Things That Make My Head Hurt

John Hinderaker at Power Line posted a story today reporting that Vice-President-elect Mike Pence was booed last night as he entered a New York Theater to see the play “Hamilton.” It got worse.

The article reports:

The real outrage came at the end. As Pence got up to leave, one of the “Hamilton” cast members read a deeply offensive statement attacking the Trump administration on behalf of the play’s supposedly “diverse” cast. I doubt, of course, that the cast has any diversity at all. If it includes any conservative members, they remained silent. As the actor delivered his smug, superior attack on the incoming Trump administration, most of those in the audience applauded and cheered enthusiastically:

It used to be said that when a political party suffered a crushing electoral defeat, a period of introspection was appropriate. Don’t try to tell that to today’s Democrats. They have learned nothing, and, in their arrogant presumption, they have no interest in learning anything.

So let that sink in for a minute and consider the following. Scott Johnson posted an article on Power Line today about the likely choice to head the Democratic Party, Keith Ellison. The story reports:

Here is a man who was an active local leader of the racist and anti-Semitic cult known as the Nation of Islam until some time past his first attempt at political office as a Democrat, yet who has never acknowledged, accounted or apologized for his activities and expressed beliefs on behalf of the cult. Rather, as I recounted in the Weekly Standard article “Louis Farrakhan’s first congressman” (2006), Ellison has explained them away with lies and deceptions.

In her Jerusalem Post column “The Ellison challenge,” Caroline Glick builds on my research to elaborate on the meaning of Ellison’s rise for any decent Democrat with eyes to see. Joel Mowbray has more to the same effect in his Daily Caller column on Ellison.

Donald Trump does not have a history of discrimination. One of his Florida resorts was one of the first exclusive resorts in America to allow Jewish and black people, and he fought city hall (literally) to make that happen. He also hired the first woman to be the contractor at one of his New York skyscrapers. Kellyanne Conway is the first woman to be campaign manager for a major political party in a presidential race. Trump has met with Ben Carson to talk about ObamaCare changes.There is no reason for a rational person to believe that the Trump administration will discriminate against anyone. Donald Trump’s concerns about Muslim immigration are valid. Rational people understand that we want immigrants who want to assimilate–we do not want immigrants who do not want to assimilate. That is not discrimination–that is common sense. Keith Ellison has a history of discrimination, and he is being promoted to a position of leadership in the Democratic Party. The actors’ concerns are focused in the wrong place.

At any rate, the behavior of the actors in the New York theater last night is both unacceptable and ironic. When you consider that the play was about one of the Founding Fathers, it is ironic that they used that stage to harass a duly-elected official.

What Does The Democratic Party Represent?

Politicians don’t always tell the truth, so sometimes it is hard to figure out exactly what each party stands for. One way to begin to make educated guesses is to look at the party platform and the choices for leaders within the party. It is very telling that Representative Keith Ellison from Minnesota is being considered to lead the Democratic Party. Fox News posted an article yesterday about some of Representative Ellison’s background and associations.

The article reports:

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to Congress and a leading progressive among House Democrats, already has picked up the backing of both the Democratic Party’s left – with support from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren – and its establishment, receiving endorsements from Senate leaders Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and retiring Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Ellison is firmly on the party’s left – he has a fax line in his office, but his website says they will not respond to faxes “for environmental reasons.” He backed Bernie Sanders during the primaries, even introducing him at the convention.

“Bernie sparked the beginning of a revolution y’all,” Ellison said at his address during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. “Together we call for climate justice, racial justice, wage justice.”

Well, yeah, if that is the direction the Democrats choose to go.

In August 2011, Scott Johnson posted an article about Keith Ellison at Power Line Blog. Please follow the link to read the entire article, but here are a few highlights from Keith Ellison’s past:

Given the media’s disinclination to examine Ellison’s public record, or to get straight what little it has let come to the surface, we set out a Keith Ellison timeline and posted copies of some key articles as a companion to the Standard piece:

1987–Ellison enrolls in University of Minnesota Law School

1989–Ellison publishes the first of two articles in the University of Minnesota Daily under the alias “Keith Hakim.” In the first such article, Ellison speaks up for the Nation of Islam.

1990–Ellison participates in the sponsorship of the anti-Semitic speech by Kwame Ture given at the University of Minnesota Law School (“Zionism: Imperialism, White Supremacy or Both?”). Ellison rejects the appeal of Jewish law students to withdraw sponsorship of the lecture. Ellison graduates from University of Minnesota Law School.

