Did Milli Vanilli keep their Grammy Award? Did Lance Armstrong keep his Tour de France trophies? So why should the New York Times and Washington Post get to keep their Pulitzer Prizes for their “deeply sourced” and “relentlessly reported coverage” of Trump/Russia “collusion?” That’s like giving Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a MacArthur Genius Grant.
There were some great suggestions that the Times’ and Post’s Pulitzers be taken away and given to reporters such as Sara Carter and Catherine Herridge, or Judicial Watch head Tom Fitton, or I might add Greg Jarrett and John Solomon. You know, people who have performed real journalism, kept digging despite countless obstacles and stonewalling, and uncovered the truth that powerful people didn’t want the public to know. Unfortunately, the Pulitzer Committee doesn’t necessary reward that. They’d rather reward people who spread lies about the “right” people than the truth about the “wrong” (or “left”) people.
Keep this up and a Pulitzer Prize is going to be considered as meaningless as a Nobel Peace Prize.
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True to his word, yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell scheduled a vote on the “Green New Deal” plan put up by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the one which, depending on who you listen to, will either result in a CO2-free America that stops climate change, or cost $93 trillion, destroy the economy, return us to the 18th century and transform America into a socialist wasteland. Since several Democrats running for President and many in Congress have mouthed support for it, assuming there will be no repercussions because it will never pass, McConnell decided to let them put $93 trillion of other people’s money where their mouths are and go on the record as officially voting to endorse it.
The final vote was a crushing 57-0 against. All the Republicans and four Senators who vote with the Democrats (Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Doug Jones of Alabama and independent Angus King of Maine) voted no. Forty-three Democrats and Independents who vote with them voted “Present” to avoid going on the record either way. Nobody voted for it.
Democrats griped that the vote was a “political stunt,” but McConnell said, “If you’re going to sign on to nonsense, you ought to have to vote for nonsense.” AOC herself was particularly incensed, sending out a number of tweets slamming the Republicans for unconscionably scheduling a vote on a bill she proposed (I’m not certain she’s figured out yet how this whole “lawmaking” thing works.) If nothing else, the vote provided an opportunity for Republican Sen. Mike Lee to argue against it using some hilarious graphics that you can see at the link.
AOC seemed to take the mockery personally, and sent out a flurry of angry tweets, including one attacking Lee that read, “If this guy can be Senator, you can do anything.”
Her friends should advise her NEVER to try to insult another Congress member by questioning how somebody like that ever got elected to Congress. It will only result in awkward, uncomfortable glances between everyone around her.
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CNN president Jeff Zucker still refuses to admit that to most of the public, CNN’s motto is no longer “This...is CNN” but “What...is fact-checking?” The network that gave us a ‘round-the-clock hysteria fest over “Russian collusion” (not to mention trying to turn Michael Avenatti into a TV star) apparently thinks it had no obligation to find out if any of the outrageous things they were saying about the President of the United States being a Russian mole were true.
Zucker wrote in an email, “We are not investigators. We are journalists, and our role is to report the facts as we know them, which is exactly what we did.”
I hate to break this to him, but the first job of a journalist is to investigate, so that they may find out what the facts are before reporting them. Simply repeating whatever rumors some unnamed source tells you doesn’t make you a “journalist,” it makes you the town gossip with a TV studio.
And what good are “the facts as we know them,” if the “facts” that you know are false, which means they aren’t facts at all? That’s like the currently-popular nonsense phrase, “You must share your truth.” If it’s actually the truth, then it’s not just “your” truth, it’s THE truth. If it’s only true to you, then it’s not the truth, it’s just your opinion.
Hey, I freely admit that I write and voice my opinions every day. But I don’t claim to be a news network or a journalist. I am a commentator. Still, I try to base my opinions on real facts that are actually true. In that sense, maybe I am more of a journalist or a news network than CNN is these days.
In the meantime, the White House took the offensive by sending to the media a list of some of the outrageous and outrageously wrong things various “experts” said on their outlets and questioning whether they think these people deserve to be booked again, given their record. But to be fair, they are called “talking heads,” not “talking brains.”
Even if the news networks stubbornly refuse to acknowledge their madness, that doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t have some fun with it by filling out our “March Madness” news source brackets. See how you would rank which news outlet went the most bat-poop mad over the Mueller investigation and the Russian collusion delusion. The winner gets a trophy and a year's supply of Prozac.
