Monthly Archives: June 2022

It’s Not A Pretty Picture

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Just the News posted an article on Sunday that sums up the Biden administration in five numbers.

These are the numbers:

1. 8.6 percent

2. $5.01 per gallon

3. 234,088 illegal border crossings

4. 39% approval

5. 83% dissatisfied

Obviously, this is not a pretty picture. The 8.6 number represents the government figure on inflation. There is little question that government policies on spending and energy have fueled the rapid spike in inflation. According to Fox Business, on Jan. 20, 2021, the average price for a gallon of gas nationwide was approximately $2.39. Today it generally $5.00 or more. That impacts everyone. It has the same impact as a massive tax increase.

The number of illegal border crossing also impacts everyone because of the drug traffic and human trafficking associated with those illegal crossings.

The article notes:

The figure reached about 2.4 million illegal border crossings from April of last year to this past April, the last month for which there’s publicly available data and the month with the highest number of migrant encounters during the Biden administration at 234,088.

The 39 percent approval rating is not a surprise, but I would love to know who those 39 percent are.

The article notes:

A new poll from Quinnipiac last week found that approval of Biden’s job performance plummeted to 33%. More striking, however, the data shows just 22% of Americans ages 18-34, 24% of Hispanic voters, and 49% of black voters said they approve of Biden’s job performance. Each of those demographics is a critical voting bloc for the Democratic Party.

And finally, the article notes that 83 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with “the way things are going in the United States at this time.” Only 16% of Americans said they were satisfied.

The article concludes:

In this political environment, Democratic pollsters and strategists are growing increasingly pessimistic, seeing major Republican gains as all but inevitable.

To make matters worse for Biden and Democrats in Congress, “election outcomes are more-or-less baked in” by the end of the second quarter of an election year, according to RealClearPolitics Senior Elections Analyst Sean Trende.

Of course, things can always change, but the numbers don’t look good for Biden.

More importantly, behind those numbers are real people who are hurting. And each of them has a vote in November.

These numbers only matter if there is an honest election in November.

The Race Card Is Getting A Little Tattered

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Violence is our schools is a problem. There is as much debate on the reasons for it as there is on the possible solutions. One solution that has been discussed is that of using military veterans as an armed presence in our schools, thus making them hard targets rather than soft targets. As with any solution, there are pros and cons to that idea. However, David Hogg (a former student at the Parkland School in Florida who was not in the building the day of the shooting in that school) has voiced an objection to placing armed men in our schools that makes no sense to me.

On Saturday, Breitbart reported the following:

While speaking at the June 11 March for Our Lives rally, gun control proponent David Hogg suggested that putting more cops in schools may actually endanger students do not have white skin.

Hogg suggested that a common response to school shootings is to put more police in schools.

He then claimed, “Putting more cops in schools hasn’t worked.” He cited two examples to bolster his viewpoint: First he pointed to the armed officer who stood outside Parkland instead of entering, even as the attack was carried out. Then he made claims about the police response to Uvalde.

Hogg did not mention the numerous times armed resource officers have saved lives on campus.

For example, on December 13, 2013, an 18-year-old with a shotgun entered Denver-area Arapahoe High School and had to face the fact that an armed resource officer was coming for him. The Denver Post noted that the resource officer was a deputy sheriff who, hearing a gunshot, ran toward the gunman. As the resource officer closed in, the attacker took his own life, ending the attack.

The Arapahoe attack lasted 80 seconds. The Sandy Hook Elementary attack, where there was no armed resource officer, lasted over nine minutes. 

If there is someone in a school shooting children, I don’t think anyone cares what color that person is–he just needs to be stopped. There will never be a perfect solution to gun violence (because the problem lies in men–not guns). Until all people respect life and do not resort to violence, violence will be part of our society. Cain killed Abel with a rock. The problem was not the rock.

Now They Have Spies?!?!

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On Saturday, The Carolina Journal posted an article about a recent occurrence at a North Carolina restaurant.

The article reports:

A reservation at a Raleigh restaurant for a group of women and men celebrating the end of the school year was canceled after the restaurant found out some of those attending were associated with the Wake County group Moms for Liberty.

Kari Donovan, a member and spokesperson for the Wake County Chapter of Moms for Liberty, told Carolina Journal in a phone interview that Julie Page, chair of the local chapter, made the reservation at Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing as a happy hour for moms she knew to celebrate the end of the school year.

She posted the invitation Tuesday on the group’s Facebook page without mentioning the location. Donovan said attendees needed to send an inquiry to find out where it would take place on Friday. Page sent the invite to members of the group directly.

In total, 30 people responded, including men, some women who were not affiliated with the Moms for Liberty group, and the rest who were members. Unbeknownst to Page, one of those members went by an assumed name. The imposter is actually a Durham woman named Katherine Johnson, who recently started a progressive far-left group and is raising money through social media for a “Summer of Rage for the Triangle area of North Carolina.”

In a Tik-Tok video, Johnson took credit for complaining to the restaurant about the attendees’ association with Moms for Liberty. In another video, Johnson addresses Page directly.

“Stay vigilant big girl because we are coming for you,” Johnson said in the video. Donovan said Johnson was removed from the group.

Good grief! How in the world is a “Summer of Rage” helpful to anyone? Unfortunately, this is only one example of the targeting of parents who are trying to improve their children’s schools and get unnecessary garbage removed from the curriculum. Ms. Johnson might be better served by putting her efforts into improving North Carolina’s schools rather than preventing mothers from celebrating the end of the school year.

In 2018, The Triangle Business Journal reported:

North Carolina’s public education system falls short of the state’s prestigious university reputations, says WalletHub. The Tar Heel State’s K-12 public school systems and overall education level are below average compared to the nation, despite having some of the most renowned universities in the country.  

North Carolina was rated to have the 32nd best K-12 public school system in the nation, based on quality and safety. The quality rating was based on metrics including high school graduation rate, math and reading scores, median SAT and ACT scores, and the pupil-teacher ratio.  

