Trump Should Act Quickly to Secure 2020 Census Question in Light of Court Ruling

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EDITORS NOTE: Since the publication of this column President Trump has put forward the idea of delaying the 2020 Census until this lawsuit is settled.

The Supreme Court’s Thursday decision relating to the 2020 census split a baby that should have remained whole.

The question at hand was whether the Trump administration could add a question about citizenship to the 2020 census. The court found that adding such a question would not violate the Constitution, but that the administration’s justification for doing so—enforcing the Voting Rights Act—may have been “contrived.”

It sent the case back to the lower court for further findings.

That means the secretary of the Commerce Department, which controls the census, gets to fight another day and can justify its decision another way.

The Trump administration should not give up, but instead should fight to justify including the question before time runs out and the Census Bureau has to print out the census forms.

On the whole, we agree with Justice Clarence Thomas’ partial dissent that “our only role in this case is to decide whether the secretary complied with the law and gave a reasoned explanation for his decision. The court correctly answers these questions in the affirmative. That ought to end our inquiry.”

However, that is not what happened, and so the administration must act fast. Failure to do so would be a victory for a very well-organized left and for the administrative state.

This decision should have been uncontroversial and downright boring. Indeed, this issue should have never come to the court in the first place.

It was only there because leftist groups that have controlled the census for decades have spent two years throwing the mother of all tantrums. One can only conclude that they don’t want accurate data on the number of noncitizens in the country.

Conservatives should pay heed and recognize that if the census is this important to liberals, it is probably of some value to conservatives, too.

They should follow this 2020 census effort by eliminating all race categories from the 2030 census, as these constitute the warp and woof of the identity politics ideology that these advocacy groups push.

These challengers—including the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and Asian Americans Advancing Justice—have pursued a full-court press, oratorically and legally, since the Trump administration announced two years ago it wanted the citizenship question reinstated on the 2020 census for the first time since 1950.

(Yes, reinstated. The question previously appeared on census forms dating back to 1820, at the recommendation of President Thomas Jefferson.)

The left’s unfair, inflammatory rhetoric has been over the top.

“The American people will not tolerate the Trump administration exploiting the census in order to carry out their racist and xenophobic policies,” claimed Michael Brune of the Sierra Club.

“This egregious citizenship question is a political effort to weaponize the census to redefine American democracy,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference Education Fund.

On the legal front, these groups first filed a lawsuit against the administration in New York City, which culminated in the January decision by a federal judge in Manhattan (an Obama appointee) that the administration had violated the Administrative Procedures Act by acting in an “arbitrary and capricious” manner.

In a similar case, a second Obama appointee in San Francisco held that asking a citizenship question is “unconstitutional.”

It was these cases that came before the Supreme Court.

The leftist organizations didn’t stop there. They kept throwing things against the wall hoping something would stick.

In early June, they released information in a document prepared years ago by a deceased Republican redistricting expert. The document was found by his estranged daughter among his possessions and forwarded to the challengers.

The so-called smoking gun document showed that if citizen population was used to draw electoral maps in Texas, rather than total population, Republicans and non-Hispanic whites might benefit—hardly earth-shattering news.

Indeed, the truth is that in other states, this would also benefit Hispanics—a large umbrella group that covers Americans of many origins, many of whom vote for Democrats.

In a move that evokes the left’s desperation during the Kavanaugh hearings, liberals trotted out the information, claiming—without any proof whatsoever—that the Justice and Commerce departments had “relied” on this information in making the decision to reinstate the citizenship question.

The administration’s lawyers vigorously denied this unsupported and unproven claim, which activists sent to the Supreme Court late in the game, well after oral arguments, as it was preparing to issue its decision.

Did these strategies play a role in the court’s decision? It’s hard to say. If so, then the justices who remanded the decision to the lower court gave in to an organized mob.

But let us all put aside the last-minute theatrics and the legal sleight of hand, and get right down to the point of this entire controversy.

My friend Jim Geraghty hits the nail on the head when he writes in National Review that many leftists want to live in a borderless world where the nation-state just withers away.

The problem is that democracy, the rule of law, and the very concept of human rights are territorially constrained and protected.

Natural rights may be universal, but the laws that protect these rights, and the cultures that underwrite these laws, are very much local to the nation.

Groups like the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, La Raza (now known as UnidosUS), and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials have for decades used the census to break up and divide Americans into racial and ethnic identity groups—a triumph for them and for identity politics, but a disaster for America’s sense of national cohesion.

These groups are examples of what the social scientist Peter Skerry calls “elite network insiders.”

These groups have “weak community ties,” but they win policy fights because they partake in “a process of specialization and professionalization by which politics become more and more an insiders’ game.”

The racial identities that they’ve intimidated the Census Bureau into adopting are “highly useful to elite-network insiders who are in need of some cogent category that subsumes the disparate population they aspire to represent.” But such categories do no good to the people themselves, or to the nation.

One of the platforms for these organizations is the Census Bureau’s National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations, where many have a seat.

As I wrote in Quillette a few months ago, few Americans have heard of this committee, but, “along with bureaucrats in other agencies, and various non-governmental ‘stakeholder’ groups on the left, the [committee] has for decades controlled the policy by which demographic data—the seedbed of identity politics—is collected and interpreted.”

On June 14, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to re-evaluate all national advisory committees and eliminate at least a third of them. The census committee, which fought the citizenship question so hard, should be one of the first to go.

So, what should happen now?

The Commerce Department should fight for the citizenship question by providing a new explanation.

The administration should then rescind the 1977 Office of Management and Budget directive that first artificially created pan-ethnic identity groups, such as “Hispanics,” as well as the 1997 revision of that directive.

It’s time we moved back to a culture and society where we consider all Americans to be one people—e pluribus unum (out of many, one)—that are not divided by their skin color or ethnic or family background.

COMMENTARY BY

Mike Gonzalez

Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at The Heritage Foundation, is a widely experienced international correspondent, commentator, and editor who has reported from Asia, Europe, and Latin America. He served in the George W. Bush administration, first at the Securities and Exchange Commission and then at the State Department, and is the author of “A Race for the Future: How Conservatives Can Break the Liberal Monopoly on Hispanic Americans.”Read his research. Twitter: .

RELATED ARTICLES:

Supreme Court’s Census Ruling a Win for Identity Politics

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Supreme Court Rules Against South Dakota Newspaper Looking for Food Stamp Fraud Data

RELATED VIDEO: FAIR’s Dan Stein and Chris Hajec of Immigration Reform Law Institute Discuss Supreme Court Ruling on the 2020 Citizenship Question.

RELATED PODCAST: How the GOP won by losing on census citizenship question – Roll Call.

Dear Readers:

With the recent conservative victories related to tax cuts, the Supreme Court, and other major issues, it is easy to become complacent.

However, the liberal Left is not backing down. They are rallying supporters to advance their agenda, moving this nation further from the vision of our founding fathers.

If we are to continue to bring this nation back to our founding principles of limited government and fiscal conservatism, we need to come together as a group of likeminded conservatives.

This is the mission of The Heritage Foundation. We want to continue to develop and present conservative solutions to the nation’s toughest problems. And we cannot do this alone.

We are looking for a select few conservatives to become a Heritage Foundation member. With your membership, you’ll qualify for all associated benefits and you’ll help keep our nation great for future generations.