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Here’s how we know Trump Derangement Syndrome and obsession with “Russian collusion” have driven Democratic politicians and media figures stark raving insane: Al Sharpton is now the voice of reason on the left.
https://www.westernjournal.com/al-sharpton-pushes-dems-move-clear-victory-trump/
And here’s how we know the current Democratic Party leadership has veered to the far left of sanity: they’re quietly being told to reel in their Looney-Toon liberalism by Barack Obama.
https://www.westernjournal.com/al-sharpton-pushes-dems-move-clear-victory-trump/
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Obamacare is suddenly back in the news, and Democrats who can’t wipe the egg off their faces over the Mueller report are gladly seizing on it to change the subject.
After a long period of inaction on the subject, the Trump Justice Department has sided with a Texas district judge who ruled the entire Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the power to enact it if it were classified as a tax (citing the mandate requiring people to buy insurance or pay a fee to the IRS.) But the Texas judge agreed with the states challenging the ACA that when the Republican Congress partially repealed Obamacare by eliminating the individual mandate, that rendered the entire bill unconstitutional.
https://www.westernjournal.com/justice-department-looks-end-obamacare-completely/
There are other conflicting rulings, and this will end up back in the Supreme Court again. Knowing the SCOTUS’ history of bending over backwards to find any way to justify protecting the ACA, it’s unlikely they’ll uphold the Texas judge.
But with the Trump DOJ arguing that he’s correct, Democrats immediately played the “Republicans don’t care about people” card, claiming that they want to scrape the ACA’s protections for Americans with preexisting conditions. This would be easier to counter if the GOP Congress had done what it promised and passed a full “repeal and replace” bill rather than cutting away at it in bits and pieces. Americans are justifiably concerned with rising health care costs and how to cover people who need medical care they can’t afford.
Nobody wants anyone to go without needed treatment, and finding market-based ways to cover those who can’t afford coverage while bringing down costs for those who can should have been the focus from day one. That’s what I was advocating ten years ago, but back then, Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats were in charge and they locked out the opposition and forced their plan onto everyone (déjà vu!) We got a Trojan horse bill designed more to destroy private insurance and lead us into single-payer government health care than provide the best coverage for the lowest cost.
What we should do now is finally have that discussion about how to cover those who need help while providing choice, quality and affordability to everyone else. But with Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats back in charge, a presidential election season looming, and the Trump DOJ arguing for the entire ACA to be tossed out, what we’re likely to get instead is at least two more years of hearing that Republicans want sick people to suffer and die, while Democrats refuse to work with them to prevent that from happening.
And some people really think the government should be in charge of ALL their health care?
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A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco unanimously ruled that the parents of the late Kate Steinle can’t sue the city for negligence over the death of their daughter at the hands of an illegal immigrant who was released from jail by the sheriff’s department in defiance of ICE’s request that he be held for them to pick up for deportation for the sixth time.
One of the judges was nominated by President Trump, and he was sympathetic to the family, but he said that unfortunately, under the existing law, the sheriff was within his authority to order his office not to cooperate with federal authorities. In short, California has legalized criminal negligence by authorities that results in the death of US citizens. He said that can be changed only by California’s state and municipal political branches of government, “or perhaps by Congress.”
Well, we know it won’t be changed by the California (sanctuary) state government, and certainly not by San Francisco’s (sanctuary) city government. That leaves it to Congress, where the House is now run by Democrats, who would rather abolish ICE than deport violent criminal illegal aliens. So if you want to see justice for the Steinle family and restore safety and sanity to our immigration policies and criminal law enforcement, then I’d urge you to vote Republican in 2020 as if your life and the lives of your family depended on it.
https://www.westernjournal.com/ap-court-san-francisco-cant-be-sued-over-immigrant-shooting/
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The giants of tech and social media might think they’re so big they can get away with censoring viewpoints they don’t like or stealing users’ data. And so far, the federal government hasn’t done anything about it. But that still leaves 50 states with attorneys general, and there’s a bipartisan movement afoot to cut the tech giants down to size on a non-federal level. Speaking as a conservative, I say, “Good! Never send the feds to do a job that the states can do more efficiently.”
https://www.westernjournal.com/ct/feds-wait-long-state-ags-begin-move-tech-giants/
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Monday, Venezuela suffered another major power blackout, which the socialist government blamed on “sabotage” by its US-backed opponents. Sorry, but if the US really wanted to sabotage Venezuela and see it deprived of power, medicine, food and even toilet paper, we’d be backing the socialists.
https://www.westernjournal.com/ap-large-new-blackout-strikes-venezuelan-capital-provinces/
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Farewell to a Great Lady You Should Know
(From “Huckabee” writer and resident pop culture guru, Pat Reeder.)
The sad duty often falls to me to write obituaries for great entertainers who deserved more fame than they enjoyed. This one is especially difficult because this lady wasn’t just a delightful folk singer/songwriter and wit, she was also one of our dearest friends. If you love to laugh, you need to know her, so please read on and click on the links.
