The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

You’re Not Paranoid Enough Yet

Posted on | February 21, 2020 | Comments Off on You’re Not Paranoid Enough Yet

The one thing a responsible blogger would never do is to spread baseless conspiracy theories in an effort to incite fear and suspicion among Democrats. Fortunately, I don’t have to do that, because the daily headlines suffice as paranoia fodder:

Mike Bloomberg is privately lobbying Democratic Party officials and donors allied with his moderate opponents to flip their allegiance to him — and block Bernie Sanders — in the event of a brokered national convention.
The effort, largely executed by Bloomberg’s senior state-level advisers in recent weeks, attempts to prime Bloomberg for a second-ballot contest at the Democratic National Convention in July by poaching supporters of Joe Biden and other moderate Democrats, according to two Democratic strategists familiar with the talks and unaffiliated with Bloomberg.
The outreach has involved meetings and telephone calls with supporters of Biden and Pete Buttigieg — as well as uncommitted DNC members — in Virginia, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and North Carolina, according to one of the strategists who participated in meetings and calls.
With Sanders’ emergence as the frontrunner in the presidential primary, Democrats in those states have recently raised the prospect that the democratic socialist could be a top-of-the-ticket liability.
“There’s a whole operation going on, which is genius,” said one of the strategists, who is unaffiliated with any campaign. “And it’s going to help them win on the second ballot … They’re telling them that’s their strategy.”

(Hat-tip: Ace of Spades.) We haven’t had a brokered convention since 1952, and I doubt there will be one this year, but never say never. And so it’s important that every Bernie Sanders supporter know this: The Democrats are trying to steal the nomination from your guy, just like they stole it from him in 2016. Even if you beat Bloomberg on Super Tuesday, the Democrat establishment still won’t stop trying to f–k you over. If you’re going to get f–ked over, well, Republicans can do that.

Republicans have catered buffets and better-looking women. So why not just come on over to the Dark Side? It’s a great party. And at least when Republicans f–k you over, they don’t call it “social justice.”




 

Category: Democrats

In The Mailbox: 02.21.20

Posted on | February 21, 2020 | 1 Comment

– compiled by Wombat-socho

OVER THE TRANSOM
357 Magnum: At Some Point, You Deserve What You Get
EBL: Kaitlin Bennett, also, Who Killed Malcolm X?
Twitchy: Mollie Hemingway Shares “Silliest Part of Latest Russia Nonsense”
Louder With Crowder: Media Attacks Bloomberg Over Gag Video – “Doctored”
According To Hoyt: Breaking Out, also, Unicorn Farts Is No Basis For A System Of Government
Monster Hunter Nation: February Update Post, also, Our Semi-Annual Reminder Of Why Mike Glyer Of File 770 Is A Total Scumbag
Vox Popoli: Go Gay, Fade Away, also, Never Trust Anyone Over 30

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES
American Conservative: The Military Won’t Save Men From “Doritos & Porn”
American Greatness: Cambridge, MA Allowing Illegals To Drive Without Licenses
American Thinker: How Trump Made The Federal Courts Blink
Animal Magnetism: Rule Five Future Airliners Friday
Babalu Blog: The Cuban Dictatorship’s Addiction To Spying
BattleSwarm: LinkSwarm For February 21
Cafe Hayek: The Federal Government’s Fiscal Incontinence
CDR Salamander: Spartans, Warriors, Gladiators, Lend Me Your Ears
Da Tech Guy: It’s Not Wednesday’s Debate, But How Bloomberg Reacts To The Next Debate That Matters
Don Surber: Afghanistan War Ends, also, Trump’s Week Was Better Than His Best Week Ever
First Street Journal: When #BelieveAllWomen Collides With Transgender Rights
The Geller Report: Sanders Wins Backing Of Top Muslim Political Group, also, AFRICOM Hits Al-Shabaab Base In Somalia
Hogewash: Team Kimberlin Post of The Day, also, The Stupid, It Burns
Hollywood In Toto: Esquire Bullies John Krasinski, also, Ford Rescues Call of The Wild From CGI Run Amok
Legal Insurrection: New UK Policy Restricts Entry Of Non-English Speaking & Unskilled Workers, also, Fauxcahontas Indian Giver On Super PAC Support
Power Line: Ilhan Omar’s Reign Of Terror, also, The Most Important Campaign Document Of 2020
Shark Tank: Parental Consent Abortion Bill Passes FL House
Shot In The Dark: As Predicted
STUMP: French Pension Protests Will Continue Until…When?
This Ain’t Hell: Veteran Suicides – Who’s To Blame? also, The Duck of Dupe – Phony Gunner’s Mate
Victory Girls: Is Ilhan Omar Losing Her Base In The Somali Community?
Volokh Conspiracy: FL Can’t Strip Voting Rights From Ex-Felons Unable To Pay Fines & Fees
Weasel Zippers: Baltimore Teacher’s Lesson Slide Compares Trump To Nazis, Communists, also, Here Comes Throuple – Hacker Tied To Katie Hill Busted For Cyber Attack On Opponent
Mark Steyn: Stand-Up Guy, also, NDA Playoffs