ACTIVATE YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Signal column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

PODCAST: SPLC — Coming Soon to a Voting Booth Near You

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The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has been quieter than usual since its blockbuster scandal rocked the liberal world. Now the group is slowly coming out of hiding, and staffers like Nancy Abudu are trying desperately to make up for lost time. If her latest attack against Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill is any indication, nothing at the Poverty Palace has changed. Including, the state would tell you, its approach to the facts.

Now that it’s “hate lists” are completely discredited, SPLC is apparently venturing out in a new area: voting rights. Last month, the Montgomery headquarters announced that it was creating a Voting Rights Legal Team — with about the same level of integrity Americans have come to expect from an organization knee-deep in systematic racism and bigotry.

For their first hit job, Abudu didn’t stray far from home. The deputy director of SPLC’s project took aim at the organization’s state for supposed voter suppression — a charge John Merrill would have a good laugh at if he weren’t so annoyed. “You know,” he told our listeners on “Washington Watch,” “they’re entitled to their own opinion, but they’re not entitled to their own facts.” And those facts tell a far different story than what Abudu suggested in a wildly inaccurate op-ed in the Montgomery Advertiser.

To anyone paying attention in Alabama, the suggestion that state leaders are intentionally suppressing voter registration is almost too ridiculous to repeat. For four years, five months, and two days, Merrill said, “we’ve made a concerted effort… to ensure that each and every eligible U.S. citizen as a resident of Alabama is registered to vote [and] has a photo ID.” They’ve traveled to all 67 counties each year, he explained. They go to festivals, events, and other activities to promote voter registration. They even created a mobile application so that Alabamians can register to vote on the computer or on their phones. Then, of course, there’s the Board of Registrar’s Office. “It’s open each and every day. The courthouse is open in every county in the state, and we ensure that we provide a photo ID or the opportunity to register to vote for any citizen that wishes to register [who] is qualified to do.”

The idea that his staff or anyone in the state is actively trying to turn people away from their civic duty is preposterous. In fact, Merrill explains, Alabama has been such a success story that officials have been invited to Congress to testify twice about the great work they’re doing. And why not? Since his time in office, the state’s registered a whopping 1,278,824 new voters. “We now have a state record, 3,491,599 registered voters in Alabama. Those numbers are unprecedented and unparalleled in the history of our state,” Merrill says proudly. But there’s more. “[W]hen you compare our per capita to every other state in the union, we surpass every other state in the union when it comes to voter registration and photo.”

If SPLC is insinuating that Alabama is intentionally targeting minorities, they’ll have a tough time proving it. Ninety-six percent of all eligible African-Americans in the state of Alabama are registered to vote. If Morris Dees’s old group is being honest, what SPLC is most upset about is that Merrill and his team have cracked down on the rampant fraud plaguing Alabama. While Democrats benefit from a slow and duplicative system, the 53rd secretary of state in Alabama says: not on my watch. “You also need to know that we removed more than 780,000 people from the voter rolls because those people have moved away, they passed away, or they’ve been put away, and whenever that happens, they need to come off the voter rolls.”

Even so, Alabama still broke voting records in the state for everything from the presidential primary in 2016 to the general election and the midterms in 2018. “Voter registration is important,” he agreed, “but voter participation is better.” Fortunately for his state, there’s both. “I am proud to ensure that in Alabama, we make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.” That’s clearly disappointing to SPLC!

Tony Perkins’ Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.

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EDITORS NOTE: This FRC column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

Soviet Socialism in the 21st century — Part 1

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Bernie Sanders is a liar–Socialism is not love and compassion it is just the opposite of that—Socialism is corruption, abuse and fraud. Yet Socialism has become a legitimate philosophy in America, Alas! We have dozens Democrat-Socialists candidates for the U.S. presidency. Do they know what Socialism is really about? No, they don’t. As a result, their words are often deceptive, misleading, and confusing. Bernie Sanders doesn’t know a real Socialism is also or pretends that he doesn’t know it. He is a Trojan Horse, propagandist, who is fooling and deceiving you for decades. Just wait for AG William G. Barr completing his investigation of the investigators, you will be shocked by a massive fraud, deceit, distortion, and lies perpetrated by the leadership of the Democrat Party during the last decades…

To really understand Socialism, you must have lived through it. I am a survivor of Soviet socialism and I know what it truly means. I came to America to enjoy the individual liberty, freedoms and opportunities the country offers to humanity. I love this country with all my heart and I am concerned about the state of America’s national security, especially during this dangerous time for our country. This is the reason I want to share my personal experiences living under a socio-economic system called Socialism and expose the frequent lies, deception, and misrepresentations of what the term really means.

Marxism, Socialism, and Communism

For most Americans Socialism is an abstract notion—something they have never experienced. Not coincidentally, Americans wonder about the difference between Socialism and Communism, and it is very hard for them to find the truth on the internet or from the Academia. For those of us raised under the Communist system in the Soviet Union, Marxism-Leninism was a mandatory subject in all universities. Most Russian émigrés know the subject well, they have studied Marxism at least for two years. I have studied Marxism for all four years at law school and I loved it, because I lived behind the Iron Curtin and Marxism was the only information available from the West…

I was surprised by the various explanations of Marxist theory offered by American authors. Some of them were pure propaganda. One misleading presentation on Marxist theory and its comparison of Lenin with President Reagan stunned me the most. Other strange statements I read included such comments as, “Socialism is liberal…Communism is conservative.” This was news for me. We cannot compare liberals of the 19th century with leftists of the 21st century, just as we cannot compare Democrat President Harry Truman with Democrat President Barack Obama. Over the past sixty years, there has been a drastic transformation within the Democrat Party and this transformation itself requires a separate discussion.

Because there is an alarming need for real knowledge, I will present my view on Marxism to Americans who hunger for the truth. There is a spectacular ignorance pertaining Socialism in America–people do not understand basic civics. Socialism is a system of a big, centralized government within a mafia-like police state, which runs all means of production, and assumes absolute control of the people, and all methods of productivity. There are no freedoms, no personal liberty, nor First Amendment rights under Socialism. I can testify that at any courts, because I lived half of my life under real Socialism and knowing Marxism pretty well, I’d like to introduce my view on the subject.

The publication of The Communist Manifesto in 1848 provided a road map for the period’s leftist political activists and their comrades in Europe. Marx was the primary author of the Manifesto, while Engels’ exact contributions are unknown. They offered their views on how capitalism would eventually be replaced by socialism and then give way to communism, the purest form of socialism. Nevertheless, any potential details about what communism would look like were missing. I would say the Manifesto was a radical left-wing political program of the mid-19th century with some historical and social information not always honestly presented. Moreover—Manifesto has declared a war to Western civilization, which is still going on in the 21st century today…

Creating the Theory of Socialism and Communism as a means of rooting out the exploitation of man by man, Marx and Engels purposely divided it into two phases: the first phase was Socialism and the second –- Communism. They identified in detail the tasks, agendas, and ways to achieve them in their Theory, as follows.

First – the tasks and agenda—overthrowing the capitalist economic system and establishing Socialism as a basis for the creation of a classless Communist society in the future.

Second – how to fulfill the tasks and agenda—through World Revolution.

Third – the World Revolution would occur under the leadership of the proletariat.  “Proletariat of the world unite!” was their slogan.

Fourth – Marxist Theory can be applied only in industrially developed European countries…

The first task and the agenda, which I call the first Marxist postulate is clear—the overthrow of the existing Capitalist economic system and the creation of a new Socialist economic system under which all means of production would belonged to the government. As a survivor of Soviet Socialism, I can tell you how this was brought about — through the forcible confiscation and nationalization of all private property in the country.

