One aspect Marc Joffe mentioned would be a way to overcome this “debt” is to increase California’s population… however, we see through some recent stories…
In other words, Californians are doomed if remaining on this course.
Who cares about public pension liability? Well, you should – after all, it’s the reason entire cities and even states are facing bankruptcy. Joshua Rauh, professor of finance at Stanford and Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, paints a startling picture of just how broken the public pension system really is, and what will happen if we continue to ignore it.
Dennis Prager goes over a recent Samantha Bee attack on Prager University. Her attack begins with the obligatory opening salvo on Fox News (AMERICAN THINKER), and then Bee proceeded to mock free speech, Christian values and Prager U celebrity guests such as Mike Rowe, before cautioning that PragerU is in danger of “legitimizing” conservative ideas (WESTERN JOURNAL) . In fact, she says PragerU is “actually dangerous”… something that may have been her ultimate downfall, because, as is the way, people on Twitter had some thoughts they were more than happy to share (see LOUDER w/CROWDER). All this has led to over $25,000 in donations raised more than $25,000 since Bee’s segment aired on Thursday (WESTERN JOURNAL: Ibid.) You may remember Samantha Bee as the paragon of virtue who once called Ivanka Trump a “feckless c**t” on national television, and another time mocked a young man’s supposed “Nazi haircut” before learning he was a brain cancer patient (LEGAL INSURRECTION). Instead of acknowledging the organization’s popular content and attempting to refute it with dialogue or logical arguments, the triggered host resorted to name-calling and toilet humor. Bee’s attack is a testament to PragerU’s growing influence (WASHINGTON EXAMINER).
I am merely going to post the conversation I am having (and may add to) on Facebook — and how TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) is creating “identity Faith” much like we understand “identity politics.” Before reading this back-n-forth, one should read this article about a skeptical Democrat that went to Trump Rally
…Now, Trump is always going to present the best case he can. And yes, he lies. This is provable. But the strength of this rally wasn’t about the facts and figures. It was a group of people who felt like they had someone in their corner, who would fight for them. Some people say, “Well, obviously they’re having a great time. They’re in a cult.” I don’t think that’s true. The reality is that many people I spoke to do disagree with Trump on things. They don’t always like his attitude. They wish he wouldn’t tweet so much. People who are in cults don’t question their leaders. The people I spoke with did, but the pros in their eyes far outweighed the cons. They don’t love him because they think he’s perfect. They love him despite his flaws, because they believe he has their back….
“Enjoy” (I censored names and profile pics for privacy):
My Response to some of the above:
(I respond to WILEY) The only solution is not to vote. Ever. Even Joy Behar – speaking of HER OWN candidates said:
“Every single one who’s running probably has—this is a racist country, right? Every single one of them has something in their background that doesn’t look good for race.”
And the media montage from MSM is all the same. When identity politics guides Christianity (by posting Washington Post stories about what it takes to be an authentic Evangelical/Christian… or WaPo speaking to what it takes to be an authentic black, like I am sure Charles Evers – brother of Medgar Evers – is being told as I type… and if Charles Evers claims to be a Christian… fo-get-a-bout-it [*New York Italian “twang”).
The media has painted every Republican as a racist since Goldwater. Saying Reagan get his precepts from Mein Kampf. Saying Bush the elder kills blacks with his rhetoric. Bush Jr. left black people to die on rooftops… Etc (SEE MY YOUTUBE UPLOAD). “Trump,” as the media paints him is ?????? ???????.
And I don’t care about a politician saying he has the greatest crowd size. I do care when a person is called an anti-Semite when he is not. I do care when someone is called a racist and he is not. I do care when someone is said he mocked a handicap man’s disability when he didn’t. That he is an agent of Russia when he clearly is not. These are lies Christians should really care about. The rape of man’s character by people who are in the D.C. bubble (WaPo, NYT, CNN, NPR, etc ) — all guilty of the above. I see the fraudulent “lie count” for what it is…SMOKE AND MIRRORS – and I am ashamed to say, other believers in Christ do not. I have yet to find something done by the media’s “Trump” that would get a very conservative, very Evangelical voter like myself to have Christ stand next to me when I vote again for the REALTrump.