Stopping mothers from celebrating or planning a “Summer of Rage” does nothing to address this situation.

 

Our Culture Has Fallen, Our Country May Be Next

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There are a lot of signs of a dying republic–high taxes, corruption in high places, lack or basic morality, the end of the middle class, etc. Unfortunately, America currently exhibits all of them. The one I am most concerned about presently is the total cultural rot that has accelerated in America since the mid-1960’s.

On Friday, The Washington Times reported the following:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday she’ll appear on an episode of a popular drag queen show.

Mrs. Pelosi, a California Democrat who represents San Francisco, will make “a special Pride Month appearance” on episode five of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7,” aides said Friday.   

The show is described as “a group of talented drag queens who compete in challenges to impress host RuPaul, the world’s most famous drag queen, to win a cash prize along with a crown and the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar.”

The article concludes:

So-called family-friendly drag performances have popped up across the country, including in Dallas, Texas; Palm Beach, Florida; and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington to commemorate Pride Month. 

The acts have drawn outrage from critics who say the performances appear sexual and should not be viewed by children. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said his state’s child endangerment laws could be invoked if there are drag shows for children, although he did not comment specifically on the Palm Beach event.

Mr. DeSantis slammed the Dallas “Drag your kids to pride” event, which took place earlier this month at an adult venue decorated with neon signs laced with sexual innuendo. Video went viral of drag queens dancing with the children and taking money from them.

“That is not something children should be exposed to,” Mr. DeSantis said Thursday. 

Drag entertainment is something that is going to happen, and some people are going to go to it. I understand that. However, I expect more from our so-called political leaders.

Looking Past The Spin

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It’s always interesting to listen to enough mainstream media to find out what the catch phrase of the day is. When Dick Cheney was appointed as George W. Bush’s Vice-President, the phrase was ‘gravitas.’ I can’t prove that the mainstream media has an online meeting early every morning to plan the news for the day, but I can say that it sure looks that way. Even Wikipedia has an entry for Operation Mockingbird.

Two of the current phrases of the day are ‘Putin’s tax on food and gas’ and ‘Putin’s inflation.’ I am not sure the American public actually believes either one.

On Friday, The Western Journal noted the following:

President Joe Biden is continuing to blame inflation on Russian President Vladimir Putin more than three months into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During an event on Friday, Biden addressed the latest inflation report as he said, “I understand Americans are anxious. And they’re anxious for good reason.”

“I was raised in a household when the price of gasoline rose precipitously it was the discussion at the table. It made a difference,” he continued.

Finally, Biden said, “We’ve never seen anything like Putin’s tax on both food and gas.”

Actually, inflation arrived before Putin invaded Ukraine, but that is what you call an inconvenient truth.

The article notes:

From the outset of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Biden officials have blamed the “Putin price hike” for the spikes Americans were seeing in gas and food prices — even though inflation had hit a 40-year-high in the months leading up to the invasion.

Biden’s comments come after the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that inflation accelerated in May.

The consumer price index rose 8.6% in May compared to the same month last year, marking the fastest pace of price increases since Dec. 1981.

It’s much easier to blame Putin than to take responsibility for the runaway government spending that has occurred since President Biden took office. Look for more catch phrases of the day as inflation continues.

This Sounds Good, But It Is A Mistake

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If a camel’s nose gets under the tent, the rest of the camel will soon follow. That is actually a good warning. It’s a shame our Republican legislators in Washington have either not heard it or choose to ignore it. They are also choosing to ignore the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which states that ‘the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’

On Sunday, NewsMax reported the following:

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including enough Republicans to overcome the chamber’s “filibuster” rule, on Sunday announced an agreement on a framework for potential gun safety legislation.

The bill included support for state “red flag” laws, tougher background checks for firearms buyers under 21 and a crackdown on a practice called “straw purchases” but not other limits Democrats and President Joe Biden had advocated such as raising the age for buying semiautomatic rifles to 21 or new limits on assault-style rifles.

Ten Republicans signaled their support for the preliminary deal, indicating the measure potentially could advance to a vote on passage and overcome roadblocks by other Republicans who oppose most gun control measures.

The talks that led to the framework followed a series of high-profile mass shootings in the United States, including one at a school in Uvalde, Texas, last month that killed 19 young children and one also in May in a Buffalo, New York, supermarket that killed 10 Black victims.

What the Senators do not seem to realize is that people who are intent on breaking the law (murder is, after all, against the law), do not follow gun laws. All that will happen as a result of this bill (assuming it will be passed) is that it will be more difficult for law-abiding citizens to get guns. That is the scenario the Second Amendment was passed to prevent. Red flag laws are unconstitutional because they do not allow for due process. They are also very easily abused. This is a bad bill.

The article continues:

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, issued a statement calling the plan “a good first step” and one that would “limit the ability of potential mass shooters to quickly obtain assault rifles by establishing an enhanced background check process for gun purchasers under age 21.”

Schumer said that he wanted to move a bill quickly to a Senate vote once legislative details are worked out.

The United States has the highest rate of firearms deaths among the world’s wealthy nations. But it is a country where many cherish gun rights and its Constitution’s Second Amendment protects the right to “keep and bear arms.”

According to a Politifact post of March 20, 2018:

The main study of intentional homicides is performed by the United Nations’ Office of Drug Control. The UN warns against cross-national comparisons because of the differences in legal definitions of intentional homicides and recording practices.

Our count of the UN’s data placed the United States ninth in intentional homicides. We used the most up-to-date count for each country and territory, which included data anywhere from 2007 to 2015.

As the country with the third-highest population size, however, experts told us the number of people killed is not a very useful metric.

Controlling for population size, most criminologists use the per 100,000 metric. By that standard, we found the United States ranked 94th.

When we counted only the countries for which the UN had 2015 data, the United States ranked 73rd. That’s still far from the top ten.

Lied to again.

