AN ELECTION THAT COULD FORTELL
There was an election in Texas this week to replace the deceased Republican Ron Wright. You may recall that in this competitive district it was actually two Republicans who qualified for the runoff.
The person who won the primary was Susan Wright, the spouse of the deceased congressman. Her opponent was Jake Elizey who had narrowly beaten out the Democrat in the primary to finish second.
Now what makes Elizey’s victory this week interesting is this.
Wright was endorsed by President Trump.
So we need an analysis.
This could be a key for 2022. Why did she lose? What was the breakdown of the vote? Did Republicans stick with her? Did they turn out because of her endorsement, or did they abandon her? Did more non Republicans turn out to vote for Elizey because of the Trump endorsement of Wright?
We need to know that to understand 2022. If Trump hurt her chances in this district, then my theory that he (alone) can destroy Republican chances in 2022 is on target.
Stay tuned.
HARD TO BELIEVE THESE STORIES:
Story #1:
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified before the senate and told senators some things that had me scratching my head. It would a lot of people except the MSM did not cover it.
Here’s some coverage:
Start with this:
The border situation isn’t as bad as it is being portrayed. Oh, is that right? Don’t believe your eyes.
The 20-year high of Border Patrol apprehensions is misleading. Why? Many of the migrants are repeat-offenders making multiple attempts each month! Oh I see, we have record crossings because you are sending hundreds of thousands back and they are reemerging, Right, I get it.
He said he has a vision to bring things under control and blamed the coronavirus pandemic for complicating those efforts, but vowed to see it through. “We have a plan, we are executing the plan, the plan takes time to execute,” he said during the contentious hearing on Capitol Hill. Oh I believe that, don’t you? (By the way your party was saying crossings were down under the previous President, because of the Virus, now it’s the opposite?)
Does he support the White House’s budget for ICE? Does he embrace the cuts proposed by House Democrats?
“What I am focused on is the wise expenditure of funds, in certain respects, I think we should increase it, and in other respects, I think we should reduce it.”
Oh, okay, that’s clear as mud.
Mr. Secretary, you and this administration messed up the border and no amount of misleading can cover that up.
Story # 2:
Democratic lawmakers and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland want to change the names of more than 1,000 rivers, mountains and other places because they consider the names to be racist.
Bills introduced last week — one by Sen. Warren (Massachusetts), and the other by Rep. Al Green (Texas Democrat) — also would eliminate the names of places that honor people who “held racially repugnant views” or “carried out injustices against racial minorities,” according to the legislation.
“Racism, even in geography, cannot be tolerated in a country that strives for liberty and justice for all,” Mr. Green said.
The lawmakers refused to provide a list of names it targeted.
Let’s take an example. Christoper Columbus.
Columbus Mountain in Colorado and other places named after Columbus will make the list because critics of the trans-Atlantic explorer say he was an instrument of injustice because of his ill treatment of indigenous people. Columbus by the way, is in the name of 55 populated places, including the capital of Ohio, eight dams, a glacier in Arkansas, and islands in Maine and Arkansas, according to the U.S. Board of Geographic News.
How dumb were our earlier ancestors to want to honor this man who found the land in 1492.
You know what? I have an idea. Why don’t we just REPLACE the people we sent to congress now? We can save the country.
Story # 3:
Where was the coverage of this story now that It was determined the charges were a lie?
Border Patrol agents did not mistreat a pregnant migrant who began to give birth immediately after being caught, the agency’s inspector general said.
That shot down a story that then Sen. Kamala Harris seized upon during the presidential campaign.
Senator Harris, echoing a complaint filed by the woman and her husband, said the Guatemalan mother was forced to give birth standing up, “delivering her baby into her pants,” because agents wouldn’t help.
Harris called it “utterly despicable” and demanded the inspector general’s investigate the incident.
Well they did, and investigators said they “did not substantiate” the reports of mistreatment during the Feb. 16, 2020, incident.
“In reviewing the circumstances surrounding the childbirth at the Chula Vista station, we found Border Patrol provided adequate medical assistance to the mother and her newborn and complied with applicable policies,” the inspector general said.
Well the lie got coverage, did the truth finding? Anyone in the press asking Harris to apologize to the Border Patrol? You know the border, the place where she visited so often?
Story # 4:
The Texas Democrats who fled the state, had the nerve to group tweet they will be conducting a donation drive to collect supplies.