Lu Mitchell passed away Monday in Dallas at 95. Known in Texas as the queen of the satirical folk singers, she was famous enough in her genre to be a draw at festivals as far away as New York and Ireland. She came out of the coffee club folk/protest scene in the ‘60s, an early feminist who couldn’t stand the sexist corporate culture of the time. She wrote her first song after she made a suggestion for improving office efficiency and her boss told her she wasn’t paid to think, he was paid to think. Fuming, she went back to her typewriter and banged out her first original lyric, “(Mary Stuffed Her Boss in) The Paper Shredder.” (Clip here: https://web.archive.org/web/20130929104045/http://www.lumitchell.com/lm_papershredder.mp3 ) It became a fan favorite that brought down the house for decades to come.
Last fall, we attended the State Fair of Texas, and in the Hall of State, at an exhibit on Martin Luther King Jr. and the 1960s civil rights movement in Texas, we were thrilled to find a plaque honoring Lu for championing civil rights at a time when that involved genuine risk. Back then, you couldn’t hide behind a keyboard and a fake name and call yourself a “social justice warrior.”
Her songs were catchy, hilarious, often a bit ribald but not offensive. With her trademark giant owlish glasses and bobbed hair, her twinkling eyes and her earthy sense of humor, she was like a cross between Alan Sherman, Erma Bombeck and your salty grandmother. Her subjects ranged from hot topics in the news (she parodied “Love Potion #9” for her song about kinky New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer, “Client #9”) to life’s little annoyances (her airport security song, “Feel Me Up” - https://youtu.be/ktTsYeBRhFM ) to things anyone could relate to, like her Willie Nelson-inspired song about cruise ships, “It’s Time to Eat Again,” and her discovery of the joys of the bidet during a trip to Italy (“I’ve Got the Cleanest Little Tush in Tuscany.”)
Two of her best albums were her Christmas album, “Yet Shall We Be Merry,” with her classic holiday tunes “Lost in the Mall Again” and “The One and Only Fruitcake in the World”…And her album on coping with health problems, “Medical Mayhem,” featuring fan favorite, “The Mammogram Song”…
As some of you may have gleaned by now, before writing for Gov. Huckabee, my wife Laura Ainsworth and I wrote a syndicated topical radio service called The Comedy Wire. In addition to writing great humorous and serious news commentary, Laura is an award-winning retro jazz vocalist. She would combine those talents to do parody songs about the news for the Comedy Wire. Friends who heard them said, “You have to meet Lu Mitchell!” So we went to a concert and quickly became fast friends, with Lu as a sort of mentor to Laura. They even wrote a song together about a then-hot decorating fad, a parody of “My Way” called “Feng Shui” (“I took a dare, and moved a chair…I did it feeeeeeng shuuuuiiiii!”)
We were privileged to become regular guests with a much-coveted place at her private dinner parties, where after a pot luck supper, some of the best folk musicians around would break out their instruments and take turns performing in her living room. They didn’t know many of Laura’s songs, but Lu always requested “Over the Rainbow” or “Feed the Birds.” She often asked Laura to do guest shots at her shows (here she is singing “Feed The Birds” at Lu’s Farewell Concert: https://youtu.be/8c8nZPgMutM )
Even though she was already in her early ‘80s when we met her, we never even thought of the age gap. She was so sharp, funny and full of life, she could have been younger than us. Also, despite being a diehard Democrat of the old folk music/protest era, unlike today’s intolerant lefties, she had friends across the political spectrum and didn’t mind if your views didn't match hers. She knew we wrote for Mike Huckabee and always wanted to know what he and we thought about some story in the news. Sadly, they aren’t making any more Lu Mitchells, and the world is poorer for losing her.
Unfortunately, her website went offline a couple of years ago after health issues forced her to retire, but it’s stored in the Internet Archive. You can find some wonderful autobiographical details, personal photos and stories involving folk music legends that capture her warmth and sharp wit here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20131115054410/http://www.lumitchell.com/luremb.html
Here is a 36-minute concert with some great songs (unfortunately, they didn’t mic the crowd so you can’t hear all the laughter):
Here’s her archived home page and her discography, which features some hilarious song clips…
https://web.archive.org/web/20140517165053/http://lumitchell.com/
https://web.archive.org/web/20131115034908/http://www.lumitchell.com/ludiscog.html
Finally, here is Lu Mitchell as we will always remember her: in the kitchen of her North Dallas home, where we spent so many unforgettable evenings sharing music, laughter and great food, including her delicious bread and Scandinavian wedding cookies. Everyone wanted her bread recipe, so she made this video to share it with her close friends. We are happy to share it, and Lu Mitchell, with you.