 

Life In America Is Getting More Expensive

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On Friday, The Daily Caller posted an article about the impact of inflation on household budgets.

The article reports:

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached its highest rate in over 40 years in May, adding more strain on U.S. household budgets.

American families watched as consumer prices for necessities like groceries, oil and gas, and transportation rose 8.6% in the last year, according to the Friday U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report.

The CPI, which measures the change in price for products paid for by U.S. consumers, increased a startling 1% in May after only rising 0.3% in April, the BLS report shows.

The skyrocketing rates affect all areas of American life, but shelter, gasoline, and food saw the highest price increases.

The article concludes:

Records show food prices rose 1.2% in May, an increase from the .9% rise in April. The food at home index climbed for the fifth consecutive month, increasing 1.4% in May. The price for American families to eat at home has risen 11.9% over the past 12 months, making it the largest 12-month increase since April 1979, reported BLS.

“All six major grocery store food group indexes increased over the [last 12-months], with five of the six rising more than 10 percent. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs increased the most, rising 14.2 percent, with the index for eggs increasing 32.2 percent,” the BLS report stated.

Fruits and vegetables rose 8.2%, with other food at home rising 12.6%.

Transportation costs, like new and used cars, and airline fares, also rose. The price of new vehicles rose 1% in May and 12.6% over the past 12-month. The used car index increased 1.8% in May and 16.1% over the past year. Airline fares rose 12.6% in May alone, after increasing 18.6% in April, statistics show.

There are a lot of reasons for this increase in inflation. There is also a belief in some circles that it is by design–inflation makes the national debt easier to pay off. Unfortunately, if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, the interest on the debt increases dramatically. Basically, excessive government spending is a major source of inflation. The dramatic increase in fuel prices has a trickle-down impact on inflation and is also contributing to the problem. Both of these things are correctable if we had an administration that wanted to correct them.

What Are They Thinking?

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On Friday, American Greatness reported the following:

On Wednesday, he Department of Defense (DOD) announced recently that it had updated its guidelines regarding the recruitment of potentially HIV-positive individuals, now opening the door to letting people with the deadly disease serve in the military.

As reported by the Daily Caller, the DOD said that any members who test positive for the virus may continue to serve so long as they do not display any clear symptoms, according to a department memo that was recently made public.

“Individuals who have been identified as HIV-positive, are asymptomatic, and who have a clinically confirmed undetectable viral load…will have no restrictions applied to their deployability or to their ability to commission while a service member solely on the basis of their HIV-positive status,” the memo reads in part. “Nor will such individuals be discharged or separated solely on the basis of their HIV-positive status.”

Meanwhile, the military continues to discharge anyone who refuses to take a vaccine for the Coronavirus, a restriction first announced in September of last year that the Pentagon began enforcing in January. Despite numerous requests for religious and medical exemptions, nearly all exemptions were denied, and the vast majority of those who refuse to submit to the mandate have been discharged. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the Biden Administration’s military vaccine policy in March, even as it struck down other vaccine-related restrictions across the country.

So which is more dangerous in the close quarters sometimes involved in military deployments–HIV or and unvaccinated person? Since many of the unvaccinated have had the virus and have antibodies, how does this decision make sense?

The article concludes:

The Pentagon further claimed that recent advancements in the medical and scientific field have allowed HIV-positive members to serve, and thus believes that the new guidelines are justified.

“In view of significant advances in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV),” the June 6th memo continued, “it is necessary to update DOD policy with respect to individuals who have been identified as HIV-positive.”

To put it politely, “I call shenanigans!”

We Remember…

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June 12th, 1987, was the day that President Reagan gave his famous ‘tear down that wall’ speech. His speechwriters took the phrase out of the speech more than once, fearing that it was too provocative, but President Reagan kept putting the phrase back in.

The Patriot’s Almanac posted the following today:

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood before the Berlin Wall, symbol of a totalitarian empire that robbed millions of basic human dignity and freedom, and delivered one of the great speeches of the twentieth century. More than a quarter century earlier, Soviet-backed East Germany had built the wall to keep its people from escaping Communist rule. Reagan, who knew his words would be heard on the east side of the wall, spoke directly to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. . . . Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German, separated from his fellow men. Every man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a scar. . . .[I]n the West today, we see a free world that has achieved a level of prosperity and well-being unprecedented in all human history. In the Communist world, we see failure, technological backwardness, declining standards of health. . . . [T]here stands before the entire world one great and inescapable conclusion: Freedom leads to prosperity. Freedom replaces the ancient hatreds among the nations with comity and peace. Freedom is the victor. . . .General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr.  Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Less than three years later, the Berlin Wall came down. The Soviet Union and its puppet states crumbled as the Cold War came to an end. The United States, by standing firm for democracy and human rights, helped free millions from tyranny.

There are a few lessons we can learn from that speech. President Reagan was not afraid to speak the truth to the enemies of America. President Reagan understood that what he was saying was controversial but would give hope to those trapped behind the wall. America did not go to war to tear down that wall–we simply stood strong in our beliefs and did what we could to encourage those behind the wall. We need that kind of wisdom and courage in our leaders today.

 

 

Those Who Fail To Learn The Lessons Of History…

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The North Carolina legislature is currently debating the legalization of medical marijuana. There are some medical benefits to marijuana, but we also need to consider the downside. There are some medical benefits to Oxycontin, but we know how that worked out. Remember, we were told that Oxycontin was the answer to pain that was non-addictive and safe. We are being told the same thing about marijuana. One problem with medical marijuana is the regulation (or lack of regulation). During a visit to California many years ago, when medical marijuana was legal and recreational marijuana was not, the last five pages of the Sunday paper were ads by doctors who would prescribe medical marijuana for anything from ingrown toenails to broken bones. We should also be aware that laws permitting recreational marijuana use are a small step from laws permitting medical use.

