September 18-21, 2020

Sep 18 06:05 Biden's bail fund fiasco
Sep 18 06:51 Will Trump, Lewis flip Minnesota red?
Sep 18 12:38 Surprise, surprise! Trump voters aren't traditional Republicans

Sep 19 04:32 Ruth Bader Ginsburg, RIP

Sep 20 02:11 Democrats threaten violence if Trump nominates RBG replacement
Sep 20 02:37 Candace Owens: in her own words
Sep 20 13:34 Is Biden creating a Trump landslide?

Sep 21 05:28 The Democrats' not-so-idle threats
Sep 21 16:45 Nancy Pelosi's impeachment threat

Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug

Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

Biden's bail fund fiasco

I'm stunned that Joe Biden, the law & order candidate in this presidential election, hired staffers who then bailed out an accused child abuser . How can someone who has consistently insisted on being tough on criminals go so soft on an alleged child abuser? Sorry for the sarcasm to open this article. This article is meant to highlight the fact that Democrats have failed at multiple levels to protect the residents of Minneapolis.

Tim Walz, the DFL governor of Minnesota, flinched when Jacob Frey, the DFL mayor of Minneapolis, requested National Guard troops when the riots first broke out. Gov. Walz didn't send the troops, then accused Frey of choking. Then there's the Minneapolis City Council, the all-DFL city council whose brilliant idea was to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department without having a plan on what to replace the MPD and without talking the people living in Minneapolis. But I digress.
Timothy Wayne Columbus, a 36-year-old-man, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly penetrating a girl in 2015 when she was about 8 years old . A warrant was issued for his arrest on June 25. But he was later bailed out of jail and according to a court document, filed to have his bail money returned to Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), the organization Harris and many Biden staffers asked their followers to donate to during the rioting in Minneapolis earlier this year.

The story was first reported by Alpha News MN and The Daily Caller. "If you're able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota," Harris tweeted on June 1.


This is disturbing news:
[Video no longer available]
Then there's this:
The allegations against Columbus are macabre. The arrest warrant in the case states that the girl Columbus allegedly assaulted lived with her grandmother, who regularly spent time with her friend "Tim," while the girl was seven and eight years old. When the girl was about eight, the victim told police, "'Tim' laid her on her couch and held her down as he unbuckled his pants and then pulled down her pants. Victim stated he then 'put his thing inside me.'"

Finally, there's this:
FOX 9 reported earlier this summer that MFF had raised $35 million in the wake of George Floyd's death in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department. A recent update on its website indicates that it has spent at least $3,475,000 bailing people out of jail in recent months, with just $210,000 of that being spent bailing out protesters and rioters who were arrested in the unrest immediately following Floyd's death.

FOX 9 also first exposed some of the non-protesters being bailed out by MFF, including Darnika Floyd, who was charged with second-degree murder after allegedly stabbing a friend to death, and Christopher Boswell, who is facing charges of sexual assault and kidnapping. The group put up $100,000 on behalf of Floyd and $350,000 on behalf of Boswell.

These are the thugs that the Biden-Harris ticket helped liberate. Do these actions tell us that Biden-Harris is committed to restoring order to our cities? Or do their actions sound like most Democrats who are soft on crime? I'd argue they sound like the latter.

Posted Friday, September 18, 2020 6:05 AM

Comment 1 by eric z at 18-Sep-20 10:31 AM
The thing is a years later assertion - much as the Stormy Daniels situation is that, but with money payments as tangible evidence in the latter instance. Where presumption of innocence holds unless and until any conviction ensues, bail in years ago assertion situations is questionable.

Gary, somebody you dated in high school could assert things about you from back then. After years of silence. Would you want in such an instance to have to make bail or be jailed? Of course not!

Will Trump, Lewis flip Minnesota red?

Salena Zito's latest column shines a bright spotlight on Minnesota's statewide races. Ms. Zito is correct when she writes "The race for the Senate is real in Minnesota. Former Rep. Jason Lewis, who lost his suburban House seat in the Democratic wave election cycle of 2018, has returned, this time for a Senate seat in Minnesota, challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Tina Smith."

