hotair--2020-08-20--Harris's speech was a clunker, Obama's was not

A few highlights from last night ’ s two big speeches , the first of the convention that might matter .
Word on the street is that Obama was supposed to be the final speaker on Wednesday evening but insisted on switching with Harris so that she ’ d have the honor of being the closing act .
That was appropriate .
I think it would have been odd if the new VP nominee , the alleged future of the party , whom the media ’ s spent the past week telling Americans they should be super-jazzed about , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ex-president .
The party and its nominee have enough of a problem already trying to grow in Obama ’ s shadow .
That would have made it worse .
So switching the slots was the right move .
Even so , you can understand why producers who ’ d read the two speeches might have concluded that Obama should go last .
Apart from his and Harris ’ s respective statures , his attack on Trump was historic and expressed in a potent way the theme of the entire convention , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who harbors no impulses towards fascism while the other party ’ s nominee is … not .
Here ’ s the transcript of Harris ’ s speech .
To be fair to her , it ’ s impossible to make a VP acceptance address memorable .
The format is too formulaic .
Because it ’ s the nominee ’ s chance to introduce herself to the country , it ’ s necessarily heavy on cheesy biographical detail .
Then the nominee has to savage the other party ’ s candidate , to prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fight to the opposition .
And then comes the part when she lavishes praise on her running mate .
How do you write a “ check the box ” speech like that and make it sing ?
Still , I think it underperformed even that low bar .
“ [ I ] f she had gone first , her pedestrian , disjointed speech , delivered in a tone of phony overacting , would have been largely forgotten by the morning .
Obama really was that good , and Harris really was that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who ’ s no hardcore righty .
I think she ended up reminding people why she didn ’ t go anywhere in the primary .
It ’ s not that she ’ s a bad speaker or politician , she ’ s just not a particularly good one .
She has the credentials for the VP job , but so did Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar ; I find it inconceivable that she ’ d have been the VP nominee if Warren were also African-American , as Warren would have helped Biden more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a slasher onstage against her opponents than Harris is .
( Ask Mike Bloomberg . )
I think we can politely call Harris ’ s speech “ acceptable ” and “ workmanlike.
” She didn ’ t cost Biden any votes with it , at least , which is her core job duty .
Here ’ s the transcript of Obama ’ s speech , which wasn ’ t so much “ great ” as jarring , and highly memorable because of it .
First , the staging was so odd that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a safe house somewhere .
When we learned that he ’ d be speaking at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia , I thought he ’ d be out in front of the building or , if inside , in front of an image of the Founding Fathers .
He ended up in the mostly blank corner of an exhibit room on the Constitution , looking as if the walls were closing in .
The vibe was of a leader in exile addressing the public from some secret place he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t find him — which may have been deliberate , as that was the point of his speech .
American civic traditions have been exiled under Trump and it ’ s time to restore them by ousting him .
It was also jarring because it felt like a bookend to Obama ’ s career .
This isn ’ t the last convention speech he ’ ll ever give , of course .
He ’ s not even 60 .
He ’ ll be delivering them for decades to come .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him to national fame , and in a way last night ’ s speech was a grim sequel to that one .
The theme of the 2004 speech was that we ’ re one people , not “ blue states ” or “ red states ” but the United States .
The theme of last night ’ s speech was Obama recognizing how far the country has drifted from that ideal — partly due to his presidency ( although he didn ’ t recognize that part ) — and pleading with people not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stein of the Daily Beast remembered this morning how Obama and his advisors believed that the “ fever ” among Republicans who opposed him so adamantly in his first term would break in 2012 after he won reelection .
In reality , the fever delivered a Trump presidency in 2016 .
“ The fever broke , ” said Stein , quoting a former Obama campaign aide , “ but it broke in the other direction.
” “ These shouldn ’ t be Republican principles or Democratic principles , ” Obama insisted last night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s civic transgressions ( e.g.
, describing the media as the “ enemy ” ) .
“ They ’ re American principles .
But at this moment , this president and those who enable him , have shown they don ’ t believe in these things.
” That was a tragic moment in how it reframed the theme of 2004 as a matter of doubt , even naivete .
If , 16 years later , you ’ re left trying to convince people that there really are American principles , not blue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States weren ’ t as united as he thought .
In the end , Guy Benson is right that this was a familiar Obama speech in many ways albeit souped up for the convention and for the political moment .
Obama ’ s been scolding people to the tune of “ this isn ’ t who we are ” since the day he was sworn in .
Lecturing people about the “ right side of history ” and how we ’ ve fallen short of our ideals is literally his favorite subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world , you see , his opinions and priorities would be embraced and accepted as totally uncontroversial — but alas , his irrational , dangerous opponents insist on ruining everything , and therefore must be crushed , ” says Benson of Obama ’ s general attitude to politics , correctly .
We can and should also remind O of his own breaks with American civic norms as part of the history of How We Got Here .
Claiming the power to rewrite U.S. immigration law unilaterally and playing fast and loose with congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just two high-stakes examples that come to mind .
The drift towards an ever-more powerful presidency and ever-weaker legislature didn ’ t start with him , but it sure didn ’ t stop with him either .
His speech worked , though , because in the end the core critique was true .
Trump cares nothing for American civic norms .
You could glean that about him if all you knew of his record was the Lafayette Park stunt , but there ’ s new evidence every day .
Just this week he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote in November it was necessarily rigged and he ’ s spoken warmly of a political cult that believes Democratic leaders are pedophiles who worship Satan .
A few weeks ago he casually wondered if the election should be delayed .
The only thing forcing him to restrain some of his most demagogic and authoritarian impulses is the knowledge that he has to face voters on November 3 .
If he ’ s handed four more years , that restraint disappears on November 4 .
He ’ ll be what he ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unaccountable .
Obama ’ s point , simplified , is that whatever ’ s on the other side of that tunnel won ’ t look like traditional American civic culture , and you won ’ t like what it does look like .
To which I say : Correct .

