thestream--2020-04-22--Hollywood Smears a Pro-Life Hero: Hulu’s Phyllis Schlafly Slander Series

It was only a matter of time before Hollywood came for pro-life hero Phyllis Schlafly , and they waited until she was safely in her grave to do it .
Mrs. America , a mini-series created by Dahvi Waller and available on Hulu , is a vicious smear job from start to finish .
Phyllis Schlafly was one of the most influential American activists of the 20th century .
A constitutional lawyer and an anti-Communist , she sold three million copies of her first book ( of more than twenty ) , A Choice Not An Echo , out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she fought successfully to make the GOP a pro-life party .
Above all , she mobilized millions of people against the Equal Rights Amendment—and won .
For that , the feminists could never forgive her .
This mini-series , which claims to document the battle of the Equal Rights Amendment , is their revenge .
Feminist reviewers are already gloating about this .
Kate Harding noted that Cate Blanchett plays Phyllis Schlafly as an “ Awful person ; fascinating villain.
” Doreen St. Félix in the New Yorker wrote with satisfaction that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroy her.
” The Guardian ’ s only complaint was that perhaps Blanchet was “ too skilled…to play a figure of such uncomplicated contempt.
” Mrs. America wants you to believe that Schlafly was a cold , conniving sell-out who was willing to stab her fellow women in the back to get ahead in a man ’ s world .
The condemnation of her character is nearly total .
To list a few of the show ’ s assertions : Schlafly is a bad wife , married , incidentally , to a bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the belief she would lose .
( Her daughter , for the record , is appalled by the representation of her parents ’ marriage . )
She knowingly lies about the Equal Rights Amendment .
It isn ’ t that she ’ s just mistaken — she lies and knowingly misleads others .
In short : She doesn ’ t believe her own arguments .
She is seen by politicians like Barry Goldwater as a convenient tool to strengthen the patriarchy .
( The show doesn ’ t address the fact that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the factors credited with getting Goldwater the GOP nomination in 1964 . )
She is a bad mother , who outsources the task of raising her children to her sister-in-law and the help .
She is a grasping , power-hungry woman who is desperate to get all of the credit , all of the time .
And that ’ s just in the first three episodes released so far .
All of this , meanwhile , is against the backdrop of a pantheon of feminist icons we are obviously supposed to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shirley Chisholm ’ s run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination .
Betty Friedan , founder of the National Organization for Women , is bumbling but loveable .
And then there is Gloria Steinem , the gorgeous hero to Schlafly ’ s grim anti-hero .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Steinem is portrayed as Schlafly ’ s opposite in every way .
While Schlafly lies to get power , Steinem can not compromise her passion for abortion to satisfy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is brilliant , commanding , and inspiring .
Even when she loses her temper , it is because she is overcome by the rightness of her cause .
She is powerful but also beautiful and somehow waif-like , a lost soul with the sort of air that makes men instinctively feel protective .
But Steinem doesn ’ t need protection .
She needs abortion .
In what is supposed to be a touching scene , Steinem is shown preparing to get an abortion in London in 1957 .
The abortionist famously tells her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that she will tell nobody his name .
Second , that she would do whatever she wanted with her life .
( She later dedicated her 2015 book My Life on the Road to Dr. John Sharpe , whom she named as the man who aborted her only child when she was 22 years old . )
Years later , Steinem would say she would try to make herself feel guilty by imagining how old her baby would be—but it never worked .
Mrs. America is , in many ways , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do not even mention Schlafly ’ s life-long pro-life convictions , but showcases Steinem ’ s abortion activism in a glowing light .
Schlafly , the series implies , is cynically using abortion to accrue personal power .
Steinem , on the other hand , is offended that women are “ dying on kitchen tables ” and are considered “ just walking wombs.
” Research ?
We Don ’ t Need No Stinking Research .
Reviewing this alleged docudrama , I was certain that the creators had not even bothered to research Phyllis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I read liberal journalist Carol Felsenthal ’ s biography The Sweetheart of the Silent Majority , the only personal biography of Schlafly .
Felsenthal recounts how feminists were simply positive that Schlafly could not be who she claimed she could be .
They couldn ’ t fathom it .
Her enemies were certain she had ulterior motives , or a rotten marriage .
They were positive her children must hate her .
After spending time with the Schlaflys and interviewing countless friends , family members , and colleagues , Felsenthal admitted she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dirt .
Felsenthal ’ s conclusion ?
Love her or hate her , Schlafly was who she was and believed what she believed .
But according to Mrs. America creator Dahvi Waller , Felsenthal was a consultant on the series .
Waller claims she brought on multiple researchers for “ historical accuracy , ” but she either did not read the book or she simply ignored all of its contents .
( The only other book solely dedicated to Schlafly , Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism by Donald Critchlow , also reveals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smear job . )
The Real Woman , According to Those Who Knew Her The real Phyllis Schlafly was a woman of both conviction and passion .
She inspired millions to follow her leadership precisely for those reasons .
And she inspired hatred in the abortion activists and feminists because she told them they were wrong — and beat them at their own game .
Two years before she died , I interviewed her and asked her why conservatives should have hope in the culture war .
She promptly pointed to her successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realize we had against us three presidents , three First Ladies , about 95 % of Congress , 99 % of the media , every governor , Hollywood , ” she told me .
“ They had the momentum and the psychology of inevitable victory , which is a tremendous factor in any campaign .
And we beat them all .
It is simply a tremendous example of what a small group can do when you stick to the facts , have good leadership , and use the system the Founding Fathers gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ d debated all of the prominent feminists — one of Mrs. America ’ s later episodes apparently highlights the famous moment Betty Friedan told Schlafly she ’ d like to burn her at the stake — she gave a gravelly chuckle .
“ All of them with the exception of Gloria Steinem , who never dared to debate me.
” Feminists Are Still Terrified of Her The feminists still don ’ t dare debate Phyllis Schlafly .
Even when they portray her on-screen , they must pack their portrayal with falsehood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get a real glimpse of the woman who stopped them almost single-handedly .
Because they can not understand this woman who rejected their version of liberation , they must invent a version of her that they can persuade us all to hate .
The real Phyllis Schlafly was beloved by millions and inspired a movement that delivered them their most crushing defeat — and they still have not figured out how to face that .
The truth is that Phyllis Schlafly was not only a pro-life hero .
She was also lovely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months before she died .
It was at the Republican Convention in Cleveland , Ohio , and she was still elegant and beautiful at age 92 .
I shook her hand and thanked her for doing an interview with me some time before .
“ Oh , ” the veteran of tens of thousands of media appearances said with a bewitching smile .
“ Did I do okay ?
” Phyllis Schlafly did much more than that .
For her family , for the pro-life movement , and for her country .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ grateful to her .
She really was Mrs. America — and in a way her enemies will never truly understand .
Maybe instead of watching the TV miniseries , read one of her books .
Or learn about Mrs. Schlafly ’ s life from her daughter , who created the tribute video below .
Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker , writer , and pro-life activist .
He is the author of The Culture War and Seeing Is Believing : Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion , and co-author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

