Rebane's Ruminations
May 2017
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George Rebane

Comey is fired, and as pundits on both sides are now discovering that it was for the reasons apparent to (almost) all of us on RR last July (here, here, and here for openers).  Those who still think the dismissal of this well-dressed doofus will affect ongoing FBI investigations are just whistling past the graveyard.

‘To Set Prices, Stores Turn to Algorithms’ (9may17 WSJ)  Well, no sh!t Red Ryder.  Another belated and breathless discovery by under-educated journalists (and editors).

‘A Philosopher gets Pilloried’ reports on Professor Rebecca Tuvel being attacked by her ultra-left colleagues in academia for daring to generalize inquiries based on accepted specific questions such as “why society is increasingly willing to embrace people who identify as “transgender,” even as it rejects those who identify as “transracial.” Why laud Caitlyn Jenner while vilifying Rachel Dolezal ?”  Read the article to see the next level of what may only be called rabid insanity that lies at the heart of the attack she is currently under.  Jillian Kay Melchior of Heat Street notes that “it’s her opponents on the progressive left that this saga should really frighten. Their reaction suggests their ideas can’t withstand even the most basic critical scrutiny. Such fragile principles (of the Left) aren’t persuasive or enduring.”

[update]  The Canning of Comey Cauldron boils over.  Liberals, nationally and in these pages, have again evoked their ‘gruberized American voter’ audience for which they are playing all versions of ‘Comey was fired to stop the FBI from discovering dirt on Trump’.  You really have to believe that the electorate is stupid to float that one since Comey was not a material participant in or contributor to the FBI’s ongoing investigations, merely the politically clumsy head of the bureau who couldn’t keep his foot out of his mouth.  That both Republican and Democrat MoCs demand the continuance of these investigations has settled the matter in the minds of the more discerning.  But that makes no never mind to leftwing worthies ranging from Chuck Schumer to some of our own commenters – the national Dump Trump chorus must not skip a beat.

Pot Panel Lists to Port.  The county’s panel to recommend its new marijuana ordnance was completed by the Supes yesterday.  Republican Chairman Bob Hren and other conservatives pointed out the obvious list of the 14 originally accepted panelists that included nary a person from the Right.  In response, the BoS decided to appoint two more to the panel, one of whom is Mr Don Bessee, Executive Director of the Northern California chapter of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, RR reader, and frequent commenter in these pages.  We hope that Mr Bessee will keep RR readers up to date with the panel’s doings, and maybe even contribute a byline commentary now and then on his views about the arrival of legalized RMJ in Nevada County.  (more here)

‘The Left’s War on Free Speech’ has a long history which is neatly summarized by WSJ editorial board member and national columnist Kim Strassel.  It is published in the April 2017 Imprimis of Hillsdale College where she spoke earlier this year.  There Ms Strassel not only highlights the tremendous damage that the Left is doing to our national wellbeing with their vitriolic and often violent opposition to free speech in our public forums, but also provides some important remedies still available to those Americans who hold our Constitution dear.

[11may17 update]  NPR is prominent among the lamestream outlets in keeping up the now obligatory daily Trash Trump narrative of progressive politics.  This morning it did a thorough job in reporting on another Republican MoC’s townhall, this one in New Jersey.  The audio recorded the totally one-sided comments by the audience marbled with the loud boos, shouts, and hisses from the audience that drowned out the congressman’s words.  The NPR correspondent’s copy again represented the gathering as comprised of a typical cross section of America, instead of a hall packed full of carefully selected, organized, imported (as needed), and ideologically homogeneous crowd of leftwingers.  The beat goes on.

We all know why the Dems are screaming for special prosecutors for every imaginable investigation that may involve President Trump, don’t we?  What better taxpayer funded circus to continue dunning the administration as operating under the shadow of potential criminality while diverting America’s attention to what the Republicans actually accomplish between now and the 2018 elections?

RR has long advised its readers that the ACLU is a leftwing institutional mouthpiece.  With the current post-election rabid radicalization of what is now the Alt-Left, ACLU has compliantly shifted its public stance to where it is unabashedly the voice of progressivism.  This shift is described in the most delicate of terms by Wendy Kaminer and Alan Dershowitz, two of ACLU’s former board members, in their ‘Where’s the ACLU When You Need It?’  There we read how “its new guard reflects the left’s turn against liberal values and toward progressive politics.”  Of course, the grassroots progressives know nothing of this as also confirmed by the outpourings from our own local liberal leftwingers.

