The Power Of Positive Wishful Thinking

I'm loving this:

The gay rights movement could take on the NRA — and actually win

The gay rights movement knows how to change the culture, not just the law.

And they go on to explain how gay activists changed the culture without actually mentioning any contribution from, ohh, Hollywood, Broadway and the entertainment industry. I kid you not.

So let's ask ourselves, as the summer season of bigger guns, crazier villains and louder explosions unfolds - is Hollywood really going to lead the charge on changing cultural attitudes towards guns? Studio execs will have to ask themselves one question - do they feel lucky? And the answer will be no.

In fact, I would argue in the opposite direction - I think Hollywood bears some responsibility for the "assault weapon" craze, since "assault weapons" are essentially conventional semi-automatic rifles tricked out to look like a cool prop in a Schwarzenegger film.

But to be fair, the authors do manage passing contact with reality in this passage about the vast cultural success of gay activists:

It won’t be easy. The NRA has a track record of galvanizing a committed block of voters in key states. Meanwhile, the LGBTQ movement has largely focused on changing hearts and courts.

Obviously five Supreme Court liberals will never see a gun ownership restriction that strikes them as unreasonable, and yes, progressive jurists have the intellectual flexibility of Cirque du Soleil performers, but still - progressives are aiming for a world where the courts agree that abortion rights exist in the penumbra of privacy laws, gay marriage is a clear and obvious consequence of equal protection laws meant to end slavery, but, despite that cryptic Second Amendment, gun ownership rights are not now and never could have been imagined as fundamental to the American Experiment.

I'LL BE BACK: The authors also note that disarming in the face of one's enemies may not be the first response of all gays:

It’s also not clear that gay rights groups will take on gun control. Many gun proponents see gay rights as part and parcel of a broader libertarian cause. Meanwhile, some LGBTQ activists have vigorously embraced gun rights as a way to protect gay lives. The Pink Pistols group, under the slogan “pick on someone your own caliber,” explicitly advocates the exercise of Second Amendment rights for self-protection, especially against hate crimes. The LGBTQ community is highly diverse, and attempts to ally gay rights activists with gun-control proponents may undermine the diversity that defines the movement.

Comments

[amr]

All of the watch lists are secret, no rules publicly given for how one is placed on one, not notified you are on it and no way publicly given on how to get off. No due process under the rule of law per the 5th Amendment and now proposed is that you can lose your 2nd Amendment rights by government violating the 5th and 1st Amendments; what you write supposedly can get you on a list. The ACLU has sued the government over this issue relating to the 5th Amendment, but nobody is talking about this, especially the Democrats. Why hasn't this lawsuit over a constitutional right been fast tracked? Note the date of the original suit.
https://www.aclu.org/.../aclu-files-lawsuit-challenging...
http://reason.com/.../07/why-the-aclu-is-suing-no-fly-list
http://www.newsmax.com/.../lynch.../2016/06/17/id/734404/

[James D]

The reason the culture has not shifted on the Second Amendment the way it has on same sex marriage and so many other leftist "victories" in the culture wars, is because of the NRA, plain and simple.

The NRA's refusal to back down, and its willingness to speak up and defend its principles in every circumstance, makes all the difference.

[clarice]

Judge Napolitano said on Varney that ALL the casualties at Pulse were from Orlando police dept guns.

I cannot find any MSM reports critical of the Stalinization (edited of) remarks by Mateen. None--not a word--is the confusion about who shot whom at the Pulse also part of this cover up?

More grist for the mill from the great Daily Mail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3635882/Hillary-Clinton-called-disabled-children-Easter-egg-hunt-f-ing-ree-tards-referred-Jews-stupid-k-s-Bill-called-Jesse-Jackson-damned-n-r-claims-Bill-s-former-lover.html

[derwill]

The Left's end goal is the totalitarian state. But as long as we the people are armed they'll never be able to achieve it without considerable bloodshed--much of it their own, and that way is too hard and messy and they might lose. Which is why they will never give up going after the guns. Never.

[derwill]

Wow, Clarice, that is epically awful if that is true.

[henry]

Clarice, makes me wonder if they were under Fed control given "terror response" parameters.

[clarice]

Henry--you could well be on to something.