It was only a matter of time before Hollywood came for pro-life hero Phyllis Schlafly, and they waited until she was safely in her grave to do it. Mrs. America, a mini-series created by Dahvi Waller and available on Hulu, is a vicious smear job from start to finish.
Phyllis Schlafly was one of the most influential American activists of the 20th century. A constitutional lawyer and an anti-Communist, she sold three million copies of her first book (of more than twenty), A Choice Not An Echo, out of her garage. As a pro-life activist, she fought successfully to make the GOP a pro-life party. Above all, she mobilized millions of people against the Equal Rights Amendment—and won.
For that, the feminists could never forgive her. This mini-series, which claims to document the battle of the Equal Rights Amendment, is their revenge.
Feminist reviewers are already gloating about this. Kate Harding noted that Cate Blanchett plays Phyllis Schlafly as an “Awful person; fascinating villain.” Doreen St. Félix in the New Yorker wrote with satisfaction that Blanchett’s performance could “effectively destroy her.” The Guardian’s only complaint was that perhaps Blanchet was “too skilled…to play a figure of such uncomplicated contempt.”
Demonized from Start to Finish
Mrs. America wants you to believe that Schlafly was a cold, conniving sell-out who was willing to stab her fellow women in the back to get ahead in a man’s world. The condemnation of her character is nearly total. To list a few of the show’s assertions:
Schlafly is a bad wife, married, incidentally, to a bad husband who only supported her political runs in the belief she would lose. (Her daughter, for the record, is appalled by the representation of her parents’ marriage.)
She knowingly lies about the Equal Rights Amendment. It isn’t that she’s just mistaken — she lies and knowingly misleads others. In short: She doesn’t believe her own arguments.
She is seen by politicians like Barry Goldwater as a convenient tool to strengthen the patriarchy. (The show doesn’t address the fact that A Choice Not An Echo was one of the factors credited with getting Goldwater the GOP nomination in 1964.)
She is a bad mother, who outsources the task of raising her children to her sister-in-law and the help.
She is a grasping, power-hungry woman who is desperate to get all of the credit, all of the time.
Cuddly Feminist Heroines
And that’s just in the first three episodes released so far. All of this, meanwhile, is against the backdrop of a pantheon of feminist icons we are obviously supposed to see as heroines. The show begins with Shirley Chisholm’s run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination. Betty Friedan, founder of the National Organization for Women, is bumbling but loveable. And then there is Gloria Steinem, the gorgeous hero to Schlafly’s grim anti-hero.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Steinem is portrayed as Schlafly’s opposite in every way. While Schlafly lies to get power, Steinem cannot compromise her passion for abortion to satisfy flip-flopping politicians like George McGovern. She is brilliant, commanding, and inspiring. Even when she loses her temper, it is because she is overcome by the rightness of her cause. She is powerful but also beautiful and somehow waif-like, a lost soul with the sort of air that makes men instinctively feel protective.
“Heroic” Outlaw Abortionists
But Steinem doesn’t need protection. She needs abortion. In what is supposed to be a touching scene, Steinem is shown preparing to get an abortion in London in 1957.
The abortionist famously tells her to promise him two things. First, that she will tell nobody his name. Second, that she would do whatever she wanted with her life. (She later dedicated her 2015 book My Life on the Road to Dr. John Sharpe, whom she named as the man who aborted her only child when she was 22 years old.) Years later, Steinem would say she would try to make herself feel guilty by imagining how old her baby would be—but it never worked.
Mrs. America is, in many ways, all about abortion. The first three episodes do not even mention Schlafly’s life-long pro-life convictions, but showcases Steinem’s abortion activism in a glowing light. Schlafly, the series implies, is cynically using abortion to accrue personal power. Steinem, on the other hand, is offended that women are “dying on kitchen tables” and are considered “just walking wombs.”
Research? We Don’t Need No Stinking Research.
Reviewing this alleged docudrama, I was certain that the creators had not even bothered to research Phyllis Schlafly. Only a few months ago, I read liberal journalist Carol Felsenthal’s biography The Sweetheart of the Silent Majority, the only personal biography of Schlafly.
Felsenthal recounts how feminists were simply positive that Schlafly could not be who she claimed she could be. They couldn’t fathom it. Her enemies were certain she had ulterior motives, or a rotten marriage. They were positive her children must hate her.
After spending time with the Schlaflys and interviewing countless friends, family members, and colleagues, Felsenthal admitted she couldn’t find a single speck of dirt. Felsenthal’s conclusion? Love her or hate her, Schlafly was who she was and believed what she believed.
But according to Mrs. America creator Dahvi Waller, Felsenthal was a consultant on the series. Waller claims she brought on multiple researchers for “historical accuracy,” but she either did not read the book or she simply ignored all of its contents. (The only other book solely dedicated to Schlafly, Phyllis Schlafly and Grassroots Conservatism by Donald Critchlow, also reveals someone entirely absent from Waller’s smear job.)
The Real Woman, According to Those Who Knew Her
The real Phyllis Schlafly was a woman of both conviction and passion. She inspired millions to follow her leadership precisely for those reasons. And she inspired hatred in the abortion activists and feminists because she told them they were wrong — and beat them at their own game.
Two years before she died, I interviewed her and asked her why conservatives should have hope in the culture war. She promptly pointed to her successful battle against the ERA.
“You realize we had against us three presidents, three First Ladies, about 95% of Congress, 99% of the media, every governor, Hollywood,” she told me. “They had the momentum and the psychology of inevitable victory, which is a tremendous factor in any campaign. And we beat them all. It is simply a tremendous example of what a small group can do when you stick to the facts, have good leadership, and use the system the Founding Fathers gave us.”
“We had against us three presidents, three First Ladies, about 95% of Congress, 99% of the media, every governor, Hollywood…”
When I asked her if she’d debated all of the prominent feminists — one of Mrs. America’s later episodes apparently highlights the famous moment Betty Friedan told Schlafly she’d like to burn her at the stake — she gave a gravelly chuckle. “All of them with the exception of Gloria Steinem, who never dared to debate me.”
Feminists Are Still Terrified of Her
The feminists still don’t dare debate Phyllis Schlafly. Even when they portray her on-screen, they must pack their portrayal with falsehood to ensure that none of the viewers get a real glimpse of the woman who stopped them almost single-handedly.
Because they cannot understand this woman who rejected their version of liberation, they must invent a version of her that they can persuade us all to hate. The real Phyllis Schlafly was beloved by millions and inspired a movement that delivered them their most crushing defeat — and they still have not figured out how to face that.
The truth is that Phyllis Schlafly was not only a pro-life hero. She was also lovely. I only met her once, a few months before she died. It was at the Republican Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, and she was still elegant and beautiful at age 92. I shook her hand and thanked her for doing an interview with me some time before. “Oh,” the veteran of tens of thousands of media appearances said with a bewitching smile. “Did I do okay?”
Phyllis Schlafly did much more than that. For her family, for the pro-life movement, and for her country. For that, I will always be grateful to her. She really was Mrs. America — and in a way her enemies will never truly understand.
Maybe instead of watching the TV miniseries, read one of her books. Or learn about Mrs. Schlafly’s life from her daughter, who created the tribute video below.
Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. He is the author of The Culture War and Seeing Is Believing: Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion, and co-author of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide.


thestream--2020-04-22--Military Photo of the Day: The Storm Rolls In

A storm recently rolls in over a row of U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs at Altus Air Force Base @ @ @ @ @ to Airman 1st Class Breanna Klemm for capturing this remarkable image .
All of us @ @ @ @ @ for those impacted by recent tornadoes and other severe storms .
Support The Stream : @ @ @ @ @ Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .

A storm recently rolls in over a row of U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster IIIs at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma.
Thank you to Airman 1st Class Breanna Klemm for capturing this remarkable image. All of us at The Stream are praying for those impacted by recent tornadoes and other severe storms.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-04-22--How to Boost Your Immune System: Pray More

We are learning that people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus .
I was interested therefore when a friend sent me an excellent article on how our immune systems work and how to strengthen our immunity .
The article emphasized the common sense approach : eat a healthy diet .
Cut those extra pounds .
Don ’ t smoke .
Take moderate exercise .
Get a good night ’ s sleep and avoid stress .
In other words , an overall healthy lifestyle is going to help you fight infections and disease when they come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article is that it was incomplete .
Each one of us is are composed of body , mind and spirit .
The article about strengthening the immune system dealt with the body and mind , but the author had nothing to say about the spirit .
To be truly healthy is to be whole in body , mind and spirit .
We need to be in balance .
What we do with our body affects our mind and spirit .
What we do with our mind affects our spirit and body , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our body and mind .
A disease in one of the three parts can make us unhealthy in the other two .
Likewise , when we are healthy in body , mind and spirit we are truly on the path to wholeness .
Physical and mental exercise are good .
A good diet for the mind and a good diet for the body are essential , but what about good exercise and a good diet for the spirit ?
Too many physicians and health experts neglect the ailments of the spirit .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and meditation increase physical and mental health .
Author Robert Schiffman quotes a study from the University of Rochester pointing out that 85 percent of people who face a major illness turn to prayer … and it works .
To pray and enter a period of silent meditation helps reduce stress .
It also builds a positive attitude , helps us find inner reserves of strength and construct a trustful and hopeful approach to life .
Schiffman says , “ The relationship between prayer and health has been the subject of scores of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr. Herbert Benson , a cardiovascular specialist at Harvard Medical School and a pioneer in the field of mind/ body medicine discovered what he calls “ the relaxation response , ” which occurs during periods of prayer and meditation .
At such times , the body ’ s metabolism decreases , the heart rate slows , blood pressure goes down , and our breath becomes calmer and more regular.
” Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
This state of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , feelings of control and a kind of alert awareness and inner calm .
This effect in the body and mind helps the individual cope with depression , high blood pressure , migraines and a list of other stress related illnesses .
Dr. Andrew Newberg is the director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania .
He did studies on Franciscan nuns and Buddhist monks and showed that they both experienced wider perception , brain function and high levels of dopamine — the chemical in the brain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being .
Is this simply the result of taking time off , sitting still and chilling out ?
What if the person simply does deep breathing and think about something other than their worries ?
Schiffman refers to an experiment conducted by Ken Pargement of Bowling Green State University with two different groups of people who suffer migraine headaches .
Pargement instructed one group to meditate 20 minutes each day repeating a spiritual affirmation , such as “ God is good .
God is peace .
God is love.
” The other group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is green .
Sand is soft.
” The spiritual meditators had fewer headaches and more tolerance of pain than those who had focused on the neutral phrases .
So there is more to it than just being chilled out .
There is more to it than thinking positive thoughts .
Through prayer the believer connects to the source to God — who is the source of life and health .
The creator ’ s power and life surges through the prayerful person as electricity flows when you plug into the power outlet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ term health benefits .
People who pray daily are 40 percent less likely to have high blood pressure than those who do not pray .
Heart surgery patients with strong religious beliefs and practice were three times more likely to recover than the non-religious , and a study of asthma sufferers revealed that those who prayed had fewer and less severe symptoms than those who did not pray .
Meanwhile other studies show that prayer boosts the immune system .
Scientific studies indicate that long term daily prayer helps to deactivate genes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In other words , “ Prayer changes things ” !
You will not necessarily be delivered from COVID-19 or any range of illnesses simply by dropping to your knees and muttering a few prayers out of a book .
But daily spiritual exercises , feeding the mind with the church ’ s liturgy and Scriptures and exercising the spirit through daily prayer will bring long term benefits and wholeness to body , mind and spirit .
Finally , a recent survey of 4,000 senior citizens in Durham , NC , found that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lived longer than those who did not .
In other words , even if you do fall ill , if you are person of faith with a good prayer life , you will have the inner strength to come through the illness to the light on the other side .
Follow Dwight Longenecker ’ s blog , listen to his podcasts browse his books and be in touch at dwightlongenecker.com