A few highlights from last night’s two big speeches, the first of the convention that might matter. Word on the street is that Obama was supposed to be the final speaker on Wednesday evening but insisted on switching with Harris so that she’d have the honor of being the closing act. That was appropriate. I think it would have been odd if the new VP nominee, the alleged future of the party, whom the media’s spent the past week telling Americans they should be super-jazzed about, was treated as the warm-up act for an ex-president. The party and its nominee have enough of a problem already trying to grow in Obama’s shadow. That would have made it worse.
So switching the slots was the right move. Even so, you can understand why producers who’d read the two speeches might have concluded that Obama should go last. Apart from his and Harris’s respective statures, his attack on Trump was historic and expressed in a potent way the theme of the entire convention, which is that Biden’s a decent guy who harbors no impulses towards fascism while the other party’s nominee is … not.
Here’s the transcript of Harris’s speech. To be fair to her, it’s impossible to make a VP acceptance address memorable. The format is too formulaic. Because it’s the nominee’s chance to introduce herself to the country, it’s necessarily heavy on cheesy biographical detail. Then the nominee has to savage the other party’s candidate, to prove that she’s willing to take the fight to the opposition. And then comes the part when she lavishes praise on her running mate. How do you write a “check the box” speech like that and make it sing?
Still, I think it underperformed even that low bar. “[I]f she had gone first, her pedestrian, disjointed speech, delivered in a tone of phony overacting, would have been largely forgotten by the morning. Obama really was that good, and Harris really was that bad,” wrote Damon Linker, who’s no hardcore righty. I think she ended up reminding people why she didn’t go anywhere in the primary. It’s not that she’s a bad speaker or politician, she’s just not a particularly good one. She has the credentials for the VP job, but so did Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar; I find it inconceivable that she’d have been the VP nominee if Warren were also African-American, as Warren would have helped Biden more with the left and is even more of a slasher onstage against her opponents than Harris is. (Ask Mike Bloomberg.) I think we can politely call Harris’s speech “acceptable” and “workmanlike.” She didn’t cost Biden any votes with it, at least, which is her core job duty.
Here’s the transcript of Obama’s speech, which wasn’t so much “great” as jarring, and highly memorable because of it. First, the staging was so odd that it felt like he was delivering it from a safe house somewhere. When we learned that he’d be speaking at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, I thought he’d be out in front of the building or, if inside, in front of an image of the Founding Fathers. He ended up in the mostly blank corner of an exhibit room on the Constitution, looking as if the walls were closing in. The vibe was of a leader in exile addressing the public from some secret place he’d found where the regime couldn’t find him — which may have been deliberate, as that was the point of his speech. American civic traditions have been exiled under Trump and it’s time to restore them by ousting him.
It was also jarring because it felt like a bookend to Obama’s career. This isn’t the last convention speech he’ll ever give, of course. He’s not even 60. He’ll be delivering them for decades to come. But it was his 2004 convention speech that launched him to national fame, and in a way last night’s speech was a grim sequel to that one. The theme of the 2004 speech was that we’re one people, not “blue states” or “red states” but the United States. The theme of last night’s speech was Obama recognizing how far the country has drifted from that ideal — partly due to his presidency (although he didn’t recognize that part) — and pleading with people not to give up on it. Sam Stein of the Daily Beast remembered this morning how Obama and his advisors believed that the “fever” among Republicans who opposed him so adamantly in his first term would break in 2012 after he won reelection. In reality, the fever delivered a Trump presidency in 2016. “The fever broke,” said Stein, quoting a former Obama campaign aide, “but it broke in the other direction.”
“These shouldn’t be Republican principles or Democratic principles,” Obama insisted last night, after rattling off some of Trump’s civic transgressions (e.g., describing the media as the “enemy”). “They’re American principles. But at this moment, this president and those who enable him, have shown they don’t believe in these things.” That was a tragic moment in how it reframed the theme of 2004 as a matter of doubt, even naivete. If, 16 years later, you’re left trying to convince people that there really are American principles, not blue and red principles, then maybe those United States weren’t as united as he thought.
In the end, Guy Benson is right that this was a familiar Obama speech in many ways albeit souped up for the convention and for the political moment. Obama’s been scolding people to the tune of “this isn’t who we are” since the day he was sworn in. Lecturing people about the “right side of history” and how we’ve fallen short of our ideals is literally his favorite subject for oratory. “In a sane world, you see, his opinions and priorities would be embraced and accepted as totally uncontroversial — but alas, his irrational, dangerous opponents insist on ruining everything, and therefore must be crushed,” says Benson of Obama’s general attitude to politics, correctly. We can and should also remind O of his own breaks with American civic norms as part of the history of How We Got Here. Claiming the power to rewrite U.S. immigration law unilaterally and playing fast and loose with congressional authorization over the war in Libya are just two high-stakes examples that come to mind. The drift towards an ever-more powerful presidency and ever-weaker legislature didn’t start with him, but it sure didn’t stop with him either.
His speech worked, though, because in the end the core critique was true. Trump cares nothing for American civic norms. You could glean that about him if all you knew of his record was the Lafayette Park stunt, but there’s new evidence every day. Just this week he’s claimed that if he loses the vote in November it was necessarily rigged and he’s spoken warmly of a political cult that believes Democratic leaders are pedophiles who worship Satan. A few weeks ago he casually wondered if the election should be delayed. The only thing forcing him to restrain some of his most demagogic and authoritarian impulses is the knowledge that he has to face voters on November 3. If he’s handed four more years, that restraint disappears on November 4. He’ll be what he’s always wanted to be, completely unaccountable. Obama’s point, simplified, is that whatever’s on the other side of that tunnel won’t look like traditional American civic culture, and you won’t like what it does look like. To which I say: Correct.


hotair--2020-08-20--California's blackouts linked to reliance on green energy

There were rolling blackouts in California last Friday and Saturday for the first time since 2001 .
Back then people were so angry about it that they eventually recalled Gov .
Gray Davis .
This time around Gov .
Newsom was quick to give a speech saying the blackouts were “ unacceptable ” and promising an investigation into what went wrong .
So what did go wrong ?
California ’ s energy grid is run by an organization called California Independent System Operator or Cal ISO .
Cal ISO ’ s job is to turn various supplies of energy on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seek out energy from out of state to meet the demand for electricity in the state .
On Friday and again Saturday Cal ISO simply couldn ’ t find enough supply to meet the demand so it called for a stage 3 emergency and ordered energy companies to simply turn off power to some customers to prevent the grid from flickering on and off for everyone .
So the blackout wasn ’ t a surprise or the result of an equipment failure .
It was an emergency response to a lack of supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what drove the surge in demand for power over the weekend .
But Cal ISO had known about the heat wave in advance .
So why couldn ’ t it find enough power to avoid a blackout .
And specifically , why did the blackouts happen in the early evening as the sun was going down ?
That ’ s where the state ’ s green energy mandates come into it .
From NPR : As temperatures crept above 110 degrees in some parts of the state over the last week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day would be the toughest .
When the sun sets , the state ’ s fleet of solar farms turn off .
With the state ’ s growing clean energy mandates , renewables have become a significant source of energy , reaching up to 80 percent of the supply during the day .
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal published an editorial going into a bit more detail : Mr. Newsom is demanding an investigation , though he can start with his party ’ s obsessions over climate and eliminating fossil fuels .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ culprit is the state ’ s anti-fossil fuel policies .
“ The bottom line is , people don ’ t want lights to go down , ” he told Politico .
“ People also want a carbon-free future .
Sometimes those two aspirations come into conflict.
” They certainly do .
California ’ s Independent System Operator ( Caiso ) has been warning for years that the state ’ s increasing dependence on intermittent renewables , especially solar , is making it harder to ensure reliable power .
Renewables currently make up about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generation , and Democrats have set a 60 % mandate for 2030 and 100 % for 2045… Dozens of natural-gas plants that can ramp up power on demand have closed since 2013—enough to supply about four million households—so California is relying more on energy imported from other states when needed .
In normal times it imports about 15 % of its energy .
But the Golden State ’ s neighbors are also experiencing heat waves , and many have also been replacing fossil fuels with renewables too… The power outages will get worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more reliant on renewables .
The Public Utilities Commission ( PUC ) has directed utilities to triple their battery storage for electricity by 2026 .
But this won ’ t make up for the natural-gas and nuclear plants that are slated to shut down in the interim—or the state ’ s power shortfalls during the heat wave .
So it seems pretty clear what happened here .
Because of the heat wave there was increased demand .
California was able to meet that demand for most of the day Friday and Saturday but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was cloudy during the day , solar generation was off a bit and as the sun began to set solar sources cut out .
Cal ISO simply couldn ’ t find enough out-of-state sources to make up the shortfall and was forced to order blackouts .
Clearly we need more reserve power generation capacity which isn ’ t wind or solar on hand for situations like this .
But the people pushing California toward 100 renewables don ’ t want to hear about extending the life of existing natural gas plants much less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NPR reports a Cal ISO board member says renewables aren ’ t the problem .
“ The last few years in California has been one giant climate change wake up call , ” says Severin Borenstein , University of California Berkeley economics professor and board member at the California Independent System Operator… “ I don ’ t think this is the fault of solar at all , ” says Borenstein .
“ I think it means that we have to take a new planning approach.
” … “ Air conditioning is a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very hot days , ” says Borenstein .
“ And so if we could get people to just reset their air conditioning four degrees warmer , we would probably be able to get through even the very tough Monday and Tuesday of this week.
” He may be right about what it would take to reduce demand but how do you get people to do that exactly ?
California already has “ flex alerts ” which are basically media announcements asking people to use less power .
Those were issued last week and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the blackouts .
It ’ s not clear how doubling down on a plan that didn ’ t work last week is going to put us in a better position next time we have a heat wave .
One possible solution is more storage .
Battery capacity could improve the state ’ s ability to use power after the sun goes down but batteries are expensive and have a relatively short life span .
As the Wall Street Journal points out , it ’ s an expensive option : These are all problems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re going to rely on increasing amounts of renewable energy .
The blackouts last week were a wake-up call that we aren ’ t there yet as far as reliability goes .
Hopefully the zeal for renewable energy will be tempered with some common sense moving forward , but that ’ s another thing that ’ s often in short supply in California .
Here ’ s a 6-minute edit prepared by the LA Times of Gov .
Newsom ’ s speech on the blackouts Monday .

