November 26-29, 2019
Nov 26 04:01 More Government Control, Less Parental Voice Nov 26 04:48 Impeachment isn't inevitable Nov 26 10:51 Verifying a storyline isn't proof Nov 27 06:40 The Democrats' worst nightmare? Nov 27 15:08 Democrats' smear campaign Nov 28 15:46 Trump campaign efficiencies, etc. Nov 28 21:49 A history of Thanksgiving? Nov 29 09:10 DFL/DHS corruption continues Nov 29 16:26 Dems won't let impeachment go
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More Government Control, Less Parental Voice
More Government Control, Less Parental Voice
By Ramblin' Rose
At a campaign rally at Clark-Atlanta University, a historically black college, the night after the Democrat debate in Atlanta, Georgia, Powerful Parent Network protestors, predominantly black, chanted 'Our children, our choice!' Pro-choice at that moment did not advocate abortion, rather school choice. Elizabeth Warren claimed in her speech that she wants good schools for all children and therefore must increase spending for public schools and completely ban for-profit charter schools, nor would she support expansion of charter schools, according to her aide. Warren would also direct the Internal Revenue Service 'to investigate nonprofit charters that are run by for-profit entities or operate with the assistance of for-profit service providers.'
But school-choice advocate Sarah Carpenter challenged Warren: 'We want the same choice that you had for your kids because I read that your children went to private school.' Warren denied the reports, saying, 'No, my children went to public schools.'
Warren's claim was not completely accurate. While, technically, she was probably not lying, only covering up 'the whole truth and nothing but the truth,' her communications director Kristen Orthman clarified the next day that the candidate's daughter did attend public schools and her son did as well - until 5th grade and then attended an expensive private school - tuition is currently $18,000 a year - Kirby Hall School in Austin, Texas, where the student/teacher ratio is 5:1. Her daughter attended Anderson High School, a public school ranked as one of the best in the country per U.S. News and World Report. Neither school would fit the profile of the schools represented by the attendees of the rally in Atlanta.
Nor does her personal wealth reflect that of middle America - Forbes listed her personal wealth at $12 million. Warren is adamant about giving away other people's money: and now for schools.
Unfortunately for Warren, the data do not support her plan. The 2019 NAEP Report confirmed claims of failure but also pointed out that enormous amounts of taxpayer money have not closed the achievement gap. In fact, the gap is widening. The Trump administration advocates more parental choice.
Education Secretary DeVos reacted to the October 30, 2019 release of the Nation's Report Card with these words:
'Every American family needs to open The Nation's Report Card this year and think about what it means for their child and for our country's future. The results are, frankly, devastating. This country is in a student achievement crisis, and over the past decade it has continued to worsen, especially for our most vulnerable students.
"Two out of three of our nation's children aren't proficient readers. In fact, fourth grade reading declined in 17 states and eighth grade reading declined in 31. The gap between the highest and lowest performing students is widening, despite $1 trillion in Federal spending over 40 years designated specifically to help close it.
"This must be America's wake-up call. We cannot abide these poor results any longer. We can neither excuse them away nor simply throw more money at the problem.
"This Administration has a transformational plan to help America's forgotten students escape failing schools. By expanding education freedom, students can break out of the one-size-fits-all system and learn in the ways that will unlock their full potential. They deserve it. Parents demand it. And, it's the only way to bring about the change our country desperately needs.'
Time to check out the data: at least a part of the problem relates to the number of people in the public schools and who they are. According to the findings of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, the number of administrators in K-12 schools has increased 2.3 times faster than the number of students in the last 20 years. Since 1950, that increase in administrative positions has grown by 700%. In 1970, the student/teacher ratio was 22.3/1 in public schools. In 2015, it had dropped to 16.0/1. So smaller class size has not produced higher test scores. More administrative staff didn't produce higher test scores, either.
Once again, candidate Warren has been trapped by deceit and lies - her ethnicity, her firing for being pregnant, her children attending public schools.