We are learning that people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus. I was interested therefore when a friend sent me an excellent article on how our immune systems work and how to strengthen our immunity.
The article emphasized the common sense approach: eat a healthy diet. Cut those extra pounds. Don’t smoke. Take moderate exercise. Get a good night’s sleep and avoid stress. In other words, an overall healthy lifestyle is going to help you fight infections and disease when they come along.
Be Whole
The only problem with the article is that it was incomplete. Each one of us is are composed of body, mind and spirit. The article about strengthening the immune system dealt with the body and mind, but the author had nothing to say about the spirit. To be truly healthy is to be whole in body, mind and spirit.
We need to be in balance. What we do with our body affects our mind and spirit. What we do with our mind affects our spirit and body, and what we do with our spirit affects our body and mind. A disease in one of the three parts can make us unhealthy in the other two. Likewise, when we are healthy in body, mind and spirit we are truly on the path to wholeness.
Physical and mental exercise are good. A good diet for the mind and a good diet for the body are essential, but what about good exercise and a good diet for the spirit? Too many physicians and health experts neglect the ailments of the spirit. However, scientific tests have shown that prayer and meditation increase physical and mental health.
Be Healthy. Pray More
Author Robert Schiffman quotes a study from the University of Rochester pointing out that 85 percent of people who face a major illness turn to prayer … and it works.
To pray and enter a period of silent meditation helps reduce stress. It also builds a positive attitude, helps us find inner reserves of strength and construct a trustful and hopeful approach to life.
Schiffman says, “The relationship between prayer and health has been the subject of scores of double-blind studies over the past four decades. Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiovascular specialist at Harvard Medical School and a pioneer in the field of mind/ body medicine discovered what he calls “the relaxation response,” which occurs during periods of prayer and meditation. At such times, the body’s metabolism decreases, the heart rate slows, blood pressure goes down, and our breath becomes calmer and more regular.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This state of mind is associated with slower brain waves, feelings of control and a kind of alert awareness and inner calm. This effect in the body and mind helps the individual cope with depression, high blood pressure, migraines and a list of other stress related illnesses.
Dr. Andrew Newberg is the director of the Center for Spirituality and the Mind at the University of Pennsylvania. He did studies on Franciscan nuns and Buddhist monks and showed that they both experienced wider perception, brain function and high levels of dopamine — the chemical in the brain that produces feelings of joy and well being.
Go With God
Is this simply the result of taking time off, sitting still and chilling out? What if the person simply does deep breathing and think about something other than their worries? Schiffman refers to an experiment conducted by Ken Pargement of Bowling Green State University with two different groups of people who suffer migraine headaches.
Pargement instructed one group to meditate 20 minutes each day repeating a spiritual affirmation, such as “God is good. God is peace. God is love.” The other group used a nonspiritual phrase: “Grass is green. Sand is soft.” The spiritual meditators had fewer headaches and more tolerance of pain than those who had focused on the neutral phrases.
Daily spiritual exercises will bring long term benefits and wholeness to body, mind and spirit.
So there is more to it than just being chilled out. There is more to it than thinking positive thoughts. Through prayer the believer connects to the source to God — who is the source of life and health. The creator’s power and life surges through the prayerful person as electricity flows when you plug into the power outlet.
Long Term Life Insurance
The practice of prayer also has long term health benefits. People who pray daily are 40 percent less likely to have high blood pressure than those who do not pray. Heart surgery patients with strong religious beliefs and practice were three times more likely to recover than the non-religious, and a study of asthma sufferers revealed that those who prayed had fewer and less severe symptoms than those who did not pray.
Meanwhile other studies show that prayer boosts the immune system. Scientific studies indicate that long term daily prayer helps to deactivate genes that trigger inflammation and prompt cell death. In other words, “Prayer changes things”!
You will not necessarily be delivered from COVID-19 or any range of illnesses simply by dropping to your knees and muttering a few prayers out of a book. But daily spiritual exercises, feeding the mind with the church’s liturgy and Scriptures and exercising the spirit through daily prayer will bring long term benefits and wholeness to body, mind and spirit.
Finally, a recent survey of 4,000 senior citizens in Durham, NC, found that people who prayed coped better with illness and lived longer than those who did not. In other words, even if you do fall ill, if you are person of faith with a good prayer life, you will have the inner strength to come through the illness to the light on the other side.
Follow Dwight Longenecker’s blog, listen to his podcasts browse his books and be in touch at dwightlongenecker.com
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send a first wave of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts. Click here to donate.


thestream--2020-04-22--Journalism’s Culture of Shamelessness

Journalism’s Culture of Shamelessness

So a lifelong friend told me , a man who has spent his life in the military serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan .
We were talking about modern journalism , a profession that is cancerous with dishonor .
I have understood this since I broke away from liberalism in the early 1990s , but it became a radioactive reality in 2018 during the Brett Kavanaugh war .
I was a part of that , you might recall .
Kavanaugh , a nominee for the Supreme Court , stood accused of sexual assault in high school by California psychologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in the room when the assault happened in 1982 ( although the alleged year of the attack had changed in her story several times ) .
When the story broke , I was certainly bracing for the media to go crazy .
More importantly , I knew that they were not going to act with honor .
They were not going to heed that higher voice .
It told them that in some eternal sense lying , exaggerating , and destroying people would violate a universal code .
Even make them lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book Honor : A History , James Bowman argues that over the last 30 years , the old notion of honor itself has become “ shameful.
” Displays of “ weakness , ” such as “ admittance of doubt and outpourings of emotion ” have now become far more honorable , especially in politics .
And there is no way to “ lose face ” with your journalistic peers when none of them have honor to begin with .
When Journalists Had a Sense of Honor There are three events in journalism ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me the profession at its best and most honorable : • Watergate , and The Washington Post ’ s coverage .
And • The Stephen Glass scandal at The New Republic .
Rolling Stone won the 1970 National Magazine Award for its coverage of the tragedy of the 1969 Altamont concert .
The band the Rolling Stones had attempted to play a concert .
But its decision to use the Hell ’ s Angels for security helped the event devolve into chaos and violence .
Four people died , including a man stabbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stage .
Rolling Stone ’ s reporting was accurate and devastatingly critical .
Calling Altamont “ rock & roll ’ s worst day , ” a writer described the scene this way : The National Magazine Award praised Rolling Stone ’ s editors for “ challenging the shared assumptions of its readers.
” What liberal journalist today “ challenges the shared assumptions ” of readers ?
Rachel Maddow ?
The New York Times ?
When the Facts Used to Matter Fellow conservatives may disagree with me on this , but the Washington Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the early 1970s was necessary — and honorable .
I consider President Nixon to be an American hero for his support of anti-communist Whittaker Chambers in the late 1940s .
But by the 1960s Nixon was doing things that were criminal .
Nixon hated journalist Jack Anderson so much that he got the CIA to spy on the columnist and asked an aide to “ stop Anderson at all costs.
” Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward famous caught men spying on Nixon ’ s enemies and then the president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An illuminating contrast appears between the journalistic culture then and now .
Recall how horrified Woodward and Bernstein were when they made a mistake .
They ’ d reported on the front page of The Washington Post that a witness had given testimony to a grand jury about White House Chief of Staff H.R .
Haldeman .
This was wrong .
“ This was one of the real dreary days of our reporting life , ” Woodward later recalled .
“ In fact , I don ’ t think I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was just flat-wrong.
” The day the story appeared they had a meeting with a publisher .
The reporters , according to NPR , had “ a feeling of horror.
” In other words , they felt ashamed .
They felt dishonorable .
Such feelings have vanished .
People have said that during the Kavanaugh war I avoided the press .
That ’ s not true .
I talked at length to the New York Times , telling them the truth .
And that was that I had no recollection of the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her or anybody else a liar , and I wasn ’ t going to speculate .
I simply had no recollection of what she was talking about , just like the others she claimed were there .
Of course , that wasn ’ t enough .
They had to go through my car , my yearbook , even an underground newspaper I put out in the early 1980s .
It was important to keep it not just honest but simple .
I knew I was not dealing with Woodward and Bernstein .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street Journal caught Washington Post reporter Emma Brown trying to aid Blasey-Ford .
Brown hid the fact that Blasey-Ford ’ s very best friend denied her story .
Unlike Woodward and Bernstein , Brown never needed for a moment to worry about her job .
Nor did she express any shame .
In journalism ’ s current culture of dishonor , nobody ever has to .
That ’ s why the mistakes made by the media during that entire battle could fill their own book .
It ’ s also why the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent and much more verifiable sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden .
Finally , let ’ s remember Stephen Glass .
In 1998 , New Republic writer Stephen Glass was found guilty of simply making up many of his pieces .
Glass ’ s fabulism was so blatant and widespread that even his liberal colleagues had to take action .
But not until they were pushed .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
In its best scene , the 1998 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new editor Charles Lane explodes at reporter Caitlin Avey , who has been defending Glass .
Lane , the one honorable person left on staff , has to jackhammer through the liberal groupthink to find Avey ’ s conscience — and her sense of honor .
“ He handed us fiction after fiction and we printed them all as fact , ” he says , “ just because we found him entertaining.
” Then he drops the bomb : “ It ’ s indefensible .
Don ’ t you know that ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s reporters , the honest answer to that question is … “ No.
” Mark Judge is a journalist and filmmaker whose writings have appeared in the Washington Post , the New York Times , the Wall Street Journal , and the Daily Caller .