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Category: Linkagery

Russian Bots Get Results!

Posted on | February 21, 2020 | Comments Off on Russian Bots Get Results!

 

 

“And let me say something else about this, not being too paranoid. All of us remember 2016, and what we remember is efforts by Russians and others to try to interfere in our election and divide us up. I’m not saying that’s happening, but it would not shock me.”
— Bernie Sanders, Las Vegas debate, Wednesday

Look, I’m not saying that help from Russian military intelligence is the reason Bernie Sanders is going to win the Nevada primary Saturday, I’m just saying, draw your own conclusions:

U.S. officials have warned Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that Russia is attempting to boost his prospects of winning the White House in 2020, according to the Washington Post.
President Donald Trump and Congressional lawmakers have also received briefings regarding the Kremlin’s efforts to help Sanders, sources familiar with the matter told the Post. In a statement to the newspaper, Sanders called Russian President Vladimir Putin a “thug” and said he stands “firmly against” any efforts to interfere in U.S. elections
“I don’t care, frankly, who Putin wants to be president,” Sanders said. “My message to Putin is clear: stay out of American elections, and as president I will make sure that you do.”
“In 2016, Russia used internet propaganda to sow division in our country, and my understanding is that they are doing it again in 2020. Some of the ugly stuff on the Internet attributed to our campaign may well not be coming from real supporters,” he added.
A spokesperson for the Sanders campaign would not comment on the nature of Russia’s attempted efforts to help the Vermont senator.
Speaking to reporters about the Post’s report, Sanders revealed that he learned of Russia’s interference a month ago and seemingly suggested that their efforts were made public Friday in a bid to hurt him one day before the Nevada caucuses.
The development comes after Sanders raised the prospect of Russia being behind some online posts in support of the lawmaker, which have been described as toxic and violent by former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D) at this week’s Democrat debate in Nevada. Several other Sanders detractors have made similar claims.

So now, Bernie is about to score a gigantic win in Nevada, and we’re supposed to believe Russian bots aren’t the reason he’s winning.

Like I said, draw you own conclusions. Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.




 

Category: Bernie Sanders, Russia

#NeverTrump Circus: Ex-GOP Voting for Bernie Sanders Because ‘Principles’!

Posted on | February 21, 2020 | 1 Comment

 

“Stand Up Republic” is the Evan McMullin/Mindy Finn organization funded by Democrat billionaire Pierre Omidyar. “Principles First” is an anti-Trump organization that is the brainchild of disappointed Rubio supporter Heath Mayo. Together, these two outfits are sponsoring the “Summit on Principled Conservatism” a week from Saturday:

Stand Up Republic and Principles First are excited to announce a one-day grassroots summit in Washington, DC on Saturday, February 29, focused on reviving principled conservatism in the United States. We look forward to bringing together conservative speakers, thought leaders, and grassroots activists for a day of panels, speeches, networking, and substantive discussion about what conservatism means today and where the conservative movement must go from here.
This promises to be an exciting, first-of-its-kind event. The speakers lined up for this gathering will be some of the leading thinkers in principled conservatism with many grassroots activists from around the country in attendance.

It’s a Who’s Who of #NeverTrump grifters — Bill Kristol, Rick Wilson, et al. — and their “principles” are simply: ORANGE MAN BAD!

The #NeverTrump crowd was betting on Biden as the “moderate” Democrat they could support against Orange Man Bad, but when it became apparent that Creepy Uncle Joe couldn’t win, they turned to Mike Bloomberg as their “moderate” Messiah. Now that Mini-Mike flamed out in the Vegas debate, the #NeverTrump gang is starting to make the case for why “conservative principles” would require them to support socialist Bernie Sanders, who increasingly looks likely as the Democrat candidate.