1992–Ellison appears as speaker at demonstration against Minneapolis police with Vice Lords leader Sharif Willis following the murder of Officer Haaf by four Vice Lords gangsters in September.

1993–Ellison leads demonstration chanting “We don’t get no justice, you don’t get no peace” in support of Vice Lords defendant on trial for the murder of Officer Haaf. Ellison attends Gang Summit in Kansas City with Willis.

1995–Ellison supports Million Man March, appears at organizing rally with former Nation of Islam spokesman Khalid Muhammed at University of Minnesota. Ellison acts as local Nation of Islam leader in march at office of U.S. Attorney in Minneapolis protesting indictment of Qubilah Shabazz for conspiring to murder Louis Farrakhan. Ellison charges FBI with conspiring to murder Farrakhan. Ellison writes article under alias “Keith X Ellison” attacking Star Tribune for criticizing Louis Farrakhan.

1997–Ellison appears under alias “Keith Ellison-Muhammad” at Minnesota Initiative Against Racism hearing in support of Joanne Jackson. Ellison defends “the truth” of Jackson’s statement that “Jews are the most racist white people.”

1998–Ellison first runs for DFL endorsement for state representative. Ellison identifies himself as member of Nation of Islam in Insight News article on his candidacy. Ellison runs for endorsement under alias “Keith Ellison-Muhammad.”

2000–Ellison gives speech supporting Kathleen Soliah/Sara Jane Olson at National Lawyers Guild fundraiser. Demands Soliah/Olson’s release. Asks audience to recall time when “Qubilah Shabazz was prosecuted in retribution against Minister Farrakhan.” Speaks favorably of cop killers Mumia Abu-Jamal and Assata Shakur.

May 2006–Ellison writes letter to JCRC asserting involvement with Nation of Islam limited to 18 months supporting Million Man March.

August 2006–Ellison appears at unpublicizied fundraiser with CAIR executive director and Hamas supporter Nihad Awad among featured guests.

In case you have forgotten, CAIR was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation Trial (the case dealt with a charity funding terrorists and revealed the Muslim Brotherhood’s plans for civilization jihad in America). I have posted many articles about the Holy Land Foundation Trial. If you are unfamiliar with the case and the trial, you can find those articles using the search feature at the top of this page.

Remember, this is the man that may become the leader of the Democratic Party. If he becomes the head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), his election will be an affirmation of principles that are totally contrary to the principles of our Founding Fathers. Representative Ellison’s history and views do not represent the ideas and principles of most Americans. Electing him as the head of the DNC will insure the death of the party.

It is, however, noteworthy that a Bernie Sanders supporter may take over the leadership of the Democratic party rather than a Hillary Clinton supporter. I am also curious to find out exactly what climate justice, racial justice, and wage justice are. I believe in racial justice, but to me that means that all people are treated equally, regardless of race. Wage justice to me means that every person is paid what they are worth in the marketplace. It makes sense to me that a brain surgeon would make more than a sales person in a department store (although with commissions in some stores it might not work that way!). Climate justice I just don’t get. Does that mean that the Democrats think they can control the climate? Good grief!

This Is What Happens When Elected Officials Value Political Party More Than Reality

Breitbart.com posted a story today featuring a quote by Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN). On This Week With George Stephanopoulos.  During a discussion of the number of work hours Americans will lose due to ObamaCare, Congressman Ellison stated, “We are going to have parents being able to come home, working reasonable hours. People are going to be able to retire. People might actually be able to cook dinner rather than have to order out and get some takeout.”…”If you look at international comparisons country by country, Americans work way more that the average of industrialized countries around the world.”

Americans probably do work too hard, but that fact is partially responsible for the fact that America is one of the richest countries in the world. Although America has poverty, America’s poor have a higher standard of living than people in many other countries. The American work ethic is part of what makes America great.

Where is the compassion for the Americans who will have a lower standard of living because they are not working the hours they are used to working? Where is the compassion for the wife who was able to stay at home and raise her children who will now be forced to put those children in daycare because her husband’s hours have been cut?

This is probably the most ridiculous spin yet on the economic problems caused by ObamaCare, but I suspect it will not be the last spin attempted by those who voted for ObamaCare who are now running for re-election to Congress.

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