Search the Community

Useful idiot heads explode.. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent just told his Senate confirmation hearing that he did try to enter public service previously: when he was 17 he went to enter the navy but he was gay and was not willing to lie about it. That was the rule at the time. Bessent’s husband, former SDNY prosecutor John Freeman, and their two well-behaved children are sitting behind him. Lefty heads exploding as they try to compute that Donald Trump nominated a gay married man with two gorgeous kids to the highest post in history - after Biden’s LBQT pandering clown show.

An underappreciated aspect of what you're seeing unfold today with the Senate confirmations is how fast the Senate has agreed to work in order to confirm Trump's incoming secretaries so they're ready on DAY ONE. Multiple senators including Sens. Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, and Eric Schmitt are hopping back and forth between hearings. This wouldn't have happened before under McConnell. They would have scheduled the hearings on different days, but the Young Guns in the Senate demanded to fast-track the entire process. The new blood in the Senate is beginning to bear real fruit, and America is going to benefit from this in profound ways.

George Will: Promises made, promises kept: Trump promised to raise taxes — by promising tariffs, which are paid by U.S. consumers. If prolonged, they are going to make Americans (a) less affluent than they should be and (b) disciples of Ricardo. For a taste of the coming madness, read the Cato Institute’s Jan. 29 report by Scott Lincicome and Alfredo Carrillo Obregon on how tariffs on Canada and Mexico will harm the U.S. auto industry and car buyers: Many vehicles sold here are assembled in Mexico with U.S. and Canadian parts, so much, sometimes most, “of the vehicles’ value comes from work performed by American workers and companies during production.” And: “About half of automobiles and light trucks exported by Mexico to the United States in 2024 were made by Detroit automakers.” And: “An engine, transmission, or other automotive component might cross the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders as much as seven or eight times before it ends up in a finished vehicle.” Why? Comparative advantages.

Pres. Trump's "Liberation Day" announcement was really excellent. He was a far greater expositor and persuader than usual. 1. He made you realize that the new tariffs are just the logical response to a trade war that other countries started, but we simply brushed off and took our lumps. 2. He made very subtle and clever fun of all the smarter-than-thou pundits who are aghast at tariffs, saying "They do to us; we do it to them. You can't get any simpler than that." I LOLed thinking of the pathetic Scott Lincicome, whom I follow on X only as self-flagellation. 3. He explained the scope of things very clearly. Real countries, real tariff rates. The highlight was him saying that 90,000 factories had been closed in the last 30 years, and he said "Imagine putting a pushpin on a map for every one of those." Excellent visualization. 4. He communicated proper respect to the countries that were going to have to make adjustments. He made it clear that he doesn't blame them--they're doing what they need to do, and the problem has strictly been our own previous inaction. 5. By giving the 1789-1913 history, he gave confidence that tariffs are actually a great source of income, and that we may have lost a lot of our potential by implementing an income tax--a genius way to tie in an eventual income tax change, if tariff revenue is actually that great (which I doubt, but we'll see). 6. He had the most pithy way to take all the Reason/CATO "OMG tariffs!" wonks and throw them into the pit of irrelevance: "If these struggling countries were negatively affected by their own tariffs [like Vietnam's 75% on motorcycles], they'd just take them off, right?" --- Mark Lowenstein .

