The Democratic Party seemed to rush to embrace its utter obsolescence in disrupting the censure process of Rep. Al Green (D., Tx.). After Green disrupted the joint session address of President Donald Trump, Democrats responded by refusing to clear the well and singing “We shall overcome” over the voice of Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) — forcing him to put the house in recess. Polling indicates that the Democrats have a great deal to overcome as a CNN poll shows 80 percent of Americans disapprove of Green’s conduct.
CNN polling also found that 69 percent had a very or somewhat positive view of Trump’s speech. Other polls showed the same result, including a CBS News/YouGov survey showing 76 percent approval and only 23 percent disapproval.
In many ways, the moment captured how adrift the Democratic Party has become in the current political environment. It is entirely untethered to the majority of voters on such issues. Only roughly 5 percent of Democratic members voted to censure Green for his outrageous conduct despite over 80 percent of the public opposing the conduct.
As if to drive home the point, Democrats joined a defiant Green in the well to sing over Johnson’s voice. Neither House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries nor the other leadership members condemned Green or the disruption of the censure process.
Some moderate Democrats sought later to distance themselves, but their rationales were pathetically transparent.
Rep. Jared Golden (D, Maine) insisted that “In today’s environment, censure tends only to give a greater platform to the censured legislator. So I tend to lean in favor of free speech unless a clear red line is crossed.”
Golden’s statement succeeded in not only assaulting the principles of free speech but also logic.
First, there was a formal censure vote so the attention element was going to be satisfied regardless of how Golden voted. The only question is whether Maine’s representative would join his more courageous colleagues in condemning Green or stick with party loyalty over principle.
More importantly, Golden did not support free speech. He voted to undermine it. As I have previously discussed in my book and columns, deplatforming is denying the right of others to speak or to hear opposing views.
As shown in higher education, the argument that stopping free speech is free speech is nothing more than a twisted rationalization. Protesting outside of an event is an act of free speech. Entering an event to shout down or “deplatform” speakers is the denial or disruption of free speech.
Golden’s effort to portray Green’s violation of the House rules as an exercise of free speech is a mere rationalization for lacking the courage to stand with the small number of Democrats condemning the conduct.
Rep. Josh Riley (D., N.Y.) did little better. While he did not try to cloak his vote as a defense of free speech, he simply argued (as did Jeffries) that they have more important things to do: “I wish we’d spent this morning focused on that instead of the drama and political theater in Washington.”
Again, the problem is that there was a vote regardless of his desire to avoid it. He had to cast a vote and, at that defining moment, voted not to condemn this conduct. He also chose party over principle.
As I stated on the air yesterday after the vote, I watched the vote and the later protest in the well with profound sadness for an institution that I truly love. I first worked in Congress as a 15-year-old Democrat page. I revered the House and respected the members who worked on that floor. There was a time when this vote would have been unanimous against Green. There was a time when there were still things that remained beyond the pale; that transcended the rage.
It will take much more for the Democrats to “overcome” this moment. In a flash, they formally became the party of Al Green. As voters watched them rally around this unhinged member, their colleagues were being shown in cringe-worthy social media postings or clips spewing profanity in hearing rooms.
They have become more of a parody than a party.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.
A sitting president threatens the territorial sovereignty of a NATO ally, but Turley questions the margin of victory of the successful censure vote… Right.
You’re playing checkers, while moving chess-pieces.
Your crocodile tears are entertaining.
Bozo, if you’re writing about Greenland President Trump sees the writing on the wall some time in the future when Russia and China want to completely take over the North Pole and so he is trying to bargain for that piece of property. We already have a base there so how is he threatening the sovereignty of Denmark when the wishes of Green Islanders have the power to choose their own destiny?
“how is he threatening the sovereignty of Denmark when the wishes of Green Islanders have the power to choose their own destiny?”
The only part of Trump’s idea for Greenland that Denmark has outright rejected is it becoming an official US state, which is probably not in our interests anyway, since its sparse population now requires a substantial subsidy from Denmark. I note that Denmark seems to be moving toward a substantial increase in its military budget (likely fueled by justifiably failing faith in NATO). The cost of that program will likely make its subsidy of Greenland less attractive, and some accommodation of Trump’s wishes more so.
Trump wants to make Greenland green again. The Danes have covered it in ice. (“MGGA”)
There is nothing wrong with most “threats”. Biden threatened to cutoff aide to Ukraine if Shokin did not get fired.
That was not wrong because Biden could not threaten Ukraine – but because he was doing so for his families profit.
#74. Perspective
The highest ranking and paid federal employee (bureaucrat) is John Lyash, CEO of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) at an annual salary of 10 million dollars plus change. Maybe elect him as your next president and give him a pay cut.
Mr. Green at 175 thousand annual salary is a peon in comparison. Someone said we’ve given you a republic if you can keep it. You didn’t.
You’ve invented the political system of Bureaucracy at 2 million permanent employees. The elected officials are puppets having nothing to do except give away money globally without anything in return. Mr. Green is a little theater.
Mr. Lyash is paid by electricity sales. The consumers feel proud. They pay well.
#74. Nothing like dependency huh Mr. Lyash? When electricity becomes a drug. You just gotta have it, Mr. Lyash?
10 million annual salary…
Great job America!
“Bill O’Reilly Reveals The Dark Future Trump Created For The Democratic Party”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/bill-oreilly-reveals-dark-future-trump-created-democratic-party
“On Wednesday night’s episode of Cuomo, O’Reilly laid out exactly why the Democrats are in freefall — comparing their current situation to the collapse of the Republican Party in 1931, when Herbert Hoover’s response to the Great Depression left Americans furious. “I think the Democratic Party is on the verge of collapse. And I liken it to 1931, when Herbert Hoover and the Republican Party basically said to the very suffering American people in the Depression, ‘We’re not helping you. You got to do it on your own. It’s all about self-reliance. We’re not going to give you any safety nets.’ That led to five consecutive Democratic wins. Five,” O’Reilly stressed.