There were rolling blackouts in California last Friday and Saturday for the first time since 2001. Back then people were so angry about it that they eventually recalled Gov. Gray Davis. This time around Gov. Newsom was quick to give a speech saying the blackouts were “unacceptable” and promising an investigation into what went wrong.
So what did go wrong? California’s energy grid is run by an organization called California Independent System Operator or Cal ISO. Cal ISO’s job is to turn various supplies of energy on or off and, if necessary, seek out energy from out of state to meet the demand for electricity in the state. On Friday and again Saturday Cal ISO simply couldn’t find enough supply to meet the demand so it called for a stage 3 emergency and ordered energy companies to simply turn off power to some customers to prevent the grid from flickering on and off for everyone. So the blackout wasn’t a surprise or the result of an equipment failure. It was an emergency response to a lack of supply.
Everyone agrees that the heat wave is what drove the surge in demand for power over the weekend. But Cal ISO had known about the heat wave in advance. So why couldn’t it find enough power to avoid a blackout. And specifically, why did the blackouts happen in the early evening as the sun was going down? That’s where the state’s green energy mandates come into it. From NPR:
As temperatures crept above 110 degrees in some parts of the state over the last week, California ISO knew the end of each day would be the toughest. When the sun sets, the state’s fleet of solar farms turn off. With the state’s growing clean energy mandates, renewables have become a significant source of energy, reaching up to 80 percent of the supply during the day.
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal published an editorial going into a bit more detail:
Mr. Newsom is demanding an investigation, though he can start with his party’s obsessions over climate and eliminating fossil fuels. Even former Gov. Gray Davis admitted the culprit is the state’s anti-fossil fuel policies. “The bottom line is, people don’t want lights to go down,” he told Politico. “People also want a carbon-free future. Sometimes those two aspirations come into conflict.” They certainly do. California’s Independent System Operator (Caiso) has been warning for years that the state’s increasing dependence on intermittent renewables, especially solar, is making it harder to ensure reliable power. Renewables currently make up about 36% of California’s electric generation, and Democrats have set a 60% mandate for 2030 and 100% for 2045… Dozens of natural-gas plants that can ramp up power on demand have closed since 2013—enough to supply about four million households—so California is relying more on energy imported from other states when needed. In normal times it imports about 15% of its energy. But the Golden State’s neighbors are also experiencing heat waves, and many have also been replacing fossil fuels with renewables too… The power outages will get worse and more frequent as the state becomes more reliant on renewables. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has directed utilities to triple their battery storage for electricity by 2026. But this won’t make up for the natural-gas and nuclear plants that are slated to shut down in the interim—or the state’s power shortfalls during the heat wave.
So it seems pretty clear what happened here. Because of the heat wave there was increased demand. California was able to meet that demand for most of the day Friday and Saturday but several reports note that, because it was cloudy during the day, solar generation was off a bit and as the sun began to set solar sources cut out. Cal ISO simply couldn’t find enough out-of-state sources to make up the shortfall and was forced to order blackouts. Clearly we need more reserve power generation capacity which isn’t wind or solar on hand for situations like this.
But the people pushing California toward 100 renewables don’t want to hear about extending the life of existing natural gas plants much less building new ones. For instance, NPR reports a Cal ISO board member says renewables aren’t the problem.
“The last few years in California has been one giant climate change wake up call,” says Severin Borenstein, University of California Berkeley economics professor and board member at the California Independent System Operator… “I don’t think this is the fault of solar at all,” says Borenstein. “I think it means that we have to take a new planning approach.”… “Air conditioning is a huge amount of the load in California on very hot days,” says Borenstein. “And so if we could get people to just reset their air conditioning four degrees warmer, we would probably be able to get through even the very tough Monday and Tuesday of this week.”
He may be right about what it would take to reduce demand but how do you get people to do that exactly? California already has “flex alerts” which are basically media announcements asking people to use less power. Those were issued last week and obviously weren’t enough to prevent the blackouts. It’s not clear how doubling down on a plan that didn’t work last week is going to put us in a better position next time we have a heat wave.
One possible solution is more storage. Battery capacity could improve the state’s ability to use power after the sun goes down but batteries are expensive and have a relatively short life span. As the Wall Street Journal points out, it’s an expensive option:
According to the Energy Information Administration, the capital costs for a solar plant with an attached battery system run between 50% and 150% higher than for a new natural-gas plant. Natural-gas plants are still much less expensive after accounting for fuel costs, and they generally have a lifespan of 30 or more years.
These are all problems that need to be solved if we’re going to rely on increasing amounts of renewable energy. The blackouts last week were a wake-up call that we aren’t there yet as far as reliability goes. Hopefully the zeal for renewable energy will be tempered with some common sense moving forward, but that’s another thing that’s often in short supply in California.
Here’s a 6-minute edit prepared by the LA Times of Gov. Newsom’s speech on the blackouts Monday.


hotair--2020-08-20--Two soldiers appeared in American Samoa's DNC roll call video - now they are being investigated

It is pretty well agreed upon that the DNC ’ s roll call during the official nomination part of the convention Tuesday was the best part of the night ’ s coverage .
The new video version of that part of the convention process can remain in future conventions if conventions are not a thing of the past now .
The videos were great because they were entertaining .
Delegates used scenic backgrounds for the most part as a way to spotlight the best in their states and many were outdoor scenes .
My favorite of the state videos was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time that they did it right .
Traditional elements were visible like the placard with the state ’ s name on it and a sign with the state Democrat Party ’ s website .
The landscape behind the people was simply beautiful .
I tweeted about it at 9:04 p.m. ( I ’ m on Central time ) It was simple and very well done .
I ’ m sorry to tell you that Texas Democrats used their time to promote gun-grabbing by exploiting the El Paso mass shooting at Walmart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I posted a different kind of tweet .
While two America Samoa delegates were on screen , Aliitama Sotoa and Petti Matila according to the AP , standing behind them on either side were two American soldiers in uniform .
Frankly , that startled me .
I noted that at the time .
I thought that using the U.S. military in political events is a no-no .
I didn ’ t really see anything online about it , though , so I moved on .
But , why would two soldiers be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the delegates ?
That didn ’ t make sense .
I see now that someone else noticed it and posted on Twitter .
The Pentagon confirms that the incident is being investigated .
The two soldiers are being described as “ junior enlisted soldiers ” , maybe to downplay the violation of the rules .
It won ’ t be hard to investigate this because the soldiers were wearing face masks but their name tags on their uniforms were visible .
One soldier looks to be female , the other male .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the 9th Mission Support Command who appeared in uniform during the Democratic National Convention on Aug.18 , ” said an Army statement .
“ Wearing a uniform to a partisan political event like this is prohibited.
” “ The Army follows the Department of Defense ’ s longstanding and well-defined policy regarding political campaigns and elections to avoid the perception of DoD sponsorship , approval or endorsement of any political candidate , campaign or cause , ” it continued .
All American military personnel , active duty members and reservists are instructed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Military personal can support whatever political party and candidate they want to but it is to be on their own time , not while on duty and not while in uniform .
A Pentagon spokesman clarified its policy .
“ All members of the Armed Forces , including active duty members , members of the reserve component not on active duty , and retired members , are prohibited from wearing military uniforms at political campaign or election events.
” So , what ’ s the story ?
The DNC is busy playing defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an oversight ” , you see .
Sure , two soldiers just happened to show up and stood there while a political video was filmed .
Not just any political video , either , but one in which two DNC delegates nominated the Democrat Party ’ s presidential nominee .
Can you imagine the immediate and loud disapproval that would happen if the RNC did that ?
The Trump deranged members of the press alone would be burning up Twitter with outrage .
The sight of the uniformed soldiers had raised eyebrows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to participate in political events while in uniform .
“ We ’ re grateful for the participation of delegations and state volunteers in all 57 states and territories — they made the inspiring roll call we saw last night possible , ” the official told ABC News .
“ The composition of that shot was an oversight.
” “ Each state was asked to highlight issues and values that matter most and the American Samoa delegation wanted to highlight their commitment to military service when they filmed their segment , ” the official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ show their appreciation and “ commitment to the military ” , I think , but the DNC knew it was wrong and they let the video go on anyway .
It should be noted that American Samoa has among the highest rate of military enlistment of any U.S. state or territory .
Nonetheless , it ’ s a no-no .
There is a bit of irony that the Democrats have been caught doing what President Trump is criticized for doing – politicizing the military .
Democrats want to portray themselves as supportive of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with voters of both parties .
There is a line that can ’ t be crossed in our constitutional republic , though , and that is the military can not be politicized .
Soldiers flanking DNC delegates during a political speech crossed that line .

