Republicans
December 25, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
On Christmas, Thomas Friedman delivers a column better suited for April Fool’s Day. He recommends that Republicans “threaten to fire” President Trump. Friedman writes: I believe that the only responsible choice for the Republican Party today is an intervention with the president that makes clear that if there is not a radical change in how he conducts himself — and I think that is unlikely — the party’s leadership will
»
December 19, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
Late last night, the Senate passed First Step, the leniency legislation that will free many thousands of felons from federal prison and shorten the sentences of many thousands of future felons. The vote was 87-12. Here are the 12 courageous Republicans who resisted pressure from the Trump administration and from big-money interest groups like the Koch Brothers, and voted to protect the public from the hardened criminals who populate federal
»
November 30, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
FIRST STEP, the leniency for federal felons legislation being supported by President Trump, may or may not pass the Senate this year. Either way, it has split the Republican caucus. This Washington Post report leaves no doubt about that. The division is encapsulated in dueling National Review articles — one by Sen. Tom Cotton opposing the jailbreak and the other by Sen. Mike Lee supporting it. In another NRO article,
»
November 27, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
Tonight, Cindy Hyde-Smith easily defeated Mike Espy, a member of President Obama’s cabinet, in a run-off election in Mississippi. The margin of victory looks to be about 8 points. Hyde-Smith’s win means that the new Senate will consist of 53 Republicans. Consequently, President Trump may be able to nominate (and see confirmed) highly conservative judges and cabinet members he might have shied away from during the past two years. Contrary
»
November 26, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
The Washington Post states: “While [President] Trump has blasted Democrats as ‘an angry left-wing mob’ and the ‘party of crime,’ researchers have identified just one fatal attack in 2018 that may have been motivated by left-wing ideologies.” By contrast, “researchers say at least 20 people have died this year in suspected right-wing attacks.” These counts may be accurate, though I’m not prepared to take the word of the Washington Post
»
November 17, 2018 — Scott Johnson
In his press conference following the midterm elections last week, President Trump unloaded on Utah Fourth District Rep. Mia Love. Trump scolded or mocked her, saying that that Love “gave me no love.” He added: “And she lost. Too bad. Sorry about that Mia.” Trump’s comments implied a cause and effect relationship between Love’s lack of enthusiasm for Trump and the difficulties she faced in her district. This has the
»
November 3, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
Earlier today, John wrote: By historical standards, the Democrats’ performance in this year’s midterm elections won’t be good. The current consensus–which may be wrong, but let’s go with it for now–is that they will net at least 23 House seats, enough to gain control of that chamber, and probably a few more, while losing a seat or two in the Senate. This is sub-par for the first midterm election of
»
October 26, 2018 — John Hinderaker
I am in Washington to attend Turning Point USA’s first-ever Young Black Leadership Summit. Today’s highlight was a visit to the White House, where President Trump addressed the group in the East Room. We arrived at the East Entrance to the White House around 9:30, started going through security at 10:00, and were in the White House proper by 10:30 or so. The event was scheduled to begin at 11:00;
»
October 21, 2018 — Scott Johnson
The interview of Senator McConnell by Laura Ingraham below dates back to October 5, in the immediate aftermath of the confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Senator McConnell explicitly discusses the mobs opposing confirmation that Republican Senators faced at their homes prior to the vote. It is worth pausing over this interview and reflecting further on the Democrats and their supporters. This is the new Democratic normal. Quotable
»
October 20, 2018 — Scott Johnson
In a nearby post John comments on Republican state senator Karin Housley’s race against appointed incumbent and metro liberal nullity Tina Smith. I have no sense of how that race is going, but it is only one of two Senate races on the ballot. Incumbent Democrat Amy Klobuchar is running for reelection against Republican Jim Newberger. I do have a sense of how that race is going. Running a campaign
»
September 24, 2018 — John Hinderaker
For some time, as I have written here more than once, I have been waiting for Americans to notice that the Democrats are crazy. I have puzzled over why the Democrats’ outrageous conduct doesn’t seem to alienate more voters. Financial interest is obviously a partial explanation, but it can’t be a complete one. In that context, this Gallup poll is good news: “GOP’s favorability hits highest mark in seven years.”
»
August 20, 2018 — John Hinderaker
Associated Press reporters wake up every morning wondering how they can best attack President Trump today. Steve Peoples’ effort for Monday is headlined: “Trump warnings grow from forgotten Republicans.” The “forgotten Republicans” are the ones who don’t like President Trump. But they haven’t been forgotten at all; on the contrary, the AP eagerly seeks them out for comment. The ranks of forgotten Republicans are growing. Some were forced out, such
»
August 6, 2018 — Scott Johnson
After John noted the suppression of Elizabeth Heng’s Facebook ad for her congressional campaign yesterday (video embedded below), Victor Davis Hanson wrote us to enlist the support of Power Line readers for Ms. Heng. Alexandra DeSanctis profiled her here for NR and Jack Fowler updated the story with the Facebook angle yesterday here. Heng’s campaign site is here; contribute to her campaign here. Dr. Hanson writes: Elizabeth Heng is the
»
July 30, 2018 — Scott Johnson
I’d never heard of Adam Greenberg before I went to see him speak three years ago at Temple of Aaron in St. Paul. From an early age Adam was a gifted athlete and driven competitor. He excelled at three sports — baseball, basketball, and soccer — but baseball was his first love. He played baseball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a junior in 2002, he
»
June 20, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
Earlier this evening John wrote: [T]he fundamental reality is that Democrats are in favor of illegal immigration, and Republicans are against it. The GOP wins that one every time. I agree with John on both counts. However, on the issue of amnesty for illegal immigrants Republicans are divided. Being for amnesty is not the same thing as being for illegal immigration. However, amnesty encourages illegal immigration. Thus, if you’re against
»
June 13, 2018 — Scott Johnson
In the adjacent post Paul cautiously evaluates President Trump’s possible role in toppling Republican incumbent Rep. Mark Sanford in yesterday’s Republican primary. Yesterday afternoon Trump took time out to put the hex on Sanford and endorse Katie Harrington in the tweet below. With 99 percent of the vote counted, Arrington prevailed with 50.5 percent of the vote; Sanford took 46.6 percent. The margin between them was 2,500 votes. Stephen Douglas
»
June 12, 2018 — Paul Mirengoff
With nearly all of the vote counted, challenger Katie Arrington leads Rep. Mark Sanford by 4 percentage points (and almost 3,000 votes) in South Carolina’s first congressional district. Sanford has just conceded. This result is the first defeat of Sanford’s remarkable career. He is the “comeback kid” of South Carolina politics, having survived his affair — part sordid, part comical — with an Argentine woman. Before that affair was revealed
»
