Uncategorized

He Should Be Fired And The Coverage Is A Disgrace

I’m not sure when I have seen a cabinet member battered and disgraced more than Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was before Congress this week.
If you didn’t hear about it on the MSM or see it on a conservative station, I suggest you google it.
Let’s establish the base from Mayorkas. He claimed again we were doing great things at the border and that the administration had “operational control.” The southern border he was talking about.

Here’s some reporting on the hearing: Imagine you were the secretary.
Sen. Lindsey Graham said fentanyl from Mexico now kills twice as many people each month as died in the attack on Pearl Harbor or the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
He said Mr. Mayorkas has fueled the deaths by his lack of knowledge and action.
“Look what’s happened. And you know how it happened?
You took all the policies that were working, and you changed them, and it’s blown up in our face,” he said.

Then Sen. Cruz took over and demanded that the secretary take responsibility for the soaring number of migrants who have died or been raped while taking advantage of the relaxed policies to try to rush the border.“Your behavior is disgraceful, and the deaths, the children assaulted, the children raped are at your feet,” Mr. Cruz thundered. “And if you had integrity, you’d resign.”
It got worse:
The Senator then said Border Patrol agents “despise” Mr. Mayorkas, whom he accused of lacking any understanding of what is happening.
And worse still:
The senator held up a photo of wristbands gathered at the border. Smugglers give them to migrants to help sort out who’s going where and who still owes money and must be held until payoff.
Well, Mayorkas said he wasn’t aware of the wristbands and their meaning. (Not aware? My grandchildren know.)
Senator Cruz then thundered:
“You have just testified to the American people that you are incompetent at your job,” Mr. Cruz said.

Then it was Senator Josh Hawley’s turn:
Mayorkas was unable to say whether Chinese Communist Party members have been among the growing number of Chinese migrants being caught and released into the U.S.
Sen. Hawley got exasperated and blasted him with:
“You don’t know any of the details,” he said. “You have exhausted me, you have exhausted this panel, you have exhausted the patience of the American people. You should resign.”
You think it was over?
Not quite.

Next it was Senator Cornyn of Texas who asked Mr. Mayorkas about smuggling tactics cartels use of illegal immigrants to distract Border Patrol agents. (They send migrants in to distract them and while the agents are busy nabbing them, the cartels send over higher-value contraband such as drugs.)
“I am not aware of that as a strategy,” Mr. Mayorkas said. (What????? What????)
Senator Cornyn then said:
“You’ve simply lost all credibility, Mr. Secretary.”
He pointed out that Attorney General Merrick Garland acknowledged the strategy just a couple of weeks earlier in testimony.
And it was pointed out that John Modlin, Mr. Mayorkas’ top Border Patrol agent in Arizona’s sector, told Congress last month that the cartels are using migrants to keep agents distracted.
He said:
“Task saturation is a term we use to describe a tactic where smuggling organizations split large groups of migrants into many smaller groups. These small groups are then directed to illegally cross the border all at once and at different locations, effectively saturating the area with migrants and exhausting our response capability.” He added that the cartels are “doing it intentionally.”
Yet, his boss never heard of it!!!

There was more. Senator Kennedy of Louisiana let loose:
“Did you just parachute in from another planet, Mr. Secretary? Because you’re the only person in the Milky Way who believes that we’re not having massive, massive illegal immigration into America.” 

There was even more. Mayorkas is a disgrace, as is the administration’s policy and the lack of MSM coverage.

Every Nation Needs To Secure It’s Border. This Administration Has Failed The US. This Homeland Director Should Be Gone.

As we recover from the shock in Nashville and learn details about the shooter being under emotional stress and getting help, yet buying seven guns, we shake our heads thinking of those killed.
Let’s try and take a look at some other issues.

There’s a fight to learn about the events that led to 13 of our citizens dying in the final days of Afghanistan.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman McCaul has signed a subpoena to force the State Department to turn over a secret cable from 23 department employees working in the embassy in Kabul.
The cable was an apparant urgent plea to Secretary of State Blinken not to follow through on the President’s troop withdrawal plan. The Wall Street Journal reported that the cable warned the administration that Afghanistan wasn’t ready for the troop withdrawal.
The message was sent via the State Department’s “dissent channel,” which is supposed to allow any employee a direct line to the secretary to challenge department orthodoxy.
Secretary Blinken has refused to turn over the documents.
The cable was also the subject of a request by Democrats when they were in control of the House, though they did not force the issue through a subpoena.
Mr. McCaul has made the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan a key focus of the committee since earlier this month when a Marine who was sent to Kabul revealed that he had identified the man who is believed to have later set off the explosive that killed the 13 American troops.
He said his request to take the man down was denied by higher-ups.
We want to know. A friend of mine who visited Walter Reed months ago told me about this story. It’s about time we all heard it.

On Afghanistan, remember when we were told there are less than 100 Americans still in Afghanistan?
Well, our Secretary of State (Blinken), this week said there are “about 175 Americans still in Afghanistan.”
Any coverage of this?
He also said that some of them are being held captive by the Taliban. Is that not news?
Not when the media is on your side and so biased.

Then there was this from General Milley on another Middle East Country that they told us they could handle better than the previous administration, Iran. Milley now says:
Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in several months if It decides to do so.
I guess you can add them to North Korea, who it seems everyday is doing something new, which our media no longer reports on.
Remember how they reported every plane taking off when Trump was President?

Remember last month Ashley Babbitt’s Mother (the only person killed on Jan 6th), Micki Witthoeft, was arrested in Washington DC? It got big news coverage, right?
It was actually disgusting to see her handcuffed and taken away on the second anniversary of her daughter’s death.
Well, did you know the charges have been dropped? That’s right, there were no charges brought against her.
Did you hear coverage of that?

Let’s stay on the media and their bias for a second. Consider this:
Democrat Maura Healey and Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders became the first women elected to serve as governors of their states this year. Good and big news, right?
Well, only one of them was honored this month by USA Today as one of the newspaper’s 2023 Women of the Year for that accomplishment –and it wasn’t Gov. Sanders. 
Why was Gov. Healey named? For her election win in Massachusetts.
So why wasn’t Gov. Sanders named too? Arkansas Lt. Gov. Leslie Rutledge said:
“Here in Arkansas, we have broken many glass ceilings and I would like to see Republican women recognized for our accomplishments.”
The only difference between the two was the party of the new Governors; which is why Republicans say there is a double standard embedded in Women’s History Month and call it Democratic Women’s History Month. 

Let me close today by touching on the argument of what caused inflation because we hear a lot of noise about it. Well here’s a quote from the great Milton Friedman. If you don’t know who he was, here’s a quick synopsis.
Milton Friedman was an American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy. 
Here he is on inflation:
“Inflation is made in Washington because only Washington can create money. It’s always and everywhere a result of too much money, of a more rapid increase in the quantity of money than in output. Inflation in the United States is made in Washington and nowhere else.”
Does that definition fit the spending we have done? It does to me.

Here’s Hoping The Rest Of The Week Goes Well.

Reflecting On A Shooting

It simply breaks your heart to hear the stories and see the pictures of those young and innocent individuals involved in a crazed shooting.
Every picture, life story and family just takes a piece of your being, and you wonder why and how a person could do such a thing.
May the good Lord hold each of them in the palm of his hand until they are reunited with their loved ones.