The avowed libertarian will vote for whoever Democrats nominate — even an outright socialist — “because Trump.” It’s just so sad, isn’t it?

UPDATE: Another “principled conservative”:

Trump Breaks Another ‘Never Trump’ Person;
MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace Confesses Who She’ll Vote For

(Hat-tip: Stephen Green at Instapundit.)




 

Category: Democrats

How’s That ‘Bail Reform’ Working Out?

Posted on | February 21, 2020 | 1 Comment

 

A woman is dead in New York state:

The 25-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing a library security officer to death had been released without bail after being accused of trying to rape a woman at Montefiore Nyack Hospital in November, authorities and court documents confirmed Thursday.
Blanchard Glaudin had been charged by Orangetown police under the name of Gaudin Blanchard, as he apparently goes under several names, according to police and court records.
He also was arrested in Florida in 2014 on a misdemeanor trespassing charge as Blanchard Carter Glaudin, according to the Nyack Justice Court.
Spring Valley Police Detective Kevin Freeman filed a felony complaint against him under the name Blanchard Glaudin in the stabbing death of security officer Sandra Wilson at 2:05 p.m. Tuesday at Finkelstein Memorial Library. He was charged with second-degree murder.
Orangetown police had charged him as Gaudin Blanchard with attempting to rape a woman at the hospital where he was an inpatient on Nov. 9 at 12:30 p.m., Capt. James Brown said in an email Thursday.
An Orangetown police report filed with Nyack Justice Court states he “entered the hospital room of the victim, held her by the throat, bit her neck and told her to, ‘Shut up and do not scream.’ Pull down your pants. I don’t care about your blood.'”
The woman fought off his attack until hospital staff intervened, the report states. . . .
He was held as Gaudin Blanchard in the county jail from Dec. 20 until Dec. 26, when a County Court judge released him, Sheriff Louis Falco said.
Falco said he doesn’t know who the judge was or the conditions under which the suspect was released.
The sheriff is a vocal opponent of the bail reforms as approved, taking away the discretion of judges and setting release without bail for some violent felonies.
Erin George, director of Citizen Action for the Civil Rights Campaign, called Wilson’s death heartbreaking, “but it is unquestionably not the result of bail reform.”
“The accused individual was released in December 2019 on charges that remain bail and jail eligible under the new law,” she said. “Furthermore, he could have been ordered to remain in a hospital for evaluation, as he reportedly was experiencing mental health issues.”

“Social justice” is a threat to public safety, but this is just another case of violence against women feminists won’t notice, for some reason . . .

UPDATE: Welcome, Instapundit readers!




 

Category: Violence Against Women

The Late Winter Book Post

Posted on | February 21, 2020 | 1 Comment

– by Wombat-socho

Well, technically it’s early spring here in Las Vegas, but I’ve been dragging my feet on getting this done for literally months, for which I apologize. For once in my life I’ve been too tired, busy, depressed, and/or sick to read, which pretty much NEVER happens, but this last month or so of tax season has gotten me back in the saddle. So, for your reading pleasure:

The Last Straw – John C. Wright
John C. Wright’s review of the execrable movie The Last Jedi reminds me of the legendary quip by Mary McCarthy regarding Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged: “This is not a book that should be cast aside casually. Rather, it should be thrown with great force.” This is not to denigrate Mr. Wright’s review, which is a work both hilarious and depressing, but the movie it reviews, which is truly one of the worst things to come out of Hollywood since the all-female Ghostbusters. The Last Straw is hilarious, because Mr. Wright is a fine writer with a keen eye for the ridiculous (and oh, Lord, there is so much ridiculous about TLJ) and is a skilled wordsmith on a par with Chesterton, but it is also depressing, because for every stupid sentence of dialogue, every witless/wasted character, and every cringe-inducing meaningless action scene, he shows us what could have been in the hands of competent writers working for a producer who loved the original Star Wars trilogy – an outstanding action movie, with young characters we could have cherished, exchanging witty banter while fighting desperate odds for a meaningful victory. Unfortunately, we got Rian Johnson’s hideous bastardization of a beloved franchise. Console yourself with this book; unlike the movie, it is well worth your time and gold-pressed latinum.

