Derrick Max: Your October 6, 2024 Sunday Summary: Hurricane Helene, Virginia Polls, VP Debate, Strike, Eating Guts, Gambling, Expensive Pronouns and more....

Side note: I was fortunate to attend an event with Governor Youngkin and the first lady this week where they discussed their faith, marriage, and the role of non-profits in filling critical needs in the Commonwealth. It was a powerful talk, made more powerful when the Governor closed by getting the 300 attendees to hold hands as he prayed for the victims of Hurricane Helene.

Dear Friend of TJI, 1.) As with all weather events, climate change is being blamed for the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. The Virginia Mercury even pressed Governor Youngkin to discuss climate's impact, to which the Governor rightly encouraged no one to "get distracted by that question." Unbelievably, Fairfax Senator and Democratic Majority Leader Scott Surovell argued that Virginia's exit from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was somehow responsible for the the hurricane and its aftermath. Our Steve Haner pushed back on this climate narrative with data that shows no increased pattern of hurricane frequency or strength. Senator Surovell may want to read Steve Haner's article showing that under RGGI more carbon was released in Virginia, not less.   Do facts matter to climate extremists? 2.) In a sign that Virginia may be "in play," VPAP reports that in-person early ballots have increased in areas of Virginia that voted for Republicans or were competitive in 2020, but have decreased in areas that voted for Democrats. Interestingly, "mailed in ballots" have dropped by more than half, but by less in Republican voting areas. VPAP reports that new voter registrations in Virginia are well below registrations for the last three Presidential cycles.  3.) Most Presidential polls remain unchanged in Virginia, although former President Trump improved slightly in the new VCU Wilder School Commonwealth poll moving from being 10% down to just 6% down in Virginia.    4.) The first and likely only Vice Presidential debate between Senator J.D. Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was not only more informative than the Presidential debate, but also more civil. Vance appeared more polished and did a better job of explaining the Trump policies than Walz did for Harris' policies.  Democracy was the big winner in this refreshing debate.    5.) The first and likely only debate for the U.S. Senate in Virginia occurred this week -- and while this is clearly not challenger Hung Cao's strength (which may be why he has avoided debating until now), the debate gave voters a clear choice between governing philosophies. The greatest example of this contrast occurred in response to a question about the slow down in military recruiting, a topic Sen. Kaine (Armed Services Committee) and Hung Cao (Captain, U.S. Navy) share an expertise. Cao's attack on the Navy's use of drag queens in recruiting, followed by his description of the kind of recruits the Navy needs was brilliant and descriptive (video below). The fact that Sen. Kaine did not disavow this recruiting method is telling. Kaine is as much a devotee to the far left as Cao is to the far right. Pick your side!

6.) As I recently wrote, Virginia's ports are critical to our economy, so if the International Longshoremen's Association strike had continued, it would have been devastating to Virginia. After three days, the ILA and the U.S. Maritime Alliance came to an agreement on wages, and pushed the issue of lost jobs due to automation back to January 15th. The relatively well paid dockworkers will reportedly see their wages increased by 62 percent. Sadly, very little reporting was done on the high dock worker wages or on the 7,136SF Tudor-style mansion, with a pool and a Bentley, owned by Harold Daggett, the ILA union boss who vowed to "cripple the economy."   7.) The ability of collective bargaining units to create havoc as was seen with the longshoremen should have Loudoun County Public School teachers rethinking their vote on a bargaining unit. LCPS teachers who want to maintain civility, not give up their voice, and allow for creative educational reforms should vote "NO" -- and need to remember, not voting is a "YES" vote. LCPS teachers can get more information on this LCPS bargaining vote from Americans for Fair Treatment.   8.) Skill Games operator Pace-O-Matic is promising to pay the legal costs and penalties for any owners using their machines that Attorney General Jason Miyares has ruled are illegal. The hubris of this industry continues…   9.) The Virginia Lottery showed a 30.6% increase in sports betting this year, with Virginians placing $416 million in bets in August alone -- bringing in $5.2 million in tax revenue. Sadly, males under 25 are most likely to become problem bettors according to Brendan Dwyer at the Center for Sport Leadership at VCU.   10.) Jason Miyares, who gave a powerful and inspirational talk at the SUVGOP breakfast this week, was praised for his defense of the Commonwealth's economy in the Virginian-Pilot. From his decisions on energy, EVs, ESG investing standards in Virginia's Retirement System, and his defense of property owners, AG Miyares has an amazing portfolio of accomplishments. Not even mentioned was AG Miyares' defense of parents rights and Title IX.   11.) Like all newspapers, Virginia's rural newspapers are struggling to survive. From online competition, and people's lack of trust -- our free press is in crisis. While I dont think either candidate is a "threat to democracy" -- I do think our biased and dying press is the real threat that needs to be addressed before it is too late.   12.) Virginia high school French teacher, Peter Vlaming, is to be paid $575,000 by the West Point School Board that fired him for failing to use a student's preferred pronouns because of his religious beliefs. The settlement came after the Virginia Supreme Court reinstated Mr. Vlaming's case.     13.) Dwayne Yancey at Cardinal News explored the impact of awarding electoral votes by Congressional District, with the final two votes going to the winner of the State -- as is done in Maine and Nebraska. The history and importance of the electoral college was the subject of our most recent Federal Policy Dinner.   14.) Due to rapidly growing demand for power and concerns over rising electricity rates, the State Corporation Commission has announced plans for a conference on "large-use" retail electrical customers (mostly meaning data centers). In related news, the Virginia Mercury ran a story on Virginia's struggling power grid and its impact on the Commonwealth's ability to transition to electric vehicles. Increased demand for power, and forced closure of hydrocarbon based producers of power, is leading to increased tensions between the SCC and the General Assembly. The war on hydrocarbon fuel needs to stop! 15.) In honor of former President Jimmy Carter turning 100 this week, I offer you Saturday Night Live's sketch highlighting Carter's attention to the smallest of details in running the Government, one of Dan Aykroyd's best performances. While Jimmy Carter was not the best of Presidents, he may be one of our greatest and most admired ex-Presidents -- a man of great faith, amazing volunteer service, and yes, humor...enjoy.

