to pursue her , asking questions such as : “ Could you see yourself living here ?
” “ It didn ’ t matter that I changed my clothes , it was still the same situation , ” she said .
“ I didn ’ t feel like myself that second day at all .
It did feel like something was taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s box by more VIP guests , including Leonardo DiCaprio and the illusionist David Blaine , with whom they posed for photographs .
DiCaprio , Blaine , Kravitz and Combs did not respond to requests for comment .
On September 8 , she attended a memorial service for Gianni Versace with Binn and Trump .
Maybe she was just caught up in the opportunity to hang with celebrities and a well-known public figure in New York .
She was in New York from Florida with her boyfriend , Binn , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days and it was overwhelming .
Dorris says she didn ’ t fully process the alleged assault until years later .
Trump ’ s lawyers say her story doesn ’ t hold up because others would have witnessed the alleged attack .
The lawyers question why she chose to sit next to Trump at the Versace memorial instead of on the other side of Binn .
They also question why she never made a formal complaint with police , yet now comes forward so close to the election .
That is a legit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come forward in 2016 ?
She said she thought about it but decided against it because she felt it would be too disruptive to her family .
Now , she says , her daughters are older – in their teens – and she wants them to know that Trump ’ s behavior was wrong and shouldn ’ t be accepted as acceptable behavior .
She wants to be a role model .
The end of The Guardian ’ s piece tips her hand , though .
It ’ s a politically-motivated attack .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ When you invade someone ’ s space , it doesn ’ t matter if you were raped , it ’ s sexual assault , and it ’ s not OK , ” she said .
“ You don ’ t touch someone unless they want to be touched .
And I did nothing to encourage him to touch me.
” Dorris said she was also frustrated to hear Trump ’ s many other accusers being accused themselves of lying .
“ I ’ m sick of him getting away with this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m tired of being quiet .
It ’ s kind of cathartic .
I just want to get this out .
And I want people to know that this is the man , this is our president .
This is the kind of thing he does and it ’ s unacceptable.
” Perhaps she didn ’ t think Trump would win in 2016 and didn ’ t want to be scrutinized back then .
Now , though , is too late .
Others have tried to tell stories about alleged assaults and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moved the needle against Trump .
These stories are baked in the cake – voters know him and his supporters move past the stories .
His opponents try to play the stories up and fail to convince anyone to vote for the other person , in this case , Biden .
If that Access Hollywood story didn ’ t tank his candidacy in 2016 , none of these stories will make any difference .
This early October surprise of a story will just be another blip in the news cycle .

Stop me if you’ve heard this story before – a woman comes forward to publicly speak of an alleged sexual assault that happened over twenty years ago, and her timing is likely intended to affect a political campaign. This story is one that involved an ex-model and President Trump back in 1997 at the U.S. Open.
It’s probably just a coincidence that we are only 47 days out from the November 3 presidential election, right? As I often say, there are no coincidences in politics. An exclusive story broke online Thursday morning from The Guardian, the left-wing British daily newspaper, about Amy Dorris, a former model and her claim of sexual assault by Trump. The Guardian story alleges that Trump assaulted her outside the bathroom in his VIP box at the U.S. Open in New York on September 5, 1997. The timing of publishing this story is suspect, if you ask me because Dorris first told it to The Guardian “in confidence” 15 months ago. At that time, she was uncertain about going public. Why, then, did she tell her story to a newspaper? Of course, she was going to go public, she was just deciding when exactly to do so. What better time to maximize her 15 minutes of fame than to do so just 47 days before a presidential election? She’ll be interviewed by every television network in no time.
For background, Amy Dorris claims she and her then-boyfriend Jason Binn spent several days with Donald Trump in New York in September 1997. Binn told her at the time that Trump was his “best friend”. He was the founder of several luxury fashion and lifestyle magazines. Dorris was 24 years old at the time and Trump was 51, married to his second wife, Marla Maples. Dorris is 48 years old now and lives in Florida. The Guardian said she provided evidence to support her claim, “including her ticket to the US Open and six photos showing her with the real estate magnate over several days in New York.”
Dorris and Binn were among several friends Trump hosted in his VIP box. The restroom was hidden by a partition in the suite.
“He just shoved his tongue down my throat and I was pushing him off. And then that’s when his grip became tighter and his hands were very gropey and all over my butt, my breasts, my back, everything. “I was in his grip, and I couldn’t get out of it,” she said, adding: “I don’t know what you call that when you’re sticking your tongue just down someone’s throat. But I pushed it out with my teeth. I was pushing it. And I think I might have hurt his tongue.”