Of course, the immediate reaction from each side is subtle at first then builds as the day goes.
From the left, it’s the gun.
Ban guns, as if the laws in major places where they are banned are working. Why? They don’t even lock up people using them illegally.
How did they do with the drugs they banned?
You see, law abiding people don’t break the law. Something some people never learn.
Then there’s the mentally ill side.
Well, would anyone not mentally ill shoot nine year old innocent children?
The problem is, we don’t want to take anyone off the streets because it would stigmatize them.
Of course the argument is, well not all mentally ill are going to shoot up a school.
Okay then, why do you want to ban guns when less than 1% use it for illegal purposes?
Doesn’t that work both ways?

The real problem lies in the study we shared yesterday that Americans don’t think their children will have a better life than them. Here’s some more results from that study.
The problem to me is clear. It’s called lost values.
Start with this:
“Patriotism, religious faith, having children and other priorities that helped define the national character for generations are receding in importance to Americans.” 
Here are measurement numbers from a similar Journal study 25 years ago:
Patriotism is very important: Dropped from 70% to 38%.
Religion is very important: Dropped from 62% to 39%.
Community involvement is very important: Dropped from 47% to 27%.
Having children is very important: Dropped from 59% to 30%.
“Tolerance for others, Dropped from 80% (as recently as four years ago) to 58%.”
You know what went up and was more important?
Money: It Rose from 31% to 43%.

Think about that as you think about society and what’s wrong. We are adding debt to destroy our children’s future and, yet, we want more free. Free for me.
Hard work, earn your way, save for the future? That’s for fools.
Give me mine, that’s the mentality. If I don’t get it, well, it’s because you are racist, phobic and uncaring.
God, family, patriotism, community, understand others? That’s old fashion. It’s about me.

I had a lot more I wanted to write about today, but I am going to leave it there. There’s plenty to think about.

Let’s Hope Easter’s Rising Brings A Renewed Value To Our Nation.

The weekend was filled with the same news over and over, and depending on which side you were on, it either made sense or was nonsense. Let’s review a few things:

Let’s Start With Former President Trump:

Of course he contributed to the nonsense with his photo release with the rifle and calls for protests.
The Sunday shows were full of this:
His own lawyer Joe Tacopina, said his (Trump’s) recent post attacking Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, was “ill-advised.” Nothing quite like your lawyer questioning your actions.
The Democrats jumped on it. Senator Mark Warner was an example:
“We all recall the horrors that took place on January 6, spurred on by then President Trump. I think the fact that he’s calling for protests again, I’ve been briefed by the FBI. They say they’re fully prepared. But this kind of outrageous behavior. This man obviously has very little moral compass.”
The WSJ has this report today:  
“In a big look at Trump’s legal team and strategy as he faces possible indictment, he’s turning to a familiar chaotic strategy of both fighting back and fighting internally. His many lawyers and legal advisers on various fronts are often working independently of each other, sometimes arguing over each other’s legal approach and abilities (and sometimes at Trump’s own direction, as he likes to pit aides against one another). There’s nobody in charge of the whole endeavor — other than Trump himself — and they’re more focused on the political ramifications of the various investigations than the legal ones.”
In other words, all is normal in Trump world.
How’s it playing?
If you believe the polls, then with his base Trump is rallying support to strengthen his position.
Now the question you must ask, is this good for a general election?
It may help in a primary prone to support him, but it is not helping for any general election.
If you want Biden 2, then follow that path.
As for the media, they love covering this. Here’s an example of a Bloomberg headline today:
INVESTIGATING THE INVESTIGATORS — “Ex-Prosecutors Denounce Trump’s Attacks on Manhattan DA Bragg.” 
They relish presenting the former President as a renegade, out of control and on the wrong side of the law.

There Was Other News

The Chicago Mayoral run off is coming up in a week, and NBC is reporting the run off is very close.
You will recall that Mayor Lightfoot is out and the race is between a fight crime police backed candidate and one to the left of Lightfoot, backed by the teachers’ union.
Here’s the NBC report:
Racial divides and issues are looming large in the end of the campaign between Vallas and progressive Brandon Johnson. In some Black communities, Johnson “is rapidly ascending into an almost mystical status.” He’s tapping robust union and progressive get-out-the-vote infrastructure in communities of color; Vallas, who pulled votes from many white areas in the primary, is trying to make inroads in Black neighborhoods with a message focused on tackling crime.
Wouldn’t it be a story if the city goes further left?
Minorities are hurt the most in the city by crime, and I hope every citizen votes what’s, in their opinion, in the best interest of Chicago’s future. Anything less makes no sense.

Not much coverage, but the President’s order that federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 was blocked by a federal appeals court.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans rejected arguments that the President, as the nation’s chief executive, has the same authority as the CEO of a private corporation to require that employees be vaccinated.
The ruling from the full appeals court, 16 full-time judges at the time the case was argued, reversed an earlier ruling by a three-judge 5th Circuit panel that had upheld the vaccination requirement.

We Have A Border Agreement

Only it’s our northern border with Canada.
The two countries reached a deal on border control. Both countries agreed to do more to keep people from jumping across the boundary and claiming asylum in the other country.
And I bet you thought it was our southern border that was out of control. If you did, well then you haven’t been listening to the administration. They have been telling you the southern border is under control.

Not A Good Sign

We talk often about children and grandchildren and the sacrifices people make for them and the future. It is that forever belief that we long held that tomorrow will be better for our children that makes this WSJ survey and story so disturbing.

Can you believe that number of people who “do not feel confident” that their children will be better?
If that doesn’t tell you we need new leadership, and for people to stop worrying about free for themselves and start planning for tomorrow, then I don’t know what does.

Food For Thought For Sure.

So, the fed raises the rate again to 5.25% from near zero a year ago. Then we were told by the fed, secretary of treasury and White House that inflation was “transitory.”
Okay, now we know it’s not, so my question is, and I don’t know which answer is worse, did they not know what was happening, or did they lie?
It’s one or the other.

Though it’s not getting coverage in the MSM, the ESG issue for your investments is a major topic in some states with Republican governors. Look at this and see for yourself:
Since the President’s speech and veto, most Republican State Governors are saying no to ESG.  
In fact, this week 19 governors signed a statement committing to these points:
I. Protecting taxpayers from ESG influences across state systems:
This includes blocking the use of ESG in all investment decisions at the state and local level, ensuring that only financial factors are considered to maximize the return on investment, protecting retirees and taxpayers alike.
II. Protecting citizens from ESG influences in the financial sector:
This includes banning the financial sector from considering so called “Social Credit Scores” in banking and lending practices aimed to prevent citizens from obtaining financial services like loans, lines of credit, and bank accounts.
Here are their names and signatures. Take a look. Doesn’t it deserve media coverage since it is directly opposite what the President said the bill was?