James Taranto steps into the msm breach and calls out the administration for propagandizing the news:http://www.wsj.com/articles/benghazi-without-the-shame-1466441599

[James D]

I cannot find any MSM reports critical of the Stalinization (edited of) remarks by Mateen.

Because there aren't any. The MSM does not care WHAT the Democrats do to them. They will obey regardless.

Lie to them? No problem.

Refuse them generally available information purely for partisan political purposes? No problem.

Ignore or defy FOIA requests endlessly? No problem.

Use them to further your lies to the American people, and brag about it afterwards, rubbing their faces in it? No problem.

Insult them? No problem.

Corral them with ropes like kindergartners on a field trip, or like cattle? No problem.

Prosecute them for doing their jobs? No problem.

Wiretap them? No problem.

Leave them to rot in Iranian custody for 4 years? No problem.

Sit on your hands while ISIS beheads them? No problem.

There is literally NOTHING a Democrat can do that will turn anyone in the MSM against them.

[clarice]

FTA by Taranto:The cognitive dissonance occasioned by the administration’s official posture of denying that Islamic terrorism is Islamic is perhaps most vividly illustrated by the headline on a local story in Saturday’s Times: “Orlando Killings Rob Young New York Muslims of a Cherished Holiday Respite.” How could that be if, as Mrs. Clinton has insisted, Muslims “have nothing whatsoever to do with terrorism”?

Real Clear Politics notes that HBO’s Bill Maher, of all people, put the matter in some perspective:

But this is the American myopia. They think of the three million Muslims in America—who are by the way the lucky ones because they can come out of the closet or they can elope with someone whose not of their faith. Or they can leave the religion. Or they can draw a cartoon without getting killed.
This is not the case for so many millions of Muslims around the world. Where are the liberals to stand up for them? The people who could not abide by apartheid for one second, somehow when it comes to gender apartheid which is in so many countries around the world they are not to be heard. It is a liberal cause, or it should be. There are millions and millions of Muslims who are gay around the world who have no one to stand up for and I didn’t hear it this week.
Something is very wrong with the government and the news media when Bill Maher is a voice of sanity. The same can be said of Donald Trump.

[Momto2]

Judge Napolitano said on Varney that ALL the casualties at Pulse were from Orlando police dept guns.

This is totally inconsistent with the interviews with survivors who were there (and I assume Napolitano was NOT there!) What a bunch of rubbish - and just what we need - to inflame the attitudes toward the police even more.

[buccaneer morgan]

the rest of the story,

http://www.investigativeproject.org/5447/document-reveals-omar-mateen-father-tied-to#

[Momto2]

Here is the next thing now that we have bathrooms all sorted...Traffic Signals!!!

http://mashable.com/2016/06/20/london-traffic-lights-lgbt-gay-pride/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-uk-link#aJo_3ATNgOqA

[clarice]

We'll see Momto2--As I recall yesterday they said they were studying the bullets to see which guns they were fired from. If you caim to confust the public by editing the transcripts, what makes you think they didn't sow confusion about the timing and source of the shootings rather than expose the fact that the cops were operating under federal guidance.

[Theo]

Momto2 --

It might be "rubbish" but I think we need to know actual facts before leaping to some conclusion. I do not know the basis for Napolitano's statement and perhaps he is way off base here. Let's find out the facts before we draw the conclusions.

I had read in some other mainstream account that "some" of the victims "may" have been killed by police bullets. That should be pinned down. Did that happen? If so, how many?

Also, there is something odd about Mateen's purported behavior. He was in the club for over THREE HOURS. If he wanted to kill everyone inside, he could have done a better job. Why would he kill some and not others? Was he holding some as hostages? In exchange for what? The reports I have read do not indicate any kind of real negotiation here.

I do not know the answers. Napolitano may or may not know what he is talking about. But I would not dismiss anything out of hand until we learn more actual facts.

[buccaneer morgan]

the police don't use sig sauer mpx, so it should be fairly easy to determine which caliber of firearm made the injuries,

[clarice]

*if you aim to confuse the public*

[buccaneer morgan]

so the daily news fwiw, says he was on an umrah along with 12 muslim nypd cops,

[Momto2]

There is no doubt he was holding some hostages - remember the text messages the mom had from her son? He stated "“Trapp in bathroom He’s coming. I’m gonna die.”