And speaking to any non-Christian (Susan Bagwell) about the depravity of his worldview without Christ never begins or ends (or centers) with Trump and how I or he/she votes. I have had the pleasure to be the tool of the Holy Spirit speaking to a Satanist whom I led through the Sinner’s Prayer. A young kid sitting on a bunk in Wayside North who had booklets from a now defunct Christian Identity “church.” This kid was STEEPED in racist theology. You see, this was my last time in jail, serving 23-days for a decade old warrant (I am a three-time felon) [… the last time in jail for me before this 2004 pay-off of a 1994 warrant was 1991.] Because I studied (in-depth) 4-racist cults by this time, I* was able to steer this kid through enough Scripture and reason that he threw away his booklets. When I left that facility I handed him my Bible with a reading plan.
I have other stories as well. But not once did the Holy Spirit chasing down these souls — did voting patterns come up. Not once. The conviction by God of how much they are sinners and need salvation is a miracle – and for you to paint it as corrupted by Trump is deplorable?
* While I was present at times when the Holy Spirit moved on a person, and I had the knowledge to speak to the worldview/beliefs the person expressed – my insatiable passion for Apologetics and knowledge of the occult and cults as well as the world religions is, I am convinced, God using my passion for His Will. (God can only use the knowledge or passion/experiences you have… testing them always: 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1 – side note on this… this also speaks to worldviews and cultural milieu)
I was able to speak to a Satanist about a topic HE brought up (that Satanist often get painted as sacrificing animals when they believe that the “life is in the blood,” his own words). That led me to showing how Christ’s blood IS LIFE. Or the young racist kid in North. He spoke about the lost tribes of Israel, which led me to talk about the Hebrew word for Adam, Moses marriage, Paul’s tribal affiliation, Acts speaking of One Blood, etc. While I think at times how great I am… God will put on me a humbleness that He drove me to these things because He passionately was chasing after that single lamb down the cliff in the ravine. I wax long about God chasing me… but now realize He really wanted my wife and boys… I was merely USED by Him FOR HIS GLORY, not my own. And to put Trump in the middle of this exchange is something that only identity politics can drive. Not Christianity.
I truncated the conversation a tad in order to flesh out the important issues discussed from Karin McQuillan’s article, “Bernie Owes Obama Big Time”. The earlier opening of the interview can be found at Dennis Prager’s Channel. The subtitle of the article gives a bit more meat to the title, I will included the first paragraph that Prager read as well:
Barack Obama set the stage for the Vermont socialist’s rise to national prominence. But the Democrat’s Marxist coming-out party happened too soon for America…. Those who are surprised by Bernie Sanders’ power in the Democratic Party primaries of 2016 and 2020 have not been paying attention. The self-styled “democratic socialist” from Vermont has inherited what President Obama sowed. Sanders is riding a wave of well-funded and highly trained young Marxists weaponized by President Obama. It is Obama’s hard work that allowed Bernie to jump from fringe character to viable presidential candidate….
Needless to say this is a must read article. See more at AMERICAN GREATNESS’ TWITTER.
A friend has been noting a couple times that people should stop with the political hate. Posting this:
You see, a lot of people treat their Facebook like another version (private version) of themselves… with no regard to others who may be friends, family, co-workers, or the like. As I often do, I wonder if they are talking about me… but I post pretty mainstream stuff — nothing from crazy conspiracy sites like Alex Jones, or the like. And when I do post something from Mark Dice or Paul Joseph Watson, I ALWAYS include the following:
While I like their rants (Paul Watson, Mark Dice, and others) and these commentaries hold much truth in them, I do wish to caution you… he is part of Info Wars/Prison Planet network of yahoos, a crazy conspiracy arm of Alex Jones shite. Also, I bet if I talked to him he would reveal some pretty-crazy conspiratorial beliefs that would naturally undermine and be at-odds-with some of his rants. Just to be clear, I do not endorse these people or orgs.
But, I do not typically post on others walls unless family or friends start posting incessantly about the following… calling [essentially] me for my vote, one of the following (or any combination thereof): sexist, intolerant, xenophobic, homophobic, Islamophobic, racist, bigoted (S.I.X.H.I.R.B.)
HILLARY’S version:
“You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. Right? The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic—you name it. And unfortunately there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.”