What “Great Depression?” The Empire State Building was built during the 1930s, auto plants opened, and “general Welfare,” aka basic infrastructure, projects such as dams and airports were undertaken. My father-in-law told me, “You could always get a job; you might not like the job, but you could always get a job.” In any case, it was the communist interference in the economy, the fiddling by General Secretary Roosevelt, that caused a prolongation of its dynamics. Comrade Roosevelt was compelled by his own collectivist idiocy and ego to FAFO.
“In any case, it was the communist interference in the economy, the fiddling by General Secretary Roosevelt, that caused a prolongation of its dynamics.”
I completely agree. Hoover’s approach to the stock market crash and related economic adjustment was the correct one, morally, ethically, legally, and most likely, practically. I suspect O’Reilly also knows that. Nevertheless, Hoover was successfully painted as the culprit, and a villain, by the Democrats, and the ensuing win and political theater by that party did result in the long term loss of power by the Republicans. I think that O’Reilly’s point was that the Democratic Parody has set themselves up for a comparable loss of power, not that Roosevelt’s approach was to be preferred.
Traveler mentioned something about somebody claiming blacks were being driven back into chains in an earlier comment, and I saw that somewhere too, maybe yesterday??? So I found the comment! It was Little Miss Rocket Scientist, Jasmine Crockett!
“FIRST ON FOX: Two House Democrats, including prominent President Donald Trump critic Jasmine Crockett, suggested during a live stream on Tuesday that the president’s policy agenda is aimed at driving Black people “back to the fields” to the time of slavery.
“They have decided to go after immigrants and things like that and say, ‘oh they takin your black jobs, they taking your black jobs, not really,” Crockett told Rev. Franklin Haynes on Tuesday as part of the “State of the People” stream to counter to Trump’s address to Congress.
“They are obviously jobs they want us to go back to, such as working the fields, those immigrants that come into our country work the fields, something that we ain’t done in a long time and clearly he is trying to make us go back to the fields.
Crockett’s suggestion that Trump’s goal is to send Black Americans “back to the fields” was echoed by Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson in the same video.
“It’s a recipe to make education unavailable to Black people,” Johnson said about Trump’s plans for education policy. “It puts us back to when America was ‘great’ and we were picking cotton and doing the productivity that they’re putting my Latino brothers and sisters who migrate here to do that work because we are not suited intellectually to do it anymore.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/house-dems-suggest-trump-trying-151645510.html
I have several thoughts on that. First, going to work back in the fields would be a better use of your time, as opposed to smoking dope, selling drugs, and shooting up your neighborhood. A good hard day’s work, and you aren’t going to have enough energy to get into meanness when you come home. But there was another side back on the plantation, and that was the blacks who worked in the house, and in the kitchens. It seems like that part has continued on, with so many blacks working in fast food.
Second, how can you claim that Trump wants to make education unavailable to blacks, with a straight face. There are entire swathes of black schools in Baltimore, for example, where not one black child is proficient in English and Math. Baltimore has been run by blacks for decades. Black mothers are not seeing to their own children’s education. If you want to see black kids properly educated, talk to your fellow black Democrats. Frankly, right now, far too many blacks are not suited intellectually to doing many jobs. Because they have been mistreated by an education system that does not educate them, and passes them along from grade to grade as a function of time, not achievement.
Further, on the education issue, Republicans have been trying to give blacks, and others, vouchers to put their kids into the schools of their own choice – which black Democrats have been against. So spare me the Trump wants to deprive blacks of education crap.
Thirdly, no, I do not want to see blacks in chains, nor do I wish to own any black slaves. Even the slavers of 160+ years ago had problems getting productive labor out of slaves. Some plantations were already moving to sharecropping plans, to try to get some money back from their investment. I can hardly see the situation improving today. A simple matter of ordering some fried chicken, or a hamburger meal can turn into a fiasco. Back when I was working, and in charge of hiring at one place, I learned pretty quickly that you had to be careful when hiring blacks, because all some wanted to do was look for an excuse to sue you. FWIW, there was one black accountant I hired, who was great! He went on to take a job with the Federal Reserve after several years with us. I really liked him, and I am sure he went far. Very smart and very conscientious. Another female black bookkeeper, I paid for her college for her, to take accounting classes because I liked her, and she had potential. She ended up suing us when the company had to shut down, and do a RIF. There were more, who were worthless. Don’t even get me started on some of the lousy white people who worked for us. So no, when I had problems, even when paying a decent paycheck, why would I want a slave? Slavery is not “free” labor, it is “cheap” labor. With cheap labor, you usually get what you pay for.
Republicans have been trying to give blacks, and others, vouchers to put their kids into the schools of their own choice – which black Democrats have been against. So spare me the Trump wants to deprive blacks of education crap.
And the school-choice movement was started by a poor black woman in Milwaukee who wanted a real choice for her kids.
Have you heard of the ECCA (educational choice for children act)? It’s federal legislation that Republicans are pushing for and Trump supports. It would greatly expand school choice nationwide.
https://adriansmith.house.gov/media/press-releases/smith-owens-cassidy-colleagues-reintroduce-educational-choice-children-act
“Blacks,” you say.
Skin color is the bias of many but not that of American fundamental law.
The Constitution does not provide rights, freedoms, status, or powers by skin color.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
“…they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
– Marty Kinky, Plagiarist, Philanderer, Fraud, Liar, Not a PhD
The Budget of the Department of Education is 250B. There are 50M students in elementary and secondary schools in the US.
Just send $5000 checks to the parents of any student enrolled in an accredited school. and shut down DOE.
No other federal education programs of any kind.
“the ECCA (educational choice for children act)”
Meh. The Federal government should get entirely out of education, not only by abolishing Dept Ed, but by eliminating ALL tax favors, grants, loopholes, etc. that impact it. Leave education entirely up to the States, period. Legislation like this is more than likely more of an impediment to that solution than an advancement.
I do not care one way or the other about Greene’s Censure. That is political theater.
I do care about his conduct during the Fake SOTU – Johnson handled that correctly, He waited until the disruption had proved to be sufficiently egregious and removed Greene. That was appropriate.
The conduct of Democrats overal during the SOTU – is BEST judged by the public.