First, for @sherpa: it's often called a "classification of officers," but perhaps more accurately is a "classification of leadership potential." The idea is actually fairly sound in any organization. The Quadrant 1 folks - clever and hardworking - are the ones who make policy/strategic decisions, but often are a too studied in their decision-making to serve in the highest ranks. The clever and lazy are what von Hammerstein thought were the best suited to high leadership. They use their "laziness" to come up with shortcuts to making sound decisions, relying, of course, on the clever/industrious below them. The dumb and lazy are, well, most employees. Give them basic tasks and count on them to not have any ambitions to be some kind of chief strategist. And the dumb and industrious? Well, they're dangerous because they have no idea of their own limitations and they do what the great John Wooden warned against: "Never confuse activity with achievement." So where do I put our recent presidents: - Trump: dumb and hyperactive. Not classically "industrious," but will never put his trust in someone long-term who actually knows what he's doing. We see that now with the ping-ponging between being swayed by Peter Navarro vs. Scott Bessent. If any advisor threatens his absolute power, he gets fired. Has to constantly be doing something when very often doing nothing is preferable. - Biden: dumb and lazy. - Obama: clever and lazy. Tried to sell himself as a policy wonk; he wasn't really one of that group. - Bush 43: dumb and lazy. Dumb can mean getting swept away by some clever advisor (Cheney/Rumsfeld), so obviously the Biden/Kamala/Bush types aren't ideal. - Clinton: clever and industrious. Yeah, that can get you in trouble, which is why von Hammerstein didn't find it ideal for the top. - Bush 41: kinda dumb, kinda industrious. I find it hard to classify him. I used to think Reagan fit in the dumb/lazy category. I've changed my mind over the years. I really think he was quite clever, but generally intellectually lazy. But ultimately very successful. It was, as Von Hammerstein would say if he were around today, a feature of Reagan, not a bug. - Carter: smart and industrious, probably a victim of that overthinking things quadrant 2 guy who wasn't suited for top leadership. - Ford: dumb and lazy, refreshing in retrospect, given who he was bracketed by Nixon - largely before my time - is the prime example of the dangers of the smart/industrious type. Always scheming, always trying to outmaneuver someone, ultimately his downfall. Have we had another dumb/hyperactive president? Not that I know of. That's why in modern America Trump stands alone. The Dunning-Krueger poster boy. The von Hammerstein "avoid at all costs" guy.

Justice Thomas Destroys the Case for Nationwide Injunctions With One Devastating Question Matt Margolis During Supreme Court oral arguments in the Trump v. CASA, Washington, and New Jersey cases, Justice Clarence Thomas delivered a surgical takedown of the legal rationale for nationwide injunctions, using just one line. The case centers around whether lower courts can issue sweeping injunctions that block federal policies nationwide, even when only a handful of plaintiffs are before the court. Representing the United States, Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that such broad orders violate established legal norms and Supreme Court precedent. “We believe that the best reading of that is what you said in Trump against Hawaii, which is that Wirtz in 1963 was really the first universal injunction,” Sauer told the Court. “There’s a dispute about Perkins against Lukens Oil going back to 1940. And of course, we point to the Court’s opinion that reversed that universal injunction issued by the D.C. Circuit and said it’s profoundly wrong.” Sauer continued, listing key precedents that have rejected expansive injunctive relief. “If you look at the cases that either party cite, you see a common theme. The cases that we cite — like National Treasury Employees Union, Perkins, Frothingham, and Massachusetts v. Mellon, going back to Scott v. Donald — in all of those, those are cases where the Court considered and addressed the sort of universal — well, in that case, statewide — provision of injunctive relief.” He emphasized, “When the Court has considered and addressed this, it has consistently said, ‘You have to limit the remedy to the plaintiffs appearing in court and complaining of that remedy.’” That’s when Justice Thomas stepped in and cut through the legal weeds with a devastatingly simple observation. “So we survived until the 1960s without universal injunction?” he asked. Sauer didn’t hesitate: “That’s exactly correct. And in fact, those were very limited, very rare, even in the 1960s.” He went on to explain that nationwide injunctions didn’t truly explode until 2007. “In our cert petition in Summers v. Rhode Island Institute, we pointed out that the Ninth Circuit had started doing this in a whole bunch of cases involving environmental claims.” Thomas’s concise question — “So we survived until the 1960s without universal injunction?” — hit the heart of the issue. With that simple question, he challenged the idea that such drastic judicial remedies were historically essential, even during one of the most tumultuous and morally urgent periods in American history: the civil rights era, a time when federal courts began issuing broader remedies to dismantle Jim Crow laws and enforce desegregation. https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/05/15/justice-thomas-destroys-case-for-nationwide-injunctions-with-one-devastating-question-n4939815

