Wednesday's podcast: Jobs report down, Rail strike? plus PM Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Wednesday's podcast:   

Jobs report down, Rail strike? plus PM Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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Wednesday's video: Jobs report down, Rail strike? plus PM Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Wednesday's video: 

Jobs report down, Rail strike? plus PM Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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Voters want more drilling

(My new American Thinker post)

As we try to understand the Biden administration's policy about Venezuela, we hear that voters want more oil here, not down there.  This is from the I&I/TIPP Poll:

With the holiday season upon us, the gift-giving and feasting seasons are also in full swing. 

But this year, Americans will find the prices they pay for holiday essentials higher than ever. Much of that is due to the soaring price of something we all take for granted: diesel fuel.

Diesel fuel prices are up roughly 50% from last year, in large part due to fast-dwindling supplies, affecting the cost of everything, including food, transportation, manufactured goods, even gifts. Ships use diesel fuel. So do trucks and trains. Desperate farmers need diesel to fuel their tractors and other farm equipment. It all adds up to higher costs.

Can something be done about this? Americans overwhelmingly answer yes, the latest I&I/TIPP Poll shows.

And it's probably not going to get better.

Where were these people on Election Day?  Unfortunately, many voters thought making a statement on abortion or getting their college loans reduced was more important than the price of fuel.  Or maybe all of the people who agree with that poll voted in Ohio, Florida, and Texas.

Will the Biden administration hear the voters and reverse their horrible energy policies?  I hope so.  However, I'm not optimistic, given their recent decision vis-à-vis Venezuela.

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

Tuesday's video: Looking back at November.......Biden quiet on China and Iran......Musk &..Twitter

Looking back at November.......Biden quiet on China and Iran......Musk & Twitter......Casablanca 1942.....

and other stories:

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Tuesday's podcast: The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

Guest:   Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda...........The lame duck session begins.....Rail strike........Drill in Venezuela.....Zeldin and the GOP.......Musk and Twitter..........and other stories.

click to listen:

How many more stores will shut down in Portland?

 

(My new American Thinker post)

The latest victim of "woke leadership" is a clothing store in Portland.  Here is the sad story:    

A Portland, Oregon, clothing shop permanently shut down this month after facing a string of break-ins that has left the store financially gutted, according to a note posted to the front of the store. 

“Our city is in peril,” a printed note posted on Rains PDX store reads, according to KATU2. “Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business, in our city’s current state. We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We have sustained 15 break-ins… we have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd.” 

The store’s owner Marcy Landolfo said that after 15 break-ins over the last year and a half, the business can’t survive the financial burdens the crimes have cost the shop. 

“The problem is, as small businesses, we cannot sustain those types of losses and stay in business. I won’t even go into the numbers of how much has been out of pocket,” she said.

“The products that are being targeted are the very expensive winter products and I just felt like the minute I get those in the store they’re going to get stolen,” Landolfo continued to KATU2.

Elect woke and your business will go broke? I don't know who this business owner voted for but too many in her city reelected the people who allow criminals to run free.  

Where are the police? They are probably not enough of them, as more blue cities face recruitment issues? Where is the local government? Thy are probably attending a social justice seminar this weekend. Where is the governor? She's been missing during the whole chaotic situation.  

So Portland moves on and more Oregonians want to join Greater Idaho. I can't blame them.

P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Monday's podcast: Venezuela oil is OK? Zeldin run GOP? Biden and gun control......and more

Venezuela oil is OK?  Zeldin run GOP?   Biden and gun control.......Happy # 93 Berry Gordy.......and other stories....

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Monday's video: Venezuela oil is OK? Zeldin run GOP? Biden and gun control......and more

Venezuela oil is OK? Zeldin run GOP? Biden and gun control......

and more....

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Drill baby drill -- but in Venezuela

 

(My new American Thinker post)

The Biden administration wants more oil drilling. Unfortunately, it's in Venezuela, not here. Here is the story in case you missed it between turkey, the NFL, and the World Cup.  Here it goes:   

The Biden administration Saturday eased some oil sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to support newly restarted negotiations between President Nicolás Maduro's government and its opposition.

