hotair--2020-08-18--VA state senator charged with two felonies in destruction of monument

The recent months of riots have featured the tearing down or destruction of a wide variety of monuments and statues around the country .
Although most of these incidents were caught on camera and gleefully broadcast on social media , frequently by the perpetrators and/or their friends , you never seem to hear about any arrests being made or charges being filed as a result of this destruction of public property .
But that ’ s no longer the case in Portsmouth , Virginia .
Back on June 10th a Confederate monument there was torn down and destroyed .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , but it turns out that the Portsmouth Police had been collecting evidence and information as they built a case .
This week the first fruits of that investigation were announced .
A number of people involved in the rioting were being charged with felonies and they included a Democratic state senator and several representatives of the NAACP .
( WAVY News ) Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene announced during a Monday afternoon press conference that State Sen. Louise Lucas has been charged with two felonies for an incident at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 .
She , among others , is facing charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $ 1,000 .
Portsmouth officials held the briefing Monday afternoon to announce that several warrants that have been secured against individuals more than two months after an incident at the city ’ s Confederate monument .
In addition to state senator Lucas , felony charges were filed against 13 other individuals .
These included a member of the Portsmouth School Board , three Portsmouth NAACP representatives and three public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injury to a monument in excess of $ 1,000 or conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $ 1,000 .
Under Virginia legal code , the injury to a monument charge is a class 6 felony which generally doesn ’ t carry too harsh of a penalty , though the court can require the perpetrator to pay restitution in the amount of the fair market cost of repair or the fair market replacement value of the monument .
Adding the conspiracy charge into the mix , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ramps up the potential punishment .
What ’ s difficult to understand is why we ’ re not seeing more of this going on around the country .
No matter how you may feel about the protests taking place or what side you come down on , the destruction of public property is not a “ protest.
” It ’ s a violation of the law and people who engage in such activity are subject to arrest .
There are legal ways to remove a monument from public property if the voters of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it on display and many cities have been working through those legal channels .
Some of the people being rounded up in Portsmouth are also somewhat “ special cases ” when it comes to questions of prosecution .
When your average citizen does something like this it ’ s bad enough .
But when an elected official such as a state senator is caught red-handed , you ’ re talking about someone who was placed in a position of trust by the public to uphold the law .
Also , three of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are officers of the court .
When they elect to engage in such behavior , judges have traditionally chosen to make an example of them .
Judging by the statements coming from the Portsmouth PD , they were able to obtain evidence in the form of pictures and videos of the incident from social media .
They ’ re still looking for other suspects who were involved and have posted pictures of the unknown attackers .
Other police departments around the country should be able to do the same , particularly given how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ videos of themselves going viral on social media .
At some point , this current era of unrest and rioting will come to an end .
( Well , either that or the country is pretty much over . )
At that point , there will need to be an accounting for all of the bad behavior that ’ s been on display on an almost daily basis for the past couple of months .
If the police and municipal leaders can ’ t be bothered to enforce the laws that are on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the citizens feel any obligation to obey the rest of the laws ?

The recent months of riots have featured the tearing down or destruction of a wide variety of monuments and statues around the country. Although most of these incidents were caught on camera and gleefully broadcast on social media, frequently by the perpetrators and/or their friends, you never seem to hear about any arrests being made or charges being filed as a result of this destruction of public property. But that’s no longer the case in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Back on June 10th a Confederate monument there was torn down and destroyed. There was no law enforcement action taken at the time, but it turns out that the Portsmouth Police had been collecting evidence and information as they built a case. This week the first fruits of that investigation were announced. A number of people involved in the rioting were being charged with felonies and they included a Democratic state senator and several representatives of the NAACP. (WAVY News)
Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene announced during a Monday afternoon press conference that State Sen. Louise Lucas has been charged with two felonies for an incident at the city’s Confederate monument on June 10. She, among others, is facing charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $1,000. Portsmouth officials held the briefing Monday afternoon to announce that several warrants that have been secured against individuals more than two months after an incident at the city’s Confederate monument.
In addition to state senator Lucas, felony charges were filed against 13 other individuals. These included a member of the Portsmouth School Board, three Portsmouth NAACP representatives and three public defenders. All were charged with either injury to a monument in excess of $1,000 or conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $1,000. Under Virginia legal code, the injury to a monument charge is a class 6 felony which generally doesn’t carry too harsh of a penalty, though the court can require the perpetrator to pay restitution in the amount of the fair market cost of repair or the fair market replacement value of the monument. Adding the conspiracy charge into the mix, as was done with the state senator, ramps up the potential punishment.
What’s difficult to understand is why we’re not seeing more of this going on around the country. No matter how you may feel about the protests taking place or what side you come down on, the destruction of public property is not a “protest.” It’s a violation of the law and people who engage in such activity are subject to arrest. There are legal ways to remove a monument from public property if the voters of the area no longer wish to have it on display and many cities have been working through those legal channels.
Some of the people being rounded up in Portsmouth are also somewhat “special cases” when it comes to questions of prosecution. When your average citizen does something like this it’s bad enough. But when an elected official such as a state senator is caught red-handed, you’re talking about someone who was placed in a position of trust by the public to uphold the law. Also, three of the other suspects are public defenders. Those are officers of the court. When they elect to engage in such behavior, judges have traditionally chosen to make an example of them.
Judging by the statements coming from the Portsmouth PD, they were able to obtain evidence in the form of pictures and videos of the incident from social media. They’re still looking for other suspects who were involved and have posted pictures of the unknown attackers. Other police departments around the country should be able to do the same, particularly given how much these demonstrators seem to love seeing videos of themselves going viral on social media.
At some point, this current era of unrest and rioting will come to an end. (Well, either that or the country is pretty much over.) At that point, there will need to be an accounting for all of the bad behavior that’s been on display on an almost daily basis for the past couple of months. If the police and municipal leaders can’t be bothered to enforce the laws that are on the books, why should the rest of the citizens feel any obligation to obey the rest of the laws?


hotair--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama: "Folks are doing everything they can to stop us from voting"

It is DNC convention week and that means the Democrats are more insufferable than they normally are .
The ratings aren ’ t in yet , as I write this , but I can ’ t imagine that the numbers will be as high as DNC convention organizers hope they will be .
I admit I couldn ’ t stomach the thought of watching the coverage on Monday night .
I did tune into CNN ’ s broadcast of it but I didn ’ t last long .
Actress/activist Eva Longoria was standing in front of a big screen as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people were to represent ordinary working people – I listened to a farmer and a nurse .
In fairness , I will note that the farmer began his remarks to Longoria by offering his condolences to President Trump and the Trump family on the loss of Robert Trump .
That was a nice touch .
The nurse wore Cookie Monster themed scrubs , with a stethoscope around her neck .
The Cookie Monster scrubs were a smash hit on Twitter .
While the farmer admitted that the coronavirus pandemic wasn ’ t Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than most Democrats will say ) he did say Trump botched the response to it .
The nurse wanted to emphasize her concern for her child ’ s safety when schools are reopened .
You know the drill .
I read a transcript of Michelle Obama ’ s speech .
Her appearance was much anticipated and the media was hyping her speech all Monday .
There were two topics addressed in her speech that caught my attention .
The first was her reference to a saying she often used while in the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Republicans ) , we go high.
” Republican voters know that Michelle often goes low , as does her husband .
The sanctimonious imperative issued by Michelle is a bit much , especially given the setting Monday night .
So what do we do now ?
What ’ s our strategy ?
Over the past four years , a lot of people have asked me , “ When others are going so low , does going high still really work ?
” My answer : going high is the only thing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others , we just become part of the ugly noise that ’ s drowning out everything else .
We degrade ourselves .
We degrade the very causes for which we fight .
But let ’ s be clear : going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty .
Going high means taking the harder path .
It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top .
Going high means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are one nation under God , and if we want to survive , we ’ ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences .
And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free : the cold hard truth .
You may have noticed the racial undertone of some of her choice of words – “ unlocking the shackles of lies ” , for instance .
Shackles ?
Remember when Joe Biden told Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you back in shackles ” ?
It ’ s all well and good to ask that people remain above the fray and be civil to each other but in reality , that is not the atmosphere in which we live .
Today ’ s hyper-partisan political environment can be directly traced back to her husband ’ s administration .
The corrupt Obama administration politicized every department in the U.S. government .
Top intelligence officials colluded with the Obama administration to spy on Trump ’ s campaign in order to make sure he didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And , most recently , Barack Obama hijacked the funeral of Rep. John Lewis and turned it into a political rally .
He called for an end to the filibuster , among other things , all totally political and not mournful of the loss of John Lewis .
Perhaps Michelle should stick to monitoring her own behavior and that of her husband ’ s before pontificating on how everyone else should act .
The second subject that ( predictably ) came up that caught my attention was her use of a classic Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppression .
Maybe Stacey Abrams wrote it for her but she sure sounds like the other race-baiting Democrats who agitate Black voters in hopes of motivating them to get out and vote on Election Day .
In this speech , Michelle also encourages everyone to request a mail-in ballot as soon as possible and then get their ballot mailed as soon as possible .
And if we want a chance to pursue any of these goals , any of these most basic requirements for a functioning society , we have to vote for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be ignored .
Because right now , folks who know they can not win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting .
They ’ re closing down polling places in minority neighborhoods .
They ’ re purging voter rolls .
They ’ re sending people out to intimidate voters , and they ’ re lying about the security of our ballots .
These tactics are not new .
But this is not the time to withhold our votes in protest or play games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ winning .
We have got to vote like we did in 2008 and 2012 .
We ’ ve got to show up with the same level of passion and hope for Joe Biden .
We ’ ve got to vote early , in person if we can .
We ’ ve got to request our mail-in ballots right now , tonight , and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they ’ re received .
And then , make sure our friends and families do the same .
We have got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on our masks , pack a brown bag dinner and maybe breakfast too , because we ’ ve got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to .
Michelle Obama isn ’ t stupid .
She ’ s well-educated with Ivy League school diplomas , including a law degree from Harvard Law School .
She knows that elections are run by state and local governments , not the federal government .
If there are problems with voting , the local residents need to replace the current elected officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elections efficiently .
Purging voter rolls , for example , is a record-keeping matter .
And , if lines are so long at polling places that people are waiting several hours in line , that is on the county or city elected officials in charge of distributing voting machines and poll workers .
Michelle recorded her video for the convention at her home in Martha ’ s Vineyard .
It is impossible to listen to her and not hear the racial grievance and her utter contempt for Republicans .
She said that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Funny , that ’ s what I kept saying while her husband was in office .