The problem is NOT what Democrats did. The problem with Democrats OVERAL right now is NOT that they are protesting Trump or Trump’s policies. It is NOT their conduct. It is that they are on the wrong side of supermajorities of americans.
The FACT that something is a legitimate excercise of free speech does NOT mean that the american people can not be deeply offended by your speech.
You have a right to say whatever you wish.
You do not have the right to control what others think about what you have said.
Democrats are excercising their right to free speech and they are doing so in ways that undermine their own support.
I watched the meme/video of democrats doing a “choose your superhero”.
Trump has frequently done similar things.
Trump’s meme’s have worked for most people.
The democrats did not.
And that is the problem.
Green disrupted the SOTU and should have been removed. I do not have an oppinion one way or the other on Censure – except that Greene damaged himself and his party BEFORE the censure and the censure added nothing to that.
Republicans have protested speeches by democrati presidents.
The isssue is not can you protest. It is WHEN should you do so to be effective – protesting against highly popular acts is generally a very bad idea.
#74. Will public reelect them? The reason for moving to States and downsizing feds. The amendment is needed for number of reps. The founders presumed once the USA reached 350 million the citizenry would do that.
The reason congress has turned into rabble is no one of merit will serve anymore. The bureaucrats have grown to 3.5 to 4.o million. 2 million are permanent employees.
The USA is no longer a Republic. It’s a Bureaucracy. The political system is Bureaucracy.
Delete these clowns.
#74 . The huge magilla over women’s sports isn’t the concern of government. Stop funding athletics. Most women in sports are in private sports. Want money then see a philanthropist or a professional organization.
The NFL contributes nothing to college sports but dies select its players from college sports. Teams generate huge sums of money. Want to use the fields then pay up. College football generates about 1 billion. Does that pay for the athletic program? If not then donate NFL.
As to women’s sports, the market is the value. See donors and it’s not taxes. Trans paying in women’s sports? Boycott otherwise I don’t give a hoot.
What are Americans getting in return for all this GLOBAL distribution of tax money? Nothing is what. Israel returns scientific development. What Ukraine giving you homeless, hungry Americans?
What are you doing?
74 ^^ excuse the errors. Proofread. Dies? Does..
Etc. If your closure is good you’ll fill in the errors.
The NFL can build its own college devoted to football. Women can do the same.
Women didn’t boycott. No new laws are needed. Disgraceful behavior directed toward women. Misogyny.
Riley Gaines is number 400+ in coed competition and dead in coed combat. Isn’t that the point Riley? A football man can pick you up by the wrists , hang you at arms length a foot off the ground with one hand.
OT
I am so grateful that this idiot, who used to begin each post with a *, and now uses 74, has always identified himself.
Makes it so much easier to skip his drivel.
“It’s the [MERIT], stupid!”
– James Carville
___________________
“We shall overcome!”
We shall overcome WHAT?
What these unassimilable parasites need to overcome is their insatiable need for other people’s money (OPM) and status (OPS).
What they need to overcome is their inane and nonsensical demands for “free stuff” and “free status” that they have no means by which to obtain.
What these unassimilable parasites need to overcome is their utter lack of capacity or merit.
What they need to overcome is their centuries-long caterwauling and supplication for illicit and unconstitutional “public assistance,” “public housing,” “entitlement,” “affirmative action,” “forced busing,” “quotas,” “DEI,” etc., ad nauseam.
One need not wonder why the American Founders legislated that they and their ilk would not be admitted to become citizens—a law that was in full force and effect on January 1, 1863.
The singular American failure is the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
“A DISCORDANT INTERMIXTURE MUST HAVE AN INJURIOUS TENDENCY”
“The influx of foreigners must, therefore, tend to produce a heterogeneous compound; to change and corrupt the national spirit; to complicate and confound public opinion; to introduce foreign propensities. In the composition of society, the harmony of the ingredients is all-important, and whatever tends to a discordant intermixture must have an injurious tendency.”
– Alexander Hamilton
The redistributive communist American welfare state:
___________________________________________________________
“If you build it, they will come.”
– Shoeless Joe Jackson.
___________________________
“If you tear it down, they will go.”
Does the profanity really surprise us? Pop culture is full of it. If the eff-word was cut out of The Diplomat, Yellowstone, Landman, just to name a few, there would be no script. So it’s all considered normal discourse. No class.
Inspirational, uplifting, redemptive, and enjoyable family TV.
How do they top that? What in God’s name is next?
The end is nigh, eh?
Maranatha
The democrat party is headed towards complete irrelevance, as it should be. The only thing keeping the worthless bunch of anarchists afloat are their globalist mega-donors, and the traitorous minority who agree with their warped views, which includes the idiotic one-issue voters, plus the shrinking (because they’re dying off) bunch of indoctrinated morons who remain insistent that the dems are the “party of the working man” because their daddy told them so. I hope all the dem politicians continue to display their anti-American contemptibility. Don’t change a thing Al, et al!
@yank1621
And really, they begged for this to happen to them in a free country; the globalists who have the benefit of being bereft of our Constitution across the globe really, really overplayed their hand here. They can get bent and shove their money where it hurts. These cries of, “oligarchy’, or ‘king’ are hysterical to people that are actually free.
All 195 countries should adopt the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States of America.
That should have happened after WWII; it might have but General George Patton had an “accident.”
….says the guy who defends the party that literally runs out any dissenting voices within their ranks instead of welcoming the discourse as any well-functioning party or leader should. You are the de-facto defender of a monarchy, Mr. Turley. And that is absolutely your right. But it would be nice if you showed a little respect for your readers and called balls and strikes. Or, maybe you are worried that if you do use that truly impressive intellect of yours to be objective, you will lose readers and not be able to shill as many of your books?
@Anonymous
You are an idiot. We all think so. Sigh and yaaaawn.
James,
Well said. What an idiot. Seems to be an contagious infection only among woke, leftists Democrats. Tragic.
How marvelous!
“You have no mandate to cut Medicaid.”
– Rep. Al Green (D., Tx.)