Even ABC News reported the event as an attempt to pander to black voters - a focus on black issues at a black institution with a DJ playing Drake and DMX songs and introduced by Pressley (one of 'the Squad') who is the first black woman from Massachusetts serving in Congress.
At least at this event, the candidate found opposition to her propensity to fund federal program with other people's money. This time, the people resisted her push for fewer parental choices for their children in attending schools other than the publicly supported ones dominated with progressive programs of indoctrination.
Posted Tuesday, November 26, 2019 4:01 AM
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Impeachment isn't inevitable
Based on this information , it's apparent that impeachment isn't inevitable anymore. As polling for impeachment craters, more Democrats are jumping ship. One of the latest Democrats that's jumped ship is "Rep. Brenda Lawrence, a prominent supporter of Kamala Harris who has previously supported the impeachment inquiry."
Just like polls aren't the most reliable predictors of election outcomes, polling doesn't always paint an accurate picture of what's happening with issues. Watching partisan politicians actions are often a better indicator. In this instance, Lawrence's actions tell us everything we need to know. If the Democrats' impeachment hearing had produced the quantity of "bombshell" testimony that the MSM reported, the Democrats that run the Impeachment Committee would've stayed in DC to write their report. That isn't happening. This is:
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When Adam Schiff responded to Jake Tapper's question about impeachment, nobody in the civilized world would've anticipated his answer that he wanted to talk to his constituents and his colleagues. The Adam Schiff of a month ago would've quickly responded with a 'yes, we're moving forward with impeachment. The evidence is overwhelming and it speaks for itself.' This Adam Schiff is more contemplative, cautious, less confident.
Lawrence occupies a safely Democratic district that includes eastern Detroit, and her reluctance to move forward with impeachment suggested that moderate Democrats in swing districts may also be getting cold feet now that all scheduled hearings in the probe wrapped up last week.
If Lawrence isn't on board with impeachment, then it isn't going anywhere. It's one thing to favor censure if you're a Democrat representing a purple district. It's another thing when you're advocating for censure from a safe district.
Expect more defections from the Democrats' "impeachment bandwagon." Whether enough defect to sink impeachment is still too early to tell. Still, this is proof that the Democrats' impeachment hearings were a dud.
Posted Tuesday, November 26, 2019 4:48 AM
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Verifying a storyline isn't proof
If I got $100 each time a CNN, NBC or MSNBC said "bombshell testimony", I'd have nice-sized nest egg to live off of. If I got another $100 each time Adam Schiff or one of the pundits insisted that proof was overwhelming, I'd be a multi-millionaire. The thing is that we didn't witness any bombshell testimony. I'm still waiting for the first bit of verified proof of an impeachable offense that wasn't demolished on cross-examination.
Last week, the nation heard lots of testimony that corroborated the MSM's storyline. We didn't hear verified proof that President Trump committed an impeachable offense. Initially, Gordon Sondland used his opening statement to say "as I testified previously, Mr. Giuliani's requests were a quid pro quo for arranging a White House visit for President Zelensky. Mr. Giuliani demanded that Ukraine make a public statement announcing investigations of the 2016 election/DNC server and Burisma. Mr. Giuliani was expressing the desires of the President of the United States, and we knew that these investigations were important to the President."
Later in his opening statement , Sondland said this:
In the absence of any credible explanation for the suspension of aid, I later came to believe that the resumption of security aid would not occur until there was a public statement from Ukraine committing to the investigations of the 2016 election and Burisma, as Mr. Giuliani had demanded.
Notice that Sondland said "In the absence of any credible explanation for the suspension of aid, I later came to believe..." Mike Turner noticed them. When it was his time to question Sondland, he utterly demolished Sondland's testimony:
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When Jim Jordan cross-examined Bill Taylor, this was the memorable moment from that exchange:
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These were moments when the storyline was exploded. The thing they had in common is that they happened during cross-examination. Whether Sondland or Taylor are Deep State guys or not, they were billed as star witnesses by Chairman Schiff, Schiff's Democrats and/or the MSM. When Taylor and Sondland were finished, their credibility was gone. That's the truth.