Remember when the plan was put in place to change the names of military bases? Well ,the first one is about to be changed.
Fort Pickett, a National Guard base in Virginia, will this week be the first Army post to change its name under a congressionally mandated policy to purge public references to the Confederacy in the U.S. military?
On Friday, it will be renamed Fort Barfoot in honor of Col. Van T. Barfoot, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II and later served in Korea and Vietnam during a 34-year Army career.
The base was initially named for Confederate Maj. Gen. George Pickett, best remembered as one of the commanders of Pickett’s Charge, a futile attack during the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

One follow up this morning on the story we reported on yesterday from the NYT, that Fox News was worried about losing viewers after the 2020 election.
Here’s last weeks ratings from Nielsen Media Research:
For the week of March 13-19, Fox News Channel earned an audience of 1,985,000 prime-time viewers.
MSNBC had 1.1 million viewers and CNN with 383,000.
Fox News had 83 of the top 100 cable-news telecasts.
And all of the top 10.
I rest my case.

Just A Few Hmm’s This Morning.

The NYT had this story:
Fox News was panicked over its ratings after Biden won the presidency and then proceeded to promote false stories about the election.
I find that hard to believe. They seem pretty bright over there. Just look at their ratings versus cable news competitors.
In the real world their ratings would raise as the opposition came in and governed.
Didn’t MSNBC ratings rise big time while Trump was in office? Why?
Their viewers wanted a place to go and feel comfortable.
Fox knew their ratings would be better with a Democratic President, and the gap between them and the other two cable news networks has widened.
All the news you fit to print is the NYT motto. How about accurate news?

If you wondered what happened to former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, here’s an update. He is now on MSNBC and NBC as a contributor. Surprised or expected?

Lot’s of give and take yesterday on the President’s veto of the ESG bill. Amazing once again on how the media lets him get away with mistruths. He continues to say he vetoed the bill so you can get a greater return and advisors can consider ESG companies.
The bill didn’t exclude anything. It allowed advisors to make decisions for the greater return, in their opinion, and not have to include ESG.
The reality is that a review of returns showed ESG funds clearly under performed investments that did not include them.
The bill required fiduciaries to invest based on expected financial returns – period. Which is exactly how I want my money managed.
How come the NYT can’t print that?

Here’s an interesting poll released by the Economist on favorable and unfavorable ratings of D.C. leaders:
President Joe Biden – 47/50 … Vice President Kamala Harris – 40/51 … 
Speaker Kevin McCarthy – 39/38 … Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – 26/55 … 
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer – 35/43 … House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries – 29/28.
Remember when the media told us that McCarthy had no chance to succeed?
Now ask yourself what the ratings would be if it were just media opinions.  

Some Light Hearted Thoughts This Morning.

Is today the day we set history and book a President for a crime for the first time in our history?
I don’t think so, but, with the former President and the I hate Donald Trump club, you can never say never.
I will ask the same question as yesterday though, is Alan Bragg the right DA to bring these charges?
Again, I don’t think so. To appear unpolitical the person bringing the charges should at least have a record of going after law breakers.
I think we’re a week away from this showdown, despite the noise and the former President’s decree about today.

Interesting to watch Republicans going after the administration (and President) on social security and medicare.
As The Hill wrote:
“Democrats for months have been on offense on Social Security, accusing Republicans repeatedly and publicly of wanting to make cuts to the entitlement program.” They hit the Republicans hard as we noted here.
Now the counter attack is underway.
Here’s a give and take between Sen. Cassidy and Sec. of the Treasury Janet Yellen.
“Of the $4.5 trillion in taxes he has proposed, not a dime is going to shore up Social Security,” Cassidy said, before asking, “why doesn’t the president care” about threats to the program’s funding. 
(The Congressional Budget Office estimated last month the program’s fund risks running a shortfall in 2032.) 
Yellen responded that Biden “cares very deeply,” but Cassidy interjected immediately, to ask for the president’s plan to extend solvency for Social Security. 
Yellen said that Biden “stands ready” to work with Congress on the matter, but Cassidy called that a “lie.”
“Because when a bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly requested to meet with him about Social, so that somebody who is a current beneficiary will not see her benefits cut by 24 percent, we have not heard anything on our request” and we’ve made multiple requests to meet with the president.”
Then there was Senator Romney going after White House Office of Management Director, Shalanda Young about charges being made against Republicans:
“I know of no Republican or Democrat in the House or the Senate who is proposing cutting Social Security benefits, and it’s dishonest to keep saying it.” It’s offensive and dishonest and not realistic.”
There’s a problem with the system and people are playing politics.

A little more is known about that $3 Million that came from China to Biden family members. It goes like this:
An associate of Hunter Biden received a $3 million wire payment from a Chinese energy company. (That person, Rob Walker, is being asked to appear before a House panel).
Basically the committee says the bank records show payments to companies associated with the President’s brother James Biden, his son Hunter Biden and daughter-in-law Hallie Biden over a three-month period from Mr. Walker’s company after he received the multimillion dollar payment from State Energy HK Ltd., a Chinese company.
What the committee wants to know is what services were provided by the Biden family for the million plus dollar payments.
As reported here last week, they really want to know what Hallie Biden, a school counselor, did to receive money. Apparently she was dating Hunter during this period.
Now, Hunter’s attorney said this:
“Hunter Biden, a private citizen with every right to pursue his own business endeavors, joined several business partners in seeking a joint venture with a privately owned, legitimate energy company in China. As part of that joint venture, Hunter received his portion of good faith seed funds which he shared with his uncle, James Biden, and Hallie Biden, with whom he was involved at the time, and sharing expenses.”
Legit? It could be, but the question is, what was Hunter’s, Jim’s and Hallie’s business?
In the Trump era we knew real estate was the kids’ businesses. What was this one?

The President issued his first veto yesterday. The bill would have overturned a regulation for retirement plan managers to consider climate change in their investment decisions.
The question is, do you want your finance manager to have to “consider” an investment in ESG or simply go for the best retirement return?
I would choose the latter, the President decided on the former.
As long as it is not mandatory then I am fine, but if they make it a must on any investment, I want to know.
Watch what they do with your funds and how the government invests now.
The President said this in vetoing the bill:
“Retirement plan fiduciaries should be able to consider any factor that maximizes financial returns for retirees across the country. That is not controversial — that is common sense. Therefore, I am vetoing this resolution.”
Do you want me to believe that investment leaders would not be going for the best return if ESG was it?
Remember, you can fool some of the people all the time, especially when the MSM media is on your side.

The President also signed a measure requiring his administration to declassify intelligence related to potential links between China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology and the Covid-19 pandemic, amid the questions about the virus origins.
Just don’t get too excited yet, let’s see the retractions in the release.

In a sign of the times ,The Department of Veterans Affairs is altering an Abraham Lincoln quote in its decades old motto to make a more gender-inclusive mission statement.
The current motto —
“To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.” (Taken from President Lincoln’s second inaugural address and used since 1959.)
The new motto:
“To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.”

Just Thought You’d Like To Know.

First, its Donald Trump who is reporting that he will be indicted tomorrow, so we are unsure if there is one coming, even this week.
Second, really, Alan Bragg, this is your claim of justice? A payout in 2016 where the statute of limitations has be interpreted before you get to court? Two years is the limit for the charge, five years if you make it a felony charge. But you are going to claim, because of Covid and he moved out of NY, that it is extended?
Really, this is the best you’ve got?
This from you, who refuses to lock up criminals in a city where crime is out of control?
Simply ridiculous, from a ridiculous Soros backed DA.