Private Property is the main target of Marxism

The simple truth is that private property is a cornerstone of our democracy and our American economic system, as it’s declared by our Founding Fathers. “Capitalism is not a system of government, it is the practice and philosophy of transforming resources into capital goods for the purpose of producing consumer products.” Michael Barone is right talking about American economic system: “we have been a property-holders’ democracy.” A very important element of the Theory is missing–neither Marx nor Engels, identified over what time span Socialism would mature into the evolved and perfect classless Communist society. That is the crux of the matter—a dark hole in the theory and not the only one…

The second postulate, how to achieve the task, is also clear—through World Revolution. It is a radical and categorical approach to the matter entailing unrest, chaos, violence, and killings. I am vehemently against such an approach because I know the tragedy that occurred in Russia. Marx’s statement that “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle,” is simply not true. America’s Founding Fathers created a just and fair government and free country without any class struggle.

The third Marxist postulate is the leadership of the Proletariat. Class division is the wrong approach to the problem of leadership. And again, the example of America is the antithesis of the Marxist approach and suggests, to the contrary, that only competent, well-educated, and highly respected individuals — leaders who come from all walks of life with all kinds of talents — can provide a country true leadership, as was the case in America.  It is individual personality and human qualities alike George Washington or Thomas Jefferson that bring a leader to the forefront of a movement, not his or her identification with a certain class.

The fourth postulate is perhaps the only logical and economically sustainable position, i.e. that “Marxist theory can be applied only to industrially develop European countries…. “

Ironically, despite not meeting the requirements of any of Marx’s four postulates, the first Socialist Revolution took power in Russia in 1917. And despite failing to meet Marxist requirements, and on the contrary by perverting all of them while at the same time using Marxist rhetoric to further his ends, Joseph Stalin created his own ideology and established a criminal syndicate, a totalitarian terror-machine called Soviet Socialism… For decades the expansionist ideology was corrupting, abusing, and defrauding people of the world and this is one of the main reasons I am renaming the term Soviet Socialism to Soviet Fascism…

A more comprehensive explanation of this complex and important subject will follow. I will offer you a suggestion and a series of articles to learn about Soviet Socialism in the 21st century.

To learn a real life under Soviet Socialism, please read my book Baltic Winds: Testimony of a Soviet Attorney, Xlibris, 2002. Pay attention especially to pp 167-168 to learn the term “Blat” and how a famous defense attorney buys meet and other food in the country under Socialism, where private property is liquidated… Reading the book, you actually can find some similarity with what you are seeing in America today…

Please, read in addition 1. Chapter 2 Marxism: Utopianism, a Fraud or Both? Socialist Lies, From Stalin to the Clintons, Obamas, and Sanders, Xlibris, 2016

  1. Replacing Property as a Source of Wealth Creation, by Michael Barone, Townhall.com July, 4, 2011
  2. The Morality of Capitalism; What Your Professors Won’t Tell You by Tom G. Palmer.

To be continued www.simonapipko1.com

PODCAST: Iran: Hardliners vs Moderates! Illegal Alien Impact on 2020 Election! National Guard Bans Trail Life USA Troop!

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GUESTS:

Lt Col (R) Saris Sangari is a retired US Army Colonel who saw extensive combat in the Middle East as a Special Operations Forces soldier and who, after retirement, continues to advise the fledgling Assyrian Christian Army in Iraq known as Dwekh Nawsha with his military expertise.

Topic – Iran: Hardliners vs Moderates on shooting down the drone!

Frank Vernuccio, editor-in-chief of the New York Analysis of Policy & Government, providing objective coverage of key issues facing the United States today. Frank is the co-host of the Vernuccio/Novak Report, nationally both on broadcast radio and the web at amfm247.com. FRANK also co-hosts of the “The American Political Zone,” Broadcast on cable in eastern Connecticut.

TOPIC..Illegal Alien Impact on 2020 Election!! 

Mark Hancock CEO of Trail Life USA. Mark began his career founding a national advertising agency and running it for fifteen years. His conversion to Christ led him into ministry as a Youth and College Pastor, Associate Pastor, Homeless Ministry Director and Global Event Director for an international ministry, organizing events on five continents. He holds two Masters Degrees in the Mental Health Counseling field, having spent a number of years in private practice, and has taught at secular and Christian colleges.

TOPIC…National Guard Bans Trail Life USA Troop!!

BREAKING: Insider Blows Whistle & Exec Reveals Google Plan to Prevent ‘Trump situation’ in 2020

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Another brave insider has stepped forward to Project Veritas.

This time, our insider is from Google.  The biggest tech company in the world.

In fact, there are nearly 65,000 “googles” on this search engine every second.  And it’s very likely you’re probably contributing to this statistic.

Google has been universally regarded as a trustworthy search tool and source – but is that trust well-placed?

New undercover video, leaked documents, and insights from an insider reveal that Google appears to be using their size and status to affect the outcome of elections.

Our journalists spoke with Jen Gennai, the Head of Responsible Innovation and a 12-year Google employee.  Here’s a snapshot of what she told them:

“We all got screwed over in 2016, again it wasn’t just us, it was, the people got screwed over, the news media got screwed over, like, everybody got screwed over so we’ve rapidly been like, what happened there and how do we prevent it from happening again.”

“Elizabeth Warren is saying we should break up Google. And like, I love her but she’s very misguided, like that will not make it better it will make it worse, because all these smaller companies who don’t have the same resources that we do will be charged with preventing the next Trump situation, it’s like a small company cannot do that.”

You can watch Project Veritas’ explosive new video HERE.

This is the third video that Project Veritas has released featuring an insider from big tech. Our Google insider is incredibly courageous, and he’s risked his career to show you the truth.

If you’re on the inside of tech, media, education, unions, or government – you can become a Project Veritas insider by contacting us at VeritasTips@protonmail.com.

If you’re considering coming forward, but unsure about the repercussions, here is a quote from our Google insider that you may find inspiring:

“I mean, this is a behemoth, this is a Goliath, I am but a David trying to say that the emperor has no clothes. And being a small little ant I can be crushed, and I am aware of that. But, this is something that is bigger than me, this is something that needs to be said to the American public.”

Be Brave!

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Fact-Checkers Of Trump’s Orlando Speech Show AOC-Level Ineptitude

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A PolitiFact fact-check of President Trump’s campaign launch last week in Orlando that was run in newspapers nationwide went horribly, embarrassingly, laughably wrong on the one count in which they ruled Trump was “wrong.”

PolitiFact did their usual number after Trump’s speech, supposedly fact-checking the President. In it, there are assumptions made that highlight the normal bias.

But the only fact-checked statement these intrepid journalists ruled as “wrong” — they got totally wrong.

Here’s what PolitiFact wrote that Trump got wrong:

(We passed) “the biggest tax cut in history.”
Wrong.
Trump often repeats this point, but three tax cuts were larger. In inflation-corrected dollars, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 cut $321 billion per year. The Tax Relief Act of 2010 cut them by $210 billion per year. And the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 reduced taxes by $208 billion a year.

The 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act cut taxes by $150 billion a year.

You, like me, might be shocked to find out that Obama signed much larger tax cuts during his administration. Twice! Seems like that would have been pretty big news — and pretty out of character. But a quick google of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 finds the details at Investopedia.

The truth? Neither was a tax cut.

