Category: Politics

Media, Politics

What Elephant? The Media Again Buries A Hunter Biden Scandal on Foreign Deals During the Biden Vice Presidency

I previously wrote a column on the one year anniversary of the Hunter Biden laptop story that marveled at the success of the Biden family in making the scandal vanish before that 2020 election. It was analogized to Houdini making his 10,000-pound elephant Jennie disappear in his act. The Biden trick however occurred live before an audience of millions. Now, in an encore, a new major story on Biden’s Chinese dealings has surfaced. Once again, poof!

The media has made the story disappear except for a couple of the usual outlets. Even with the New York Times reporting on the story, the disclosure of Biden’s role in securing one of the world’s largest cobalt mines for China (a key component to electric battery production) has been ignored by the major networks and many other print outlets. Once again, ABC. NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, and other media just cannot see the elephant.

Continue reading “What Elephant? The Media Again Buries A Hunter Biden Scandal on Foreign Deals During the Biden Vice Presidency” →

Free Speech, Politics, Society

Fighting “Information Disorder”: Aspen’s Orwellian Commission on Controlling Speech in America

The Aspen Institute has issued the results of its much heralded 16-person Commission on Information Disorder on how to protect the public from misinformation. The commission on disinformation and “building trust” was partially headed by Katie Couric who is still struggling with her own admission that she edited an interview to remove controversial statements by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Aspen recommendations however are a full-throated endorsement of systems of censorship. Continue reading “Fighting “Information Disorder”: Aspen’s Orwellian Commission on Controlling Speech in America” →

Columns, Media, Politics

The Steele Dossier and the End of Shame In American Politics

The famous philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal once declared that “the only shame is to have none.” The problem with shame is that it requires a sense of guilt over one’s actions. In the age of rage, there appear fewer and fewer actions that are beyond the pale for politics. Take Adam Schiff and the Steele dossier. While even the Washington Post has admitted that it got the Russian collusion story wrong in light of the findings of Special Counsel John Durham, House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff, D-Calif., is still insisting that he was absolutely right to promote the discredited Steele dossier. Schiff’s interview on NBC’s Meet the Press may be the final proof of the death of shame in American politics. Continue reading “The Steele Dossier and the End of Shame In American Politics” →

Constitutional Law, Politics, Religion

Michael Flynn: “We Must Have One Religion”

Michael Flynn, former national security advisor in the Trump administration, is back in the news this weekend with another startling declaration.  While speaking at the “Rewaken America” rally, Flynn declared “If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion.” It is a deeply offensive and frankly unAmerican viewpoint. This country was founded (and has been defended) by people of many religions. Arlington cemetery has Christian, Jews, Muslim, and other faiths represented on the tombstones of those who gave the final measure of devotion to this country and its freedoms, including the freedom of religion.  Thomas Jefferson famously declared “It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God.” Continue reading “Michael Flynn: “We Must Have One Religion”” →

Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Lawyering, Media, Politics

When “Work Arounds” Don’t Work: The Fifth Circuit Cites Biden’s Chief of Staff In Rejecting Vaccine Mandate

I recently wrote a column on the legal challenges to President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate issued through OSHA. Not only is the use of OSHA regulations unprecedented for imposing a national vaccine mandate, I noted that Chief of Staff Ron Klain went to Twitter to herald the use of OSHA as a “work around” the constitutional limitations placed on President Biden. I asked how a court would respond to such an admission. We have to wonder no more. Late Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit cited Klain’s comment in its decision enjoining the mandate. Continue reading “When “Work Arounds” Don’t Work: The Fifth Circuit Cites Biden’s Chief of Staff In Rejecting Vaccine Mandate” →

Lawyering, Politics

Michael Cohen Loses Lawsuit For Compensation as Trump’s “Fixer”
C-Span/YouTube Screenshot

Michael Cohen has lost his lawsuit against Donald Trump. Cohen was suing Trump for his litigation costs but his case depended on his own legal judgment as former counsel to the former president. A convicted felon, Cohen was always more of a legal thug than a competent lawyer. His case collapsed when the court refused to take his word for an oral contract and noted that he signed a contract directly refuting such oral contract claims. This week proved a double boost for Trump who also saw the withdrawal of the much covered lawsuit of Summer Zervos, a former contestant on “The Apprentice.”  After thousands of articles in the media, Zervos quietly dropped her lawsuit. Continue reading “Michael Cohen Loses Lawsuit For Compensation as Trump’s “Fixer”” →

Columns, Constitutional Law, Politics

Will Biden’s Vaccine-Mandate “Work-Around” Work with the Supreme Court?

Below is my column in the Hill on the review of the OSHA vaccine mandate imposed by the Biden Administration. Courts like the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit are facing a novel use of workplace regulations in an admitted effort to circumvent constitutional limitations. The question is whether it will work.

Here is the column: Continue reading “Will Biden’s Vaccine-Mandate “Work-Around” Work with the Supreme Court?” →

Academia, Free Speech, Media, Politics

Burning the “Bad Stuff”: School Board Members Call for Book Burning

We recently discussed a book burning organized by a school district in Canada. Now, members of the Spotsylvania County School Board have called for the burning of books with “sexually explicit” content from school libraries. There has been a disturbing rise in calls for censorship, bans, and removal of books from book stores and other forums. Book burning is the most grotesque manifestation of censorship and view intolerance.