Now, the immediate reaction will be an uptick in the former President’s popularity, simply because of the double standard of all this.
Longer term, it will hurt the former President as it will be a reminder of all the baggage he carries.
I warn Democrats again that Donald Trump is the best candidate to run against. Why they want to drive him out is something I don’t understand.

This may well cause Republicans to double down on hearings and charges against the current President’s family. There will be a reaction, even if the MSM refuses to cover the Chinese dollar charges. The noise from the Republicans will get louder.

On that, you would think the MSM would be curious as to why even the President’s daughter-in-law, a school counselor, received money from the CCP.

We find it funny, too, that the name Michael Avenatti hasn’t come up. Remember him and his antics a few years ago? Remember when CNN and MSNBC were touting him as a Presidential candidate against the former President? Of course, he’s been convicted and doing time for his illegal activity in this case and others.

Now, Donald Trump calling on his supporters to protest in the streets this week when he is indicted, is far too reminiscent of his words for Jan. 6th. If crowds do gather, I would suggest they do not even drop a candy wrapper.

The NYT had this write up this morning on why the charges should go forward.
“The evidence that Trump broke the law seems substantial: It includes testimony from Cohen and others, as well as Trump’s personal checks to Cohen. The hush money and the cover-up of it, in the final weeks of a close presidential race, seem to have been a brazen violation of campaign finance rules. To overlook the violation could encourage future candidates to ignore the law, too.”
Okay, now answer this.
Should the President’s lie in the debate and the cover up of Hunter’s laptop in the 2020 election face the same review and charge? The President said it was false. Fifty-one former officials helped cover it up. The DA in Delaware allowed the lie to stand. The FBI knew it was real. Should they all be charged?
We need one system of justice in this nation and if you’re fair you see the difference right now.

On top of all this noise, the MSM had another Trump story all weekend. It was that he failed to report foreign gifts. The example cited was a painting of him (Trump) given by the president of El Salvador, as well as golf clubs from the prime minister of Japan. This was major news.

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden filed a countersuit against the computer repair shop owner to whom he dropped off his computer, who said that Biden dropped his laptop off and never claimed it. He is not claiming the laptop is his but that material distributed should not have been done.
The argument here is did the shop owner have legal right to the material because Hunter’s attorney’s claims the wording was so small at the end of the agreement.

The More We Hear About A Double Standard Of Justice, The More It Shakes The Nation’s Foundation.

I was very surprised that Governor DeSantis joined Donald Trump in declaring that protecting Ukraine isn’t in the “vital” interest of the U.S.
Other candidates in the primary have said the opposite, so we have a true policy difference.

Senator Thune of SD, acting on behalf of minority leader O’Connell (he’s in rehab from a fall) and a majority of the Republicans in the senate, had this to say:
“This is incredibly consequential for Western democracies. And if Russia succeeds here, I think it sends a message to other countries that are considering provocative actions, specifically China. I think there’s a direct correlation between what happens here and how countries like China see the U.S. and the West respond.
Some of the suggestions that have been made about us shutting down any support for Ukraine, I think it’s just unrealistic given the threats that we face in the world today.”

At this point, I am on the side of Senator Thune. I don’t want our soldiers in the fight, and we need to keep watch on the creeping involvement we have, but how can we allow Russia to take over Ukraine now?
We allowed them to take pieces before, and they went for the whole thing. If you allow them to succeed now, does anyone think their expansion dream will end here? If you do, then do some research on Neville Chamberlain and his “peace in our time” before WWII. For despots there is never enough, until they are stopped.
Now if you told me the Europeans, who would be most threatened should be doing as much, if not more than we are, then I am in agreement. There is no way we should be carrying the burden; we should be an added piece.

While on foreign policy, how about the comments from Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador this week?  He felt free to lash into us and even declare Mexico a safer place than the United States.
With all the publicity Mexico’s getting for the recent kidnappings and murders, he better do something to protect their tourism business.
Now one thing he said did strike a cord with me. Commenting on the drugs coming across the border and the noise about it, he said that we (the U.S.) have a demand problem. If we stopped using them, there would be no reason to ship them in. Something we have long written here.
Don’t those buying the illegal drugs understand or care they are supporting the cartels and all they are doing? Aren’t they some of the same people telling us how to live our lives? How about you caring a little?

The other issue we harp on is the politicization of the social security system.
Yesterday the Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young was pressed at a Senate hearing about the system and how it will bankrupt in a decade. (The Congressional Budget Office says the year of bankruptcy is 2032.) She was asked, what’s the plan?
Her answer: “This president believes the biggest threat to Social Security is those who want to cut it.”
Senator Mitt Romney asked again, “Where’s the plan?”
He never got an answer, but we will hear again that Republicans want to cut the system.
Remember this, because the day of reckoning is coming. Someone is lying.

On stories, one more this week that had me shaking my head: President Biden said President Biden told a story about how he came to an “epiphany” on same-sex marriage in high school. The President, as he does so often, said “he wasn’t joking” about this story.
“I can remember exactly when my epiphany was. I hadn’t thought about it much, to tell you the truth. I was a senior in high school and my dad was dropping me off. I remember getting out of the car, and I looked to my right and two well-dressed men in suits kissed each other.”
His father turned to him and said, “Joey, it’s simple. They love each other.”
Ever since he saw, he was for the whole movement.
Nice story. So how come he was vehement on “Meet the Press” in 2006 saying:
“Marriage is between a man and woman; what’s the game going on here?”
How come he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 which said marriage should be between a man and a woman over a decade later?
Did he not stand for what he believed or was the story not real?
Where’s the media asking the questions about this story and so many others?
Does truth matter anymore?

One final word on the media from this AM.
Yesterday the House held a hearing on the crisis at the southern border. The person testifying was U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz.  The Chief.
The Democrats decided not to show up anticipating what Ortiz was going to say. Thus guess what? The MSM didn’t show up either. Is the border crisis any less because some don’t show up? Is it not news if only some congressman ask questions?
Well Ortiz was clear under questioning that the border was out of control and his team didn’t have a handle on how to control it under the current rules. A direct opposite position than Homeland Secretary Mayorkas had testified too.
Who do you believe? Not news worthy?
He even disagreed with the President on the wall and said he needs it to control the area. Isn’t that news?
Now if Republicans didn’t show up for a Trump border hearing would there have been coverage?
Oh, but don’t worry they covered Stormy Daniels this AM and that she testified before a grand jury behind closed doors. An open hearing on a border crisis, not so important – to them. Stormy – yes.
The media is a problem.

Just Thinking Out Loud.

I am watching local and national news, and there is a drumbeat everyday about some right of center official and their possible misdoings. Over and over, everyday.
Just now it was more on Santos and President Trump.
If you watch the news regularly you walk away thinking one side is totally corrupt and the other virtuous and trying to save the nation.
Enough already.
The one sidedness of this coverage is doing damage to our nation.
Let me explain my frustration.

I’ve made clear my thoughts on the former President and his ego personality, but It’s been seven years of Donald Trump stories. Exactly what crime has he ever been convicted of, ever?
None that I know of.
Now there are other politicians who have spent their careers in Washington, DC, on a government salary, and are worth tens of millions. How did that happen?
Do you ever wonder?