They were both a continuation of the Bush tax cuts that were set to expire. So if they had expired and the tax rates reverted to their higher levels, it would have been a tax increase. But they did not. This supposed “tax cut” actually did nothing more than keep taxes at the exact same level as they were.

Maintaining tax rates at the same rate is definitionally not a tax cut. Unless, that is, you are simply trying to make the President look like he was wrong.

Further, this supposed “tax cut” that is the American Taxpayer Relief Act actually raised taxes.

ATRA’s passage prevented the expiration of most of the major tax cuts enacted between 2001 and 2010. It made permanent the tax savings included in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. ATRA extended through 2017 the tax cuts built into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009. Along with these extended tax cuts, ATRA raised payroll taxes for many Americans and reversed cuts for the highest earners that had been passed with the support of the George W. Bush administration.

Well, what about The Tax Relief Act of 2010, which cut taxes by $210 billion per year as PolitiFact’s claims?

Nope. Same thing. According to Wikipedia, it extended the tax cuts from 2001 and 2003 for two years.

The Act centers on a temporary, two-year reprieve from the sunset provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (JGTRRA), together known as the “Bush tax cuts.” Income taxes would have returned to Clinton administration-era rates in 2011 had Congress not passed this law.

So this “tax cut” also merely kept the Bush tax cuts in place for two years. It did not cut taxes. In fact, this mere two-year reprieve of the taxes being increased is what led to the 2012 one above.

Both of them kept rates the same. They did not cut taxes.

The Reagan tax cuts might have been higher, it’s hard to find firm, inflation-adjusted numbers there. But the last line in PolitiFact has the most interesting twist.

Did the Trump tax cuts actually only cut $150 billion? I could not find that number and PolitiFact did not cite it or provide a link — which is pretty sloppy for a fact-checking outfit. I did, however, find plenty of much higher numbers by liberal outfits painting the picture of how irresponsible the tax cuts were.

One of those, the Tax Policy Center, said the tax cuts amounted to $275 billion — much more than expected. Of course, they were making the case then that the tax cuts were not paying for themselves as the GOP had promised, so the much higher number was convenient for that.

So it looks like on every, single element of their conclusion that Trump was wrong on the tax cuts, they were wrong.

But we should totally trust PolitiFact.

EDITORS NOTE: This Revolutionary Act column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

New York Times Writer does Hit-Job on Americans in St. Cloud, MN

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Well, I should say a hit-job on white Americans; the Somalis there are pure as the driven snow.

But, did anyone expect anything other than a hit from the New York Times? 

Anyone who raises any questions about how many migrants we should admit to America or asks what it will cost taxpayers, or any other sensible question is a racist, Islamophobic xenophobe especially if a reporter can link critics of uncontrolled migration to Donald J. Trump.

For the record, I don’t respond to requests from the likes of the NYT, the Washington Post, the LA Times etc. for an interview because no matter what you say, biased reporters will cherry-pick your words and paint you in the worst light as obviously reporter Alstead W. Herndon did here.

He went to St. Cloud with an agenda!

Herndon proves once again that Donald Trump is right about the media.

But, it isn’t all bad because a whole lot more people in America now know there is a big problem, a social upheaval going on in St. Cloud, and maybe they will think twice about putting out the ‘welcome’ mat to third world refugees.

Here is how reporter Astead W. Herndon begins his story.

In the first five paragraphs he has worked in all the vital words any good Leftist anti-Trump reporter needs to tell readers what they are to think about these ‘Islamophobes’ in Minnesota!  (I’ve hi-lighted his buzz words in hot pink.)

‘These People Aren’t Coming From Norway’: Refugees in a Minnesota City Face a Backlash

As more Somali refugees arrive in St. Cloud, white anti-immigration activists have pressed an increasingly explicit anti-Muslim agenda.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — John Palmer, a former university professor, has always had a cause. For decades he urged Minnesota officials to face the dangers of drunken driving and embrace seatbelts. Now he has a new goal: curbing the resettlement of Somali refugees in St. Cloud, after a few thousand moved into this small city where Mr. Palmer has lived for decades.

Every weekday, he sits in the same spot at Culver’s restaurant — the corner booth near the Kwik Trip — and begins his daily intake of news from xenophobic and conspiratorial sites, such as JihadWatch.org, and articles with titles like “Lifting the Veil on the ‘Islamophobia’ Hoax.” On Thursdays, Mr. Palmer hosts a group called Concerned Community Citizens, or C-Cubed, which he formed to pressure local officials over the Muslim refugees. Mr. Palmer said at a recent meeting he viewed them as innately less intelligent than the “typical” American citizen, as well as a threat.[BTW, if you don’t read Jihad Watch you should.—ed]

But for others, the changes have fueled talk about “white replacement,” a racist conspiracy theory tied to the declining birthrates of white Americans that has spread in far-right circles and online chat rooms and is now surfacing in some communities.

“The very word ‘Islamophobia’ is a false narrative,” Mr. Palmer, 70, said. “A phobia is an irrational fear.” Raising his voice, he added, “An irrational fear! There are many reasons we are not being irrational.”

In this predominantly white region of central Minnesota, the influx of Somalis, most of whom are Muslim, has spurred the sort of demographic and cultural shifts that President Trump and right-wing conservatives have stoked fears about for years. The resettlement has divided many politically active residents of St. Cloud, with some saying they welcome the migrants.

There is much more if you care to read it.

My  point is that this reporter, in the run-up to 2020, wants to make it very clear that everyone who has a concern about a large increase in the number of migrants to a community (even when those ‘new Americans’ take jobs African-Americans need or might be ISIS lovers) is a Trump-supporting racist.

(See my post about the Pittsburgh terrorist bust and note that the black community there is a little nervous about the refugees flooding into their communities. Are they being racist and Islamophobic, Astead?)

For a laugh, you really need to see Herndon’s (thin) bio when he joined the NYT in 2018.

Here is one mention of an important story in his career.  (BTW, Did he write the bio?  I see a typo in it.)

And then there was the story where Astead spent a day trying to eat every food at a county fair, downing a three-layer chili parfait, deep-fried peanut butter and jelly, and bacon covered in s’mores.

Wow! Impressive!

This post is filed in my ‘Media fraud’ category.

RELATED ARTICLE: New York Times Reporter Falsely Labels Segregationist Senators Republicans

EDITORS NOTE: This Frauds, Crooks and Criminals column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

This Is What I Believe

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On a flight right now returning from a five-day trip that I believe was orchestrated from above, I take this moment and reflect. I have been inspired by two patriots, two beautiful souls who were brought to me for a reason, for a purpose. This soon will be revealed, of this I am sure. Our paths have crossed by no accident. I am grateful and thankful. I believe there are no coincidences.

I believe that as George Washington was divinely inspired and protected to form America, it is my belief that Donald J. Trump is divinely inspired and protected to resurrect America. I believe the storm is upon us. It is my belief that this storm will challenge each and every one of us in ways that perhaps we have never been challenged before. Why? Because this is a battle between good and evil. Read through my articles and books and you will gain a greater understanding of what it is that I am talking about. This has just begun and will intensify as the years go by. These are defining moments in time. Once again, these are the times that try men’s souls.

Tragedy brings unity. As the remains of the twin towers in New York City were reduced to smoldering twisted steel and ash, innocent lives perished. People were injured, horrified, devastated and in shock with grief beyond words, as the loved ones left behind were left in a state of desperation and suffering beyond words. What did I see? People uniting. There were no divisions. There was not one delayed thought or consideration to help one another. We are instinctively good. We are one. We united. Tragedy brings unity. It mattered not, your political affiliation, race, religion and so on. I believe that people are instinctively and inherently good.