Merrick Garland as the new FBI Director, so suggests Sen Mike Lee (R-UT).  What a great idea.  As a former federal prosecutor, the man is very qualified for the job.  And his nomination by President Trump should either quiet the Left’s narrative that he’s trying to monkey with FBI’s investigations, or put an enjoyable twist in their knickers to see how they will then attempt to continue that line of propaganda and fake news releases (e.g. Comey asking for more resources for Russia investigation which were denied).  In any event, Judge Garland’s nomination should put a cork into the demands for special prosecutors.  It would be hard for Team Chuckie to deny the professionalism and objectivity of Obama’s candidate for SCOTUS and oppose his confirmation.

[14may17 update]  Garland for FBI Director gains momentum.  Now Senate majority leader McConnell is picking up on Judge Garland nomination (here).

Posted in , ,

166 responses to “Ruminations – 10may17 (updated 14may17)”

  1. Scott Obermuller Avatar

    The article on Prof Tuvel is pay-walled, but NR has the same story.
    http://www.nationalreview.com/article/447419/rebecca-tuvel-controversy-campus-radicals-free-speech-social-justice
    I’ve had the same questions about this nonsense of folks deciding to ‘become’ a different sex and thinking that the rest of society must go along with their delusions and even further, that I must ‘celebrate it’.
    If a person can entertain that delusion, why not any other sort of fantasy? Age, national origin, weight, height – you name it.
    If Mike wants to put on a dress and call himself Mary – it’s none of my concern.
    But he has to buy his own dress.

    Like

  2. Russ Avatar

    A sampling from the progressive idiots, aka Democrats.
    — @SenKamalaHarris: “I’ve said it before and will again – we must have a special prosecutor to oversee the FBI’s Russia investigation. This cannot wait.”
    — @RepAdamSchiff: “Firing of Comey tainted by extraordinary conflict of interest. Independent prosecutor must be appointed to restore any public confidence.”
    — @RepEricSwalwell: “This is not what an innocent person would do. Firing the guy investigating #RussianHacking — without cause — is consciousness of guilt.”
    — @RepBarbaraLee: “The Trump Administration is in shambles. What is this Administration trying to hide? An independent commission is needed now! #TrumpRussia”
    — @GavinNewsom: “Trump does Nixon better than Nixon did Nixon.”
    These are the same people who gave Hillary and her team a pass for breaking national security regulations with an unauthorized private server harboring sensitive classified information. This is where an Independent prosecutor is required, not if Trump concluded with the Russians.

    Like

  3. George Rebane Avatar

    BillT 1007am – What continues to amaze me Mr Tozer is how the Dems are able continue diverting attention to dubiously impactive matters about which there has been no supporting evidence found over the course of long investigations, and all the while ignoring the existential crimes of ‘Hillary’s emails’ discovered, reported, and subsequently covered up, crimes that even their Dem colleagues claim (from the other side of their mouths) impacted the election.

    Like

  4. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George
    trump continues to lose the confidence of the American people as evidenced bu the consensus RCP polls that show him with an astonishing -10.8 % support based on averaging all polls. My guess is he knows that this investigation can take him down and he took that astonishing move yesterday to slow the process down. His polls will take a big slide after this because no one believes that Comey got canned because of the Hillary deal.
    My goodness he’s desperate,
    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html

    Like

  5. fish Avatar
    fish

    Schemer makes Harry Reid seem competent….that’s saying something!

    Schumer’s Greatest Flip-Flop Yet
    0944ET: “What should happen now, what must happen now, is that Mr. Rosenstein appoints a special prosecutor to oversee this investigation.”
    1500ET: “I have serious doubts over Rosenstein’s impartiality… he shouldn’t appoint the special prosecutor.”

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-05-10/schumers-greatest-flip-flop-yet

    Like

  6. Todd Juvinall Avatar
    Todd Juvinall

    Trump is doing a fine job. Just like Bush. But when the information is all coming from leftwing fake news poeople, you get this result. If the press was as nice to Trump as they were to the failed Obama, Trump would be at 65% in favor.

    Like

  7. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Todd
    “Just like Bush”
    What a stupid thing to say Todd. Bush was +36 in the polls after 100 days and Trump is in the dregs running -10,8. Stunning 42% difference You may like him but that is a minority, unprecedented in modern history for a new President.