If the gunman wasn't killing people why did he think he was "gonna die?"

So did he mean that the police were coming to shoot him?

I'm not saying that none of the victims were killed once the police busted through the wall - but to state that EVERY victim was killed by the police? I do not believe that at all!

[buccaneer morgan]

civility how does that work again:

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/06/20/shoot-and-stab-nigel-farage-hundreds-of-social-media-messages-urging-attacks-on-ukip-leader-revealed/

[Buckeye]

Glad Theo showed up to make sure we don't go off half-cocked and draw any conclusions before we get the facts.

You know, the facts the Administration seemingly doesn't want us to have.

[buccaneer morgan]

she can't even taste the silver foot,

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/20/planned-parenthood-ceo-cecile-richards-gwb-daughter-barbara-bush-celebrate-lots-common-lunch/

[Momto2]

He was in the club for over THREE HOURS. If he wanted to kill everyone inside, he could have done a better job.

We know what he was doing - trying to get as much attention as possible for his depraved and twisted views. He was texting,calling 911 to pledge allegiance to ISIS, posting on Facebook, calling TV stations, sending messages to his wife. He was not willing to leave it to Obama to explain his motives or to whitewash why he was killing people.

[buccaneer morgan]

clearly if they are willing to redact some details, why not others, it's full corporal ogilvy on the malabar front,

*an ingsoc warrior on a battlefield that was lost, so they redacted the entire campaign,

[clarice]

narciso, it SHOULD be easy.

[buccaneer morgan]

you never go full eloi, but you see from the ipt link why they burned the trail,

[frack]

And yet that's exactly what Zippy's admin did, Momto2: explain away his motives and whitewash it.

[Theo]

momto2 --

You may be right and what Napolitano said is "rubbish." But why not wait for the facts to come out before deciding what to believe? The autopsies should establish which gun(s) fired the fatal bullets.

If you are prepared to believe that SOME of the victims were killed by the police, I think that in itself is a good reason to suspend judgment. If one victim was killed by the police that is collateral damage and understandable. But what if it was 10? 20? More? As the numbers mount so do the questions. And of course, despite what you choose to believe, it turns out that it was ALL of them, that really makes this into a different story.

[buccaneer morgan]

I'm reminded of that stock character on mash, major flagg,

https://twitter.com/ByronYork/status/744928798467031040

[buccaneer morgan]

this justice department organized a mob against a sitting police chief just up the road in sanford, so really I don't put anything past them, yargh!!

[clarice]

His ex-wife's husband reported that she was told by the cops NOT to tell people Mateen was gay.
Why?
What if the Administration decided that playing this as an anti-gun--act occasioned by Christian homophobia (ridiculous, but it works on their base) was the ticket. I mean they couldn't use the video excuse again even on these dummies.

[Theo]

clarice --

I agree with you, but I will note that when you argue with liberals that this was a terror attack and they insist that it was a hate crime, when they learn that Mateen was gay they do not change their stance. They just maintain that he was some kind of repressed self loathing gay who just happened to be Muslim. Not a terror attack, oh no, just a hate crime. Mateen, they say, was just covering up his twisted psychological hatred of gays by pretending to be a jihadi.

The same way that liberals have repainted Lee Oswald as a right winger (!) they will eventually repaint Mateen as a fundamentalist Christian named Billy Bob.

Facts do not matter to these people, only the narrative.

[Momto2]

Did Napolitano wait for the facts? If anyone should wait for facts - I submit it should be someone who is trying to plant the idea that the police shot all 49 people.

[Theo]

Momto2 -

I do not know the basis for Napoliatano's statement. If he was leaping to conclusions himself, shame on him.

I would not accept his statement at face value without knowing more. But I would not reject it either without knowing more.

[Neo]

This is all based on the attack in Orlando and today the DOJ released a transcript so we can stop all the guessing .. or can we ?

Methinks many of you have made an improper guess as to the content of the 911 call.

Omar actually pledged allegiance to Barack Obama and the Democratic Party of Death and Buggery, a natural ally of ISIL.

[clarice]

I have no idea. He has been wrong IMO on the law in some instances, but I have to believe that he had what he considered credible evidence to make such a claim until it is proved otherwise.