Now think about these stories that the same media covered extensively, and because of that, how many believe them true today.
President Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia. – False.
The Steele Dossier was real. – False
In fact, Trump was a Russian asset. – False
Hunter Biden’s laptop wasn’t real. – False
The information from the laptop was Russian misinformation. – False
Fifty former intelligence agents say the laptop is not real. – False
Covid was begun in a lab was a racist right wing charge. – False
Nick Sandman, the young pro life marcher, initiated action against a Native American. – False
In Ferguson, the young man had his hands up and said don’t shoot. – False

There are so many more, but yet all we hear on the MSM is this drumbeat against anyone who espouses traditional or right wing values.
The media is the problem.
A free media is a must in a free society, but a biased media, reporting only one side and often repeating a false narrative like Russian Collusion and the Laptop is not real for years, is a problem.

Why isn’t the MSM interested in how Hunter Biden got all those jobs with foreign countries and businesses of places his father had influence? If it were a Trump or DeSantis kid, would they?
Why did a story break about millions of dollars from China going to Hunter and his uncle, that was released as part of a Bank of America subpoena get, no coverage today in the MSM?
How come every time Adam Schiff lied about evidence it was covered as fact, and this actual fact is not covered?

We are going down a dangerous path here, and there is no one to report it because the reporters are all on one side. When you see surveys that say 90+% of the media vote one way, you understand why it’s an issue.
When they meet to decide what to cover, there is bias in the room.
When they write the story there is a bias, and they may not even realize it because no one is there to say it.
When they read the story, the tone of voice and facial expressions express their bias and, again, no one is there to disagree.

This blog has long said the media is the problem. Somehow it must be fixed or we will end up with a truly divided nation forever.

Venting On A Wednesday Morning.

It’s Donald Trump’s fault, as it always is, was the first reaction from the President and admininstration to the Silicon Valley Bank failure.
A train derails. It’s Donald Trump’s fault. A bank defaults, it’s Donald Trump’s fault.
Last week the President said Donald Trump wanted to defund the police. The border, it’s Donald Trump’s fault.
You know what’s funny about all that? You can fool some of the people all the time who actually believe it.

You can add the always unfair NY Times to the list. This is from them today:
“Under pressure from banks in 2018, Congress passed bipartisan legislation that Donald Trump signed into law shielding smaller banks, like SVB, from more stringent rules. The banks argued that they were so small that they posed little risk to the broader financial system.”
Did you notice the word “bipartisan” in that statement? You see, 13 of 17 Democrats voted for the legislation.
But, it’s Donald Trump’s fault.

And, those changes had nothing to do with this failure. It was poor management by Silicon Valley Bank management. It is the out of control inflation and the brakes the Fed is putting on to control it.
You see, bank deposits are declining and their assets were being reduced.
The reason?
The policies of the administration. It has nothing to do with Donald Trump. Enough already with that.
If you think Donald Trump is responsible for your higher gas prices, food costs, borrowing rates, inflation and state of the nation, then you differ with this blog today.

Not every publication fell into line with the administration. The normally supportive The Hill wrote this:
“Investors and analysts spent Monday trying to detect if other banks are in similar straits because of unwise investments, poor management, liquidity troubles or a combination of ills as interest rates continue to rise amid the central bank’s assault on inflation. The Federal Open Market Committee meets March 21-22, and market analysts are gauging whether the central bank will pause rate hikes to let things calm down.”

Reuters reported:
“Experts say SVB collapsed because it failed to manage its portfolio amid rapidly rising interest rates and it had significant uninsured deposits that were pulled out of the bank by its customers when the stress was apparent and communicated on social platforms.” 

Why did Signature Bank in New York fail yesterday too?
They bet big in Crypto and you know how far that is down now. When you bet on one thing, you set yourself up to win big or lose it all. Signature management lost its bet.
But Joe Biden says it is Donald Trumps fault.

Let’s end this with a tweet from Larry Summers, the former Secretary of Treasury under President Obama:
“SVB committed one of the most elementary errors in banking: borrowing money in the short term and investing in the long term. When interest rates went up, the assets lost their value and put the institution in a problematic situation.”

Everything Else Is Just Noise.

The impact of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has everyone holding their breadth this morning.
It’s the largest bank to fail since the 2008 financial crisis, and you know what happened then.
Play close attention today. Everything fell apart then because the banks were lending out money to people who couldn’t pay it back. It caused the housing bubble to bust.
Who’s to blame now? Watch how both sides try to spin it.
Progressives and some investors are blaming the Federal Reserve for its rapid interest rate hikes. They claim this has burdened many lenders.
Let’s remind them that we have rate hikes because the run away spending has driven inflation and the fed is trying to rein it in.
Some will say that deregulation of banks removed critical safeguards.
Others say regulators failed to spot red flags in the bank’s investment portfolio and customer base.
You want to know who to blame?
Try the leadership of Silicon Valley Bank. I think you’ll find the problem there.

Treasury Secretary Yellen made it clear on Sunday that the U.S. is “not going to do that again” when asked whether a government bailout is being considered. “But we are concerned about depositors and are focused on trying to meet their needs,” she said.
Minus a bailout, there are many companies (and individuals) who are going to lose a lot of money and maybe their company.
Remember, funds are guaranteed up to $250,000 only.

The best solution (and government hope) is that another bank buys Silicon Valley before the stock market opens today.

Everyone was waiting to see which Republican was going to take on former President Trump first.
The surprise this weekend is it was his former VP. Did you see some of the comments?
Pence began his speech at the writers dinner with a joke about himself:
“Sorry I was running a little late tonight. There were a few more boxes I needed to drop off at the National Archives.”
Then he turned to his old boss with comments like this:
“I read that some of those classified documents they found at Mar-a-Lago were actually stuck in the president’s Bible — which proves he absolutely had no idea they were there.” 
“It’s true that I am a man of deep faith,” he said. “In fact, my preferred pronouns are ‘thou’ and ‘thine’.
I once invited President Trump to Bible study. That was an experience.
He really liked the passages about the smiting and perishing of thine enemies.
As he put it: “Ya know, Mike, there’s some really good stuff in here!”
Then he took off on Trump and Jan. 6th.
“History will hold Donald Trump accountable for Jan. 6,” he said. “Make no mistake about it.
What happened that day was a disgrace, and it mocks decency to portray it in any other way. President Trump was wrong. His reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day.”
I was surprised the former President was quiet yesterday. I know a response is forthcoming.

President Biden angered many in his party last week when he backed off supporting the crime bill passed in DC. They felt betrayed.
Well, the news this weekend is he is ready to approve an Alaskan Oil project that he once stopped.
There was immediate outcry from the left in his party.
Both moves show an administration moving to the middle in anticipation of a 2024 run.
My questions are:
Why did we have to go through the crime pain and raising oil prices to try and move back to the middle in two years?
Didn’t you realize the American people did not want either of these?

One major foreign policy event this weekend will have ramifications for the years ahead for two reasons.
It is the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic ties that had been cut several years ago.
That is big for the region, and the scope of the agreement can change the balance of power in the region. Iran remains the world’s largest supporter of terrorist activity.
The second reason is that the mediator of the agreement was China.
It marks China as a world power in this region, and the agreement rocked the free world, who were unaware that talks were underway.