#1 seed in Liberal Activist Region: Nicole Wallace Match up to watch: #3 Jen Psaki vs. #14 Laura Barron-Lopez. Newcomer Barron-Lopez is primed for the upset with her recent kidney doctor terrorist sympathizer hand waving take. Great late game from Barron-Lopez to snag the #14 seed. A big 7/10 match up with #7 Bill Kristol vs. #10 Joy Behar. Moving to the Way-Too-Online region we have #1 seed Eugene Daniels, President of the white house correspondents association. Massive DEI racist game from Eugene. A very formidable contender. A match up to watch in this region, #7 Keith Olbermann vs. #10 Tim Miller of The Bulwark. A little bit odd for Keith Olbermann's politics to align with a guy who used to be a republican, but here we are... Over to the Fake News region. We have #1 seed Margaret Brennan. From a disastrous debate moderating performance to I don't really care Margaret, this is a beast #1 seed. Relentless weekly game. #4 Abby Phillip vs. #13 Tom Llamas, the new Lester Holt. If you know the name Scott Jennings, you know it because Abby Phillip. Finally to the Establishment Region and #1 seed Norah O'Donnell. Constent nightly news lead ins of partisan hackery no matter what the major news story of the day. Again, it's the consistency that will typically land a #1 seed. That's not to say O'Donnell isn't a potential upset victim here vs. WaPo newcomer Peter Jamison. Jamison of the "Trump To Send Venezuelans Back To Maduro's Repressive State" headline. This certainly could be a late season cinderella story, so keep an eye on this one. Make sure to fill out your brackets and watch the complete bracketology analysis below.

Trump is tapping members of the LGBT community for top spots in his administration — despite Democrat hysteria by Jon Levine President Trump is assembling an administration stocked with prominent gay and lesbian Americans — defying hysterical Democratic rhetoric. “When it comes to whether you’re gay or straight, black or white and all those markers others calculate — President Trump is decision blind. He bases his decision on the kind of job he knows you will do, period,” said Bill White, a top Trump fundraiser — who was tapped to serve as the US ambassador to Belgium. Among the picks: Scott Bessent, 62, treasury secretary. If confirmed, the hedge fund manager would be the highest-ranking openly gay official in US history. https://nypost.com/2025/01/18/us-news/trump-is-tapping-members-of-the-lgbt-community-for-top-spots-in-administration/ .

Think tax man Trump is finished raining the amount you will pay the govermnent? Wrong, he has way more taxes planned for you and me https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/03/19/trump-tariffs-imports-liberation-day/ White House aides are preparing to impose new tariffs on most imports on April 2, laying the groundwork for an escalation in global economic hostilities that President Donald Trump has called “Liberation Day.” Through his first two months in office, the president has raised tariffs on roughly $800 billion in imports from China, Mexico and Canada, although estimates vary widely. These tariffs have sent the stock market careening and raised the risks of a U.S. recession, while inviting retaliation against domestic industries by trade partners. Despite the blowback, senior Trump advisers are now publicly pledging to create a new tariff regime that would impose new duties on trade with most countries that trade with the United States. A person familiar with internal planning, speaking on the condition of anonymity to reflect private deliberations, confirmed administration officials are preparing tariffs on “trillions” of dollars in imports. The potential to more than double the scope of Trump’s tariffs has alarmed economists and some congressional Republicans, while other White House allies are concerned about the logistical challenges of a complicated new import tax regime. The precise nature of these new duties has spurred extensive discussions at the highest levels of the administration, with Vice President JD Vance, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House aide Peter Navarro and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent all playing a role in the talks, the person familiar with the plans said. “The last two months have already hurt American businesses and consumers, but the April 2 deadline seriously could make all of that look like a tempest in a teapot,” said Joseph Politano, an economic policy analyst at Apricitas Economics. “We don’t know exactly what they’re going to do, but from what they’re saying, it sounds functionally like new tariffs on all U.S. imports.”

