When the Constitution Is Used As Kleenex

Rudy Giuliani on "The Clinton Treatment"

Dennis Miller on Socialism

Appreciating May the Fourth Be With You

In May 1977, the original Star Wars film (now known as Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope) premiered at movie theaters.  Practically no one expected the tremendous  success of Star Wars, as it grossed $775 million at the box office.   But the George Lucas film became a sustained cultural phenomenon.

When Tory politician Margaret Thatcher first became British Prime Minister, the London Evening Standard published a punny congratulatory ad from the Conservative party which played off of Star Wars rebel imagery vis-a-vis Labour's deathgrip on UK politics after 1978-79 Winter of Discontent.

While the politics of the pun's origination may have faded, the slogan became a geek touchstone.  It was a catch phrase on Facebook for "Luke Skywalker Day" in 2008.  The first organized grassroots holiday was in Toronto, Canada in 2011.  Since Disney took over Lucasfilms in 2013, it has become a celebrated ersatz holiday.

It might make you want to sing.





Like lounge singer Nick Winters on Saturday Night Live so many moons ago?


Almost.

But it might inspire the Boogie Storm to make some mad jumps. 

Pondering Pelosi's Political Prognostications

In an interview with the Boston Globe, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 12th) boldly predicted that the Democrats would regain control of the lower chamber of Congress and that she would again become Speaker. 





Democrats need to gain 24 seats to achieve this goal. There are 23 Republican districts which Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 cycle.  In addition, the incumbent party typically loses seats in mid term elections during a President's first term. Some have also interpreted the number of Republican retirements (including Speaker Paul Ryan) as GOP insiders concerns about losing power in a Blue Wave.

 Ms. Pelosi was elected as the 52nd Speaker in 2007 and served until 2011 when the Republicans took over in the 112th Congress.

Although there are many positive signs to bolster Democrats ambitions to win the House, there are other factors which are difficult to currently quantify.

Last summer, Democrats sought to re-brand their messages as "A Better Deal"  which was going to couch their progressive politics in economic terms of better jobs, better wages and a better future.  What is unsaid in the sloganeering is this would be achieved by bigger government and more regulations.  To further that campaign sleight of hand, Democrats sought to recruit lots of veterans as candidates and have them run as ersatz Republicans, like in the Pennsylvania 18th special election earlier this year. 

[L] House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA 12th) [R] Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announce Democrats 2018 election rebranding "A Better Deal"  July 24, 2017

The problem with that strategy is that it seems to be supersceded by the prominent progressive politics as embodied by Ms Pelosi and the ramparts of the Resistance.  Democrats seem ready to grab guns, considering their alignment with the post Parkland Florida "Gun Reform Now" movement.  Pelosi is the embodiment of progressive politics, so independent and crossover voters can clearly conceive of the politics they are empowering. 


Despite Minority Leader Pelosi's attempts to tamp down talk of impeachment, it is a fair assumption that in the height of campaigning on the hustings, progressive candidates will hawk impeachment as red meat for their left leaning voters.  This may well alienate voters who crossed over party lines to vote for Trump as defined by Salena Zito as "The Great Revolt" (2018).

One other problem for Pelosi is to lock up her caucus in a 116th Congress.  There was a boomlet for alternatives to Nancy Pelosi's leadership of the Democrat Caucus.  Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH 13th previously 17th) indicated that he may challenge Pelosi.  Ryan represents Youngstown, and would represent many blue collar voters who participated in the Great Revolt which swung the 2016 Presidential election to Donald Trump.   If more of "The Resistance" inspired Democrats win, even a 79 year old 16 term San Francisco Congresswoman  might not be radical enough for them in the 116th Congress.

Revealing Quips on Abortion at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

[L] Michelle Wolfe [R] Sarah Huckabee Sanders WHCD 2018

During the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, the headliner entertainer Michelle Wolf offered what was supposed to be a comedy routine.  Many have focused on the mean spirited ad hominem attacks on Trump White House Spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders.  However, what was truly revealing was Ms. Wolf’s barbs about abortion.

