No, Democrats Aren't Anti-Israel

Here's the thing people like New York Times columnist Bret Stephens don't seem to get: Rep. Ilhan Omar has been soundly criticized and forced to apologize for her words -- the worst of which were in old tweets. That's not exactly letting her off the hook. And it's a lot more than we can say for the endless line of lawmakers who have said equally offensive things -- on the House and Senate floor! -- about blacks, gays, trans people, Hispanics, women and so on. But you know what's a lot worse than inflammatory words and an insincere apology? (Ask "Barney Fag" about those.) Actual policies to discriminate against said groups, like the stream of racist voter-suppression laws that have gone on the books since the Voting Rights Act was gutted; recent legislation designed to chip away at newly gained LGBTQ marriage rights and our ability to adopt children; and the constant legislative attack on women's right to choose. What anti-Semitic laws have anyone proposed let alone enacted? 

As for the people who are less critical of Rep. Omar, they are asking two things: Are we sure you're not using her as a smokescreen to not address the horrendous policies of Trump pal Benjamin Netanyahu? (I’m sorry, but you don’t have to be a rightwing zealot with all that entails to be pro Israel.) And above all, what is it about Rep. Omar -- as opposed to Steve King, Dick Armey and all of the other ones -- that she's being held to such a higher standard of reprimand than critics of other groups? Gee, I wonder ...

P.S. Speaker Pelosi seems determined to forge ahead with this resolution condemning anti-Semitism and bigotry -- all part of Dems' master plan to self-destruct in time for the 2020 election. Stephens writes, "if Pelosi can’t muster a powerful and unequivocal resolution condemning anti-Semitism, then Omar will have secured her political future and won a critical battle for the soul of the Democratic Party. At that point, the days when American Jews can live comfortably within the Democratic fold will be numbered" to which I say -- once I stop laughing: Does anyone really believe this nonsense at all?

OK, fine. Now can this stupidity please go away?

Page 1 Roundup (10/18)

The Daily News: Trump calls pregnant widow of soldier killed in Niger, says ‘he knew what he signed up for’

The New York Post: Cheerleaders apparently thought screaming ‘f–k n–gers’ was the height of wit

The New York Times: Judge  Halts New Version of Trump’s Travel Ban

The Wall Street Journal: Cubs Fans Are Feeling Cursed Again. This Time It Involves Chalupas

The San Francisco Chronicle: All fire-related content is currently free

Page 1 Roundup (09/19)

The Daily News: Tour bus driver races through Queens intersection and plows into MTA bus, killing three, injuring 17 others

The New York Post: Dead man sat in truck at airport parking lot for eight months and no one noticed

The New York Times: In a much-anticipated speech, Myanmar's leader refused to condemn the military for the massacre of Rohingya Muslims

The Wall Street Journal: ‘I Still Have Nightmares.’ The Dicey Future of Jarred Gefilte Fish

Van Driver Kills 13 in Barcelona Terrorist Attack; More Than 75 Injured

What he said. (God, I wish we still had a grownup in charge.)

The latest on this reprehensible act of cowardice HERE.

Malaysia Launches $1,000 Contest for Videos on How Youth Can 'Prevent' Homosexuality

Why are we ready to go to war over a bakery that won't make a cake for a gay wedding, yet we barely acknowledge when a nation that has criminalized gay sex (punishable by sentences of up to 20 years) does vile things like this? (Hint: Because it's a Muslim majority country and everyone's too afraid to stand up for fear of being called Islamophobic -- so they sit around patting themselves on the back for being so enlightened to know that not all Muslims are homophobes and terrorists. Kudos!) And did you know a former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, was convicted of “sodomy” and the Malaysian government also recently endorsed conversion therapy? Wake up, activists! Moderate Indonesia is just as bad. Read HERE.

 

Page 1 Roundup (06/04)

The New York Post: I'm heartbroken for Britain, which has been the target of three deadly terror attacks in as many months. Now that we know that neither pretending there isn't a problem nor calling all Muslims terrorists isn't fixing things, does anyone have any actual idea how we combat this deadly form of counterculture? 

My gut tells me there really isn't anything we can do, other than try to stop attacks before they happen. And scarily, Trump doesn't believe in any of our intelligence agencies, opting for The Drudge Report as his major source of information.

I'd say it's just as unfair to criticize Trump for playing golf during a crisis as it was to criticize Obama for doing the same -- except it was the current golfer in chief who was constantly ripping into him. Furthermore, Obama never claimed to have a "secret plan to defeat ISIS" in 30 days that was "foolproof." (Is that still a secret????) Apparently all we can do is wait for this administration to end.

