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FINAL SUBSCRIPTION DRIVE OF 2018

This week we launch the final subscription drive of the year.  We depend on subscriptions and donations to keep going.  We lean heavily on them to cover the rising costs of research, modernizing of technology, and renting the bandwith to stay on the internet. 

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To participate, simply go to the right-hand column, opposite this appeal. You'll see SUBSCRIPTIONS.  You may subscribe or donate using PayPal or any of the other methods listed.  We especially recommend SENDINC, as it has proved so popular with our members.  Instructions are given.  If you wish to use regular mail, send me an email at comments@urgentagenda.com, and I'll give you the address of our armed bunker.

I hope you join us.

NOVEMBER 15,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:55 P.M. ET:

FLORIDA GOV DECIDED – FROM THE TAMPA BAY TIMES:  Nine days after Election Day, and one machine recount later, it is all but official: Ron DeSantis is Florida's next governor.  The results of the statewide machine recount which rolled by the Thursday 3 p.m. deadline, solidified what most already knew, as DeSantis has already made himself busy with transitioning to power and creating a new government.  In the governor's race, it was an anticlimactic finish to the dramatic machine recount — plagued with technical issues and an avalanche of lawsuits — with almost no change in the margin between DeSantis and his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, since this weekend. Still, about 0.41 percentage points separate the two candidates, or just under 34,000 votes.  Just after the results were released, DeSantis sent a statement to reporters declaring victory — once again. "I remain humbled by your support and the great honor the people of Florida have shown me as I prepare to serve as your next governor," his statement read, striking a more conciliatory tone than the confrontational-approach he used in the campaign.  Good outcome.  Gillum is a leftist, not a liberal, and would have wrecked Florida.

US SENATE – FLORIDA – FROM CBS NEWS:   The race for Florida governor now appears to be over, while the Senate race between Gov. Rick Scott and Sen. Bill Nelson, as well as the agriculture commissioner race moved on to another recount Thursday.  Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner declared Thursday afternoon that the results from the machine recount of the Senate and agriculture commissioner races met the statutory threshold of 0.25 percent to trigger a manual recount, which is to be completed on Nov. 20.  Oh, this will be fun – a hand recount in Florida, just like the 2000 presidential election.  Some officials in Florida, by the way, have spoken out about the horrible way the state runs elections, and the impact on its reputation.  Maybe incoming Governor DeSantis will do something about it. 

DISGRACEFUL – FROM DAILYWIRE:  The Detroit School Board voted Wednesday to open consideration into whether a handful of schools should have their "offensive" names changed — including Benjamin Carson High School of Science and Medicine, named for former presidential candidate, accomplished surgeon, and Housing and Urban Development director, Dr. Ben Carson.  The board will seek comment over the next several months on whether to change Carson High, which was named for Dr. Ben Carson before he became active in politics, and well before he became an ally of President Donald Trump, something the Detroit School Board apparently doesn't appreciate.  The Detroit News reports that at least one school board member has been campaigning to have Carson stripped of the honor, and that the proposed name change has everything to do with how the Detroit School Board feels about Republicans.  Yup, that's just what young blacks need – demeaning and insulting a man of such accomplishment.  Shame. 

November 15, 2018       Permalink 

NOT SO FAST, NANCY – AT 11:52 A.M. ET:  I still expect Nancy Pelosi to emerge as the next speaker of the House, but there is serious unrest in her ranks.  It's clear that many in those ranks would prefer a new face.  From Fox: 

The revolt inside the Democratic Party against Nancy Pelosi's return to the House speakership is gaining momentum with a growing number of Democrats signing a letter pledging not to support the California Democrat for speaker.

Fox News has confirmed at least 17 House Democrats, including incumbents and incoming members, have signed on to a document saying they will not support Pelosi on the House floor for speaker. A Democrat familiar with the effort says they are trying to add more names before the letter is publicly released.

If all those Democrats vote against Pelosi on the floor, Pelosi would not have the votes for speaker.

To get the gavel, Pelosi will first need to pick up a majority of the Democratic Caucus in internal leadership elections, then go on to win an absolute majority of the House.