Although she claimed to only be a comedienne making jokes, much of Wolf’s  material was pointedly partisan, mostly aimed at those on the right.  Since it has become televised, the White House Correspondents Dinner (a.k.a. “Nerd Prom”) has devolved into a mean spirited roast.  As elites have attempted to delegitimize the duly elected Trump Administration since even before he took office, the mainstream media (with few exceptions) has embraced the modus operendi of “The Resistance” and politicized everything as well as mainstreaming progressive politics

Ms. Wolf  claimed that she did not want President Trump impeached because it would mean Vice President Mike Pence would take over.  This opposition seem born from Mr. Pence’s deep pro-life position.  Wolf’s joke about abortion was grotesque but fascinating because the premise and framing of her presumed bon mot reveal the lies of the pro-choice movement.

America had been propagandized that the left wanted abortion to the “Safe, legal and rare”. Sure.  

So what about: “Don’t know it until you try it – and when you try it really knock it.”?  Obviously a crude play on words.  What was more revealing was Michelle Wolf’s admission: “You know, you really have to get that baby out of there.”    Isn’t abortion supposed to be about unviable fetuses, or lumps of tissues?  These callous comments reveal that progressives feel so comfortable with abortion that they don’t mind admitting that it is infanticide during rubber chicken dinner jokes.

The latter half of Wolf’s un-“funny” about abortion seemed ill targeted.  Wolf seemed to justify abortion if it was for your secret mistresses.  Mike Pence is an evangelical Christian who rightfully has a reputation of being a Boy Scout.  



  If there is one thing that a Philosophy of Humor class inculcated was that in order to be funny, humor must have an element of truth to it but approach it from an unexpected angle to catch an audience by surprise.  With that in mind, enquiring minds want to know if this was a contrast to Mr. Pence’s straight as an arrow reputation, or is she insinuating that he is a hypocrite and has sex on the side and paid to cover it up.   It may be more likely that Wolf forgot who she was insulting and wanted to impugn the elephant not in the room, President Trump and his messy personal life.

That being said, it is interesting that a roomful of elites were not scandalized about killing human life as they ate their desserts. Apparently, joking about abortion is just another laugh line for them.  To be fair, a few voices in the media have registered protest about how the White House Correspondents' Dinner has confirmed the caricatures of the media made by Trump supporters.  But on the whole, the press corps has rallied around the banner of the First Amendment and speaking truth to power.


One of the reasons that the left has fought so hard against legislative attempts to mandate ultrasounds before abortion is because many mothers to be see an unborn child in the x-ray and might change their minds about terminating their pregnancy.  At the very least, an ultrasound impeaches the lies that they tell themselves to justify termination as part of “Women’s Reproductive Health”. 

Michelle’s Wolf’s jokes about abortion have served as cultural ultrasound.  Humorists often push the envelope to get a laugh and her routine about abortion certainly looked about those lines.  But the way she framed it revealed the truth about terminating a pregnancy.  The left now seems to embrace joking about killing a baby with laughs.  Perhaps such a comedic routine might have been edgily acceptable during a stand up set at a late night comedy club.  But Michelle Wolf’s venue was as the hired help of Nerd Prom, elite swamp dwellering jo-whore-nalists (sic) celebrating themselves wrapped around the First Amendment. Is it any wonder that President Trump chose not to attend?

Of course the First Amendment gave Ms Wolf to say whatever she liked, no matter how offensive. However, that does not mean that it is immune from critique and criticism.  The White House Correspondents’ Association extended an invite to Michelle Wolf so they certainly knew her shtick.  The lack of verbal reproach or walking away from the abortion “joke” speaks volumes about the attitude of elites. 

Polling has shown that approximately half of the country is pro-life.  Hundreds of thousands gather each year on the National Mall in the middle of January under the March for Life Banner to protest Roe v. Wade (1973).  Pro-Lifers have a reputation for being one issue voters.  Now that the left has dropped their veil about pretending that abortion is not about killing babies, we will see if the silent majority will embrace the practice like our media "betters"  or if there will be marked push-back.

Reconsidering the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Potter Stewart on Censorship

Congressional Dissonance on Jim Comey

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Golda Meir on Peace