It is DNC convention week and that means the Democrats are more insufferable than they normally are. The ratings aren’t in yet, as I write this, but I can’t imagine that the numbers will be as high as DNC convention organizers hope they will be. I admit I couldn’t stomach the thought of watching the coverage on Monday night. I did tune into CNN’s broadcast of it but I didn’t last long. Actress/activist Eva Longoria was standing in front of a big screen as she spoke with Biden supporters. The people were to represent ordinary working people – I listened to a farmer and a nurse.
In fairness, I will note that the farmer began his remarks to Longoria by offering his condolences to President Trump and the Trump family on the loss of Robert Trump. That was a nice touch. The nurse wore Cookie Monster themed scrubs, with a stethoscope around her neck. The Cookie Monster scrubs were a smash hit on Twitter. While the farmer admitted that the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t Trump’s fault (which is more than most Democrats will say) he did say Trump botched the response to it. The nurse wanted to emphasize her concern for her child’s safety when schools are reopened. You know the drill.
I read a transcript of Michelle Obama’s speech. Her appearance was much anticipated and the media was hyping her speech all Monday. There were two topics addressed in her speech that caught my attention. The first was her reference to a saying she often used while in the White House – “When they go low (Republicans), we go high.” Republican voters know that Michelle often goes low, as does her husband. The sanctimonious imperative issued by Michelle is a bit much, especially given the setting Monday night.
So what do we do now? What’s our strategy? Over the past four years, a lot of people have asked me, “When others are going so low, does going high still really work?” My answer: going high is the only thing that works, because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that’s drowning out everything else. We degrade ourselves. We degrade the very causes for which we fight. But let’s be clear: going high does not mean putting on a smile and saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we’ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences. And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth.
You may have noticed the racial undertone of some of her choice of words – “unlocking the shackles of lies”, for instance. Shackles? Remember when Joe Biden told Black Democrats that Mitt Romney would “put you back in shackles”? It’s all well and good to ask that people remain above the fray and be civil to each other but in reality, that is not the atmosphere in which we live. Today’s hyper-partisan political environment can be directly traced back to her husband’s administration. The corrupt Obama administration politicized every department in the U.S. government. Top intelligence officials colluded with the Obama administration to spy on Trump’s campaign in order to make sure he didn’t win the 2016 election. And, most recently, Barack Obama hijacked the funeral of Rep. John Lewis and turned it into a political rally. He called for an end to the filibuster, among other things, all totally political and not mournful of the loss of John Lewis.
Perhaps Michelle should stick to monitoring her own behavior and that of her husband’s before pontificating on how everyone else should act.
The second subject that (predictably) came up that caught my attention was her use of a classic Democrat scare tactic in election years – voter suppression. Maybe Stacey Abrams wrote it for her but she sure sounds like the other race-baiting Democrats who agitate Black voters in hopes of motivating them to get out and vote on Election Day. In this speech, Michelle also encourages everyone to request a mail-in ballot as soon as possible and then get their ballot mailed as soon as possible.
And if we want a chance to pursue any of these goals, any of these most basic requirements for a functioning society, we have to vote for Joe Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored. Because right now, folks who know they cannot win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting. They’re closing down polling places in minority neighborhoods. They’re purging voter rolls. They’re sending people out to intimidate voters, and they’re lying about the security of our ballots. These tactics are not new. But this is not the time to withhold our votes in protest or play games with candidates who have no chance of winning. We have got to vote like we did in 2008 and 2012. We’ve got to show up with the same level of passion and hope for Joe Biden. We’ve got to vote early, in person if we can. We’ve got to request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they’re received. And then, make sure our friends and families do the same. We have got to grab our comfortable shoes, put on our masks, pack a brown bag dinner and maybe breakfast too, because we’ve got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to.
Michelle Obama isn’t stupid. She’s well-educated with Ivy League school diplomas, including a law degree from Harvard Law School. She knows that elections are run by state and local governments, not the federal government. If there are problems with voting, the local residents need to replace the current elected officials with people who are competent to run elections efficiently. Purging voter rolls, for example, is a record-keeping matter. And, if lines are so long at polling places that people are waiting several hours in line, that is on the county or city elected officials in charge of distributing voting machines and poll workers.
Michelle recorded her video for the convention at her home in Martha’s Vineyard. It is impossible to listen to her and not hear the racial grievance and her utter contempt for Republicans. She said that Trump is not up to the job. Funny, that’s what I kept saying while her husband was in office.


hotair--2020-08-18--Michigan college to trace students' every move 24/7

If you ’ re a parent who happens to be preparing to send your child off to Albion College in Michigan this semester , you ’ ll want to make sure that they have a charger for their cell phone and that it ’ s loaded up with the latest hot app that all the cool kids will be using this year .
In fact , it ’ s not just the cool kids .
Every student will have the app on their phone because the school is making it mandatory .
But rather than some fun new game like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobile spying tool that will monitor each student ’ s location every hour of every day , along with personal health information .
And it ’ s all being done in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus .
Don ’ t you just feel safer already ?
( Free Beacon ) A Michigan college is requiring students to download a phone application that tracks their location and private health data at all times in an attempt to protect them from the coronavirus .
Albion College , located in Albion , Mich. , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country to tackle contact tracing .
The school is working to create a “ COVID-bubble ” on campus , and asking students stay within the school ’ s 4.5-mile perimeter for the entire semester ; if a student leaves campus , the app will notify the administration , and the student could be temporarily suspended .
The move comes as universities grapple with how to reopen safely amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic .
Several schools including Harvard University have shut down their campuses entirely , while the University of California system will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a selection of hybrid options .
Some parents and students are already expressing alarm over this new requirement .
The father of one female freshman ( sorry… freshperson with a cervix ) told the Free Beacon that his daughter had been told to sign a form “ consenting to specimen collection and lab testing.
” Another student complained of being treated like a child who can ’ t be trusted to follow the rules and demanded to know why wearing masks wasn ’ t good enough .
Students are forbidden from leaving campus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t .
Those who choose to leave the facility anyway will either need to be put into quarantine or find themselves barred from the campus .
Repeat offenders will be suspended or ejected .
But strangely enough , the prohibition against leaving campus doesn ’ t apply to professors or other adult members of the staff , including janitors , maintenance workers and all the rest .
So they could be bringing the virus back to campus with them on any given day .
But why are people objecting ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government solutions and the micromanagement of people ’ s lives .
Plus , just think of all the other uses such a tracking app could have .
If a student is accused of some sort of sexual indiscretion or assault , the staff could quickly determine if the two students were in the same location at the time of the alleged offense .
If a noose or some racist graffiti is found on campus , the app could quickly narrow down who had been at that location during the hours when the incident @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s no end of interesting uses this could be put to , right ?
Of course , young people tend to be clever when it comes to finding ways around the rules and these days most of them are quite technically savvy .
How long do you suppose it will be before most of them have figured out that if they want to go off-campus or get up to some other mischief they can just leave their phones in the dorm rooms ?
Many of them will probably pick up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occasions and begin building up a new , covert contact list of all their friends .
But that ’ s okay because the school will still have this nifty new tool available to them and all of the data that it collects to boot .
What could possibly go wrong ?