First, Tina Smith isn't a household name in Minnesota, especially compared with Amy Klobuchar, aka St. Amy of Hennepin County. Next, Smith isn't an ally of the Iron Range:
"You have Elizabeth Warren come here to Minnesota and say, 'No mining in Minnesota,' and these voters are like, 'Are you kidding me? No mining in Minnesota?' That is the Iron Range. There's a reason they call it the Iron Range. Now, we've got the largest reserves of copper and nickel up there, and they're saying, 'Nope, can't get at them.' And then [Rep.] Betty McCollum, the uber-liberal St. Paul representative, drops a bill that would effectively ban mining on the range. Does Tina Smith, my opponent, pledge to block it? Nope, nary a peep," Lewis explained.

"That is the reason these traditionally Democrat constituents are saying, 'You're leaving me. You're telling me that my way of life on the range is a bad thing. It put my kids through school.' Well, those voters are coming to us in droves," he said.

There's a rumor circulating in Minnesota that the Trump data analytics team has identified 250,000 adults in rural Minnesota who should support President Trump that weren't registered voters at the start of 2020. It isn't a rumor that the Trump campaign has spent tons of money on voter registration drives and GOTV operations. If those people exist, then that's a game-changing event. Trump lost Minnesota by 44,000 votes in 2016. If Trump registers 175,000-200,000 of those rural voters, that'll swamp Biden and Smith. That's before talking about the potential for doing better than expected in the suburbs and the Cities:
Lewis admitted that he still needs to earn the suburban vote, at least part of it, something he did do in 2016 and did not do in the 2018 Democratic wave. 'So, I did win them previous to that cycle, so I've got a little bit of an opening in the suburbs. You add to that the fact of the riots, the fact that the hard Left, the Antifa Left, which is trying to make the argument that one injustice ought to be compounded by another injustice, riots and going after cops ... has clearly put the suburbs even in more play,' he said.

His wife, Leigh, is a former St. Paul police officer. "We're very, very optimistic as we go around the suburbs," Lewis said. "And that's where I live as well; that will put us over the finish line, and the polls are showing that."

With the urban unrest in Minneapolis, Republicans have a great opportunity to do better than expected in Hennepin and Ramsey counties and the suburbs. Lewis should do well in places like Dakota and Carver counties, which have fairly significant rural populations. Let's just say that Tina Smith doesn't do well beyond the inner ring suburbs. Lewis has President Trump's enthusiastic endorsement, which helps in rural Minnesota:
[Video no longer available]
It'll take a perfect storm to fully flip Minnesota. Considering the turbulence that Minnesota's dealt with this year, I'm certainly won't rule out that perfect storm.

Posted Friday, September 18, 2020 6:51 AM

Comment 1 by eric z at 18-Sep-20 10:22 AM
First, Gary, thanks for posting the WashExam link, since it is an outlet I do not follow. Your boxed Warren quote is Jason talking, not the WDashExam author's opinion. Readers might care to know that.

That item stated, "It's unclear whether Minnesota's move to the right in recent elections is sustainable or how much the coalitions of both parties have changed in the last four years or how riots destabilizing city life will make a difference."

To me that is editorializing, and false.

Every statewide office is held by a Democrat. What "move to the right" basis has this DC insider to rely on? Jason's telling her?

It is plain false there is a move to the right. Clinton took Minnesota in 2016 and every statewide office is held by middle-of-the-road democrats except the AG, where Ellison has a progressive history. Klobuchar, Smith, Walz; each is painfully divorced from anything resembling progressive outlook. Centrists each!

Also, the WashExam thing ignores that police brutality was an extenuating factor in the severity of violence in the course of suppression of popular dissent being expressed by protest.

Things escalated from peaceful protest to brutality against protest; and got out of hand.

For some reason the WashExam writer sloughs over the facts. It's editorial opinion, as much as reporting. The impression is the writer talked to Lewis and features his statements, without having talked to Smith. That's not normal if intending an objective item, without bias.

Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 18-Sep-20 10:35 AM
First, Salena Zito isn't a "DC insider." She's a travelling columnist who interviews real people in their towns. She's the first journalist who predicted Trump's victory. She drives from place to place. She never eats at chain restaurants. She never travels on interstate highways on her way to the next stop. She always stays in bed 'n breakfasts.