It is pretty well agreed upon that the DNC’s roll call during the official nomination part of the convention Tuesday was the best part of the night’s coverage. The new video version of that part of the convention process can remain in future conventions if conventions are not a thing of the past now. The videos were great because they were entertaining. Delegates used scenic backgrounds for the most part as a way to spotlight the best in their states and many were outdoor scenes.
My favorite of the state videos was New Mexico’s. I tweeted at the time that they did it right. Traditional elements were visible like the placard with the state’s name on it and a sign with the state Democrat Party’s website. The landscape behind the people was simply beautiful. I tweeted about it at 9:04 p.m. (I’m on Central time) It was simple and very well done. I’m sorry to tell you that Texas Democrats used their time to promote gun-grabbing by exploiting the El Paso mass shooting at Walmart.
New Mexico did it right. Beautiful scenery in background, a person holding up the New Mexico placard traditionally used at conventions. Another person holding up the website for NM Democrats. Well done. #DemConvention2020 — Karen Townsend (@penguinponders) August 19, 2020
But earlier, at 8:47 p.m. I posted a different kind of tweet. While two America Samoa delegates were on screen, Aliitama Sotoa and Petti Matila according to the AP, standing behind them on either side were two American soldiers in uniform. Frankly, that startled me. I noted that at the time. I thought that using the U.S. military in political events is a no-no.
American Samoa uses 2 soldiers in its video while nominating Biden. I thought that was a no-no. #DemConvention2020 — Karen Townsend (@penguinponders) August 19, 2020
I didn’t really see anything online about it, though, so I moved on. But, why would two soldiers be in the video? Were they security for the delegates? That didn’t make sense. I see now that someone else noticed it and posted on Twitter.
American Samoa delivers its delegate votes at the #DNCConvention with what appears to be two uniformed service members in the background, which is potentially a problem. pic.twitter.com/RG581SWZTo — Leo Shane III (@LeoShane) August 19, 2020
The Pentagon confirms that the incident is being investigated. The two soldiers are being described as “junior enlisted soldiers”, maybe to downplay the violation of the rules. It won’t be hard to investigate this because the soldiers were wearing face masks but their name tags on their uniforms were visible. One soldier looks to be female, the other male.
‘The Army is investigating two Soldiers from the 9th Mission Support Command who appeared in uniform during the Democratic National Convention on Aug.18,” said an Army statement. “Wearing a uniform to a partisan political event like this is prohibited.” “The Army follows the Department of Defense’s longstanding and well-defined policy regarding political campaigns and elections to avoid the perception of DoD sponsorship, approval or endorsement of any political candidate, campaign or cause,” it continued. All American military personnel, active duty members and reservists are instructed to remain apolitical during political campaigns.
Military personal can support whatever political party and candidate they want to but it is to be on their own time, not while on duty and not while in uniform. A Pentagon spokesman clarified its policy. “All members of the Armed Forces, including active duty members, members of the reserve component not on active duty, and retired members, are prohibited from wearing military uniforms at political campaign or election events.”
So, what’s the story? The DNC is busy playing defense. “The composition of that shot was an oversight”, you see. Sure, two soldiers just happened to show up and stood there while a political video was filmed. Not just any political video, either, but one in which two DNC delegates nominated the Democrat Party’s presidential nominee. Can you imagine the immediate and loud disapproval that would happen if the RNC did that? The Trump deranged members of the press alone would be burning up Twitter with outrage.
The sight of the uniformed soldiers had raised eyebrows because U.S. military personnel are not supposed to participate in political events while in uniform. “We’re grateful for the participation of delegations and state volunteers in all 57 states and territories — they made the inspiring roll call we saw last night possible,” the official told ABC News. “The composition of that shot was an oversight.” “Each state was asked to highlight issues and values that matter most and the American Samoa delegation wanted to highlight their commitment to military service when they filmed their segment,” the official said.
Most Americans would like to show their appreciation and “commitment to the military”, I think, but the DNC knew it was wrong and they let the video go on anyway. It should be noted that American Samoa has among the highest rate of military enlistment of any U.S. state or territory. Nonetheless, it’s a no-no. There is a bit of irony that the Democrats have been caught doing what President Trump is criticized for doing – politicizing the military.
Earlier this year, Defense Department Secretary Mark Esper issued a periodic reminder to troops to be mindful during an election year to “uphold DoD’s longstanding tradition of remaining apolitical as we carry out our official responsibilities.” Meanwhile, the Democratic Party platform calls for an end to “the Trump Administration’s politicization of the armed forces.” Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley publicly apologized after he accompanied President Trump as he walked across Lafayette Square to take a photo with a Bible outside St. John’s Church in the height of racial injustice protests in Washington, D.C.
Democrats want to portray themselves as supportive of the military. The military is filled with voters of both parties. There is a line that can’t be crossed in our constitutional republic, though, and that is the military cannot be politicized. Soldiers flanking DNC delegates during a political speech crossed that line.


hotair--2020-08-20--Reds announcer pleads for his job, live on the air, after slur was caught on open mic

I don ’ t know that there ’ s any commentary to be made here apart from flagging it as one of the weirdest broadcast moments in recent history .
Not the open-mic part ; we ’ re all familiar with people getting caught saying something they shouldn ’ t near a microphone .
Why , the sitting president of the United States nearly had his campaign implode four years ago after an old recording of him caught on a hot mic went public .
The weird part was how quickly Thom Brennaman shifted to damage control as news of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was last night at the end of a commercial break before the seventh inning of game one of a Reds/Royals doubleheader , on the air unbeknownst to him .
Lord only knows what he was talking about that led him to this soundbite .
By the top of the fifth inning of the second game , word had gotten around on social media that Brennaman had said something he shouldn ’ t have .
Most people ’ s reactions in a situation like that , I think , would be to ignore it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get through the game , see how bad the fallout is afterward , then call in the PR guys for clean-up .
But we live in an age of “ cancellation.
” Brennaman must have grasped , correctly , that the slur he uttered might not only cost him his job but that the axe might fall before the day was done .
Issuing an anodyne , impersonal written apology after the fact would be easy for critics to dismiss .
So he did something bold : In the top of the fifth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , apologized profusely , and basically begged for his job .
And you know what ?
It might work .
A groveling apology delivered personally , on camera , within just an hour or two of his screw-up *might* get him enough sympathy to escape with a suspension .
To make it extra surreal , a home run was hit smack dab in the middle of his mea culpa , forcing him to pause for a moment and make the call .
And then , right then and there , he announced that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That is not who I am , and never has been , ” Brennaman claimed , implausibly .
Dude , it was who you were literally three hours before .
His suspension was duly issued after the game .
But he ’ s not fired — yet .
It ’ s worth noting that Brennaman has called games for the team for years and his father , Marty , called them for decades on the radio .
The Brennamans are a Cincinnati institution of sorts .
They team ’ s not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broadcaster here .
Whether he survives depends on two things , I think .
First , local reaction .
Is the public , especially prominent members of the public , in a forgiving mood or nah ?
Not lookin ’ good early : Second , will anyone who ’ s worked with Brennaman come forward to accuse him of having made similar “ off-color ” remarks before ?
The more of a pattern there is , the easier it ’ ll be for the Reds and Fox to pull the plug .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ episode of “ The Cancellation of Thom Brennaman.
” Stay tuned .

I don’t know that there’s any commentary to be made here apart from flagging it as one of the weirdest broadcast moments in recent history. Not the open-mic part; we’re all familiar with people getting caught saying something they shouldn’t near a microphone. Why, the sitting president of the United States nearly had his campaign implode four years ago after an old recording of him caught on a hot mic went public.
The weird part was how quickly Thom Brennaman shifted to damage control as news of what he said spread.
Here he was last night at the end of a commercial break before the seventh inning of game one of a Reds/Royals doubleheader, on the air unbeknownst to him. Lord only knows what he was talking about that led him to this soundbite.
Here’s a better video with the full bit of the perceived tHom homophobic comment at around the 2:06 mark of the game. pic.twitter.com/g1yBHg8zA0 — Church of Baseball ⚾ (@churchofbasebal) August 19, 2020
By the top of the fifth inning of the second game, word had gotten around on social media that Brennaman had said something he shouldn’t have. Most people’s reactions in a situation like that, I think, would be to ignore it and deal with it later. Just get through the game, see how bad the fallout is afterward, then call in the PR guys for clean-up.
But we live in an age of “cancellation.” Brennaman must have grasped, correctly, that the slur he uttered might not only cost him his job but that the axe might fall before the day was done. Issuing an anodyne, impersonal written apology after the fact would be easy for critics to dismiss. So he did something bold: In the top of the fifth inning, he frankly acknowledged his screw-up, apologized profusely, and basically begged for his job.
And you know what? It might work. A groveling apology delivered personally, on camera, within just an hour or two of his screw-up *might* get him enough sympathy to escape with a suspension. To make it extra surreal, a home run was hit smack dab in the middle of his mea culpa, forcing him to pause for a moment and make the call. And then, right then and there, he announced that he was done for the night.
Thom Brennaman apologizes, leaves @reds broadcast after open-mic disaster tonight. pic.twitter.com/ZAFYKtJRRo — Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) August 20, 2020
“That is not who I am, and never has been,” Brennaman claimed, implausibly. Dude, it was who you were literally three hours before.
His suspension was duly issued after the game. But he’s not fired — yet.
It’s worth noting that Brennaman has called games for the team for years and his father, Marty, called them for decades on the radio. The Brennamans are a Cincinnati institution of sorts. They team’s not just weighing the fate of any ol’ broadcaster here.
Whether he survives depends on two things, I think. First, local reaction. Is the public, especially prominent members of the public, in a forgiving mood or nah? Not lookin’ good early:
What Thom Brennaman said tonight isn’t just a slur, but a statement that devalues and mocks the dignity of an entire community of people. It does not represent the values of the @reds or our city. He should go. — Councilman Greg Landsman (@GregLandsman) August 20, 2020
The Brennaman family are Cincinnati sports icons with a powerful voice in our community, which makes it even more disgusting and totally unprofessional to hear such language used. The Reds have been proud supporters of their LGBTQ+ fans, and this language cannot be tolerated. — Chris Seelbach (@ChrisSeelbach) August 20, 2020
Cincinnati went from being one of the least LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the country to becoming one of the most. We've made great strides – Brennaman's slur is completely unacceptable, and does not represent the city we know and love. https://t.co/f3McgdSMkD — P.G. Sittenfeld (@PGSittenfeld) August 20, 2020
Second, will anyone who’s worked with Brennaman come forward to accuse him of having made similar “off-color” remarks before? The more of a pattern there is, the easier it’ll be for the Reds and Fox to pull the plug. We’ll find out on the next episode of “The Cancellation of Thom Brennaman.” Stay tuned.