The storyline didn't withstand scrutiny. What proof did Marie Yovanovitch provide? What proof did Fiona Hill provide? David Holmes? David Hale? George Kent? Lt. Col. Vindman? They didn't provide verifiable testimony that President Trump had committed an impeachable offense. In fact, the thing that Ms. Yovanovitch will be remembered for is admitting that she wasn't the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine at the time of the Trump-Zelenskiy call because she'd gotten fired from that position in April.
The MSM hasn't refuted the Republicans' cross-examinations. That's interesting because Republicans have refuted the MSM's storyline and the testifiers' opening statements. Call me crazy but that's proof that Democrats have a weak case. If this was presented in a criminal court, Democrats wouldn't have had a lengthy trial because most of their 'witnesses' didn't witness anything. That's why I've consistently called them testifiers.
The American people saw that. That's why independents don't support impeachment anymore. The 'horserace' polls show support for impeachment but diving into those polls show shrinking support amongst independents. For all intents and purposes, impeachment is dead.
Good riddance.
Posted Tuesday, November 26, 2019 10:51 AM
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The Democrats' worst nightmare?
Are Democrats staring at a perfect storm-nightmare scenario in 2020? Obviously there's too much time between Thanksgiving, 2019, and Election Day 2020 to make a prediction but it isn't too early to speculate. First, let's talk about a potential storm brewing on the topic of K-12 education.
The article starts by saying "The night before Democratic presidential candidates took to a debate stage here last week, black and Latino charter school parents and supporters gathered in a bland hotel conference room nearby to make signs they hoped would get the politicians' attention. 'Charter schools = self-determination,' one sign read. 'Black Democrats want charters!' another blared."
Then it continues, saying "At issue is the delicate politics of race and education. For more than two decades, Democrats have largely backed public charter schools as part of a compromise to deliver black and Latino families a way out of failing district schools. Charters were embraced as an alternative to the taxpayer-funded vouchers for private-school tuition supported by Republicans, who were using the issue to woo minority voters. But this year, in a major shift, the leading Democratic candidates are backing away from charter schools , and siding with the teachers' unions that oppose their expansion. And that has left some black and Latino families feeling betrayed . "
This is apparently ruffling a few feathers in Atlanta and other major cities across the nation. Couple this perceived betrayal with record low minority unemployment and rising wages in minority communities and it isn't a stretch to think that there's a great opportunity for a pro-GOP realignment within minority communities. That's what appears to be happening :
A Rasmussen poll released last week showed that 34 percent of black likely voters approve of Trump's presidency, an increase from last year when it was in the 20s and a finding that lines up with an Emerson poll which showed 34.5 percent approval as well as a drop in support for impeachment.
If President Trump gets one-third of the African-American vote, Democrats will lose in a landslide. (In 1980, then-Candidate Reagan won 44 states and 489 electoral votes .) If Trump gets to 350-375 electoral votes, that'll be the biggest GOP landslide since George H.W. Bush's victory in 1988.
If Trump does well, it's impossible to believe that it won't be a big night for Republicans up and down the ticket. Going into this cycle, Democrats were facing difficult headwinds in maintaining control of the House because Democrats are defending seats that Trump won. That's why Republicans will likely retake the House majority.
Posted Wednesday, November 27, 2019 6:40 AM
Comment 1 by John Palmer at 27-Nov-19 11:20 PM
Gary you got caught in some cynical thinking when you wrote: Charters were embraced as an alternative to the taxpayer-funded vouchers for private-school tuition supported by Republicans, who were using the issue to woo minority voters. Not all Republicans desire taxpayer-funded vouchers since with vochers come strings. Many Republicans do not want any chance for government control over private education. I can not speak for Republicans but I can remind you that the concept of school choice was heavily advocated by Milton Friedman in "Free to Choose". The reason Friedman pushed school choice was to improve education for all students. Improved education outcomes like an improving economy raises all boats. If school choice also has political benefits that is a beneficial side effect but should not be the only calculous used in improved educational outcomes.
Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 28-Nov-19 08:35 PM
That's just a quote. Competition is what's important. Since Democrats insist on a failed monopolistic system that was developed in the 20th century, I insist on the opposite. We talk about the states being the "laboratories of democracy." Fair enough. I'd modify that, though, & say that conservatism should be where we try new ideas when things aren't working. With K-12 & higher education, I think in terms of trying new systems in the same way that hockey coaches think of pulling their goalie when they're a goal or 2 goals down with 2 minutes left in regulation. Their thought is simple: why preserve a 1-goal or 2-goal loss? Let's play at least for a tie & possibly for a victory?
Democrats' smear campaign
The Democrats' smear campaign isn't stopping. Instead, it's hitting new lows. CNN published a story insisting that House Impeachment Committee Ranking Member Devin Nunes had visited Ukraine to dig up dirt on the Biden family . The CNN article opens by saying "(CNN)A lawyer for an indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani told CNN that his client is willing to tell Congress about meetings the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee had in Vienna last year with a former Ukrainian prosecutor to discuss digging up dirt on Joe Biden. The attorney, Joseph A. Bondy, represents Lev Parnas, the recently indicted Soviet-born American who worked with Giuliani to push claims of Democratic corruption in Ukraine. Bondy said that Parnas was told directly by the former Ukrainian official that he met last year in Vienna with Rep. Devin Nunes." It continues, saying "Mr. Parnas learned from former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Victor Shokin that Nunes had met with Shokin in Vienna last December,' said Bondy."
Talk about ironclad hearsay. I'm impressed. Not . This is worthless. It wouldn't be admitted in a court of law. That isn't the worst of it, though. This is:
Lev Parnas's attorney has told me that his client would not be making these claims if he didn't have text messages and other such evidence to back them up.
- Vicky Ward (@VickyPJWard) November 23, 2019
CNN is running a major story that Devin Nunes met with a Ukrainian prosecutor on the word of a defense attorney whose client is facing serious charges? They're publishing the article without seeing the texts? They're just taking the defense attorney's word without verification?
It's difficult to picture a reporter being that gullible. Did she just throw out everything she learned in Journalism 101? That's what it looks like.
"For all of the last three years, including the Russia hoax to the Ukraine hoax, this is the mother of all fake news stories. There is not one bigger than this," Nunes said. "And so next week, we are going to take them to court. They will have an opportunity to come to court so that we can subpoena each other. We can get discovery. We can set people down for depositions. And I have a bet for you, Sean. CNN and The Daily Beast are going to run for cover. They're going to fight this. They're not going to show up in court. They're not going to accept service."
Devin Nunes has been maligned by the MSM for years. They've insisted that he's blindly running interference for the Trump administration. What the MSM fails to admit is that, at least once a month, Nunes' claims are proven right. It's time CNN and the Daily Beast are held accountable.
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Posted Wednesday, November 27, 2019 3:08 PM
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Trump campaign efficiencies, etc.
One thing that Brad Parscale isn't getting credit for is his installing efficiencies into the Trump campaign. That will change as more information (like this) gets out: Dr. Gina Loudon was at President Trump's rally in Sunrise, FL, Tuesday night. She's the national co-chair of the Women For Trump campaign. Dr. Gina reported that Republicans registered 31,000 voters at Tuesday night's rally. First, that's a staggering total. I'm certain that President Trump is the only candidate in this race who could accomplish anything like this, mostly because there isn't a Democrat in the race who can attract that big of a crowd. It's important to remind people that Sunrise, FL is in Broward County, one of the bluest counties in Florida.