When 8 Iron Range mayors endorse both Lewis & Trump, that's a shift rightward. Metrocrats like thinking that Hennepin & Ramsey are the only 2 counties in Minnesota but that's fiction.

Saying Klobuchar, Smith & Walz are "centrists each" is laughable. They're centrists compared to total socialists like Bernie & AOC but they aren't centrists.

Comment 2 by Gretchen L Leisen at 18-Sep-20 06:04 PM
Gary, you are correct. EZ says Smith, Klobuchar and Walz are centrists. Comparing them to AOC, the Squad and Bernie Sanders makes all Democrats into centrists. Isn't that an easy thing to do now? Especially when the main stream media is running their public relations as a branch of the Dem Party. Tina Smith is the past head of the Twin Cities Planned Parenthood business. Yes, it is a business who trades in dead baby parts and promote the execution of unborn human beings.

Comment 3 by eric z at 19-Sep-20 01:52 PM
Clearly Trump could take MN. Ditto Lewis. I just had cause to not see that link as unbiased.

GLL - If Walz and Tina are not Rockefeller Repubs, who is? Graham? The Utah Senator? The Conroy husband? Some in the GOP tent support Trump. Some oppose. But moderate Republicans are extinct. The Dem mainstream has taken over that turf. Everything has shifted right; causing progressive mobilization, finally, having enough but uncertain how to fight the machine. A "Tea Party" feeling on the other end of the spectrum.

Dem corporatists in the middle. Romney too, with the Tea Party seeming to fade, or at least to not be getting as much press.

But as to Gary's post title. Sure. It could happen. We don't know until votes get counted.

Response 3.1 by Gary Gross at 20-Sep-20 12:21 AM
I've been reading Salena Zito's writings since 2005. She isn't afraid to report if she's found more support for Republicans or Democrats. She's also the most detailed populist reporter I've ever seen. In 2016, Salena wrote a column about a Bernie delegate to the DNC. When Hillary won the nomination, Salena wrote that this Bernie delegate formed a PAC, raised money, then went to southern Ohio and campaigned there, distributing Trump signs, bumper stickers, etc. that his PAC paid for.

As for Walz & T. Smith, they're do-nothing DFL idiots. RBG's death puts Smith in a difficult reelection position.

Surprise, surprise! Trump voters aren't traditional Republicans

I'm not surprising anyone saying that Trump supporters aren't traditional Republicans. Trump supporters are passionate, multiethnic and happy by nature. Joy Villa fits that description perfectly. Recently, Ms. Villa visited Minnesota for a rally that showed "their support for police, and to urge Gov. Tim Walz to end the emergency orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic." Ms. Villa said "I just reacted because I hate bullies, I hate people who try to shut other people down just because we disagree."

In this videotaped interview, Villa is quoted as saying "This is a 75-year-old man from New York. He's gonna rub people the wrong way. I care about is he getting things done? First Step Act? That helps my black relatives who've been locked up. That helps a lot of black people who've been locked up. We have a better economy. That helps everybody. I'm like 'you can hurt my feelings if you run my country right.'
[Video no longer available]
Saying that my life experiences are different than Ms. Villa's is understatement. The thing that brings Trump supporters together unlike any other group of people in political history is the brotherhood between people of different backgrounds under the umbrella of respecting each other's differences.

That's the opposite of the Cancel Culture Democrats. Whether we're talking Antifa, BLM or other Democrat activists that shout people like Ben Shapiro, Guy Benson or other nontraditional conservatives, you're talking about Censorship Democrats. You're talking fascists, really.

If you haven't noticed, people attending Trump rallies are partying. They're celebrating. That's why 96% of the people who attend a Trump rally vote for him. That's why 98.4% of people who attend a Trump rally and contribute vote for Trump.

Biden's supporters aren't passionate about him. Sen. Harris's supporters aren't passionate about her. She's just another check-the-box progressive phony. There are things that people don't like about President Trump but he gets the important things exactly right. Trump is a natural deal-maker. He's conservative on most things but he isn't ideological like a Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh is. That's fine.