When I disagree, I try to keep it civil… like I was talking to someone in a line at the local grocery store, with others (kids) present. As one can see from my CONVERSATION SERIES, I keep it full of facts, evidence, and a modicum of civility. So I realized that the call to civility on a friends Facebook was not about me, as I have never (beyond maybe a birthday wish) really interacted with said “old-school acquaintance/friend.”
And I also know in our current political melee “political hate” is in the eye of the beholder. For instance, I realize that some of the time I am dealing with a person in the following category:
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. Voters disagree with the following statement – “Vote for Donald Trump, and you are a racist.” Twenty-nine percent (29%) agree with the statement, while 12% are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
But a closer look finds that 49% of Democrats think Trump voters are racist, compared to 13% of Republicans and 23% of voters not affiliated with either major party.
So often times, someone who virulently believes multiple categories about me as a person as exemplified in the “SIXHIRB” above, is someone who I cannot have a reasonable conversation with. And when I do, it is because a friend invited me to respond or I am showing a reasonable/logical response from an opposing party to help change the minds of others watching said conversation.
But NOWI was curious as a cat. So I read the replies and found one that said: “I post a lot of animal stuff too… so I’m not gonna unfriend you… Because I LOVE YOU!”
To me it sounded like an admission… so I clicked over to this persons wall. NOT that this person was the culprit… but I was merely curious. This is the kinda stuff I found:
All I can say is that the above is one of the reasons why winning in 2020 will be easier than in 2016. People are visiting this person’s wall and saying to themselves, “wow, if this is the state of the party I belong to… I don’t feel like voting.” The up-and-come front runner for the Democrat Party said this of me:
“Is it racist to vote for Trump?” CNN’s Jake Tapper asked the South Bend., Ind., mayor [Pete Buttigieg] on Sunday. “Well, at best, it means looking the other way on racism.”
I realize many people BELIEVE this crap. But in a good c-o-n-v-e-r-s-a-t-i-o-n, it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. I mean, Rush’s producer, “Bo Snerdly” (pictured to the right) founded an org to (as he put it): “…promises to ‘make Black Americans Republican again'” (WASHINGTON TIMES). So I don’t even wish to respond to the very demeaning and not true KKK meme.
So, I merely wish to post my response to the Scotts Bluff County Democratic Party “Meme” about the Tuskegee Airman. And this is why winning a conversation with the Left is easy.
FIRST, the Medal of Freedom is not one often given to war heroes… it is given to people — who unfortunately — donate to the campaigns of those in office. Or have really made an impact on culture. FOR INSTANCE, Oprah Winfrey created an audience of 20-million viewers and kept it at that number until she retired. So to has Rush Limbaugh done the same, to this day. These are the only people in media to do this. This is an amazing accomplishment. And what Rush has done for the base of the conservative movement and media is summed up well in Hugh Hewitt’s commentary:
SECOND, President Trump DID AWARD a more prestigious award to this Tuskegee Airman. For instance, the U.S. AIRFORCE notes:
Celebrating a 100th birthday is monumental in itself, but for retired Col. Charles E. McGee, shortly after this celebration he would reach yet another milestone in his successful career.
On Feb. 4, he found himself in the Oval Office at the White House being promoted to brigadier general by President Donald Trump.
“At first I would say ‘wow,’ but looking back, it would have been nice to have had that during active duty, but it didn’t happen that way,” McGee said. “But still, the recognition of what was accomplished, certainly, I am pleased and proud to receive that recognition and hopefully it will help me carry on as we try to motivate our youth in aviation and space career opportunities.”
Why give him the lowly regarded “Medal of Freedom” when you can give a more substantive award?
THIRDLY, here are some examples of Obama’s Medal of Freedom recipients — sorry for the LONG excerpt from PJ-MEDIA’S post:
…The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor a president can bestow on a civilian, was instituted by President John F. Kennedy. Obama awarded the most such medals of any president, giving out 123. Many of Obama’s recipients arguably deserved the award, including Bill and Melinda Gates, John Glenn, Stephen Hawking, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Sidney Poitier. Obama also gave the award to Republicans like former President George H.W. Bush.