“Pain is temporary. Dishonor lasts a lifetime.”
So a lifelong friend told me, a man who has spent his life in the military serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. We were talking about modern journalism, a profession that is cancerous with dishonor.
I have understood this since I broke away from liberalism in the early 1990s, but it became a radioactive reality in 2018 during the Brett Kavanaugh war. I was a part of that, you might recall. Kavanaugh, a nominee for the Supreme Court, stood accused of sexual assault in high school by California psychologist Christine Blasey-Ford. She claimed that I was in the room when the assault happened in 1982 (although the alleged year of the attack had changed in her story several times).
When the story broke, I was certainly bracing for the media to go crazy. More importantly, I knew that they were not going to act with honor. They were not going to heed that higher voice. It told them that in some eternal sense lying, exaggerating, and destroying people would violate a universal code. Even make them lose face to their peers. In his book Honor: A History, James Bowman argues that over the last 30 years, the old notion of honor itself has become “shameful.” Displays of “weakness,” such as “admittance of doubt and outpourings of emotion” have now become far more honorable, especially in politics. And there is no way to “lose face” with your journalistic peers when none of them have honor to begin with.
When Journalists Had a Sense of Honor
There are three events in journalism’s history that have always represented to me the profession at its best and most honorable:
Rolling Stone magazine’s treatment of the Altamont fiasco.
Watergate, and The Washington Post’s coverage. And
The Stephen Glass scandal at The New Republic.
Rolling Stone won the 1970 National Magazine Award for its coverage of the tragedy of the 1969 Altamont concert. The band the Rolling Stones had attempted to play a concert. But its decision to use the Hell’s Angels for security helped the event devolve into chaos and violence. Four people died, including a man stabbed to death at the foot of the stage. Rolling Stone’s reporting was accurate and devastatingly critical. Calling Altamont “rock & roll’s worst day,” a writer described the scene this way:
Flickering silhouettes of people trying to find warmth around the blazing track reminded one of the medieval paintings of tortured souls in the Dance of Death.
The National Magazine Award praised Rolling Stone’s editors for “challenging the shared assumptions of its readers.” What liberal journalist today “challenges the shared assumptions” of readers? Rachel Maddow? The New York Times?
When the Facts Used to Matter
Fellow conservatives may disagree with me on this, but the Washington Post’s coverage of the Watergate scandal in the early 1970s was necessary — and honorable. I consider President Nixon to be an American hero for his support of anti-communist Whittaker Chambers in the late 1940s. But by the 1960s Nixon was doing things that were criminal. Nixon hated journalist Jack Anderson so much that he got the CIA to spy on the columnist and asked an aide to “stop Anderson at all costs.” Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward famously caught men spying on Nixon’s enemies and then the president’s aides trying to cover it up.
An illuminating contrast appears between the journalistic culture then and now. Recall how horrified Woodward and Bernstein were when they made a mistake. They’d reported on the front page of The Washington Post that a witness had given testimony to a grand jury about White House Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman. This was wrong. “This was one of the real dreary days of our reporting life,” Woodward later recalled. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve had one that bad, because it was just flat-wrong.” The day the story appeared they had a meeting with a publisher. The reporters, according to NPR, had “a feeling of horror.” In other words, they felt ashamed. They felt dishonorable.
The same media that botched the Kavanaugh story feel no shame about ignoring the recent and much more verifiable sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden.
Journalists as Shameless Partisans
Such feelings have vanished. People have said that during the Kavanaugh war I avoided the press. That’s not true. I talked at length to the New York Times, telling them the truth. And that was that I had no recollection of the party Blasey-Ford described. I was not calling her or anybody else a liar, and I wasn’t going to speculate. I simply had no recollection of what she was talking about, just like the others she claimed were there.
Of course, that wasn’t enough. They had to go through my car, my yearbook, even an underground newspaper I put out in the early 1980s.
It was important to keep it not just honest but simple. I knew I was not dealing with Woodward and Bernstein. This became evident when Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal caught Washington Post reporter Emma Brown trying to aid Blasey-Ford. Brown hid the fact that Blasey-Ford’s very best friend denied her story. Unlike Woodward and Bernstein, Brown never needed for a moment to worry about her job. Nor did she express any shame.
In journalism’s current culture of dishonor, nobody ever has to. That’s why the mistakes made by the media during that entire battle could fill their own book. It’s also why the media feel no shame about ignoring the recent and much more verifiable sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden.
A Fierce Loyalty to the Truth
Finally, let’s remember Stephen Glass. In 1998, New Republic writer Stephen Glass was found guilty of simply making up many of his pieces. Glass’s fabulism was so blatant and widespread that even his liberal colleagues had to take action. But not until they were pushed.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In its best scene, the 1998 film Shattered Glass depicts the moment when new editor Charles Lane explodes at reporter Caitlin Avey, who has been defending Glass. Lane, the one honorable person left on staff, has to jackhammer through the liberal groupthink to find Avey’s conscience — and her sense of honor. “He handed us fiction after fiction and we printed them all as fact,” he says, “just because we found him entertaining.” Then he drops the bomb: “It’s indefensible. Don’t you know that?” [Profanity in clip]
For today’s reporters, the honest answer to that question is … “No.”
Mark Judge is a journalist and filmmaker whose writings have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Daily Caller.


thestream--2020-04-22--‘They Are Against Free Speech’: Baylor, TCU Refuse to Recognize Turning Point USA Chapters