The Treasury Department is allowing Chevron to resume “limited” energy production in Venezuela after years of sanctions that have dramatically curtailed oil and gas profits that have flowed to Maduro's government. Earlier this year the Treasury Department again allowed the California-based Chevron and other U.S. companies to perform basic upkeep of wells it operates jointly with state-run oil giant PDVSA.

Really?  To restart negotiations with the opposition?  Well, our side is going to keep an eye on Maduro's commitment to the talks and will reimpose stricter sanctions if he is not serious. So we are depending on the honesty of a dictator?  

Beyond being naïve about Maduro, it's a bad deal for the U.S.  Our oil and gas industry is on hold because we "care about the planet," i.e. climate change. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela can pump away but no one cares about climate change when they do it. Where is Greta when we really need her?

Again, this is so stupid and shortsighted. Who is running the country? Maybe it's the same people who want to sign a nuclear deal with Iran.

P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Happy # 64 Dave Righetti

We say happy birthday to Dave Righetti born in San Jose, California on this day in 1958.

Dave broke with the Yankees in 1979 but did not join the rotation until 1981.   He spent the 1980's with New York saving over 200 games.    

Unfortunately, he missed the pennant teams but did pitch in the 1981 post season when he was also voted AL Rookie of the Year.

On July 4, 1983, Dave pitched a no hitter against the Red Sox.   He was 10-3 at that point and finished 14-8, or his best season as a starter.

He was the Giants' pitching coach and a part of the team that won The World Series in 2010, 2012 & 2014.

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Give me Zeldin

 (My new American Thinker post)

For us Republicans, 2022 did not see the big wave forecast, but did bring us a small House majority and a 50-50 Senate is still possible.  So cheer up and get ready for the next one.   The Democrats won't have abortion the next time around and my guess is that even brain dead college students have figured out that they were used on the issue of cancelling college loans.

My choice to lead the party is Lee Zeldin, the other big star of the 2022 elections.  He should replace Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel who doesn't excite anyone.   She's a nice lady, but we need a fighter like Zeldin.   

The magic of Zeldin keeps on growing according to Craig Angioletti, the author of the Substack The Legislative Route:  

Despite the loss, momentum for Zeldin never died out. Despite a close race in a Democratic state, there have been calls for Zeldin to replace McDaniel for the national chair. While he may be exploring the option to run for the position, there is a good case as to why he should pursue it.

Republicans have recently been dissatisfied with the midterm election in their party's ability to take heavy majorities of both chambers of Congress and kept wondering how to move forward. A key to Zeldin's relative success was that he went hard to show up in Democratic areas, where, frankly, it’s a strategy many Republicans seem to not want to commit to.

In a recent tweet , he said, "Show up in EVERY COMMUNITY, speak directly with people of EVERY BACKGROUND, and passionately promote safety, freedom, education, and economic opportunity for EVERY AMERICAN."

Running such issues not only helped Zeldin gain appreciation from registered Democrats themselves, but nearly pulled off the coattails to win three NYC city council districts and flipped five Democratic U.S. House seats into red territory.

Sometimes you have to change the guy, or gal, running things.  It's not that he or she failed, but we need to win in 2024.  

Zeldin can bring some fire as he travels around the country.  His focus on crime in New York could inspire other GOP candidates to pick up that theme in blue cites.

So let Lee head the party.   If not the party, then make him Speaker Zeldin!  I'll be happy either way.

P.S.:  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Saturdays podcast: Maybe Governor Kemp can put Walker over the line...plus more

Maybe Governor Kemp can put Walker over the line....Kemp 2024.....Twitter should tell us what happened with Hunter Biden & NY Post story.....Fred Lynn 1975.....Charles Schulz (1922-2000).......and other stories....

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Saturday's video: Maybe Governor Kemp can put Walker over the line...plus more

Maybe Governor Kemp can put Walker over the line....Kemp 2024.....Twitter should tell us what happened with Hunter Biden & NY Post story.....Fred Lynn 1975.....Charles Schuulz (1922-2000).......