Next, Dr. Gina reported that 30% of the registrations were Democrats who switched allegiances to the GOP. Again, that's an astronomical number, one that certainly frightens Democrats. Third, Dr. Gina reported that 27% of the registrations were Hispanics.
This isn't just happening in Sunrise. It's happening at each of President Trump's rallies. They've registered voters in El Paso, TX, Houston, TX, Orlando, FL, and New Mexico. If these attendees of Trump rallies turn into votes, which a high percentage will do, it'll be a game-changer. Think of all of the new Republicans that this efficiency will create. That isn't good news for Democrats.
Brad Todd was on The Story Wednesday night. He's the co-author of The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics along with Salena Zito. He told guest-host Ed Henry that Democrats aren't even trying to win back the blue collar workers they lost to Trump in 2016. If that's true, then Democrats face an uphill fight in 2020.
Finally, there's the Trump campaign's minority outreach program. Based on multiple recent polling, President Trump's approval rating is improving with minorities. He's at 34% with African-Americans in a recent Rasmussen poll. He's at 34.5% with African-Americans in a recent Emerson poll.
If Democrats aren't attempting to win back blue collar voters, which appears to be the case, and if President Trump is making inroads into minority communities, which appears to be happening, then Pennsylvania and Michigan would be uphill fights for Democrats. Factor in the Trump/RNC cash advantage and the Democrats' hill gets even harder to climb. Factor in the great economy and that hill might look more like Kilimanjaro than foothill.
Posted Thursday, November 28, 2019 3:46 PM
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A history of Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving - Historical Truth or PC Myth?
By Ramblin' Rose
The Left seems determined to destroy our country in Congress, the courts and classrooms. Of those venues, they've probably made the greatest gains in our educational system through indoctrination. Anti-Americans are convincing our youth that the history books are lies and 'they' have the real truth. Of course, that means that 'they' must rewrite our history, declaring all white Europeans were villains that came to this hemisphere for pre-meditated massacres of the indigenous peoples to steal their lands. Later, those of 'white privilege' also imported black slaves. This storyline promotes the minority ethnic groups are 'victims' whom the Left must dominate for the 'abusers' to buy forgiveness (reparations) from their ill-gotten wealth. And the Left gets to rewrite history for their gain.
Eighth graders in Portland, Oregon heard this definition of Thanksgiving: 'a celebration of the genocide of the Indians by greedy capitalist Europeans.'
Activists do not only attend Ivy League schools or universities in southern California. Students at Macalester College (a Christian college according to a headline) called Thanksgiving an 'unethical' holiday, just like Columbus Day and Christmas break. For those students, Thanksgiving is about violence and oppression.
Several of the 2020 Democrat candidates for the presidency have advocated paying reparations for all the misdeeds of those 'white' evildoers committed against their 'victims.' If liberals consider the Indians so pathetic, why do sports teams claim Indian names? Why are military armaments named after Indians? Yes, the Left is trying to remove those identities as well. Progressives need the downtrodden to depend on them for survival and provide liberal elitists with power and control.
Many parents assume that teachers are educated persons dedicated to imparting knowledge to the next generation. Yes, BUT: The parents are often too busy to examine the curriculum of the schools that their children attend. Liberals have the opportunity to rewrite history texts that are eagerly printed and distributed by ultra-left publishing companies that are also responsible for mentoring states in writing their teacher licensure exams. The Left have written the tests and determined the 'right' answers for the current group of modern teachers.
One goal is to unteach the myth of Thanksgiving. Young learners are eager to learn. Young adults are eager to prove themselves smarter than their parents. The harvest field is ripe.
At Salt River Elementary and Puente de Hozho schools in Arizona, students learn of the traditions of the Native Americans, with emphasis on their identity as indigenous people, harvest and giving thanks. They don't learn about the Pilgrims. The article stresses the liberal bias with this comment: 'Teaching the myth of Thanksgiving is not required in the Arizona state standards for history and social studies. It depends on whether the teachers choose to include it in their lesson plans or the schools' curriculum includes it.' Thanksgiving is only included in the kindergarten and first-grade lessons along with other holidays, not as a part of the history of this great country.
