This from a long time friend, a former institutional client, a fellow memo reader and truly one of the better analytical minds I had the pleasure of working with in my institutional brokerage days. "
Dick, re Soros. I was thinking of which part of Hell will he be assigned? I looked up Inferno, by Dante Alighieri. Seems to me Soros will be sent to the 9th Circle, which is reserved for traitors or those who practice treachery. Dante says that part of Hell is not flames, but
rather ice. Very cold.
Soros is perhaps the most despicable human being living on Earth today. A loathsome, hideous monster.
Best regards to you, keep up the great Rants. B--"
And:
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Kavanaugh in his own words. (See 2 below.)
We have gone from over 30 hours of testimony about Kavanaugh's legal credential, 6 FBI probes, withheld documents in order to frag him at the last minute,to unsubstantiated accusations he was a pedophile and gang rapist and finally to lack of judicial temperament because he passionately defended himself, his reputation (what was left after Democrats smeared him), his wife, his kids etc,
Had he not done so the smearers would have concluded he was guilty for not defending himself.
Progressives have weaponized the political process and will stop at nothing, including character and eventually physical assassination (think Clinton's) to have their nefarious goals achieved.
Tomorrow we may learn whether the bedrock of American democracy survives, the rule of law or guilt by accusation.
As I have said before, when a valid issue is taken over by radicals it loses all credibility and eventually does more harm than good. When adults succumb to the passion of the moment and allow heat to supplant cold reason and the underpinnings of democracy we are on the path to fascism.
If Flake, Collins, & Murkowski Are Committed to 1st Principles, They'll Confirm
First principles are not "believe all women," but presumptions of innocence and burdens of proof. Read in browser »++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have tried to get Hanson to come and speak here and so far been unsuccessful. (See 3 below.)
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The Senate voted "cloture" so no more debate and the final vote will be tomorrow and it would appear Kavanaugh will squeak through and become a Justice.
Retired Justice Stevens is now 98 and stated he did not think Kavanaugh had judicial temperament. Justice Ginsburg railed against Trump, is a sitting Justice, then apologized and her outbreak caused no temperament issue.
Last night, I attended a meeting at which a retired news reporter from CBS and MacNeil Lehrer days spoke about how he was offended by Trump's attack on the media. In essence his own bias about Trump became the pot calling the kettle black kind of thing. No one called him out and I kept quiet because I knew it would be p------ in the wind and Lynn would slink under the table.
The progressives just do not get it. They do not understand they are part of the problem against which they all complain. Bless their hearts.
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Dick
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CONFLICT of Interest? Police Refuse to Investigate Keith Ellison
Citing conflict of interest, the Minneapolis Police Department refused to investigate the assault claims against Keith Ellison, Wednesday. Instead, they are referring the case to others.
Star Tribune has more:
Earlier Wednesday, the DFL asked Minneapolis police to investigate after both a city attorney and a county prosecutor declined to review a report the party commissioned that did not substantiate the allegation.
Ellison’s former girlfriend, Karen Monahan, alleges that the Democratic candidate for attorney general tried to drag her off a bed during a fight in August 2016. He denies it.
“Due to a conflict of interest, or the appearance of a conflict of interest, the Minneapolis Police Department will not be handling the matter involving Congressman Keith Ellison,” read a police statement. It said the department is in communication with other law enforcement agencies to which it may refer the case. Ellison’s son, Jeremiah Ellison, is a member of the Minneapolis City Council.
Charlene Briner, a senior adviser for the DFL, had told the Star Tribune that the party sent its investigative report to the Minneapolis Police Department and requested it “investigate the claims described in the report to determine whether any criminal conduct occurred.”
It is unclear whether any investigation will actually take place.
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2)
I Am an Independent, Impartial Judge
By
Yes, I was emotional last Thursday. I hope everyone can understand I was there as a son, husband and dad
I was deeply honored to stand at the White House July 9 with my wife, Ashley, and my daughters, Margaret and Liza, to accept President Trump’s nomination to succeed my former boss and mentor, Justice Anthony Kennedy, on the Supreme Court. My mom, Martha—one of the first women to serve as a Maryland prosecutor and trial judge, and my inspiration to become a lawyer—sat in the audience with my dad, Ed.
That night, I told the American people who I am and what I believe. I talked about my 28-year career as a lawyer, almost all of which has been in public service. I talked about my 12 years as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, often called the second most important court in the country, and my five years of service in the White House for President George W. Bush. I talked about my long record of advancing and promoting women, including as a judge—a majority of my 48 law clerks have been women—and as a longtime coach of girls’ basketball teams.
As I explained that night, a good judge must be an umpire—a neutral and impartial arbiter who favors no political party, litigant or policy. As Justice Kennedy has stated, judges do not make decisions to reach a preferred result. Judges make decisions because the law and the Constitution compel the result. Over the past 12 years, I have ruled sometimes for the prosecution and sometimes for criminal defendants, sometimes for workers and sometimes for businesses, sometimes for environmentalists and sometimes for coal miners. In each case, I have followed the law. I do not decide cases based on personal or policy preferences. I am not a pro-plaintiff or pro-defendant judge. I am not a pro-prosecution or pro-defense judge. I am a pro-law judge.
As Justice Kennedy showed us, a judge must be independent, not swayed by public pressure. Our independent judiciary is the crown jewel of our constitutional republic. The Supreme Court is the last line of defense for the separation of powers, and for the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution.