We know the police waited 3 hrs to act. We know they shot their way into the wrong space first, and then repeated the exercise between the two restrooms, allowing Mateen and his hostages to exit.
Here is a shot of the exit point wall:Lots of shots from the outside: http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2016/06/at-least-50-dead-in-mass-shooting-at-gay-nightclub-in-orland2.jpeg?quality=55&strip=all&w=840&h=630&crop=1

[James D]

narciso @ 1:29

Wow. You know, I thought it was absolutely vile when the Democrats tried to smear Bush 41 with slanders about his family's supposed connections with the Nazis before WW2.

But here his granddaughter is, sitting down for a pleasant lunch and lots of mutual praise with the head of an organization that has more blood on its hands than Mengele could have dreamed of.

If that's "civility," you can keep it.

[JM Hanes]

Theo:

When Momto2 cites interviews with survivors, text messages from a victim, and itemized Mateen behaviors as the basis for her opinion, I don’t believe you can accurately characterize it as leaping to fact free conclusions.

”[W]hy not wait for the facts to come out before deciding what to believe?”

Because that’s worked so well with Fast & Furious, the IRS targeting, the Benghazi debacle, Clinton’s email security cover-up. Yeah, let’s just sit back and let the career professionals tell us what to believe, instead of weighing the credibility of what we're hearing in the press.

[Michael (fpa Patriot4Freedom)]

(Apologies in advance for the length of this)

When ordinary people look at various instances of "extremist violence" that have happened in recent years in America, they see things like:

1) A Muslim American citizen, born in Pakistan, a computer systems analyst, who tried to set off a car bomb in NYC's Times Square.

2) Two Muslim refugee brothers, from Dagestan, who used pressure cookers to set-off explosions at the Boston Marathon.

3) A Muslim, American-born citizen, in Oklahoma City, who used a kitchen knife to behead a woman who worked at the food processing company he worked for.

4) A Muslim college graduate from London, born in Nigeria, on a tourist visa, who attempted to set off a bomb on a jet preparing to land in Detroit.

5) A Muslim, American-born college student, who used a knife to stab four people at his University of California campus (UC-Merced).

6) A Muslim immigrant from Guinea, Africa, who worked as a computer programmer/IT tech, used a machete to injure four people at a restaurant in Columbus, Ohio.

When oBOzo looks at those things, he doesn't see anything in common with all of them - and he didn't see anything worth commenting about when those six events happened.

To oBOzo, it's much like a bizarre version of the old game of 'Clue', where the suspects are thought of by him as:

1) The computer analyst, with a bomb, in Times Square.
2) The brothers, with pressure cookers, in Boston.
3) The worker, with a knife, in Oklahoma City.
4) The tourist, with a bomb, over Detroit.
5) The student, with a knife, in Merced.
6) The computer programmer, with a machete, in Columbus.

But, when someone uses a *gun* to kill a large number of Americans, while shouting "Allahu Akhbar", praising ISIS, and claiming they killed in the name of Islam . . .
oBOzo goes straight to the cameras and microphones, before the dead have even been laid to rest, to call for more useless gun control, and more loss of our constitutional rights.

Muslims are killing more and more Americans - all across the country - so calling for Americans to disarm doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

Dr. Gorka claims, IIRC, that there have been 103 Islamic-based terror attacks in the U.S. since 9/11/2001.

Here's a list of *most* of the terror attacks/mass killings/assassinations in America since 1865:

http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/terrorism/wrjp255a.html

It's long past time for us to elect a president who is willing to call Islamic terrorism by its name, and protect Americans from Islamic terrorists.
Hil-LIAR-y is *not* that candidate.

/rant off

[buccaneer morgan]

I don't forget these things, james, but they find her company more fascinating then say the huntress's family,

[pagar a bacon, country ham and sausage supporter]

IMO, this attack against God by Americans can not continue.

Why just today the US AG said the Muslin gunman in Orlando talked about "God"

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/20/exclusive-video-veteran-forcibly-dragged-air-force-ceremony-saying-god/

[Theo]

JMH --

I did not suggest that her opinions were "fact free." I did suggest and do believe that her blanket dismissal of what Napolitano said as "rubbish" may be premature.

If Napolitano has some basis for his statement, presumably it will come out. Let's see what the evidence is to support it before we dismiss it.

I understand skepticism about official accounts. But I would not find it easy to believe that the officials could or would cover up the fact that some or all of the victims were killed by the police.