In Freedom,

Immigration Reform Law Institute: IRLI Impact: October 2024

U.S. Cities Under Siege as Migrant Crime Explodes As the corporate media gaslights Americans that illegal border crossing is a victimless crime, IRLI's podcast dives into recent incidents and the irrefutable facts that show illegal immigration is making America more dangerous and victimizing people daily.

Gary Bauer: End Of Day - 10-3-24

Emhoff Abuse Scandal

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is facing serious allegations of abusing women. It's being reported that Emhoff struck his then-girlfriend at the May 2012 Cannes Film Festival. He allegedly hit her in the face "so hard she spun around" from the blow.

Three of the woman's friends say she told them what happened. And the allegations have additional credibility because there is video of Emhoff at the film festival. There are reports that Emhoff's abuse of women in California was an open secret.

Ever since the palace coup that forced Joe Biden out of the race, Emhoff has been celebrated by the left and their media allies as the epitome of what manhood should be, instead of people like Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.

The Emhoff scandal erupting now is sadly ironic. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Thomas D. Klingenstein: The FBI Entraps Another Fake Assassin by Lee Smith

By Lee Smith Two attempts on the life of a former president, less than two months apart, is unprecedented in American history. And yet it's not entirely surprising given that the country's most powerful institutions and industries have spent the last eight years weaponizing the most suggestible and mentally ill of our citizenry to target Donald Trump and his supporters. Now it seems the FBI may be recruiting from abroad as well.   According to the Trump campaign, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence recently briefed the Republican candidate on "real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him in an effort to destabilize and sow chaos in the United States." The Secret Service was alerted to the threat before the July 13 attempt on Trump's life and reportedly increased his security because of it. But that was not enough to stop Thomas Matthew Crooks from shooting Trump in the face, killing Corey Comperatore, and wounding two other attendees.    There's little doubt the Iranians are targeting Trump, say former intelligence officials with whom I spoke. "The Iranians are promiscuous assassins, and they hate Trump more than anyone else on earth," says Peter Theroux, a retired CIA officer who worked on Iran and related issues during his tenure at Langley. "Trump enforced sanctions against Iran. He moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. He was the most antithetical to everything Tehran wants, including the triumphal visit to Riyadh he made for his first presidential trip in 2017." The Islamic Republic definitely has it out for Trump, but it seems this most recent Iranian plot to kill the Republican candidate was hatched by the FBI.

Read More

The Dr. Rich Swier Report, October 3, 2024

Bishop E.W. Jackson: ATLANTA GOSPEL RADIO STATION

BISHOP E.W. JACKSON ACCUSES WPZE ATLANTA GOSPEL RADIO STATION OF ANTI-CHRISTIAN BIAS FOR REFUSING AD URGING CHRISTIANS TO VOTE THEIR CHRISTIAN VALUES

Atlanta GA. Bishop E.W. Jackson, prominent minister and conservative activist, has a long history of urging black Christians to vote Christian values rather than race, party, or personality. His organization, STAND - Staying True to America's National Destiny - submitted an advertisement to several Gospel radio stations in Georgia urging listeners to vote their Christian values.