Meanwhile, outside of the stupid racist and nazi distractions, a real grown up adult problem. Congress needs to address debt ceiling before its August recess to prevent default, Treasury secretary says By Tami Luhby, CNN Updated: 6:06 PM EDT, Fri May 9, 2025 Source: CNN Lawmakers have until August to address the debt ceiling or the US could default on its obligations for the first time ever, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote to congressional leaders Friday, urging them to act even sooner, “to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.” The projection gives Republican lawmakers – who control Capitol Hill – a firmer deadline of when they have to pass their massive budget reconciliation bill, which aims to increase the debt ceiling along with extending the 2017 tax cuts and slashing federal spending. In his letter, Bessent said there is a “reasonable probability” that the cash and extraordinary measures that are allowing Treasury to continue paying the nation’s bills in full and on time will be exhausted in August, pointing out that is when Congress is scheduled to be in recess. But he noted that the projection is subject to “significant uncertainty.” “Therefore, I respectfully urge Congress to increase or suspend the debt limit by mid-July, before its scheduled break, to protect the full faith and credit of the United States,” he wrote. Treasury has been using cash and extraordinary measures to pay the nation’s bills in full and on time since January 21, when the US hit its roughly $36 trillion debt ceiling. Once the nation reaches that cap, which it has done repeatedly, it can no longer borrow to cover its obligations in full and on time. A default would likely cause global economic upheaval. House GOP leaders are closely monitoring projections for the so-called X-date, when the government could default, House Speaker Mike Johnson said at an Axios event in late April. “That’s a big pressure point, and we don’t know exactly when that X date will fall,” Johnson said, noting at the time that he was working under the assumption it could be as early as the beginning of June. “We can’t be caught flat-footed on this.” However, the caucus remains divided over how to address all three of its goals in the “big, beautiful bill,” leaving leaders with the tricky task of constructing a package that can get enough GOP votes to pass both chambers. In March, Bessent told lawmakers that he would continue using extraordinary measures – which are largely behind-the-scenes accounting maneuvers – through June 27. The Congressional Budget Office in March projected that the “X-date” would be reached in August or September. Though they control Congress, Republicans are divided over how to handle the debt ceiling. The House has included a $4 trillion increase to the cap in its budget resolution, while the Senate version raises the limit by $5 trillion. President Donald Trump has pushed GOP lawmakers to address the limit as soon as possible. See Full Web Article

What a difference two weeks make By Scott Johnson President Trump has only been in office for two weeks, and yet the world seems to have turned upside down. Among other things, the Trump administration has done everything in its power to advertise to the world that illegal aliens are not welcome. Woo hoo! Duly noted. President Trump has promulgated an executive order repealing the program of racial discrimination that goes under the rubric of affirmative action. Christopher Caldwell is a scrupulous historian of the phenomenon. He observes: For half a century, affirmative action has been the federal government’s principal instrument for carrying out desegregation, the longest and costliest moral crusade in American history. After the 1970s it was adapted to liberation movements, from feminism to gay rights. Supreme Court justices anguished over the way its call for special consideration of minorities might clash with the letter of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which barred racial discrimination. Over the past decade affirmative action became the hammer of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) movement, which grew so unpopular that it has now brought affirmative action (and much else) down with it. Trump’s decision to repeal it is the most significant policy change of this century—more significant than the Affordable Care Act of 2010 or anything done about Covid. https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/02/what-a-difference-two-weeks-make.php .