In fact, it is Momto2 who is already accepting the "official" version, which is that Mateen killed all or almost all of the victims.

Maybe I am naïve, but I think that the truth will come out through the autopsies.

[Lurker Susie]

Maybe they should look at themselves and not Trump

M. Zuhdi Jasser retweeted
The Hill
3h3 hours ago
The Hill ‏@thehill
Senate Republicans are deeply concerned Trump will cost them the majority http://hill.cm/TRS4oXo
Embedded image

[Lurker Susie]

Censorship

The Patriot
12m12 minutes ago
The Patriot ‏@ThePatriot143
FBI Spox: We're Redacting ISIS From Omar Mateen Transcripts "To Prevent Future Attacks

[derwill]

From a Drudge link:

"The Justice Department replaced references to ‘Allah’ with ‘God’ in an edited transcript of the 911 call Orlando jihadi Omar Mateen made during the Pulse night club attack.
During the call, Omar Mateen made an Islamic prayer in which he said:
Praise be to Allah, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of Allah [in Arabic]. I let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings.
In comparison, the edited DOJ transcript says:
Praise be to God, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of God [in Arabic]. I let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings."

But the DoJ has no agenda here. Oh, no . . .

At this point how can anyone believe any so-called "facts" that have been or will be released by this Administration. They lie, edit. obstruct, and obfuscate on everything.

[Momto2]

David Burge ‏@iowahawkblog 26m26 minutes ago
[Omitted] walks into a bar. The bartender says "[redacted]." [Omitted] says, "I'm not surprised at these prices!" & then he shot everybody.

[JM Hanes]

Michael:

It's so depressing. As Taranto pointed out, this time the Administration isn't even pretending that they are going to tell us the truth. Refusing to put a name to Islamic terrorism is exactly what allows the President to frame such acts as just of few cases out of the many thousands of violent crimes committed daily by non-muslims.

[buccaneer morgan]

crickets chirp louder, but look lewandowski...

https://twitter.com/KurtSchlichter/status/744903479332737024

[derwill]

--"Senate Republicans are deeply concerned Trump will cost them the majority--"

So? It's not like they've done anything with it while they've had it. In fact, they given past performance, they seem to acquire stiffer spines when they're in the minority.

[Lurker Susie]

Just awful

Mike Cernovich
Mike Cernovich – ‏@Cernovich

"Refugees" rape a little girl in Idaho. Send them back. http://www.infowars.com/report-three-syrian-refugees-rape-little-girl-at-knifepoint-in-idaho/ …

[JM Hanes]

Theo:

"But why not wait for the facts to come out before deciding what to believe?"

I didn't take any more liberties with my characterization of what you said than you routinely do with other folks' comments. And no, you don't have to explain what you really meant by that, because I already know the script. I swear you should change your screen name to School Marm.

[Momto2]

In fact, it is Momto2 who is already accepting the "official" version, which is that Mateen killed all or almost all of the victims.

I did not hear Napolitano. It was reported that he said ALL of the victims were killed by police bullets. I said that contradicted the interviews with the survivors that were inside the club at the time of the shooting. I'm not accepting any "version" - I'm pointing out inconsistencies with what Napolitano said and what people who were actually there said.

It would not be surprising if *some* of the victims were killed by police as they stormed the nightclub. It would be not only surprising but beyond belief if *ALL* of the victims were killed by the police.

[frack]

What derwill said.

[Theo]

Momto2 --

It would indeed be stunning if ALL of the victims were killed by the police. Given the confused circumstances, it would not be all that surprising if a small number of the victims were killed by the police. I have no idea what, if any, basis Napolitano has for his statement of "all."

I would find it very surprising to have been "all," but I am not prepared to dismiss that claim out of hand. Again, I assume that the autopsies will determine which gun(s) fired the bullets that killed the victims. When we have that information, we will be on more solid ground in discussing this.

[Lurker Susie]

Media defending wife

Wayne Dupree™
Wayne Dupree™ – ‏@WayneDupreeShow

I knew the media would try something to protect this woman!

http://www.headlinepolitics.com/heres-how-the-liberal-media-defending-orlando-shooters-wife/?=WD …

[Captain Hate]

"Refugees" rape a little girl in Idaho. Send them back.