Yet a surprisingly large number of Obama’s Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients turned out to be campaign donors for both Obama and his hand-picked successor, Hillary Clinton. At least 17 of his donors received the honor, including tennis star Billie Jean King, author Toni Morrison, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, actress Meryl Streep, musician Stevie Wonder, actress Barbara Streisand, director Stephen Spielberg, singer/songwriter James Taylor, actor Tom Hanks, basketball legend Michael Jordan, actor Robert De Niro, singer/singwriter Bruce Springsteen, the aforementioned Gateses, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, and architect Frank Gehry.
The former president seems to have had a penchant for awarding celebrities. In addition to those previously mentioned, he awarded Robert Redford, Vin Scully, Gloria Estefan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more.
Obama awarded America’s highest civilian honor to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2010, five years after her election. Was this just a friendly gesture, or did Obama receive something in return?
It also seems particularly rich for Joe Biden to complain about Limbaugh’s medal when the former vice president received one himself.
Yes, America’s first black president also awarded the honor to his vice president, Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. — mere days before Trump’s inauguration! Only one president had previously given the medal to his sitting vice president: Gerald Ford gave it to Nelson Rockefeller after Rockefeller agreed to serve as vice president after Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace following the devastating Watergate scandal.
If Obama gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Robert De Niro, Trump can give it to the “oh so offensive” Rush Limbaugh. De Niro has launched into many profanity-laced tirades against Trump, most recently saying he wants to “see a bag of sh*t” in the president’s face. He has called Trump a “white supremacist” and said the president tends toward fascism. His attacks on Trump date back at least as far as 2011, and in 2012 he received a rebuke from Michelle Obama’s staff for a racially-charged joke at a fundraiser, four years before receiving the medal.
Rush Limbaugh is no mere conservative pundit. The trailblazing AM radio personality has influenced talk radio and conservatism for a generation, and millions are indebted to him — even liberal radio hosts who may hate his guts.
Limbaugh also made Trump palatable when conservatives like yours truly stubbornly refused to get on board. As my colleague, Jim Treacher, puts it, “as a RINO cuck traitor who probably wanted Hillary to win,” I was most unhappy with Rush backing the blustering New York billionaire. I am very happy to admit I was wrong — although I had good reasons to distrust Trump until he started fulfilling his promises as president.
Contrary to much liberal gnashing of teeth, Trump did not sully the Presidential Medal of Freedom by awarding it to Rush Limbaugh. As with so many supposed Trump scandals, Obama actually did the thing Trump is accused of doing, and far worse than what Trump did.
Limbaugh is a giant, and his accomplishments deserve to be rewarded. If Obama can use it to reward his donors, his European allies, and his vice president (on one of his last days in office), Trump can use it to honor the radio giant Rush Limbaugh….
Here some other early morning radio peeps talking about Rush:
Rush Limbaugh is no doubt, the godfather of talk radio and has been at the top of the pile for decades and decades. So it only makes sense when someone like him drops some major news, he makes the top of the headlines for days. He is conservative broadcasting and single-handedly saved the am band and invented modern talk radio. Watch this clip to hear the gang recall their favorite Rush moments and what he’s meant to their careers.
With Arizona Senator Martha McSally receiving criticism for calling CNN reporter Manu Raju a “liberal hack,” Larry decides to look into just how biased the media really is against Republicans and whether there’s some truth in what McSally was saying.
With Trump’s impeachment trial underway, Larry decides to look back at two scandals from Barack Obama’s presidency: the IRS and Fast & Furious scandals. Larry discusses whether these incidents were impeachable or not.
Ever notice how many rich black people are on television telling non-rich black people how racism is stopping them from becoming rich black people? Larry makes a list of the most prominent representatives of this group on television.
JONATHAN TURLEY writes on his website about the tradition Nancy trampled on:
…Forty-four years ago, I walked on to the floor of the House of Representatives as a new Democratic 15-year-old page from Chicago. I stood and marveled at the beehive of activity on the floor in the People’s House. I can still remember that moment because it forged a bond and reverence that has never weakened for me. As a Democratic leadership page during the speakership of Tip O’Neill, I watched some of the most passionate and important debates of the generation from the Neutron Bomb to civil rights legislation to sweeping national park bills. The country was deeply divided, but both parties maintained the tradition of civility and decorum. I was struck how members, even in the heat of furious debates, would not attack each other by name and followed rigid principles of decorum. They understood that they were the custodians of this institution and bore a duty to strengthen and pass along those traditions to the next generation.
