Archive for January, 2020

Justice Thomas Doc — Not on Netflix

Posted: January 28, 2020 by julietteochieng in American Success Stories, media
Tags: , , , , ,

Ginny and Clarence Thomas

by baldilocks

J.J. Sefton of Ace of Spades HQ reviews the new Clarence Thomas documentary.

Besides President Trump, arguably one of the most transformative figures to emerge onto the American political landscape in half a century is Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas. Yet, it’s not his stellar legal mind, reflected in scores of brilliant opinions he has penned over the course of his nearly 29-year career at the highest court in the land that earns for him that status. Sadly, it is merely for the fact the he is a black man who, after coming of age in the repressive Democrat Deep South and even embracing the black radicalism of the late 60s ultimately had the scales fall from his eyes and dared reject the political Democrat-Left plantation. But when he was nominated to take the seat vacated by Thurgood Marshall on the Supreme Court that he became not only their worst nightmare, but an existential threat.

Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words, a new documentary slated for release at the end of the month, is a powerful journey back in time, told mostly by Thomas in his own words, and in some segments by his remarkable wife Ginny and mentor and champion, former Senator John Danforth

I’ve always admired Justice Thomas as do most who have read his autobiography My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir. By the way, in the book a reader can find yet another display of the character defects of one Joseph Biden.

And I remember Barack Obama’s public and pointless insult toward Thomas during one of the 2008 presidential debates.

Pastor Rick Warren asked each Presidential candidate which Justices he would not have nominated. Mr. McCain said, “with all due respect” the four most liberal sitting Justices because of his different judicial philosophy.

Mr. Obama took a lower road, replying first that “that’s a good one,” and then adding that “I would not have nominated Clarence Thomas. I don’t think that he, I don’t think that he was a strong enough jurist or legal thinker at the time for that elevation. Setting aside the fact that I profoundly disagree with his interpretation of a lot of the Constitution.” The Democrat added that he also wouldn’t have appointed Antonin Scalia, and perhaps not John Roberts, though he assured the audience that at least they were smart enough for the job.

The nerve of some people. It was like a donkey trying to squash an elephant.

Oh wait …

Anyway, read the entire review. I plan on seeing the documentary when it gets here on the 31st.

Juliette Akinyi Ochieng has been blogging since 2003 as baldilocks. Her older blog is here.  She published her first novel, Tale of the Tigers: Love is Not a Game in 2012.

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A Comrade Bernie crib sheet

Posted: January 28, 2020 by chrisharper in politics
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By Christopher Harper

As Comrade Bernie lurches to the top of the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, I think it’s essential to keep a primer handy about his stands on the issues so we can pass it along to those who think he would be a good president.

–College should be free.
–All college debt should be canceled.
–Felons should be allowed to vote after they serve their time and even while in prison.
–Fracking should be banned.
–Abortion should be legal.
–Medical care should be free.
–End existing immigration policies for the most part.
–Institute higher taxes.

City Journal has dubbed Comrade Bernie “The Unaffordable Candidate.” Here is an estimate of what the news organization determined his plans would cost:

“All told, Sanders’s current plans would cost as much as $97.5 trillion over the next decade, and total government spending at all levels would surge to as high as 70 percent of gross domestic product. Approximately half of the American workforce would be employed by the government….

“The $97.5 trillion price tag is made up mostly of the costs of Sanders’s three most ambitious proposals. Sanders concedes that his Medicare For All plan would increase federal spending by ‘somewhere between $30 and $40 trillion over a 10-year period.’ He pledges to spend $16.3 trillion on his climate plan. And his proposal to guarantee all Americans a full-time government job paying $15 an hour, with full benefits, is estimated to cost $30.1 trillion. The final $11.1 trillion includes $3 trillion to forgive all student loans and guarantee free public-college tuition—plus $1.8 trillion to expand Social Security, $2.5 trillion on housing, $1.6 trillion on paid family leave, $1 trillion on infrastructure, $800 billion on general K-12 education spending, and an additional $400 billion on higher public school teacher salaries.”

I don’t underestimate Comrade Bernie because his followers—many of whom are my students—are as nutty as he is, which means they are committed to the cause. 

It’s somewhat ironic that Comrade Bernie is the Democrat leading the polls, particularly after Hillary Clinton launched a broadside attack against him, and Obama is apparently ready to do the same. 

Do you really expect me to be worried by The Bolton Sucker Play?

Posted: January 28, 2020 by datechguy in Uncategorized

The 4th Doctor: A Lost mine, A phony map are people still falling for that old guff I mean are they?