As Tammy Bruce has pointed out, calling them "refugees" is a deliberate misuse of the meaning of the word. Syrians are refugees when they reach Turkey or whichever country they arrived at initially; they are migrants after any subsequent move to a different country.

[squaredance]

Actually, their refusal to wholeheartedly back Trump will likely loose then the Senate.

Also, their fumbling around with the 2nd amendment does not help/.

If they would stand u like men and fight for what is right, they would gt roe seat. But they cannot see that. They cannot see outside the prism of beltway politics. They stand for nothing but accommodating polls and the Left's manipulation of opinion.

It is amazing given what the Demos have handed them over Orlnado that they keep at this. They chase after voters that woill never vote for them, and alienate the ones that do.

Remember, if it were not for Trump we would be listening to the GOP candidate mutter on about "comprehensive immigration reform.

The GOP, and evidently a large part of the nation are just plain fools--that is all one can say.

IT just amazes what this country has come to. How our ene mies laugh at us. Do you think the Russians, the Iranians or the Chinese betray their own nation this way?

We are so stuffed with PC nonsense that we cannot see the simplest reality or look after our most obvious and m=basic self interests.

Just pure madness.

This is what we have come too: the average blue collar worker--the line worker, the cab driver--has a deeper and fuller understanding of what is going on then the august senators. How embarrassing to be an American these days.
How low these people are.

How far we have come from the country I was raised in. A AG editing transcripts for blatant and obvious political reasons.

Does anyone remember Watergate and the erased minutes on the tape.

The GOP deserves to loose the Senate. The way they are going, the are going to sink any chance of getting the WH--and they had a real shot at it. Before they are done they are going to be detested by everyone in the nation, right or left.

[Miss Marple 2]

Lurker Susie,

I posted a story from The Hill early this morning and noted it was a new excuse for why she isn't in jail, which is where she should be.

Apparently no one seems to know where she is now. She could even be dead, killed so she cannot give some information to the police.

If nothing else, she should have been put in protective custody.

[Captain Hate]

Lurker Susie,

Nothing would remove the blinders from people regarding the MFM's agenda than defending that whore beard wife. Even my lib wife wants her in jail.

[Buford Gooch]

Let me try to understand this. Napolitano said that, in essence, Mateen started shooting in the nightclub but didn't actually kill anyone. Then the police came in and killed 49 people? Is that correct?

[Momto2]

I would find it very surprising to have been "all," but I am not prepared to dismiss that claim out of hand.

OK - well therein lies the crux of our disagreement then because I AM prepared to dismiss that out of hand - 100%.

[jimmyk]

The NRA's refusal to back down, and its willingness to speak up and defend its principles in every circumstance, makes all the difference.

Gee, I wonder if there could be a lesson for the GOP(e) in this? Nah.

[Beasts of England]

The odds of keeping the Senate - based purely on the number of seats being defended - was 50/50 regardless. And as derwill pointed out, what have they done to merit our concern? Tough noogies...

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--the police don't use sig sauer mpx, so it should be fairly easy to determine which caliber of firearm made the injuries--

I think he used the MCX and it was probably in the same .223/5.56 caliber as the police ARs, though it does come in three calibers.

[Theo]

Hmmmm --

From ABC News:

"After police first ran into Pulse and exchanged gunfire with Mateen around 2 a.m. on June 12, no more shots were fired for nearly three hours — while authorities and Mateen repeatedly spoke over the phone.

Lee Bentley, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Florida, insisted that the actions of officers that morning 'should not be second-guessed. They performed valiantly.'"

So when did Mateen shoot the victims? During the initial exchange with the police at 2 am? Or during the later assault that eventually took him out? Apparently there were no shots fired other than at those times.

And why is some official insisting that the actions of the officers "should not be second guessed?" Who was second guessing them?

Again, I would draw no conclusions until we see the autopsy results, but it is looking certainly plausible that there were a significant number of people killed by police bullets.

[squaredance]

Well the point is with this absurd "redaction" by the AG it [puts substantial doubt all round, even so far as to put even the local authorities in doubt. THey have substantially muddied the waters here, and for now good reason-- certainly not the lame claim that "we are not going to help his propaganda". Aside from the truuly bizaare projection of this "propaganda" evasion, it is not the AG's Job to decide what to fitler out unless there is a clear and well know legal reason for this; nor should he be taking direction from the WH for this.