___________________________
Medicaid is unconstitutional. Congress has the power to tax and fund only debt, defense, and “general Welfare” per Article 1, Section 8. General is all or the whole not one some or a few. Medicaid covers perhaps 20% of the population, nowhere near the level of general. Congress has no enumerated power to regulate healthcare. The singular American failure is the judicial branch, with emphasis on the Supreme Court.
___________________________________________________
“They [Congress] are not to lay taxes ad libitum for any purpose they please;…”
“The laying of taxes is the power, and the general welfare the purpose for which the power is to be exercised. They [Congress] are not to lay taxes ad libitum for any purpose they please; but only to pay the debts or provide for the [general] welfare of the Union. In like manner, they are not to do anything they please to provide for the general welfare, but only to lay taxes for that purpose.”
– Thomas Jefferson, 1791
If only we could get Congress/Courts to define what constitutes GENERAL WELFARE, using, let’s say a version of Ockham’s (Occam’s) Razor. Congress in my estimation has expanded the meaning(s) of General Welfare to the absurd, where we now support foreigners living in our country and sexual deviance in foreign countries.
From Lytton Strachey: Book of Characters ‘Lives of the Poet’ “… aesthetic judgements are almost invariably subtle, or solid, or bold; they have always some good quality to recommend them-except one: they are never right.”
Seriously? Americans are supposed to take that seriously?
Americans don’t know how to read, comprehend, and “interpret” General Welfare in their Constitution???
Do you imagine for one instant that the Founders meant the clear and plain English of General Welfare to be a mystery?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ALL WELL PROCEED
General – All or the Whole
Wel – Well
Fare – Proceed
George the imbecile, who wont admit that his own definition of General says it “affects” the whole, not “is directly paid to the whole all at once”.
This idiot’s logic is that roads are general welfare because everyone uses them at one time or another, but that social security and education are not because everyone is not using them all at the same time.
Hey dum dum, how many Americans are on the roads right now (10:23 CST)??
You can’t fix stupid, right?
How many Americans did not use a road today?
0%.
How many Americans did not use Medicaid, Social Security, or Medicare today?
83%.
Which do you imagine constitutes “general Welfare?”
Now you’re just making shit up, like the other George. I didnt use the roads today. Many people didnt use the roads today.
Next question?
Now, dum dum, if you are asking how many people the roads affected”, thats a different question.
We all benefit every day from an educated society. You posting your stupidity on the internet for all to see is a benefit to you from the educated people who made it possible. .
When my mother was receiving medicare benefits and I didnt have to foot the bill for her care, that was a benefit to me, even though i wasnt personally receiving the money. It was a benefit to the nurses, who were able to be paid for their work, and to their kids, who had a roof and food as a result.
Who the fvck built those roads you are so proud of??? Illiterate tribesman? No. Educated people. Your juvenile, pathetic argument wouldnt withstand the scrutiny of an 8 year old.
Do better.
The Constitution was not written to address you alone. What percentage of the population uses the roads on a regular continuing basis? What percentage of the population uses Medicaid on a regular continuing basis? Every time you write anything, you display your dearth of talent and a complete absence of intellect. Please continue.
“They [Congress] are not to lay taxes ad libitum for any purpose they please;…”
GENERAL WELFARE
“They [Congress] are not to lay taxes ad libitum for any purpose they please;…”
– Thomas Jefferson, 1791
Way to go DOGE…
By some estimates, DOGE has saved the government just $2 billion. That comes to 1/35 of 1 percent of the federal budget.
At this rate we will have a balanced budget by 10,000,000 AD.
It’s all a show to keep you eyes occupied while Elon and DjT fleece funds for themselves. Don’t you MAGoTs get that yet? Wake up? Get WOKE.
Neither Trump or Musk needs the money, unlike Hunter. And it is a start! Not something Democrats would ever do. For that matter, it appears they are the biggest fraud, waste and abuse. That is why they are screaming so much. They are the biggest losers. In both senses of the term.
DOGE has saved the government NOTHING.
DOGE does not have the authority to make spending decisions.
DOGE makes audits spending, exposes waste and fraud, and makes recomendations.
This far they have identified over 50B in clear wastae and Fraud and as much 500B in potential spending cuts that doe not effect the programs Trump has promised not to cut. Most of that 500B does not impact policy reflected in the Budget.
And DOGE has not yeat audited more than half of the federal govenrment.
And even what it HAS audited – the audit are cursory – most of DOGE;s waste findings are the low hanging fruit – the OBVIOUS fraud.
DOGE will be arround for a LONG time. They will be making news with regular reports of findings of fraud much as they have done so far.
I would separately note that the 70,000 government workers who accepted Buyouts – will not save the governmetn a penny – until September – but will save between 25-50B/year afterwords. The approximately 280,000 probationary govenrment employees who have been dismissed will save another 100-500B/year.
The DC judge protected $2B of USAID spending – USAID’s budget is about 60B and more than 40B of that is being cut.
Some of the saving DOGE has found can be implimnted immediately – by TRUMP of by various agency and department heads.
Some of it will require congress to act.
Some estimates are only by BABYTRUMP!!
Jonathan: “We Shall Overcome” should be Elon Musk’s theme song because he is running into headwinds from every direction! The polls show 58% of all voters oppose laying off government workers. 71% of 18-34 year-olds say they disapprove of DOGE. This was reported last night by Steven Colbert on his show. Colbert remarked: “Millions of kids say they can’t stand Musk, and that’s just his kids”. Funny!
And there’s more bad news for Elon. His plans to populate Mars are running into problems. Yesterday, Space X lost another Starship. Minutes after liftoff the spacecraft tumbled out of control and broke apart–spreading debris over the same islands that are still cleaning up debris from the last Starship disaster back in January. Musk called the latest Starship disaster just a “Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly”. Talk about Orwellian double speak!
But Musk isn’t worried. He now controls the FAA that sanctioned him for safety concerns over previous launches. Don’t expect the FAA to do anything now to protect the public. The latest disaster caused airlines again to divert to avoid the debris. The Q is who is going to pay for the cleanup and reimburse the airlines and the passengers for their losses. The ambulance chasing lawyers are going to have a hay day going after Musk!
