When then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the “nuclear option” to limit the GOP minority’s filibuster power, he never imagined that the Democrats would one day be in the minority. Well, now they are, and the nuclear door is open and they don’t have radiation suits.
Yesterday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell instituted another change to rein in the minority’s delaying power, this time bringing back a rule from Obama’s first term. Since it was changed, any Senator could force 30 hours of debate on any nominee, even after the Senate had voted to end debate and vote on a nomination. Democrats had been abusing this power to delay Trump nominees indefinitely. The nominees may be perfectly well qualified and have bipartisan support, and the offices for which they were nominated have been empty for two years and are in desperate need of being filled, yet the Democrats just kept delaying for no reason other than they hate Trump and refuse to accept that he’s President and has the right to appoint people.
McConnell said, “The comprehensive campaign by Senate Democrats to delay Senate consideration of presidential nominations is now more than two years old. It's time for this sorry chapter to end."
So he did something he perhaps should have done over a year ago. While changing the rule would’ve required a two-thirds vote, McConnell used a point of order upheld by a 51-48 vote to restrict the debate from 30 to two hours. (All the Democrats plus Republicans Susan Collins and Mike Lee voted no.)
It doesn’t apply to Cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court nominations, and appeals court judges. But nominees to federal district courts and offices in DC can finally start getting confirmation votes, after cooling their heels since 2016.
While there will be much wailing and rending of garments over this in the liberal media, Dan Calabrese probably summed it up best: “There is no way the Undersecretary of Agriculture for Rutabaga Husbandry needs 30 hours of Senate debate.”
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Even though some votes in Chicago are still being counted (or “counted”) from Tuesday’s elections, it appears that there will now be far more socialists on the Chicago city council than there are Republicans. And as we learned from Cuba and everywhere else it’s been tried, there’s no place on Earth where crime, poverty, corruption and injustice are so bad that they can’t be made far worse by adding socialism.
This should also give a boost to another rising political group in Illinois: those who want the rest of the state to secede from Chicago (yes, that’s really a thing.)
There was better news for Republicans (and common sense) in Wisconsin, where conservative Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn won a close surprise victory over liberal Appeals Judge Lisa Neubauer (there will likely be a recount, but Hagedorn believes his lead is insurmountable, a phrase you’d never hear in a Chicago recount.) The left won a court seat in 2016 with a 12-point victory, and visions of taking over the state Supreme Court in 2020 were dancing in their heads. But the conservative majority is safe for at least another four years.
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2019/04/03/wisconsin-supreme-court-race-n2544189
As Guy Benson at Townhall.com notes in the linked article, liberals can’t blame their loss on money in politics, because they outspent Hagedorn 3-1. They also can’t blame low turnout, because turnout was up 16% over last year, which was the highest turnout since 2011. They tried defaming Hagedorn as a bigot and a religious zealot because he’s a traditional Christian, but that didn’t work.
The local GOP believes that what this signals is that after the “blue wave” gains of 2016, voters have seen to their horror what giving power to today’s radical-left Democrats means, and the conservative base has awakened and won’t let it happen again.
Well, the left wanted Americans to be “woke.” They’re wide awake now. Thanks for the wake-up call.
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There is a recently-elected female member of Congress who is young, dynamic, attractive, outspoken, a racial minority and she is saying things that should make her a rising leader of the Democratic Party. And no, it’s definitely not the person you’re thinking of.
This is someone who really deserves the attention being lavished on the other one, and for the sound future of both America and the Democratic Party, the media should turn its attention away from the Bronx socialist and toward Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy.
She’s the first Vietnamese woman ever elected to Congress. Her family fled the Vietnamese communists when she was six months old and were rescued at sea by the US Navy. While there are a number of policy issues upon which we would disagree, she’s a more traditional Democrat than many of her Party’s younger generation whose only knowledge of socialism came from their leftist college professors. She’s seen Marxism in action, and you need to read what she has to say about it at the link.
https://www.westernjournal.com/lawmaker-turns-fellow-dems-socialism-conversations-offended/
In fact, all her Democratic colleagues and a big portion of their voters need to hear it, too. Let’s hope some of those hypocritical fashion magazine editors who give so much space to glamorous socialists in between ads for designer clothes and luxury goods will realize what socialism would mean for them and start putting Rep. Murphey on their covers instead.