Buckle Up For This Week.

We have the President’s budget and it offers a lot to everyone. The problem is, of course, how do you pay for it. The instant analysis is it will borrow an additional $19 Trillion through 2033.
Add $10 trillion interest on the national debt.
It would see the national debt rise to over $50 Trillion in the next decade.

The bottom line here is we continue to spend what we don’t have and at some point the balloon goes bust.

We all want more “free,” but at what price?

We need leadership to protect our children and grandchildren’s future.

That’s it….
Just Something To Think About This Weekend.

The origins of Covid hearing yesterday just raised my interest more as to why we don’t have a leadership drive to get to the bottom of where it began. Why is that?
Former CDC Director Robert Redfield told the committee that his former colleague, Anthony Fauci, and former National Institutes of Health Director, Francis Collins, froze him out of discussions on Covid-19’s origins.
He said the reason was:
“It was told to me that they wanted a single narrative and then I obviously had a different point of view.” Redfield’s view was that covid came out of the Wuhan lab.
The more the hearings go, the more I want to know.
If it came from the lab, which looks more and more plausible, why is Dr. Fauci fighting that so hard? What are we covering up?
Even the MSM is beginning to cover the story, so I think it may be around for awhile.

Speaking of the media, it remains the problem in my opinion.
This morning the MSM was reporting at length the Justice Department report that found the Louisville police have engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discrimination against the Black community.
I didn’t see the same reporting on right leaning channels.
On the other hand, I didn’t see any reporting from the MSM on three police officers shot in LA last night.
What happened to non biased coverage?
The old “we report, you decide” news coverage?
People recognize the biased coverage and the media has lost all respect. Here’s a recent survey:
Gallup reported that 72% of Americans trusted the media not very much or not at all. That’s the worst response set since Gallup started asking the question back in 1972.

A poll out of New Hampshire today points out the issue Republicans have with former President Trump.
The former President holds a 41-percentage point lead in a hypothetical Republican primary.
He has 58% support. Governor DeSantis 17%, followed by Governor Chris Sununu at 7%, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at 6%, and former Vice President Mike Pence at 4%.
Good news for the former President and his supporters, right?
Now, the news for President Biden is not so good:
“In the Democratic primary, a majority, 55%, of Democratic primary voters think President Biden should not be the 2024 Democratic nominee, while 44% think he should be.”
From those primary polling numbers, things look good for Trump in a state he lost, right?
Wrong:
In a hypothetical 2024 presidential race between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, the sitting president leads the former president 42% to 38%. Another 16% would support someone else and 4% are undecided.
A caution to Republican voters, you better think the November electorate and not just primary.

On issues, we pointed out how Republicans better get settled on one with abortion because it will destroy them. Well, here’s one Democrats better focus on:
A Rasmussen national survey shows that dissatisfied parents and taxpayers are increasingly supportive of school choice.
The survey found that 56% of voters believe school choice programs offer better educational opportunities for students. Only 15% say they do not.
Parents want real education for their kids and are not trusting public schools much these days. Free choice is a real issue.

One more thing on politics this AM. Florida Gov. DeSantis’ new book debuted in the top spot for sales in the NYT’s Best Sellers list. The story indicated it did so without any sign it relied on bulk purchases to pad sales.

At noon today President Biden will release his budget and plans. Buckle up for the discussion to follow.
Here are some aspects that will appeal to segments of voters:
A 25% minimum tax on the richest of Americans. 
An increase in the top tax rate for Americans making $400,000 a year to 39.6% from 37%. (Remember state taxes are on top of this – ie: California 12.4%.)
One place he wants to raise taxes, that I disagree with, is the corporate tax rate. He wants to raise it to 28%.
In my opinion all that does is raise prices, because it is passed on and drives corporations back overseas to low tax countries.
Higher taxes for oil and gas companies. Makes me wonder if this will drive them to drill more.
Reduce the cost of prescription drugs by imposing new rules on the pharmaceutical industry. (We need the details here. We all want lower prices, as long as it doesn’t impact new development.)
Less money for Covid. This is long overdue, and how we will reduce the deficit somewhat, but we will be adding trillions to the deficit anyway.  
New taxes to shore up Medicare:  The budget will propose hiking payroll taxes on Americans making over $400,000 per year, as we reported yesterday, because medicare is heading for bankruptcy.

Much To Watch And Ponder Today.

Tomorrow the President will present his budget. Let me start the discussion with this:
The President will recommend raising taxes on Americans earning more than $400,000 to help fund Medicare.
Wait now, weren’t we all told the Republicans were going after social security and medicare?
Weren’t they saying that the systems were going bankrupt and we had to do something?
Now the President wants to raise taxes to pay for the first one we know is going bankrupt?
Who lied to you?
This is only step one to try and meet the obligations of both those programs and its smoke and mirrors to fool you.
Raise taxes on the rich and all is well is the message. Let them pay their “fair share.” Really?

Here’s a little information on the rich and their fair share:
The Top 1% pay 42.3% of all taxes collected.  (They earn 22% of total income.) 
The Top 50% pay 97.7% of taxes raised.
The Bottom 50% pay 2.3% of taxes raised.
Now take a look at those numbers and think how it’s represented in the media.
Almost the opposite.
Add this point:
The U.S. has the greatest transfer of funds between these groups than any nation. Think about that.

The rhetoric is working though. Take a look at the latest Rasmussen Daily Poll, the President is at a high point.
Their Daily Tracking Poll yesterday showed that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Biden’s job performance. Fifty (50%) disapprove.

Governor DeSantis of Florida was in California this past week as he and Governor Newsom continue to spar with each other over policies and programs. They offer competing views on the direction of the nation and how to run a state. They may well face off one day.
Remember during Covid all the controversy on their different approaches to opening, closing, schools, etc?
Here’s an interesting update on their states over the past decade:

Then we had our regular reminder about Donald Trump yesterday. It came from none other than Michelle Obama, who in an interview talked about inauguration day 2016. She mentioned flying out and looking down and how the main issue on day one was Donald Trump fighting with the press to try and prove he had the largest crowd ever. Remember that fiasco? Hours after being sworn in, that was what mattered to him.
Wouldn’t DeSantis versus Newsom be an interesting race?

Let’s go back to where we started today, the President’s budget tomorrow. Let’s see how it addresses the ever increasing debt and spending beyond our means.
Especially with this statement from the Fed Chair yesterday:
“The latest economic data have come in stronger than expected, which suggests that the ultimate level of interest rates is likely to be higher than previously anticipated, if the totality of the data were to indicate that faster tightening is warranted, we would be prepared to increase the pace of rate hikes.”

Hope Your Tuesday Is A Good One.

Questions I Don’t Understand

Why do government agencies continue to say the Covid Virus began in the lab, but the federal government not care to ask and investigate?
Is it true that the President never raised the issue in his meetings with Chinese leadership?
Why? Don’t they care about the million plus citizens who died from it?
Was Dr. Fauci really told on day one it had to be from the lab and then pushed a different scenario?
Why is it that the American People want the answer, but the media is not beating a drumbeat about it?