And so the storm that is now upon us is exposing the evil acts which are no longer hiding and lurking among us in the dark, in disguise. It is now hidden in plain sight. Know this evil well. Know it for what it is. The age of transparency is here. Truths are now being revealed and this has just begun. I believe civilization is at a crossroads with America in the cross-hairs. Yes, once again it is up to us. Freedom is up to us. With dignity, decency, common sense, and knowing the difference between right and wrong hanging in the balance, we must seek strength within. What will soon be revealed will be heart wrenching and most difficult to endure. Yet I believe many of us will unite with one heart and one mind while others will be cast away into the abyss of darkness. Surround yourself with like-minded people who understand the times in which we live. Expand these circles. Stay informed. Be prepared and pray for God’s mercy, wisdom, strength to endure, and for protection.

The election of Donald J. Trump is the miracle many had been praying for. I for one, wrote about this early on in 2015 in my book Misconceptions and Course Corrections, prior to the escalator event, stating that the most unlikely person in our hour of need will arrive to provide the leadership that America and the world so desperately needed to bring us out of the darkness and into the light. That time has arrived.

Donald Trump’s entire life led him to such a time as this. Pray for our President and for his family, for in my opinion, no Trump, no hope. I do believe that the days that are now upon us and the years to follow shall bring out the good in us once again. It’s time to bring ourselves up by the boot straps. I believe it’s time for us to raise our level of confront. I believe it’s time for us to focus, be confident, strong and support one another in spite of our often times, vast differences, for we are one. Stay the course, trust the plan. Someone once said “love is but a song we sing, fear is the way we die”. “Come on people now, smile on your brother everybody get together try to love one another right now”. Choose love. I believe that with the grace of God, together we will save America.

Video Commentary:

VIDEO: Dianne Feinstein Is Trying (Again) To Ban the Most Popular Firearm in America

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After all these years, Dianne Feinstein is still clueless about guns.

“Dianne Feinstein, the anti-gun senator from California, took to Twitter to show just how clueless she really is on guns. She went down the road that every anti-gunner does and went after the always vilified AR-15.” —Grant

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EDITORS NOTE: This NRA-TV video is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

A Tale of Two Rallies

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The 2020 presidential contest is now underway in earnest. On Tuesday, President Trump officially kicked off his reelection campaign to a packed house at the 20,000 seat Amway Center in Orlando, FL. Earlier that day, one of the two dozen or so contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination tried to have a rally of his own to draw attention to his signature issue of gun control. The difference between the two events speaks volumes about the role the Second Amendment plays in American politics.

At about 1:30 in the afternoon, a little-known U.S. Congressman from California’s 15th District held an event on the sidewalk across from NRA Headquarters in Fairfax, VA. There doesn’t seem to be much point in mentioning his name, as he is polling at a pathetic 1% in his party’s primary race and just barely qualified to attend the first Democrat debate.

The location of the “event” (if that’s not too strong a word) was meant to be symbolic. Speaking to The Hill last week, the candidate boasted: “I’m taking the battle to the NRA’s doorstep with a new, broader package of commonsense reforms to end gun violence.” The Hill article noted that “gun control” is the “centerpiece” of this individual’s “long-shot Democratic presidential bid.” Indeed, at his campaign launch in April, he told his audience that “this issue [i.e., gun control] comes first.”

It can only be assumed, then, that this “confrontation” with the NRA was a key moment in his effort to gain some national attention and raise his profile in a crowded field.

Instead, the gathering was an embarrassingly lame example of either extremely poor planning or rank disinterest in anything the individual had to say. With sun breaking through the clouds, accompanied by typical Northern Virginia heat and humidity, the crowd topped out at 18 individuals during the height of the event. This does not include the individual himself or a small contingent of reporters, but it does include his own staff and others who actually accompanied him to the site.

Adding to the humorous nature of the scene was the backdrop of a giant black tour bus that looked as if it could have held many dozens of occupants. Like a reverse clown car, it disgorged a “crowd” completely disproportionate to its size.

There’s nothing funny, however, about what this pretender would do to your Second Amendment rights in the far-fetched event he actually wielded power from the Oval Office.

The individual’s plan – which he misleadingly calls “A National Framework to End Gun Violence” – is basically a compendium of the worst thinking on gun control from the last 40 years.

Needless to say, the centerpiece of the “Framework” is a massive gun ban, in this case on what he calls “military-style semiautomatic assault weapons.” This likely refers to magazine-fed semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15, which not incidentally is America’s most popular centerfire rifle platform.

Unlike other recent proposals, his plan calls for forcing those who previously obtained the newly-banned guns lawfully to surrender them to the government for whatever compensation D.C. bureaucrats decided to offer. He calls this the option for the person “who chooses to follow the law.”

Any person “caught defying the law” by refusing to relinquish their lawfully-obtained and constitutionally-protected property, meanwhile, could expect to be criminally prosecuted under the plan.

Of course, the true threats to public peace and order do not “choose[] to follow the law,” and the types of firearms he proposes to ban are actually under-represented in violent crime in the U.S. And even considering the far more infrequent phenomena of mass shootings, semi-automatic rifles are under-represented in those crimes as well.

The rest of the individual’s proposed agenda is too lengthy to fully enumerate, but lowlights include:

  • a mandatory 48-hour waiting period to take possession of a purchased gun (including, apparently, for those who already own guns);
  • a ban on the private sale of firearms;
  • federal licensing and mandatory training to obtain a firearm;
  • a nationwide registry of every firearm, firearm owner, and firearm transaction in America;
  • rationing of the purchase of handguns and ammunition; and
  • a cap on the amount of ammunition that individuals may possess at any one time to 200 rounds per caliber or gauge.

The full list is considerably longer, but the obvious intent is to discourage gun ownership by making it as expensive, burdensome, bureaucratic, legally perilous, and socially unacceptable as possible. Indeed, if he accomplished every item he proposes, American citizens would be worse off in terms of access to firearms than residents of many Western European countries that have no pretense of a “right” to arms and instead treat gun ownership as a tightly-restricted privilege.

Yet even as this plan was being unveiled to an audience that could barely fill a spacious utility closet, another, significantly larger audience was massing well ahead of President Trump’s official campaign kick-off later that night. That event packed the 20,000 seats of the arena, with an overflow crowd cheering the President on from outside of the venue as well.

And it wasn’t just the numbers that told the tale. There was an enthusiasm and electricity to the crowd in Orlando that is simply unmatched in American politics today.

For Second Amendment supporters, the president has been a steadfast ally, refusing to bend to the will of anti-gun forces within the Democrat party, the legacy media, and increasingly in a business climate that appears to embrace virtue signaling even over company mission or shareholder value. His years in office have seen some of the harshest, most sustained attacks against the Second Amendment in our nation’s history, and he has held firm to his promise to be friend to the law-abiding gun owner. None of the many gun control bills introduced into Congress have succeeded during his watch.

Not only that, he has appointed two justices to the U.S. Supreme Court committed to the original understanding of the U.S. Constitution. The Second Amendment will again be before the court this year, and thanks to President Trump, it will be given the respectful consideration it deserves. That would not have happened if Hillary Clinton had succeeded in her bid for the White House.

President Trump mentioned the Second Amendment three times in Orlando, and the crowd responded each time with raucous cheering and applause.