If you’re a parent who happens to be preparing to send your child off to Albion College in Michigan this semester, you’ll want to make sure that they have a charger for their cell phone and that it’s loaded up with the latest hot app that all the cool kids will be using this year. In fact, it’s not just the cool kids. Every student will have the app on their phone because the school is making it mandatory. But rather than some fun new game like Candy Crush, this app is a mobile spying tool that will monitor each student’s location every hour of every day, along with personal health information. And it’s all being done in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus. Don’t you just feel safer already? (Free Beacon)
A Michigan college is requiring students to download a phone application that tracks their location and private health data at all times in an attempt to protect them from the coronavirus. Albion College, located in Albion, Mich., is one of the first schools in the country to tackle contact tracing. The school is working to create a “COVID-bubble” on campus, and asking students stay within the school’s 4.5-mile perimeter for the entire semester; if a student leaves campus, the app will notify the administration, and the student could be temporarily suspended. The move comes as universities grapple with how to reopen safely amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Several schools including Harvard University have shut down their campuses entirely, while the University of California system will provide the majority of classes online with a selection of hybrid options.
Some parents and students are already expressing alarm over this new requirement. The father of one female freshman (sorry… freshperson with a cervix) told the Free Beacon that his daughter had been told to sign a form “consenting to specimen collection and lab testing.” Another student complained of being treated like a child who can’t be trusted to follow the rules and demanded to know why wearing masks wasn’t good enough.
Students are forbidden from leaving campus with the app making sure that they don’t. Those who choose to leave the facility anyway will either need to be put into quarantine or find themselves barred from the campus. Repeat offenders will be suspended or ejected. But strangely enough, the prohibition against leaving campus doesn’t apply to professors or other adult members of the staff, including janitors, maintenance workers and all the rest. So they could be bringing the virus back to campus with them on any given day.
But why are people objecting? I thought liberals loved the idea of big government solutions and the micromanagement of people’s lives. Plus, just think of all the other uses such a tracking app could have. If a student is accused of some sort of sexual indiscretion or assault, the staff could quickly determine if the two students were in the same location at the time of the alleged offense. If a noose or some racist graffiti is found on campus, the app could quickly narrow down who had been at that location during the hours when the incident was believed to have taken place. There’s no end of interesting uses this could be put to, right?
Of course, young people tend to be clever when it comes to finding ways around the rules and these days most of them are quite technically savvy. How long do you suppose it will be before most of them have figured out that if they want to go off-campus or get up to some other mischief they can just leave their phones in the dorm rooms? Many of them will probably pick up a burner phone just to use for such occasions and begin building up a new, covert contact list of all their friends. But that’s okay because the school will still have this nifty new tool available to them and all of the data that it collects to boot. What could possibly go wrong?


hotair--2020-08-19--Biden (and the Democrats) still have an AOC problem

Night two of the Democratic National Convention included a few more speeches that I won ’ t bore you with here , along with some of the necessary party housekeeping .
One element of the latter was the official roll call of the states and territories needed to finalize the delegate count .
Even though it was supposed to be Joe Biden ’ s big moment , becoming the “ official ” nominee rather than the presumptive one , there were two candidates who met the delegate threshold and they both had to be put up for theoretical consideration .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ United Auto Workers president Bob King , but the honor of seconding the nomination went to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
In her one-minute speech , AOC didn ’ t really even give a tip of the hat to Joe Biden .
She was there to finish the second failed journey of Bernie Sanders in his bid to overthrow the allegedly moderate forces of the Democratic Party establishment .
And she did so in a workmanlike fashion , rallying the socialist faithful to not give up on their vision or their cause .
( NY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minute to speak at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night but she made it count as a warning that Joe Biden not ignore the party ’ s far-left wing , nominating socialist Bernie Sanders and making no mention of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee .
“ I hereby second the nomination for Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for President of the United States of America , ” the New York Democratic socialist said at the end of her 60-second address .
In her socialist rhetoric-heavy address , she spoke about Sanders ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racial injustice , colonization , misogyny and homophobia ” and not once addressed Biden , 77 , who will be crowned the party ’ s nominee .
Probably realizing that people might see this as a sign of divisiveness inside the party ( and perhaps with a nudge from some party elders ) , AOC took to social media afterwards .
She attempted to explain that her appearance was simply a formality and part of the business that needed to be attended to .
To be fair , everything AOC said on social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than enough delegates to break the threshold for the convention and he ’ d already given his leftist followers a rousing speech on the preceding night .
His name had to be read into the record and his delegates recorded .
But AOC ’ s handling of it during her single minute on the stage reminded everyone that the war for the soul of the Democratic Party is far from over .
This fact is highlighted in a column from Matthew Continetti at the Free Beacon titled “ Joe Biden ’ s AOC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrated the geographic and population diversity of America , Ocasio-Cortez impugned American society for its misogyny , racism , and colonization .
She said it was Sanders , not his rivals , who could lead the country out of its overlapping social , economic , and health crises .
Unlike Sanders , however , Ocasio-Cortez said hardly a word about the actual Democratic nominee .
On Monday , Sanders urged his movement to back Biden in November .
On Tuesday , we learned why he felt it was necessary to be so emphatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s no secret that Millennials and Zoomers trend left .
Racially and ethnically diverse , and less affiliated with religious institutions than their elders , the rising generation is reshaping both the Democratic Party and national politics .
Ocasio-Cortez is its avatar .
Her failure to endorse Biden is a reminder that , for all the inroads Democrats have made among suburbanites and college-educated white voters , the party is still worried about turnout among young people and minorities .
For all the change Biden promises , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Generation Woke , as Continetti puts it , isn ’ t going away and they aren ’ t coming on board with the traditional Democratic Party platform .
That ’ s because the Bernie Bros and their allies aren ’ t actually all that interested in politics and the mechanics of governance or elections .
They comprise a church , though only in a rather warped definition of the word .
It ’ s been Bernie Sanders ’ church for the last six years , but it ’ s plain to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allow me to explain .
What we ’ re really seeing here is the passing of Bernie Sanders from a battlefield general to the status of a legend in the progressive world .
For two straight presidential election cycles , Bernie was on the front lines , rallying the troops and drawing larger , more enthusiastic audiences than either Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden .
He was leading the charge and was seen as the viable savior of the hard left who could actually take his place in the Oval Office and complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But now that dream has died , crushed at the hands of the supposed moderate forces in the party .
Bernie doesn ’ t have another run in him at this point , so he ’ s beginning the transition to Socialist Saint , still fondly remembered and respected among his fellow travelers , but destined to become an elaborate painting on the walls of the Church of Karl Marx .
And the faithful already realize that someone must be found to fill the void .
In either 2024 or 2028 ( depending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his faithful followers will try again to wrest control of the party away from the fossils of their past .
So who will that be ?
I ’ m sure many of them think it could still be AOC , but that ’ s simply unrealistic .
She ’ s undergone a transition of her own , turning into more of a socialist cartoon character than anything else .
Elizabeth Warren is also gett well past her prime .
The rest of “ The Squad ” won ’ t come out of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But there is an army of younger or middle-aged socialists out there and one of them will inevitably rise up to take the baton .
In short , Joe Biden can ’ t count on a massive turnout from Sanders ’ base because it ’ s not just a lack of enthusiasm for Sleepy Joe that ’ s holding them back .
They genuinely see Biden and his ilk as enemies , nearly as much so as the Bad Orange Man .
And they aren ’ t about to disappear from Democrat Party @ @ @ @