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A Tale of Two Cities:
In Washington, DC, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos proposed cutting $18 million in funding for the Special Olympics. She said the organization already has plenty of financial support and didn’t need the federal money, and with a $20 trillion national debt, we’re doing young Americans no favors by borrowing against their future. The proposed cut was greeted with outrage and furious condemnation. President Trump replied that he would not implement the cut, but that didn’t stop the continuing outrage and condemnation of him as cruel and heartless. Special Olympics International President Tim Shriver gloated, “In some ways the most powerless, vulnerable, forgotten people in the country brought to their knees the most powerful people in the country.”
In Albany, New York, the Democratic legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo cut state funding for the Special Olympics by $50,000 (a 25% reduction) while giving themselves a lavish pay raise (Cuomo’s $70,000 raise will make him the highest-paid Governor in America.) After some mild protests, Cuomo reversed the cut and was showered with praise and thanks. Shriver declared, “Special Olympics New York is grateful to the Governor for his generous support during a difficult budget year.”
I guess the deference to Cuomo is because Albany is facing a difficult budget year and Washington isn’t.
Speaking of difficult budget years, all New Yorkers are going to be facing a lot more of those, thanks to that very same Democratic government in Albany. Michael Goodwin in the New York Post calls it “the slow-motion disaster undermining New York’s economy.”
https://nypost.com/2019/04/02/the-slow-motion-disaster-undermining-new-yorks-economy/
While Republicans still held the Senate, they were able to keep the brakes on some of the worst inclinations of the left. But New York voters, in their wisdom, handed the entire state government over to Democrats, and they just finished crafting their new economic plan. It includes fat raises for all of them, plus $100 million worth of public funding for political campaigns, and lots more spending (a 4% increase in an already-bloated budget), paid for by a host of new taxes and fees on just about everything they could think of.
With the new $15 minimum wage law causing the first drop in restaurant jobs in 20 years, and the already sky-high taxes driving high earners to move to other states, this will likely just accelerate the exodus of taxpayers and leave an even bigger budget shortfall, which the Dems will try to offset with even higher taxes and fees, which will drive even more people out.
Red states should start preparing for the New York tax refugees’ arrival now by creating newcomer welcome brochures that explain why this is a place you wanted to move to, so don’t come here and vote for people who espouse the same idiotic leftist policies that just caused you to leave the place you fled.
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Ominous news for Hillary Clinton: one of the most outspoken members of Congress pointed out the need for a serious investigation of the use of unsecure electronic communications that expose classified communications to our enemies. She said that “every day that there is an insecure line of communication that could be leaked, that could be hacked, that could be screen-shotted — without proper channels — is a day that we are putting our national security at risk” and “putting hundreds, if not potentially thousands of Americans at risk…I mean, really, what is next, putting nuclear codes in Instagram DMs? This is ridiculous.”
That Congress member was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and she thought she was blasting the Trump Administration, but what the heck? Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
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There are some things you can always count on in Washington. For instance, if it’s spring, the cherry blossoms must be in bloom again. And if Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are back in charge of the House, we’re going to go without a budget again.
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In an attempt to appeal to Latino voters, the Democratic Presidential hopefuls are all putting up Spanish language versions of their campaign websites. But an analysis by Politico found that their mastery of Spanish leaves something to be desired. The really bad translation errors include Amy Klobuchar’s claim (in Spanish) that she “wasted” her life defending American democracy.
Politico says that most of the Spanish errors are minor typos but some sites include “truly incomprehensible passages.” Are they sure those aren’t accurate translations of “Beto” O’Rourke speeches?
https://www.westernjournal.com/2020-democratic-websites-crafted-latinos-botch-translations/
LEAVE ME A COMMENT BY CLICKING HERE. I READ THEM!