The Daily News: London mayor says he has "more important things to do" than respond to toddler in chief's tweets

The New York Times: After London Attack, Prime Minister Says 'Enough Is Enough'

The Washington Post: London attack toll rises to 7 dead as Theresa May insists ‘things need to change’

Page 1 Roundup (05/23)

The Daily News: Cops identify Ariana Grande concert bomber as 22-year-old Salman Abedi, a British-born man of Libyan origin

The New York Post: Also on Tuesday, the police arrested a 23-year-old man outside a nearby supermarket. It was not immediately clear whether or how that man was connected to the attack

 (I predict he will have had nothing to do with it -- it's always a lone nut.)

The New York Times: Former C.I.A. Chief Tells of Concern Over Possible Russia Ties to Trump Campaign

The Wall Street Journal: Amazon’s Latest Market Disruption: 1.7 Million Free Bananas 

Why Isn't Gay Genocide 'Unchechen'?

By DONATING to Rainbow Railroad you can help more men in Chechnya escape gay genocide. Did you ever dream you'd be saying those words in 2017 -- or that a U.S. president would say nothing about it?

Stockholm Truck Attack Kills 4; Terrorism Is Suspected

Here we go again: A man steered a truck into a crowd of people and then rammed it into a department store in the heart of Stockholm Friday afternoon, killing at least three people and injuring scores more in what officials were calling a terrorist attack. Although the suspect is still at large, the "Allahu Akbar" bumper sticker was investigators' first clue. Read HERE.

UPDATE: Suspect in custody.

America the Beautiful

From HERE.

Page 1 Roundup (02/14)

Kellyanne Conway told the public that Michael Flynn had the "full confidence of the president" hours before Flynn was fired. #neverforget

Trump "knew for weeks" that Flynn had lied but did nothing about it.

The real story here is the acting AG who was fired for telling the truth. Sally Yates 2020? 

How Do Saudis Celebrate Valentine’s Day? Very Carefully / Read HERE. 

Of course, choosing your own lover in Afghanistan can get you killed.

Hate to Burst Your Bubble

Watch HERE.

Want to know how Trump got elected? Fewer than 20 refugee families have been resettled in Montana since the 1990s, but Republicans have made opposing Muslims a No. 1 priority -- going so far as to enact a law to make sure "Sharia Law" never takes over. (Huh?) Remind me how I'm the one living in a bubble. 

Page 1 Roundup (02/10)

Judges see "no evidence" of terror threat -- Trump tells court: "SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE! Meanwhile, more than half of Trump's supporters said the "Bowling Green Massacre" justified the attempt to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.

From HERE.

Upper East Side doorman dies after he slip on snow, crashes through glass window / Read HERE.

If you haven't read just how badly the Ninth Circuit ripped the Trump administration for its arrogant claim that the judiciary has no authority to adjudicate constitutional challenges to executive action, then you must read it now HERE.

I actually put my suitcase in some random woman's car, so I can totally relate to this Uber story! Read HERE.

Appeals Court Refuses to Reinstate Travel Ban, Dealing Trump Major Legal Blow

The New York Times reports that a three-judge federal appeals panel on Thursday unanimously refused to reinstate President Trump’s targeted travel ban, delivering the latest and most stinging judicial rebuke to his effort to make good on a campaign promise and tighten the standards for entry into the United States.

I haven't been this happy in months -- this has temporarily restored my faith in humanity, and reminded me that "we're" not the crazy ones here.

You were elected president, not czar. If you want to strengthen existing laws for visitors and immigrants, do it through the proper channels. FYI: Virtually every recent attacks on domestic soil has been committed by homegrown terrorists, not refugees or immigrants. And Sept. 11 was the work of people from Saudi Arabia, which was not on the magic list.

Read more on the ruling HERE.

Conservatives are all about freedom of religion -- as long as it's theirs.

Via WSJ: The ruling came as a result of a lawsuit brought by Washington state, which argued the travel ban is discriminatory. Noah Purcell, a lawyer for the state, told the appeals court panel on Tuesday that Mr. Trump and his advisers have made statements that “are rather shocking evidence of intent to harm Muslims.’’

Page 1 Roundup (02/06)

Did some queen steal Tom Brady's sweaty jersey?

I certainly hope they caught the right guy here. We watched a "48 Hours" over the weekend where two black men spent more than 20 years in prison for a gang rape they were not involved in. Even though DNA exonerated them, the lead investigator still believes they're guilty -- and thinks he's not racist because he hasn't used the n-word "in years." 

Travel ban looms as landmark case. The Times analyzes it HERE. (Hint: the "favoring" Christians bit could be what bites the "president" in the ass.)

How soon before he starts trying to clean house in the judiciary? 

FYI: It's "presidential" because he said it.

California’s Next Buzzy Varietal May Not Come From Grapes / Read HERE.