Night two of the Democratic National Convention included a few more speeches that I won’t bore you with here, along with some of the necessary party housekeeping. One element of the latter was the official roll call of the states and territories needed to finalize the delegate count. Even though it was supposed to be Joe Biden’s big moment, becoming the “official” nominee rather than the presumptive one, there were two candidates who met the delegate threshold and they both had to be put up for theoretical consideration. Bernie Sanders was formally nominated by former United Auto Workers president Bob King, but the honor of seconding the nomination went to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
In her one-minute speech, AOC didn’t really even give a tip of the hat to Joe Biden. She was there to finish the second failed journey of Bernie Sanders in his bid to overthrow the allegedly moderate forces of the Democratic Party establishment. And she did so in a workmanlike fashion, rallying the socialist faithful to not give up on their vision or their cause. (NY Post)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez only got a minute to speak at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night but she made it count as a warning that Joe Biden not ignore the party’s far-left wing, nominating socialist Bernie Sanders and making no mention of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. “I hereby second the nomination for Senator Bernard Sanders of Vermont for President of the United States of America,” the New York Democratic socialist said at the end of her 60-second address. In her socialist rhetoric-heavy address, she spoke about Sanders’ movement to “repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny and homophobia” and not once addressed Biden, 77, who will be crowned the party’s nominee.
Probably realizing that people might see this as a sign of divisiveness inside the party (and perhaps with a nudge from some party elders), AOC took to social media afterwards. She attempted to explain that her appearance was simply a formality and part of the business that needed to be attended to.
If you were confused, no worries! Convention rules require roll call & nominations for every candidate that passes the delegate threshold. I was asked to 2nd the nom for Sen. Sanders for roll call. I extend my deepest congratulations to @JoeBiden – let’s go win in November. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/uI92P3UfLn — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 19, 2020
To be fair, everything AOC said on social media was true. Bernie had more than enough delegates to break the threshold for the convention and he’d already given his leftist followers a rousing speech on the preceding night. His name had to be read into the record and his delegates recorded. But AOC’s handling of it during her single minute on the stage reminded everyone that the war for the soul of the Democratic Party is far from over. This fact is highlighted in a column from Matthew Continetti at the Free Beacon titled “Joe Biden’s AOC Problem.”
Where much of the programming celebrated the geographic and population diversity of America, Ocasio-Cortez impugned American society for its misogyny, racism, and colonization. She said it was Sanders, not his rivals, who could lead the country out of its overlapping social, economic, and health crises. Unlike Sanders, however, Ocasio-Cortez said hardly a word about the actual Democratic nominee. On Monday, Sanders urged his movement to back Biden in November. On Tuesday, we learned why he felt it was necessary to be so emphatic. The reason is voters like Ocasio-Cortez. It’s no secret that Millennials and Zoomers trend left. Racially and ethnically diverse, and less affiliated with religious institutions than their elders, the rising generation is reshaping both the Democratic Party and national politics. Ocasio-Cortez is its avatar. Her failure to endorse Biden is a reminder that, for all the inroads Democrats have made among suburbanites and college-educated white voters, the party is still worried about turnout among young people and minorities. For all the change Biden promises, it’s not enough for Ocasio-Cortez and Generation Woke.
Generation Woke, as Continetti puts it, isn’t going away and they aren’t coming on board with the traditional Democratic Party platform. That’s because the Bernie Bros and their allies aren’t actually all that interested in politics and the mechanics of governance or elections. They comprise a church, though only in a rather warped definition of the word. It’s been Bernie Sanders’ church for the last six years, but it’s plain to see that a transition is taking place. Allow me to explain.
What we’re really seeing here is the passing of Bernie Sanders from a battlefield general to the status of a legend in the progressive world. For two straight presidential election cycles, Bernie was on the front lines, rallying the troops and drawing larger, more enthusiastic audiences than either Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden. He was leading the charge and was seen as the viable savior of the hard left who could actually take his place in the Oval Office and complete the socialist transformation of the nation.
But now that dream has died, crushed at the hands of the supposed moderate forces in the party. Bernie doesn’t have another run in him at this point, so he’s beginning the transition to Socialist Saint, still fondly remembered and respected among his fellow travelers, but destined to become an elaborate painting on the walls of the Church of Karl Marx. And the faithful already realize that someone must be found to fill the void. In either 2024 or 2028 (depending on the outcome on November 3rd) his faithful followers will try again to wrest control of the party away from the fossils of their past.
So who will that be? I’m sure many of them think it could still be AOC, but that’s simply unrealistic. She’s undergone a transition of her own, turning into more of a socialist cartoon character than anything else. Elizabeth Warren is also gett well past her prime. The rest of “The Squad” won’t come out of these tumultuous times much better than AOC. But there is an army of younger or middle-aged socialists out there and one of them will inevitably rise up to take the baton.
In short, Joe Biden can’t count on a massive turnout from Sanders’ base because it’s not just a lack of enthusiasm for Sleepy Joe that’s holding them back. They genuinely see Biden and his ilk as enemies, nearly as much so as the Bad Orange Man. And they aren’t about to disappear from Democrat Party politics, either.


hotair--2020-08-18--DNC's Native American caucus meeting features ... Elizabeth Warren

Some on political Twitter are grumpy that conservatives are having a laugh about this : Fine .
I choose to make jokes for the 5000th time .
She should have received 1/1024th of the allotted meeting time to speak .
She had every right to be there .
She ’ s a bona fide “ Pow Wow Chow ” contributor , Guy Benson reminds us .
Tomorrow night she speaks at the convention in primetime .
I ’ m calling it now : Full headdress .
I didn ’ t watch the caucus meeting this afternoon but her involvement isn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Since apologizing to Cherokee Nation for claiming tribal citizenship based on a DNA test , she ’ s tried to atone by championing Native American issues .
It ’ d look bad , after all , if her political interest in American tribes evaporated the instant she conceded that she didn ’ t share their identity .
So she ’ s done some outreach , meeting with representatives of 40 tribes in Oklahoma this past December as “ part of a broader effort to highlight issues important to them.
” Last August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic primary from her “ I have a plan for that ” shtick , she published a lo-o-o-ng list of policy proposals for how America might honors its obligations to indigenous peoples .
We ’ ll see if any choice quotes emerge from the caucus meeting , e.g.
, Warren referring to “ our people , ” but I ’ m guessing she was there simply as an outsider signaling her support for Native American causes .
Either that or she did another DNA test and it turns out she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news .
Speaking of conventions , the Daily Beast reports this afternoon that TV network execs didn ’ t want to air more than one hour of the Democrats ’ show because they knew they ’ d have to give Trump and the RNC equal time — and no one knows what the hell kind of crazy stuff might end up on the air in a Trump production : “ We don ’ t know what that content is going to be , ” was the line offered up , according to one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Beast privately that they were still almost completely in the dark about basic details of next week ’ s RNC , including its format and its roster of speakers… The president has complicated editorial decisions for TV executives in part because of his penchant for peddling lies , misinformation , and conspiracy theories .
Networks have come under intense scrutiny from media critics and Democrats for giving Trump unfiltered air time to spread propaganda and/or failing to fact-check some of his more dangerous claims in real-time .
It ’ s possible that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply looking for an excuse not to air an extra hour or two of their convention .
Conventions don ’ t draw big ratings anymore , after all , especially with so many options to watch online .
And there may be less ad revenue available from those hours because there are fewer interruptions in the program .
But it ’ s also possible that they ’ re genuinely concerned about Trump-produced content .
Turn your network over to him for more than an hour and God only knows what ’ ll end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be the MyPillow guy pushing his COVID-cure miracle supplement , Tucker Carlson ranting about gypsies , Rudy Giuliani in a fugue state babbling about Ukraine — the sky ’ s the limit .
As your exit quotation , here ’ s a footnote from the newly released Senate Intel Committee report on Russia ’ s involvement in the 2016 campaign quoting Michael Cohen .
No TV exec is trusting this guy with more than an hour of airtime .
Anything could happen .

Some on political Twitter are grumpy that conservatives are having a laugh about this:
Happening now: @ewarren speaking to the DNC Native American Caucus Meeting. Which you can take as evidence that she has proven herself as an ally to those who know, or you can take as an excuse to make your jokes for the 5000th time. #mapoli pic.twitter.com/FtKnLjiPrS — David S. Bernstein (@dbernstein) August 18, 2020
Fine. I choose to make jokes for the 5000th time.
She should have received 1/1024th of the allotted meeting time to speak.
https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/1295823531486388236
MOTHER OF GOD https://t.co/UEcikajnYQ — Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) August 18, 2020
Holy shit. She’s actually doing it. This is incredible https://t.co/gMbtBWoqi3 — Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) August 18, 2020
She had every right to be there. She’s a bona fide “Pow Wow Chow” contributor, Guy Benson reminds us.
Tomorrow night she speaks at the convention in primetime. I’m calling it now: Full headdress.
I didn’t watch the caucus meeting this afternoon but her involvement isn’t as weird as it seems. Since apologizing to Cherokee Nation for claiming tribal citizenship based on a DNA test, she’s tried to atone by championing Native American issues. It’d look bad, after all, if her political interest in American tribes evaporated the instant she conceded that she didn’t share their identity. So she’s done some outreach, meeting with representatives of 40 tribes in Oklahoma this past December as “part of a broader effort to highlight issues important to them.” Last August, when she was gaining traction in the Democratic primary from her “I have a plan for that” shtick, she published a lo-o-o-ng list of policy proposals for how America might honors its obligations to indigenous peoples.
We’ll see if any choice quotes emerge from the caucus meeting, e.g., Warren referring to “our people,” but I’m guessing she was there simply as an outsider signaling her support for Native American causes.
Either that or she did another DNA test and it turns out she’s 2/1024ths Cherokee and wanted to share the news.
Speaking of conventions, the Daily Beast reports this afternoon that TV network execs didn’t want to air more than one hour of the Democrats’ show because they knew they’d have to give Trump and the RNC equal time — and no one knows what the hell kind of crazy stuff might end up on the air in a Trump production:
“We don’t know what that content is going to be,” was the line offered up, according to one source… Executives at multiple networks told The Daily Beast privately that they were still almost completely in the dark about basic details of next week’s RNC, including its format and its roster of speakers… The president has complicated editorial decisions for TV executives in part because of his penchant for peddling lies, misinformation, and conspiracy theories. Networks have come under intense scrutiny from media critics and Democrats for giving Trump unfiltered air time to spread propaganda and/or failing to fact-check some of his more dangerous claims in real-time.
It’s possible that the executives were lying to Democrats and simply looking for an excuse not to air an extra hour or two of their convention. Conventions don’t draw big ratings anymore, after all, especially with so many options to watch online. And there may be less ad revenue available from those hours because there are fewer interruptions in the program.
But it’s also possible that they’re genuinely concerned about Trump-produced content. Turn your network over to him for more than an hour and God only knows what’ll end up on Americans’ screens. It could be the MyPillow guy pushing his COVID-cure miracle supplement, Tucker Carlson ranting about gypsies, Rudy Giuliani in a fugue state babbling about Ukraine — the sky’s the limit.
As your exit quotation, here’s a footnote from the newly released Senate Intel Committee report on Russia’s involvement in the 2016 campaign quoting Michael Cohen. No TV exec is trusting this guy with more than an hour of airtime. Anything could happen.


