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Liberals Tag

Posted by Jonathan Levin on December 27, 2015 32 Comments
The renewed attention on media bias since the Washington Post cartoon about Ted Cruz's children reminded me of Kyle Smith's December 14, 2015, review of Bridge of Lies in Commentary. Smith writes that Hollywood loves "based on a true story" scripts for their emotional draw and their putative lessons about our society.  But all too often those lessons really aren't what Leftist Hollywood wants them to be, so movie makers change the facts to comport with their view of the world. Smith describes how several Oscar-hopefuls amended reality to fit the liberal narrative.  Imitation Game is based on the life of Englishman Alan Turing, a genuine hero of the Western world whose decryption work at Bletchley Park was indispensable to winning WWII and the creation of the computer age.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 21, 2015 13 Comments
In early October 2015 we wrote about an academic study showing Democrats Moving Left Faster Than Republicans Moving Right:
The meme we’ve been hearing for years is that radical right-wing “hard liners” are hijacking the Republican party and forcing it to the right; however, an interesting new study argues that Democrats are moving more quickly to the left than Republicans are moving to the right. It also indicates that the Democrats’ move leftward has had the unintended consequence of moving state legislatures to the right.
A Gallup survey released today confirms that Democrats are moving left
Democrats' desire for a "liberal" or "very liberal" candidate has grown, from 30% in 2007 to 36% now. However, the largest share of Democrats and Democratic leaners -- 40% -- still mostly prefer a moderate candidate. This desire has shrunk somewhat from 48% in 2007. Because of these shifts, Democrats are now about as likely to say they prefer a liberal nominee (36%) as a moderate nominee (40%), while in 2007, they had a clearer preference for a moderate (48%) than for a liberal (30%)....

Posted by Jonathan Levin on December 10, 2015 19 Comments
President Obama's willful blindness toward Iran's continued development of illicit weaponry is putting Americans and our allies in ever greater danger.  Obama's superficial detente with Iran ignores its deceits, dissimulations, and resolve to obtain a nuclear capability. In the latest instance, Obama is downplaying Iran's November ballistic missile test.  U.N. Security Council Resolution 1929 provides, "Iran shall not undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using ballistic missile technology."  The November launch tested the long-range, nuclear-capable Ghadr-110 missile and was a clear violation of Resolution 1929. Nevertheless, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power merely called for “conducting a serious review of the reported incident.” This is only the latest instance of Obama withholding, distorting or ignoring information that might threaten his Iran policy.  Previously, Obama abandoned his promise that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ("JCPOA") would have "anytime, anywhere" inspections, agreeing instead to a drawn-out and inadequate system of notices and appeals. Caving on inspections exacerbated Obama's earlier failure to require Iran to completely disclose its preexisting nuclear program to the International Atomic Energy Agency ("IAEA").

Posted by Leslie Eastman on October 30, 2015 5 Comments
Police recruiting numbers are plummeting, and an alert has been issued that is sure to convince potential academy cadets to consider alternative careers:
The FBI has issued an alert to law enforcement about a possible "Halloween Revolt" by a dangerous anarchist group, an official has confirmed to CBS News. Federal officials issued a bulletin to local police departments about the potential for attacks against their officers, CBS News has learned. As first reported by the New York Post, a group known as the National Liberation Militia may be planning to dress in costume, cause a disturbance, and then ambush police who come to help. The Post reports the group has recommended members wear typical holiday masks and bring weapons like bricks and firearms. NYPD officials told the Post there is no specific threat to New York City, and they are monitoring the situation.

Posted by Amy Miller on October 21, 2015 20 Comments
This story just keeps getting weirder. Remember Ahmed Mohamed? He's the Texas teen who sailed into his (extended) 15 minutes of fame after one of his teachers mistook a "homemade clock" for a homemade bomb. The Social Justice Warriors rushed to Ahmed's cause, crying racism; President Obama even invited him to the White House. After the incident, Ahmed used the media attention to his advantage, saying that his teacher and the authorities made him "feel like he was a criminal," and that the whole thing seemed contrary to America's live-and-let-live spirit.

Posted by Amy Miller on October 13, 2015 16 Comments
[Depending on where you work, some images in this post may be NSFW.] Are you or is someone you know a victim of the ravages of breast cancer? Never fear---the League of Extraordinary Social Justice Warriors has resurrected a hashtag to help you deal. Welcome to National No Bra Day---it's exactly what it sounds like. Here's how No Bra Day was originally described by, ostensibly, whoever conceived it:
Boobies are Fantastic… We all think so. And what better way to express the way we feel than to support a full day of boobie freedom?? Women are magnificent creatures, and so are their breasts. Let us spend the day unleashing boobies from their boobie zoos.