Like his would-be opponent from California, the President has situated the Second Amendment squarely at the center of his campaign. President Trump, however, understands the fundamental place the right to keep and bear arms holds in American life. “We will protect our Second Amendment,” he promised once again.

Fortunately, President Trump will almost certainly not be facing the Congressman from California’s 15th District in the race for the White House. And while the president’s eventual opponent is likely to take a more “moderate” stance on firearms in the general election, there’s little doubt the gun control wish list unveiled last Tuesday was as much as anything a roadmap anti-gun forces hope will lead to the eventual destruction of the Second Amendment. Bit by bit, they are hoping to change the terms of the debate and move the window on what is considered possible in infringing your rights.

Two views of the Second Amendment emerged on Tuesday, and it was clear which one was more widely embraced.

But make no mistake, there is still much work to be done to ensure that view also prevails in 2020. The media’s knives were out before the president even finished his speech, spinning familiar tales about the doom that surely await his electoral ambitions.

So we must do all we can to protect our freedoms in the 2020 elections.

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EDITORS NOTE: This NRA-ILA column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.

Fascist Tactics and Methods in America

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“You know someone, very profoundly once said many years ago that if fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism.” – Ronald Reagan

The conflict between good and evil is one of the most common conventional themes in literature, and it is eternal in politics as well. Kanye West slams liberals for ‘bullying’ Trump supporters. In general he is right on that. But…Dear Kanye, they are not ‘liberals’. I am a Trump supporter, if you will listen to some stories and you will know who they are. It is much more brutal and vicious than bullying. These are typical fascist tactics and methods against President Trump, his supporters, and generally against the American Republic to change our culture, our values system, and our way of life… Tragically, all of that is done by the enemy within—the Democrat Party in collaboration with Russian Intelligence agencies…

It is not a coincidence that John Dean has reappeared from the 20th century, he is like George Soros, Michael Moore, and many others of the KGB’s political operatives and with one agenda—destruction of the American Republic, American Presidency and the Republican Party. They all have different forms, methods and spheres of activities, yet, the agenda is the same.  Knowing a deep infiltration of the KGB into all strata of American society and the Democrat Party, it was clear to me that those actors were dealing in concert with the Dems–it is a coalition against the Republicans, the American Justice system, and our way of life. Read my column The Ideological Battlefield in Washington D.C. dated May 27, 2018.

The recent Mueller Report has proved it. The foundation of American Law based on a presumption of innocence. You know the Report, as I have already analyzed it, the Russia Probe investigation was based on the presumption of Trump’s guilt—a typical Soviet approach to the law. Look at our House of Representatives as run by the Dems and you’ll find the Stalinist style investigative overreach against President Trump. Pay attention to Bernie, Trojan Horse, he is fighting to implement in America the principals of the Soviet Stalinist Constitution of 1936—what a fraud! All those actors in different capacities are political operatives fighting the system left to us by our Founding Fathers.

Knowing the Russian methods, agenda, and its proclivity to mold Soviet style charlatan-leaders around the world to engineer cadres of fifth columnists, I believe there are two types of people committing betrayals: Those who do not like the political system established by our Founding Fathers and are trying to transform it– they are currently collaborating with the KGB to destroy the country, and those people who haven’t a clue about the KGB infiltrations, hence becoming their unwitting accomplices. Both groups constitute a huge help to President Putin, who is running the anti-Trump show… It is Vladimir Putin, who wants to impeach President Trump and Kremlin’s assignment activates the Socialist mafia…

Yes, the anti-Trump show is run by Vladimir Putin and his KGB. He mortally hates the successful capitalist-Trump. America’s Socialist mafia and above mentioned actors help Putin–they all also hate a successful capitalist-Trump. Look at the dozens of the Dems candidates for the 2020 election—they are also fighting successful capitalism, some of them sponsored by the KGB. The hate climate in America has a name—it is the ideology of Soviet fascism. Only knowing the ideology its tactics, strategy, tricks, and methods can you grasp and assess the harm and damage done to the American Republic by the haters of successful capitalism…

Fascist Tactics and Techniques Used Against Me

I had been writing about Russia and its KGB for many years. Somewhere in the 1990s, I noticed some abnormalities in my mail and computer, but I did not have time to investigate the cause. In 2002, I published my first book and those abnormalities doubled. Since then I have experienced all sorts of violations of my Constitutional rights from wiretaps to arresting my mail, like it was in the Soviet Union—censorship. I recognized this to be the KGB. To silence me and ban my writings, the KGB, through the infiltrated FBI or CIA submitted my name to the FISA Court and made me a foreign agent in 2002, the year my first book was published. Just listen to the story of my third book…

In the spring of 2012, I had completed and published my third book titled: An Agony: Face to Face with Soviet Fascism. Intermedia Publishing Inc. 2012. I identified the ideology of Soviet Fascism and described the KGB’s tactics, methods, and tricks in the book. With joy, I immediately sent several copies of the book to my friends and got the alarming news: “everything is up-side-down in your book with a lot of grammar mistakes.” I was in shock. When I opened the book … it was obvious the KGB had gotten access to the manuscript, because the Trojan Horse has become a Trojan House in the entire book with many similar changes—the internet allows these mischiefs very easily to inflict…

The 2012 election was around the corner, I had a critically short time to correct the harm and my friends helped me. But the next news did not wait, they made me speechless—Intermedia Publishing Inc. was forced to file for bankruptcy and my book was killed… I was again in shock.

When I got over the shock, I had to act and the only choice was Xlibris, the publishing house that produced my first and second books. I understood that I couldn’t use the same title, I had to change it. I did. Xlibris accepted the book under a new title: What is Happening to America? The Hidden Truth of Global Destruction, Xlibris, 2012. A fantastic and alarming Press Release was written and published. Let me give you the heading of the Press Release to assess its significance:

118170 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Book Exposes Shocking Truths about Soviet Fascism and Terrorism

Author Simona Pipko shares alarming messages about the most dangerous threat to global peace

Yet, dissemination of that Press Release was stopped, this Press Release has never been sent to anyone, it was electronically blocked. You have never seen it … Fascism never sleeps and has very long arms. I realized that the KGB has penetrated the second Publishing House in America to sabotage my book!!! What a massive infiltration of the Russian Intel into our midst! What a spectacular failure of our Intel in the era of Soviet fascism…! It’s Happening Here in America…!

In attempting to silence me and hide my words from the public, the American traitors deprived the world of learning the Truth about Russia and its KGB, to act accordingly, and prevent enormous damage done to our country and the world. The mass-shooting in America and deadly plane crashes will continue, as I predicted. Russian hackers won’t stop targeting the US Power Grid. The Dems Socialist mafia is relentlessly undermining our political system by abuse of power and sabotage. We are not dealing only with Russia or China now— Western civilization is targeted by a huge and well equipped army of global terror under the Russian umbrella, I called this army—the Axis of Evil. All those governments adhere to the aggressive and expansionist ideology of Soviet Fascism.

By 2020 the fight across the globe will escalate; the Dems-Globalists will try to prevent President Trump from winning reelection. I wouldn’t exclude a terror act a-la attack on 9/11. The attacks on the oil tankers in the international waters by Iran’s regime is just a repetition of its 1987 behavior. It is not a war of words between Trump and Pelosi. The third side, Vladimir Putin and his KGB coordinate this war. We have wasted three years following the Dems’ myth of Trump’s treason. They needed this myth to divert attention from the crime they have committed, they needed the “Cover-up.” They are following Stalin’s teachings: “never admit the crime committed, but accuse the opposition in that exact crime.” It is still the favorite method of Soviet fascism. You see it implemented in America, yet, our Intel is missing the source of the world instability. We are still fighting the symptoms of the ideology, not the ideology itself. What a shame!  Calling a spade a spade and emphasizing the term Soviet fascism, we will alarm people and reveal a cause of the world instability.