Permalink: https://www.mikehuckabee.com/2019/4/evening-edition-april-4
Comments 1-21 of 21
Vernon Hinz
04/05/2019 04:46 PM
What is up with Collin's and lee? Are they Republicans or Democrats? It seems they vote more with the Democrats then their own party. Looks like I need to send them a copy of the letters I sent out to 7 Republicans and the other letters I sent to 7 Democrats. Both different but to the point.
Kate Stone
04/05/2019 03:03 PM
I have just finished thorough reading a book that provides such insight into the framework of the cold war and Russia and communism, and the powerful influence made by the presidency of Ronald Reagen and Pope John Paul !!, within the context of the value of religious belief in destiny and Christian perspective. The connection with the Three Secrets of Fatima and the connection with Russia is truly amazing. The Russians throughout the decades of the 20th Century were known as masters of disinformation. It is the mastery of this disinformation skill that comes to mind when we see the continued cloud of Russian collusion that haunts the 2016 election. When one looks at the emerging Clinton connection with the dossier against Trump, it makes one wonder whether a subversive influence from Russia may have really been a connection from the other side against Trump. This is a long book of documented history well worth a read: A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century Hardcover – May 1, 2017 by Paul Kengor (Author)
Shauna dickerson
04/05/2019 02:37 PM
Thanks, Gov. Huckabee, for all you do and especially your news reports. I'm so glad to see that Pres. Trump can push more and more conservative judges into the courts. One of the very Biggest accomplishments for future generations of having our current president is his power to tilt the judgeships all across the country toward conservatism. This is truly a win-win-win for our country.
Krystyna Orlean
04/05/2019 01:00 PM
Our President should have already closed the border and do not open until illegals will be under control here and wall completed faster or Immigration Law changed.
Why President is not acting more drastically and faster if he got National Emergency now ?
Just watch a documentary about Roma, TX where illegals are crossing 24/7. This has got to stop. We cannot sustain or country with people coming here because our Government offers them free life.
What about to change Immigration Law by executive orders and at the same time force Congress to approve these changes ? If that take the next 2 years it would be okay if stronger Law will be applied.
Also, why nobody investigate and prosecute socialist George Soros who pays for all caravans and all socialist movement inside of US to destroy our country?
He doesn't have access anymore to his own Hungary country and France for such actions ! It is time to remove him from US as well.
Nobody ever thought here about this sick guy?
Martha Earnest
04/05/2019 12:19 PM
I'm so sick of these politicians who sit in congress and never do anything but sit on their lazy butts and do nothing but complain. We ought to fire them. They have no idea what goes on in the real world and they don't care.
Laura Corbino
04/05/2019 08:44 AM
Don't tell the Left but I just saw a cultural transgression from Laurel and Hardy! One of their film shorts "Pardon Us" has a scene where Stan and Ollie are in Blackface hiding on a farm with black workers. Don't forget, Oliver Hardy came from Georgia. If Pelosi calls for a ban on them, I will lead the "Sons Of The Desert" fan club right to her door. No one takes Stan and Ollie away from us. We need them more than ever!
David D'Amico
04/05/2019 06:16 AM
Dear Governor Huckabee,
My wife Peggie and I had the honor of meeting you and hearing you speak last night at the "Gateway" dinner held at the Angus Barn in Raleigh NC. You were wonderful! You truly are gifted and have a passion for the life of the unborn and life in general. Your daughter Sara is doing a marvelous job for the Trump administration. It hurts to see the way she treated by the press clowns at times. What blessing she is as well. You must be very proud of her.
Paul T. Kern
04/04/2019 11:26 PM
I live near Portland, Oregon a heavily blue town and state. They do the same here that NYC is doing. The only thing they don't tax is the air we breath. We believers need to hold up the President, the country, and all in authority forvGod to intervene. Also, not vote our pocketbooks but our conscience, according to God's standards.