Supplies, not for the needy in their community, but for Texas House Democrats who fled Texas.
Let that sink in for a second.
Here’s the tweet:
“Our Dems in DC said they’d appreciate care packages from home,” Dallas Democrats tweeted. “Before 5pm Tues, we’re collecting Dr. Pepper, salsa, hard candy, hairspray, travel toiletries, hand sanitizers, sewing kits, first aid, and/ or $ to pay shipping. TY!”
You would think they were sent to a war zone and not staying in a full service hotel in Washington. Are they serious? Well they were.
Then add this:
The request came despite the fact that Beto O’Rourke, the former congressman and failed presidential candidate, gave the group more than $600,000 that week
And.
The Texas House Democrats are also entitled and receiving a per diem of $221 for every day of the special legislative session.
As crazy as this is, remember the liberal media has made them heroes. CNN, MSNBC, NYT, the Washington Post and others have called them heroes.
I have a call for them too. I call on the voters of Texas to vote them out next year.
Story # 5:
Here’s the latest from the administration and President on climate control.
President Joe Biden is proposing a return to aggressive Obama-era vehicle mileage standards over five years.
So he wants the mileage requirements for car manufacturers which required them to raise fuel economy 5 percent per year from 2021 through 2026 reinstated. (Under Trump, they were reduced to 1.5 percent annually.)
Then he’s aiming for even tougher rules after that to forcefully reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nudge 40 percent of U.S. drivers into electric vehicles by decade’s end. Now the outcome here is for us all to drive electric vehicles before 2030.
What is missing is the cost implications here for manufactures and, of course, ultimately to the consumer. Do they care about that? Oh that’s right, inflation is not real.
Then consider electric cars are far higher priced. A problem? I guess not if the government is going to help pay for the cars. Are they?
Finally, I still wonder this. If half the cars are electric by 2027, where are cars in the cities, who park on the street going to charge them? Where is the increased demand on electricity coming from?
Have they really thought this out?
Finally Today A Little From Yesterday’s Blog:
A Reader’s Reaction to Our “Outrage” Blog Yesterday and a sharing of a column on the issue.
Here’s a comment from a reader. Take a look at the key points made on some issues. The strong feelings that those who do it right are being trampled on is one I know many are in full agreement with. Thank you for sending this.
“Cancel Culture Canceling Student Loan Debt- It’s estimated that there is about $1.9 trillion in student loan debt. The solutions brought forth by the left run the spectrum, from forgiving all, to Warren and Schumer’s cancel $50k, to Biden’s latest of forgiving $10k.
Obviously in the end it’s the taxpayers that foot the bill in these scenarios- you get the privilege to pay for someone else’s child to go to college- whether yours did or not.
You’re telling those families that worked multiple jobs and bore other sacrifices to pay for their kids to go to a state school “too bad”. They should have bought that boat or vacation place and have their kids pile on the debt to go to that private college- because your tax paying neighbor will be helping foot the bill.
Or foolish you, the kid who joined the service , in part for the college benefits of the G.I. Bill. You could have borrowed the money, stayed home, and avoid being shot at- (unless you live in a major city).
Though it is a crisis and severe burden on those new to the workforce, there are more equitable solutions than forgiveness. But that would take a little thought and not be as much a headline for a pol to pander to the cancel culture.
For example, An offshoot of the student loan payment crisis is a potential retirement savings crisis- that 40+ year funding period. If you can barely afford to pay the loan then most likely you’re not saving for retirement. A simple solution would be allow for individuals or their spouse’s 401k monies to be withdrawn tax free to make student loan payments. An individual would benefit from maximizing their pre-tax contribution, which would max out the employer’s matching contribution and the loan payment would be in pre-tax dollars. It also creates a “retirement savings mindset” that is sorely needed. Variations could include capping the annual withdrawal at the level of 12 months of payments and if our fine legislators absolutely needed to give something, have them match the employers contribution for a time specific period- i.e. 5 yrs.
But I guess that is not as simple or appealing as FREE. Oh well.
In addition Pat Buchanan wrote yesterday about his frustrations with the Jan 6th hearing and commission. Here’s a link if you’re interested to see his thoughts.
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/political_commentary/commentary_by_pat_buchanan/why_the_left_can_t_let_go_of_jan_6?utm_campaign=RR07272021DN&utm_medium=email&utm_source=criticalimpact