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.

Maybe Kemp can open a hole for Walker

 (My new American Thinker post)

If you remember Jerry Kramer and Lombardi's Packers then you remember how he opened a few holes that became touchdowns.  His most famous one was the Ice Bowl when Green Bay beat Dallas and moved to Super Bowl II:   

Kramer cut down Dallas defensive tackle Jethro Pugh at the line of scrimmage and helped open the gap where quarterback Bart Starr squeezed his way into the Lambeau Field end zone for the winning touchdown with 13 seconds remaining. 

Maybe Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia can turn into Kramer and open a hole for candidate Walker.  Let's check out what's happening in Georgia:    

Kemp appeared at a rally with Walker on Saturday in Cobb County, a populous county in Metro Atlanta, encouraging voters to “send number 34 to the United States Senate,” a reference to Walker’s now-retired jersey number he wore in his days as a University of Georgia football star.     

Ads featuring Kemp are also flooding the state.

The Senate Leadership Fund, which has plans to spend more than $14 million advertising for the runoff, has an ad airing beginning Thanksgiving Day of Kemp saying Walker “will vote for Georgia, not be another rubberstamp for Joe Biden. That’s why I’m backing Herschel, and I hope you’ll join me in voting for him too.”    

The Senate Leadership Fund, a fundraising juggernaut affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), is also adopting Kemp’s ground game. The governor’s team coordinated with the super PAC to hand over its “door-knocking, data analytics, phone-banking and micro-targeting program,” Politico first reported.

“Gov. Kemp wrote the playbook for how to win big in Georgia, and we are thrilled to partner with his top-notch team to elect Herschel Walker to the Senate,” Senate Leadership Fund President Steven Law told the outlet. “As we learned in 2020, Republican turnout is essential for victory in a runoff election, and we are leaving no stone unturned -- preparing a ground assault to partner with the coming air war.”

We will watch the results in a week or two.   

There is a big difference between 51-49 and 50-50.   

First, a 50-50 vote requires Senator Joe Manchin to go along with everything.  I am not sure that the man from West Virginia wants to be the clinching vote anymore.  He is still recovering from the local reaction to his infamous Inflation Reduction Act.   Not too many in West Virginia have seen inflation reduced.

On the other hand, a 51-49 would boost the Democrats especially over judicial nominations.  We don't need that.

I don't know much about Georgia, but having a governor like Kemp on your side can't hurt.

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When parents fight, woke dies

 (My new American Thinker post)

As we count votes in California and wherever, one thing about the 2022 was certain: the parents showed up to vote.  This is from Paul Zimmerman:   

In fact, data suggest that victorious Republican candidates received a boost from parental frustration with prolonged school closures in their districts. 

In Georgia’s Fulton County, where Atlanta schools remained closed through May 2021, and Chatham County, where Savannah’s schools stayed closed during the same time period, Governor Kemp siphoned off an extra four to five percent of voters in 2022 as compared to Donald Trump’s performance in 2020. 

Nevada’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Sisolak, competing with now-Governor-elect Joe Lombardo, performed worse than President Biden in 2020 by three percentage points in both Clark and Elko Counties -- both of which remained closed for portions of the 2020–21 school year.

The clear lesson is that conservatives running for election at the state level can win with a solid policy agenda pledging to advance parental rights and education freedom, and by backing up that agenda with solid victories over the unions and their progressive allies while in office. 

Conservative candidates who heed this lesson and pledge to counter the union command-and-control agenda are poised to improve their performance in future elections. Progressives who cater to union bosses -- and political opportunists who fail to make good on their campaign promises to expand education freedom -- have a long road ahead in a world that is leaving them and their tired policies behind.

To borrow a phrase, the political battlefield over education in America might just be where woke goes to die. 

Here in Texas, we are getting ready for the 2023 legislative session and school choice is one of the top issues.  The combination of parents fighting for their kids at the school board level and legislators promoting school choice in Austin may be the perfect storm to put mom and dad in the driver's seat on this issue.   

