January 12, 2020 — Scott Johnson

Brian Mast speaks

Featured image Rep. Brian Mast is a double amputee courtesy of the munitions disseminated by Qassem Soleimani in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. Rep. Mast himself sustained his injuries in Afghanistan. Beyond the 600-plus Americans whose deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq by such munitions can be attributed to Soleimani are the many more who have been grievously wounded and disfigured. Rep. Mast is representative of them in his person and spoke up on »
January 12, 2020 — Scott Johnson

Those Iran protests

Featured imageAfter days of lying about the increasingly obvious, the Iranian regime admitted that it shot down the Ukrainian jetliner early this past Wednesday as it departed from Tehran. The current AP story on Iran’s admission includes mention of the ensuing protests that roiled the country last night: In the face of mounting evidence, Iran on Saturday acknowledged that it shot down the Ukrainian jetliner by accident, killing all 176 people »
January 11, 2020 — John Hinderaker

Trump’s Foreign Policy, Through British Eyes

Featured imageThe London Times has an interview with Ben Wallace, Great Britain’s Defense Secretary, that offers a good perspective on American foreign policy under the Trump administration. It is interesting, in particular, to contrast the reporter’s editorializing with what Wallace actually says: Britain must prepare to fight wars without America, the defence secretary has warned, amid concerns that President Donald Trump will pursue an ever more isolationist foreign policy. Isolationist? I’m »
January 11, 2020 — John Hinderaker

President Trump Tweets Support For Iranians

Featured imageIran has been roiled by protests and demonstrations following its government’s admission that its troops shot down a Ukrainian airliner. A few hours ago, President Trump produced two tweets in Farsi, supporting the Iranian people. (Parenthetically, I assume that Trump doesn’t know Farsi, so that apparently answers the question whether anyone besides the president gets involved in his tweets.) Here they are, with English translations: به مردم شجاع و رنج »
January 11, 2020 — John Hinderaker

Thinking About Minnesota, and America

Featured imageCenter of the American Experiment publishes a quarterly magazine called Thinking Minnesota. In my (admittedly biased) opinion, it is one of the best conservative magazines in the U.S. With a circulation approaching 80,000, it drives much public debate in Minnesota. But the interest of its content is by no means limited to one state. The cover story in the current issue, by Isaac Orr, is on an effort to adopt »
January 11, 2020 — Steven Hayward

The Patriarchy Smashed?

Featured imageYesterday’s jobs report—145,000 new jobs—is only so-so, but there are two more interesting features of the labor market right now. The first is that wages are rising fastest at the bottom end of the income scale, suggesting that sustained economic growth is better than redistribution or minimum wage mandates for lifting the prospects of low-skilled workers. Of course, the left is not interested in growth any more, as I’ve often »
January 11, 2020 — Scott Johnson

We now know: Mr. Wray regrets

Featured imageThis past December 17 FISA Court Chief Judge Rosemary Collyer issued a four-page order taking notice of the egregious government misconduct committed in connection with the FISA warrants it approved on Carter Page. Like so many involved in the Russia hoax, Judge Collyer claimed only lately to have tumbled to the misconduct committed before her court, courtesy of the Department of Justice Inspector General report issued the previous week. I »
January 10, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff

Pete Buttigieg as healer of the nation? Don’t make me laugh.

Featured imageRep. Anthony Brown of Maryland has endorsed Pete Buttigieg for president. Who is Anthony Brown? His biggest claim to fame is that he managed to lose a race for governor of Maryland to a Republican, something many of us thought was nearly impossible to do. Brown is important for Buttigieg’s purposes, though, because he is African-American and member of the congressional black caucus. Buttigieg is desperately seeking African-American support, of »
January 10, 2020 — John Hinderaker

Sue the New York Times? They Deserve It

Featured imagePeter Brimelow has sued the New York Times for defamation, as reported by PJ Media. Brimelow is not a nobody. Among other things, he was the senior editor of Forbes magazine from 1986 to 2002. Brimelow is now the proprietor of Vdare, a site that can fairly be described, I think, as anti-immigration, a perspective that it shares with millions of Americans. (My own often-expressed opinion is that we should »
January 10, 2020 — Scott Johnson

No incident at Wembley

Featured imageThe world of orthodox Jewry is small and connected. Within it is a smaller world of those who study a prescribed page of the Talmud a day (Daf Yomi) over the seven-plus years it takes to complete it. Several siyum or completion celebrations were held last week. One such event was held at London’s Wembley Arena. JC.com’s Simon Rocker posts this brief account: Wembley Arena said it was “blown away” »
January 10, 2020 — Scott Johnson

We now know: The Steele Dossier bacillus

Featured imageIn his January 7 NR column “The Steele Dossier bacillus,” Victor Davis Hanson assesses responsibility for the Russia hoax in the aftermath in light of the recent Department of Justice Inspector General report on the FBI’s FISA-related misconduct. The column is animated by the the same spirit I have brought to this series. Dr. Hanson first sets the context: “In 2016, Hillary Clinton presidential candidate hired an ex-intelligence officer and »
January 11, 2020 — Scott Johnson

We now know: The Kris cross

Featured imageDavid Kris served as Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice under President Obama and Attorney General Holder. He drew on his prestige as a former senior official in the Department of Justice to disparage Rep. Devin Nunes in his exposure of the FBI’s misconduct in the Russia haox and assure anyone who would listen to him that all was in order. He is an apologist for FBI misconduct »
January 11, 2020 — Steven Hayward

The Week in Pictures: Smiting Our Enemies Edition

Featured imageThe most formidable enemy of the American people suffered a grievous and shocking blow a week ago, and the enemy did not react well to the attack. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, and fanatical chants of “death to middle America!” There is great fear and panic about potential retaliation. But the outrageous, dangerous and unstable man who launched this reckless and unprovoked attack—Ricky Gervais—returned safely »
January 10, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff

Why did Pelosi hold up the impeachment articles?

Featured imageAs John discussed below, Nancy Pelosi finally gave up her futile attempt to use the threat of not sending impeachment articles to the Senate as a means of forcing Mitch McConnell to give her a say in how the Senate will conduct the trial. Since McConnell isn’t exactly dying to hold a trial of President Trump, Pelosi’s gambit wasn’t just empty, it was ridiculous. She comes off looking silly. Why »
January 10, 2020 — John Hinderaker

On To the Senate

Featured imageNancy Pelosi wrote today in a letter to House Democrats that she will finally appoint impeachment managers and send the Democrats’ articles of impeachment to the Senate. Apparently this will happen next week. I never understood why Pelosi delayed sending the articles to the Senate in the first place, so I can’t explain why she has changed her mind now. It seems obvious that the delay of several weeks has »
January 10, 2020 — Paul Mirengoff

House passes meaningless, unwise resolution on use of force against Iran

Featured imageYesterday, the House passed a resolution designed to prevent President Trump from taking additional military action against Iran without specific congressional authorization. The resolution calls on the president “to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran” unless Congress declares war or enacts “specific statutory authorization” for the use of armed forces. Three Republicans and an independent voted for the resolution. Eight »
January 10, 2020 — Scott Johnson

Buts of the Democratic Party

Featured imageLeading Democrats speak in unison over President Trump’s decision to order the termination of Iranian terrorist mastermind Qassem Soleimani after he reported for work in Baghdad last week (Washington Free Beacon supercuts video below). TDS runs deep, but (to borrow the Dems’ preferred locution on this issue) they seem to object in principle. They seem to believe what they are saying. God help us when they return to power with »