Right now, Trump supporters can't wait to vote to re-elect him. Biden is essentially dead politically. He doesn't stand a chance. For Bernie fans, take it easy. He would've gotten crushed had he been the nominee. He's a wimp, not a revolutionary. Witness how he rolled over for Hillary and Biden. Bernie's hatred for fossil fuels would've gotten him crushed on that issue alone. His Medicare-for-all plan isn't popular, either.

Bill Clinton's Democrats had fun. They made deals, too. Today's Democrats are angry sourpusses who think that the word compromise is something to be avoided at all costs. It's impossible to picture the optimists found across the nation buying into Joe Biden's angry-old-man schtick. He's as likable as a rattlesnake. Before he became Obama's vice president, he was actually likable. These days, he's a grump.

Posted Friday, September 18, 2020 12:38 PM

Comment 1 by eric z at 19-Sep-20 01:42 PM
At least Biden stays trim.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, RIP

Cancer finally took Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life . Chief Justice John Roberts issued a statement that read, in part, "Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague."

Just like Ted Kennedy was the Liberal Lion of the Senate, Ruth Bader-Ginsburg was the liberal lion of the Supreme Court. Opponent and ally alike heaped praise on the woman who got along famously with conservative icon Antonin Scalia. RBG and Scalia were polar opposites in most of their rulings, yet were frequently seen together at operas with their spouses. Now they'll be linked by the fact that their unexpected deaths have started a ton of turmoil in an election year.
The court said Ginsburg, a lifelong champion of women's rights and a fierce advocate for gender equality, died "surrounded by her family at her home in Washington, D.C., due to complications of metastatic pancreas cancer."

RBG's death is certain to touch off a political firestorm in DC. In a year that's already been event-filled X 10, it seems, it's about to get cut-throat. The political debate is already shaping up. It's sure to rock the political world from now to Election Day and beyond.
Minnesota U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis released the following statement regarding the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

'Tonight, I join with all Minnesotans in praying for the family and friends of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She dedicated herself to public service on behalf of our country. Although there are many rulings in which I differed with Justice Ginsburg ideologically, she was a fierce jurist and an honorable public servant. Although she and the late Justice Antonin Scalia differed on judicial philosophy, they are famous for having a close personal friendship. That's the kind of example we can all profit from in this age of fierce political divisiveness."

President Trump was holding a rally in Bemidji, MN, when RBG passed away. He didn't find out until after the rally. Here's his reaction to the news:
[Video no longer available]
Later, President Trump tweeted this statement:


I expect this weekend to be somewhat quiet while the Democrats do their opposition research into President Trump's nominee and Republicans figure out a strategy for getting President Trump's nominee confirmed. If you thought that the Kavanaugh confirmation was a s***storm, that'll look quaint by the time this one is finished.

Posted Saturday, September 19, 2020 4:32 AM

Comment 1 by eric z at 19-Sep-20 01:39 PM
McConnell and Trump, McConnell being front man, will be unseemly in trying to put one more corporatist stiff on the Court. I hope it backfires on them and an election loss is solidified by such crassness. The body is still warm, but they are moving.

Comment 2 by Rex newman at 19-Sep-20 09:12 PM
I have to admire her consistency, almost always for the 'progressive' side. But she did draw some lines of absurdity vs arguments. Would that our nominees had the same reverence for our Constitution.

Democrats threaten violence if Trump nominates RBG replacement

Predictably, Democrat activists have threatened violence if President Trump nominates someone to replace the late Associate Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg. One Democrat activist, Andrew Desiderio, posted a tweet on the subject. Reza Azlan then replied to Desiderio's tweet. Here's that tweet:


Here's Desiderio's original tweet:


Author Aaron Gouveia similarly blasted McConnell's statement, saying: "F--k no. Burn it all down." A Canadian political science professor called for arson, prompting accusations he made a terroristic threat. "Burn Congress down before letting Trump try to appoint anyone to SCOTUS," Waterloo professor Emmett MacFarlane tweeted.

Senate Republicans better wake up. Whether they like it or not, this isn't going away. If Senate Republicans haven't realized that Democrats have declared war on Republican judicial nominees, then they're stupid and need to be replaced ASAP. The truth is that Democrats are coming after every GOP senator, whether they vote before or after the election.

Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, Cory Gardner, Joni Ernst and Lindsey Graham will get targeted by Democrats whether they vote to confirm President Trump's nominee or not so they might as well confirm President Trump's nominee. Democrat politicians and Democrat activists are in win-at-all-cost-mode. If that means demolishing people or institutions, these Democrats won't hesitate in using whatever tactics are required to stop the confirmation of President Trump's SCOTUS nominee. If yoou think I'm bluffing, check this out:
A member of Wisconsin's ethics commission, Scott Ross, ordered Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., to "burn it all down" if he couldn't stop McConnell. "F-----g A, Ed. If you can't shut it down, burn it down," he said. Other tweets didn't contain violent threats but indicated opponents wouldn't take Ginsburg's replacement lying down. If McConnell jams someone through, which he will, there will be riots," warned GQ writer Laura Bassett.

It isn't like these should be treated like idle threats. These are the people who've contributed to bail funds like Minnesota Freedom Fund . I wrote about the exploits of MFF in this post :
Timothy Wayne Columbus, a 36-year-old-man, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly penetrating a girl in 2015 when she was about 8 years old. A warrant was issued for his arrest on June 25. But he was later bailed out of jail and according to a court document, filed to have his bail money returned to Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), the organization Harris and many Biden staffers asked their followers to donate to during the rioting in Minneapolis earlier this year.

According to MFF's website, "At Minnesota Freedom Fund, we believe that wealth should never determine who is kept in jail. That's what the money bail system does. It puts a price on freedom that only a few can afford and many cannot. This system is unjust. That's why we're working to create a society that values the freedom of all people, regardless of class or identity, ends mass incarceration, and invests in restorative and transformative justice."

Restorative justice is the system that let the Parkland shooter roam free without getting flagged by law enforcement agencies. MFF says that this system "is unjust." Tell that to Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was assassinated at Stoneman Douglas HS. But I digress. More on this system of organizations in future articles.

Posted Sunday, September 20, 2020 2:11 AM

Comment 1 by eric z at 20-Sep-20 09:14 AM
McConnell is nothing but an opportunist. One face for Garland, the second face for this Trump gimmick, so a two-faced politician. Not news. We've really known that all along.

The nominees Orange Man selects are the act of war. The attacked side needs to defend. Trump has no concern for any bipartisan choices, such as Kagan was during Obama years.

It will be another corporatist Trump will name. That more than the embryo bit is the actual inner Republican Party aim. Schumer does not effectively oppose it, since he's a corporatist. Schumer is in McConnell's pocket on judiciary matters.

Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 20-Sep-20 01:39 PM
Kagan wasn't a bipartisan choice.

Comment 2 by eric z at 20-Sep-20 12:22 PM
After reading some stuff, my bet is Barrett gets nominated, Biden largely ducking the question but clucking discretely about whatever propaganda value his people see in events. Barrett has a Wikipedia page. If Schumer puts up a real fight it would surprise me. He'll be pushed to fight, and we shall see.

Candace Owens: in her own words

Candace Owens: In Her Own Words
By Ramblin' Rose

Candace Owens is an African-American political commentator, founder of the #Blexit movement, and author. On September 13, 2020, she was a guest on the Life, Liberty and Levin Show. She was not restrained in calling out the Democrats for using the black community as pawns in the game for voters to guarantee them perpetual power. Her word was 'props.'

Owens published a book in February, 2020, with a controversial subtitle--Blackout: How Black America Can Make Its Second Escape from the Democrat Plantation. She defended the title with her publisher and with Mark Levin and viewers. She compared the life of the black slaves on the plantation before the Civil War with the conditions that continue to challenge them in the 21st century.

Historically, Owens noted that slaves trying to escape were severely punished - probably lynched. Today, blacks face social lynching - verbal slurs - if they try to leave the modern plantation of obedience to the Democrat party and welfare programs to align with conservative principles. On the Tucker Carlson Show, on September 15, 2020, she admitted to being called a 'white supremacist' for her stands against the Marxist-based BLM trying to destroy America. She affirms that the Antifa and BLM rioters are paid professionals, funded by so-called progressives (individuals and organizations).