hotair--2020-08-19--Inevitable: Trump kinda sorta endorses QAnon

“ I am watching Trump talk about Qanon and how great it is that they love him , ” Tom Nichols tweeted this afternoon as the clip below was airing live , “ and all I can think of right now is that [ Brit Hume ] thinks that the problem is Joe Biden ‘ s mental condition.
” This isn ’ t a full endorsement .
Trump doesn ’ t corroborate the batsh*t theory that he ’ s quietly working with JFK Jr , who ’ s been dead for more than 20 years , to take down a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
In a sense it ’ s the opposite , a whitewash of what QAnoners actually believe .
To hear him tell it , to the best of his knowledge , they ’ re just worried about crime and riots in American cities , basic concerns shared by any decent middle-class person .
The reporter won ’ t let him off the hook , though .
She insists on describing for him what QAnoners actually believe .
That ’ s her putting him on the spot , daring him to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But he can ’ t .
Trump is incapable psychologically of rejecting someone who idolizes him .
His narcissistic understanding of morality is this simple : If you love him then you ’ re good , whatever your faults , and if you hate him then you ’ re bad , whatever your virtues .
QAnoners love him .
They think he ’ s quite literally saving the world , by the reporter ’ s own description .
Some have taken their beliefs to such extremes that the FBI has begun to worry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here to gently deprogram a lot of people who have ended up in a cult , whether they realize that or not , and his narcissism wouldn ’ t let him .
How could it ?
He ’ s the cult leader .
He ’ s so patently unable to condemn someone who loves him that various denizens of political Twitter this evening are complaining that the reporter shouldn ’ t have even asked the question , knowing how predictable it was that Trump would answer this way .
It was irresponsible of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made this scene possible .
The worst part is that , after whitewashing them , he ended up encouraging QAnoners .
“ If I can help save the world from problems , ” he said when asked about their theory of the cabal , “ I ’ m willing to do it.
” I ’ m amazed he managed to resist winking at them through the camera .
QAnoners were ecstatic afterward , needless to say .
“ What , actually , is the ideological difference between Laura Loomer and Donald Trump ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioning the House GOP ’ s latest primary winner .
“ Why does Twitter ban her and not him ?
If anything , he ’ s more radical , and certainly more dangerous.
” If you ’ re a crank with a big enough following , you don ’ t get banned .
That ’ s the answer .
The irony of this clip is that the GOP has been working behind the scenes to try to distance itself from QAnon after it received brutal press over Marjorie Taylor Greene ’ s primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running this year are headed for defeat in the fall , even if they survive a primary .
Greene is not .
Her district is red enough that she ’ s likely to win even with Democrats armed to the teeth with ammo that she ’ s a kook .
A few days ago Greene herself disclaimed any attachment to QAnon , no doubt with encouragement from within the party : “ No , it doesn ’ t represent me , ” Greene said of the “ QAnon candidate ” label she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was just one of those people , just like millions of other Americans , that just started looking at other information , ” Greene said .
“ And so , yeah , there was a time there for a while that I had read about Q , posted about it , talked about it , which is some of these videos you ’ ve seen come out .
But once I started finding misinformation , I decided that I would choose another path.
” One example of “ misinformation ” she cited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ safe ” for Republicans when in reality Democrats made huge gains and retook the House .
House Republicans are worried .
If Greene wins , she ’ ll be a headache for McCarthy and the leadership for at least two years .
Irrespective of whether she wins , she ’ s a headache for the party this fall .
“ Greene could have a devastating impact on the Republican party at-large , ” a House GOP aide told The Dispatch recently .
“ It ’ s one thing to have fringe members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s quite another to have a member who is an avowed conspiracy theorist and traffics in hateful rhetoric that offends the vast majority of Americans .
Embracing someone like that will unquestionably turn off the voters who determine congressional majorities.
” Maybe .
But forced to choose between that logic and saying some warm words about people who think he ’ s a demigod , the choice for Trump was easy .
He couldn ’ t even “ no comment ” it for the sake of McCarthy and McConnell .
Marjorie Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats would still have material to show swing voters now thanks to Trump himself providing them with this soundbite .
“ Remember , you asked for this , ” said Kevin Williamson , presciently , on the day Trump clinched the Republican nomination in 2016 .
The party did ask for it .
All of this and more .
There ’ s a debate raging among Never Trumpers this summer about whether they should oppose Trump but vote Republican downballot or whether they should vote Democratic straight-ticket .
I don ’ t vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of that debate .
But here ’ s the point I think advocates of the first approach miss : Burning it all down by voting against Senate and House Republicans isn ’ t so much a message to those politicians as it is a message to the Republican base which nominated and elected Trump .
The point of ousting Susan Collins , say , isn ’ t really to punish her for not criticizing Trump strongly enough or for voting to acquit him at his impeachment trial .
( Although some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trumpers insist that it is . )
The point is to show other Republican voters that , if Never Trumpers have any say in the matter , they simply will not enjoy any sort of power over government unless they ease up on the crankery .
Susan Collins isn ’ t a crank herself , but if she needs to be cashiered in order to show cranks that they ’ re not going to control the Senate until they sober up , then she ’ ll be cashiered .
Whether Never Trumpers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very open question .
I doubt it .
But given that the number of House Republicans who ’ ve spoken up against QAnon since Greene won her primary can be counted on one hand with a few fingers left over , some sort of brute-force electoral message clearly needs to be sent .
It ’ s not all that different from what Trumpers themselves achieved in 2016 , except in reverse .
There was lots of chatter among establishment Republicans before the convention that year about a delegate revolt to deny Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viable for the simple reason that too many Trump fans would have boycotted the general election if it had happened .
You can ’ t win without us , Trumpers said .
We ’ re disgusted by what the party has become and we won ’ t budge .
They got their way .
The “ burn it all down ” Never Trumpers are attempting to send that message in reverse .
We ’ re disgusted too , and you can ’ t win without us either .
Not the presidency , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t think that ’ s true — Never Trumpers are a rounding error in the party — but that ’ s the idea .
The fact that Trump insists on wading ever deeper into the crank pool is going to make for a nice test of that theory this fall , though .
He ’ s practically carrying a sign now when he speaks that reads , “ THIS IS A PARTY FOR KOOKS.
” Either there are enough Never Trumpers and centrist Republicans and swing voters who care about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or there aren ’ t .
We ’ ll see .

“I am watching Trump talk about Qanon and how great it is that they love him,” Tom Nichols tweeted this afternoon as the clip below was airing live, “and all I can think of right now is that [Brit Hume] thinks that the problem is Joe Biden‘s mental condition.”
This isn’t a full endorsement. Trump doesn’t corroborate the batsh*t theory that he’s quietly working with JFK Jr, who’s been dead for more than 20 years, to take down a cabal of Satanic pedophiles who actually run the world. In a sense it’s the opposite, a whitewash of what QAnoners actually believe. To hear him tell it, to the best of his knowledge, they’re just worried about crime and riots in American cities, basic concerns shared by any decent middle-class person. The reporter won’t let him off the hook, though. She insists on describing for him what QAnoners actually believe. That’s her putting him on the spot, daring him to say, “That’s crazy.”
But he can’t. Trump is incapable psychologically of rejecting someone who idolizes him. His narcissistic understanding of morality is this simple: If you love him then you’re good, whatever your faults, and if you hate him then you’re bad, whatever your virtues. QAnoners love him. They think he’s quite literally saving the world, by the reporter’s own description. Some have taken their beliefs to such extremes that the FBI has begun to worry about it. He had a chance here to gently deprogram a lot of people who have ended up in a cult, whether they realize that or not, and his narcissism wouldn’t let him. How could it? He’s the cult leader.
He’s so patently unable to condemn someone who loves him that various denizens of political Twitter this evening are complaining that the reporter shouldn’t have even asked the question, knowing how predictable it was that Trump would answer this way. It was irresponsible of her, not him, to have made this scene possible.
The worst part is that, after whitewashing them, he ended up encouraging QAnoners. “If I can help save the world from problems,” he said when asked about their theory of the cabal, “I’m willing to do it.” I’m amazed he managed to resist winking at them through the camera. QAnoners were ecstatic afterward, needless to say. “What, actually, is the ideological difference between Laura Loomer and Donald Trump?” asked Anne Applebaum this afternoon, mentioning the House GOP’s latest primary winner. “Why does Twitter ban her and not him? If anything, he’s more radical, and certainly more dangerous.” If you’re a crank with a big enough following, you don’t get banned. That’s the answer.
The irony of this clip is that the GOP has been working behind the scenes to try to distance itself from QAnon after it received brutal press over Marjorie Taylor Greene’s primary win in Georgia. Most QAnon believers running this year are headed for defeat in the fall, even if they survive a primary. Greene is not. Her district is red enough that she’s likely to win even with Democrats armed to the teeth with ammo that she’s a kook. A few days ago Greene herself disclaimed any attachment to QAnon, no doubt with encouragement from within the party:
“No, it doesn’t represent me,” Greene said of the “QAnon candidate” label she’s garnered in the national media… “I was just one of those people, just like millions of other Americans, that just started looking at other information,” Greene said. “And so, yeah, there was a time there for a while that I had read about Q, posted about it, talked about it, which is some of these videos you’ve seen come out. But once I started finding misinformation, I decided that I would choose another path.” One example of “misinformation” she cited was that the 2018 midterm elections were “safe” for Republicans when in reality Democrats made huge gains and retook the House.
House Republicans are worried. If Greene wins, she’ll be a headache for McCarthy and the leadership for at least two years. Irrespective of whether she wins, she’s a headache for the party this fall. “Greene could have a devastating impact on the Republican party at-large,” a House GOP aide told The Dispatch recently. “It’s one thing to have fringe members who represent very ideological districts. It’s quite another to have a member who is an avowed conspiracy theorist and traffics in hateful rhetoric that offends the vast majority of Americans. Embracing someone like that will unquestionably turn off the voters who determine congressional majorities.”
Maybe. But forced to choose between that logic and saying some warm words about people who think he’s a demigod, the choice for Trump was easy. He couldn’t even “no comment” it for the sake of McCarthy and McConnell. Marjorie Taylor Greene could quit the race today and Democrats would still have material to show swing voters now thanks to Trump himself providing them with this soundbite.
“Remember, you asked for this,” said Kevin Williamson, presciently, on the day Trump clinched the Republican nomination in 2016. The party did ask for it. All of this and more.
There’s a debate raging among Never Trumpers this summer about whether they should oppose Trump but vote Republican downballot or whether they should vote Democratic straight-ticket. I don’t vote anymore so I’m not part of that debate. But here’s the point I think advocates of the first approach miss: Burning it all down by voting against Senate and House Republicans isn’t so much a message to those politicians as it is a message to the Republican base which nominated and elected Trump. The point of ousting Susan Collins, say, isn’t really to punish her for not criticizing Trump strongly enough or for voting to acquit him at his impeachment trial. (Although some of the “burn it all down” Never Trumpers insist that it is.) The point is to show other Republican voters that, if Never Trumpers have any say in the matter, they simply will not enjoy any sort of power over government unless they ease up on the crankery. Susan Collins isn’t a crank herself, but if she needs to be cashiered in order to show cranks that they’re not going to control the Senate until they sober up, then she’ll be cashiered.
Whether Never Trumpers have the electoral muscle to manage that is a very open question. I doubt it. But given that the number of House Republicans who’ve spoken up against QAnon since Greene won her primary can be counted on one hand with a few fingers left over, some sort of brute-force electoral message clearly needs to be sent. It’s not all that different from what Trumpers themselves achieved in 2016, except in reverse. There was lots of chatter among establishment Republicans before the convention that year about a delegate revolt to deny Trump the nomination, but it was never viable for the simple reason that too many Trump fans would have boycotted the general election if it had happened. You can’t win without us, Trumpers said. We’re disgusted by what the party has become and we won’t budge. They got their way. The “burn it all down” Never Trumpers are attempting to send that message in reverse. We’re disgusted too, and you can’t win without us either. Not the presidency, not the Senate, not the House.
I don’t think that’s true — Never Trumpers are a rounding error in the party — but that’s the idea. The fact that Trump insists on wading ever deeper into the crank pool is going to make for a nice test of that theory this fall, though. He’s practically carrying a sign now when he speaks that reads, “THIS IS A PARTY FOR KOOKS.” Either there are enough Never Trumpers and centrist Republicans and swing voters who care about that to make a difference in November or there aren’t. We’ll see.