Look at contemporary discussions and debates on all TV channels—it is wasting time, human energy, and money—they discuss the symptoms of the ideology: none knows the ideology of Soviet Fascism itself, which is aimed at destruction of our system of free market capitalism. None knows the Russian dreadful connection with the top people in Obama’s government, none knows Obama/Putin Conspiracy, of which I wrote about for a decade. I suspect several people acted as a conduit between Obama and Putin, it could be Valerie Jarrett or the individuals, I have already mentioned in my columns. My books have been banned by the traitors working with the KGB to prevent these knowledge and keep you blind… You see the result…

We are in an ongoing asymmetrical war: the countries of Soviet Fascism, I called “the Axis of Evil” are waging this war against Western civilization and capitalism. The Dems are helping and aiding the enemy, which is a real TREASON…The world and all Americans should know that! Accountability is in the pillars of the system left to us by our Founding Fathers… The traitors should be found and charged with the crimes they committed!

Honorable Attorney General William P. Barr!

The entire decent world is looking at you with hope and desire to see the sworn enemy exposed. Knowledge of Soviet Fascism is the only means to do so and expose the enemy within. America the Beautiful and her people deserve to know the Truth and to see what Democrats have done to us and our American Republic!!!

To confirm my ideas and views, please, see the following warning of a KGB defector about the silent war, which being waged against America.

To be continued www.simonapipko1.com and at www.drrichswier.com/author/spipko/

PODCAST: Getting Ready for Round #1 with the Democrats

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Well, it is finally show time, the first round of debates for Democrats seeking to become the party’s presidential candidate. As of now there are 23 officially declared as candidates, with possibly two more waiting in the wings. This is bigger than the 17 Republican candidates who ran in 2016.

In a way, this race among the Democrats reminds me of the Triple Crown in horse-racing. The first race, the Kentucky Derby, historically supports a full field, crowded at the gate. This is greatly reduced over the remaining races, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. I suspect we’ll see the same in the Democrat debates.

NBC will host the first debate at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, next Wednesday and Thursday, June 26th and 27th, accompanied by their sister networks MSNBC and Telemundo. This makes sense as NBC has long been the media outlet for the party for quite some time. It will be hosted by five NBC personalities: Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, Chuck Todd, Rachel Maddow of MSNBC, and José Díaz-Balart of Telemundo.

No more than ten candidates will appear each night. In simple terms, in order to qualify, candidates must either have received more than 65K donations, or a minimum of 1% in a qualified national poll. There will likely be twenty candidates qualified for the first round of debates.

So, what can viewers expect? There will, of course, be the ceremonial bashing of President Trump and the Republicans. They will be accused to mishandling everything from the economy, to immigration, to trade, defense, etc. It will be interesting to see how the moderators address the subject of presidential impeachment which will inevitably come up when the Mueller investigation is mentioned. All of this is to be expected.

Beyond this, the most interesting part of the debate will be how the other candidates will try to take down the front-runner, former VP Joe Biden. This will likely be led by Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Corey Booker, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, all of whom need to take Mr. Biden down in order to further their candidacy. Sen. Bernie Sanders won’t be bashful either, but he will likely leave the main attacks to the others and extol the virtues of his socialist agenda.

Look for Mr. Biden to take a lot of heat for reversing his position on the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to subsidize abortions except for special circumstances (e.g., rape, incest, life threatening). Mr. Biden originally supported the amendment back when he was a U.S. Senator, but recently reversed himself to gain political favor from abortion advocates. Look for this issue to ignite an ugly squabble between the candidates, leading to other issues where the candidates differ.

As I have reported, the Democrats have turned decisively to the left. This is most certainly, NOT your father’s party. As such, they desperately do not want to hang on to the past, and why they no longer want Joe Biden. At 76 years of age, the former vice president will be portrayed as past his prime and essentially no different than Hillary Clinton, which the left has long deserted following her defeat in 2016. The far left of the party wants something new and refreshing, which certainly is not Mr. Biden. It may also not be Sen. Bernie Sanders, who will turn 78 in the Fall.

So, in terms of Round 1 of the debates, Yes, we will hear the usual bashing of the Republicans and the President, but the real story will be how the party turns on one of their own. They may preach unity during the debate, but watch them swarm against the front-runner.

Keep the Faith!

P.S. – Don’t forget my new book, “Tim’s Senior Moments” now available in Printed and eBook form.

EDITORS NOTE: This Bryce is Right column is republished with permission. All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

The Last Line of Defense Shielding Ilhan Omar

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Ilhan Omar is arguably the most provocative Muslim public figure in the United States, giving the American public a steady stream of controversy since her arrival on the political stage.

However, to understand the impact she has on the public it’s important to look at the wider circle surrounding the freshman congresswoman. The fanfare uplifting her is worthy of an anthropological study in how cultures are crafted, and what values a culture exalts at the expense of another. 

As a vocal critic of Ilhan Omar — and given that I’m also a conservative Muslim woman — my own reflections as a public figure are sharply scrutinized by Ilhan Omar defenders. What I’m noticing in that I’m often told by Ilhan Omar supporters, “She’s more successful than you.”

This is said as an attack, said to shame and silence me. While I certainly don’t feel shame, what I do feel is total bewilderment. These sorts of messages tell me two things:

  • Success is still being measured by new markers
    The more visibility, public support and “space” one occupies (even in traditional spaces of power), the more “success” they’re attributed by the public.
  • Success is being used as currency to silence speech
    Greater “success” implies that one is somehow entitled to insulation from inquiry or critique because they are perceived to carry more value as a human being. 

If this is my experience, what chance does the average person have who doesn’t have two decades of experience in these conversations?

Another point: The more the average person is silenced in dialogue, the more chance that they’ll be pushed into fringe groups. The more they’re pushed into the fringe, the more they’ll resonate with outlier personalities, including extremists.

The emphasis on success in our day measured by visibility is deeply disturbing because of how it dehumanizes and devalues a human being. In the case of Ilhan Omar supporters, when they can’t defend her based on her track record or character — because it is often indefensible — they resort to personal attacks rooted in perverse value systems.

Unfortunately, there is no point in engaging pro-Ilhan Omar trolls or any other online accounts seeking bad faith conversations. They don’t understand that occupying a space in government isn’t the same as mastering that space and using it as an instrument for the betterment of all mankind. 

How we define success is a red flag for our culture at this hour. Take the interview Ben Shapiro gave with BBC’s Andrew Neil. Caught on a bad day with an uncharacteristically poor temperament, Shapiro stormed off the set but not before saying that he was more successful than Neil. Besides the fact that Neil is widely respected, the point here is that the assumption was that being more well recognized meant one was more successful, which implies a higher value. Shapiro implied he was entitled to the immature behavior he exhibited and reserved the right to silence Neil. Shapiro has since apologized. 

Whether we look at this issue from the lens of an individual or from the lens of simply a group of people who need to co-exist in a space, the fact remains this: As long as we continue to determine success and worth based on popularity, reach and access — we as a culture will all fail.  