Here's What the Democrats Don’t Want You to Know About the Trump Economy Matt Margolis To hear the Democrats say it, the country is in chaos, the economy is collapsing, and it’s all Trump’s fault. But nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the Trump administration marked its first 100 days with impressive economic achievements, as Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent detailed in Tuesday's briefing. Leavitt revealed strong job growth numbers, announcing, "345,000 jobs have already been added since the start of President Trump's term. Last month's jobs report saw nearly 100,000 more jobs than economists predicted." "It was the fourth highest month for private payroll growth in the past two years,” she continued. “9,000 manufacturing jobs have been added to the economy already! This is a sharp contrast to the 6,000 manufacturing jobs that were lost each month in the final two years of the Biden administration." The inflation picture has also improved dramatically. The latest report showed the first consumer price decline since the COVID pandemic, driven by decreasing energy prices and real wage growth. Current inflation sits at 2.4%, significantly lower than the previous administration's peak of nine percent. Investment figures are equally impressive. The administration has secured $5.2 trillion in domestic and foreign investments since January. Major players like Apple, NVIDIA, Softbank, Oracle, and OpenAI are leading the charge. Notable among these is a historic $500 billion artificial intelligence infrastructure project involving Softbank, Oracle, and OpenAI. Private sector investments in the U.S. have topped $1.8 trillion, with major contributions from the pharmaceutical and energy industries. Hyundai alone has pledged $21 billion, projected to create around 100,000 jobs. Since President Donald Trump took office, foreign investments have surged past $3.3 trillion—over half the total—driven by countries like the UAE, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and India. These measures represent a significant shift in economic policy—one that is very much needed to get this country back on track after the Biden years. This policy shift emphasizes domestic manufacturing, job creation, and strategic use of tariffs to benefit American workers, something presidents on both sides of the aisle have been talking about for years but never followed through on. The administration's approach appears to be yielding positive results across multiple economic indicators, setting a strong foundation for continued growth. Looking ahead, the White House expects these initiatives to drive further job creation and economic expansion, particularly through major infrastructure and technology investments. The combination of manufacturing incentives, tariff policies, and tax reforms signals a comprehensive strategy to strengthen America's economic position. Despite the doom and gloom that the Democrats are trying to sell, for American workers and businesses, these first 100 days suggest a promising trajectory, with concrete policies aimed at making America great again. https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/04/29/heres-what-the-democrats-dont-want-you-to-know-about-the-trump-economy-n4939344

The Democrat/media hyperventilating over what some are referring to as Signalgate has reached a fever pitch, with the Usual Suspects thinking they have their "gotcha" moment against the Trump administration and using it to try and stoke division and discord among Republicans. The problem for the left with that tactic, though, is that prominent figures on the right on up to President Trump himself, are refusing to play along while reminding their critics that they have absolutely zero standing to lecture anyone about alleged poor leadership qualities and allegedly putting the lives of American service members at risk after the much worse things they turned a blind eye to under the Biden-Harris adminstration. As we reported, GOP political strategist Scott Jennings was among them, blasting his CNN co-panelists Thursday during a heated discussion on the matter, telling them, "I mean, the bar for getting rid of a Secretary of Defense is apparently pretty high. You can get 13 people killed, and go AWOL and not tell the Commander in Chief, and that's not a fireable offense" according to Democrats. Meanwhile, CNBC Squawk Box co-host Joe Kernen hasn't been pulling any punches, either, absolutely unloading on Biden apologist and Sen. Chris ***** (D-DE) during a Friday segment where not only did he repeatedly have to press ***** for comment on the Afghanistan debacle (which he of course tried to pin on Trump) and why he never called on then-Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin to resign, but also dismissed "whataboutism" accusations, correctly observing that "The point is you’re going to complain about a splinter in one eye and ignore a 2x4 in the other eye." Let us also not forget that the lack of accountability over the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal among Democrats was so acute that they did everything they could to drag then-Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris over the finish line despite the fact that we were reliably informed by both Biden and Harris and their allies that she was a central figure in the decision-making process, the "last person in the room" in her role as Joe Biden's second in command as the Afghanistan decision was made. So, while there are indeed important lessons to be learned in the aftermath of the Signal chat situation, we'll take lessons from Democrats on national security matters and foreign policy discussions on like the 12th of Never, thank you very much. https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2025/03/28/cnbc-host-and-chris-*****-on-calls-for-pete-hegseths-resignation-over-signal-controversy-n2187211