hotair--2020-08-19--Dem convention, night three: Warren, Hillary, Obama, and Harris

Here ’ s the live feed for those watching on a computer .
Read on .
Can ’ t sum up the first two nights of the program any better than this : If that trend holds , this evening we should get Elizabeth Warren discussing racial authenticity , Hillary musing on being a good loser , and Obama praising the virtues of small government .
Then Harris will appear to show off the magic that earned her four percent of the vote in the primary before she bowed out .
Sounds like O ’ s speech is going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know what you ’ re thinking and yes , it is strange that he ’ s paying tribute to the Founders as we ’ re wrapping up a summer of lefties defacing statues of slaveholders .
But in fairness to him , he ’ s less of a fan of cancel culture than the party ’ s younger DSA cohort .
As for our democracy supposedly being at stake , that would be a more effective pitch if Obama hadn ’ t already used it several times before : Our democracy was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elect Ralph “ Coonman ” Northam governor of Virginia in 2017 ?
If you say so , my dude .
Most of the speeches tonight are predictable .
Warren will vouch for Biden ’ s progressive bona fides to court lefties .
Obama will do a grander-scale version of Kasich ’ s “ fork in the road ” speech from a few nights ago , offering a choice between neoliberal light and Trumpian darkness .
Harris will do the standard VP thing of gushing over the nominee and unloading on the other party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the women of color who paved the way for her to be on a major party ’ s ticket .
Hillary is a little less predictable .
She ’ ll make the same broad points as Obama about America emerging unrecognizable if it spends four more years under Trump ’ s influence , but the tone could be different .
This is her I-told-you-so moment , says The Hill : The live address , which will come just before Sen. Kamala Harris ’ s ( D-Calif. ) speech , will be forward-looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we-could-have-done-this-better sentiment in the backdrop , according to Clinton allies .
“ This is a chance I ’ m sure she ’ s been looking forward to for a very long time , ” said one longtime Clinton ally .
“ I think she ’ s anxious to put this dark period behind us and get the nation back on track.
” … In many ways , say confidants and those who have worked for her , Clinton ’ s address on Wednesday night is also a personal story of a prominent public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell short .
“ I ’ m sure it ’ s very surreal for her , ” said one longtime aide .
“ In some ways , she ’ s still hurting .
She thinks about all of these things all the time.
” The pathos .
How many times will she mention Russia ?
The last two nights have seen Dems roll out surprise guests in the form of people who are , or were , Republicans and who ’ ve crossed the aisle this year .
If there are any more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the night we should have them , as night three is the evening for heavy hitters .
I doubt Democrats want anyone overshadowing Biden on night four .
If there ’ s a James Mattis or a Rex Tillerson in the pipeline , they ’ ll materialize this evening .
Here ’ s the handy dandy Twitter widget for live commentary during the proceedings .
The thread below is open for comments .

Here’s the live feed for those watching on a computer. Read on.
Can’t sum up the first two nights of the program any better than this:
Democratic convention recap: Bill Clinton told us what a President should or shouldn’t do in the Oval Office, Andrew Cuomo told us all about successful crisis management, John Kerry imformed us what successful diplomacy must look like, Bernie spoke about the danger of dictators. — Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) August 19, 2020
If that trend holds, this evening we should get Elizabeth Warren discussing racial authenticity, Hillary musing on being a good loser, and Obama praising the virtues of small government. Then Harris will appear to show off the magic that earned her four percent of the vote in the primary before she bowed out.
Sounds like O’s speech is going to be preachy even by his standards:
NEW: @BarackObama will deliver his convention speech tonight from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, a Democratic official tells me, a location intended to underscore “our very democracy is at stake” in this election. — Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) August 19, 2020
I know what you’re thinking and yes, it is strange that he’s paying tribute to the Founders as we’re wrapping up a summer of lefties defacing statues of slaveholders. But in fairness to him, he’s less of a fan of cancel culture than the party’s younger DSA cohort. As for our democracy supposedly being at stake, that would be a more effective pitch if Obama hadn’t already used it several times before:
Our democracy was at stake if we didn’t elect Ralph “Coonman” Northam governor of Virginia in 2017? If you say so, my dude.
Most of the speeches tonight are predictable. Warren will vouch for Biden’s progressive bona fides to court lefties. Obama will do a grander-scale version of Kasich’s “fork in the road” speech from a few nights ago, offering a choice between neoliberal light and Trumpian darkness. Harris will do the standard VP thing of gushing over the nominee and unloading on the other party’s candidate, plus some stuff about the women of color who paved the way for her to be on a major party’s ticket.
Hillary is a little less predictable. She’ll make the same broad points as Obama about America emerging unrecognizable if it spends four more years under Trump’s influence, but the tone could be different. This is her I-told-you-so moment, says The Hill:
The live address, which will come just before Sen. Kamala Harris’s (D-Calif.) speech, will be forward-looking for the most part, with a we-could-have-done-this-better sentiment in the backdrop, according to Clinton allies. “This is a chance I’m sure she’s been looking forward to for a very long time,” said one longtime Clinton ally. “I think she’s anxious to put this dark period behind us and get the nation back on track.”… In many ways, say confidants and those who have worked for her, Clinton’s address on Wednesday night is also a personal story of a prominent public figure who could have been president but fell short. “I’m sure it’s very surreal for her,” said one longtime aide. “In some ways, she’s still hurting. She thinks about all of these things all the time.”
The pathos. How many times will she mention Russia?
The last two nights have seen Dems roll out surprise guests in the form of people who are, or were, Republicans and who’ve crossed the aisle this year. If there are any more surprises in store, tonight’s the night we should have them, as night three is the evening for heavy hitters. I doubt Democrats want anyone overshadowing Biden on night four. If there’s a James Mattis or a Rex Tillerson in the pipeline, they’ll materialize this evening.
Here’s the handy dandy Twitter widget for live commentary during the proceedings. The thread below is open for comments.
A Twitter List by allahpundit


hotair--2020-08-19--Girlfriend describes assault of Adam Haner: 'They were just looking to fight somebody'