How come Republicans don’t realize they failed in 2022 because of the abortion issue?
Why don’t they realize their position may be a moral one but it is in opposition to the majority and a trigger issue?
Why are they falling into the same trap for 2024?
Why aren’t they on the side of the great majority which places a limit on the time for an abortion?
How come they don’t realize that they have to make the left the extreme, supporting abortion until birth?
If they don’t get in front of this issue they will be left behind at the ballot box.

Shouldn’t there have been more coverage of transportation secretary Buttigieg’s admissions this past week?
He said he should have gone to East Palestine, Ohio earlier.
On the ground there, he had said he didn’t want to interfere.
He said he failed to anticipate the political fallout from the toxic train derailment.
Failed to anticipate? You are the head of transportation for the nation.
Political fallout? What about the health of our fellow citizens. Politics doesn’t matter here.
Is the MSM treating Secretary Pete the same they would a Republican?

How long are Republican 2024 candidates going to be able to campaign without criticizing Jan. 6th and the stolen election claims?
At some point one will lead and stand up. I think it will be a short term hit for them, but a long term gain.

Why are Democratic officials still pushing for charges against Donald Trump in N.Y., Georgia and from Jan. 6th?
Don’t they realize he is the best candidate for them to run against and retain the Presidency, hold the senate and win the house?
Wasn’t 2022 and the Trump backed Senate candidates all the proof they need?

On 2024, isn’t it going to be interesting to watch Senators Jon Testa and Joe Manchin and see how they try to walk the tight rope on supporting the Biden agenda in pro Republican states?
Will they be able to fool the people with anti administration votes on issues where their vote is not needed, but reliable yes votes where it is?
The first test may be this week (Thursday) as the President presents his new budget.

With the defeat of Mayor Lightfoot in Chicago, getting only 17% of the vote, does it register with the left that crime is a real issue in America?
That citizens, even their most loyal voters, want safe streets, transportation and shopping?
That the letting of criminals walk is not popular?
Did the President reversing and snubbing the crime law in Washington DC send them a message?

So, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan examined the landscape and decided a run for the Republican nomination was out of the cards.
Did he really think he had a shot?
He managed to anger both the pro and anti Trump parts of the party. Who was he appealing to?
If he wanted to stay in politics, he could have run (and won) the Maryland Senate seat last year.

Just Questions On My Mind This Monday Morning.

Lot’s Of Loud Noise This Week Already

Here’s an interesting story on the President’s trip I read that you may enjoy too:
Biden’s surprise 23-hour visit to Ukraine on Monday was the first time in modern history that a U.S. leader visited a war zone outside the aegis of the U.S. military — a feat the White House said carried some risk even though Moscow was given a heads-up.
How it happened: 
A small group of senior officials at the White House and across U.S. national security agencies set about working in secret for months to make it happen. Biden gave the final sign-off Friday.
Once Biden was secreted aboard the Air Force jet, the call sign “SAM060,” for Special Air Mission, was used instead of “Air Force One.” The plane was parked in the dark with the shades down. 
After a refueling stop in Germany, Biden’s plane switched off its transponder for the roughly hour-long flight to Rzeszow, Poland.
He then boarded a train for the 10-hour overnight trip to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Putin was speaking and telling the Russian people his side – and they seem to be supporting him.
Speaking in an enormous hall in front of an audience of parliamentary and military leaders, Putin said Russia will continue its war with Ukraine while seeking to defeat what he claimed is the West’s determination to crush his country. Putin said the Russian people support opposition to aggressors in the West and he railed against same-sex marriage and “corrupt” values. “Even pedophilia is announced as a normal thing in the West,” he remarked.   

Then, their Rep. Majorie Greene, responding to a Biden tweet reinforcing his commitment to Ukraine is for “as long as it takes.” Here’s what she said on Twitter:
“We need a national divorce,” calling for a U.S. succession. “We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government.”
“Impeach Biden or give us a national divorce.
We don’t pay taxes to fund foreign country’s wars who aren’t even NATO ally’s.
We aren’t sending our sons & daughters to die for foreign borders & foreign “democracy.”
America is BROKE. Criminals & Cartels reign. And you’re a fool.”

Wow, both sides have loose cannons on the edges, don’t they?

Then there was this headline:
“Manchin digs in against ESG, joins GOP in opposition.”
Sen. Joe Manchin III is escalating his attacks on corporations and financial firms that embrace environmental, social and governance investing as the ESG movement also suffers setbacks in corporate boardrooms. Once mum on the hot-button issue, the West Virginia Democrat has increasingly targeted the investment strategy that makes fighting climate change a priority.

Too late Joe. This time the voters of West Va. are going to remember.

While on politics, there was this too:
Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) will head to Iowa this week.
Scott will be an interesting candidate to watch in the months ahead.

Former President Trump will head to East Palestine, Ohio, the site of a train derailment two weeks ago that has unleashed toxic chemicals into the surrounding community.
Trump is interesting if nothing else. How will the Biden team react to this visit?

Then there was Gov DeSantis visiting three blue states/cities to support the blue. None in Iowa or N.H.
The Florida governor hit a trio of the nation’s bluest cities, promoting pro-policing policies that he has implemented since taking office in 2019.
He kicked off the tour on Staten Island in New York City, where he met with police officers and touted Florida’s “commitment to law and order and support for the men and women who wear the uniform.”
He stayed silent about a possible White House run, but took a jab at President Biden.
In an interview from Staten Island, he accused the president of neglecting domestic problems. “I think, I and many Americans are thinking to ourselves, he’s very concerned about those borders halfway around the world. He’s not done anything to secure our own border here at home. We’ve had millions and millions of people pour in, tens of thousands of Americans dead because of fentanyl. We just suffered a national humiliation of having China fly a spy balloon clear across the continental United States. So we have a lot of problems accumulating here in our own country that he is neglecting.”
He later met with police officers in Philadelphia and then traveled to Chicago to talk to law enforcement officials.

A good strategy for the Governor, I would think. America, especially in some areas, is very concerned about crime.

Lot’s of noise for a Monday.

The President made a surprise, or maybe not so surprising, visit to Kiev as he visits Poland. A very symbolic moment, as he promised $500 Million more of aid to Ukraine.
As the creep of war grows, we wonder where the end solution is. All of this raises questions for us:
Does more support mean a longer fight for Ukraine? Will Putin ever allow Ukraine to win? Will he allow them to move his troops out of the territory they took years ago? Is China really gearing up to help supply Russia? Will Iran do more to support Russia? What is the goal of the west? Is it back to the territory and standoff of before the war began a year ago? Is it back to the territory Putin took when Biden was VP?
I don’t know if the western leaders have defined what end they want, and that is a dangerous situation with Putin, a man determined to reestablish Russian dominance in the area.
I do know this.
All the aid, support and reinvention of history underway is interesting. The President supplying aid beyond what he said he would, thought so little of Ukraine’s future that in the first days, remember what he said? On February 26, 2022 he offered to send a plane to get Zelensky out of the country, obviously believing Russia was going to over run them quickly. Zelensky replied:
“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.”
Let’s not forget that.