Back to the thread. Today on Capitol Hill... With Inauguration Day in the books, the Congress critters are back to work on the Hill on Tuesday. (Actually, the Senate got back to work Monday afternoon, sending several of President Donald Trump's nominees out of committee, confirming Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, and passing the Laken Riley Act, but today offers a full day for Congressing.) There are a couple more confirmation hearings set for Tuesday: Doug Collins - Secretary of Veterans Affairs - Veterans Affairs - 10:00 AM Eastern Elise Stefanik - UN Ambassador - Foreign Relations - 10:00 AM Eastern Other hearings/meetings set include: Senate Finance - Meeting to consider Scott Bessent's nomination for Treasury Secretary House Rules - Meeting to consider the Fix Our Forests Act and the Laken Riley Act White House What's Up I cannot tell you how phenomenal it feels to be writing this section about President Trump and not his predecessor. He and First Lady Melania, along with Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha, will attend the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral Tuesday morning. After that? Well, we're not sure yet — the comms and calendar aspects of the new administration are still getting up and running, but we can expect it to be an action-packed day. https://redstate.com/smoosieq/2025/01/21/tuesday-morning-minute-the-first-full-day-n2184616

Scott Jennings' Face Is PERFECTION as WACKO Makes CRAZY Claim About Why Biden HAD to Pardon Hunter -Watch We're starting to feel like CNN is deliberately putting stupid people on the air opposite Scott Jennings because they know not only will people watch him destroy them BUT outlets like ours will write about it so we can point and laugh along with him. Take for exampled Leigh McGowan claiming Biden had to pardon his son because Trump is considering 'firing squads.' No. Really. These people are nuttier than a squirrel's BM. https://twitchy.com/samj/2024/12/03/scott-jennings-leigh-mcgowan-n2404589

Scott Jennings might need his own thread. That's epic hand waving only the King would be proud of.. Joe Biden wasn't lying!!!

Russia Was Not a Democratic Hoax The Russia hoax continues By Scott Johnson The Russia hoax was concocted by the Clinton campaign with attorney Marc Elias serving as a cutout. They undertook the hoax with the full knowledge and assistance of the Obama administration, including CIA Director John Brennan, Vice President Biden, and Obama himself. The underlying documents were handed off to the press and the FBI, whose senior leadership then sought to surveil, sting, and depose President Trump in the early days of his first administration. The true story of the hoax would give us a key to the secret history of our time. The FBI won’t give it up without a fight. Working with the RealClearInvestigations outlet of the RealClearPolitics lineup, Aaron Maté reports that in response to a Freedom of Information request filed in August 2022, the FBI released a heavily redacted copy of the document that opened the probe of Trump as an agent of the Russian government. The FBI produced the document on December 31, over two years after RCI submitted its FOIA request. Speaking of cutouts, we can hypothesize that the FBI needed the time carefully to apply its scissors to the sensitive material. https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/01/the-russia-hoax-continues.php

Biden congratulates himself By Scott Johnson Introduced by the absurd Secretary of State Antony Blinken — he who elicited the lying statement of the Deep State 51 on the New York Post’s coverage of Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020 and turned it over to Politico to publicize it — President Biden provided a farewell assessment of his foreign policy achievements yesterday afternoon. He appeared at the State Department before a cheering audience that must have been drafted to supplement whatever stimulants Biden otherwise relies on for assistance in his public appearances. The White House has not yet posted the text of Biden’s speech at Speeches and Remarks. I have posted the White House video complete with Blinken’s fawning introduction below. As he read it off the teleprompter, Biden slurred and shouted his way through the speech. I used to say Biden has half a mind to be president. Based on the speech, it seems that some adjustment downward is required. According to Biden, Biden did a fabulous job protecting the national security interests of the United States over the past four years. Among the foreign policy achievements he bragged about were the catastrophic exit of the United States from Afghanistan and the weakening of the Iranian regime by the armed forces of Israel. One of these is not like the other. Biden was responsible for the former but antagonistic to the latter. https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/01/biden-congratulates-himself.php