Goodbye to a brilliant talent, a wonderful lady and the best friend anyone could ever hope for.
LEAVE ME A COMMENT BY CLICKING HERE. I READ THEM!
Permalink: https://www.mikehuckabee.com/2019/3/evening-edition-march-27
Comments 1-13 of 13
Freis Thomas
03/28/2019 01:34 PM
Can President Trump remove Adam Schiff’s security clearance??
He should if he can.
Carmine Fea
03/28/2019 10:07 AM
Adam Schiff, who said he had evidence of President Trump's collusion with the Russians and evidence of President Trump's collusion with the Russians was in plain sight, should be removed from congress and held accountable for his deliberate, knowingly treasonous lies about a fairly elected president of this country. Did Schiff withhold his so-called evidence from the Mueller investigation? Where was one person of courage to tell Schiff to "put up or shut up" when he said these things? Schiff is a disgrace to the United States of America. Hold Schiff accountable, remove him from congress, put him on trial for his deliberate, knowingly treasonous lies about our President.
geoffrey max mordecai spiro
03/28/2019 08:31 AM
Dear Senator Mike Huckabee and Golden Globe Award Winner Mr. Jon Voight,
Congratulation on your Presidential appointment to the Kennedy Board of Trustees.
Within three days Ukraine is running the risk of becoming very much a Russian Speaking country in over half its territory, within twelve days Israel is running the risk of becoming an Arab speaking country in over half its' territory. The Jewish new year of Kings is in another 9 days. For Christians the year after the Israeli Elections matches the famous date : April 9, AD 30, while for Jews it is the day before Passover (2020)...the date the Messiah is supposed to be revealed.
Of course some people don't mind a big bloody bang. I would like to have a peaceful and happy second or first coming (1st or second, makes no difference to Gd so why should it make any difference to me?). Gd wants us to succeed and have a PEACEFUL redemption.
The result of over 30 years of full time work on this subject has shown me that the most historical event since the death of Josef will be bringing the bones of Rabbi Nachman to Israel. This must happen before or after avoidable tragic events. For this reason and others, Mr David Assulin from New York wants to donate the real estate on which Rabbi Nachman is buried to the President of the United States, Mr. Donald Trump, in the hope that the President will successfully convince the Ukrainian Government to allow him to transfer the remains of Rabbi Nachman to Jerusalem saving all three governments in the process.
I am sure that the President will want to address this issue to Mr. Poroshenko because it is the right thing to do, to attempt Peace is in the interest of all parties and he can even invite Mr Putin to accompany Rabbi Nachman and himself on the plane to Jerusalem. Let the Israeli Government arrange the reception.
Please contact Mr David Assulin (Tel.: 17322450026) now to have the legal papers made immediately.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey Max Mordecai Spiro
I have original letters by Rabbi Na Nach to 1984 to Ronald Reagan, but the time is now! How do I send them to you?
Amelia Little
03/28/2019 05:02 AM
zucker and his cohorts need to get their brains wrapped around the fact that journalists ARE supposed to vet their information before they spread it as "news." I remember way back when, if there was something big going on, and there were no details, reporters/anchors said so. "This situation is going on, but there are no details. Tune in at 11 for further information." The whole Covington thing would not have even made a blip on ANY news or opinion station if they had checked facts before going off. Nick Sandmann and his fellow students could have gone back to their lives and school. The same with Ferguson, the trayvon situation, to name a few. What is possibly worse than "reporting" in the first place is, little to no corrections when the facts come out. The "story" (false story) is just dropped, and some just continue on with the false narrative if there is any more mention.
Amelia Little
03/28/2019 04:52 AM
From what I read, the big complaint of the left on obamacare is the pre-existing conditions. What I know of obamacare is that it is NOT affordable, especially for young people working just above minimum wage. Now, maybe if businesses weren't encouraged through the bill to cut hours so as to not have to have company insurance, these people could afford insurance. And, yeah, you can keep your doctor IF your doctor accepts gov. health care that pays penny on the dollar in reimbursement.
All those prizes and awards mean less and less each year. They are awarded to some of the least deserving people, like giving obama the Nobel Peace prize when all he had done to that date was freaking campaign. That should be rescinded after his performance for 8 years. And, the time mag putting abhorrent people on their cover for the man of the year. That "award" has been a laughing stock for several decades now.