Two Christian Texas academic institutions have denied students the opportunity to begin Turning Point USA chapters .
Texas Christian University and Baylor University have each refused to recognize Turning Point USA ( TPUSA ) chapters , TPUSA field enterprise director Andrew Sypher told the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Both academic institutions cited the presence of other conservative organizations on campus as part of their rationale .
“ Both our students at Baylor and TCU have been surprised because they ’ d say that the majority of the student population is conservative-leaning or libertarian-leaning , ” Sypher said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reasons that they went to those schools .
It ’ s where they can feel safe in their beliefs and expressing their viewpoints .
And so the fact that their university ’ s telling them that they can not express themselves freely on campus is what ’ s most alarming.
” Baylor University already has three “ very active ” conservative student organizations , Baylor assistant vice president of Media and Public Relations Lori Fogleman told the DCNF : Baylor College Republicans , Baylor Young Americans for Freedom and Baylor Young Conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to further requests for comment as to why this would prevent a TPUSA chapter from forming .
TCU has not responded to the DCNF ’ s requests for comment as to why the chapter was denied , but an April 13 letter from TCU Student Organizations Director Dede Williams Vann shows that the university denied TPUSA ’ s application because it “ did not meet a broadly recognized need that is not currently being met by other similar organizations on campus.
” Vann also said that the chapter lacked the “ structural elements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and that the chapter had violated TCU policies by listing the TCU chapter on TPUSA ’ s website before the chapter was recognized .
Students at TCU are excited to be a part of TPUSA and still want to bring the organization to campus , TCU chapter president Lauren McCoy told the DCNF .
“ It ’ s important to give a space to like-minded students , a place where they feel welcomed and a place where they feel empowered to exercise their first amendment right of free speech , ” McCoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
She pointed out that TCU promotes the idea of a “ diverse and inclusive student environment to ensure the students have an excellent , well-rounded education.
” “ Yet , TCU has denied the TPUSA chapter that would promote those same ideals , ” McCoy said .
“ TPUSA would only benefit the educational environment of TCU ’ s campus as students have a chance to listen to incredible speakers and connect with other students who believe in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom.
” Baylor University chapter president Oliver Mintz also described Baylor ’ s decision as “ very troubling.
” “ It has been very unsettling to not even have the satisfaction of knowing why we were denied , ” Mintz said .
“ There has been no consistency whatsoever with Baylor Student Activities .
They ’ re really showing their true colors with this decision — that they are against free speech and against conservative values being presented on campus.
” Despite the setback , Mintz said “ everyone involved is very motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe in , ” and that he is confident they will have a chartered student organization at Baylor .
The universities are treating TPUSA as if it were “ one and the same ” as other conservative groups , Sypher said .
“ We ’ re not , ” he said .
“ Each and every organization , we all work together , but we all have different focuses on campus and when this many students are interested in starting a Turning Point chapter on campus , it shows that we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have something to serve that students want to be a part of.
” Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact

Two Christian Texas academic institutions have denied students the opportunity to begin Turning Point USA chapters.
Texas Christian University and Baylor University have each refused to recognize Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapters, TPUSA field enterprise director Andrew Sypher told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Both academic institutions cited the presence of other conservative organizations on campus as part of their rationale.
“Both our students at Baylor and TCU have been surprised because they’d say that the majority of the student population is conservative-leaning or libertarian-leaning,” Sypher said. “That’s one of the motivations and reasons that they went to those schools. It’s where they can feel safe in their beliefs and expressing their viewpoints. And so the fact that their university’s telling them that they cannot express themselves freely on campus is what’s most alarming.”
Baylor University already has three “very active” conservative student organizations, Baylor assistant vice president of Media and Public Relations Lori Fogleman told the DCNF: Baylor College Republicans, Baylor Young Americans for Freedom and Baylor Young Conservatives of Texas.
Fogleman did not respond to further requests for comment as to why this would prevent a TPUSA chapter from forming.
TCU has not responded to the DCNF’s requests for comment as to why the chapter was denied, but an April 13 letter from TCU Student Organizations Director Dede Williams Vann shows that the university denied TPUSA’s application because it “did not meet a broadly recognized need that is not currently being met by other similar organizations on campus.”
Vann also said that the chapter lacked the “structural elements to sustain this organization in future years” and that the chapter had violated TCU policies by listing the TCU chapter on TPUSA’s website before the chapter was recognized.
Students at TCU are excited to be a part of TPUSA and still want to bring the organization to campus, TCU chapter president Lauren McCoy told the DCNF.
“It’s important to give a space to like-minded students, a place where they feel welcomed and a place where they feel empowered to exercise their first amendment right of free speech,” McCoy said.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
She pointed out that TCU promotes the idea of a “diverse and inclusive student environment to ensure the students have an excellent, well-rounded education.”
“Yet, TCU has denied the TPUSA chapter that would promote those same ideals,” McCoy said. “TPUSA would only benefit the educational environment of TCU’s campus as students have a chance to listen to incredible speakers and connect with other students who believe in the principals of limited government, capitalism and freedom.”
Baylor University chapter president Oliver Mintz also described Baylor’s decision as “very troubling.”
“It has been very unsettling to not even have the satisfaction of knowing why we were denied,” Mintz said. “There has been no consistency whatsoever with Baylor Student Activities. They’re really showing their true colors with this decision — that they are against free speech and against conservative values being presented on campus.”
Despite the setback, Mintz said “everyone involved is very motivated and willing to fight for what we believe in,” and that he is confident they will have a chartered student organization at Baylor.
The universities are treating TPUSA as if it were “one and the same” as other conservative groups, Sypher said.
“We’re not,” he said. “Each and every organization, we all work together, but we all have different focuses on campus and when this many students are interested in starting a Turning Point chapter on campus, it shows that we’re not just another duplicate — that we also have something to serve that students want to be a part of.”
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact


thestream--2020-04-22--15 Election Results That Were Thrown Out Because of Fraudulent Mail-In Ballots

