Image 01 Image 03
Sign In or RegisterLogout

November 2016

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 24, 2016 29 Comments
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. Setting aside an entire four-day weekend to actively and collectively practice gratitude is an incredible part of our cultural heritage. Because I do so love Thanksgiving, I asked the LI team to share their thoughts on this special day. Here's what we're thankful for.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 24, 2016 2 Comments
This is my favorite time of year. For a brief while the world is grateful. People are kind and patient; willing to look beyond themselves. There's a collective sense of gratitude. What better place to be than a country who, from her conception, devoted time to thankfulness. Every year I take a few moments to read through the earliest Thanksgiving proclamations. It speaks not only to the priorities of our founders, but the foundations of our cultural heritage. Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation encouraged prayer, reflection, thanks, and above all, humbleness for the abundance these great states were so fortunately granted.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 23, 2016 30 Comments
President-Elect Donald Trump released a video message for Thanksgiving, vowing to heal the wounds of the campaign and for the nation to come together: TRANSCRIPT:
We are very blessed to call this nation our home. And that is what America is: it is our home. It’s where we raise our families, care for our loved ones, look out for our neighbors, and live out our dreams. It is my prayer, that on this Thanksgiving, we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country, strengthened by a shared purpose and very, very common resolve. In declaring this national holiday, President Lincoln called upon Americans to speak with “one voice and one heart.” That’s just what we have to do.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 23, 2016 28 Comments
So it seems that computer scientists and election lawyers have advised the Hillary Clinton campaign to demand a recount in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania because they have found evidence that shows the results "MAY HAVE BEEN manipulated or Shacked." I emphasize MAY HAVE BEEN because the evidence is not crystal clear. New York Magazine reported:
Last Thursday, the activists held a conference call with Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and campaign general counsel Marc Elias to make their case, according to a source briefed on the call. The academics presented findings showing that in Wisconsin, Clinton received 7 percent fewer votes in counties that relied on electronic-voting machines compared with counties that used optical scanners and paper ballots. Based on this statistical analysis, Clinton may have been denied as many as 30,000 votes; she lost Wisconsin by 27,000. While it’s important to note the group has not found proof of hacking or manipulation, they are arguing to the campaign that the suspicious pattern merits an independent review — especially in light of the fact that the Obama White House has accused the Russian government of hacking the Democratic National Committee.
Before Hillary supporters get all riled up, other experts have said any hacking did not change the election. One of the experts in the magazine article even said that the authors misrepresented what he said and had to clarify his points in a separate article.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 23, 2016 7 Comments
If you didn't read Legal Insurrection, you might think that liberal arts Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, just north of New York City, is an island of tolerance, understanding and freedom of thought. That's what its website says. But since you read Legal Insurrection, you know that for the past several years Vassar has been rocked by intellectual intolerance and antisemitism masquerading as anti-Zionism. Some faculty have been in the lead in creating this atmosphere, and the administration more often than not turned away from confronting the problem head on. Here are a few of my posts about Vassar (you can view all of them here):

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 23, 2016 12 Comments
Designer Sophie Theallet caused a stir when she announced she would not dress or design for future First Lady Melania Trump and encouraged other designers to follow her. But famous designer Tommy Hilfiger only had praise for Melania:
“I think Melania is a very beautiful woman and I think any designer should be proud to dress her. Ivanka is equally as beautiful and smart, although she wears her own clothes. I don’t think people should become political about it. Everyone was very happy to dress Michelle [Obama] as well. I think they look great in the clothes. You’re not gonna get much more beautiful than Ivanka or Melania.”

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 23, 2016 10 Comments
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican philanthropist Betsy Devos to head the Depart of Education. DeVos has made a name for herself by championing school choice:
DeVos is the chairman of the American Federation for Children, the nation’s largest school choice advocacy group. The federation has worked at the state and local level to advance the expansion of charter schools and other education reforms. She and her husband, entrepreneur Dick DeVos, created the West Michigan Aviation Academy, a charter high school in Grand Rapids, in 2011.

Posted by Mark Finkelstein on November 23, 2016 13 Comments
Is it the role of the media to serve as "opposition" to the Trump administration? Yes, in the mind of Chris Cuomo. On his CNN show this morning, Cuomo said "the media cannot yield. This administration is going to demand constant fact-checking, and opposition. Because otherwise, you don't know which way it's going to go from day to day. That's just a fact." Fact-checking an administration? Absolutely. That's an important role for the press. But "opposition?" That's the role for the opposition party. Unless, of course, Cuomo sees the MSM as a wing of the DNC? Don't answer that question, Chris. Compare and contrast with what Chris Matthews said in 2008 at the dawn of the Obama administration: "I want to do everything I can to make this thing work, this new presidency work . . . It is my job. To make this work successfully."

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 23, 2016 15 Comments
Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan is challenging Nancy Pelosi for minority leader in the House. He promises to take the party national, from it's current West Coast and Northeast regional party status. He also threatened a "Youngstown street fight" if Republicans try to defund Planned Parenthood:
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) on Sunday said Democrats will try to work with the incoming president but will push back if he doesn't keep his promises to the middle class. "If he tries to defund Planned Parenthood, if he tries to kick people off their health insurance, if he tries to privatize Medicare and cut taxes for the wealthy, we are going to have a 'Youngstown street fight' in the Capitol," Ryan said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 23, 2016 45 Comments
As half the country learned two weeks ago, we do not select our president by popular vote, our president is selected by Electors in our Electoral College; a safeguard against pure democratic rule. As far as modern history is concerned, Elector's votes are typically congruent with their respective state's popular vote. Now, a handful of Democratic electors are threatening to vote their conscience:
At least a half-dozen Democratic electors have signed onto an attempt to block Donald Trump from winning an Electoral College majority, an effort designed not only to deny Trump the presidency but also to undermine the legitimacy of the institution.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on November 23, 2016 20 Comments
Numerous news outlets are confirming that Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina will be named as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. The Post and Courier reports:
President-elect Donald Trump is picking South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to become his U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, The Post and Courier has learned. The move, expected Wednesday, continues the steep political rise of the daughter of Indian immigrants that started six years ago when the Bamberg native was elected as South Carolina’s first female and minority governor.

Posted by Mike LaChance on November 23, 2016 15 Comments
Here's more proof that the Democrats learned absolutely nothing from the 2016 election. They've been relegated to America's liberal coastal communities and Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio is a lone man calling out in the wilderness for a change in direction. Some liberals are responding by doubling down on identity politics and charges of sexism. The New York Post reports:
Democratic minority challenger accused of sexism Rep. Tim Ryan’s challenge of the female Democratic minority leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, has ignited charges of sexism.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on November 22, 2016 24 Comments
The NCAA placed Notre Dame on academic probation for a scandal concerning an athletic trainer and a student. WNDU reports:
The NCAA found that she committed academic misconduct for two football players and gave six other players impermissible academic extra benefits. The university self-reported the potential violations and kept five players off the field before the 2014 season.
MORE POSTS
Accessibility by WAH