A member of the Craven County Sheriff’s office informed me that a recent event in the County brought the perils of legal marijuana to the attention of our Sheriff’s Office. A package was intercepted in the Craven County mail that contained marijuana. The package came from Josephine County, Oregon, where recreational marijuana is legal. Josephine County in 2021 had a population of approximately 88,000 people.

A website called crimegrade.org reported the following about Josephine County:

Another site comments that the crime rate in Josephine County is steadily rising. So, what has been the impact of legalized marijuana on this county? The cartels have come in to buy the land to grow more marijuana. Sixty-six percent of the land is forest, and that land is being viewed as a potential source of revenue as marijuana fields. People are being forced to sell their land to the cartels or face dire consequences. There has also been an increase in arrests for driving while impaired and an increase in automobile accidents. I have heard from various law and order sources that marijuana is indeed a gateway drug. Addicts begin experimenting with other drugs in order to find a ‘higher high.’

A member of the K-9 Unit in Craven County shared some information about the impact of legalizing marijuana on the unit’s drug dogs. If marijuana becomes legal, the dogs have to be retrained not to sniff it out and/or be retired. That is expensive, time-consuming, and a difficult process. It could also have legal ramifications–a defense attorney could claim that the dog smelled marijuana, not an opiate, and the search of the vehicle or person that followed was not legal. The result of this is that police departments and sheriff’s offices that have dogs trained to sniff out marijuana are generally retiring the dogs. Since the cost of replacing a dog is between $9,000 and $15,000 per dog, they are rarely replaced. That alone will increase the amount of drug traffic in an area. It is also highly unlikely that the increased tax money from marijuana will be used to replace the dogs (as we have learned from the other states with the same issues that legalizing marijuana has caused).

When we talk about legalizing marijuana, we also need to think about the people we are ‘competing’ with for the money involved–the cartels. In California and Colorado, the state taxes on marijuana increased so rapidly that the cartels moved back into the picture. In June 2020 I posted an article at rightwinggranny about the cartels moving back into California because the state taxes on marijuana had increased so dramatically (article here:  https://www.rightwinggranny.com/?p=39161). The cartels are not nice people. They bring more crime into an area. We also need to think about the risks to police when cartels are active in an area. Consider the fact that a small amount of drugs may be worth thousands of dollars. The mule carrying those drugs knows that if he does not give the money for those drugs to his boss, he may lose his life. The stakes are high, and police and others lose their lives in the process. This is one of the more serious results of legal marijuana and the tax policies that follow.

Medical marijuana sounds like a reasonable solution, but it is actually the beginning of many more problems.

What An Incredible Coincidence

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On Thursday, The Epoch Times reported that Ryan Kelley, who is leading in the Republican primary for Governor of Michigan, was arrested on June 9th for his participation in the events of January 6th.

The article reports:

A criminal complaint by federal prosecutors noted that Kelley didn’t actually enter the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Instead, he is being charged with entering and remaining within a “restricted building or grounds without lawful authority,” disorderly conduct in a restricted building or grounds, knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence against a person or property on restricted grounds, and willfully injuring or committing any depredation against any property of the U.S.

The article concludes:

The arrest comes at a conspicuous time. The controversial Democrat-led House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol incident is slated to hold a public hearing on Thursday evening that many corporate news outlets will likely broadcast.

Despite the planned House hearing, fewer and fewer Americans seem to care, according to an aggregate of polls from FiveThirtyEight, and a poll from NBC News, released this week, found that less than half of surveyed people believe former President Donald Trump bore the sole responsibility for the Jan. 6 breach.

Meanwhile, a Michigan poll conducted in May suggested that Kelley—a real estate agent—was leading the Republican primary race with 19 percent, followed by Kevin Rinke with 15 percent, Tudor Dixon with 9 percent, Garrett Soldano with 6 percent, and Ralph Rebandt with 1 percent.

What an amazing coincidence.

Some Takeaways From Thursday Night’s Hearing

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Carefully edited quotes and voice-overs over video that was not related were the order of the day.

After the hearing ended on Thursday, NewsMax posted the following:

Here is a contemporary report on Trump’s condemning the attack on the Capitol published by Newsmax on Jan. 6, which was headlined “Trump Urges Peace, Protesters to ‘Go Home'”:

“‘I know your pain. I know you’re hurt,’ Trump said to begin a 62-second video on Twitter from what appeared to be the Rose Garden at the White House. ‘We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election … But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt.’

“Twitter has since taken down the video and locked Trump’s account for 12 hours.

“The video, which Twitter first slapped with a warning that it could not be retweeted or liked due to a ‘risk of violence,’ followed about an hour after Trump posted a similar message.

“‘Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement,’ the first of two posts read. ‘They are truly on the side of our country. Stay peaceful!’

“Trump added: ‘I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the party of law & order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!'”

Twitter made sure that President Trump’s message of peace did not get out. When President Trump’s remarks at his rally were quoted, the committee somehow omitted the sentence “I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.”

President Trump’s statement that those attending the rally were good people was superimposed over the rioters to give the impression that he supported the riots. It’s interesting that the committee chose to do that after Democrats bailed out some of the more destructive rioters from the summer of 2020. It seems to me that posting bail for rioters might actually be supporting their actions.

It is amazing to me that members of the news media, who are paying the same prices at the gas pump and the supermarket as the rest of us, are working so hard to keep President Trump from regaining the Presidency. I guess they know that he is on to them and will find ways to go around them. The crooks in Washington are afraid he will expose their crimes and hold them accountable. It’s not a good situation.

Things To Consider

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If you watch the well-produced televised January 6th hearings, there are a few things that you should keep in mind. I am writing this Thursday afternoon, so I have no idea what we are in for. However, there are a few facts that I doubt will be mentioned in the hearings.

On Wednesday, Just the News reported that the Pentagon had requested National Guard troops for Washington before the January 6th riots. These requests were turned down by the Capitol Police and the Democrats. So who wanted things to get out of hand on January 6th?