One portion in the sixty second ad says "When it comes to standing for the word of God in culture and politics, Christians should be a united family. If you are a Christian, your first loyalty is not to race, party, or personality, but to Jesus Christ. On every issue, vote the principles of God's word above all else."

Three gospel radio stations accepted the ad without question. The largest gospel radio station in Georgia - WPZE FM 102.5 - declined the ad claiming their legal department rejected it. According to Jackson, "This is obvious bias. There can be no valid 'legal' objection to the ad. Since the ad doesn't endorse any candidate or party, it's nonpartisan. For supposedly Christian WPZE to reject an ad which encourages Christian civic engagement calls into question the real agenda of the station. It's clearly not advancing Christianity or even serving the Christian community."

The Bishop is urging the public to complain to the station. Unless the station changes its decision, he asks them to complain to the FCC.

Stations have no discretion to deny "candidate" ads, but they have some latitude when it comes to "issue" ads by "non-candidates." Jackson, as a retired attorney, argues that the decisions of the station cannot be arbitrary  and capricious or discriminatory, nor can they violate the purpose for which their FCC license was granted, or fail to serve the community to which they were licensed. In his view, denying a STAND ad specifically created for their demographic is a violation of the spirit and the letter of FCC regulations because it denies service to that community. For more information go to standamerica.us.

This Sunday: Greene County Republican Pig Roast

BBQ, on Dyke Rd, this coming Sunday. 

Guest Speakers:

Bryce Reeves 

Nick Freitas 

And our candidate for 7th district Congress, Derrick Anderson.

Gary Bauer: End Of Day - 10-2-24 - The VP Debate, Helene Update

The V.P. Debate

Most political scientists will tell you that vice presidential debates rarely matter. But this year is different. Even the New York Times admitted that this "V.P. Debate Is A Bigger Deal Than Usual."

In many ways, the selection of a vice president is the most important decision a presidential candidate makes because that person could become president of the United States. Given that we were watching two potential presidents, last night's debate between Senator J.D. Vance and Governor Tim Walz was a big deal.

Post-debate polling was split down the middle. CBS and CNN polls found that most viewers believed Vance won the debate -- just barely. But it was clear to me that one of those two men was far more presidential.

I also believe Vance won. The Ohio senator was calm and he demonstrated a strong command of the issues. The governor's performance is best summed up in his own words, "I'm a knucklehead." He was also very nervous and made several gaffes.

Perhaps that's why the Harris campaign is now making excuses for Walz. Kamala Harris admitted this week that "she was sleep-deprived" when she picked Walz to be her running mate. 

Here are some additional observations.

Communist China

Gov. Walz was pressed to explain why he lied about being in communist China during the Tiananmen Square massacre when he was actually in Nebraska. Walz stumbled through his answer, eventually admitting that he's a "knucklehead" and "misspoke." The moderators seemed satisfied with that and moved on.

But there's a very disturbing issue that should have been addressed here. Of course, the left-wing media went straight to the least important point.

What the moderators should have focused on wasn't when he went to communist China, but why he repeatedly went to communist China on trips paid for by the Chinese Communist Party. Experts say this is a classic example of communist China's ongoing efforts to groom rising figures in America.

What is the relationship between Walz's multiple trips and the soft line he has taken on communist China year after year?

Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, has subpoenaed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for all the information it has regarding Walz's "longstanding connection" with communist China. A whistleblower told Comer that DHS has such information on Walz.

This is an extremely serious issue.

We know the communist Chinese infiltrated the office of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

We know the communist Chinese compromised Rep. Eric Swalwell, who was a member of the House Intelligence Committee.

We know a Chinese agent worked for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein for years.

We know Hunter Biden had extensive dealings (here and here) with Chinese communist officials.

We know communist China set up one of its secret police stations in Minnesota.

Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeatedly warned (here and here) that Chinese agents were aggressively grooming elected officials from both parties at every level. More questions should be asked.

Abortion

 

Gov. Walz was asked about the abortion bill he signed repealing all restrictions on abortion and whether he supported any restrictions at all. He misled viewers about the radical legislation he signed and refused to name even one abortion restriction he would support.