She repeated a statement that she's made at other venues. The greatest and most far-reaching problems facing black Americans is the destruction of the nuclear family. Slave owners destroyed the feeling of family unity in order to keep the slaves on the plantation. Her beliefs are supported by data: in 1940, 12% of black family had no presence of a father; now the rate is greater than 70%.

Another tool employed by the slave owners was to deny their slaves access to learning how to read - to be informed. Owens reminded the viewers that in California in 2017, 75% of the black males were unable to read. That same year, in a predominantly black city, Baltimore, zero graduating students in 13 high schools were proficient in math. Public education is failing them. The Democrats oppose school choice - it is another tool to keep their 'victims' voting for them and extending their power. 'Educated minds cannot be enslaved,' said Owens.

History reveals the lack of support for the blacks by Democrats. Truth about history is frequently not a part of the public school curriculum. Following the Civil War, it was the Republican party that won important rights for the black community:

  • 13th Amendment - Abolished slavery. Supported by 100% of the Republicans and 23% of the Democrats.

  • 14th Amendment - Citizenship for freed slaves. Supported by 94% of the Republicans and 0% of the Democrats.

  • 15th Amendment - Right to vote for all male citizens. Supported by 100% of the Republicans and 0% of the Democrats.<>/ul>

    • So why have African-Americans and other minorities aligned with the Dems since FDR and the New Deal? Apparently, they believed that they could not get ahead on their own and must depend on the handouts from the liberals in order to survive: well, that changed with the presidency of Donald J. Trump. (Sorry, I digress.)

    Owens admitted that she had also be a 'victim' of the public-school indoctrination. In her own words:
    "I started on the left, although I was not politically active," she recalled. "I believed in all of the indoctrination. I believed, just four short years ago, that Republicans were racist, that conservatives were racists, and that being a Black person and being a woman disadvantaged me in life. And I'm a pretty smart person. These were things that I learned actively. "It wasn't because I wanted to be anti-American," Owens added. "It wasn't because I wanted to believe these things. It was because it was taught to me via the public school system."

    In response to the question about why she became a black conservative, her response was enlightening. Owens is a female black conservative because:

    • She knows the truth.

    • She knows history (not that of the 1619 Project).

    • She knows that the Democrats are regressive, not progressive, with their treatment of minorities.

    • She knows how government-controlled welfare programs have harmed Black Americans.

    • She knows herself - she can achieve whatever she wants because of the freedoms afforded to all in this country.

    • She knows the futility of the 'bigotry of low expectations - quotas based upon race.


    Owens hopes that her book will offer courage, a sense of hope, and confidence for Black Americans.

    Candace Owens is a PATRIOT.

Posted Sunday, September 20, 2020 2:37 AM

Comment 1 by eric z at 20-Sep-20 09:07 AM
Some people do regard Candace Owens as credible about some things. It's not a universal belief, however, whether she's credible about anything.

The digression was the most charming part of the post.

Is Biden creating a Trump landslide?

Is Joe Biden creating a Trump electoral landslide? This Alpha News MN article highlights the Biden campaign's ineffective campaign stop in Hermntown, MN. The article opens by saying "Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden barred most media from his Minnesota campaign stop Friday, according to several local reporters." Then it continues, saying "Biden visited union members in Duluth Friday afternoon while President Donald Trump held a rally in Bemidji later in the evening. Unlike Trump's rally, Biden's visit strictly limited media access. The event was so controlled that The Star Tribune referred to it as 'Biden's carefully choreographed small group encounter.' A slew of mostly left-leaning Minnesota journalists from other outlets bemoaned the fact that the campaign denied them access and appeared to withhold details about the event for much longer than usual."

That isn't the heart of the criticism of Biden's visit. Check out Esme Murphy's (legitimate) complaint about Biden's secrecy:


That still isn't the worst criticism. Check this out:
'Biden's team has released scant details of his afternoon trip to a Hermantown union training center (we haven't gotten the time, or how many Minnesota reporters will be allowed in),' echoed Fox 9 reporter Theo Keith. Fluence Media CEO Blois Olson then confirmed that the Biden campaign told reporters that just three select journalists would be allowed inside the event, shortly before the event was set to begin.