Voter fraud is too nominal to make a difference in any given election , goes one popular line of argument .
But tell that to voters in parts of Florida , Missouri , New York , and North Carolina .
Districts in these four states saw election outcomes overturned after absentee voter fraud came to light .
Now , with millions of Americans homebound because of COVID-19 , progressives are amping up their push for national mail-in voting as Michelle Obama throws her support behind related legislation purporting to be a response to the pandemic .
What neither the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrat sponsors in the Senate , Ron Wyden of Oregon and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota , have talked about are various provisions of the legislation that would allow for ballot harvesting .
That practice was abused prominently in the largest voter fraud scandal of recent decades .
“ It mandates states allow for ballot harvesting and vote by mail .
On the whole , this has little to do with a COVID-19 response and a lot to do with the agenda the Democratic Party has proposed in the past , ” Jason Snead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honest Elections , said of the bill in a phone interview with The Daily Signal .
“ They seem to view this as a politically opportune moment to advance legislation , ” Snead said of Obama and other proponents .
“ States should be encouraging wide use of absentee voting in the primary season , ” Snead said , adding that states should also prepare for contingencies during the November general election even though it ’ s too early to know what the coronavirus crisis will be like at that point .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department , J. Christian Adams helped bring successful cases against election fraudsters in Starr County , Texas , and Noxubee County , Mississippi .
“ With ballot harvesting , the politically connected visit the homes of people and vote the ballots for them .
These are victims often afraid of consequences , ” Adams — now president of Public Interest Legal Foundation , an election integrity group — told The Daily Signal .
In the fallout from the Mississippi case , judges overturned the results of several races .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government jobs in the economically dependent areas , ” Adams said .
“ Vote harvesters , in some cases , don ’ t have jobs and make more doing this than anything else in some parts of the country.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , unsuccessfully pushed to include provisions of the Wyden-Klobuchar bill in the $ 2.2 trillion coronavirus emergency relief bill that Congress passed late last month .
“ The largest number of voter fraud cases involve absentee ballots , ” said Hans von Spakovsky , manager of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foundation , where he is a senior legal fellow .
Earlier this year in New Mexico , a man and a woman pleaded guilty in a scheme that involved falsifying absentee ballots in favor of a city councilman running for mayor of the town of Espanola in 2016 .
Between 1992 and 2018 , at least 20 voter fraud cases resulted in overturned elections , according to The Heritage Foundation ’ s Election Fraud Database .
“ The problem with vote harvesting is that it destroys the secret ballot .
It allows people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said von Spakovsky , who is also a former Justice Department lawyer , member of the Federal Election Commission , and member of the 2017 Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity .
The Democrats ’ legislation , called the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020 , would require every state to offer at least 20 days of early voting and “ no excuse ” absentee balloting .
The rule in most states is that a ballot must be postmarked before Election Day .
The Senate bill would force states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point polls close , which voter integrity proponents worry would encourage vote harvesting .
The Klobuchar-Wyden legislation also states that local governments should begin processing absentee ballots up to two weeks before an election to avoid delay in certifying a winner .
Currently , most jurisdictions don ’ t count ballots until after Election Day , in part to prevent voting trends from leaking out to the public or campaigns .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Here are 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election result based in whole or in part on absentee voting fraud , from The Heritage Foundation ’ s database and other sources .
• In one of the most high profile cases , the North Carolina Board of Elections decertified the outcome of the 2018 race in the 9th Congressional District and ordered a new election after evidence of absentee ballot fraud emerged .
About 61 % of all mailed votes were cast for Republican candidate Mark Harris over Democrat Dan McReady , although only 16 % of those requesting a ballot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Republican Dan Bishop stepped in as the party nominee and won .
• In 2018 , Dennis Jones beat Tracy Gray by one vote in a Republican primary in Texas for a seat on the Kaufman County Commissioners Court .
Gray challenged the outcome , alleging a vote harvester submitted illegal mail-in ballots , while eligible provisional ballots went uncounted .
After a hearing , a state judge invalidated the results and ordered a new election , which Gray won by 404 votes .
• In another 2018 Texas case , Armando @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race for mayor in Mission , Texas , beating incumbent Norberto “ Beto ” Salinas .
But after strong evidence emerged that O ’ Cana ’ s campaign had bribed voters , tampered with absentee ballots , and improperly “ assisted ” voters at the polls , state Judge J. Bonner Dorsey invalidated the result , saying : “ I hold or find , by clear and convincing evidence , that the number of illegal votes was in excess of 158.
” • In 2017 , Eatonville , Florida , Mayor Anthony Grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting fraud and misdemeanor absentee voting violations .
Prosecutors said that as a candidate in 2015 , Grant coerced absentee voters to cast ballots for him .
In at least one case , prosecutors said , Grant personally solicited an absentee vote from a nonresident .
Grant , a former mayor , lost the in-person vote but won the election with more than twice the number of absentee ballots that incumbent Bruce Mount got .
After Grant ’ s indictment , then-Gov .
Rick Scott suspended the mayor .
After his conviction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community service and four years ’ probation.This case was more than a decade after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded : “ The absentee ballot is the ‘ tool of choice ’ for those who are engaging in election fraud.
” This 1998 report came after the department concluded an investigation of Miami ’ s mayoral election the year before .
A judge had thrown out the result after prosecutors brought a massive fraud case that involved more than 5,000 absentee ballots .
• In 2017 , an Alabama state judge reversed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Council in which incumbent Percy Gill appeared to have won by three votes .
Gill ’ s opponent , Lewis Washington , contested the outcome .
A trial showed eight absentee ballots cast for Gill either had a forged signature or weren ’ t notarized or signed in front of the requisite number of witnesses .
• In the 2016 race for mayor of Gordon , Alabama , Elbert Melton won by just 16 votes .
Melton later was convicted on two counts of absentee ballot fraud and removed from office .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prison and two years ’ probation .
• In 2016 , Missouri state Rep. Penny Hubbard won the 2016 Democratic primary in the state ’ s 78th House District by just 90 votes .
Her opponent , Bruce Franks Jr. , contested the outcome over a lopsided absentee vote tally .
Judge Rex Burlison ruled that enough improper absentee ballots were cast to change the results and ordered a new election .
Franks won by 1,533 votes .
• In 2016 in Texas , former Weslaco city commissioner Guadalupe Rivera pleaded guilty to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to a voter in a 2013 race he won by 16 votes .
Rivera admitted filling out an absentee ballot “ in a way other than the way the voter directed or without direction from the voter.
” A judge determined that 30 ballots were cast illegally and ordered a new election , which Rivera lost .
He initially faced 16 related charges , but 15 were dropped as part of a plea deal .
He was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay a $ 500 fine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a win by 10 votes over Sergio Dias for a seat on the city council of Perth Amboy , New Jersey .
After a determination that at least 13 absentee ballots were cast illegally , a state Superior Court overturned the results and ordered a new election .
The second time , Gonzalez won by nine votes .
• New York State Assembly candidate Hector Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument during his 2014 campaign .
Prosecutors charged Ramirez with deceiving voters into giving their absentee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premise that it would submit them .
Instead , Ramirez ’ s campaign inserted his name on at least 35 absentee ballots , prosecutors said .
Ramirez initially won , but a recount determined that he lost by two votes .
Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett ruled that Ramirez could not run for office again for three years .
• In 2014 in Pennsylvania , Richard Allen Toney , the former police chief of Harmar Township , pleaded guilty to illegally soliciting absentee ballots to benefit his wife and her running mate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council .
Prosecutors said Toney applied for the ballots , then had them filled out illegally by individuals who were not expected to be absent on Election Day .
The absentee ballot count flipped the primary results , securing a victory for his wife ’ s running mate .
During a subsequent FBI investigation , prosecutors said , Toney attempted to prevent two grand jury witnesses and others from testifying .
He was sentenced to three years ’ probation .
• After a 2012 federal investigation of a voter fraud conspiracy in West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and County Clerk Donald Whitten pleaded guilty to stuffing ballot boxes and falsifying absentee ballots to try to steal a Democratic primary election in 2010 .
Lincoln County Commissioner Thomas Ramey pleaded guilty to lying to investigators .
Bowman and Ramey were involved in helping Whitten get re-elected .
He won the primary but a judge overturned the election , tossing out 300 fraudulent ballots .
• One of the more complex cases arose in a rural jurisdiction when the Justice Department brought a civil suit against Noxubee County , Mississippi , over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the local Democratic Party machine .
Prosecutors said notaries paid by the machine took ballots from mail boxes and voted the ballots in place of the intended voters.On June 29 , 2007 , U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee issued an opinion finding that county Democratic Party Chairman Ike Brown worked with the county ’ s Democratic Executive Committee to manipulate the process .
Lee determined that Brown violated Section Two of the Voting Rights Act through racially motivated manipulation of ballots , obtained and improperly counted defective absentee ballots , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to ensure that his favored candidates won .
The 5th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment .
The Justice Department entered into a consent decree with Noxubee County ’ s superintendent of general elections , administrator of absentee ballots , registrar , and county government to prohibit discriminatory and illegal voting practices and require officials to report such incidents .
“ Dozens of contests were overturned there by the state courts , ” said Adams , who was involved in the case as a Justice Department civil rights lawyer at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Alabama Supreme Court overturned the results of a mayor ’ s race in Guntersville after finding that absentee ballots were cast without proper identification and should have been discarded .
• In the 2003 mayor ’ s race in East Chicago , Indiana , challenger George Pabey defeated eight-term incumbent Robert Patrick on Election Day , but lost by 278 votes after about 2,000 absentee ballots poured in.Evidence of voter intimidation and vote buying emerged and the Indiana Supreme Court ordered a new election .
Pabey won with 65 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book Stealing Elections by journalist John Fund .
The fraud led to at least seven convictions or guilty pleas in 2008 , according to the Heritage database .
Fred Lucas ( @ FredLucasWH ) is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .

Voter fraud is too nominal to make a difference in any given election, goes one popular line of argument. But tell that to voters in parts of Florida, Missouri, New York, and North Carolina.
Districts in these four states saw election outcomes overturned after absentee voter fraud came to light.
Now, with millions of Americans homebound because of COVID-19, progressives are amping up their push for national mail-in voting as Michelle Obama throws her support behind related legislation purporting to be a response to the pandemic.
What neither the former first lady nor the bill’s Democrat sponsors in the Senate, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, have talked about are various provisions of the legislation that would allow for ballot harvesting. That practice was abused prominently in the largest voter fraud scandal of recent decades.
“It mandates states allow for ballot harvesting and vote by mail. On the whole, this has little to do with a COVID-19 response and a lot to do with the agenda the Democratic Party has proposed in the past,” Jason Snead, executive director of the watchdog group Honest Elections, said of the bill in a phone interview with The Daily Signal.
“They seem to view this as a politically opportune moment to advance legislation,” Snead said of Obama and other proponents.
“States should be encouraging wide use of absentee voting in the primary season,” Snead said, adding that states should also prepare for contingencies during the November general election even though it’s too early to know what the coronavirus crisis will be like at that point.
While working in the civil rights division of the Justice Department, J. Christian Adams helped bring successful cases against election fraudsters in Starr County, Texas, and Noxubee County, Mississippi.
“With ballot harvesting, the politically connected visit the homes of people and vote the ballots for them. These are victims often afraid of consequences,” Adams — now president of Public Interest Legal Foundation, an election integrity group — told The Daily Signal.
In the fallout from the Mississippi case, judges overturned the results of several races.
“You can’t overlook the importance of government jobs in the economically dependent areas,” Adams said. “Vote harvesters, in some cases, don’t have jobs and make more doing this than anything else in some parts of the country.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., unsuccessfully pushed to include provisions of the Wyden-Klobuchar bill in the $2.2 trillion coronavirus emergency relief bill that Congress passed late last month.
“The largest number of voter fraud cases involve absentee ballots,” said Hans von Spakovsky, manager of the election law reform initiative at The Heritage Foundation, where he is a senior legal fellow.
Earlier this year in New Mexico, a man and a woman pleaded guilty in a scheme that involved falsifying absentee ballots in favor of a city councilman running for mayor of the town of Espanola in 2016.
Between 1992 and 2018, at least 20 voter fraud cases resulted in overturned elections, according to The Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database.
“The problem with vote harvesting is that it destroys the secret ballot. It allows people to go into homes, pressure people,” said von Spakovsky, who is also a former Justice Department lawyer, member of the Federal Election Commission, and member of the 2017 Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.
The Democrats’ legislation, called the Natural Disaster and Emergency Ballot Act of 2020, would require every state to offer at least 20 days of early voting and “no excuse” absentee balloting.
The rule in most states is that a ballot must be postmarked before Election Day. The Senate bill would force states to accept absentee ballots up to the point polls close, which voter integrity proponents worry would encourage vote harvesting.
The Klobuchar-Wyden legislation also states that local governments should begin processing absentee ballots up to two weeks before an election to avoid delay in certifying a winner. Currently, most jurisdictions don’t count ballots until after Election Day, in part to prevent voting trends from leaking out to the public or campaigns.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Here are 15 instances in which courts threw out an election result based in whole or in part on absentee voting fraud, from The Heritage Foundation’s database and other sources.
In one of the most high profile cases, the North Carolina Board of Elections decertified the outcome of the 2018 race in the 9th Congressional District and ordered a new election after evidence of absentee ballot fraud emerged. About 61% of all mailed votes were cast for Republican candidate Mark Harris over Democrat Dan McReady, although only 16% of those requesting a ballot were Republicans. In the new election, Republican Dan Bishop stepped in as the party nominee and won.
In 2018, Dennis Jones beat Tracy Gray by one vote in a Republican primary in Texas for a seat on the Kaufman County Commissioners Court. Gray challenged the outcome, alleging a vote harvester submitted illegal mail-in ballots, while eligible provisional ballots went uncounted. After a hearing, a state judge invalidated the results and ordered a new election, which Gray won by 404 votes.
In another 2018 Texas case, Armando O’Cana seemingly won a run-off race for mayor in Mission, Texas, beating incumbent Norberto “Beto” Salinas. But after strong evidence emerged that O’Cana’s campaign had bribed voters, tampered with absentee ballots, and improperly “assisted” voters at the polls, state Judge J. Bonner Dorsey invalidated the result, saying: “I hold or find, by clear and convincing evidence, that the number of illegal votes was in excess of 158.”
In 2017, Eatonville, Florida, Mayor Anthony Grant was convicted of a felony charge of voting fraud and misdemeanor absentee voting violations. Prosecutors said that as a candidate in 2015, Grant coerced absentee voters to cast ballots for him. In at least one case, prosecutors said, Grant personally solicited an absentee vote from a nonresident. Grant, a former mayor, lost the in-person vote but won the election with more than twice the number of absentee ballots that incumbent Bruce Mount got. After Grant’s indictment, then-Gov. Rick Scott suspended the mayor. After his conviction, he was sentenced to 400 hours of community service and four years’ probation.This case was more than a decade after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement concluded: “The absentee ballot is the ‘tool of choice’ for those who are engaging in election fraud.” This 1998 report came after the department concluded an investigation of Miami’s mayoral election the year before. A judge had thrown out the result after prosecutors brought a massive fraud case that involved more than 5,000 absentee ballots.
In 2017, an Alabama state judge reversed the result of a race for Wetumpka City Council in which incumbent Percy Gill appeared to have won by three votes. Gill’s opponent, Lewis Washington, contested the outcome. A trial showed eight absentee ballots cast for Gill either had a forged signature or weren’t notarized or signed in front of the requisite number of witnesses.
In the 2016 race for mayor of Gordon, Alabama, Elbert Melton won by just 16 votes. Melton later was convicted on two counts of absentee ballot fraud and removed from office. He was sentenced to a year in prison and two years’ probation.
In 2016, Missouri state Rep. Penny Hubbard won the 2016 Democratic primary in the state’s 78th House District by just 90 votes. Her opponent, Bruce Franks Jr., contested the outcome over a lopsided absentee vote tally. Judge Rex Burlison ruled that enough improper absentee ballots were cast to change the results and ordered a new election. Franks won by 1,533 votes.
In 2016 in Texas, former Weslaco city commissioner Guadalupe Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of providing illegal “assistance” to a voter in a 2013 race he won by 16 votes. Rivera admitted filling out an absentee ballot “in a way other than the way the voter directed or without direction from the voter.” A judge determined that 30 ballots were cast illegally and ordered a new election, which Rivera lost. He initially faced 16 related charges, but 15 were dropped as part of a plea deal. He was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine.
In 2015, Fernando Gonzalez clinched a win by 10 votes over Sergio Dias for a seat on the city council of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. After a determination that at least 13 absentee ballots were cast illegally, a state Superior Court overturned the results and ordered a new election. The second time, Gonzalez won by nine votes.
New York State Assembly candidate Hector Ramirez pleaded guilty to one count of criminal possession of a forged instrument during his 2014 campaign. Prosecutors charged Ramirez with deceiving voters into giving their absentee ballots to his campaign on the false premise that it would submit them. Instead, Ramirez’s campaign inserted his name on at least 35 absentee ballots, prosecutors said. Ramirez initially won, but a recount determined that he lost by two votes. Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett ruled that Ramirez could not run for office again for three years.
In 2014 in Pennsylvania, Richard Allen Toney, the former police chief of Harmar Township, pleaded guilty to illegally soliciting absentee ballots to benefit his wife and her running mate in the 2009 Democratic primary for town council. Prosecutors said Toney applied for the ballots, then had them filled out illegally by individuals who were not expected to be absent on Election Day. The absentee ballot count flipped the primary results, securing a victory for his wife’s running mate. During a subsequent FBI investigation, prosecutors said, Toney attempted to prevent two grand jury witnesses and others from testifying. He was sentenced to three years’ probation.
After a 2012 federal investigation of a voter fraud conspiracy in West Virginia, Lincoln County Sheriff Jerry Bowman and County Clerk Donald Whitten pleaded guilty to stuffing ballot boxes and falsifying absentee ballots to try to steal a Democratic primary election in 2010. Lincoln County Commissioner Thomas Ramey pleaded guilty to lying to investigators. Bowman and Ramey were involved in helping Whitten get re-elected. He won the primary but a judge overturned the election, tossing out 300 fraudulent ballots.
One of the more complex cases arose in a rural jurisdiction when the Justice Department brought a civil suit against Noxubee County, Mississippi, over a massive absentee voter fraud operation run by the local Democratic Party machine. Prosecutors said notaries paid by the machine took ballots from mail boxes and voted the ballots in place of the intended voters.On June 29, 2007, U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee issued an opinion finding that county Democratic Party Chairman Ike Brown worked with the county’s Democratic Executive Committee to manipulate the process. Lee determined that Brown violated Section Two of the Voting Rights Act through racially motivated manipulation of ballots, obtained and improperly counted defective absentee ballots, and allowed improper “assistance” of voters to ensure that his favored candidates won. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment. The Justice Department entered into a consent decree with Noxubee County’s superintendent of general elections, administrator of absentee ballots, registrar, and county government to prohibit discriminatory and illegal voting practices and require officials to report such incidents. “Dozens of contests were overturned there by the state courts,” said Adams, who was involved in the case as a Justice Department civil rights lawyer at the time.
In 2004, the Alabama Supreme Court overturned the results of a mayor’s race in Guntersville after finding that absentee ballots were cast without proper identification and should have been discarded.
In the 2003 mayor’s race in East Chicago, Indiana, challenger George Pabey defeated eight-term incumbent Robert Patrick on Election Day, but lost by 278 votes after about 2,000 absentee ballots poured in.Evidence of voter intimidation and vote buying emerged and the Indiana Supreme Court ordered a new election. Pabey won with 65% of the vote, as detailed in the 2008 book Stealing Elections by journalist John Fund. The fraud led to at least seven convictions or guilty pleas in 2008, according to the Heritage database.
Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-04-22--President Trump Should Withhold Bailout Funds from ‘Sanctuary’ States