And there is more bad news for Musk. Tesla sales have plummeted around the world–especially in China and Europe. And down under in Australia Tesla sales dropped a whopping 70% in February compared to 2024! That’s more than double an already 33% drop in January. And members of the Tesla board are dumping their shares to avoid further losses.
Is Musk worried? Apparently not. He is depending on US government contracts to keep afloat now that he is in control of the purse strings. And who is paying for all those contracts? It’s you, me and the rest of US taxpayers. Musk and DJT know how to grift off taxpayers… Conflicts of interest and corruption never see since the McKinley era. That’s why we call what we are seeing the new “Gilded Age”!
PS: My wife just called me from our local Costco. They are out of eggs and hold on to your socks–the cost of three small bottles of the Kirkland brand olive oil is now over $55 dollars! That’s the “small disturbance” DJT talked about in his speech on Tuesday!
Never fear, Dennis – now that Trump has created a federal crypto reserve with taxpayer dollars, he’s stabilized all the sketchy crypto speculations for he and his billionaire techbro friends and I’m SURE – just absolutely SURE – they will use this massive government bailout to help the country out and bring costs down. Certainly – the Trump family with all of their meme coins they just conveniently started (Donnie has one, Melania has one, Eric has one and DJTjr has one) wouldn’t have just ripped us all off – would they have??!?!?!?
“CNN’s Harry Enten was surprised by “shocking” poll data showing that a majority of Americans support Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) spending cuts to the federal government on Thursday.
According to the CBS/YouGov poll, 54% believe that Musk and DOGE should have at least some influence over government spending and operations.
After weeks of anti-DOGE protests and pushback from Democrats, the CNN data reporter was shocked to see that the majority of Americans support DOGE’s efforts to cut government spending.
“This, to me, was one of the more shocking figures that I saw. It made me go, ‘wait a minute, hold on one second! Whoa!’” Enten exclaimed.”
“Recent polling suggests that narrow majorities of Americans support billionaire Elon Musk’s influence over government agencies, as well as President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce the overall federal workforce.”
Newsweek
https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2025/03/01/f4293c3c-976b-4567-bbef-1383720d213c/3-trumpcutgov.png?v=63a2b43e2ef8917aa6bd547ca29dd4fa
https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2025/03/01/dc343e34-4dd9-48eb-88b9-5de39eeecf98/4-dogeinfluenceparty.png?v=63a2b43e2ef8917aa6bd547ca29dd4fa
https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2025/03/01/9bc8c6ae-a2d5-44d0-8f10-c277bc4704cc/6-govreductionreps.png?v=63a2b43e2ef8917aa6bd547ca29dd4fa
https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2025/03/01/7b22e6ca-267b-444d-b88a-68539311e65d/9-wasteingov.png?v=63a2b43e2ef8917aa6bd547ca29dd4fa
Where is the Waste ?
https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2025/03/01/fb7177aa-4c52-4675-a951-78a9aa6940c1/10-wherewasteparty.png?v=63a2b43e2ef8917aa6bd547ca29dd4fa
Support for Trump policies so far
https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/2025/03/01/3c152a50-1392-4f34-bb85-3785e6dabb7f/11-trumpissueratings.png?v=63a2b43e2ef8917aa6bd547ca29dd4fa
There is a huge polling gap between those under 25 and those between 25-35.
The later is the Woke generation – the former is the Anti_wok generation.
Republicans and trump have the strongest support of those under 25 that they have had in generations.
Dennis – Starship is still under development
Every single Starship launch tests a long list of new things.
Musk does not expect any Starship launches to be “perfect”.
The only question is where the failure will be.
Conversely Falcon 9 has over a 99% success rate over almost 500 launches.
“Rockets from the Falcon 9 family have a success rate of 99.34% and have been launched 458 times over 15 years, resulting in 455 full successes, two in-flight failures (SpaceX CRS-7 and Starlink Group 9–3), one pre-flight failure (AMOS-6 while being prepared for an on-pad static fire test), and one partial failure (SpaceX CRS-1, which delivered its cargo to the International Space Station (ISS), but a secondary payload was stranded in a lower-than-planned orbit). The active version of the rocket, the Falcon 9 Block 5, has flown 390 times successfully and failed once (Starlink Group 9–3), resulting in the 99.74% success rate.
In 2022, the Falcon 9 set a new record with 60 successful launches by the same launch vehicle type in a calendar year. This surpassed the previous record held by Soyuz-U, which had 47 launches (45 successful) in 1979.[8] In 2023, the Falcon family of rockets (including the Falcon Heavy) had 96 successful launches, surpassing the 63 launches (61 successful) of the R-7 rocket family in 1980.[b][9] In 2024, SpaceX broke their own record with 134 total Falcon flights (133 successful) accounting for over half of all orbital launches that year.”
Early Falcon 9’s failed almost every single launch.
This is how SpaceX works.
When Starship is ready it too will have the same reliability as Falcon 9.
Right Now Musk is trying to improve the reliability, increase the payload and decrease the cost of each launch.
SpaceX is planning Hundreds of Starship launches/yr. Starship is expected to bring down the cost of putting things into space by a factor of 10 from Falcon 9 – which is already more than a factor of 100 lower than anything before.
Further While Musk is working on Starship – Bezo’s is working on New Glenn and other efforts by Branson and Allen and others are moving forward – though I beleive NASA’s Artimus is now dead. It is far more expensive than Starship and not reuseable and not anywhere near ready to fly.
I beleive Boeing has also dropped out.
Regardless I am all for competition – and while Musk has a clear lead at the moment – that lead appears primarily to be the result of his willingness to blow things up. It does not really matter than much whether Starship, New Glenn or something else proves best.
In fact HOPEFULLY several competitors will be successful constantly challenging each other to do better.
“But Musk isn’t worried. He now controls the FAA that sanctioned him for safety concerns over previous launches. Don’t expect the FAA to do anything now to protect the public. The latest disaster caused airlines again to divert to avoid the debris. The Q is who is going to pay for the cleanup and reimburse the airlines and the passengers for their losses. The ambulance chasing lawyers are going to have a hay day going after Musk!”