There were reports Monday that the woman seen in the video with Adam Haner was his wife .
I think he even refers to her as his wife in one of the clips but according to this interview with Fox 12 Oregon , Tammie Martin is his girlfriend .
They were in downtown Portland that night because he was driving her to pick up her car .
And then Adam Haner saw a trans-woman being assaulted and tried to intervene .
That ’ s when the small group of BLM supporters turned on them .
“ He was trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supremacist , and then some black lady smacked him and he got in his truck , ” Martin said .
Martin said that was when she also got out of the truck .
“ I got socked and then tried to walk away and then got pushed down , he tried to … and then I got punched a few times , and then I got back up and he was trying to drive away and revving his engine so people would back away from the truck , ” Martin said .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mob , Martin apparently got in her own car and took a different route .
She then came upon Haner ’ s crashed truck and saw him lying in the street unconscious .
Martin had a hairline rib fracture from when she was tackled in the street and is covered in bruises but says it ’ s nothing compared to what Haner experienced .
Still , after Haner was taken to the hospital she said police had to surround her to protect her : Fortunately , Haner didn ’ t die and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Go Fund Me page set up on his behalf by his older brother , he is still a bit dazed and doesn ’ t remember everything that happened : Adam is still feeling very ill .
He is still very dazed .
He doesn ’ t remember everything that has happened .
He thought his truck only had a dent in it .
I talked with him briefly , and got some information from Tammie .
They have been swamped with calls , messages and text and need everyone to give them some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct contact for a few days , or until you see an update here saying other wise .
The only interview Adam will do today is with the detective trying to get the people responsible for the attack .
Forensics are taking pictures of him now as I write this .
I also will not give any interviews until my brother has time to absorb all that he has been through .
Me and my mom have been trying to make responses for everyone that has provided support here for Adam .
Thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been very emotional so far .
Keep him in your prayers and thought .
Speaking of Facebook , the NY Post is reporting today that Haner posted an “ anti-George Floyd meme ” on Facebook the same day as the assault .
That doesn ’ t seem to have anything at all to do what happened to him or his girlfriend , but I guess it ’ s enough for some people to decide he deserved to be beaten unconscious in the street .
Martin said of the group that attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a fight .
They were trying to fight people driving by .
They were just looking to fight somebody.
” The interview took place by phone but Fox 12 has a video clip featuring her comments here .
Finally , there ’ s no new information on Marquise Love , the man police identified yesterday as Haner ’ s attacker .
Police are reportedly looking for him and have encouraged him to turn himself in but so far he appears to be hiding out .

There were reports Monday that the woman seen in the video with Adam Haner was his wife. I think he even refers to her as his wife in one of the clips but according to this interview with Fox 12 Oregon, Tammie Martin is his girlfriend. They were in downtown Portland that night because he was driving her to pick up her car. And then Adam Haner saw a trans-woman being assaulted and tried to intervene. That’s when the small group of BLM supporters turned on them.
“He was trying to help and they called him a white supremacist, and then some black lady smacked him and he got in his truck,” Martin said. Martin said that was when she also got out of the truck. “I got socked and then tried to walk away and then got pushed down, he tried to … and then I got punched a few times, and then I got back up and he was trying to drive away and revving his engine so people would back away from the truck,” Martin said.
When Haner pulled away to escape the angry mob, Martin apparently got in her own car and took a different route. She then came upon Haner’s crashed truck and saw him lying in the street unconscious.
Martin had a hairline rib fracture from when she was tackled in the street and is covered in bruises but says it’s nothing compared to what Haner experienced. Still, after Haner was taken to the hospital she said police had to surround her to protect her:
“They kept calling me names calling me a white supremacist [expletive]. You have a boyfriend that’s a white supremacist and saying you’re a loser I hope your boyfriend dies,” Martin said.
Fortunately, Haner didn’t die and is at home recovering. According to a Go Fund Me page set up on his behalf by his older brother, he is still a bit dazed and doesn’t remember everything that happened:
Adam is still feeling very ill. He is still very dazed. He doesn’t remember everything that has happened. He thought his truck only had a dent in it. I talked with him briefly, and got some information from Tammie. They have been swamped with calls, messages and text and need everyone to give them some space. So please hold off on direct contact for a few days, or until you see an update here saying other wise. The only interview Adam will do today is with the detective trying to get the people responsible for the attack. Forensics are taking pictures of him now as I write this. I also will not give any interviews until my brother has time to absorb all that he has been through. Me and my mom have been trying to make responses for everyone that has provided support here for Adam. Thank you all so very much. It’s been very emotional so far. Keep him in your prayers and thought.
Haner posted this photo on Facebook yesterday:
Speaking of Facebook, the NY Post is reporting today that Haner posted an “anti-George Floyd meme” on Facebook the same day as the assault. That doesn’t seem to have anything at all to do what happened to him or his girlfriend, but I guess it’s enough for some people to decide he deserved to be beaten unconscious in the street.
Martin said of the group that attacked her, “They were just looking for a fight. They were trying to fight people driving by. They were just looking to fight somebody.” The interview took place by phone but Fox 12 has a video clip featuring her comments here.
Finally, there’s no new information on Marquise Love, the man police identified yesterday as Haner’s attacker. Police are reportedly looking for him and have encouraged him to turn himself in but so far he appears to be hiding out.


hotair--2020-08-19--Ohio Dems rip Trump over calling for Goodyear boycott

He has a legit beef with Goodyear but his knee-jerk call for a boycott this morning was the latest of many examples of Trump reacting to something more like a Fox News viewer than as the president .
In particular , a president who has to face voters in less than 90 days .
Does he really want to antagonize Ohio voters at a moment when their state is very much in play ?
I wonder if Kamala Harris ’ s acceptance speech tonight is being hastily rewritten to include a few lines about Mr .
Populism , the hero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boycott of an Ohio-based American company with lots of foreign competitors .
Until then , locals are letting him have it : Rep. Tim Ryan , the Democratic congressman who represents the Akron area , said the tweet was a “ holy sh*t ” moment in a presidency that ’ s already been full of them .
Ryan told The Daily Beast his immediate reaction was “ a little bit shocked at the level of stupidity ” on the part of the president .
“ This is an iconic American company in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really dumb politically .
But it shows the problem that he has—that it ’ s more about him than it is about other people.
” “ He ’ s directly saying , ” said Ryan , “ he wants to put you out of a job.
” … The Trump tweet briefly left Steve Millard , president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber at a loss for words .
While he wasn ’ t familiar with what the company had done to enrage the president , he made clear “ there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be thinking about than whether or not Goodyear is letting people wear his hats.
” Everyone ’ s lining up to get their whacks in : “ He spends a tremendous amount of his time in the White House focused on how things reflect on him personally when he should be thinking about how they impact American families , ” said Biden ’ s deputy campaign manager .
A key wrinkle of boycotting Goodyear is that “ Chinese tire imports to the United States have been rising by double-digits , with China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Canada and South Korea.
” Should we buy Chinese instead ?
Buy French , with Michelin ?
We could buy Dunlop , I suppose — but Dunlop is owned by Goodyear .
How ’ s this boycott supposed to work ?
This isn ’ t the only boycott of an American company President Fox Viewer has called for either : On Wednesday , Goodyear joined a long list of corporations whose products the president has said should be shunned at one point or another .
The list — which stretches even longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course of his campaign — is a who ’ s who of the American way of life , ranging from Apple Inc. , AT & T Inc. , Harley-Davidson Inc. , Macy ’ s Inc. and Oreo-maker Mondelez International Inc.
He ’ s also threatened to cancel an order for a new Air Force One jet from Boeing Co. and yank unspecified subsidies for General Motors Co .
The reasons for the boycotts range from disagreements over operating decisions such as factory relocations or product selection ; a means of pressure for jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and just general dislike .
He ’ s never cared very much if the issues that are the grist for his corporate attacks conflict with or are the result of some of his own policies , nor has he been particularly focused on achieving more than a publicity stunt in most instances .
But Goodyear is an especially curious target .
The company ’ s biggest competitors are foreign companies such as Japan ’ s Bridgestone Corp. , Germany ’ s Continental AG and France ’ s Michelin .
It ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t leverage this somehow at the convention , while they enjoy a national spotlight .
Kayleigh McEnany at least made a valiant effort to clean up the mess at this afternoon ’ s briefing by attributing Trump ’ s annoyance at Goodyear to its apparent hostility to police .
“ As far as I ’ m concerned , Blue Lives Matter is an equity issue .
There have been police officers across the country that have been targeted because they wear the badge , ” she said .
“ The reason he called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MAGA is pretty much unanimous with Blue Lives Matter these days , if you ’ ve seen the endorsements.
” That doesn ’ t undo the damage from the boycott demand , but it does at least place it on a firmer political footing , supposedly driven by Trump ’ s sympathy for cops more so than anger at the disrespect showed to him personally .
Here ’ s Sherrod Brown , one of the left ’ s more prominent populists , racing to CNN to take this lay-up .
Exit question : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Castro , who suggested boycotting Goya because its CEO supports Trump , feel about today ’ s call to boycott Trump ?
Update : And here he is doubling down , saying he wouldn ’ t recommend buying from Goodyear if they don ’ t back off on MAGA and Blue Lives Matter .