At first blush, the emphasis on identity and traditions of an ethnic group could be considered commendable until one realizes that requests for recognition of holidays and contributions of other immigrant groups who came and enriched our culture are denied. The response usually follows an argument along these lines. 'No, those immigrants came long ago and assimilated into this culture. They have no culture in this country. Those from northern Europe did not add to the history of this country.' (paraphrase and summary to me in academic settings by professional educators)
That is offensive. Liberals are quick to point out that this country is a nation built by immigrants but select which immigrant groups are worthy of recognition - certainly not those of 'white privilege' from northern Europe. Others, yes. And, now some claim that the Native Americans have always occupied this land. Apparently, they now refute the arrival of immigrants via the Bering Strait centuries ago. The modern version also has all indigenous groups living in perfect harmony with one another and nature. Truth or myth? History lessons or indoctrination?
Just as the Left refuses to acknowledge Christmas or even utter the word, they are also attempting to change Thanksgiving to 'Indigenous Peoples' Day.'
History professor and author David J. Silverman wrote an op-ed in the New York Times that summarizes the anti-American view of Thanksgiving.
'Contrary to the Thanksgiving myth, the Pilgrim-Wampanoag encounter was no first-contact meeting. Rather, it followed a string of bloody episodes since 1524 in which European explorers seized coastal Wampanoags to be sold into overseas slavery or to be trained as interpreters and guides.
'In 1616, a European ship conveyed an epidemic disease to the Wampanoags that over the next three years took a staggering toll on their population:
'The challenges are undoubtedly stark. The Native American past and present tend to make white people uncomfortable because they turn patriotic histories and heroes inside out and loosen claims on morality, authority and justice. They threaten to tear down monuments and rename buildings. But confronting the dark history of colonialism in Indian country also promises to shed light, cultivate national humility and, most important, signal to Native people that the country values them.' (an aside: What is the new name for Lake Calhoun in Minnesota?)
In his book, This Land is Their Land, Silverman explains the myth.
'The myth is that friendly Indians, unidentified by tribe, welcome the Pilgrims to America, teach them how to live in this new place, sit down to dinner with them and then disappear. They hand off America to white people so they can create a great nation dedicated to liberty, opportunity and Christianity for the rest of the world to profit. That's the story - it's about Native people conceding to colonialism. It's bloodless and in many ways an extension of the ideology of Manifest Destiny.'
'One is that history doesn't begin for Native people until Europeans arrive. People had been in the Americas for at least 12,000 years and according to some Native traditions, since the beginning of time.
'In 1769, a group of pilgrim descendants who lived in Plymouth felt like their cultural authority was slipping away as New England became less relevant within the colonies and the early republic and wanted to boost tourism. So, they started to plant the seeds of this idea that the pilgrims were the fathers of America.
'It gained purchase in the late 19th century, when there was an enormous amount of anxiety and agitation over immigration. The white Protestant stock of the United States was widely unhappy about the influx of European Catholics and Jews and wanted to assert its cultural authority over these newcomers. How better to do that than to create this national founding myth around the Pilgrims and the Indians inviting them to take over the land?'
History.com provides a timeline related to celebrating historical events to give thanksgiving. One paragraph contradicts the previous statements.
'Archival evidence is slim, but according to a letter from Plymouth colonist Edward Winslow, dated December 11, 1621, the colonists wanted to celebrate their first good crop of corn and barley grown with generous assistance from the native Wampanoag Indians.'
Edward Winslow, one who had been instrumental in organizing the journey to America and one of the men who signed the Mayflower Compact, wrote his historic account of that celebration in 1621.