"What's the point of coming here at all?" asked local news anchor Dan Wolfe. "No media communication, 'virtual' rallies and very little campaigning isn't a recipe for success." As of 9:30 a.m., the Biden campaign still hadn't provided the media with the exact time and location of the event, and "yanked the only one-on-one interview," Wolfe added. "Yes there's a pandemic. But all we hear from Dems is 'our democracy is at stake.' If so, might want to start campaigning like that's the case. This Joe Biden visit was badly bungled by his people," he said.

"I can't stress how completely disappointing this is," remarked local reporter Jerry Burnes, who spoke with a representative for the union hosting Biden who "was surprised by the apparent Minnesota media blackout."

The fact that there was limited local news coverage is proof that the Biden campaign, thus far, isn't reaching voters. Friday, Biden visited a union training shop. Just 3 reporters were allowed in. Based on the video I saw, I'd be surprised if there was a dozen people in the room. Why would anyone think that this will stir excitement for his campaign?

The point of a visit to a battleground state in the last 50 days of a campaign is to generate massive amounts of local coverage. That, in turn, drives voter enthusiasm. Enthusiasm for Biden's campaign is essentially nonexistent. More people are voting against Trump than are voting for Biden. Further, Biden's campaign is focusing on union halls, which is fine. He has to flip those voters if he wants to win back Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin while holding Minnesota.

Based on Friday's pathetic turnout, it's safe to say that the Biden campaign's attempt to flip those voters isn't going well. Turnout for Vice President Biden's campaign stops has been disappointing at best. I won't predict it at this point but Biden looks like he's turning what should be a tight race into a Trump landslide.

Posted Sunday, September 20, 2020 1:34 PM

Comment 1 by eric z at 21-Sep-20 10:59 AM
Biden's people are married to the "Not Trump" approach - low profile, let Trump make your case by being who he is, was, and will be. Roy Cohn's trainee. Fred's son. King Donald I.

It might work. It failed for Kerry against a Bush second term, and Bush was as bad as Trump, any difference being stylistic and not substantive.

And it was Cheney running things then anyway. Now, Trump runs his own circus from center ring. Barker in Chief.

Via tweets. It is a strange world getting stranger and stranger. And Biden is strange too.

The Doors had the song on strangeness.

The Democrats' not-so-idle threats

Democrats are worried that Ruth Bader-Ginsburg's spot on the Supreme Court is about to be filled by a conservative jurist like Amy Coney Barrett. Democrats are worried because they're making wild threats to pack the courts, to impeach President Trump for exercising his constitutional responsibility of appointing judges and for having the audacity of standing up to the Democrats' bullying tactics.

This article outlines the Democrats' plan of attack to thwart President Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell:
Democrats began discussing their options on Saturday, with senators all vowing a furious fight to keep the seat vacant until next year when a new Senate convenes and when Joe Biden may occupy the White House. And while no specific course of action was detailed, Democrats said they were united on this: They planned to engage in an all-out battle to stop the nomination in its tracks by pressuring four Republicans to break ranks.

Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski have already said that they don't want to vote before the election so the Democrats are halfways there. While they might pick off Romney, that's pretty much the end of the line. Republican senators in tight races don't dare cross President Trump. If they abandon President Trump, their political careers are finished. If senators like Thom Tillis, Joni Ernst and Martha McSally stick with President Trump, they'll likely win reelection and Republicans will hold onto the Senate majority.
As President Trump moves to nominate a candidate to fill the seat of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday, there are a growing number of Democrats threatening to implement a radical strategy and pack the Supreme Court if they take control of the White House and the Senate.

"If he holds a vote in 2020, we pack the court in 2021," Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., tweeted on Saturday. "It's that simple."


Kennedy isn't the only Democrat who thinks that packing the court is the right thing to do:
'If Sen. McConnell and @SenateGOP were to force through a nominee during the lame-duck session -- before a new Senate and President can take office -- then the incoming Senate should immediately move to expand the Supreme Court,' House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler wrote on Twitter.

