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SEPTEMBER 25,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

THE MIDEAST IS CHANGING – FROM TIMES OF ISRAEL:    In an unprecedented plea for regional reconciliation, over 300 prominent Iraqis called for their country to normalize ties with Israel on Friday night.
“We demand full diplomatic relations with the State of Israel…and a new policy of normalization based on people-to-people relations with the citizens of that country,” said Wissam al-Hardan, who commanded Sunni tribal militias that aligned with the United States to fight al-Qaeda in 2005 in response to the power vacuum that followed the 2003 American invasion.  Iraq has officially been at war with Israel since the Jewish state was founded in 1948. Iraqi soldiers have fought in three successive Arab wars against Israel. Saddam Hussein’s secret nuclear weapons program alarmed Israel, which ultimately destroyed the Osirak reactor in Iraq in 1981, and in 1991, the Iraqi dictator fired dozens of Scud missiles at Tel Aviv and Haifa in an attempt to draw Israel into the Gulf War.  At Friday’s conference in the Kurdistan region, Iraqi participants called on their country’s leaders to end the state of war and join the so-called Abraham Accords. The agreements, formulated by the administration of former US President Donald Trump, were signed on the White House lawn in September 2020 between Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. Morocco and Sudan signed normalization agreements with Israel in the ensuing months.  This is a major advance, and a tribute to the diplomacy of the Trump administration, which initiated the Abraham accords.  Compare please with the anti-Israel lunacy of the left wing of the Democratic Party.  No mention of peace.  No mention of the Abraham Accords.  Only relentless assaults on Israel.  These radicals are from a different time, and history has passed them by.

September 25, 2021       Permalink 

NEWSOM IS BACK TO OLDSOM – OVERNIGHT:  The governor, fresh from his recent defeat of an attempt to recall him, apparently learned nothing from the experience.  From Fox: 

Reform California" chairman Carl DeMaio on Saturday criticized California Gov. Gavin Newsom's signing of a bill that allows some illegal immigrants to serve on county central committees -- one of a number of bills signed to benefit those who entered the country illegally.

"These bills are not just symbolic wokeness, this is a fundamental redefinition of who gets to be elected to office in California, and they're starting small but this is absolutely the first step," DeMaio told Fox News.

The bill, was one of a number of bills that Newsom’s office described as "expanding the state’s humane immigration policies by protections and support for immigrants" and included a law ending the use of "alien" to describe non-citizens.

Included was a bill that amends California election code to allow what Newsom's office described as "aspiring citizens" to be appointed and elected members in a county central committee. Proponents have specifically mentioned "DREAMers" or recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) -- which protected illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children from deportation.

The bill says it will "permit a person who is not a United States citizen, but who would be eligible to register to vote if the person were a United States citizen, to serve as a member of the committee."
Those committees are governing bodies of county parties and involves budgetary matters and other business at county level for those parties.

"This is a election that's on the official ballot that every voter receives, so illegal immigrants' names will be printed on ballots with all the other offices, all the way from president to school board," DeMaio said.

COMMENT:  The concept of "citizenship" is turned upside down.   Citizenship should be an aspiration, earned through time and lawful effort.  This new Newsom initiative strikes me as still another attempt to build the rolls of the Democratic Party, and it might well succeed.

September 25,  2021     Permalink

SEPTEMBER 24,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

SHOCKING REVELATION – BETTER POLICING MEANS LESS CRIME – FROM COLLEGE FIX:  The Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis has seen a thirty-eight percent decrease in property and violent crime after an increase in police presence. The neighborhood is a commercial district popular with students and most of the residents of the area attend the nearby University of Minnesota.  “In May 2021, the number of crimes reached a peak of 129 total property and violent crimes in Marcy-Holmes, with the majority as property crimes,” campus paper The Minnesota Daily reported. “Since then, the total of property and violent crimes in the neighborhood have decreased by 49 in August.”  “After extra security measures were taken, the number of crimes decreased to 80 total violent and property crimes in August,” the paper reported. “In comparison to past years, property and violent crimes increased from May to August in 2019 and 2020.”
The boosted presence followed increased complaints from residents, as well as the wounding of three University of Minnesota students on June 19.  The increased property and violent crime as well as the shooting of students did not stop some UMinn activists from opposing the police presence.  Please don't tell President Biden about this progress.  He gets upset so easily.

September 24, 2021       Permalink

LIE OF THE DAY – BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION – OVERNIGHT:  Our esteemed leaders are now pushing the theme that border patrol agents on horseback mistreated illegal Haitian immigrants.  No criticism of the illegals, but an attempt to throw brave agents under the well-traveled Biden bus.  Fortunately, there is videotape, and there are informed comments by those who actually know something about patrolling the southern border.  But Kamala "out to lunch" Harris is joining in the assault on agents who did nothing wrong.  From FOX: 

The photographer behind viral images of Border Patrol agents on horseback with Haitian migrants said the pictures that caused liberal outrage are being misconstrued and he never saw anyone get whipped.

Paul Ratje's photos were framed by some Democrats and liberal media members as showing agents using "whips" to corral Haitians trying to cross the border. But critics pushed back and said they were clearly holding reins as they confronted them, and Ratje backed them up.

"I’ve never seen them whip anyone," Ratje told KTSM, an NBC affiliate in El Paso, Texas. "He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you’re looking at the picture."

The New Mexico-based photographer has been in Del Rio, Texas, since last week and said he took the pictures from the Mexican side of the border.

"Some of the Haitian men started running, trying to go around the horses," Ratje said.
Although it appeared clear to many that the horseback riders were using reins, and no video or pictures ever showed anyone being whipped, the narrative quickly spread among progressives and even reached the White House, which condemned the agents and ordered an investigation. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., flatly accused the agents of whipping migrants and said the situation was "worse that what we witnessed in slavery."

"These are images that are traumatizing Haitian Americans that he promised to treat respectfully and with humanity. Why isn't the president telling people himself these images that people say look like slavery are wrong?" Alcindor asked.

Despite pushback throughout the week, the narrative appears ensconced on the left that the agents acted improperly.

COMMENT:  Republicans should seize on this libeling of border agents, which will remind voters of the "defund the police" movement, one of the most unpopular ideas in recent political history.  As for comparisons with slavery, I would hope that our African American population will respond with outrage.

September 24,  2021     Permalink