The FAA is another agency that should be closed – unfortunately Trump is heavily recruiting.
Air Traffic control should be handled by airports and paid for by the airlines as it is in much of the rest of the world.
Regardless, The FAA has no business citing Starlink over safety concerns. Starship is still under development.
Blowing some up is expected. It is how SpaceX has got to its dramatic lead.
No airlines did not have to divert to avoid debris. The FAA that you fawn over will not allow airlines to fly into the transit zone of any rocket – not SpaceX, not NASA, not Bezos. Whether Starship blew up or not – airliners were blocked from being within hundreds of miles of its likely path.
Airlines and passangers lost nothing.
SpaceX is responsible for what little cleanup is necescary.
If “ambulance chasing lawyers” have a case they are free to persue Musk that is how Tort law works and why we do not need regulation.
Regardless SpaceX did not block the flights of airlines into the projected path of Starship – YOUR FAA did.
The same disruptions would have occured whether the flight was successful or not, whether the Flight Was Starship or New Glenn.
The exclusion zone for Falcon9 is likely much smaller than Starship or New Glenn – because Falcon9 is more reliable than any other launch vehicle EVER.
Telsa’s sales are down. Ford’s sales are down. Auto sales globally are down. Tesla is doing better than most other Car companies.
Auto sales in Europe and China are down because both those economies are in serious trouble.
Regardless, why do you care ?
People should be free to buy whatever cars they want. Telsa is having significant problems in China because a state supported Chinese EV maker is radically undercutting Telsa’s price with a much cheaper and much lower quality product.
Chinese buyers are picking the cheaper EV. We will see if that is a wise choice int he long run – that is how free markets work.
Tesla Stock is at 262.67.
It was 202 this time last year.
It was at 180 this time in 2023
BTW Tesla made 7.1B in 2024(NYT). They are still proftitable.
” He is depending on US government contracts to keep afloat now that he is in control of the purse strings.”
How so ? The US government pays SpaceX to put satellites into orbit. It does so because SpaceX is by far the cheapest way to get something in orbit. The Govenrment will pay Bezos and Blue ORian – if they ever get New Glen out of development and into the same status as SpaceX’s falcon 9. It is my understanding that the Russians have shut down their space cargo offerings – they can not compete on Price.
China is still trying to Clone the Falcon9 – and doing horribly – but they will eventually succeed.
Europe has Ariane 5G at a cost of 9,167/kg much higher cost than Falcon 9. Currently more than 50% of everything put into space is done by SpaceX.
It does not matter if you are NASA or Bill Gates or one of those trying to compete with starlink.
You have few choices – and the cheapest is SpaceX.
SpaceX has 38B in government contracts. – spaceX charges 67M/ launch.
The Space Shuttle costs $1.6Blaunch. of nearly $30,000 per pound of payload
Space X is charging $1200/lb almost 30 times less and
“A single use Super Heavy Starship and booster will be able to bring full payloads to orbit for about $250-600 per kilogram. ”
That is BEFORE Starship impliments reusability like Falcon 9 – which will drop the price even further.
The govenrment need not pay spaceX a penny – They stall can use the Atlas V – that costs 107M/launch and has 1/3 to 1/5 the payload of a Falcon 9 Heavy. So the Govenrment can boycott SpaceC and pay almost 10 times as much.
“And who is paying for all those contracts? It’s you, me and the rest of US taxpayers.”
SpaceX is SAVING US taxpayers about 250B – as that is the cost if we paid Ariane or used Atlas V
BTW the price of eggs TODAY at my local Costco was 7.99/2 dozen – unless you want organic.
Dennis,
While MOST of your “FACTS” are fake.
Even if they weren’;t – so what ?
If Tesla is getting beat in the Free market – SO WHAT ?
If someone can put payloads into space cheaper than SpaceX – the Govenment should use them.
Increasingly SpaceX payloads are PRIVATE anyway.
BTW SpaceX’s profits are 3.6B on Revenue of 13.8B much of which is private.
SpaceX may have 38B in contracts – but those are multi-year contracts.
So long as Tax payers are paying the lowest rate – and NO ONE is close to SpaceX – then the question is whether what is being launched by the US govenment is worthwhile. That is NOT Musks business. He does not care if NASA/DOD put rocks into orbit.
“ That is NOT Musks business. He does not care if NASA/DOD put rocks into orbit.”
I dont disagree with much of what you said, but as usual, you run that big mouth until you say something stupid.
As the head of Space-X he may not care about that.
As the head of DOGE he absolutely should care about that.
Thats called a conflict of interests.
I suspect he does care what the payloads are.
EAT DOG(E) WITH YOUR WHINE AND CHEESE-DENNIS!!!
Squeeky said below: What it is, for some of these people, is that they are not living in 2025. They are stuck somewhere back in the Jim Crow Era
Reminds me of this hilarious movie clip, which captures the essence of their time warp. They think it’s still 1968.
https://youtu.be/QgEli5zAi0U?si=7tQJGC7v4qWy4l98
-OMFK
That was hilarious! I just bought the DVD!
The problem I see for the Democratic party is that they have lost control of every sane policy position. All that it will take is for one member of that party to have the courage to stand up and say enough is enough. Once that happens, the dam will break and maybe, just maybe that party will recover some credibility.
In one way, we are very lucky here, because we could be South Africa, where their version of the Democratic Party is the ANC. Which, just legalized stealing stuff from White People. I’m sure Al Green and that Crockett chick would fit in quite well there! They could all sing We Shall Overcome, while stealing White People’s cars, watches, houses, and land. Soon, that whole country is going down the tubes. But, hopefully, we will get a lot of the White people here! Probably us and Australia.
Man oh man – do I respect you Ms. Fromm. Finally, a Republican that isn’t shy about telling us all EXACTLY what they believe MAGA is….making American WHITE again. Thank you for your honesty. It’s refreshing.
Thank you!!!
I know that you really did not mean that as a compliment, but maybe what I am is just a person who tells things like they are. I bet you, assuming you are a white person, would have cleared out of South Africa years ago, if you lived there. And if you didn’t live there, then you do the same sort of thing here, in America – which, is to move to a white neighborhood, and send your kids to white schools, and pretty much do the Scott Adams thing.