None of these things her jobs.

Again, they are running the country like they do their corrupt inner city machines. There, of course, they get away with almost anything.

What really is disturbing is the country in great part accepts this as normal and reasonable. This would have brought down and administration even 25 years ago.

Yet Hillary is doing well in the polls.

[Theo]

BoE --

When it comes to the presidential race, a whole lot of people here have said (in different ways) "Trump is not who I would most want to be president, not even close. BUT compared to Rodham, I am going to support him fervently."

So why shouldn't the same attitude carry over to the Senate? Here in Illinois, the choice is between Mark Kirk, who is not anyone's idea of a strong conservative Republican and Tammy Duckworth, who is everyone's idea of a strong liberal Democrat. Why shouldn't conservative voters support Kirk, despite his disappointing record on many issues, because he is sure as hell better than Duckworth?

Also, many here think that SCOTUS is in and of itself the reason to vote Trump despite the many obvious flaws. But it should be obvious that the kind of SCOTUS pick Rodham can make with a Senate majority will be worse than the type of pick she can make with a Republican Senate majority. No question that even if McConnell remains majority leader she will get to make picks we will not like. But there will be SOME leverage on the other side if the Republicans keep a majority. A marginal difference to be sure, but a difference.

[clarice]

Thank you, Theo.

[Beasts of England]

There has been discussion around the webz, and I think here to some degree, about high-trust versus low-trust societies. Functional and productive civilization requires high trust. We've always had that.

Now we're seeing an extraordinarily low-trust administration - which would also hold true under Clinton - and it corrodes our ability to function at the most basic levels. But, hey, vote for Cankles, right?

[clarice]

There's a reason trial attys tell juror if a witness lies about one thing, you may assume he's lying about other things. Redacting the Mateen statement (when they certainly do not if a man shoots at a PP meeting) raises reasonable suspicion that they are lying about a lot of things.

And as JMH they have a HISTORY about such lie besides this instance..

[Toody]

Morning Consult Poll (6/15-6/20) -

3-way:
Clinton 38%
Trump 38%
Johnson 10%

2-way:
Clinton 42% (+0% vs prior)
Trump 40% (+3%)

The Morning Consult survey polled 3,891 voters from June 15-20 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

https://morningconsult.com/2016/06/20/poll-orlando-huge-spike-voters-concerns-security/

[clarice]

One of these days--maybe already--FBI agents and local cops will be sick of this crap and start leaking the truth. I've been informed the coroner in Orlando was just promoted--suspicious minds suggest that may interfere with his ability to determine who shot whom.

[clarice]

*as JMH noted they*

[cheerleader]

Most of the Trump supporters at the pro Trump sites are cool with the firing of Corey. Me not so much.

It was Jared Kushner, Ivanka's husband who wrote the campaign's transition plan, and Ivanka was the one who fired the hard-headed Corey this morning. He was unceremoniously marched out of Trump Tower.

My guess is that Ivanka is not at all pleased about the floods of negative publicity that her dad's getting, and she wants to change that.

For me, when Mr. Trump supported Corey during the Michelle Fields debacle, my support for him (Mr. Trump) solidified. Corey's being thrown under the bus isn't too sitting well with me.

[cheerleader]

"isn't sitting too well"

[clarice]

well, cheerleader--he was right then but he needs someone who can better manage the general--I doubt this is based on Ivanka's advice. Corey did a great job during the primaries with a small satff--now it's a different story which may require more management skills.

[cheerleader]

She was the one who did the firing, and she's married to the transition plan guy, so I think she had a LOT of input.

[cheerleader]

So he was right then, and won more votes for Mr. Trump than anyone in the history of Republican primaries, and then gets fired marched out of the building?

That doesn't add up for me.

[cheerleader]

"fired and marched"

[pagar a bacon, country ham and sausage supporter]

You want SC justices telling you what "Black Lives Matter " thinks:

Here it http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/20/sotomayor-dissent-reads-like-a-black-lives-matter-man

[Captain Hate]

Welp the eggplant shaped Glenn Greenwald agrees with Sotamoron.

