Friends, that true American hero, Speaker Johnson, has led the narrow GOP House majority to successful passage of the rescission package proposed by the Trump Administration that will cut USAID and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to the bone. At last!!! Congress is finally doing its part to help achieve DOGE's mission of reducing the size of government and eliminating federal subsidization of leftist propaganda. Bravo!
As you may have heard, an Air India flight to London crashed shortly after takeoff, and there was only one survivor. This is a tragedy for the families involved, but also for Boeing and all its employees. The aircraft in question was a 787 Dreamliner. It's by no means clear that any mechanical fault was involved, but people will naturally assume that Boeings are all death traps. That's most unfortunate. I've flown on a Dreamliner myself, and I don't recall a single explosion.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c626y121rxxo
A U.S. Senator from the formerly great state of California made an a** of himself at a DHS press conference today and was forcibly removed by the Secret Service. The only disappointing aspect to this spectacle was the fact that the Senator wasn't charged with disorderly conduct. Democrats must learn, sooner or later, that "no means no", and they can't misbehave with impunity.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygn48djrko
Could an Israeli strike on Iran be imminent? Could the threat of such a strike force Iran to accept a deal with the Trump Administration that would effectively terminate its nuclear weapons program? I say: do what you need to do, Israel, but I remain skeptical that Iran can be prevented from acquiring nukes in the long term.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-is-poised-to-launch-operation-on-iran-sources-say/
Finally, the Big, Beautiful Bill lowers taxes in all sorts of ways, and mostly for people that, frankly, don't need a tax cut. One aspect of the bill that I especially dislike is the huge expansion of federal income tax deductions for those who itemize and pay a lot in state and local taxes. I'm sure you're thinking: but I deserve those deductions!!! Why should I be hit with a triple whammy in the form of federal, state, and local taxes? The answer is because any such deduction effectively subsidizes the high taxes that blue states like to impose on their residents. What's more, these deductions are expensive and thus add to what is already a freakishly large deficit. Personally, I would like to see a nice, simple flat tax, and as few deductions as possible.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: Well. we know now; Israel is going all out and, typically, they appear to have prepared very skillfully. That may lessen any need for them to use nukes.
ReplyDeleteIts probably of little importance to the fully engaged Israelis but I'm glad our campus antisemitic radical worker ants are on summer "sojourne " in Newport and "the Vineyard" and such. They may be too "disabled" just now to rally violently to the cause of aid and comfort for Iranian barbarians ala their Vietnam era treasonous idols.
I wonder: could the pounding Iran is getting destabilize their regime? Have enough Iranians of good intent had it with their unrelentingly hate fueled neomedieval clerics and all the hazard they impose on their country with their atavistic dreams of annihilation of tiny Israel. Are they tired of being almost comprehensively feared and despised
by their Arab neighbors?
I'm glad we are friends with Israel; them folks are hombres!
Israel's survival is a measure of the world's historical progress, I think. Given freedom from the constant prospect of conquest by murderous savages, I'm confident Israel would follow our example and work justice for those it wronged during its formation. Theirs is an exceedingly able and enlightened civilization in the midst of less fortunate cultures which could benefit from its example.
But Israel knows that peace is guaranteed only by strength and the willingness to use it against evil and they are demonstrating it, perhaps decisively.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: It was gratifying today to see Governors and sanctuary advocates "man's man" Walz, Illinois Gov. JB Pretzles and our very own Kathy Hochul of NY being taken to task before a House Committee. Especially interesting was Gov. Hochuls cringeworthy inability to recall a very widely known case of a mother killed by an illegal alien. They were defended by histrionic Rep. Crockett's deceptive expectorations, which were comic.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: BTW, Hochul was confronted thus by relentless Rep. Stefanik and was plainly uncomfortable. She may have to get used to Stefanik's challenges in next year's possible retirement procedure for her.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waddy from Jack: Prior to his imposition on Sec. Noem's news conference I had never heard of Sen. Padilla and I watch the news every day.Most of the time a California politician gets alot of attention. That suggests a customary reluctance to be demonstrative on his part. But if not given to impulse and hyperbole, perhaps he did plan to interrupt though he probably did not expect to be restrained as he was.
ReplyDeleteMy main concern is those dutiful Secret Service guys. They must be supported by their chain nof command and not hung out to dry no matter the dem invective we are seeing. Far too often law enforcement does its job and its administrative superiors fluff.
Charles Schumer once stood on steps of the Supreme Court building and threatened Scotus justices should they render a decision to his dislike. Given that Justice Kavanaugh had recently come close to being assassinated this was a terribly reckless act on his part and an unseemly attack on a coequal branch of government. He had NO moral authority for his hyperbolic denunciation on the Senate floor of Sen. Padilla's detainment. He disgraced himself beyond his usual sneering demeanor and that takes alot of doing. So many NYers regret having imposed this imperious prig on the country but we just can't outvote his NYC base. He may get fired next year but his successor could be worse (AOC). We'll try to restore some common sense to our Senatorial representation from this benighted state in '26 but it'll be difficult. At least if America preserves its majority in the Senate our disdainful radicals will remain a sullen coterie.
Dr. Waddy from Jack: "No KIngs" ehh? But how about dictatorial and infallible "Dear Leaders"? Those are ok, yes?Since they used N. Korea today as a metaphor for the U.S in their spasms of self righteous high dudgeon , I thought to use that term for the kind of rulers who they would have redeem us.
ReplyDeleteMy, my but they are well organized aren't they? But I understood this to be a spontaneous rising of grassroots "American" outrage at Hitlerian DJT's attempted consolidation of power after his intended to be last of all American elections last year. And 250 years after very 1775! Oh, be of stout hearts our "patriotic" saviors all! And may the rains descend in retributive torrents on the "King's" jingoistic self indulgent spectacle this evening! How wonderful it is that "America" is once again "woke".
Good question about regime change in Iran! If I were the populace there, I would be fed up. If I were a general or a top police official, I'd feel much the same. Of course, any Iranian who comes off as a toady of the Israelis wouldn't win many friends. Thus, for regime change to work, you need a credible Iranian patriot and probably a Shiite Koran-thumper to lead it. Who fits the bill? No idea.
ReplyDeleteJack, a poll today showed Stefanik drastically underperforming Mike Lawler in a race against Hochul, but different polls show different results. I think it's going to be very, very hard for any Republican to prevail in NYS in '26.
Jack, I'd say all the outrage about Padilla's frogmarching falls utterly flat, mainly because the Dems are ALWAYS outraged these days. They're constantly complaining of the fascistic dictatorship that grinds them underfoot, oblivious to the fact that, if this was a dictatorship, their bloviating would be curtailed after about 30 seconds. I find their whining, in a word, BORING, and I suspect swing voters feel the same.