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June 2017

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 21, 2017 6 Comments
Former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson testified before the House Intelligence Committee over the Russia probe into possible interference and collusion into our presidential election. Last summer, the Democrats accused the Russians of hacking into their system after a trove of emails appeared on Wikileaks. But Johnson told the committee that the DNC didn't want DHS's help with the investigation.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 21, 2017 36 Comments
Chaffetz shocked hill-watchers when he first announced he would not seek re-election, only to follow that announcement with another shocker — the news he was considering leaving the Hill before the end of his current term. The Utah Republican was then sidelined by emergency foot surgery. Rumors ranged from a desire to run for Utah's Governorship, to personal issues, and descended into wild speculation. After all, why would a well-liked up-and-comer walk away from it all?

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 21, 2017 5 Comments
THEY DO EXIST! Yes, Congress still has Blue Dog Democrats within its walls. The group consists of only 18 members, but it could be enough to push tax reform through this year. These Democrats view themselves as ones who can help "broker a bipartisan deal." The Hill reported:
“If it’s constructive, if they’re genuinely interested in ideas and making it a bipartisan effort, then the Blue Dogs are certainly willing to participate,” said Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), a member of the group.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 21, 2017 28 Comments
The Illinois lottery may become a victim of the bankrupt state if lawmakers cannot agree and pass a budget. In a last ditch effort, the lawmakers have started a special session on Wednesday that can last for 10 days. From Fox News:
The state lotto requires a payment from the legislature each year. The current appropriation expires June 30, meaning no authority to pay prizes. In anticipation of a budget deadlock, the state already is planning to halt Powerball and Mega Millions sales.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on June 21, 2017 66 Comments
Many eco-activists have mocked statements that President Donald Trump, Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, and many others have made in the efforts to fight climate alarmist policies. As I noted in a previous post, President Donald Trump understands enough about climate science to be highly skeptical of diverting millions of American dollars into the global bureaucracy. In fact, I asserted that he comprehended more real science that the climate change proponents. Proof that I am correct (again) comes in the form of a paper in Nature Geoscience: Causes of differences in model and satellite tropospheric warming rates. Since this is a weighty article, I will cut to the chase and hit the highlights.

Posted by Mark Finkelstein on June 21, 2017 52 Comments
If Dems were smart, they'd watch and learn from the opening segment of today's Morning Joe. In his item of last night, Prof. Jacobson noted how Dems were taking the wrong lesson from the election, claiming that a close loss was a win. The message from Morning Joe was starkly different. As Mark Halperin put it this morning, this was an "unmitigated disaster" for the Dems. Joe Scarborough said that "all the chips were pushed to the middle of the table here. This was a winner take all and it was a huge win for Republicans and a big loss for Democrats."

Posted by Mike LaChance on June 21, 2017 9 Comments
Respecting free speech has been an ongoing issue on college campuses for years now but reached a boiling point in 2017. So far this year, there was a riot at Berkeley over a planned speech by Milo Yiannopoulos. Berkeley also had to cancel a speech by Ann Coulter over threats of violence. Charles Murray was shouted down by a violent mob at Middlebury College and another student mob threatened Heather Mac Donald at Claremont McKenna. And then there's Evergreen State College. Those are just a few of the high profile examples. The situation is so serious that the Senate held a hearing on the subject. CNN reports:
Senate judiciary committee hearing focuses on campus free speech Two college students warned of increasingly stifled speech on college campuses at a Senate judiciary committee hearing Tuesday. Zachary Wood, a rising senior at Williams College, and Isaac Smith, a student at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, appeared before the committee at a hearing titled "Free Speech 101: The Assault on the First Amendment on College Campuses."

Posted by William A. Jacobson on June 20, 2017 55 Comments
What are the implications of Republican Karen Handel's solid win (53-47 as of this writing) over Democratic darling Jon Ossoff in the Georgia Sixth District Special Election? Democrats came into election day with high hopes, with Ossoff leading in almost every poll, tens of millions of dollars flowing in from around the country, and celebrities urging an anti-Trump vote. Yet the Republican won the District by a larger margin than Trump did in the presidential election.

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on June 20, 2017 25 Comments
Remember Eric Holder, Obama's Attorney General. He down-played and lied about his and Obama's Fast and Furious fiasco, refused to prosecute Black Panthers for voter intimidation, pursued prosecution of journalists and labeled one a "c0-conspirator," used his taxpayer-financed "slush fund" to funnel money to Obama allies until it was dismantled by AG Jeff Sessions.  Holder also holds the dubious distinction of being the first sitting cabinet member to be held in (both criminal and civil) contempt of Congress.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 20, 2017 24 Comments
We've been following the special election for Georgia's sixth Congressional District. Vacated by Rep. Tom Price when he left to serve as HHS Secretary, the race has drawn national attention. GA-6 is Newt Gingrich's old district and has been in Republican hands since 1979. For better or worse, Democrats have pitched the race as a referendum on President Trump's agenda. GA-6 though was not a die-hard Trump district in the 2016 election. Trump only won by 1.5 points as most of the district's voters chose Rubio in the Republican primary. But so desperate are Democrats to find a mandate to oppose Trump, this is the route they've chosen.

Posted by Mary Chastain on June 20, 2017 6 Comments
We at Legal Insurrection have documented the damage Obamacare has done to the insurance market, with costs skyrocketing to the point that companies have pulled out. If they cannot make a profit they cannot provide coverage. For the last few weeks, Iowa's individual health insurance market showed signs of collapse as companies pulled out one after another. The state started to panic, even asking "the federal government to let it alter parts of the Affordable Care Act in an effort to entice insurers into selling plans in the state." The small insurance company Medica has come to save Iowa after the company's officials decided to remain in the state, making it the only company in the market. But officials said it has to charge higher premiums in order to stay afloat.

Posted by Miriam Elman on June 20, 2017 5 Comments
The Palestinian Authority (PA) is asking the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee to register the Old City of Hebron, including the Cave of the Patriarchs located there, as a Palestinian World Heritage Site. It’s a fresh bid by the PA to reject ancient Jewish ties to the Land of Israel and to pressure the UN body to deny the Jewish people’s attachments to sacred sites in their biblical heartland.
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