Here’s a balloon update. As you read it ask yourself if you are proud of the nation’s actions:
The U.S. military ended the search for airborne objects shot down last week near Deadhorse, Alaska, and over Canada and Lake Huron, Mich. 
President Biden said that the intelligence community thinks “these three objects were most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation, or research institutions studying weather or conducting other scientific research” — not China’s government. 
So, we literally shot down balloons for no reason and can’t find out where the debris is.
Yet, we allowed the one real spying balloon to fly over the country and dived into the sea to find it. That report:
Sensors and other debris — “the guts” — have been successfully recovered from the Chinese balloon shot down by a U.S. fighter jet off the coast of Carolina. 
“They got almost all — at least that which was recoverable,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is opening up on his announced and potential primary opponents. He attacked Nikki Haley and then really went after Ron DeSantis. It’s very clear now the Republican Party is in for a donnybrook and very divisive 2024 primary.
Their only chance to win is if enough of the party voters realize they are the minority party. They have lost 7 of the last 8 popular presidential votes. If a minority of the minority party nominate an unpopular national candidate, they are doomed. Do enough of them realize that? Right now, it is not clear.
Larry Hogan, the former Maryland Governor, realizing the more candidates running helps the former President, said this over the weekend. His “bid won’t happen if it helps Trump.”
Well, Governor, we can guarantee it will, so forget it now.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy energized a nation with his “the torch is passed to a new generation” declaration.
In her announcement Nikki Haley alluded to the fact it’s time to pass the baton now. Considering that President Biden would be 86 and Trump 82 at the end of their next term, that is a key issue.
Look at the ages of those running:
Haley is 51. Ron DeSantis is 44. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is 51. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is 56. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott is 57.
Is the country ready for the next generation?

Speaking of Presidents, the news from Plains, Ga. about President Carter was sad. There are two things about the former President for us.
He was probably the weakest President of our lifetime, but one of the greatest human beings. He certainly gave of himself, and as you hear of the personal wealth of Presidents, consider this:
“Carter is the only president in the modern era to return full-time to the house he lived in before he entered politics — a two-bedroom rancher assessed at $167,000, less than the value of the armored Secret Service vehicles parked outside.”

Good News: The House and Senate are both out of session.

One more comment from the Congressional Budget Office yesterday. They said the Social Security will run short of funds in 2032, a year earlier than expected. 
What that would mean, they said, is:: Beneficiaries would see a more than 20 percent reduction of benefits.
I ask again, who’s misleading the public?

Did you see and hear that Sen. John Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed Medical Center to seek treatment for clinical depression? It’s been a long time problem for him they said.
Did the electorate in Pennsylvania  know this before the election?
Which leads back to the question, isn’t it great to be a Democrat and have the media on your side?

Did you know that the gunman who shot and killed three students at Michigan State University was arrested for carrying a gun months ago, but the prosecutor dropped the illegal carry charge? If they hadn’t, he would still be in jail.
Isn’t this an example of Woke politics causing lives and hardship? 

So the President finally spoke on the balloons and the shooting we did. What an embarrassment, and how much are foreign leaders laughing at us?
We let the Chinese balloon go across the nation and then shot it down.
Then we shot down a hobby team balloon and two others that might have been car dealership balloons.
Senator Tom Cotton may have said it best.
“President Biden acknowledges that he shot down three runaway weather balloons, yet he had a ‘Chinese spy balloon’ in his sights over the Aleutians, failed to take the shot, and let it float across America. The CCP is laughing at him, which is dangerous for America.”

Really, we couldn’t identify what the four were? We spent $1.6 million dollars in bombs alone to take down three hobby balloons?

It was just that kind of week.

And Should Have Been Covered For You

This story from Axios this morning, no right wing publication. How does it fly with the administration’s words?
There’s an inconvenient truth underneath the politics of Medicare — its finances are simply unsustainable. 
Why it matters: 
Medicare is one of the largest line items in the U.S. budget, and as the population ages, it’s expected to only get more expensive. 
By the numbers: 
Medicare spending is expected to more than double by 2033 — climbing to $1.6 trillion, or over 4% of the entire U.S. economy, according to an estimate released yesterday by the Congressional Budget Office. And the program’s trustees have said the fund that pays for Medicare’s hospital coverage will soon reach a dangerous tipping point — paying out more than it takes in.
On that trajectory, it eventually wouldn’t be able to pay for the coverage it’s supposed to provide. 
Reality check: 
Lawmakers really only have three options to stop that from happening: raise taxes, cut benefits, or cut payments to the health care industry.
The bottom line: 
Without intervention, Medicare’s financial problems will come to a head soon enough. And then it’ll be everyone’s problem.

Oh really? Yet, they fool the people with rhetoric to scare them. Is that leadership?

Here’s A Second Story, This Axios

When you read this, ask yourself is that why you should pick a World Bank Leader. Is the economy so great we should worry about the climate first?
President Biden plans to move quickly to replace David Malpass as president of the World Bank Group, seizing on his departure to transform the bank into an institution dedicated to fighting climate change, White House advisers say. 
Why it matters: 
Malpass’ surprise decision to leave his term early gives the Biden’s administration something it wanted even before the president was inaugurated: A chance for Biden to pick a new World Bank leader.
Team Biden wants a candidate who is committed to expanding the bank’s lending facilities to finance more renewable energy projects in the developing world. 

This Story From The Hill

Here’s another story from this AM in the The Hill. As you read, think about the administration saying they cut the deficit and the economy is in great shape.

The U.S. could default on its debt between July and September, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office warned on Wednesday, adding new specificity to a partisan impasse that could harm the economy even before summer.
Adding to the battle over budgeting and the statutory debt ceiling, the United States is on track to add $19 trillion in new debt over 10 years, in part because of rising inflation and bipartisan spending bills now in law, according to the CBO.  
Federal debt held by the public is projected to rise from 98 percent of gross domestic product this year to 118 percent by 2033 — an average increase of 2 percentage points per year, according to projections.
To many lawmakers and economists, it’s an unsustainable path.
“Over the long term, our projections suggest that changes in fiscal policy must be made to address the rising costs of interest and mitigate other adverse consequences of high and rising debt,” concluded CBO Director Phillip Swagel.  
House and Senate Republicans, looking ahead to next year’s elections and worries about economic unknowns, tell voters that now is the time to rein in federal spending. But under political pressure, they’ve vowed not to cut Social Security and Medicare, and some conservatives have backed away from cutting defense spending, which means major drivers of accumulated debt were swept off the negotiating table.

Some Political News

Rep. Barbara Lee of California filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for the Senate seat of retiring Sen. Feinstein. She joins two other Reps. (Katie Porter and Adam Schiff) already running. Buckle up for this one.

A poll in West Virginia said Gov.Justice is the strongest candidate against Sen. Manchin. He’s going to run.

In news you didn’t hear, the Justice Department ended a sex trafficking investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz without bringing charges. Funny how much you heard when they kicked it off. Now crickets.

I am sure he didn’t mean anything by it, but what if this was a Republican?
President Biden in Maryland gave a shout to the governor, recalling his playing days as a wide receiver in college:
“You got a hell of a new governor in Wes Moore. He’s the real deal and the boy looks like he can still play.”
Harmless? Of course it was, but would everyone get that free pass?

Just Some News Today You Might Have Not Heard.