Doctor Who The Ribos Operation Episode 2 1978 

PM Jim Hacker [on the phone] Oh, yes, Paul. You know you have an airborne battalion on standby in Germany? Never mind how I know. Well, since it’s not being used, I want them to fly straight off to St George’s Island. Sort of between Africa and India. A goodwill visit. Just showing the flag. They have been invited. Yes. Leave in… six hours. Yes, an instant goodwill visit. Tell your press office to announce it at once. No, no, leave me out of it. A routine visit. All right – a routine surprise visit. Well, say they were invited earlier, but the NATO exercise got in the way. Now they’re not needed, they’re going anyway. All right. Nobody knows it’s not true. Press statements aren’t delivered under oath.

Yes Prime Minister A Victory for Democracy 1984

One of the funniest things about the “bombshell” concerning John Bolton’s book (which replaces last week’s “Bombshell” of the Rudy aide) is the idea that anyone not named Mitt Romney is actually falling for it.

Given that we saw this game with the Bush tape, and then with Kavanaugh hearings and then during the Mueller business and then finally during the impeachment hearings the idea that there is some kind of last minute bombshell unvetted unverified “evidence” that the completely non-partisan NYT is promulgating that will convince the world that the President must be removed if ONLY we call the witness they want. That’s pretty funny.

It’s even funnier seeing so many people who have spent decades suggesting that John Bolton is some kind of dangerous mad warmongering demagogue suddenly touting him as a vital reliable witness whose words and options are beyond question (see Lawrence Tribe).

But the funniest thing about the lot was alluded to by Molly Hemmingway concerning a statement by Bolton’s people concerning his book:

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

That’s pretty funny but the corker really comes when you consider who is likely pre-buying these books.

From all the press we’re seeing today the people most likely to be burning up the pre-sales of John Bolton’s book are leftists who have spent years hating his guts and would not normally give a book by him the time of day.

And people are wondering why Biden’s people aren’t denying the contents of the leak?

John Bolton is going to make a lot of money off of a bunch of people who hate him and I think that’s absolutely hilarious, and the backlash that he’s getting by some on our side who haven’t quite caught on is only helping him made a few buck off of the far left impeachment fanatics whose appeasement is what this impeachment process is all about.

You mean to tell me —HA HA HA –that there are people —HO HO HO who —Gasp Gasp— FALL for this stupid surprise?

Cue Ambush Bug

Action Comics 460 Oct 1984

What a joke.

Report from Louisiana: Why no tort reform?

Posted: January 27, 2020 by Pat Austin in Uncategorized
Tags: ,

By:  Pat Austin

SHREVEPORT – You can not drive down any highway in Louisiana without being inundated with billboards encouraging you to sue someone. On I-20 heading into Texas you see a lot of “Truck Wreck?” billboards and as you go down south, along I-49 you see the same but also oil field accident billboards and maritime accident billboards.

Trial lawyers are in high cotton in Louisiana.

We need tort reform in the worst way. We pay the second highest auto insurance rates in the nation and trust me, it is crippling.

The litigation-happy environment in Louisiana is also crippling business and growth.

One series of billboards is particularly offensive to me in that they quote Bible verses (Matthew 5:5-9, for example), again, encouraging one to sue.

Even still, tort reform doesn’t seem to be on anyone’s agenda in the state legislature. Why is that? One answer: John Bel Edwards, himself a trial lawyer and with many cronies who are trial lawyers who have donated heavily to his war chest.

Attempts to introduce tort reform have gone nowhere. One example:

Last year, State Sen. Sharon Hewitt, a Slidell Republican, introduced a bill ridding the state of the seat belt gag law. Her bill would allow as evidence the role not wearing a seat belt played in the litigant’s injuries. The bill never made it to Gov. John Bel Edwards’ desk. Then Senate President and Republican in name only John Alario stacked the Senate Judiciary Committee with trial lawyers guaranteeing tort reform legislation died in committee. This saved Edwards the embarrassment of having to veto a bill that would have lowered insurance premiums for so many.

Good old John Alario who has been in control of the legislature for longer than some of you have been alive is retiring now, so will things change?

Dan Fagan from The Advocate:

It’s clear personal injury lawyers have more clout than the rest of us with those running our state. But it’s unfair to put this all on Edwards. The governor could very well bend to public pressure to lower insurance premiums and sign a tort reform bill if one were ever to make it to his desk. Favoring his big-money attorney donors over Louisiana motorists doesn’t go well with his campaign slogan, “people over politics.” But the Republican-controlled legislature hasn’t sent Edwards any tort reform legislation. Alario is gone. Republicans are running out of excuses…. In the House, Republican Clay Schexnayder has cut a deal with Edwards and Democrats to win his speakership. Did he promise to keep tort reform legislation off the governor’s desk? If tort reform doesn’t make it to the governor this year, we’ll know why. Enough Republicans like things just the way they are. High insurance premiums and all.

The regular legislative session convenes in March.

Meanwhile, we will have to put up with these absurd billboards for a while longer.

Pat Austin blogs at And So it Goes in Shreveport and is the author of Cane River Bohemia: Cammie Henry and her Circle at Melrose Plantation. Follow her on Instagram @patbecker25 and Twitter @paustin110.

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