Gee, what brave democrats--to vote present instead of voting for or against the green deal. Oh, well, McConnell got that garbage out of the way. And ocasio--maybe project whatever that selected her to run for congress should give her some classes on what people in congress do. What did she think is supposed to happen with proposed bills? Just ignore them? Or, perhaps, her being "the boss" and all, she thinks she can just present a bill as law.
Charlotte Brees
03/28/2019 02:49 AM
Sometimes your messages are a little long, but The Mammogram Song made it all worth it. Than you so very much.
Bob Janovick
03/28/2019 12:49 AM
See the second paragraph on 'real journalism'.
From Webster's Third New International Dictionary; "Journalist: 1a: one engaged in journalism; esp: one employed to write or edit the subject matter of a news medium b: a writer who aims or is felt to aim chiefly at a mass audience or strives for immediate popular appeal in his writings"
Notice no mention nor hint of the requirement of truth - the whole truth. We seem to have some romantic idea that they ascribe to fulfill the Code of Conduct for Journalists. "The code should be read as a whole; individual principles should not be taken out of context. It is not, nor can it be under the First Amendment, legally enforceable.", https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
Do we need a new term?
Mary Anne Berry
03/27/2019 11:23 PM
Mr. Huckabee,
I got into a discussion on socialism on facebook with someone (rather accidentally...I don't usually do that...as in almost never) and failed miserably. Wondering how to argue with someone on that. Below is a copy...
(followed a humorous cartoon on socialism...)
Jane Rothmund Don't see too many Norwegians walking around without shoes!
Anne Abbott Berry They have social programs, but they are capitalists.
Jane Rothmund Anne Abbott Berry Norway is THE prime example of Democratic Socialism! That does not mean that individuals or the government can't make money.
Anne Abbott Berry Jane Rothmund Norway has a democratic representative parliamentary monarch government with a prime minister that heads the parliament. They follow the Nordic model for social and economic policies...high in social welfare, but based on the capitalist economic system. A socialist society would be fully government owned, run, not free. True socialism is a form of slavery. You own nothing...it belongs to the government. The term Democratic Socialism is a made up term to give the impression that you have a choice. The reality is that once socialism as a government is in place, you no longer have choice.
Jane Rothmund Well, Anne, many countries, including Canada, now call themselves Democratic Socialist countries. So you may disagree with the name, but this is a model that seems to work. As a Canadian and a Brit before that, I have as much choice and as much freedom as an American, but with all the government safety nets in place.
Anne Abbott Berry Jane Rothmund I understand what you are saying. I just don’t agree with the philosophy. What incentive is there to work if a centralized government is going to take care of all your needs? Over time, who is “earning” the government’s money? William Bradford, one of the American founders, established a Democratic socialist community when they first arrived in the US, and they nearly died. Why work harder than my neighbor when we get the same “pay?” He switched to a capitalist organization for them to survive.
I lived in a true socialist country for 3 years. Military armed on the streets, round up at gun point to go “vote” for elections, empty shelves at stores, food rationing...it’s not something I ever want to experience again.
Best wishes!
Jane Rothmund Anne Abbott Berry You, like so many Americans, have been brainwashed to consider "socialism" a four letter word. From your description, you are confusing democratic socialism with communism. There are no armed guards on my streets, there are no food shortages in my shops, and if you want to make a good salary you get a good education (in some countries paid for by the government) and work hard. What country did you live in? Certainly not one of the ones that are considered "Democratic Socialist".
(I lived in Jamaica when Michael Manley was Prime Minister...an advocate of Democratic Socialism)
Michaela Hadlow
03/27/2019 07:27 PM
PLEASE look into the J. Smollett charges being dropped. This is an absolute ABSURDITY!!! The police and even the MAYOR are outraged. There IS SOMEONE BEHIND THIS THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED!! P L E A S E ! ! Thank You!!!
Sam L Kemp
03/27/2019 05:29 PM
Governor. Pulitzer prizes are now as meaningless as Nobel Peace prizes!
Audrey Skarness
03/27/2019 05:23 PM
It would really help American Veterans if Obamacare was dropped from Veteran's Healthcare.
Vernon Thompson
03/27/2019 05:22 PM
More Mueller Report Fallout
It is time to give Adam (Very Shifty) Schiff and his buddy Erik (The Weasel) Swalwell an ultimatum. Produce the evidence of collusion or resign to go to work for the Collusion News Network (CNN). If they refuse to resign Speaker Pelosi should be called on to remove both of them from any Congressional Committees. Never have I seen two people in positions of responsibility and authority act so irresponsibly!
Shirlene Montgomery
03/27/2019 05:12 PM
I always thought it was the Democrat Party. Why do you, and hundreds of others, say the "Democratic Party"? There's really nothing Democratic about the Democrat Socialist Party.