The article reports:

An official timeline of the Jan. 6 tragedy assembled by Capitol Police shows that a Defense Department official reached out to a Capitol Police deputy chief, Sean Gallagher, on Jan. 2, 2021 to see if a request for troops was forthcoming, but the offer was quickly rejected after a consultation with then-Chief Steve Sund.

“Carol Corbin (DOD) texts USCP Deputy Chief Sean Gallagher, Protective Service Bureau, to determine whether USCP is considering a request for National Guard soldiers for January 6, 2021 event,” the timeline reads in the lone entry listed for Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021.

The following morning, the timeline states, “Gallagher replies to DOD via text that a request for National Guard support not forthcoming at this time after consultation with COP Sund.”

The assessment of what the Trump rally would be changed as the event drew closer:

“Due to the tense political environment following the 2020 election, the threat of disruptive actions or violence cannot be ruled out,” the new assessment declared. “Supporters of the current president see January 6, 2021 as the last opportunity to overturn the results of the presidential election. This sense of desperation and disappointment may lead to more of an incentive to become violent.”

Within 24 hours, Sund had changed his mind and began seeking permission from the political powers surrounding House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to deploy the National Guard as a preventive measure on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.

The Capitol Police official timeline provides the most succinct summary of a series of events around Sund’s request, some of which have been disputed and at times misreported in the news media.

“COP Sund asks Senate Sergeant at Arms (SSAA) Michael Stenger and House Sergeant at Arms (HSAA) Paul Irving for authority to have National Guard to assist with security for the January 6, 2021 event based on briefing with law enforcement partner and revised intelligence Assessment,” the timeline recorded. “COP Sund’s request is denied. SSAA and HSAA tell COP Sund to contact General Walker at DC National Guard to discuss the guard’s ability to support a request if needed.”

The article notes:

“We went to the Capitol Police and the Secret Service and law enforcement agencies and Mayor Bowser days before January 6, and asked them, ‘Do you want thousands of National Guardsmen and women for January 6?'” Patel (Kash Patel) said in a detailed interview earlier this year. “They all said no. Why did we do that? The law requires them to request it before we can deploy them. And the DOD IG found we did not delay, we actually prepared in a preemptive fashion, which is what we do at DOD.”

Please follow the link to read the entire article. January 6th was a planned attack, but not by the people currently being blamed for it.

The Violence Of The Political Left

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On Tuesday, The New York Post reported:

An anti-abortion Buffalo pregnancy center was allegedly “firebombed” overnight.

Police in Amherst, NY, confirmed an investigation is under way after a fire broke out at the CompassCare Community medical facility.

CompassCare leaders are blaming a pro-choice group for firebombing the office and said graffiti was scrawled on a wall that stated, “Jane Was Here.”

“Graffiti on the building left by the arsonists refers to the abortion terrorist group Jane’s Revenge,” the organization said in a Facebook post.

CompassCare said Jane’s Revenge is responsible for another fire that occurred at an anti-abortion facility in Wisconsin last month.

Windows in the reception room and nurses’ office at the Buffalo location were broken, and fires were lit, CompassCare said. Photos were posted online of the damage.

Let’s think about this for a minute. This facility provided care and assistance to pregnant women. I am sure they provided formula, baby equipment, diapers, etc. At least one of our local pregnancy centers provides financial help for single mothers and other pregnant women in need. This center was serving the needs of women. They were empowering and encouraging women to go on with their lives despite an unplanned pregnancy. You would think that the feminist movement would be on board with that–they would like the idea of helping women in need.

Looking For An Incident?

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On Wednesday, PJ Media reported that on Wednesday afternoon the FBI arrested Nicholas John Roske near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

The article reports:

The list of weapons and gear the suspect had on his person reads like something out of a horror movie. Roske, who told police that he planned to assassinate Kavanaugh, was arrested with a suitcase containing “a black tactical chest rig and tactical knife, a Glock 17 pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch, crow bar, pistol light, duct tape, hiking boots with padding on the outside of the soles, and other items,” according to the FBI.

…The suspect, who said he found the address of Kavanaugh’s home on the internet (that’s on YOU, left-wing whack jobs), told Montgomery County Police he was upset about the leaked draft opinion of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which could potentially overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, and also the recent school shooting in Uvalde. He admitted to targeting Kavanaugh because he believed the justice would “side with Second Amendment decisions that would loosen gun control laws.” He said he planned to kill Kavanaugh and then commit suicide to give his life purpose.

On Wednesday, Breitbart reported:

The Justice Department appears to still be allowing protesters to gather outside of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home even after police arrested a man who allegedly intended to assassinate him.

Video on Wednesday showed protesters marching in front of the justice’s home shouting pro-abortion slogans. The protesters also made their way over to Chief Justice John Roberts’ home as well.

I realize that protesting is legal, but once there is an actual murder attempt, shouldn’t it be curtailed. Aren’t there buffer zones around abortion clinics? Shouldn’t there be ‘protection zones’ around the houses of Justices who have been threatened?

Breitbart also reported on Wednesday:

The Justice Department appears to still be allowing protesters to gather outside of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s home even after police arrested a man who allegedly intended to assassinate him.

Video on Wednesday showed protesters marching in front of the justice’s home shouting pro-abortion slogans. The protesters also made their way over to Chief Justice John Roberts’ home as well.

Despite McCarthy’s request, Speaker Pelosi and the Democrats failed to comply with McCarthy’s proposal to bring the bill to vote.

UPDATE:

Yahoo news reported on Thursday:

The House will vote next week on legislation to expand security for the families and staff of the Supreme Court justices, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday. The Senate approved the legislation unanimously last month,

Stay tuned.

Holding Social Media Accountable

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On Wednesday, The Western Journal posted an article about Kyle Rittenhouse. The article might cause some news outlets and social media platforms to lose more than a little sleep.

The article reports:

During an appearance Monday on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Kyle Rittenhouse and his attorney, Todd McMurty, had a message to send to the many establishment media hucksters who smeared his name.