hotair--2020-08-20--"We Build the Wall" founder, Bannon and others charged with defrauding donors

There have been a few times over the past couple of years when I found myself asking whatever happened to that “ We Build the Wall ” fund .
It initially ran into some fits and starts , but eventually , sections of the wall were actually built .
But the news today is far less encouraging .
The United States Attorney ’ s Office for the Southern District of New York announced this morning that the group ’ s founder , Brian Kolfage , and others had been indicted on charges of defrauding their donors of hundreds of thousands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged scheme was former Trump advisor Stephen Bannon , along with Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea .
They are accused of funneling donations away from the project to cover Bannon ’ s personal expenses and finance Kolfage ’ s “ extravagant lifestyle.
” ( Bloomberg ) Stephen Bannon , one of the architects of Donald Trump ’ s presidential campaign , was arrested over his involvement in an online fundraising group that raised more than $ 25 million to help fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border .
Despite portraying “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization , Bannon received more than $ 1 million from the group , some of which was used to pay for his personal expenses , prosecutors said .
He is expected to appear in a New York courtroom Thursday .
Three others were also charged in the matter , including the group ’ s founder , Brian Kolfage .
“ As alleged , the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors , capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars , under the false pretense that all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ construction , ” U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a press release Thursday .
As I mentioned above , there were always questions surrounding this project , though they mostly centered on Kolfage .
The disabled veteran had been caught up in previous online scams before launching this venture as we discussed last year .
At the time , I pointed out his past indiscretions but allowed myself to conclude that there were no signs that he was up to something this time .
They had committed to ensuring that none of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be going to Kolfage , with all of the money going to build as much of the wall as possible .
If the charges being brought today are proven to be true , this is more than disappointing to be sure .
The wall was one of Donald Trump ’ s biggest and boldest campaign promises and it generated a lot of excitement among his base .
After he ran into a stone wall with the Democrats and their objections to funding the project , We Build the Wall became something of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in quickly .
To find that the project was at least partly operated in a fraudulent manner by someone who was given a second chance after his past misdeeds is frustrating in the extreme .
Watching the early coverage of this story on cable news , however , you barely hear Kolfage ’ s name mentioned .
All of the focus is on Bannon .
He ’ s long been a target of liberals in the media who have obviously despised him since his days at Breitbart .
The CNN crew looked like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prepared to dance on Bannon ’ s political grave .
Of course , we ’ ll have to wait to hear what all of the men involve have to say when they ’ re arraigned .
They ’ re expected to appear in a New York courtroom later today .

There have been a few times over the past couple of years when I found myself asking whatever happened to that “We Build the Wall” fund. It initially ran into some fits and starts, but eventually, sections of the wall were actually built. But the news today is far less encouraging. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced this morning that the group’s founder, Brian Kolfage, and others had been indicted on charges of defrauding their donors of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Also caught up in the alleged scheme was former Trump advisor Stephen Bannon, along with Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea. They are accused of funneling donations away from the project to cover Bannon’s personal expenses and finance Kolfage’s “extravagant lifestyle.” (Bloomberg)
Stephen Bannon, one of the architects of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, was arrested over his involvement in an online fundraising group that raised more than $25 million to help fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Despite portraying “We Build the Wall” as a volunteer organization, Bannon received more than $1 million from the group, some of which was used to pay for his personal expenses, prosecutors said. He is expected to appear in a New York courtroom Thursday. Three others were also charged in the matter, including the group’s founder, Brian Kolfage. “As alleged, the defendants defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors, capitalizing on their interest in funding a border wall to raise millions of dollars, under the false pretense that all of that money would be spent on construction,” U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a press release Thursday.
As I mentioned above, there were always questions surrounding this project, though they mostly centered on Kolfage. The disabled veteran had been caught up in previous online scams before launching this venture as we discussed last year. At the time, I pointed out his past indiscretions but allowed myself to conclude that there were no signs that he was up to something this time. They had committed to ensuring that none of the funds raised for the border wall construction would be going to Kolfage, with all of the money going to build as much of the wall as possible.
If the charges being brought today are proven to be true, this is more than disappointing to be sure. The wall was one of Donald Trump’s biggest and boldest campaign promises and it generated a lot of excitement among his base. After he ran into a stone wall with the Democrats and their objections to funding the project, We Build the Wall became something of a rallying point and the money flowed in quickly. To find that the project was at least partly operated in a fraudulent manner by someone who was given a second chance after his past misdeeds is frustrating in the extreme.
Watching the early coverage of this story on cable news, however, you barely hear Kolfage’s name mentioned. All of the focus is on Bannon. He’s long been a target of liberals in the media who have obviously despised him since his days at Breitbart. The CNN crew looked like they could barely contain themselves as they prepared to dance on Bannon’s political grave. Of course, we’ll have to wait to hear what all of the men involve have to say when they’re arraigned. They’re expected to appear in a New York courtroom later today.


hotair--2020-08-20--Pittsburgh Dem Mayor: No, you can't protest outside my house

There ’ s something in this story about chickens coming home to roost , but I just can ’ t put my finger on it yet .
In Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , the protests ( and associated rioting from time to time ) haven ’ t let up .
In fact , following the arrest of one protest leader over the weekend , they ’ ve only increased in volume .
As long as the demonstrations remained in the downtown area , both Mayor Bill Peduto and many of the police seemed content to let the situation play out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided turn toward the less tolerant side when the protests moved to a new location .
The site in question would be the Mayor ’ s own front yard .
And that was clearly a bridge too far for him .
( CBS Pittsburgh ) These days , it seems Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto can ’ t please anyone — certainly not the protesters who made a ruckus outside his house in Point Breeze all night .
Even though he ’ s condemned it , they blame the mayor for the arrest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away in an unmarked van on Saturday… The mayor was not home last night when protesters beat on drums , blew in horns and chanted disdain , and he as not in his office today .
But in a statement , he said while he supports free speech , he indicated arrests will be warranted if actions like this happen again .
Thus far , police have allowed demonstrators unfettered access to city streets without permits , but even the ACLU says police are within their rights to make arrests if protesters create @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and refuse to disperse .
I was going to call this a case of NIMBYism , but the noisy mob was technically in Peduto ’ s front yard .
This is looking like a case of selective enforcement , isn ’ t it ?
In any event , the Mayor said the protesters had “ crossed a line.
” I can only assume he meant his own property line .
If you happen to be a shop owner in the downtown area , you may not get any help from law enforcement if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looting your store .
But if you ’ re the Mayor , a line of cops will show up at your house , declare an “ unlawful assembly ” and threaten to start hauling people in .
The mayor was not home last night when protesters beat on drums , blew in horns and chanted disdain , and he as not in his office today .
But in a statement , he said while he supports free speech , he indicated arrests will be warranted if actions like this happen again .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they feel the mayor has not taken the Black Lives Matter movement seriously .
The demonstration comes after a protester was arrested by plainclothes officers and put into an unmarked white van .
It ’ s not clear how much longer the police will continue to show up and protect Mayor Peduto ’ s front yard , however .
The local FOP president recently predicted that there will be hundreds of retirement from the Pittsburgh PD this fall .
268 officers will become eligible for early retirement in October and most of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comments criticizing their handling of the riots as the main motivating factor .
They also blame the city ’ s District Attorney , who has been equally sympathetic to the mob and not so much to the PD .
The FOP president went on to say that the Mayor ’ s negative attitude is further inflaming the community against the police , placing them at greater risk .
Perhaps these latest incidents will work to the benefit of the citizens of Pittsburgh .
Now that the Mayor ’ s family has had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ front door , he might wind up being a bit more sympathetic to the law-abiding members of his city who remain at risk .
We can only hope .