    Like

  8. George Rebane Avatar

    re PaulE’s 1233pm – Here we see an intriguing metric for measuring the performance of POTUS – it is simply the selected polling result number and its interpretation by the selecting apologist. No other factors need be considered. Simple enough for the simple. One could, of course, ask which polling numbers taken when with what questionnaire administered to what sample size, etc; but that would unnecessarily complexify such a simple matter as a universally accepted assessment of POTUS’ performance.

    Like

  9. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George
    the polling systems used in the comparison are pretty much the same. Of course the respect and acceptance of a President by the American public is important to their success. You better believe the |Trump team is freaked out about this and are bracing for the storm to come after Trump’s latest escapade.

    Like

  10. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 108pm – Polling systems are vastly different as confirmed by the variance of their results. Nevertheless, evaluating the performance of anything depends on how such performance satisfies the evaluator’s utility or fitness function. All utility functions are subjective in that they hue to the current deicticity of the evaluator’s current ontology – or overly simplified, beauty is in the eye of the beholder at the time of beholding. But if you prefer the more sophisticated interpretation, please review –
    http://rebaneruminations.typepad.com/rebanes_ruminations/2017/04/how-deictic-is-your-ontology.html

    Like

  11. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George
    The numbers I used are average of all major polls compiled by RCP and the comparison to Bush is of the average at that time. Are actually contending that Trump is a popular President and the poll numbers aren’t important?

    Like

  12. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    A blast from the past. Gotta love the interwebs.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wPvURDazMk

    Like

  13. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 125pm – Wow! Another one of your ‘have you stopped beating your wife?’ questions. I’m not sure whether this is fun or a toothache in disguise.
    Your answer tells me that you didn’t understand my 120pm. And wherever did you get the notion that I was “contending” anything to do with Trump’s popularity?!! What is it between your ears that allows you to bounce off of widely disparate walls of logic with such gay abandon?
    But I do hope that our little thread here is providing at least a smidgen of entertainment for non-participating readers 😉

    Like

  14. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Fresh on the heels of botox Nancy Pelosi flip flopping on the former FBI director the Dali Lama gets in the mix. The Dali Lama said he would pray for botox Nancy to ‘shed her negative attitude.’ 😉

    Like

  15. Todd Juvinall Avatar
    Todd Juvinall

    Paul Emery | 10 May 2017 at 12:33 PM
    What a stupid thing for you to say. If a person likes someone, something you may not have ever experienced, why do you think they would toss that person under the bus on your pretense? I personally did well under Bush. I did not do well under Obama. I guess when your business is dependent on handouts from the government you may have a different view. But to think just becasue a person may be under 50% in polls means I judge them as a failure is ludicrous. I think Trump and Bush are good Presidents. And as I have said many times and you always fail to acknowledge (youdon’t read or comprehend very well) if you were bashed everyday by the press, the people will end up beelving it. Go preach your hate elsewhere, you are so tiresome and predicatable.

    Like

  16. Walt Avatar

    IF there was anything on Trump, it would have been leaked by now. Comey was playing politics. Hillary had a mountain of evidence against her, yet Comey let her slide.(LIB powers that be didn’t let him, and the DOJ wasn’t going to do anything anyway. So Comey has an excuse there.) He should have resigned. That would have really made “O”and Co. look bad.
    ” Hay,, they won’t give me any powers to do anything. So why should I even try?”
    LIBs are all buttsore Trump is cleaning house, and getting rid of the dead wood. Tough.
    Trump will be Trump, and not play to the media. He will do what he believes best for the nation.
    In the mean time, every LIB looking to make a name for his or her self, id filing lawsuits for everything under the sun. From boarder protection, to coal mining.(ECO nuts out to stop mines from reopening…You know,,AGW.)

    Like

  17. George Rebane Avatar

    Walt 452pm – your point is an important one to reprise now. Had ANYONE in the United States of America, on Earth, or in this solar system had anything really bad on Trump, they would have announced or leaked it way before now. Most certainly that would be true of anyone who wanted Hillary to be inaugurated last January. Having exhausted all other avenues of succor and support, many of secular humanist socialists must by now have availed themselves to the remaining reason behind Pascal’s wager (q.v.) for ultimate supplication.

    Like

  18. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George
    Polling results are significant when compared to similar time structures. The polling numbers show comparisons for the first 100 days. Trump is the lowest in history and incredibly behind the last Republican effort George Bush. What more is there to evaluate on this item? Are there other evaluation possibilities sure. Bring them forth.
    Is there more on Trump? Who knows but if there is you can beter believe the Russians have all they need do further destabilize him at their whim.