“We are going to make the media pay for what they did to me,” the 19-year-old Rittenhouse told Carlson.

It won’t just be members of the media who will pay, however. According to both Rittenhouse and McMurty, the legal team will be zeroing in on some Big Tech platforms, starting with Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook.

…Prior to and during the trial — before a verdict had even been reached — numerous media personalities forwarded unfounded claims about Rittenhouse, including that he was a murderer and a white supremacist.

“They made it hard for me to live a normal life. I can’t go out into public. I can’t go to the store. It’s hard for me to go anywhere without security. Doing basic things like taking my dog to the dog park is difficult,” Rittenhouse told Carlson.

“They made it really difficult to be normal, and they affected future job opportunities to me. I don’t think I will ever be able to work or get a job because I’m afraid an employer may not hire me.”

McMurty then chimed in, making it clear that several defamation lawsuits were on the way, specifically targeting those in the media and on social media who called Rittenhouse a “murderer” and a “white supremacist.”

While I don’t necessarily agree with the fact that Kyle Rittenhouse was out on the street the night of the riots, I do believe he has the right to defend himself. I have no doubt that had he not shot his attackers, he would not be alive to tell his story. Unfortunately, his actions that night and the reporting of the incident will follow him for the rest of his life.

Please follow the link to the article to get a picture of the articles that have resulted in this lawsuit. I wish Kyle luck in his lawsuit and hope he will use the money he wins to continue his education as he had originally planned.

Somehow Those Who Want All Of Us To Drive Electric Cars Don’t Mention This Part Of The Story

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On June 3rd, The Wall Street Journal posted an article by Rachel Wolfe about a drive from New Orleans to Chicago and back in an electric car.

The article reports:

I thought it would be fun.

That’s what I told my friend Mack when I asked her to drive with me from New Orleans to Chicago and back in an electric car.

I’d made long road trips before, surviving popped tires, blown headlights and shredded wheel-well liners in my 2008 Volkswagen Jetta. I figured driving the brand-new Kia EV6 I’d rented would be a piece of cake.

If, that is, the public-charging infrastructure cooperated. We wouldn’t be the first to test it. Sales of pure and hybrid plug-ins doubled in the U.S. last year to 656,866—over 4% of the total market, according to database EV-volumes. More than half of car buyers say they want their next car to be an EV, according to recent Ernst & Young Global Ltd. data.

Oh—and we aimed to make the 2,000-mile trip in just under four days so Mack could make her Thursday-afternoon shift as a restaurant server.

The article continues with an account of the planning that went into this trip:

Given our battery range of up to 310 miles, I plotted a meticulous route, splitting our days into four chunks of roughly 7½-hours each. We’d need to charge once or twice each day and plug in near our hotel overnight.

The PlugShare app—a user-generated map of public chargers—showed thousands of charging options between New Orleans and Chicago. But most were classified as Level 2, requiring around 8 hours for a full charge.

Please follow the link to read the entire article. We are being sold a bill of goods on electric cars. Has anyone considered the load on the electric grid if everyone actually bought an electric car? There is already talk of rolling brownouts this summer because the electric grid is overloaded in some places. What impact will thousands of electric cars have on an already overloaded power grid?

The article concludes:

At our hotel, we decide 4 hours of sleep is better than none, and set our alarms for 4 a.m.

We figure 11 hours should be plenty for a trip that would normally take half as long. That is, if absolutely everything goes right.

Miraculously, it does. At the McDonald’s where we stop for our first charge at 6 a.m., the charger zaps to life. The body shop and parts department director at Rogers-Dabbs Chevrolet in Brandon, Miss., comes out to unlock the charger for us with a keycard at 10 a.m. We’re thrilled we waited for business hours, realizing we can only charge while he’s there.

We pull into New Orleans 30 minutes before Mack’s shift starts—exhausted and grumpy.

The following week, I fill up my Jetta at a local Shell station. Gas is up to $4.08 a gallon.

I inhale deeply. Fumes never smelled so sweet.

Be careful what you wish for.

The Wheels Of Justice Turn Slowly

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On Tuesday, The Gateway Pundit reported the following:

A former Democrat congressman pleaded guilty in a ballot stuffing case this week.

Michael J. “Ozzie” Myers, an “old school” Philly Democrat pleaded guilty Monday to violations of election law, conspiracy, bribery and obstruction.

The federal government said ballots were stuffed in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 primary elections and Myers was the the mastermind behind that ballot stuffing scheme.

The article concludes:

Prosecutors said Myers, 79, admitted he bribed a judge of elections to add votes for his chosen candidates, including clients who were running for judicial offices. The bribes were hundreds or thousands of dollars.

He also conspired with another elections judge to tell voters on election days which candidates they should vote for, candidates that Myers had selected, and the now former judge cast fraudulent votes for people who did not appear at the polls.

Obviously, the charges do not include 2020, but I suspect we will see some similar charges brought against people who engaged in the same sort of behavior in 2020. If you have not yet seen the movie “2,000 Mules,” I strongly recommend it. There is evidence of major voter fraud in the 2020 election, and the people who initiated and participated in that fraud need to be charged with the appropriate crimes.

What Constitution?

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In the not so distant past, even when Democrats and Republicans disagreed, both parties attempted to follow the guidelines of the U.S. Constitution. It seem as though that has changed in recent years. Alan Dershowitz is a well-known Democrat who has been called out by his party more than once for his apolitical support of the U.S. Constitution. On Tuesday, he posted an article at The Epoch Times about the arrest of Peter Navarro.

The article notes:

The indictment of Peter Navarro for contempt of Congress violates several provisions of the Constitution and should be dismissed. Navarro has a strong claim of executive privilege that should be decided by the courts before any indictment can lawfully issue.