There’s something in this story about chickens coming home to roost, but I just can’t put my finger on it yet.
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the protests (and associated rioting from time to time) haven’t let up. In fact, following the arrest of one protest leader over the weekend, they’ve only increased in volume. As long as the demonstrations remained in the downtown area, both Mayor Bill Peduto and many of the police seemed content to let the situation play out. But Peduto’s attitude took a decided turn toward the less tolerant side when the protests moved to a new location. The site in question would be the Mayor’s own front yard. And that was clearly a bridge too far for him. (CBS Pittsburgh)
These days, it seems Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto can’t please anyone — certainly not the protesters who made a ruckus outside his house in Point Breeze all night. Even though he’s condemned it, they blame the mayor for the arrest of 25-year-old Matthew Cartier, who was whisked away in an unmarked van on Saturday… The mayor was not home last night when protesters beat on drums, blew in horns and chanted disdain, and he as not in his office today. But in a statement, he said while he supports free speech, he indicated arrests will be warranted if actions like this happen again. Thus far, police have allowed demonstrators unfettered access to city streets without permits, but even the ACLU says police are within their rights to make arrests if protesters create disturbances or block vital streets and intersections and refuse to disperse.
I was going to call this a case of NIMBYism, but the noisy mob was technically in Peduto’s front yard. This is looking like a case of selective enforcement, isn’t it? In any event, the Mayor said the protesters had “crossed a line.” I can only assume he meant his own property line.
If you happen to be a shop owner in the downtown area, you may not get any help from law enforcement if the protesters are smashing your windows and looting your store. But if you’re the Mayor, a line of cops will show up at your house, declare an “unlawful assembly” and threaten to start hauling people in.
The mayor was not home last night when protesters beat on drums, blew in horns and chanted disdain, and he as not in his office today. But in a statement, he said while he supports free speech, he indicated arrests will be warranted if actions like this happen again. The demonstrators have said they are protesting because they feel the mayor has not taken the Black Lives Matter movement seriously. The demonstration comes after a protester was arrested by plainclothes officers and put into an unmarked white van.
It’s not clear how much longer the police will continue to show up and protect Mayor Peduto’s front yard, however. The local FOP president recently predicted that there will be hundreds of retirement from the Pittsburgh PD this fall. 268 officers will become eligible for early retirement in October and most of them are citing the Mayor’s ongoing comments criticizing their handling of the riots as the main motivating factor. They also blame the city’s District Attorney, who has been equally sympathetic to the mob and not so much to the PD. The FOP president went on to say that the Mayor’s negative attitude is further inflaming the community against the police, placing them at greater risk.
Perhaps these latest incidents will work to the benefit of the citizens of Pittsburgh. Now that the Mayor’s family has had a taste of this mayhem literally at their front door, he might wind up being a bit more sympathetic to the law-abiding members of his city who remain at risk. We can only hope.


hotair--2020-08-20--Fake conservatives attack nuclear power in Utah/Idaho ahead of election

Now for something completely different from the normal gloom and doom of the news cycle .
There ’ s a story unfolding out in the mountain west that hasn ’ t been drawing much media buzz but could have a significant impact on America ’ s future in terms of energy independence .
There is a plan underway to construct a revolutionary type of nuclear power plant near Idaho Falls that would provide enough energy to power nearly three quarters of a million homes in Idaho and northern Utah .
Many of the communities in both states that would benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the deal , planned to begin operations by 2029 .
But one group of activists , claiming to be looking out for the taxpayers in Utah has launched a campaign to convince Utah communities to drop out of the project before it even begins .
The basis for their objections is a claim that the costs will be too great and the project would eventually drive up consumers ’ energy bills .
The reality appears to be something quite different , but the true motives of the Utah Taxpayer Association ( the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite different than what ’ s being stated .
This has the look and feel of more anti-nuclear activists up to their old tricks but flying a different flag .
( deseret.com ) The Utah Taxpayers Association and a former member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are urging cities that have signed on to a planned nuclear power plant in Idaho to get out while they can before costs become too great .
NuScale ’ s Small Modular Reactor is planned for construction at the Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or enough energy for 720,000 homes .
The Carbon Free Power Project is promoted as the next generation design for nuclear power , featuring 12 distinct modules , with the first scheduled to come online in 2029 with the 11 others following the next year .
To start with , any projections about cost overruns , etc .
are suspect right out of the gate .
Most estimates are based on the previous construction of conventional fission power plants .
This project is among the first of a new generation of Advanced Small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a technology that the Department of Energy has been looking into for some time now and it shows a lot of promise .
You can read their summary of it here .
It allows reactors to be built in a series of modules by the manufacturer which are later shipped to the eventual reactor site .
This allows for more rapid construction on a significantly smaller footprint , often in areas where much larger , conventional reactors could never be located .
The plant can also be expanded at a later date @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s some pretty exciting technology .
As to the “ fiscal conservative ” group trying to get municipalities to pull out of the project , the Utah Taxpayer Association is being fronted by The Hastings Group .
One look at their client list at that link will give you an idea of their general ideological makeup .
They include : Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists Green America National Resources Defense Council Renewable Nation Union Of Concerned Scientists The Utah Taxpayer Association has also enlisted anti-nuclear power advocate Peter Bradford as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with green energy and environmentalist groups goes on .
But since they ’ re targeting an audience in the very conservative and rural region of northern Utah , a lefty , green energy approach probably wouldn ’ t sell very well so they ’ re branding themselves as more conservative , cost-cutting advocates .
The irony here is that the “ Keep It In The Ground ” crowd is supposed to be fighting against fossil fuels , etc .
to cut carbon emissions .
But nuclear energy has zero carbon emissions , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut down on the amount of nuclear waste they generate .
Nuclear really needs to be part of our overall energy strategy for the next century and this new generation of reactors holds a lot of promise for increasing our nuclear power portfolio in a safer and more cost-effective way .
Don ’ t fall for the hype , Utah .

Now for something completely different from the normal gloom and doom of the news cycle. There’s a story unfolding out in the mountain west that hasn’t been drawing much media buzz but could have a significant impact on America’s future in terms of energy independence. There is a plan underway to construct a revolutionary type of nuclear power plant near Idaho Falls that would provide enough energy to power nearly three quarters of a million homes in Idaho and northern Utah. Many of the communities in both states that would benefit from this resource have already signed on to the deal, planned to begin operations by 2029. But one group of activists, claiming to be looking out for the taxpayers in Utah has launched a campaign to convince Utah communities to drop out of the project before it even begins. The basis for their objections is a claim that the costs will be too great and the project would eventually drive up consumers’ energy bills.
The reality appears to be something quite different, but the true motives of the Utah Taxpayer Association (the group funding this drive) are probably quite different than what’s being stated. This has the look and feel of more anti-nuclear activists up to their old tricks but flying a different flag. (deseret.com)
The Utah Taxpayers Association and a former member of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are urging cities that have signed on to a planned nuclear power plant in Idaho to get out while they can before costs become too great. NuScale’s Small Modular Reactor is planned for construction at the Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls and would provide 720 megawatts of power, or enough energy for 720,000 homes. The Carbon Free Power Project is promoted as the next generation design for nuclear power, featuring 12 distinct modules, with the first scheduled to come online in 2029 with the 11 others following the next year.
To start with, any projections about cost overruns, etc. are suspect right out of the gate. Most estimates are based on the previous construction of conventional fission power plants. This project is among the first of a new generation of Advanced Small Module Reactors (SMRs). This is a technology that the Department of Energy has been looking into for some time now and it shows a lot of promise. You can read their summary of it here. It allows reactors to be built in a series of modules by the manufacturer which are later shipped to the eventual reactor site. This allows for more rapid construction on a significantly smaller footprint, often in areas where much larger, conventional reactors could never be located. The plant can also be expanded at a later date if desired by adding more modules. It’s some pretty exciting technology.
As to the “fiscal conservative” group trying to get municipalities to pull out of the project, the Utah Taxpayer Association is being fronted by The Hastings Group. One look at their client list at that link will give you an idea of their general ideological makeup. They include:
Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists
Green America
National Resources Defense Council
Renewable Nation
Union Of Concerned Scientists
The Utah Taxpayer Association has also enlisted anti-nuclear power advocate Peter Bradford as a spokesperson. The list of their association with green energy and environmentalist groups goes on. But since they’re targeting an audience in the very conservative and rural region of northern Utah, a lefty, green energy approach probably wouldn’t sell very well so they’re branding themselves as more conservative, cost-cutting advocates.
The irony here is that the “Keep It In The Ground” crowd is supposed to be fighting against fossil fuels, etc. to cut carbon emissions. But nuclear energy has zero carbon emissions, and advances in fuel rod technology have drastically cut down on the amount of nuclear waste they generate. Nuclear really needs to be part of our overall energy strategy for the next century and this new generation of reactors holds a lot of promise for increasing our nuclear power portfolio in a safer and more cost-effective way. Don’t fall for the hype, Utah.


hotair--2020-08-20--Here we go: Harris County Clerk requests extended deadline to receive mailed ballots after Election