    Like

  19. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 547pm – Well, that is another bagatelle of 1) nothing to do with my commentary, and 2) one more rehash of evidence-free fervent hope for change.

    Like

  20. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Po’ ol’ pollhead PE in high froth, and I mean high. ‘the Russians have all they need do further destabilize him…” 😉

    Like

  21. Gregory Avatar
    Gregory

    Paul 5:47 and yet a major poll released a couple weeks ago confirmed that as of that time, Trump would still win the Electoral College vote and would win the popular vote 43 to 40.
    Your one note sambas are as tedious now as they were over a year ago.

    Like

  22. Walt Avatar

    Right on time. Ol’ bat Maxine shows her double standard.
    http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2017/05/10/maxine_waters_i_dont_support_trump_firing_comey_i_would_support_hillary_clinton_firing_comey.html
    Yup, it be OK if Hillary had fired him if she wound up Prez,, but when Trump does it, ” I smells a rat!”

    Like

  23. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    Walt, Trump sure is trolling them. Stuck his finger up their nostril and is leading them around in circles, with them crying louder and louder with each step of the way. Mercy.
    https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/1085416601592376/?type=3&theater
    https://www.facebook.com/lastamericapatriots/photos/a.235087906641439.1073741826.235086849974878/848186308664926/?type=3&theater

    Like

  24. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    re: Gregory@6:28PM
    “Your one note sambas are as tedious now as they were over a year ago.”
    The Paulbot, while a simple enough troll, does have the advantage of driving traffic to the site. If things slow down, some bit of poll data or Trumphate can easily cause a number of predictable responses.
    Heck, I’d like to hear more about his 3000-deductible-and-if-you-need-an-owie-fixed-go-to-Yubadocs thoroughly thought out medical system, but that ain’t gonna happen.

    Like

  25. Russ Avatar

    Glenn Reynolds: “I continue to think it eminently possible that the whole Russian-collusion thing was hatched after Hillary lost because there was so much illicit spying on the Trump campaign.”
    I think law professor Reynolds’ insight is spot on. It is the simplest explanation for the lack of evidence there was any collusion. Given how leak prone Washington DC is if there was any smoking gun evidence of collusion, it would have leaked by now.

    Like

  26. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    re: Russ@6:21AM
    Obviously, another reason for ginning up the Russian foofaraw is to draw away attention from HRC’s illegal behavior and the DNC’s dirty doings (not to mention the Weiner/Abedin mess, why on earth do we give power to people like that?). There’s a need to double down on those pesky Russkies in order to draw away attention.
    The truth is that the Clintons aren’t a bit more sleazy than the Kennedys or LBJ, there’s just more opportunities for exposing the inner workings to the public. Generally, I expect we’ll have to become more forgiving of our lords and masters as the total surveillance society kicks in.

    Like

  27. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    I just had to share this one:
    Fraternity reported for ‘bias incident’ of wearing construction outfits on May 5
    https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/32546/
    lol. The Green Libertarians are on a roll these days.

    Like

  28. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George
    Did Don Bessee originally apply to be on the mmj panel? Don, you also can answer that question.

    Like

  29. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 925am – Have no clue about DonB, but I considered applying before coming to my senses and recalling that I would have a snowball’s chance in hell of being impaneled. I have suffered the same fate all my life when answering the call to jury duty.

    Like

  30. Bill Tozer Avatar
    Bill Tozer

    1). We still have not found out who requested the unmasked names from Susan Rice and who leaked them. A crime has been committed and no investigation. Lest we forget, Comey is under investigation by the IG. Just saying.
    https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/1086010854866284/?type=3&theater
    2) For Scenes. Reminiscent of The Rolling Stones fake campus gang rape story. It didn’t happen, but it could have.
    https://heatst.com/culture-wars/racist-note-that-triggered-massive-protest-at-st-olaf-college-was-fabricated/?mod=sm_fb_post
    3). Them progressives do what them progressives always do. I hope they cling to Idenity Politics with all their might and never ever let go. Never get tired of winning and never get tired of enjoying their implosion. The gift that keeps on giving.
    https://www.facebook.com/RowdyConservatives/photos/a.217983685002343.55586.217926015008110/1086010301533006/?type=3&theater.