Still, even as these Democrats try to convince Pelosi she doesn't have enough support to win, no Democrat has stepped forward yet to challenge her.

But on Wednesday, Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Democrat from Ohio, said she is contemplating running for speaker.

"People are asking me to do it, and I am thinking about it," Fudge told a local news outlet. "I need to give it some thought and see if I have an interest. I am at the very beginning of this process. It is just in discussion at this point."

During a Capitol Hill press conference on Thursday, Pelosi simply replied “yes” when asked if she would have the votes if the election were today. Asked about a potential challenge from Fudge, Pelosi replied, “Come on in. The water’s warm.”

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton tweeted his support for Fudge.

COMMENT:  So we have a party that just won control of the House, and already is in disarray.  The big question about Democrats is whether they're ready to govern.  That was also the big question about the Democratic Party in the mid- to late-seventies, after Watergate.  The party was given a golden chance and muffed it, first by electing preening, morally pretentious members of Congress who believed they had saved the Republic, then by gifting us with one Jimmy Carter, whose incompetent administration begat the Reagan Revolution.

It could happen again.  Some learn from history, and some ignore it.

November 15, 2018       Permalink

THE PRESIDENT RISES – AT 11:16 A.M. ET:  The start of this week saw the president dipping in the Rasmussen daily tracker, for some unknown reason.  Was there reason to be concerned?  I don't know, but today shows an important rise, from 46% to 48%.  He's still beating Obama.  From Rasmussen: 

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty percent (50%) disapprove. 

The latest figures include 36% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 41% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -5.

COMMENT:  The 2020 presidential sweepstakes have already begun.  The Democrats have seven to eight thousand presidential candidates, none of whom is outstanding.  The Republicans have the president, but there are some pretenders lining up.  It is said that one Jeff Flake might challenge Mr. Trump for the nomination.  Or maybe Ohio Governor John Kasich.  Or one of the oldies might return to the campaign trail.  The level of resistance within the Republican Party to the president, and it is there, will largely be determined by his standing in the polls. 

November 15,  2018     Permalink

NOVEMBER 14,  2018

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE– AT 11:53 P.M. ET: 

FLAKEY FLAKE – FROM FOX:  Retiring Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake on Wednesday threatened to pull support for all federal judicial nominees -- including 21 pending in the Judiciary Committee and 32 awaiting a vote on the Senate floor -- unless the Senate's GOP leadership permits consideration of legislation to expand protections for Special Counsel Robert Mueller's job.  The dramatic move by Flake, considered a potential primary challenger to President Trump in 2020, came immediately after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked his effort to introduce the bill for consideration by unanimous consent, which requires the approval of all 100 senators.  McConnell said the legislation, also backed by Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, is unnecessary because Trump has not suggested he will fire Mueller.  Flake strikes me as a man who was probably a very bad prom date.

THIS WAS A RESEARCH STUDY? – FROM DAILY MAIL:   Children tend to have the same number of romantic partners that their mother had - whether they witnessed her relationships or not.  Researchers say the findings, based on longitudinal data of mothers and children in the US since 1979, show mothers pass relationship skills to their kids, which influence how they interact with everyone, including romantic partners.  There is no longitudinal data on fathers, largely due to the outdated but lingering view that mothers are the most important figure in a household.  Psychologists told DailyMail.com that fathers do have a very profound effect on their kids' relationships, but since mothers are still the main stay-at-home parent for most Americans, it is likely their influence could still be stronger for now.  I'm not sure the world could have survived without this data.  I wonder who paid for it.

TIRED OLD PARTY – FROM THE WASHINGTON FREE BEACON:  Likely Democratic voters in primary states are not eager for a third White House run by Hillary Clinton, according to a new poll exclusively obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.  A 2020 primary survey conducted by TargetPoint Consulting revealed voter fatigue among Democrats with the two-time failed presidential candidate. The poll is the first to include Clinton among 2020 hopefuls, just as her former aides suggest she is gearing up for another presidential campaign.  The survey also reveals the top two most important issues to Democratic voters—securing single-payer health care and repeal of the Second Amendment.  Former vice president Joe Biden leads the field, but with just 29 percent of the vote. Vermont socialist Bernie Sanders is the only other candidate to crack 20 percent, while Clinton shares a distant fourth place with just 8 percent of likely voters saying they would support her in 2020. Oprah Winfrey also secured 8 percent of the vote.   Oprah, who is 64, is apparently the head of the youth movement.