States that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement are telling us something .
It ’ s quite simple , really .
“ We ’ re not in the same country as you .
We don ’ t respect the democratically enacted immigration laws passed by Congress .
And we won ’ t let our local resources help to enforce them .
We will actively impede federal authorities who try .
Rapists , killers , identity thieves and pedophiles alike , once we set them free on parole , we ’ ll turn loose on the country .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crime.
” What if Texas Just Went Its Own Way ?
Imagine if Texas did that with , say , abortion laws .
If it said , “ Your Supreme Court has ruled one thing , but we will do another .
We ’ re forbidding local sheriffs or police to protect abortion clinics .
Those who oppose the procedure are free to follow their consciences .
If that means taking sledgehammers and backhoes to the places ?
Well , we ’ re a sovereign state.
” Of course , since abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it between the lines of the Constitution were lawless , the idea appeals to me .
I never pass an abortion clinic without fending off some pyrotechnic fantasy .
But I value the rule of law , and national unity .
So I wouldn ’ t urge Governor Abbott of Texas to tear up the threads of American nationhood , even in such a cause .
It might start a civil war , to be candid .
And such a civil war wouldn ’ t fulfill Just War requirements .
( At the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ succeed — the last and most critical of those requirements . )
If Governor Abbott were to implement such a policy , and it caused a total disaster , I wouldn ’ t expect other states to bail him out .
State governors and legislatures know that they gain representatives in Congress and extra federal billions whenever their population grows — even if that happens illegally .
Even if they fill their cities with illegals who can not vote .
Democrats ( the main sponsors of “ sanctuary ” policies ) know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes for them .
Often for multiple generations , as people grow up dependent on federal programs .
So every amnesty passed , every anchor baby born , helps shift America leftward , for the long haul .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
So Democrat governors and legislators have clear , self-interested reasons for flouting federal immigration laws .
They can satisfy the most rabid activists of the multiculturalist left , and get warm fuzzies from Catholic bishops like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 40 percent of Catholic bishops ’ income derives from federal contracts , mostly to serve immigrants , few bishops are willing to cross the Democrats .
Even those who support Planned Parenthood ’ s sale of baby parts , and legal infanticide .
If we could find some way for bishops to cash a check every time a mom chooses life , as they do whenever immigrants enter the country … maybe you ’ d see more pro-life activism on their part .
Till then , money talks , and we know exactly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo virtually taunted the rest of the country a few weeks ago .
That ’ s when he boasted that New York City is the coronavirus capital because it ’ s America ’ s immigration hub .
He said that New York is sicker because it ’ s more “ welcoming.
” Then he demanded , as he demands almost every day , more federal aid drained from other states .
I ’ m a native New Yorker from Queens , and what ’ s happening to the city breaks my heart .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other states , should say “ No.
” He should say that to every state that rejects its duty of cooperating in enforcing America ’ s borders .
Imagine a state that refused to permit U.S. military bases , or help U.S. marshals apprehend fugitives .
“ Sanctuary ” policies on immigration are every bit as serious a rejection of national unity and patriotism .
And voters in such states need to feel the consequences .
Permitting de facto open borders in a country has deep and serious consequences .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If a husband unilaterally announced that he considered his marriage open , his wife shouldn ’ t stick around and cooperate .
If she did , she ’ d be consenting to getting cheated .
That ’ s what we ’ re doing when we reward lawless states that secede from our immigration laws .
If businessmen can ignore job-hungry citizens and instead hire illegals , those citizens are being cheated .
If local parents have to pay property taxes for schools full of illegals ’ children , those parents are being cheated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with illegal aliens , sick citizens suffer .
One party in the contract that knits together our nation is suffering an injustice .
It ’ s typically poor and working class Americans who suffer most , and the investor and political classes that benefit .
That too is unjust .
If a state wants to make itself the vector of infection for the rest of the nation by flouting national immigration laws , there ’ s not much the president can do— at least with Congress divided , and too many Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But the president can make that state pay its own medical and lockdown bills , and bear some of the consequences for its grandstanding moralism and cynical rejection of national sovereignty .
I wouldn ’ t send a single ventilator or surgical mask to any state that laughs at our immigration laws .
Let them make their own , using the cheap labor they enthusiastically “ welcome.
” Of course , if the president were to try such a policy , he ’ d be accused of murdering citizens in the states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be his job to make it clear that we as a country demand fairness and reciprocal patriotism from every state .
Any state could open up the federal lifeline again by acting like part of the United States again , by respecting its national laws .
And if those states ’ governments refused ?
Then the guilt would be on them .
Their voters should know what to do .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Catholicism .

States that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement are telling us something. It’s quite simple, really. “We’re not in the same country as you. We don’t respect the democratically enacted immigration laws passed by Congress. And we won’t let our local resources help to enforce them. We will actively impede federal authorities who try. Rapists, killers, identity thieves and pedophiles alike, once we set them free on parole, we’ll turn loose on the country. Even if their very presence in America is a crime.”
What if Texas Just Went Its Own Way?
Imagine if Texas did that with, say, abortion laws. If it said, “Your Supreme Court has ruled one thing, but we will do another. We’re forbidding local sheriffs or police to protect abortion clinics. Those who oppose the procedure are free to follow their consciences. If that means taking sledgehammers and backhoes to the places? Well, we’re a sovereign state.”
Of course, since abortion is murder and the court decisions cramming it between the lines of the Constitution were lawless, the idea appeals to me. I never pass an abortion clinic without fending off some pyrotechnic fantasy.
But I value the rule of law, and national unity. So I wouldn’t urge Governor Abbott of Texas to tear up the threads of American nationhood, even in such a cause. It might start a civil war, to be candid. And such a civil war wouldn’t fulfill Just War requirements. (At the very least, it seems unlikely to succeed — the last and most critical of those requirements.) If Governor Abbott were to implement such a policy, and it caused a total disaster, I wouldn’t expect other states to bail him out.
Sanctuary Policies Build Democrats’ Power
State governors and legislatures know that they gain representatives in Congress and extra federal billions whenever their population grows — even if that happens illegally. Even if they fill their cities with illegals who cannot vote. Democrats (the main sponsors of “sanctuary” policies) know that more people from poor countries means more votes for them. Often for multiple generations, as people grow up dependent on federal programs. So every amnesty passed, every anchor baby born, helps shift America leftward, for the long haul.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
So Democrat governors and legislators have clear, self-interested reasons for flouting federal immigration laws. They can satisfy the most rabid activists of the multiculturalist left, and get warm fuzzies from Catholic bishops like Cardinal Blaise Cupich of Chicago. Since 40 percent of Catholic bishops’ income derives from federal contracts, mostly to serve immigrants, few bishops are willing to cross the Democrats. Even those who support Planned Parenthood’s sale of baby parts, and legal infanticide.
If we could find some way for bishops to cash a check every time a mom chooses life, as they do whenever immigrants enter the country … maybe you’d see more pro-life activism on their part. Till then, money talks, and we know exactly what walks.
Cuomo to America: Drop Dead
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo virtually taunted the rest of the country a few weeks ago. That’s when he boasted that New York City is the coronavirus capital because it’s America’s immigration hub. He said that New York is sicker because it’s more “welcoming.” Then he demanded, as he demands almost every day, more federal aid drained from other states.
If a state wants to make itself the vector of infection for the rest of the nation by flouting national immigration laws, there’s not much the president can do. But he can make that state pay its own medical and lockdown bills,
I’m a native New Yorker from Queens, and what’s happening to the city breaks my heart. But President Trump, on behalf of the other states, should say “No.” He should say that to every state that rejects its duty of cooperating in enforcing America’s borders. Imagine a state that refused to permit U.S. military bases, or help U.S. marshals apprehend fugitives. “Sanctuary” policies on immigration are every bit as serious a rejection of national unity and patriotism. And voters in such states need to feel the consequences.
Open Borders and Open Marriage
Permitting de facto open borders in a country has deep and serious consequences. They’re analogous to an open marriage. If a husband unilaterally announced that he considered his marriage open, his wife shouldn’t stick around and cooperate. If she did, she’d be consenting to getting cheated. That’s what we’re doing when we reward lawless states that secede from our immigration laws.
If businessmen can ignore job-hungry citizens and instead hire illegals, those citizens are being cheated. If local parents have to pay property taxes for schools full of illegals’ children, those parents are being cheated. When local hospital emergency rooms fill up with illegal aliens, sick citizens suffer. One party in the contract that knits together our nation is suffering an injustice. It’s typically poor and working class Americans who suffer most, and the investor and political classes that benefit. That too is unjust.
Make Your Ventilators and Masks
If a state wants to make itself the vector of infection for the rest of the nation by flouting national immigration laws, there’s not much the president can do— at least with Congress divided, and too many Republicans still hypnotized by the cheap labor lobby. But the president can make that state pay its own medical and lockdown bills, and bear some of the consequences for its grandstanding moralism and cynical rejection of national sovereignty.
I wouldn’t send a single ventilator or surgical mask to any state that laughs at our immigration laws. Let them make their own, using the cheap labor they enthusiastically “welcome.”
Of course, if the president were to try such a policy, he’d be accused of murdering citizens in the states that lost such aid. It would be his job to make it clear that we as a country demand fairness and reciprocal patriotism from every state. Any state could open up the federal lifeline again by acting like part of the United States again, by respecting its national laws. And if those states’ governments refused? Then the guilt would be on them. Their voters should know what to do.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.