Sen. Vance also asked whether a Harris/Walz administration would force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. Walz didn't answer. But it is a legitimate concern because some left-wing politicians are trying to do just that. (Here and here.)

And not only Catholic hospitals, they want to force Christian doctors to perform abortions and they want to force ministries like the James Dobson Family Institute to cover abortions for their employees.

This was an important and revealing part of the debate. The left says women have a "right to choose." Christians also have a right to choose not to be complicit in the destruction of innocent life.

 

The Second Amendment

 

A lot of jokes have been made about Walz saying, "I've become friends with school shooters." But in a symbolic way, he could be seen as a friend to school shooters.

Vance's solution to school shootings is to hire more school resource officers who could stop shooters. Walz disagreed and said children shouldn't have to go to school "in a fortress."

School shooters will thank Tim Walz because, if he's in charge, they won't have to worry about an officer in the school trying to stop them.

The Bias

The bias of the moderators was on full display. In one really over-the-top interference, they attempted to fact check Vance on immigration, claiming that the Haitians in Springfield, Ohio, are here legally. When Vance tried to explain how they are exploiting Biden administration programs, the moderators talked over him and muted his microphone.

Their bias was also evident in how the questions were phrased.

When the subject of immigration was introduced, they didn't ask Walz why Biden opened the border by repealing all of Donald Trump's commonsense executive orders, leading to a flood of illegal immigration. They didn't ask what our "border czar" has been doing these past four years.

Instead, they asked Vance if Trump was going to separate children from their parents. So instead of talking about the problems we have now, they were speculating about what Trump might do.

Vance, however, turned the question around. He pointed out that the Biden administration has the real family separation policy because it lost hundreds of thousands of migrant children. Vance also talked about how illegal immigration is crushing local communities, driving up housing prices and rents, and overcrowding schools and hospitals.

Another example of bias is how the moderators exploited Hurricane Helene. Many communities have been devastated. There's a huge controversy about the slow federal response. The president was at the beach and the vice president was attending fundraisers, while many Americans lost their homes.

Instead of addressing any of that, the moderators made the issue about climate change.

 

 

Helene Update

 

Joe Biden is going to North Carolina today to survey the damage. It's about time. Not one Biden cabinet official has bothered to go. That's revealing.

Biden clearly realizes the PR damage that he has sustained because he's now mobilizing 1,000 U.S. Army troops to help with the relief efforts. What took so long?

Well, part of the problem is leftist ideology that puts Americans last.

The Biden/Harris administration raided $1 billion from FEMA's budget, money meant for disaster relief like hurricanes and catastrophic flooding, and spent it "to provide humanitarian services" for illegal aliens.

The administration is bragging that it sent $1 billion of your tax money to the Palestinians over the past year. Adding insult to injury, they just sent $336 million this week in the devastating aftermath of Helene.

Unfortunately, there's more.

As communities across the southeast struggle to rebuild and restore power, the Biden administration has raided our reserve of emergency electrical equipment and sent it to Ukraine. They've been doing this even as our own country has been struggling with a critical shortage of electrical transformers.

And there are new reports that Kamala Harris has been skipping regularly scheduled hurricane preparedness briefings.

Thomas D. Klingenstein: Woke Language Is a Weapon of War

By Dan Mahoney Those who love our country's principles of justice — equality of rights, equality under the law, merit and responsibility — must not be taken in when old and precious words are given radically new and pernicious meanings. Such manipulation of language is a hallmark of ideological despotism that aims at the destruction of the capacity of citizens to speak and reason together about the "advantageous and the just," as Aristotle put it so well more than two millennia ago at the beginning of his Politics. The clear meaning of words must be respected if civic life is to endure in any meaningful way. Language, which is never merely "private language," is rooted in common experience and, when undistorted by ideologues and tyrants, gives us access to a shared public space where the virtues and vices of human beings come to sight. Such is the venerable Western conception of the human being as a rational, ethical, and political animal, a conception challenged by every form of totalitarianism. In the 20th century, the integrity of language came under systematic assault from totalitarian ideologues committed to the transformation of human nature and society. Cherished old words and concepts with tried-and-true meanings ("oldspeak," as the totalitarians called them in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four) gave way to "newspeak," an ideological distortion of language that was woefully "wooden" (i.e., jargon-laden) and that deliberately undermined the human capacity to understand the most elementary realities before us. The age-old distinctions between right and wrong, good and evil, were replaced by an ideology of "progress" where being "on the right side of History" is all that really matters. Being "reactionary" became the worst thing imaginable, requiring "reeducation" if not elimination.

Read More