Here we go: Harris County Clerk requests extended deadline to receive mailed ballots after Election Day

We can expect the Democrats to ride the conspiracy theory that the USPS ( and President Trump ) is out to suppress the votes of millions of Americans all the way until Election Day .
Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins is playing right along , doing his part , in Houston .
The Democrat has written a formal request to Governor Abbott asking him to extend the deadline by which county election administrators can receive mail ballots .
This is a calculated scare campaign to convince voters that voter suppression is real and deliberate at the hands of the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Hillary Clinton have laid the groundwork .
Over and over again , audiences have been told that Republicans want to make it as hard as possible for people to vote .
Never mind that in the case of Abrams , voter turn-out was at record levels .
She lost anyway .
And with Hillary , well , voter suppression is just one of a list of many excuses she uses for her loss to Trump .
In the case of voting in Houston and Harris County , a record number of voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be with us on November 3 , though , so the Democrats are pushing for universal mail-in voting .
Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins has encouraged all Houstonians to request mail-in ballots .
Texans can apply for a mail-in ballot if they are over 65 years of age , will be out of the county on election day , incarcerated , disabled , or ill .
In order to use the excuse of illness , voters can use the coronavirus pandemic .
The reasoning is that there is a potential of exposure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ See how this works ?
Democrats know how to work the system .
Last week the USPS sent a letter to officials in Texas and other states from the general counsel and executive vice president of the Postal Service , Thomas J. Marshall , which said the time frames outlined in state law for mail-in voting are “ incongruous ” with delivery standards .
There is concern that mail-in ballots may not be received by the deadline set by state law .
The blame will be placed on the USPS and the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms and the postal union workers are not happy about that .
So , along with everything else in 2020 , the USPS has been politicialized .
Chris Hollins wants the deadline extended to that of the deadline for military voters .
As explained in a press release that ended up in my inbox Wednesday night , Hollins requests the deadline be extended to November 9 , 2020 .
On Wednesday , August 19 , 2020 , Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins sent a formal request to Governor Greg Abbott requesting that Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election administrators can receive mail ballots .
The deadline for most mail ballots is currently either 7:00 p.m. on Election Day ( November 3 ) or , if postmarked by Election Day , 5:00 p.m. the day after Election Day ( November 4 ) .
To alleviate Harris County residents ’ fears after recent news coverage detailing expected delays from the United States Postal Service , the Harris County Clerk ’ s Office seeks to extend the deadline by which all mail ballots postmarked on or before November 3 may be received by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November 9 , 2020 –– the same deadline that currently exists in Texas for military voters .
“ This November , we are predicting record voter turnout , and my office is receiving thousands of vote-by-mail applications , ” said Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins .
“ As the situation stands now , a mail ballot postmarked on Election Day is unlikely to be received in our office the following day .
We know that voting by mail is the safest way to vote ––I hope that the Governor accepts this request to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to mail delays beyond our control.
” Hollins is all wee-weed up about scare tactics being used against him by the USPS .
Upon receiving the letter from USPS warning of the potential of missed deadlines , he said , “ This is the latest form of voter suppression in this country and it ’ s intended to scare us.
” He ’ s turned the conspiracy around to make it sound as though the USPS is scaring him that ballots may not be processed in time to be counted for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ charge by the County Clerk , a Houston USPS representative responded with a statement .
The United States Postal Service is fully committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process when public policy makers choose to utilize us as a part of their election system , and to delivering Election Mail in a timely manner consistent with our operational standards .
We do ask election officials and voters to be mindful of the time that it takes for us to transport , process and deliver ballots from the election mail officials to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes for voters to consider and prepare their ballots , and the time that it takes for a ballot to be transported , processed and delivered back to the election official after it is placed by the voter back into the mail stream , based upon our usual delivery standards which have not changed .
For that reason , we recommend that customers who opt to vote through the U.S. Mail must understand their local jurisdiction ’ s requirements for timely submission of absentee ballots , including postmarking requirements .
Voters must use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service to return their completed ballots .
In order to allow sufficient time for voters to receive , complete and return ballots via the mail , and to facilitate timely receipt of completed ballots by election officials , we strongly recommend that jurisdictions immediately communicate and advise voters to request ballots at the earliest point allowable but no later than 15 days prior to the election date .
The Postal Service recommends that domestic , non-military voters mail their completed ballots back to the election officials at least one week prior to their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Postal Service also recommends that voters contact local election officials for information about deadlines .
Contrary to some assertions , we are not slowing down election mail or any other mail .
Instead , we continue to employ a robust and proven process to ensure proper handling of all Election Mail consistent with our standards .
It ’ s been pointed out many times but the fact remains that the USPS is able to handle millions of pieces of mail during the Christmas holiday season and will be able to handle even a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panic is all so manufactured on the part of the Democrats .
The USPS is simply reminding local officials that it is best to ask voters to mail in their ballots as early as possible to keep everything running smoothly .
That ’ s just common sense .
It ’ s local election officials that are not prepared for universal mail-in voting in states that don ’ t normally use that method for elections .
Texas is one of those states where universal mail-in voting is not in place .
Hollis said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arriving through the mail in time to be counted , just drop it off in person anytime up until Election Day .
Harris County has 11 annex offices that will accept ballots .

We can expect the Democrats to ride the conspiracy theory that the USPS (and President Trump) is out to suppress the votes of millions of Americans all the way until Election Day. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins is playing right along, doing his part, in Houston. The Democrat has written a formal request to Governor Abbott asking him to extend the deadline by which county election administrators can receive mail ballots.
This is a calculated scare campaign to convince voters that voter suppression is real and deliberate at the hands of the Trump administration. Sore losers like Stacey Abrams and Hillary Clinton have laid the groundwork. Over and over again, audiences have been told that Republicans want to make it as hard as possible for people to vote. Never mind that in the case of Abrams, voter turn-out was at record levels. She lost anyway. And with Hillary, well, voter suppression is just one of a list of many excuses she uses for her loss to Trump.
In the case of voting in Houston and Harris County, a record number of voters is anticipated. The coronavirus will still be with us on November 3, though, so the Democrats are pushing for universal mail-in voting. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins has encouraged all Houstonians to request mail-in ballots. Texans can apply for a mail-in ballot if they are over 65 years of age, will be out of the county on election day, incarcerated, disabled, or ill. In order to use the excuse of illness, voters can use the coronavirus pandemic. The reasoning is that there is a potential of exposure to the coronavirus in a polling place. See how this works? Democrats know how to work the system.
Last week the USPS sent a letter to officials in Texas and other states from the general counsel and executive vice president of the Postal Service, Thomas J. Marshall, which said the time frames outlined in state law for mail-in voting are “incongruous” with delivery standards. There is concern that mail-in ballots may not be received by the deadline set by state law. The blame will be placed on the USPS and the Trump administration. The new postmaster is implementing reforms and the postal union workers are not happy about that. So, along with everything else in 2020, the USPS has been politicialized.
Chris Hollins wants the deadline extended to that of the deadline for military voters. As explained in a press release that ended up in my inbox Wednesday night, Hollins requests the deadline be extended to November 9, 2020.
On Wednesday, August 19, 2020, Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins sent a formal request to Governor Greg Abbott requesting that Governor Abbott extend the deadline by which county election administrators can receive mail ballots. The deadline for most mail ballots is currently either 7:00 p.m. on Election Day (November 3) or, if postmarked by Election Day, 5:00 p.m. the day after Election Day (November 4). To alleviate Harris County residents’ fears after recent news coverage detailing expected delays from the United States Postal Service, the Harris County Clerk’s Office seeks to extend the deadline by which all mail ballots postmarked on or before November 3 may be received by election officials to at least Monday, November 9, 2020 –– the same deadline that currently exists in Texas for military voters. “This November, we are predicting record voter turnout, and my office is receiving thousands of vote-by-mail applications,” said Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins. “As the situation stands now, a mail ballot postmarked on Election Day is unlikely to be received in our office the following day. We know that voting by mail is the safest way to vote ––I hope that the Governor accepts this request to avoid disenfranchising thousands of Harris County voters due to mail delays beyond our control.”
Hollins is all wee-weed up about scare tactics being used against him by the USPS. Upon receiving the letter from USPS warning of the potential of missed deadlines, he said, “This is the latest form of voter suppression in this country and it’s intended to scare us.” He’s turned the conspiracy around to make it sound as though the USPS is scaring him that ballots may not be processed in time to be counted for the November election.
When asked about this charge by the County Clerk, a Houston USPS representative responded with a statement.
The United States Postal Service is fully committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process when public policy makers choose to utilize us as a part of their election system, and to delivering Election Mail in a timely manner consistent with our operational standards. We do ask election officials and voters to be mindful of the time that it takes for us to transport, process and deliver ballots from the election mail officials to the voters, the time that it takes for voters to consider and prepare their ballots, and the time that it takes for a ballot to be transported, processed and delivered back to the election official after it is placed by the voter back into the mail stream, based upon our usual delivery standards which have not changed. For that reason, we recommend that customers who opt to vote through the U.S. Mail must understand their local jurisdiction’s requirements for timely submission of absentee ballots, including postmarking requirements. Voters must use First-Class Mail or an expedited level of service to return their completed ballots. In order to allow sufficient time for voters to receive, complete and return ballots via the mail, and to facilitate timely receipt of completed ballots by election officials, we strongly recommend that jurisdictions immediately communicate and advise voters to request ballots at the earliest point allowable but no later than 15 days prior to the election date. The Postal Service recommends that domestic, non-military voters mail their completed ballots back to the election officials at least one week prior to their state’s due date. The Postal Service also recommends that voters contact local election officials for information about deadlines. Contrary to some assertions, we are not slowing down election mail or any other mail. Instead, we continue to employ a robust and proven process to ensure proper handling of all Election Mail consistent with our standards.
It’s been pointed out many times but the fact remains that the USPS is able to handle millions of pieces of mail during the Christmas holiday season and will be able to handle even a large influx of mail-in ballots. This panic is all so manufactured on the part of the Democrats. The USPS is simply reminding local officials that it is best to ask voters to mail in their ballots as early as possible to keep everything running smoothly. That’s just common sense. It’s local election officials that are not prepared for universal mail-in voting in states that don’t normally use that method for elections. Texas is one of those states where universal mail-in voting is not in place.
Hollis said that if voters are worried about their ballots arriving through the mail in time to be counted, just drop it off in person anytime up until Election Day. Harris County has 11 annex offices that will accept ballots.