What you mean “we,” kemo sabe? By Scott Johnson Allstate CEO and board chairman Tom Wilson had a message for viewers of yesterday’s Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Referring to the Bourbon Street terrorist attack, Wilson seemed to have taken our measure and found us wanting: “We also need to be stronger together by overcoming an addiction to divisiveness and negativity. Join Allstate, working in local communities all across America to amplify the positive, increase trust, and accept people’s imperfections and differences.” What you mean “we,” kemo sabe? He’s not talking about himself. I think he’s talking about “you.” He’s lecturing us. What have “we” done? “We” have done something wrong. {snip} As Wilson’s statement attracted a certain backlash, Allstate responded to a request from Fox News Digital for a comment. Allstate framed its comment as a clarification: “To be clear, Allstate CEO Tom Wilson unequivocally condemns this heinous act of terrorism and violence in all forms. We stand with the families of the victims, their loved ones and the community of New Orleans. The reference to overcoming divisiveness and negativity reflects a broader commitment to fostering trust and positivity in communities across the nation.” Allstate presents as yet another example of woke corporate stupidity and cowardice. It’s not in good hands. https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/01/what-you-mean-we-kemo-sabe.php

Your Sunday Clarice. . . . . . . . . Zelensky’s Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad, No Good Day By Clarice Feldman FTA: The week ended with a blowup of what was supposed to be the signing of an agreement between the Ukraine and the U.S., a preliminary step for opening negotiations with Russia to end the war. How you view the consequences of the blowup seems like an inkblot test: If you see the U.S. abandoning a faithful ally, you probably are a Democrat. If you see Volodymyr Zelensky as an arrogant grifter who overplayed his hand, you probably aren’t. Luckily the entire meeting is available on video so you can see for yourself the context in which the last few minutes occurred. Those few minutes being the only thing most viewers saw. Not without basis, President Trump believes that China, not Russia, is a bigger threat to this country and disengaging Russia from this fight will further our chances of drawing Putin away from alliances with China. Not without reason, the President believes the war is a meat grinder, an ongoing stalemate which could well lead to World War III if Ukraine is admitted to NATO and more weaponry and manpower from elsewhere are poured into the conflict. Not without reason, the President thinks both Russia and Ukraine have suffered substantial human and economic losses which will only continue unless both sides make some concessions and none of the suggested concessions he has hinted at supporting jeopardize either country’s vital interests. Not without reason, the President wants to know to what use Ukraine put all the billions of dollars we gave them to defend itself from Russia. Zelensky has three times indicated a willingness to sign an agreement with us, granting us mineral rights. The president thinks that once we establish that we have these interests in Ukraine, Putin will not further attack. Zelensky, doubtless egged on by those who wish the war to continue, wants a promise of more concrete security guarantees -- i.e., NATO troops on the ground and more military equipment -- but he nevertheless agreed to sign on to this, once in a meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant when he said he’d sign at Munich, again in a second meeting at Munich when he said he'd sign at Washington, and a third time when he was invited to do so in the Oval Office. Having pledged three times to do so, in a public meeting in the White House (in which disrespectfully he appeared in some kind of athleisure wear) he regularly interrupted the president, insisted once again on a firm security pledge, not only the mineral rights agreement. He rolled his eyes, shook his head, and brought his country’s ambassador to tears with his performance. Finally, he was escorted out of the White House without an opportunity to enjoy the luncheon planned for him. The post-signing press conference which had been scheduled was cancelled. Zelensky clearly misjudged his bargaining strength or the consequences of this stunt. I’m quite sure his fanciful overestimation of his strength and the U.S. support for him was due to people like Antony Blinken, Victoria Nuland, and Alexander Vindman, who reportedly encouraged this intransigence to come to terms, and equally toothless and discredited EU officials and members. {snip} Here’s my take: A clear-eyed, masterful negotiator looked at the field, came up with what he believes is the best available deal for his client (us) and the world and a posturing midget egged on by arrogant armchair warriors failed to grab it. Instead, Zelensky used this opportunity to insult his strongest benefactor and seems stunned to learn that was a stupid move. If this administration had a coat of arms, it would be encircled by a motto reading “FAFO.” https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/03/zelensky_s_terrible_horrible_very_bad_no_good_day.html .