Jerry Korba
04/04/2019 10:44 PM
John L said it perfectly. My rant tonite is: President Trump should now use all the tools in his box to take care of the border. I listened to one say we should send more money to the 4 countries trying to invade us spending good money for an invasion makes sense, to a rip off artist. Not another dime should leave the US for that. Shut down the Border shut down the Congress shut down Immigration for 3 months Then when the border is closed some distractions may stop nobody in nobody out; Congress you put together Immigration reform that will work GOP put your Healthcare plan together have some outside help on these plans I want them to work if not complete after 3 months you will be fined big we will redistribute your wealth see how that works for ya. I just wish their was a tool like that. Good Luck
Cynthia D Pandolfo
04/04/2019 09:46 PM
I read them all!
Lucia A. Hunter
04/04/2019 08:50 PM
Dear Governor Huckabee,
Why is George Soros given such leeway in his dealings? It is apparent that he has his hand in causing much disruption in other countries that have a democratic govenrment, and he also seems to be financing the many immigrant caravans coming from our southern continents....yet our Government still gives money to his so called Open Society Foundation. We don't have enough waste without giving money to this troublemaker?
Agnes Salisbury
04/04/2019 08:24 PM
With the demand to see the whole Mueller Report because it is paid for with Taxpayer Funds, lets also open the Records so Taxpayers can read the full reports on the 20 million that has been paid out for settlement of Sexual Harrassment Complaints against Senate and Congress. It must be opened in its entirety to inlcude the names of every Senator and Congressperson. The Public has a Right to Know! Lets demand it be made public right away.
Jim Deleeuw
04/04/2019 08:04 PM
I think that You could have a profound effect on economic thought by reading and highly recommending a booklet by Fredrich Bastiat,
Trust me, I guarantee you will thank me.
(I am 84, and retired. Director Emeritus, Wisconsin WPO).
John Denk
04/04/2019 08:02 PM
Just saw a claim that Robert Soros, son of George, is married to Adam Schiff's sister Melissa. Can this be true and if so why isn't it being spread far and wide??
John Lewis
04/04/2019 06:23 PM
Mike- thank you so much for your daily news updates. I have always appreciated your ability to communicate so clearly with great stories and comparative analogies. To be frank...you are hilarious. My wife and I skip through much of the news on Fox and Fox Business when it becomes repetitive- but when you are being interviewed we listen!
Louis Pope
04/04/2019 06:19 PM
Fine job Mr, Huckabee, we are praying for you.
william fuhrer
04/04/2019 06:14 PM
Why not have a debate about Socialism and stack the cards and have bath anti and pro arguing anti and see if anyone notices
Rodney black
04/04/2019 05:37 PM
My wife passed away on 13 March 2019 after 43years of marrage I’m Rey usaf and feel lost but I thought I used to know or have faith in senate and congress to at least be held accountable but there doing nothing to help us and I’m unhappy about it. I like listening to your daughter on tv and she knows how to make her point and I like your comments we need term limits and accountability. I hope god is enjoying the time with my wife she is a keeper ty god bless you
Keethlyn Fletcher
04/04/2019 05:37 PM
I want to bring back common sense.
I want an honest days work for an honest days pay.
I want a cap put on wages earned by our politicians.
AND, I want the power to give raises taken out of the politicians hands. The thought of them giving themselves raises for doing almost nothing to earn them really chaps the hide.
Yep, I know I said I, I, I, but I'm sure I'm only stating what the American people are thinking.
It's a shame what our political system has become.
Mr President, DRAIN THE SWAMP.
TOMMIE CLARK
04/04/2019 05:22 PM
the dems are out of control why do we have a president if he can't control them? i am so sick of their shit i refuse to watch anything politcol for days seems like they are taking our country and we can't do anything about it its like the border put a wall around california so the immigrants can't go to cal. then on to our states. jusy shut california out
Stephen Russell
04/04/2019 05:15 PM
Nominations for office: I say 3 hours max to debate person on subject X.
2 hrs 45 min.
A-Z all levels.
& do this FT in Senate, 24/5