Continue reading “Burning the “Bad Stuff”: School Board Members Call for Book Burning” →

Bizarre, Free Speech, International, Politics

Facebook Under Fire For Role in Covering Up Vietnamese Communist Figure Eating Gold-Encrusted Steak

We have often discussed the hypocrisy of leaders and social media companies proclaiming their faith in free speech while promoting unprecedented levels of censorship. However, the layers of hypocrisy in a story out of London is breathtaking. Gen. To Lam was shown recently on a trip to visit the grave of Karl Marx. That is hardly surprising for a Communist leader. What followed was a tad surprising. To Lam is shown eating a steak covered in 24-karat gold flakes at a restaurant owned by the social media star and restaurateur known as Salt Bae. It costs $1,150 per steak.  Facebook later suspended Salt Bae’s hashtag as the scandal exploded in Vietnam. It is not the first time social media has intervened to assist foreign authoritarian or government interests.  This story may prove Marx’s prediction that “history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.” Continue reading “Facebook Under Fire For Role in Covering Up Vietnamese Communist Figure Eating Gold-Encrusted Steak” →

Bizarre, Criminal law, Politics

Schiff Calls For Prosecutions of Those Who Lied on Steele Dossier . . . After Attacking The Durham Investigation

In a bizarre exchange this week with former State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was confronted with his relentless promoting of the now debunked Steele dossier in prior years. Schiff surprisingly declared “First of all, whoever lied to the FBI or Christopher Steele should be prosecuted, and they are.” (It is actually not a crime to lie to Christopher Steele under 18 U.S.C. 1001. It is a crime to lie to federal investigators). It was a curious statement from someone who attacked the appointment of the Special Counsel and, with other leading Democrats, did his level best to kill the investigation. If it had been left to Schiff, there would have been no John Durham and no Durham indictments. Continue reading “Schiff Calls For Prosecutions of Those Who Lied on Steele Dossier . . . After Attacking The Durham Investigation” →

Academia, Politics

California Teachers Under Fire For Political Commentary in Classes

Two California teachers are under fire this week for political commentary, though only one has been suspended. A California middle school teacher in Ventura was removed from her classroom after a recording surfaced of her telling students that the government “has way too much power” and allegedly saying Donald Trump is still president. In the meantime, a high school teacher is under investigation after he trashed conservatives in a multiple choice question on an exam. Continue reading “California Teachers Under Fire For Political Commentary in Classes” →

Free Speech, International, Politics

Irish Health Minister Sues Van Morrison Over Criticism of Covid Measures

Northern Ireland’s Health Minister seems to be channeling the lyrics of Van Morrison’s song Heavy Connection: “You come into my dreams from a whisper to a scream.” Minister Robin Swann is preoccupied with Morrison’s criticism of his policies so he is now suing Morrison for defamation. The latest comments came after a concert was cancelled at the last minute. In an attack on free speech, Swann is suing Morrison for clearly political speech objecting to the actions of a public official. Continue reading “Irish Health Minister Sues Van Morrison Over Criticism of Covid Measures” →

Bizarre, Columns, Lawyering, Media, Politics

Six Degrees From Brookings: How a Liberal Think Tank Keeps Coming Up in the Russian Collusion Investigation

The latest indictment by Special Counsel John Durham has created a stir in Washington as the investigation into the Russian collusion scandal exposed new connections to the Clinton campaign.  The indictment of  Igor Danchenko exposes additional close advisers to Hillary Clinton who allegedly pushed discredited and salacious allegations in the Steele dossier. However, one of the most interesting new elements was the role of a liberal think tank, the Brookings Institution, in the alleged effort to create a false scandal of collusion. Indeed, Brookings appears so often in accounts related to the Russian collusion scandal that it could be Washington’s alternative to the Kevin Bacon parlor game. It appears that many of these figures are within six degrees of Brookings.

Continue reading “Six Degrees From Brookings: How a Liberal Think Tank Keeps Coming Up in the Russian Collusion Investigation” →

Criminal law, Media, Politics

“Public Scapegoat”: Michigan Pays Out $300,000 To Only Official Fired Over Flint, Michigan Water Crisis

Six years ago, I wrote a column questioning charges in the Flint Michigan lead tainted water case as having more of a political than legal basis. After the initial press coverage dissipated, prosecutors quietly settled for misdemeanor pleas with key defendants. Now, the state of Michigan will have to pay $300,000 to settle wrongful discharge claims by Liane Shekter Smith, the only employee who was fired as a result of the controversy. Those are hundreds of thousands of dollars (plus additional litigation costs) that could have been used for other things like cleaner water. However, politicians demanded firings and criminal charges before the controversy was fully investigated.  The arbitrator, Sheldon Stark, found evidence that politics drove the decision to fire Smith. None of those politicians will likely be held responsible for these unavoidable damages.

Continue reading ““Public Scapegoat”: Michigan Pays Out $300,000 To Only Official Fired Over Flint, Michigan Water Crisis” →