The Compleat Martian Invasion: Earth’s Defense Awakens – John Taloni
There’s a subgenre of steampunk, or perhaps more correctly, Edisonades, which is made up of sequels to H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds. These range in quality from the truly awful Edison’s Conquest of Mars to the tragic early issues of Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, with a detour sideways into parallel worlds with George H. Smith’s The Second War Of The Worlds and Larry Niven’s Rainbow Mars. I am pleased to say that John Taloni’s entry into this subgenre is a good read, having a lot more in common with Moore and Niven. The plot involves a mission to recover Dr. Cavor from the Moon and its hostile inhabitants, and the creation of a corps of female space fighter pilots using the liftwood technology developed by a certain Serbian super-scientist. Meanwhile, John Carter and Dejah Thoris fight the Tripods on Mars, the mysterious Time Traveller makes an appearance, and the crowned heads of Europe unite behind their cousin Louise, Queen-Empress of England…or do they? This is a fun little book, entertaining brain candy that’s worth the borrowing from the Prime Lending Library.

The Last Dance – Martin L. Shoemaker
In the ancient mists of time, back in the 1930s, many SF novels were what’s now called “fix-ups”, collections of short stories knitted together to create a coherent novel. These days, with SF novels often being mistaken for doorstops, this isn’t as common, but Martin Shoemaker pulls it off nicely with The Last Dance, which frames several mysteries in the setting of a court-martial of what at first appears to be the 22nd-century version of Captain Bligh – Captain Aames, a martinet whose harsh criticism and rigid standards nonetheless attract a crew of spacers who would do anything for him, while giving the powers that be the cold shoulder. Shoemaker does an excellent job of writing a series of hard-SF mysteries while peeling back the onion of Captain Aames’ personality…and the old wound that helped make him the hard, unforgiving officer he is. Aames sounds like an unlikable asshole, but Shoemaker manages to make you see him as his crewmen see him, and that is a very different man indeed. Excellent book, highly recommended, especially if you like near-future hard SF.

The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin – L. Jagi Lamplighter
As has been observed elsewhere, Ms. Lamplighter’s series of books about Rachel Griffin at Roanoke Academy have a very superficial resemblance to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter tales, but to dismiss them as just another knockoff of Rowling’s series would be a serious mistake. Jimbo’s review covers all the territory I would have, so RTWT. Then go read Rachel’s adventures. Well worth the time and money.

Komi Can’t Communicate – Tomohito Oda
I’ve become greatly enamored of this manga, which tells the story of Shouko Komi, a beautiful young girl who’s admired by all her classmates, who believe her aloof manner only enhances her beauty. What they don’t know is that Komi is desperately lonely and has enormous trouble saying anything to anyone , including her family. (There are indications that she may have inherited it from her father, but whether she’s merely excessively shy, autistic, or has some other problem is never explained.) This trouble begins to end when her classmate Tadano, perhaps the only ordinary boy in a class filled with weird kids, manages to engage her in conversation using the class blackboard. She expresses a desire to make one hundred friends during the year, and Tadano voews to help. A lot of us have had problems talking to other people, so it’s easy to sympathize with Komi, and the fact that none of her classmates except Tadano (and maybe “big sister” Onemine) have their heads screwed on straight makes for ongoing hilarity and occasional creepiness. I’m up to the fifth volume and am waiting with bated breath for the next one to come out in April. Highly recommended.

Today’s Menu For The Emiya Family – TAa
Bought this manga because I’m a fan of the mobile game Fate/Grand Order, and I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s kind of nice to see the various people and Servants of the series getting along and enjoying each others’ company – it reminded me somewhat of the parody Carnival Phantasm in that regard – but on the other hand it’s really just an illustrated cookbook with some useful recipes if you like Japanese food. The art is good, the story is somewhat lacking, and you already know the characters.