November 14, 2018       Permalink    

BE OUTRAGED – AT 11:41 P.M. ET:   Readers know that we try to keep up with the madness and decline that have many of our colleges in a lock grip.  Immature professors compete with immature students for the coveted title of "dumb act of the year."  The awards ceremony is very moving, conducted in the dark, so no carbon energy is used.

This latest, from Berkeley (natch), should infuriate you.  From Fox: 

A student senator at the University of California, Berkeley, who was kicked out of her own party and is being pressured to resign or face a recall because of her religious views, says she won’t back down.

Isabella Chow, a daughter of Malaysian-Cambodian immigrants and a junior double majoring in business administration and music, told Fox News she abstained from a largely symbolic student vote Oct. 31 because she did not fully agree with certain clauses, not the majority of the pro-LGBTQ+ bills, which passed from the support of 18 of the 20 senators (another being absent). She was labeled “homophobic” and “transphobic” and within two days felt like the whole campus was against her.

Two weeks ago, the Queer Alliance Resource Center (QARC) reportedly asked the student body to condemn the Trump Administration’s “proposed definition of sex under Title IX” defining individuals as being male or female as fixed from birth. The student government bills argued the definition is “trans-exclusive,” rolling back the Obama Administration’s added protections for individuals who identify as transgender from “harassment, denial of access to the student’s preferred restroom, and requirements regarding medical documentation.”

Chow’s former party, Student Action, left her with the decision to fully support the bills and the LGBTQ lifestyle or get ousted.

“No matter how difficult this has been, if I don’t represent the Christian perspective – the minority perspective – there won’t be anyone to represent these views,” Chow said. “I’m doing this for the Christian community. I know that I was called for such a time as this…backing down is not an option, especially when backing down means giving in to political pressure and political correctness.”

In her statement, Chow said discrimination is “never, ever okay” and condemned Christian bullies and bigots, calling the LGBTQ community valid and loved, even if their views were different.

“That said, I cannot vote for this bill without compromising my values and my responsibility to the community that elected me to represent them,” Chow said. “As a Christian, I personally do believe that certain acts and lifestyles conflict with that is good, right, and true. I believe that God created male and female at the beginning of time, and designed sex for marriage between one man and one woman. For me, to love another person does not mean that I silently concur when, at the bottom of my heart, I do not believe that your choices are right or the best for you as an individual.”

COMMENT:  Whether you agree or disagree with Isabella Chow, her bravery and dignity must be respected.  She shows us what freedom of speech is really about, but she is paying the price.  She reports that friends walk her everywhere she has to go on campus because she is seriously afraid of a physical attack.

No student should have to live with that.

We don't need a First Amendment to protect popular speech.  I assure you that no one in human history has gone to prison for agreeing with his government.  We need the revered Amendment to protect the unpopular thought, the rejected opinion. 

The Daily Californian, which passes itself off as the campus newspaper, editorialized against Ms. Chow, then refused to allow her to answer the editorial.  The editors are contemptible cowards and should have the dignity to resign.  They won't.  Cowardice on the left is fully respected at places like Berkeley.

From the article above:  "Chow, who identifies as an independent moderate and has interned for Democratic representatives in Congress, said while it felt like everyone on campus was against her, she has received supportive messages from people across the country.

“'I’m reminded the rest of the world is not a bubble the way Berkeley is, and honestly that gives me hope,' she said."

November 14,  2018     Permalink

WOULD YOU PLEASE GO AWAY – AT 12:31 P.M. ET:   As the Georgia and Florida recounts continue, Hillary Clinton announces her presence by claiming that Stacey Abrams would already be governor of Georgia if the election were "fair." 