The Supreme Court must never be viewed as a partisan institution. The justices do not sit on opposite sides of an aisle. They do not caucus in separate rooms. As I have said repeatedly, if confirmed to the court, I would be part of a team of nine, committed to deciding cases according to the Constitution and laws of the United States. I would always strive to be a team player.
During the confirmation process, I met with 65 senators and explained my approach to the law. I participated in more than 30 hours of hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I submitted written answers to nearly 1,300 additional questions. I was grateful for the opportunity.
After all those meetings and after my initial hearing concluded, I was subjected to wrongful and sometimes vicious allegations. My time in high school and college, more than 30 years ago, has been ridiculously distorted. My wife and daughters have faced vile and violent threats.
Against that backdrop, I testified before the Judiciary Committee last Thursday to defend my family, my good name and my lifetime of public service. My hearing testimony was forceful and passionate. That is because I forcefully and passionately denied the allegation against me. At times, my testimony—both in my opening statement and in response to questions—reflected my overwhelming frustration at being wrongly accused, without corroboration, of horrible conduct completely contrary to my record and character. My statement and answers also reflected my deep distress at the unfairness of how this allegation has been handled.
I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times. I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said. I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad. I testified with five people foremost in my mind: my mom, my dad, my wife, and most of all my daughters.
Going forward, you can count on me to be the same kind of judge and person I have been for my entire 28-year legal career: hardworking, even-keeled, open-minded, independent and dedicated to the Constitution and the public good. As a judge, I have always treated colleagues and litigants with the utmost respect. I have been known for my courtesy on and off the bench. I have not changed. I will continue to be the same kind of judge I have been for the last 12 years. And I will continue to contribute to our country as a coach, volunteer, and teacher. Every day I will try to be the best husband, dad, and friend I can be. I will remain optimistic, on the sunrise side of the mountain. I will continue to see the day that is coming, not the day that is gone.
I revere the Constitution. I believe that an independent and impartial judiciary is essential to our constitutional republic. If confirmed by the Senate to serve on the Supreme Court, I will keep an open mind in every case and always strive to preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American rule of law.
Judge Kavanaugh has been nominated as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
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3) Campus extremism is taking control of the Senate
By Victor Davis Hanson
The polarizing atmosphere of the university has now spread to Congress.During the recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, we witnessed how college values have become the norms of the Senate. On campus, constitutional due process vanishes when accusations of sexual harassment arise. America saw that when false charges were lodged against the Duke University lacrosse players and during Rolling Stone magazine’s concocted smear of a University of Virginia fraternity.
Americans may disagree about the relative credibility of either Kavanaugh or his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. But they all witnessed how the asymmetry of the campus governed the hearings.
Ford’s veracity hinged on empathy and perceived believability. There was little requirement of corroborating testimonies, witnesses and what used to be called physical evidence. In contrast, Kavanaugh was considered guilty from the start. He had to prove his innocence.
One belief of the university is the postmodern idea of relativist truth.On campus, all can present equally valid narratives. What privileges one story over another is not necessarily any semblance to reality, at least as established by evidence and facts. Instead, powerful victimizers supposedly “construct” truths based on their own self-interests. As a result, self-described victims of historical biases are under no obligation to play by what they consider to be rigged rules of facts, evidence or testimony.
This dynamic explains why Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) insisted that Dr. Ford told “her truth.” In other words, evidence was not so relevant. Ford’s story of events from 36 years ago inherently would have as much claim on reality as Kavanaugh’s rebuttal — and perhaps more so, given their different genders and asymmetrical access to power.Truth-finding would have required difficult, time-honored examinations of physical evidence, the testimony of witnesses and even unpleasant cross-examinations about the time and place of the allegations.
Also on the campus, the race and gender of people now increasingly determine who we are.Republican senators were repeatedly written off by critics as “old white men,” not unique individuals who might be disinterested or biased, fair or prejudicial.Kavanaugh was largely assumed guilty, in part for once being a privileged white kid of 17 who had gone to a prep school.
Meanwhile, Booker, by virtue of not being old and white, was considered a credible senatorial examiner. No one cared that Booker had once invented stories about an imaginary friend named “T-Bone.”
Such blanket race- and age-based stereotyping was not even consistent. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is 72 and white. Yet given his progressive politics, no one dismissed him on the basis of gender and age, much less for being a serial fabricator who concocted false stories of being a Vietnam veteran.
Given issues of gender and the university concept that accusations of sexual assault inherently are exempt from constitutional protections of due process, Ford was more or less excused from normally tough cross-examination.
Ford’s privacy and medical status were understandably to be respected and off-limits. Yet Ford suggested that her friend, Leland Ingham Keyser, was suffering from “significant health challenges” after Keyser did not corroborate Ford’s allegations.
Ford was never really asked why her narratives concerning the number of witnesses to the alleged assault and their genders were not compatible. Her accounts of the location and time of the alleged assault were either inconsistent or nonexistent.
Swarming and shouting down those who hold different views in order to shame and intimidate them is part and parcel of the modern university. Now we are seeing such campus street theater in Congress. During a break in the hearings, female protesters cornered Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) in an elevator and screamed in his face.
The psychodrama worked — just as it usually does on campus. A shaken and flushed Flake soon backed down from his stated intention of voting to confirm Kavanaugh.Campuses are no longer out-of-touch ivory towers. Their creed is now beginning to run the country, which is frightening.
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