'Our corn did prove well, and God be praised, we had a good increase of Indian corn, and our barley indifferent good, but our peas not worth gathering, for we feared they were too late sown. They came up very well, and blossomed, but the sun parched them in the blossom. Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruits of our labors; they four in one day killed as much fowl, as with a little help beside, served the company almost a week, at which time amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms, many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our Governor, and upon the Captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful, as it was at this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want, that we often wish you partakers of our plenty.'
Melanie Kirkpatrick, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and the author of "Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience," also focuses on the positive relationship between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. But her statements vary dramatically from the previous expose.
'what most consider the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in October 1621 after the pilgrims' first harvest. The feast lasted for three days and included games and all-around good cheer. It was attended by 90 Wampanoag warriors and 53 Pilgrims, according to Pilgrim Edward Winslow's account.
'It's unclear whether the Wampanoag were expected to be there or even invited - although they did bring enough venison to feed the entire party for three days. It's also likely that this was (at least in the beginning) a tense interaction. The Native Americans were all male warriors. They outnumbered the Pilgrims nearly 2:1, and many of the Pilgrims included women and children, who were not trained for battle.
'Nevertheless, the two groups gathered and gave thanks for the bounty of the harvest, and the rich natural resources of this American continent. There was plenty for which to be thankful. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag had settled on a peace treaty - and the English newcomers had survived the winter largely because the natives had shown them how to plant corn, where to fish, and how to survive in the environment'
While there was much to be thankful for at that gathering, it was not called 'Thanksgiving.'
Although arguments, both historical and liberal, abound, this article highlights some of the salient views of both sides. No, I am not ready to embrace statements about the Englishmen who traveled in a small ship across the Atlantic with their families to exploit the Indians and to teach their women and children how to massacre the savages. I am convinced that those Pilgrims faced an intolerable tyrant in England and were willing to risk all in pursuit of religious freedoms and a better life. I am not convinced that the Indigenous Peoples inhabited North America from the beginning of time and lived in harmony with all other tribes and were committed environmentalists. I believe that there were honorable and courageous Pilgrims and Indians who worked together to live in peaceful harmony - a harmony that was broken by corrupt persons in both societies.
I pray humbly and fervently that stability and unity once again are a reality in this nation blessed by our Almighty Creator.
Happy Thanksgiving - Thanks be to God, to the Pilgrims, to the compassionate Native Americans and for the generations that have worked to make this a great nation.
Posted Thursday, November 28, 2019 9:49 PM
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DFL/DHS corruption continues
You can't make this stuff up. Just when you thought that Minnesota's Department of Human Services couldn't get more corrupt, more proof surfaces proving that it's totally corrupted. It's worth noting that the DFL was in charge the vast majority of the time that DHS was corrupted.
Let's start with the fact that there are 3 new scandals that DHS has to deal with .
Just recently we learned of three new financial management errors at the department . Counties and tribes will have to foot the bill for these mistakes, to the tune of more than $20 million. We also learned that DHS and other state agencies routinely violated state contract and spending laws , with more than 1,800 violations in the last year alone.
Sen. Michelle Benson had this to say about the situation:
I am cautiously optimistic that the new commissioner, Jodi Harpstead, is sincerely interested in fixing the problems at the department. She has made a habit of personally calling to let me know of new problems before they have become public. This is a welcome change of pace from the last few years. However, I will continue to judge her by her actions rather than her words, and if we don't see adequate progress we will hold her accountable.
I do, however, expect far more from Gov. Walz. He doesn't seem remotely interested in the problems happening on his watch and he has not been willing to engage with legislative leaders. If he doesn't get in the game soon, we are going to have big problems. He can't ignore this.
Gov. Walz has paid attention to the insulin crisis, though that's largely been fixed. Gov. Walz hasn't paid much attention to the DHS problem because that 'just' involves mismanaging millions of taxpayers' dollars. Then there's this from Rep. Mary Franson:
Carolyn Ham, the former Inspector General, is still on paid leave from DHS. She repeatedly showed poor judgement in addressing fraud in the Child Care Assistance Program. Based on emails obtained through a data request, it appears she had more interest in managing the political ramifications of the fraud than investigating the fraud itself.