The problem is, that you feel guilty about it, and project your “racism” onto everyone else. But I don’t think that recognizing reality is racist – it is just common sense. Black people with money do the same thing – they get away from the hood and all the problems there. Maxine Waters, for example, lives in a white neighborhood. And remember what Don Lemon said???
In an ideal world, we would not feel compelled to think this way, but we do not live in an ideal world.
Thank you for the reply! I’m just confused on one issue – what is considered a “white” neighborhood? Like if a neighborhood had 20 homes in it (20 families) could 1 Black family (or 5%) be enough to classify that neighborhood as no longer “white?” Or what if just one white family had one adopted Black child – making the neighborhood, say, only 2% Black. Would that be enough to spoil the blood of the entire neighborhood? I’m just trying to learn the rules, here. THANKS!
No, I would not think that one, or even two black families would destroy the entire White Neighborhood. Odds are, the black families are probably just doing the same thing as us white folks, which is getting away from the ghetto blacks and hood rats.
If you are trying to learn the “rules”, just start where you currently are. Put your city name into a search bar, and ask “is this city dangerous”. You will get the statistics and probably info on what areas and neighborhoods are safe, which is usually the white neighborhoods.
Now, you may find this info both offensive, and racist-y, but knowing this can help keep you alive. Hopefully, you will begin to ask the more pertinent questions, such as, “Why is this happening?” Why are these areas unsafe?” “Why does there seem to be a strong correlation to race in all this?”
That is the hard part to get your head around, because you will probably not like the answers. But to fix problems, you first have to identify them. Be brave and stunning here!
” I’m just confused on one issue – what is considered a “white” neighborhood?”
Why would you be confused ?
It does not matter how you define White Neighborhood – so long as you definition is based in reality.
I.e. you do not do as left wing nuts often do and define up as down and down as up.
This is not about the “blood” of the neghborhood.
It is about the correlation between violence and race.
Throughout the world – blacks are on average twice as violent as whites.
Hispanics about 50% more violent than whites and Asians about 25% less violent than whites.
You can make an excellent estimate of the crime rate in any city, any nation, anywhere in the world by looking at its racial makeup.
The correlations are not perfect – there are some rare exceptions – but overall they are pretty good.
Now is the cause of this – genetic – race ? Is it cultural ? is it something else ?
I do not know, but it would be worth finding out.
If we are looking to reduce violent crime – in the US or South Africa, shouldn’t we seek to find out WHY crime is higher in some places than others ?
No your not trying to learn the rules – this is about DATA not rules.
Define white and black neighborhoods however you wish, then see how that correlates to violent crime.
The data is readily available.
If as you hint – it makes a difference whether a neighborhood is 99% of one race or 95% of 80% or …
Then that is something we would want to know. But it does not alter the FACT that there is a very large statistically significant difference that tracks race.
What you are actually doing is pretending to be more intelligent than you are – and failing miserably
Squeeky,
I do not know if you recall, but I am not white. And while some may find your comments off putting, you are not wrong. My own parents moved from Chicago to a very small, rural, predominate white Mid-West town with a very good school district. That was their priority. To see us kids grow up in a safe area, with a good school. My wife, who is white, has a very good friend of some eighteen years and co-worker whom is black. He grew up in the ghetto of Philadelphia. He was bound and determined to get out of the ghetto. Others told him he was being uppity and needed to know his place. That place was in the ghetto. What did he do? He studied hard, got good grades and stayed out of trouble. After graduation, he enlisted in the US Air Force. He served twenty years, and retired. Now, he is a program manager, making very good money, has a very nice house and a awesome Harley Davidson motorcycle. His wife, who is white, both ride motorcycles.
Upstate, thank you for your very kind words!!! I think it is a shame that in 2025 we still have all these racial issues going on, and I do not see any end in sight for them. A lot of white people do not seem to understand how bad things are in these black neighborhoods, and how there are so many obstacles placed in the way of people trying to get out of the trap. Penelope does some ad litem work, and it is pitiful to see how some of these black kids are brought up, and the complete neglect which they endure. The shame is, that most of this is preventable, if people get married before having children, and then make sure their kids go to school and graduate. That, and have morals and work hard. But that seems to be hard for people to do anymore, and even white people seem to be going downhill for the same reasons. Between the drugs and the poor parenting, it looks like our country is up Poop Creek without a paddle.
ATS
The Era of Apartheid was horrible in South Africa.
But it was almost paradise compared to what has followed.
South Africa prior to the end of Apartheid was prosperous – maybe more for whites than blacks, but even Blacks benefited.
Their economy was the envy of Africa. They had the best airlines in Africa, they produced food, Gold and other minerals, their power system worked. Their government – while racist, still functioned.
Today South Africa is a disaster. It has not had economic growth since Mandella took office.
In most every measurable way the country is failing. Violence and crime are much worse than they were.
During Apartheid the police were racist – but they did not roam the streets looking for random black people to murder and torture.
Today gangs roam the country looking for whites to torture, to confiscate their property – but the process – like all class warfare in history is ultimately destructive. You can rape and murder people, you can take their posessions, But you can not run their farms or produce what made them wealthy in the first place.
If the whites in south Africa a generation ago deserve our scorn. They still did a far better job for ALL, than those who have run the country since.
While what has followed the end of Apartheid is atleast as Racist a Apatheid was – if that was all there was to it. It would not matter.
What is the difference between a successful white racist country and a successful black racist country.
But South African is NOT successful today. Is that because blacks are inferior to whites ? I suspect not, though we certainly should look at why South africa under Racist Blacks is failing when it was succeeding under Racist whites.
But I would offer a better explanation – one with plenty of historical evidence to support it.
I would suggest that the past success of South Africa was because of the differences in values between it and the failed south africa of the present.
Both past and present are steeped in racism – that value is shared even if the target has changed.
What is different is that the post apartheid government of south africa is socialist, even communist.