hotair--2020-08-21--Bannon pleads not guilty. Kolfage: Wanna rent my donor list?

When we discussed the arrests of Steve Bannon , Brian Kolfage and two of their associates from We Build The Wall yesterday morning , details of the charges against them were still sparse .
Over the course of the day and up through the first court appearance , the picture being painted by the prosecutors became a bit more clear .
Bannon is the far bigger scalp for the media to collect and he ’ s drawn the most attention , though the original WBTW idea was Kolfage ’ s .
It ’ s being alleged that Bannon pocketed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which works out to roughly 4 % of the total haul .
That ’ s not insignificant .
$ 100K of that was allegedly paid out to Kolfage up front , after which he collected $ 20K per month for an eventual total of $ 350K .
But when the time came , Bannon entered a plea of not guilty .
He wasn ’ t physically in the courtroom , however .
He appeared via video from a holding cell with his lawyers dialed in on the phone .
( NY Post ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not guilty to charges he defrauded donors to a $ 25 million campaign to build a border wall during his first court appearance in Manhattan federal court Thursday .
Bannon , 66 , was expected to walk free after agreeing to pony up a $ 5 million bond following his initial court hearing in the Southern District of New York , where he was arraigned via video conference .
US Postal Service agents arrested Bannon at around 7:15 a.m. this morning on a 150-foot yacht called the “ Lady May ” near Westbrook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word yet on how the rest of the defendants will plead .
As for Bannon , it ’ s entirely possible that his attorneys are only entering an initial not guilty plea while they maneuver for a possible deal if Bannon is willing to testify in another case , possibly against exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui , as Allahpundit suggested yesterday .
The other possibility is that they ’ re just buying time until after the election , at which point President Trump could issue a pardon whether he wins or loses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ before then because of the dreadful optics . )
The other revelation of the day had to do with WBTW founder Brian Kolfage .
It turns out that in addition to allegedly pocketing some of the money that he had promised to “ not take one dime of , ” he had been shopping around the contact information for all of the donors to the wall project .
The founder of “ We Build the Wall ” — who was charged Thursday with defrauding donors to the project — was also planning on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report .
Brian Kolfage , 38 , used his organization to compile millions of email addresses and phone numbers in order to start a political consulting business , according to The Daily Beast .
The triple-amputee Air Force veteran shopped around the idea to a Republican strategist earlier this year , claiming his voter contact list was one of the largest in GOP politics , in an email that was seen by the website .
There ’ s probably nothing illegal about this activity , though that depends on how the initial non-profit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When you manage to launch an enterprise that collects that much money in donations – particularly from small-dollar donors – it ’ s arguable that their contact data is worth more than the actual donations .
Plenty of politicians and other organizations will pay handsomely for an extensive , national list of proven donors .
I wouldn ’ t call it particularly ethical , but in the world of politics , this happens all the time .
Any of you who have ever donated to a candidate or a nonprofit have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start getting a lot of spam from other organizations looking for a few bucks .
All four of the men who were indicted are looking at possible 20-year sentences if convicted .
With no serious priors , it would probably be considerably less , but Steve Bannon is almost 67 years old already and he ’ s not exactly the picture of health and fitness .
I doubt he ’ s interested in doing a long stretch in the crowbar motel that could potentially eat up much , if not all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers think he has an iron-clad defense , I would guess he ’ ll either be angling for a bargain or a pardon .
Kolfage is only 37 , along with being a veteran and a triple amputee .
He might fare a bit better if Bannon is truly the big fish that the prosecutors are looking to land .

When we discussed the arrests of Steve Bannon, Brian Kolfage and two of their associates from We Build The Wall yesterday morning, details of the charges against them were still sparse. Over the course of the day and up through the first court appearance, the picture being painted by the prosecutors became a bit more clear. Bannon is the far bigger scalp for the media to collect and he’s drawn the most attention, though the original WBTW idea was Kolfage’s.
It’s being alleged that Bannon pocketed a full million dollars from the donated funds which works out to roughly 4% of the total haul. That’s not insignificant. $100K of that was allegedly paid out to Kolfage up front, after which he collected $20K per month for an eventual total of $350K. But when the time came, Bannon entered a plea of not guilty. He wasn’t physically in the courtroom, however. He appeared via video from a holding cell with his lawyers dialed in on the phone. (NY Post)
Former White House adviser Steve Bannon pleaded not guilty to charges he defrauded donors to a $25 million campaign to build a border wall during his first court appearance in Manhattan federal court Thursday. Bannon, 66, was expected to walk free after agreeing to pony up a $5 million bond following his initial court hearing in the Southern District of New York, where he was arraigned via video conference. US Postal Service agents arrested Bannon at around 7:15 a.m. this morning on a 150-foot yacht called the “Lady May” near Westbrook, Connecticut.
There’s no word yet on how the rest of the defendants will plead. As for Bannon, it’s entirely possible that his attorneys are only entering an initial not guilty plea while they maneuver for a possible deal if Bannon is willing to testify in another case, possibly against exiled Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, as Allahpundit suggested yesterday. The other possibility is that they’re just buying time until after the election, at which point President Trump could issue a pardon whether he wins or loses. (He might hesitate in pardoning Bannon before then because of the dreadful optics.)
The other revelation of the day had to do with WBTW founder Brian Kolfage. It turns out that in addition to allegedly pocketing some of the money that he had promised to “not take one dime of,” he had been shopping around the contact information for all of the donors to the wall project.
The founder of “We Build the Wall” — who was charged Thursday with defrauding donors to the project — was also planning on selling their data, according to a report. Brian Kolfage, 38, used his organization to compile millions of email addresses and phone numbers in order to start a political consulting business, according to The Daily Beast. The triple-amputee Air Force veteran shopped around the idea to a Republican strategist earlier this year, claiming his voter contact list was one of the largest in GOP politics, in an email that was seen by the website.
There’s probably nothing illegal about this activity, though that depends on how the initial non-profit dealing with the GoFundMe campaign was structured. When you manage to launch an enterprise that collects that much money in donations – particularly from small-dollar donors – it’s arguable that their contact data is worth more than the actual donations. Plenty of politicians and other organizations will pay handsomely for an extensive, national list of proven donors. I wouldn’t call it particularly ethical, but in the world of politics, this happens all the time. Any of you who have ever donated to a candidate or a nonprofit have no doubt noticed how you “coincidentally” start getting a lot of spam from other organizations looking for a few bucks.
All four of the men who were indicted are looking at possible 20-year sentences if convicted. With no serious priors, it would probably be considerably less, but Steve Bannon is almost 67 years old already and he’s not exactly the picture of health and fitness. I doubt he’s interested in doing a long stretch in the crowbar motel that could potentially eat up much, if not all of the rest of his life. Unless his lawyers think he has an iron-clad defense, I would guess he’ll either be angling for a bargain or a pardon. Kolfage is only 37, along with being a veteran and a triple amputee. He might fare a bit better if Bannon is truly the big fish that the prosecutors are looking to land.