Oh, I think billionaire and tasteful home decorator Scott Bessent and Davos habitue Howard Lutkin (not to mention the spawn of Trump himself) are quite comfortable hobnobbing with the rest of the Davos crowd.

Wow there's a lot here, so let's break it down. re You are not getting a list - so your original statement that "Hegseth isn’t as qualified as some lesbians..." was an off the cuff comment based on no facts. You actually don't know of any lesbians that are more qualified than a Princeton graduate who was a platoon leader, has been awarded 2 Army Commendation Medals, a Bronze star, and has been executive director of a couple of veterans organizations. Got it. re Hegseth shouldn't even be considered. - Maybe a little green, you're entitled to your opinion. The election showed the country as a whole isn't happy with the direction it's been heading the past four years. If confirmed he will likely set the military in a different direction. re A no-name lesbian could be found that could be better - your fascination with lesbians aside (not that there's anything wrong with that,) we've been through this. You haven't been able to name any lesbians, no name or well known name, that are more qualified. re they are excluded from even applying for the job - No one can apply for cabinet positions, they are nominated by the president. re Is that wrong? A good person not being considered because of how they have sex in private. - Again with the sex thing. How people have sex in private is their own business. It is starting to sound like you want special consideration given to people because of their sexual preference. Showing favoritism to people because of their sexual orientation (or race) hasn't worked out very well, at least in my opinion. As well as apparently the opinion of the majority of Americans. re Hegseth wouldn't be even considered if he was gay. - First off you're wrong. If you don't believe me ask Bill White, Scott Bessent, Tammy Bruce, Jacob Helberg, or Art Fisher . - Secondly, and once again, you sound like you're upset that this administration appears to be making personnel decisions based on merit, not giving special consideration gays and lesbians. re Or a gay man that made a pay off for a sexual attacked. - Not quite sure what you're trying to say here, but I do know that if you're looking for perfect people in our leaders you're in the wrong world. re Hegseth will prove a millstone around this administrations neck - Hope not. If you love the country you should also hope not. Sounds like you hate Trump more than you love the country though. Hope I'm wrong about that.

And now: Trump selects Scott Bessent for Treasury secretary By Kathryn Watson, Olivia Rinaldi Bessent is also openly gay, and he and his husband, former New York City prosecutor John Freeman, have two children. If confirmed, Bessent would be the first Senate-confirmed gay Cabinet member of a Republican administration. Ric Grenell was acting director of national intelligence under Trump, but the Senate never confirmed him. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-expected-to-pick-scott-bessent-treasury-secretary-source/ .

Sure looks like the kind of outsider who will have the common man first and foremost in his mind as he takes on the Global Economic Order. https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2017/06/09/ex-soros-exec-trump-donor-scott-bessent-pays-19m-for-720-park-co-op/

END OF THE LINE FOR NANCY PELOSI: Hip Fractures, Mortality Rates, and Father Time. She’s not someone who’s spent the past 20 years in a rocking chair. She seems fit, thin, and very active. All of this matters. The healthier you were before your hip injury, the more likely it is you’ll recover. But it’s a deadly serious situation for Pelosi and her loved ones. Almost certainly, she’s facing a steep recovery process, and at her age, it’s foreseeable that there could be a series of struggles. Nancy Pelosi has been such a fixture in American politics for so many decades, she seemed larger than life — a permanent, immovable presence. It seemed as if, in 50 million years, there would still be cockroaches, taxes, and Nancy Pelosi pulling strings in the House. If anyone could outlast Father Time, it’s her. But for both good and bad, our legislators are human. Ones on the right; ones on the left; those in the middle: we’re all flesh and blood. And we all grow old. We all get sick. All of us will die. Even Nancy Pelosi. In all likelihood, her career is over. https://pjmedia.com/scott-pinsker/2024/12/14/end-of-the-line-for-nancy-pelosi-hip-fractures-mortality-rates-and-father-time-n4935127