Either the Justice Department or Congress should seek a judicial ruling that Navarro’s claim of executive privilege is invalid. If the court rules that it is invalid and orders him to respond to the congressional subpoena, Navarro should have an opportunity to comply. If he fails to comply with a judicial order, he can either be indicted or held in contempt by the court. But absent a judicial order, he cannot lawfully be indicted for invoking executive privilege and refusing to reveal arguably privileged material just because a committee of Congress, controlled by Democrats, has voted that he should. It is not enough to allow him to appeal after the fact, because information, once revealed, cannot be erased. He is obliged to claim privilege now and refuse to respond. That is not a crime. It is the constitutionally correct action.

Navarro’s indictment violates several key constitutional rights, including due process, fair warning and executive privilege. It also violates the separation of powers, under which the courts have the authority to resolve conflicts between the legislative and executive branches over claims of executive privilege in response to legislative subpoenas. Due process and fair warning require that these issues first be resolved by the courts before an indictment can be issued.

Please follow the link to the article for further details.

The bottom line here is simple. The Democrats need something to run on in the mid-term elections. They have chosen January 6th, stating that the events of that day were a threat to our Democracy. First of all, we are a representative republic–not a Democracy. Second of all, the protesters were not armed. If you are going to have an insurrection, you should probably carry a weapon. Two women died that day at the hands of the Capitol police–one shot and one gassed and beaten to death (article here). I don’t think the protesters were the problem.

Another Attack On The Middle Class

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The Biden administration seems determined to wipe out the middle class in America. This may or not be on purpose, but it is definitely the result of their policies. Telling people who make $50,000 a year or less to go buy an electric car because gas is expensive is not a smart energy policy. Shutting down drilling and pipelines in America can only increase the price of gas and end our energy independence. The Biden administration energy policies are a tax on everyone and a true burden on the middle class. In an effort to improve things (or make things worse, depending on your point of view), the Biden administration has now raised the mandatory amount of biofuel, specifically ethanol, that must be blended within the U.S. gasoline supply. The 10 percent summer blend has now been raised to a year-round 15 percent.

On Monday, The Conservative Treehouse posted an article detailing some of the problems with this change. It should be noted that gas stations in areas with large boating populations sell gasoline without any ethanol. There is a reason for that–ethanol in gasoline destroys boat engines.

The article notes three issues with adding the additional ethanol:

♦ First issue. – The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is a government mandate, passed in 2005 and expanded in 2007, that requires growing volumes of biofuels to be blended into U.S. transportation fuels like gasoline and diesel every year.  Approximately 40 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is used for ethanol.  Raising the amount of ethanol required in gasoline will result in the need for more biofuel (corn).  With farming costs and outputs already under pressure this could be problematic.

♦ Second issue – The EPA enforces the biofuel standard by requiring refineries to submit purchase credits (known as Renewable Identification Numbers, or RINs) to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proving the purchases.  This enforcement requirement sets up a system where the RIN credits are bought and sold by small refineries who do not have the infrastructure to do the blending process.  They purchase second-hand RIN credits from parties that blended or imported biofuels directly. This sets up a secondary income stream, a trading market for the larger oil companies, refineries and importers.

♦ Third Issue – “Ethanol is a valuable source of octane in finished gasoline, but it is chemically different than petroleum gasoline and cannot be used in concentrations above 10 percent in small engines — like outboard boat motors, motorcycles, lawnmowers, generators or chain saws — or in any cars made before 2001. Complicating matters further, most cars on the road today still aren’t warrantied to run on gasoline with more than 10 percent ethanol. Retail stations also must have compatible infrastructure in order to sell gasoline with higher ethanol blends.”  This issue is known within the industry as “The Blend Wall.”

Please follow the link to the article for further details. This is not a good move for America’s middle class.

Priorities, People

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On Tuesday, NewsMax posted an article about the Congressional hearings concerning January 6th that will begin on Thursday night. This will be a dog and pony show the likes of which we have not seen for a long time.

The article reports:

Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla., blasted the Jan. 6 House panel for hiring a network executive to produce its prime-time hearing set for Thursday night.

Axios reported Monday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s partisan select committee — comprised of Democrats and two anti-Trump Republicans — had employed former ABC News President James Goldston to produce the prime-time hearing.

“Instead of focusing on $5 gas, 6000 illegal immigrants a day, record fentanyl deaths, or the violent criminals terrorizing America democrats use taxpayer money on a TV producer for the prime time political infomercial from the Jan 6th circus,” Rubio tweeted Monday morning.

…Rubio earlier this year ripped into liberals’ “ridiculous and shameless hypocrisy” for their outrage over the Capitol attack while they “downplayed” riots across the U.S. in 2020.

“Get ready to witness the shameless hypocrisy of the far left politicians & liberal activists masquerading as journalists who downplayed & excused riots & looting during the summer of 2020,” Rubio tweeted with a video on the one-year anniversary of the attack.

Rubio previously broke with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who described the Jan. 6, 2021, events as a “violent insurrection.”

It’s really hard to describe something as a violent insurrection when the only people who had guns were the police. There were two protesters killed by the police. Contrast that with the fact that during the summer of 2020, protesters weren’t killed–innocent civilians were. Yet, Congress is focusing on January 6th.

The article notes:

“There was no way they were going to overthrow the government of the United States,” Rubio told NewsNation in early February.

“I​​t was a riot. It was a dangerous riot. It was a violent one. It should have never happened, and it should never happen again. But I also do not think people should be misled to think this somehow was on the verge of overthrowing the government.”

The House select committee has employed Goldston partly because it wants the prime-time hearing to draw the attention of Americans who haven’t followed its probe in hopes that the Jan. 6 events resonate in voters’ minds as the November midterm elections approach.

As has been said by people smarter than I, the sole purpose of this production on Thursday night is to try to prevent President Trump from becoming President again. The fear is that now that he has some idea whom he can trust, he might actually be able to begin to drain the swamp that Washington has become.

Fantastic News For Cancer Patients

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On Sunday, The Daily Wire posted an article about a new treatment for cancer that is showing amazing success.