COLUMN BY

Shireen Qudosi

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Trump’s Orlando Speech: Unprecedented and Remarkable

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Watching live TV coverage of President Trump at his Orlando rally announcing his reelection campaign, I was blown away by Trump’s unprecedented straightforward honesty. With no-holds-barred, Trump told the American people the truth about numerous important issues which have been lied about or hidden by fake news media. I thought, “My goodness, the president just gave the American people a year’s worth of truthful news in one speech.” I guarantee that Americans who only watch fake news media heard for the first time during Trump’s speech that the Muller investigation of Trump did not find any collusion with Russia. Trump’s speech was probably the first time many heard about Hillary Clinton’s corrupt illegal behavior before, during and after her failed run for the White House. Trump’s speech was probably the first time many Americans learned that Democrats shockingly passed legislation to kill babies on their birthday and seek to pass legislation to kill babies even after they are born.

Trump touted his remarkable long list of economic, cultural and freedom enhancing achievements for We the People. Folks, I am telling you, many Americans were hearing all the great things Trump has done for America for the first time.

Enjoying my cup of Red Rooibos tea, I internally cheered every time Trump told his huge audience another truth about the evils Democrats, the deep state and fake news media are perpetrating upon America and their traitorous attempts to undermine his presidency. Republicans typically do not push back the way Trump does in public speeches and social media. Democrats and fake news media routinely kick our butts in the court of public opinion by attacking Republicans with lies and every gutter, low-life and dirty trick in their playbook. In response, Republican consultants and advisers always say, “play nice”, “take the high ground” and “remain presidential”. Such advice drives me nuts. We (Republicans) always stupidly bring an olive branch to a gun fight. Trump understands the battle in which we are engaged for the heart and soul of America. He fights back with the appropriate weapons and intensity.

While I watched Trump’s speech, I chuckled thinking about the reaction of Democrats, fake news media and the deep state. Trump exposed their lies, hypocrisy, and illegal silent coup to reverse the 2016 election. I wonder how many of them have to replace their TV after throwing a brick through it.

I suspect many Republicans were uncomfortable watching Trump’s speech. He simply does not play by standard so-called “dignified” Washington DC rules. Trump is one of a kind. He follows his instincts; a man of and for the people. Only an outsider like Trump could break through the Washington DC walls of insider corruption to stack up unprecedented wins for We the People.

Born in 1927, Sidney Poitier was the first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor. When he went to Hollywood, Poitier’s brain was not infected with limitations on what blacks were allowed to do. Poitier simply pursued his dream. I see Trump in a similar light. Trump arrived in Washington D.C. not limited by how he as a Republican was expected to behave. Trump simply set out to fulfill his campaign promise to make America great again.

Thank God that despite all of his advisers and despite deep state, Democrat and fake news media political assassins laser-focused on undermining his presidency, Trump has remained “Trump”. He is the same guy we sent to the Oval Office. Folks, that is incredible.

Trump’s speech revealed a far more ideologically conservative Trump than he was is 2016. When Trump ran for the presidency, he was not ideological. His leanings appeared to be towards the left. He probably thought conservatives were a bit paranoid and over-the-top sounding the alarm about how Democrats seek to undermine our country’s best interests. But when the American left responded with furious wrath and anger against Trump for his “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan, Trump’s eyes were opened. Incredibly, the American left’s vitriolic insane 24/7 relentless rebuke and hatred for everything Trump does good for America has pushed Trump further to the right.

In the Bible, Joseph’s brothers’ hatred for him caused them to sell him into slavery. Amazingly, it led to Joseph becoming a mega-powerful government official. The Bible said while Joseph’s brothers meant it for evil, God meant it for good.

Leftists meant their ever-increasing deranged hatred for Trump and attempts to stop him for evil. God meant it for good. Trump is closer to the ideals and values of the American people than ever.

Trump’s speech included a few other things which had Democrats and fake news media falling to the floor, groaning in great pain, like Dracula shown the cross. In defense of the unborn, Trump boldly said Republicans believe every life is a sacred gift from God. Trump unapologetic proclaimed that we will live by the words of our national motto, “In God We Trust”. Remember when Obama decreed that America is not a Christian nation? Democrats and fake news media are relentless in their mission to remove the God of Christianity from our government and culture. Democrats’ latest attempt to make God illegal is their falsely titled, “Equality Act”. 

Concluding his speech, Trump said, “A vote for any Democrat in 2020 is a vote for the rise of radical socialism and the destruction of the American dream.”

I say, “Amen brother!”

RELATED VIDEO: Rod Thomson On ABC: Trump Nails Speech, Democrats Pull Hair.

TDS Outbreak: ACLU Issues Florida ‘Travel Alert’ After Sanctuary Cities Ban

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Is there a leftist organization that has not gone nutty as a fruitcake in the Age of Trump?

The latest to evince TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) is the American Civil Liberties Union. The group has always been well left of center and trending further left. They’ve long not been fans of protecting, say, religious liberties when conflicting with the gay agenda.

But their reaction to Florida’s strong, new anti-sanctuary cities law is just precious in its nuttiness. It doesn’t even really attempt to make a legal or ethical case.

For Florida Republicans and Gov. Ron DeSantis, it’s simply a promise made and a promise kept. He tweeted:

“Earlier this year, I made a promise that we would ban sanctuary cities in Florida and today we are delivering on that promise. I am proud to sign the bill presented to me by the FL Legislature to uphold the rule of law and ensure that our communities are safe.”

First, the ACLU of Florida issued a “travel advisory” regarding Florida following the enactment of the law when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it last week. A travel advisory! Like, don’t travel to Venezuela or North Korea. If you travel to those countries, you may be killed. If you travel to Florida…they may follow federal law? They might cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials? Alert!

But that was not the full extent of their radical response to a law that shouldn’t even be necessary except that the American left has tipped off a cliff.

Here’s the tweet that the national ACLU sent out regarding Florida following the law regarding cooperating with immigration authorities:

“Today, Gov. DeSantis signed the un-American SB 168 bill into law, a reckless expansion of state government and an affront to the democratic values we share. The law is anti-immigrant, unconstitutional, inhumane, and hurts our families and communities.”

Remember, this bill merely says that municipalities have to work with federal immigration authorities to enforce federal law. For 90 percent of American history it was a given that would be the case (excluding the Civil War, but kind of a different thing there.)

But now we need laws telling Democrat-run municipalities they are not allowed to openly disobey federal law. It’s still a little hard to imagine this is necessary, let alone that it could ever be controversial.

But now it’s unconstitutional? It’s unconstitutional to require that federal law be followed? It’s anti-immigrant to say that local authorities can’t shelter people living here illegally who have been arrested for a different crime? It hurts “our” families and communities to follow the law? It’s inhumane?!?!

It’s impossible to take the ACLU seriously anymore with such wild hyperbole. Too bad. Because I personally know there are at least a few reasonable people in the Florida ACLU who have tried to keep the organization from going full-blown radical partisan.

Obviously they’ve lost the battle.

Just go ahead and categorize the ACLU with the Southern Poverty Law Center and so many other groups that played some sort of honest roll at one point, but are now just Democratic Party hacks.

RELATED ARTICLE: It’s Not Just Central America: Where Illegal Immigrants on the Border Come From

RELATED VIDEO: Federation for American Immigration Reform’s RJ Hauman and Preston Huennekens discuss Congress’ approach to addressing the immigration crisis.

EDITORS NOTE: This Revolutionary Act column is republished with permission. All rights reserved.