She elaborated that at first, she thought Trump was waiting to use the restroom. Then when he allegedly grabbed her, she tried to stop him.
When she came out, she alleges, Trump was waiting outside. “Initially I thought that he was waiting to go to the bathroom, but that wasn’t the case, unfortunately,” she said. She alleges Trump forced himself on her after a brief exchange in which she recalls nervously laughing and telling him: “No, get away.” She alleged she told Trump “no, please stop” but “he didn’t care”. “It doesn’t matter who you are,” she said. “Any time anyone says no, no means no. And that just didn’t work out for me. It wasn’t enough.” “I just kind of was in shock,” she added. “I felt violated, obviously. But I still wasn’t processing it and just was trying to go back to talking to everyone and having a good time because, I don’t know, I felt pressured to be that way.”
So, after all that, why did she continue to socialize with Trump and, as it turned out, various celebrities over the course of several days? She said at the time she told Binn about the alleged assault and said, “He’s all over me. I can’t deal with this. You have to do something.” Now, Binn claims he does not remember any such incident. Trump’s attorneys deny the allegation and say that Binn told them he has no recollection of her telling him such a story. She says she phoned a friend that lived in NYC to tell her about it. “I think I just felt safe knowing that I had someone in New York that I could go to, God forbid it got worse,” she said.
The next day she and Binn returned to the U.S. Open and were again in Trump’s suite. She said Trump didn’t assault her again but did continue to pursue her.
The day after the alleged assault, Dorris and Binn returned to Trump’s box at the US Open. Dorris said she decided to wear a “conservative” outfit of khakis, a blue knit sweater and loafers in an effort to discourage further advances from Trump. The couple stopped off at Trump’s apartment in Trump Tower on the way, where they posed for photographs with celebrities who were also visiting the real estate tycoon before attending the tennis, including the musicians Lenny Kravitz and Sean Combs, AKA Puff Daddy. Dorris said Trump continued to pursue her, asking questions such as: “Could you see yourself living here?” “It didn’t matter that I changed my clothes, it was still the same situation,” she said. “I didn’t feel like myself that second day at all. It did feel like something was taken away.” Later they were joined in Trump’s box by more VIP guests, including Leonardo DiCaprio and the illusionist David Blaine, with whom they posed for photographs. DiCaprio, Blaine, Kravitz and Combs did not respond to requests for comment.
On September 8, she attended a memorial service for Gianni Versace with Binn and Trump. Maybe she was just caught up in the opportunity to hang with celebrities and a well-known public figure in New York. She was in New York from Florida with her boyfriend, Binn, and going from event to event for several days and it was overwhelming. Dorris says she didn’t fully process the alleged assault until years later.
Trump’s lawyers say her story doesn’t hold up because others would have witnessed the alleged attack. The lawyers question why she chose to sit next to Trump at the Versace memorial instead of on the other side of Binn. They also question why she never made a formal complaint with police, yet now comes forward so close to the election. That is a legit question.
Why didn’t she come forward in 2016? She said she thought about it but decided against it because she felt it would be too disruptive to her family. Now, she says, her daughters are older – in their teens – and she wants them to know that Trump’s behavior was wrong and shouldn’t be accepted as acceptable behavior. She wants to be a role model.
The end of The Guardian’s piece tips her hand, though. It’s a politically-motivated attack. “This man is our president.”
“When you invade someone’s space, it doesn’t matter if you were raped, it’s sexual assault, and it’s not OK,” she said. “You don’t touch someone unless they want to be touched. And I did nothing to encourage him to touch me.” Dorris said she was also frustrated to hear Trump’s many other accusers being accused themselves of lying. “I’m sick of him getting away with this,” she said. “I’m tired of being quiet. It’s kind of cathartic. I just want to get this out. And I want people to know that this is the man, this is our president. This is the kind of thing he does and it’s unacceptable.”
Perhaps she didn’t think Trump would win in 2016 and didn’t want to be scrutinized back then. Now, though, is too late. Others have tried to tell stories about alleged assaults and other inappropriate behavior but none of them have moved the needle against Trump. These stories are baked in the cake – voters know him and his supporters move past the stories. His opponents try to play the stories up and fail to convince anyone to vote for the other person, in this case, Biden. If that Access Hollywood story didn’t tank his candidacy in 2016, none of these stories will make any difference. This early October surprise of a story will just be another blip in the news cycle.