Yes, the big red tsunami did not hit everywhere on election day, but school boards were a big success story.   

Woke dies because parents fight.  That's something else to be thankful about.

P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.

Happy Thanksgiving: ‘La Pelosi’ is gone from leadership

 (My new American Thinker post)

They call it "the end of an era" over at CNN:   

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she will relinquish her leadership post after leading House Democrats for two decades, building a legacy as one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in American politics.

Pelosi, the first and only woman to serve as speaker, said that she would continue to serve in the House, giving the next generation the opportunity to lead the House Democrats, who will be in the minority next year despite a better-than-expected midterm election performance.

“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” said Pelosi in the House chamber. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect, and I’m grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.”

It is the end of an era. I guess that everything comes to an end sooner or later.  Some we remember fondly.  Others we don't want to remember.

Mrs. Pelosi, enjoy your retirement from, the most powerful position in Congress.  Take care of your husband.  However, some of us say thanks that you are gone from your powerful position.

Speaker Pelosi led 2 partisan impeachments, tore up a president's State of the Union  speech on national TV, played every card available to a pathetic public figure and did nothing to bring us together.  

So on this Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be thankful for.   I will say thanks for 3 grandchildren, 3 wonderful sons, a great wife and remember my late parents.   After all of the family salutes, and good food, I will say "good riddance" to "La Pelosi" as my mother used to call her.

Yes, the power wielded by "La Pelosi" was one of the worst things that happened to our politics.   

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Wednesday's podcast: The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

   

Guest:   Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda............The new GOP House ......Trump 2024.....The Biden agenda 2023.........and other stories..

 P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.

Wednesday’s video: Happy Thanksgiving.....Pelosi gone.....Democrats and the border....Trump taxes.....

Wednesday’s video: 

Happy Thanksgiving.....Pelosi gone.....Democrats and the border....Trump taxes.....

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Democrats and the border

 (My new American Thinker post)

Is reality finally sinking in?  Over the last couple of days, I saw two stories about the border and Democrats.   

First, The Dallas Morning News is pointing that the border crisis is real and urges Texas Democrats to do something.  This is the editorial:  

We hoped that Texas Democrats’ drubbing in statewide races on Nov. 8 would push them to look in the mirror and reflect on why their message didn’t land with voters. So we were glad to see the stirrings of introspection in an internal post-election party memo that was obtained by the Texas Tribune.

Bullet point No. 5 includes this passage: “Here’s a tough truth we as Democrats must realize on border security: it’s a hugely important issue to our state.”   

That voters in a border state think of the border as a top issue, particularly in a year when migrant crossings reached the record-breaking number of 2.4 million, should have been readily apparent to Democrats since the beginning. Still, better late than never. Texas needs both Republicans and Democrats to agree there is a problem before we can even begin to work toward meaningful solutions.

In the memo, Texas Democratic Party Executive Director Jamarr Brown noted that Democrats across the country tried to pretend the border was not an issue even as Republicans made it a leading issue.

Wake up Democrats -- or something like that.

Over in Arizona, newly reelected Senator Mark Kelly issues a similar statement:

The Washington Post asked Kelly if Democrats have “recognized the complexity of the issue and the frustrations that people have”

“Absolutely not,” Kelly told the paper in an interview published Monday. “Not even close.”

He added: “When I first got to Washington, it didn’t take me long to realize that there are a lot of Democrats who don’t understand our southern border and a lot of Republicans who just want to talk about it. Don’t necessarily want to do anything about it, just want to use it politically. So my approach has been -- to the extent that we could and can -- to make progress on securing it, but also doing it in a way that’s in accordance with our ethics and our values, not to demonize people.”

Better late than never, I guess. However, I am a little surprised that it took a tough reelection for Senator Kelly to figure out that his party does not understand the border. Also, why didn't Senator Kelly say something when the Biden administration made bad decisions about the border on his state?   

Elections will often force politicians to change course.  I hope that Kelly and Texas Democrats understand that the border is a serious problem that requires some action, such as enforcing the law.

P.S.  Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.