That is why I was (and remain) so offended by this display. I believe that President Trump himself is worthy of criticism for not shaking the hand of Pelosi. I also did not approve of aspects of his speech, including bestowing the Medal of Freedom on Rush Limbaugh in the gallery like a reality show surprise scene. There was much to object to in the address, but presidents often make comments that enrage or irritate speakers.
However, none of that excuses Pelosi. At that moment, she represents the House as an institution — both Republicans and Democrats. Instead, she decided to become little more than a partisan troll from an elevated position. The protests of the Democratic members also reached a new low for the House. Pelosi did not gavel out the protest. She seemed to join it.
It was the tradition of the House that a speaker must remain in stone-faced neutrality no matter what comes off that podium. The tradition ended last night with one of the more shameful and inglorious moments of the House in its history. Rather than wait until she left the floor, she decided to demonstrate against the President as part of the State of the Union and from the Speaker’s chair. That made it a statement not of Pelosi but of the House.
For those of us who truly love the House as an institution, it was one of the lowest moments to unfold on the floor….
…The House has its share of infamies, great and small, real and symbolic, and has been the scene of personal infamies from brawls to canings. But the conduct of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at the State of the Union address this week will go down as a day of infamy for the chamber as an institution. It has long been a tradition for House Speakers to remain stoic and neutral in listening to the address. However, Pelosi seemed to be intent on mocking President Trump from behind his back with sophomoric facial grimaces and head shaking, culminating in her ripping up a copy of his address.
Her drop the mic moment will have a lasting impact on the House. While many will celebrate her trolling of the president, she tore up something far more important than a speech. Pelosi has shredded decades of tradition, decorum and civility that the nation could use now more than ever. The House Speaker is more than a political partisan, particularly when carrying out functions such as the State of the Union address. A president appears in the House as a guest of both chambers of Congress. The House Speaker represents not her party or herself but the entirety of the chamber. At that moment, she must transcend her own political ambitions and loyalties.
Tensions for this address were high. The House impeachment managers sat as a group in front of the president as a reminder of the ongoing trial. That can be excused as a silent but pointed message from the Democrats. Trump hardly covered himself with glory by not shaking hands with Pelosi. I also strongly disliked elements of his address which bordered on “check under your seat” moments, and the awarding of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom inside the House gallery like a Mardi Gras bead toss. However, if Trump made the State of the Union look like Oprah, then Pelosi made it look like Jerry Springer.
What followed was an utter disgrace. First, Pelosi dropped the traditional greeting before the start of the address, “Members of Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the president of the United States.” Instead, she simply announced, “Members of Congress, the president of the United States.” It was extremely petty and profoundly inappropriate. Putting aside the fact that this is not her tradition, but that of the House, it is no excuse to note that the president was impeached.
Such an indignity was not imposed on President Clinton during his own impeachment proceeding, and anyone respecting due process would note that Trump has been accused, not convicted, at this point in the constitutional process. Pelosi proceeded to repeatedly shake her head, mouth words to others, and visibly disagree with the address. It was like some distempered distracting performance art behind the president.
My revulsion over this has nothing to do with impeachment. Ten years ago, I wrote a column denouncing Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito for mouthing the words “not true” when President Obama used his address to criticize the court for its decision in the Citizens United case. I considered his response to be a disgrace and wrote a column criticizing Chief Justice John Roberts for not publicly chastising Alito for breach of tradition. Instead, Roberts seemed to defend Alito in criticizing Obama for his “very troubling” language and saying that it was unfair to criticize the court when the justices, “according to the requirements of protocol,” have “to sit there expressionless.” That was not unfair. That was being judicious.
[….]
Pelosi has demolished decades of tradition with this poorly considered moment. Of course, many will celebrate her conduct and be thrilled by the insult to Trump. However, even those of us who disagree with his policies should consider what Pelosi destroyed in her moment of rage. She shredded the pretense of governing with civility and dignity in the House. Notably, she did not wait to rip up her copy of the speech until after she left the House floor. Pelosi wanted to do it at the end of the speech, in front of the camera, with the president still in the chamber.
That act was more important to Pelosi than preserving the tradition of her office. In doing so, she forfeited the right to occupy that office. If Pelosi cannot maintain the dignity and neutrality of her office at the State of the Union, she should resign as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