But if you prefer to beleive that South Africa’s post Apartheid failure is do to the inferiority of those who have governed since – I guess you are free to beleive that.
Regardless, the US should welcome entrepeneurial refugees seeking to escape the disaster that is South AFrica – regardless of their race.
PHYSICAL AXIOM: When a neighborhood reaches a certain percentage of colored people, Americans move out, aka vote with their feet.
” They could all sing We Shall Overcome, while stealing White People’s cars, watches, houses, and land.”
I was thinking about parodying “We Shall Overcome” as “We Shall Plunder Some” or similar. However, then I looked up the official lyrics, there doesn’t seem to be enough “there” there to do anything to, or at least I’m not up to the challenge. Sad.
There is no “red line” between right and wrong for the democrat party. They possess no conscience, moral fiber, or patriotism. What they DO display is angry, raging hatred towards anything that comes between them and power/control. They view our Constitution as a roadblock, hence, the push for activist “judges.”
Here is what I have been saying for over ten years here:
Trying to explain “principles”, or “right vs. wrong”, or “rules”,
or “logical consistency” to a Democrat, is like trying to explain to a bad,
cheating, folding metal chair-using, pants-pulling-down, wrestler why he didn’t
win the WWF Belt fairly. He is not able to comprehend what you are going on about.
All he knows is, that he won the match and belt, and if his girlfriend jumped into
the ring and whacked the good wrestler over the head with a metal chair while the
referee wasn’t looking- – -well, what difference does that make???
After all, he won! He has the championship belt! Isn’t that all that matters???
Not certain if it’s you or me, but I haven’t seen your posts in quite a while, and they’ve been sorely missed. You’re always insightful, thought provoking, and entertaining.
Thank you!!! I am glad that you like my stuff!
Everything is twisted and upside down in the Marxist world of the globalists that have claimed the modern left, world wide; they do not stand for anything but their own power and preservation. America may once again be the last one standing up for true freedom. Hold the line – classical liberal, independent, religious conservative – it’s now or never for the West, and we MUST stand united. We’ve seen this story before, and though it’s implementation may be different, this tyranny of the modern left cannot be allowed to win. Here in the States, at least, we still have the power to rebuke them, and we must.
I agree with Upstate – our modern dems have transitioned from being merely being very corrupt to being actually evil. Anyone with eyes can see it. Hold the line!
Communist quiz featuring Marx, Lenin, Che, Mao.
The “we shall overcome” song was originally sung in protest to Jim Crow laws, where African Americans were asserting their right to equal treatment under the law, to basic human dignity.
Now, they sing the same song to assert the right to – what? To heckle and disrupt a presidential address to a joint session of Congress? Does such a right even exist?
I was just about to say the same thing. What it is, for some of these people, is that they are not living in 2025. They are stuck somewhere back in the Jim Crow Era, and Al Green isn’t just some stupid, loudmouthed black Congressman – oh no. Al Green is out there agitating for the right to vote, and the right to be served at the front of the Bar-B-Que Joint, as opposed to the back door.
I wonder how screwed up Green’s district is, and it is pretty much Houston. Which, from the map here, you can see that crime is bad in his district:
https://pdxmovers.com/blog/houston-crime-rate/
@Squeeky
You (and you have always been in these comments, I don’t know who you really are or why you disappeared for years) and Floyd are blatant racists, and you should really stop. We are waaaay past that. If you somehow feel ’emboldened’ by the results of November, you really need to think again. The rest of us will take the likes of you down politically just as quick.
Get on board with the current pulse or go away. Talking points that sound salient but are based on a flawed premise will only ever collapse, and the like of you guys can stop or whither; it’s your choice.
Die on the vine or find your spine. I assure you, the majority of us do not ascribe to your awful, very much personal, tunnel vision, and that ain’t gonna cut it in 2025. That is so not the point. Do and be better.
Instead of yelling racist all the time, James needs to focus on the points made. What part of the above statement is racist?
I have told you before why I went away – I was busy with other stuff. I have a job, and I moved, and I have a life, where there are other things I like to do. What I noticed when I started posting again, is that a lot of things are the same. Professor Turley seems to have become more disenchanted with the Democratic Left, and that is a good thing. More regular people seemed to have become more fed up with the Narrative Crap. But basically, things are about the same. The trolls still post garbage, and they get shot down, but there seems to be fewer of them, and the one who remain, are a lot dumber than some of the Old Trolls. Mr. Stupid, George and GiGi are almost a joke with the stupid stuff they post. A whole bunch of “we’re smarter than you are” attitude, with little in the way of substantive argument.
@oldman
Yes, it was. Al’s behavior had nothing whatsoever to do with the color of his skin – we have moved on into the territory of ideological prejudice, and it really is American freedom vs. communism, again. It is absolute, unequivocal madness. I would wager quite literally no one under the age of 40 at this point has any idea the lengths people went to to escape it in the past, or how many political asylees we had from communist countries 40 years ago. Neither do they know about the drug trade and hijackings on the part of Latin America at that time. The Cuban Missile Crisis? Forget it. These precious snowflakes and their influencing elders are driving us over a cliff, and we can’t stand for it anymore.
James, I think that you are wrong about Al Green’s color having nothing to do with it. Because, when you are black, nobody really expects you to be intelligent and well-spoken. In fact, in black culture, being OPENLY intelligent and well-spoken is considered to be “acting white.” It is a very perverse thing, but it is a real thing. So, if you are Joy Reid or Al Green, your nonsense and bad behavior is tolerated. Even celebrated. If Al Green had been white, I bet a lot more Democratic Party representatives would have voted to censure him.
For example, the same thing is tolerated from women, when they have hysterical hissy fits. People sort of expect us to be crazy, so they don’t take us seriously a lot of the time. The Old Greeks were very aware of this, and associated “female” with the irrational.
That is why the worst of bad behavior comes from black women – where the lines of bad behavior and irrationality intersect, in a race and gender way, which, look at Maxine Waters, Joy Read, Mayor Henyard, Fani Willis, Letitia James, and any brawl at a Chuck E Cheeses, an airport, Walt Disney World, and assorted schools and chicken fast food joints.