He has a legit beef with Goodyear but his knee-jerk call for a boycott this morning was the latest of many examples of Trump reacting to something more like a Fox News viewer than as the president. In particular, a president who has to face voters in less than 90 days.
Does he really want to antagonize Ohio voters at a moment when their state is very much in play?
I wonder if Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech tonight is being hastily rewritten to include a few lines about Mr. Populism, the hero of the Rust Belt, leading a boycott of an Ohio-based American company with lots of foreign competitors. Until then, locals are letting him have it:
Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democratic congressman who represents the Akron area, said the tweet was a “holy sh*t” moment in a presidency that’s already been full of them. Ryan told The Daily Beast his immediate reaction was “a little bit shocked at the level of stupidity” on the part of the president. “This is an iconic American company in a swing state… it’s really, really dumb politically. But it shows the problem that he has—that it’s more about him than it is about other people.” “He’s directly saying,” said Ryan, “he wants to put you out of a job.”… The Trump tweet briefly left Steve Millard, president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber at a loss for words. While he wasn’t familiar with what the company had done to enrage the president, he made clear “there are probably far more important things for him to be thinking about than whether or not Goodyear is letting people wear his hats.”
Everyone’s lining up to get their whacks in:
Keep in mind, this is a President who spent years making his own Trump-branded products overseas. He failed to stand up for workers in Lordstown, and now he betrays the workers in Akron. — Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) August 19, 2020
The President’s calls for a boycott of Goodyear, a century-old Akron-based company that employs thousands of hardworking men and women, are shameful and unbecoming of the office of the President. In Northeast Ohio, we support our workers. — Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (@RepMarciaFudge) August 19, 2020
Goodyear has believed in this community for generations, investing in the power, tenacity and honest people of the heartland, which is more than we can say for this president. #WeStandWithGoodyear pic.twitter.com/0bM8Xax018 — City of Akron, Ohio (@AkronOhioMayor) August 19, 2020
First, you came to destroy American decency. Next, you came to destroy American institutions. Now you're coming to destroy the American economy and heartland jobs. Luckily you seem to fail at everything you do. pic.twitter.com/zzVJ9X0ap4 — City of Akron, Ohio (@AkronOhioMayor) August 19, 2020
“He spends a tremendous amount of his time in the White House focused on how things reflect on him personally when he should be thinking about how they impact American families,” said Biden’s deputy campaign manager. A key wrinkle of boycotting Goodyear is that “Chinese tire imports to the United States have been rising by double-digits, with China the top importer, followed by Thailand, Canada and South Korea.” Should we buy Chinese instead? Buy French, with Michelin? We could buy Dunlop, I suppose — but Dunlop is owned by Goodyear. How’s this boycott supposed to work?
This isn’t the only boycott of an American company President Fox Viewer has called for either:
On Wednesday, Goodyear joined a long list of corporations whose products the president has said should be shunned at one point or another. The list — which stretches even longer if you include companies targeted over the course of his campaign — is a who’s who of the American way of life, ranging from Apple Inc., AT&T Inc., Harley-Davidson Inc., Macy’s Inc. and Oreo-maker Mondelez International Inc. He’s also threatened to cancel an order for a new Air Force One jet from Boeing Co. and yank unspecified subsidies for General Motors Co. The reasons for the boycotts range from disagreements over operating decisions such as factory relocations or product selection; a means of pressure for jobs initiatives; leverage for government contract negotiations; and just general dislike. He’s never cared very much if the issues that are the grist for his corporate attacks conflict with or are the result of some of his own policies, nor has he been particularly focused on achieving more than a publicity stunt in most instances. But Goodyear is an especially curious target. The company’s biggest competitors are foreign companies such as Japan’s Bridgestone Corp., Germany’s Continental AG and France’s Michelin.
It’ll be political malpractice if Dems don’t leverage this somehow at the convention, while they enjoy a national spotlight. Kayleigh McEnany at least made a valiant effort to clean up the mess at this afternoon’s briefing by attributing Trump’s annoyance at Goodyear to its apparent hostility to police. “As far as I’m concerned, Blue Lives Matter is an equity issue. There have been police officers across the country that have been targeted because they wear the badge,” she said. “The reason he called for the boycott was over MAGA. MAGA is pretty much unanimous with Blue Lives Matter these days, if you’ve seen the endorsements.” That doesn’t undo the damage from the boycott demand, but it does at least place it on a firmer political footing, supposedly driven by Trump’s sympathy for cops more so than anger at the disrespect showed to him personally.
Here’s Sherrod Brown, one of the left’s more prominent populists, racing to CNN to take this lay-up. Exit question: How do Democrats like AOC and Julian Castro, who suggested boycotting Goya because its CEO supports Trump, feel about today’s call to boycott Trump?
The President's boycott of Goodyear proves that he simply doesn't care about the workers in Akron – just like he didn't care about the workers he betrayed in Lordstown. pic.twitter.com/sf2QO2XC09 — Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) August 19, 2020
Update: And here he is doubling down, saying he wouldn’t recommend buying from Goodyear if they don’t back off on MAGA and Blue Lives Matter.


hotair--2020-08-19--Injured Seattle police officer: Rioters are 'very violent, very destructive'

If the headline above sounds familiar that ’ s because it is .
Last month I wrote a story headlined “ Seattle Police Officer Injured In Last Weekend ’ s Riot : ‘ There ’ s Just So Much Hate ’ ” That was about an officer named Ellie who had an injured knee after someone threw a rock at her outside the police precinct .
That was nearly three weeks ago and the riots have continued in Seattle since then .
Sunday night 18 people were arrested and 3 police officers were injured in the latest riot .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had to be rushed to the hospital after a mortar went off near his eye .
Today Fowler gave an interview to local station KING 5 about the incident .
He described the moment when he was hit , before help arrived when believed he was going to lose his left eye .
“ These aren ’ t tiny fireworks , they ’ re not firecrackers , these are commercial grade mortars , ” Fowler said .
“ One had been thrown behind me and when that detonated it hit me in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward my patrol bicycle another went off , ” he continued .
“ The only think I could see was a bright flash and then a loud bang and what felt like a hammer hitting me in the face…I lost my vision momentarily .
I lost my vision probably anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute .
It was just blurry in my left eye and my first initial thought was ‘ I ’ m going to lose my left eye . '
” As for the nightly conflicts with police , Fowler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peaceful protests groups have filtered out many of the violent people .
However , “ we have this separate group now that is [ there ] every night .
It can range between 50 people all the way up to 200 people.
” A bit later , Fowler added , “ Those people are very violent , very destructive .
They are ruining things .
They want to harm us , harm businesses , harm things in Seattle and then quickly try to turn the story on us like we have created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and seeking us out every night to try to cause these issues.
” As for what to do about it , Fowler said , “ We need to have follow through…We need to hold these people accountable for going out and doing the things that they ’ re doing because it ’ s not going to get better if they ’ re not held accountable for it.
” It should go without saying that people attacking the police on a nightly basis should be held accountable but it ’ s not clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone be held accountable for what happened to him ?
Finally , Fowler said that even worse than the injury was the sense that the police department had no support from city officials .
“ Morale is not super-great right now .
It ’ s pretty low and a lot of people feel the same way that I feel and are very frustrated .
People want to be appreciated , ” he said .
Right now that just isn ’ t happening in Seattle or other departments around the country .

If the headline above sounds familiar that’s because it is. Last month I wrote a story headlined “Seattle Police Officer Injured In Last Weekend’s Riot: ‘There’s Just So Much Hate’” That was about an officer named Ellie who had an injured knee after someone threw a rock at her outside the police precinct.
That was nearly three weeks ago and the riots have continued in Seattle since then. Sunday night 18 people were arrested and 3 police officers were injured in the latest riot. One of the injured officers was Adam Fowler who had to be rushed to the hospital after a mortar went off near his eye. Today Fowler gave an interview to local station KING 5 about the incident. He described the moment when he was hit, before help arrived when believed he was going to lose his left eye.
“These aren’t tiny fireworks, they’re not firecrackers, these are commercial grade mortars,” Fowler said. “One had been thrown behind me and when that detonated it hit me in the back and when I went back toward my patrol bicycle another went off,” he continued.
“The only think I could see was a bright flash and then a loud bang and what felt like a hammer hitting me in the face…I lost my vision momentarily. I lost my vision probably anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. It was just blurry in my left eye and my first initial thought was ‘I’m going to lose my left eye.'”
As for the nightly conflicts with police, Fowler said police are aware that some of the peaceful protests groups have filtered out many of the violent people. However, “we have this separate group now that is [there] every night. It can range between 50 people all the way up to 200 people.”
A bit later, Fowler added, “Those people are very violent, very destructive. They are ruining things. They want to harm us, harm businesses, harm things in Seattle and then quickly try to turn the story on us like we have created something bad when they are going out and seeking us out every night to try to cause these issues.”
As for what to do about it, Fowler said, “We need to have follow through…We need to hold these people accountable for going out and doing the things that they’re doing because it’s not going to get better if they’re not held accountable for it.”
It should go without saying that people attacking the police on a nightly basis should be held accountable but it’s not clear that’s happening in Seattle. Will anyone be held accountable for what happened to him?
Finally, Fowler said that even worse than the injury was the sense that the police department had no support from city officials. “Morale is not super-great right now. It’s pretty low and a lot of people feel the same way that I feel and are very frustrated. People want to be appreciated,” he said. Right now that just isn’t happening in Seattle or other departments around the country.