'Filling the SCOTUS vacancy during a lame-duck session, after the American people have voted for new leadership, is undemocratic and a clear violation of the public trust in elected officials. Congress would have to act and expanding the court would be the right place to start,' the New York Democrat continued.

If the Democrats held the Senate majority in 2016, there's no doubt about whether they would've confirmed President Obama's nominee to replace Justice Scalia. In fact, there's no doubt that President Obama wouldn't have nominated Merrick Garland. He would've picked someone far to the left of Garland.

Posted Monday, September 21, 2020 5:28 AM

Comment 1 by eric z at 21-Sep-20 10:53 AM
Packing the court with Biden appointees would be a step to stymie a future progressive President, not any change from corporatists first and foremost.

The embryo business could vary, but loyalty to fascism will remain under Biden-Harris, as it was from after Carter onward, with a big boost from the Clintons shifting the Dem Party into donor thrall.

Trump will pick the Notre Dame candidate, and she'll be appointed to sit for decades, the guess I have is it gets done before the election and not lame duck.

And Gary, your scenario, Trump wins and it makes no difference is implicit in your post, and you may be right (make that correct, you're right pretty much all the time as to the political spectrum).

My bottom line, packing the court with Biden/Obama types, same ol' same ol' and they may be young offering decades of GOP-lite decisioning. Bleak, either way.

But a court with fifteen justices might be better. Concurring and dissenting opinions could result more frequently with plurality opinions being the formal opinion of the court as lawyers' best guess at precedent impact.

Nancy Pelosi's impeachment threat

When ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked Nancy Pelosi if she'd consider impeaching President Trump, he stopped just short of gift-wrapping President Trump's reelection. This morning on Fox & Friends, President Trump responded to this mini-fiasco:
President Trump on Monday claimed he would win the presidential election if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi actually attempted to use impeachment as an option to block his eventual Supreme Court nominee from being confirmed to the seat vacated by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

I don't think Ms. Pelosi is that stupid. She might threaten impeachment but she doesn't dare impeaching President Trump.

Likewise, it's rumored that Ms. Pelosi might shut the government down in an attempt to shut down the confirmation process. Ms. Pelosi might threaten it but President Trump, Sen. McConnell and Leader McCarthy would jump for joy if she actually shut it down. That wouldn't just guarantee President Trump's reelection. It would guarantee McCarthy wielding the Speaker's Gavel starting in 2021 and strengthen the GOP majority in the Senate.

That being said, packing the courts, granting statehood to Puerto Rico and Washington, DC and killing the filibuster are definitely on the Democrats' priority lists. Schumer and AOC definitely tried ramping up the fear with Republicans:
[Video no longer available]
I don't give a damn about of RBG's wish. The spot on the SCOTUS bench didn't belong to RBG. It belongs to the American people. Had Democrats held the Senate when Justice Antonin Scalia passed, there's no doubt that President Obama would've nominated someone to the left of Merrick Garland and Democrats would've confirmed that far-left SCOTUS nominee.

Sen. McConnell set the precedent record straight :
We are already hearing incorrect claims that there is not sufficient time to examine and confirm a nominee. We can debunk this myth in about 30 seconds. As of today, there are 43 days until November 3rd and 104 days until the end of this Congress. The late, iconic Justice John Paul Stevens was confirmed by the Senate 19 days after this body formally received his nomination. Nineteen days from start to finish.

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, another iconic jurist, was confirmed 33 days after her nomination. For the late Justice Ginsburg herself, it was just 42 days. Justice Stevens' entire confirmation process could have played out twice between now and November 3rd, with time to spare. And Justice Ginsburg herself could have been confirmed twice between now and the end of the year, with time to spare. The Senate has more than sufficient time to process a nomination.

Here's the video of Sen. McConnell's speech:
[Video no longer available]
Senate Republicans need to ignore the Democrats' threats. They need to confirm the highly qualified woman jurist to the Supreme Court ASAP. Finally, it's important to differentiate between RBG's extraordinary legal career from her time on the bench. As a jurist, she was an activist more than a jurist. President Trump needs to reject activists.

Posted Monday, September 21, 2020 4:45 PM

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