    Like

  31. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George
    I’ll do what I can to find out about Bessee if he doesn’t respond. The thoughts, if true, that the Supes felt compelled to add members to the committee that didn’t apply to achieve some kind of balance due to outside pressure is disturbing. Kinda like the Dems “super delegates” that plagued Bernie.

    Like

  32. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Ah, the fakenewsman perpetuating the party parrot line again. Watch the video of the BOS for yourself po’ ol’ PE. 😉

    Like

  33. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Don
    What “party” am I parroting?

    Like

  34. Russ Avatar

    Wine country looking more like cannabis country in California
    BY ANGELA HART
    The grapevines that line rolling hillsides and sweeping valleys in Northern California’s wine country have become iconic – a symbol of the region’s rustic charm that helped California earn its reputation as a world-class wine and food destination.
    But winegrapes have new competition: weed.
    California’s legalization of recreational marijuana has led to the beginning of a major transformation of wine country. It’s been just seven months, but already investors are snapping up property where wine was once produced. Vineyard operators are developing expertise in cannabis cultivation. New, specialty marijuana businesses are sprouting up in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. And farmers who have long made a good living by growing and harvesting winegrapes are expressing interest in diversifying with marijuana.

    http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article149815769.html
    Question: Are Nevada County wine growers following the same economic path to greater wealth. Converting wineries into pot farms?

    Like

  35. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    re: Russ@11:13AM
    ” Converting wineries into pot farms?”
    It looks to me like it wouldn’t take much. A couple of minutes of googling, just to get a quick estimate, gives me something like all US marijuana use could be done on 10% of California winery acreage.

    Like

  36. George Rebane Avatar

    Scenes 1139am – Ah, but Mr Scenes, that is a very stasist perspective. Can we not anticipate the joys of a greatly expanded market?

    Like

  37. ScenesFromTheApocalypse Avatar
    ScenesFromTheApocalypse

    re: GR@11:48AM
    A quick history lesson on marijuana.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnBjuicpUrE

    Like

  38. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    George Washington was an industrial hemp grower. Growing hemp for industrial purposes is still against Federal law except for a few experimental projects.
    Gosh George, do you think Trump will reverse that, being against regulations and all that stumm?
    http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-man-the-myth/george-washington-grew-hemp

    Like

  39. fish Avatar
    fish

    Your “feel good” headline of the day!

    #CorrineBrown now faces more than 300 years in prison and $4.8 million in fines

    http://twitchy.com/sd-3133/2017/05/11/its-about-time-former-dem-rep-corrine-brown-guilty-on-multiple-corruption-charges/?utm_campaign=twitchywidget

    Like

  40. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    Unbelievable
    Trump allows Russian photographers to take photo’s INSIDE the White House after banning the American Press. My goodness!!!
    “Photos of Wednesday’s meeting, taken by a Russian state news media photographer one day after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey amid questions about possible Trump campaign collusion with Moscow, were ultimately posted by Russia’s news agency, TASS.
    The White House did not post photos of the meeting although an official White House photographer was also in the room, the White House said. The State Department did post photos of Lavrov’s meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, but that was open to the press.”
    http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/11/politics/oval-office-photos-donald-trump-russians/

    Like

  41. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Paul Emery | 11 May 2017 at 02:08 PM
    BEHOLD…..as the chief executive trolls the shit out of Green Libertarians™!

    Like

  42. George Rebane Avatar

    PaulE 208pm – I think Trump took the reasonable precaution of not wanting lamestream photogs catch him in an awkward pose – you know, like picking his nose or scratching his crotch – and then paste those all over the nation’s front pages with phake captions, etc. Just playing a little prudent defense 😉

    Like

  43. Paul Emery Avatar
    Paul Emery

    You’re kidding me George with this one! Our President gives photo ops to the Russians but denies access to the American press. Wow.

    Like

  44. Todd Juvinall Avatar
    Todd Juvinall

    He is the President. He can choose.

    Like

  45. Don Bessee Avatar
    Don Bessee

    Po’ ol’ PE is deep in his fakenewsman roll again, there were official photographers from the WH and the Russian delegation. No news people @ 422. The fakenews set acts soooo entitled. 😉

    Like

  46. fish Avatar
    fish

    Posted by: Don Bessee | 11 May 2017 at 05:05 PM
    No kidding! It’s not like they’re going to be less accurate or more biased than the domestic press!
    To quote the always invaluable “Instapundit”……”think of the American press as democratic operatives with bylines”!

    Like

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