The article reports:

A paper published on Sunday at The New England Journal of Medicine outlined a study of 18 rectal cancer patients who were given dostarlimab every three weeks for six months and ended up cancer-free, including the first patient who is now two years out from the trial.

…“We initiated a prospective phase 2 study in which single-agent dostarlimab, an anti–PD-1 monoclonal antibody, was administered every 3 weeks for 6 months in patients with mismatch repair–deficient stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma,” the study said. “This treatment was to be followed by standard chemoradiotherapy and surgery.”

Those who took the drug, which “unmasks cancer cells, allowing the immune system to identify and destroy them,” according to the Times, did not have to move on to further cancer treatments.

All the patients “had a clinical complete response, with no evidence of tumor on magnetic resonance imaging,” the paper explained. “At the time of this report, no patients had received chemoradiotherapy or undergone surgery, and no cases of progression or recurrence had been reported during follow-up (range, 6 to 25 months). No adverse events of grade 3 or higher have been reported.”

The article concludes:

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Hanna K. Sanoff, MD, MPH, advised caution but said the findings were “very encouraging,” according to Science Daily.

“These initial findings of the remarkable benefit with the use of dostarlimab are very encouraging but also need to be viewed with caution until the results can be replicated in a larger and more diverse population,” Sanoff said.

“The responses in these first 12 of a planned-for 30 patients in the trial were remarkable and exceed what we would expect with the standard chemotherapy plus radiation,” she continued. “Although quality of life measures have not been reported yet, it’s encouraging that some of the most difficult symptoms, such as pain and bleeding, all resolved with the use of dostarlimab.”

This is wonderful news.

Coming To A Town Near You

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On Sunday, Hot Air posted an article about the unfolding disaster at America’s southern border.

The article reports:

The largest-ever migrant caravan is beginning its trek to the US-Mexico border. The estimated number of migrants in the caravan ranges from about 11,000 to 15,000. Most of them are women and children. The news of the caravan comes at a particularly awkward time for the Biden administration. Biden’s Summit of the Americas is supposed to begin Monday in Los Angeles.

The article quotes the organizer of the caravan:

“This is the largest mass human migration I have seen in at least the past 10 years,” said Luís Villagrán, an organizer of the caravan and director of the non-profit Center for Human Dignification.

The largest number of migrants in the caravan come from Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua – three countries whose authoritarian rulers Joe Biden has conspicuously refused to invite to the summit. But there are also Haitians, Salvadorans, Hondurans, Guatemalans and even citizens of India, Bangladesh, and several African countries.

Earlier this month, the Mexican National Migration Institute (INM), wrote to Villagrán, expressing sympathy for the caravan’s members and pledging to help the most vulnerable among them. The letter also acknowledges that the caravan is a result of the stunning tsunami of migration from nearly every country in the Americas to the United States in the past few years, attributing this migration to elevated rates of violence and economic instability in the continent.

The article concludes:

So, while leaders from Latin countries arrive in Los Angeles to discuss problems facing their countries and their relationship with each other, a massive caravan is beginning to walk the length of Mexico en route to the US border. The Biden administration originally stated that only “democratically-elected leaders” would be invited to the Summit. That would exclude Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This caused some heads of state like AMLO to threaten a boycott. This diplomatic crisis (everything is a crisis with this administration) continues right up to the start of the Summit. As I said above, there has still not been a list of participants released. You may remember that Jill Biden was sent to smooth ruffled feathers and encourage the leadership in some of the region to attend the Summit. Let’s just say she didn’t exactly score a victory in her mission. Will Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Honduras, and Guatemala, as well as others, go ahead and attend the Summit or will they make good on their threats of a boycott?

Biden’s border crisis continues to be a magnet to people around the world. We’ll see if the largest migrant caravan makes its way to the US border. Sometimes a caravan is reported to be organizing and then nothing much happens. We’ll soon know if this is one of those times or if thousands of migrants begin to walk the length of Mexico in hopes of being allowed into the United States.

Even if you don’t live in a border state, the arrival of this caravan will impact you. New York is hardly a border state, yet in recent weeks, the Biden administration has increased the number of flights from the Mexican border carrying illegal immigrants to New York (article here). A country without the will or ability to protect its borders will not remain a sovereign country for long.

A New Age Of Government Control

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I don’t think our Founding Fathers are turning over in their graves–I think they are spinning. On Monday, Townhall reported that President Biden is planning to use the Defense Production Act to force American companies to help transition to his green energy plans.

The article reports:

“President Biden today issued presidential determinations providing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with the authority to utilize the Defense Production Act (DPA) to accelerate domestic production of five key energy technologies: (1) solar; (2) transformers and electric grid components; (3) heat pumps; (4) insulation; and (5) electrolyzers, fuel cells, and platinum group metals,” the Department of Energy released in a statement Monday.

In a “fact sheet” released by the White House, Biden administration officials claim the move will spur domestic solar panel production and ramp up so-called “clean energy” projects.

At some point will someone please tell those in charge in the Biden administration (whoever they are) that the sun does not shine 24/7 and the wind does not blow 24/7. Green energy is useless unless it is backed up by a more reliable source of energy.

The article continues:

“Today, President Biden is taking action to: Authorize use of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to accelerate domestic production of clean energy technologies, including solar panel parts; Put the full power of federal procurement to work spurring additional domestic solar manufacturing capacity by directing the development of master supply agreements, including ‘super preference’ status,” the sheet states. “Create a 24-month bridge as domestic manufacturing rapidly scales up to ensure the reliable supply of components that U.S. solar deployers need to construct clean energy projects and an electric grid for the 21st century, while reinforcing the integrity of our trade laws and processes. “

The move echoes efforts made by the Obama administration to prop up solar energy. At the time, Biden was Vice President and the project was a complete failure. It also left American taxpayers on the hook.

Solyndra was the poster child for the government’s last wasteful venture into green energy. I am sure this venture will provide us with more examples of the reason the government should keep its hands off of the free market.