Let me explain:  In the Democratic Party dictionary, "fair" means "We won."  "Unfair" means "We lost."  Please practice that.  From Fox: 

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton on Tuesday questioned the legitimacy of Georgia’s gubernatorial contest, saying Democrat Stacey Abrams would have already won the uncalled contest if the election was fair.

“If she had a fair election, she already would have won,” Clinton said Tuesday night at the University of Texas at Austin, where she accepted an award.

Clinton, who may be considering another run for president in 2020, accused the “people on the other side” of “undoing” voting rights in the election. Supporters of Abrams have made accusations of voter suppression, long voting lines and other balloting problems.

“Stacey is really in the arena and she is fighting for the right to vote and have your vote counted,” Clinton said, praising Abrams “for continuing that fight."

During the 2016 contest, Clinton expressed worry that then-candidate Donald Trump wouldn’t accept defeat if she beat him in the election.

COMMENT:  One of the operational characteristics of the left is the attempt to de-legitimatize everyone else.  If you aren't for us, you're a (check one) 1) racist 2) sexist 3) imperialist 4) capitalist pig) or 5) religious extremist.   Or, of course, you could be an oil-company executive.  We are the good people.  If you vote for the other side, you're voting against our "values" and therefore your vote is illegitimate.

I have no doubt that there are attempts to suppress votes.  I also have no doubt that there are other attempts to "find" votes that mysteriously are found after elections.  And I've noticed that those "found" votes tend to be overwhelmingly Democratic.  Just sayin'.

Let the counting continue and winners be declared.  If Republicans win you may be sure that there will be many journalistic investigations of rigged voting.  If the Democrats win those investigations will disappear.

In the meantime, I wish Hillary Clinton would contemplate the joys of retirement.

November 14, 2018       Permalink

THAT CNN SUIT AGAINST THE WHITE HOUSE – AT 11:46 A.M. ET:  You'd think the press was some kind of weak institution, with the need to sue the president over some minor grievance.  Bob Woodward speaks out about it, intelligently.  From the New York Post:

Famed Watergate journalist Bob Woodward blasted CNN for suing the Trump administration over its suspension of Jim Acosta’s press credentials, according to a report.

“Too many people for Trump or against Trump have become emotionally unhinged about this,” Woodward said at the Global Financial Leadership Conference in Naples, Florida, on Tuesday, according to Fox News.

“The remedy [isn’t a lawsuit],” argued Woodward, whose explosive tell-all “Fear” described a White House in disarray. “It’s more serious reporting about what he’s doing.”

The cable news network filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Washington, DC, seeking to have the White House correspondent’s so-called “hard pass” restored after he was banned for tussling with an intern during a news conference with President Trump.

Woodward said that CNN was taking the president’s “bait” by hiring high-profile attorney Ted Olson to pursue the federal case.

“This is a negative,” he said. “Trump is sitting around saying, ‘This is great!’”

CNN’s lawsuit alleges that the White House violated Acosta’s First and Fifth Amendment rights by penalizing him for the content of his speech without providing notice or due process.

The White House maintains that Acosta was punished solely because of his behavior. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders described CNN’s lawsuit as “grandstanding.”

“The White House cannot run an orderly and fair press conference when a reporter acts this way, which is neither appropriate nor professional,” she said in a statement Tuesday.

Woodward has cautioned journalists covering the president, once telling The Atlantic that people “see the smugness” of some in the media and that “following the facts” objectively is one way to help regain the trust of the public, The Hill reported.

COMMENT:  He's certainly right about the smugness.  And the public does indeed see it, as polls have pointed out.

About the case, I think it's ridiculous, but I am not a Constitutional scholar.  Some legal experts are supporting CNN on First Amendment grounds, and I'm sorry to see that Fox News is throwing its support behind its rival as well.

I think it would be best for the country if the case were thrown out, and the two hotheaded parties sat down in the back room of a second-rate restaurant and worked out a solution.   I wonder, though, whether the rulers of CNN want it settled.  If they lose, they become martyrs.   If they win, they become heroes of the left.  Not a bad place to be in, if you think like CNN.

November 14,  2018     Permalink