Posted by Amy Miller on October 13, 2015 18 Comments
Officials in Zimbabwe have confirmed that American dentist and big game hunter Walter Palmer will not be charged for killing Cecil the Lion. In July, Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri called for Palmer to be extradited to Zimbabwe to face charges for poaching, relying on reports that both Palmer and his guide illegally lured Cecil out of protected lands. Now, Muchinguri-Kashiri has told the media that Palmer technically did not break any laws, and that all of his hunting permits were in order. Conservationists, however, are not convinced. Via the Christian Science Monitor:
Local conservationists immediately condemned the announcement, maintaining that Palmer, who is a lifelong hunter, had committed a crime and should be subject to legal action, if not in Zimbabwe then in the United States.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on September 30, 2015 16 Comments
Pope Francis' tour of the U.S. turned normal alignments upside down. Liberals -- who spare no effort to denigrate the Catholic Church -- all of the sudden found the Pope's progressive economic and immigration pronouncements to be just dreamy. At brunch on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and in Brooklyn, kind words were spoken in the same sentence as "Pope" and "Catholic." Eyes did not roll. We can now return to the prior alignment of the political universe. The Pope met secretly with Kim Davis, via NY Times:
Pope Francis met privately in Washington last week with Kim Davis, the county clerk in Kentucky who defied a court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, a Vatican spokesman confirmed on Wednesday. Ms. Davis, the clerk in Rowan County, has been at the center of a nationwide controversy over whether government employees and private businesses have a legal right to refuse to serve same-sex couples. She spent five days in jail for disobeying a federal court order to issue the licenses. On Tuesday night, her lawyer, Mathew D. Staver, said in a telephone interview that Ms. Davis and her husband, Joe, were sneaked into the Vatican Embassy by car on Thursday afternoon. Francis gave her rosaries and told her to “stay strong,” the lawyer said. The couple met for about 15 minutes with the pope, who was accompanied by security guards, aides and photographers. Mr. Staver said he expected to receive photographs of the meeting from the Vatican soon. On Wednesday, the Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, confirmed that the meeting took place, but he declined to elaborate. “I do not deny that the meeting took place, but I have no other comments to add,” he said.

Posted by Amy Miller on September 29, 2015 18 Comments
Earlier this month, Dana Loesch appeared in an NRA promo video asking women to take a second look at safe, legal handgun ownership as an effective form of self defense. It was awesome. Watch it if you haven't already: This video is the definition of speaking truth to power, and highlights an important difference between the conservative, pro-gun narrative, and what the left twists that narrative into. Anti-gun advocates feed off of the fear, sadness, and confusion that hits in the wake of mass or high profile shootings; they don't want you to know about the lives saved by guns---all they want is to convince Americans that their families would somehow be safer if only criminals had access to guns in a gun-free society.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on September 26, 2015 8 Comments
Pope Francis continued his American tour, touching down in Philadelphia this morning to ride by Fiat-motorcade to the downtown Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul and celebrating Mass for about 1,600 people. In his homily, the papal homily encouraged a greater role for women and laity:
The pope stopped by a nearby seminary for a rest after presiding over a Mass at Philadelphia’s cathedral in the morning, where he called on women and youth to play a greater role in strengthening the Catholic Church in America, while keeping the institution’s existing authority in place. In his homily, the pope singled out the story of Katharine Drexel, a Philadelphia-born heiress who became a nun and then, after her death, a saint. Pope Francis told the story of how Drexel had asked Pope Leo XIII for help with American missions and the pope replied, 'What are you going to do?' At Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Francis repeated that question in Spanish, “y tu?” — and what about you? — again and again as he reflected on the church’s role in a changing society and urged the faithful to support women and youth.

Posted by Amy Miller on September 08, 2015 17 Comments
The wonderful thing about progressives is that they always seem to find worthy causes to rally behind. Racism? They have a solution* for that! Economic inequality? You bet they can fix** it! The latest cause the progressive establishment has chosen to rally around involves the unpardonable crime of...adding a former president's name to DC's local airport? You better believe it! Progressive social action group CREDO has a bone to pick with Republican leadership over the recent renaming of Mount McKinley to Denali. Their self-professed desire to "beat back right wing assaults" has manifested in an attack on Ohio-native John Boehner over his opposition to the renaming; and they've decided to hit back by demanding the Speaker revert the name of "Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport" back to "Washington National Airport." According to the petition, "John Boehner and his fellow Republicans in Congress weren’t so hesitant to remove a president’s name from a public landmark when they decided to rename Washington National Airport after Ronald Reagan." The shame of a nation, ladies and gentlemen. From the petition:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on September 06, 2015 17 Comments
California Governor Jerry Brown has hit a bit of a rough patch. The first bump: A tense visit from groups who usually have the support of progressives like Brown.
Occupiers from Black Lives Matter and the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) descended upon California’s capitol Wednesday by the hundreds, demanding state legislators pass a new bill on racial profiling, and calling on Governor Jerry Brown to sign it. Senate Floor Analysis notes that the bill, AB 952, would require peace officers conducting “stops” to begin reporting the “perceived race or ethnicity, gender, and approximate age of the person stopped.”
One of the chants used by the activists even drew a comparison to ancient Egyptian tyrants: “This is what a Pharaoh looks like!” The second bump occurred while promoting his newest proposal for road repair. After contending with the latest flavor of progressive nuttiness, Brown was poised to market a plan featuring the implementation of new taxes:

Posted by Mike LaChance on September 06, 2015 37 Comments
A newly published study shows taxpayers are (still) abandoning blue states and heading to states where Republicans retain a greater level of influence. Leah Jessen of the Daily Signal reported:
Study: Taxpayers Are Leaving Democrat-Run States for States Controlled by Republicans In an analysis of Internal Revenue Service income statistics and migration data, Americans for Tax Reform—an advocacy group for lower and simpler taxes—concluded that in 2013 more than 200,000 taxpayers fled states with a Democrat governor to states with Republicans in control. The analysis shows that in 2013 states run by Democrats lost 226,763 taxpayers while Republican-run states gained about 220,000 new taxpayers. The state with the most growth in new taxpayers? Texas. The state, governed by Republican Rick Perry during the 2012-2013 year, saw a positive net migration of 152,477 people. “Texas accounted for more than half of the net migration into the South,” the IRS reports.
The IRS report can be seen here.

Posted by David Gerstman on August 30, 2015 6 Comments
In a press conference yesterday, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said that he didn't want the Iranian legislature to approve the nuclear deal (known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA) the Associated Press reported Saturday.
Rouhani told a news conference that the deal was a political understanding reached with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, not a pact requiring parliamentary approval. The deal also says Iran would implement the terms voluntarily, he said. ... "If the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is sent to (and passed by) parliament, it will create an obligation for the government . it will mean the president, who has not signed it so far, will have to sign it," Rouhani said. "Why should we place an unnecessary legal restriction on the Iranian people?" ... The president said a parliamentary vote would benefit the U.S. and its allies, not Iran.
Similarly, Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported, "President Rouhani underlined that the submission of the JCPOA to the Parliament would mean that the president would have to sign the JCPOA, an extra legal commitment that the administration has already avoided." So Iran doesn't want to be bound legally by the JCPOA.

Posted by New Neo on August 24, 2015 16 Comments
Those who were around during the Vietnam War protest days remember all those marches on Washington. I attended one, and it was absolutely huge and very impressive. And who can forget the photos of Martin Luther King standing in front of the Washington monument on the Mall? It's not clear how effective or important those marches were, even though they were actually dealing with administrations that appeared to care what the public thought, unlike the present administration. But visuals are powerful and they can affect some lawmakers and some of the public that hasn't made up its mind yet. They also help to rally energy on the part of those who are already aligned with the viewpoint of the demonstrators. And yes, the MSM would spin such demonstrations as it did the Tea Party demonstrations. But the MSM is not the only source of attention these days, and propaganda needs to be countered with better propaganda as well as facts. Facts all by themselves don't quite cut it, unfortunately.

Posted by Mike LaChance on August 06, 2015 13 Comments
It's ironic and perhaps not accidental that tonight marks both the first Republican Primary debate on FOX News, and the final episode of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I look forward to a ratings comparison next week. Stewart's political shell game occupies two sides of the same coin. On the first side rests Stewart's claim that he speaks truth to power---as long as Republicans are in charge, anyway. Once Obama became president and Democrats controlled everything else, Stewart became a protector of the powerful. On the second side we find what the Daily Caller's Jim Treacher calls the "clown nose on, clown nose off" routine. When Stewart says something that helps Democrats, he's hailed as a serious news analyst. When he says something outrageous about Republicans, hey---he's just a comedian. In honor of his last show, Justin Monticello and Alexis Garcia of Reason TV have put together a reel you won't see on Comedy Central any time soon:

Posted by Amy Miller on August 03, 2015 18 Comments
Retailers including Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Sears have reached a $300K compromise with New York regulators who say that the outlets' sales of toy guns violate state law. Federal law requires that toy guns display an orange strip to indicate non functionality, but New York law goes further by banning the sale of black, blue, silver, or aluminum imitation guns. (New York City goes even further---your mock glock needs to be transparent or brightly colored in the Big Apple.) Officials also hit a total of 67 online third-party sellers with cease-and-desist letters in an attempt to prevent indirect sales from slipping across state lines. For their part, the New York AG's office is sticking to their guns (I'm so, so sorry) over the controversial crackdown; officials claim that their regulations work to keep citizens safe from mix-ups with law enforcement:
“There have been instances in states around the country in which police officers have mistaken toy guns for actual guns,” Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general, said in an interview. “It’s an absolutely unnecessary risk, because toy guns, as New York law requires, can be easily distinguishable.”
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