Category: Books

In The Mailbox: 02.20.20

Posted on | February 20, 2020 | Comments Off on In The Mailbox: 02.20.20

– compiled by Wombat-socho

OVER THE TRANSOM
357 Magnum: Bail Reform Claims Another Life
EBL: Pete Buttigieg Goes For The Black Vote, also, Confirmed – Ilhan Omar Married Her Brother To Evade U.S. Immigration Law
Twitchy: The Bulwark’s Charlie Sykes Posts Speakers At The Summit For Principled Conservatism
Louder With Crowder: Bloomberg Savages Bernie – “You’re A Socialist That Owns Three Houses”

RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES
American Conservative: Farming Isn’t An Information Age Skill
American Greatness: James Comey Is Lying About The Justice Department’s Job
American Power: The Limits Of Democracy Promotion
American Thinker: Rush Limbaugh, Trump, & The Tea Party Family
Animal Magnetism: Animal’s Daily Smackdown News
Babalu Blog: Socialism In Action – Lack Of Personal Hygiene Products Plunges Cuba Into Medieval Times
BattleSwarm: Coronavirus Update For February 2020
Cafe Hayek: No, Hayek’s “Promise” Wasn’t “Broken”
Camp Of The Saints: Perilous Times – On The Radical Young Left
CDR Salamander: Hedging Billions To Keep Shareholders Happy
Da Tech Guy: My Astros Suggestion, also, Shining Some Light On The True Nature Of Socialism
Don Surber: Pardon Stone, Fire The Judge
First Street Journal: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
The Geller Report: CNN Caught Coaching LV Debate Audience On How/When To Clap & Cheer, also, CONFIRMED – Ilhan Omar DID Marry Her Brother
Hogewash: Team Kimberlin Post of The Day, also, This Ain’t Staying In Vegas
Hollywood In Toto: Night Clerk – Long On Sympathy, Short On Thrills, also, Standing Up, Falling Down Lets Billy Crystal Shine (Again)
Legal Insurrection: Judge Sentences Roger Stone To 40 Months, also, Stacey Abrams – Sure, I’ll Take The VP Slot In 2020, But I Really Want To Be President Someday
Megan McArdle: Hey Democrats, You’re Attacking The Wrong Candidate
The PanAm Post: Will Paraguay Follow Argentina’s Economic Decline? also, Spanish Government Criminalizes Memories Of Falangist Past While Supporting Communist Cuba
Power Line: Steve Scalise Wins Tweet Of The Year, also, How Far Left Are Journalists?
Shark Tank: NRCC Lists Dane Eagle As Contender For Rooney’s Seat
Shot In The Dark: “Evidence-Based”
The Political Hat: Recent Temporary Absence
This Ain’t Hell: Texas Rangers Investigating Jowers & Foley, also, Air Force Pleading With People To Adopt Some Of Their Retired Dogs
Victory Girls: Knives Out At #DemDebate Yelling Match
Volokh Conspiracy: Federal Court Rules Against Plaintiffs In Second Hurricane Harvey Takings Case
Weasel Zippers: Bloomberg Paying People $2500/Month To Say Nice Things About Him On Social Media, also, Biden Claims He Can Help A Democrat Win Senate Race In Pennsylvania (There Isn’t One)
Mark Steyn: Clash Of Titans, also, The Bloomberg Administration Takes Shape

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Category: Linkagery

Violence Against Women Update

Posted on | February 20, 2020 | Comments Off on Violence Against Women Update

 

The transgender agenda marches on:

On April 1 of last year, 29-year-old Janiah Monroe was transferred from Pontiac Correctional Center, a prison for men, to women’s prison Logan Correctional Center after the MacArthur Justice Center (MJC) and the Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC) filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) on his behalf.
Named Andre Patterson before he began identifying as a woman, Mr Monroe’s criminal record includes convictions for second-degree murder, attempted murder, aggravated battery and attempted aggravated arson. At age 17, Mr Monroe argued with his male jail cellmate, 31-year-old Kimani Muhammad, and strangled him to death. At the time of the homicide, Mr Monroe was being held on suspicion of aggravated battery with a firearm after shooting two people outside a barber shop.
Two months after the transfer to Logan, Mr Logan was placed in a housing unit with a woman whom he immediately began “express(ing) an interest” in. According to the lawsuit, the woman was terrified of Mr Monroe due to his much greater size and strength. Mr Monroe raped her that same day, she said.
Following the incident, the woman was moved into the prison’s Health Care Unit and interviewed by internal affairs officers. Todd Sexton, a supervisory officer, told her he did not believe her and coerced her into providing a statement in which she retracted the rape allegation, she said. She was then subjected to months of punishment by the IDOC for filing a false complaint under the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

The victim has filed a federal lawsuit against prison officials.




 

Category: The Transgender Cult, Violence Against Women
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