Ham also continued working with the Minnesota Minority Child Care Association (MMCCA), even though the President of MMCCA was sanctioned by DHS for fraud. She tried to throw off reporters looking into her relationship with the MMCCA president, saying she "didn't recall" meeting with him, even though he claimed they met three times.
Rather than Carolyn Ham updating the Legislature on fraud investigations, she instead went to MMCCA and another activist association to solicit input on the fraud situation and discuss "consequences for political agendas." Then, when a story about $100 million in Child Care Assistance fraud was about to break, Ham wanted to give MMCCA a "heads up."
Wow! That's bigtime corruption on steroids. Unfortunately, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Here's more:
Included in the documents I received from DHS, I also learned that a Deputy Inspector was told during a meeting with child care providers that "it is well known that providers give kickbacks to mothers for bringing their children and supplied fake paychecks." Meanwhile, our investigators are being treated like criminals while DHS is completely aware that corruption is present in the CCAP program.
What isn't disputed is that he DFL is in charge of DHS. The DHS is part of the executive branch, which is the governor's responsibility. We've had DFL control of DHS for a decade. Finally, there's this frightening report:
In one email, an employee debated issuing a check to a child care center for $24,000, rather than the usual electronic payment. The reason for the change? Their initial payment was rejected due to the account being frozen - because the center's owner is associated with a Taliban official .
How do you ask that question after seeing the account is frozen? This isn't just a meaningless detail. It's a major red flag and the DFL missed it entirely. That type of incompetence can't be tolerated.
Posted Friday, November 29, 2019 9:10 AM
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Dems won't let impeachment go
Democrats won't let impeachment go . They're too invested in it to let go until the Democrats' House majority is pried from their fingers next November by voters. That will happen next November.
The Democrats are delusional. Here's what the looniest Democrats think:
Right now, Democratic leaders seem intent on a quick process: impeachment in the House before Christmas and a trial in the Senate sometime in the next few months. House leaders believe they have enough evidence to impeach the president . Finding enough Republicans to convict him in the Senate by a two-thirds vote looks impossible.
That's foolish. Democrats still haven't found a scintilla of evidence of anything. They've found corroboration for the MSM's storyline but that isn't proof. The Democrats' big moment was supposed to happen when Bill Taylor testified. Things didn't go as expected:
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Ambassador Taylor didn't talk with President Trump so Taylor's understanding of the situation was based on hearsay. With a few exceptions, hearsay can't be used as evidence. The other man that was supposed to put the final nail in President Trump's coffin was Gordon Sondland, the US Ambassador to the EU. That didn't end pretty either:
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Though Democrats won't admit it, they don't have evidence that President Trump committed an impeachment offense. In Watergate, there was proof that Nixon told people to perjure themselves. That's what real obstruction of justice looks like. In Watergate, there was evidence that President Nixon told FBI agents that they didn't need warrants to wiretap antiwar protesters' phone calls. That's what a legitimate constitutional crisis looks like. It's disgusting to compare the Democrats' attempt to impeach President Trump with hearsay 'evidence' with a unified House and a unified Senate telling President Nixon that he'd be impeached, then convicted if he dragged it out.
Democrats will lose their majority in the House if they keep this up. Here's why :
When asked to rank 11 issues as top priorities, impeachment placed last among independents , with just 27 percent ranking it as the top priority. For comparison, 74 percent selected the deficit, 72 percent selected healthcare, and 70 percent selected infrastructure spending as the top priority.
Voters simply don't care about impeachment. You can beat a dead horse until your arms are sore but that critter still won't eat, drink or swim. If Democrats keep beating that dead horse, their only 'reward' will be electoral defeats.
Posted Friday, November 29, 2019 4:26 PM
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