[Miss Marple 2]

Theo,

You have a really good point with Mark Kirk and other senators. Reagan always said that if you can get a guy who will agree with you on 80%, take it and get the rest later. (Although with Kirk it's probably closer to 60%, but it's Illinois and I am not living in fantasyland. HA!)

The time to get rid of unacceptable Republicans is in the primaries, but that doesn't always work out, either. You have to decide what you can tolerate and what you can't, before you make that primary vote. After that, you pretty much have to support the nominee if you consider control of committees, the ability to vote down bills, etc.

[derwill]

--"But it should be obvious that the kind of SCOTUS pick Rodham can make with a Senate majority will be worse than the type of pick she can make with a Republican Senate majority. --"

Prove it. Prove that a GOP Senate would not rubber stamp every single SCOTUS candidate a President Hillary would put forward. They couldn't bring themselves to suffer the MSM flack from denying the First Black President whatever his black heart has desired since they achieved a majority two years ago. They aren't going to deny the First Woman President for the same reason. If you think Hillary is going to be intimidated by those spineless worms in the Senate, you're delusional.

[Lurker Susie]

Just heard on fox the administration will release the full unredacted
911 transcript. What happened?

[Captain Hate]

The Restraining Order must view himself, along with his fatassed second wife, as some sort of commiecrat King maker because he's whoring for money to benefit Leaky Leahy, kind of a senior version of Grayson. "Pat is a vocal opponent of Citizens United, so it’s obvious why he’s no friend of the Koch brothers or extreme special interest groups. And now that he has an opponent, they could use their millions in outside cash to try and get him out of office."

[East Bay Jay]

I heard Judge Napolitano say that nobody was wounded or died UNTIL the police breached the club. NOT that the police killed/wounded everyone.

[derwill]

And I didn't say I wouldn't vote Republican for the down ticket national offices, so don't go lighting any more strawmen on fire, theo.

[Miss Marple 2]

cheerleader,

I don't know where you got your information, but I think I would reserve judgement. The last thing I am going to do is get into the middle of what might be family disagreements on the campaign.

In addition, as in other instances where we are not privy to all information, there are probably things we are unaware of.

Corey did a pretty good job in the primaries, but if he had been able to handle the whole thing Manafort wouldn't have been brought on board. It could be that others had input, too, like Sessions.

We don't know the actual reason, so I am reserving judgement. Points to Corey for continuing to say that Trump is a good candidate.

[derwill]

Why would the police storm the club if no one had yet been killed?

[Miss Marple 2]

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/284130-lewandowski-trump-deserves-perfection

Interview with Lewandowski on CNN today. Unfailingly loyal to Trump, denies Ivanka or Jared Kushner had anything to do with it.

[Miss Marple 2]

derwill, Early on I read that he was going to put bombs on the hostages.

I have no idea if that was true or if it was just one of those wild rumors that gets started in situations like this.

[pagar a bacon, country ham and sausage supporter]

"prove it" Wouldn't it be better to not give her the chance? IMO, Hillary could nominate an AG a 1000 times worse that Lynch and have the ipossibility of getting approval. Stopping her from being President would end that possibility.

[James D]

Prove it. Prove that a GOP Senate would not rubber stamp every single SCOTUS candidate a President Hillary would put forward. They couldn't bring themselves to suffer the MSM flack from denying the First Black President whatever his black heart has desired since they achieved a majority two years ago. They aren't going to deny the First Woman President for the same reason. If you think Hillary is going to be intimidated by those spineless worms in the Senate, you're delusional.

I have to agree with this. In theory, a GOP Senate is far preferable to a Dem one. But in practice, they have done precious little to stop or even slow anything Obama has tried to do.

Loretta Lynch was easily confirmed, when she should not even have been given a vote. Her predecessor was (and still is, as far as I know) in contempt of congress for lying and refusing to respond to subpoenas. He was a lying, racist crook. She is every bit as much a liar, a racist and a criminal as he is. And the GOP allowed her to take the job without a peep.

The Iran deal went through with basically no opposition, with the GOP even surrendering the Constitutional prerogative of ratifying treaties to allow it to happen. They signed off on handing $150 billion to a terrorist state that openly despises us and murders our citizens.

That's not remotely what we were promised when McTurtle and the gang asked us to give them control of the Senate in 2014. They've performed disgracefully for the past year and a half.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Sounds as though wee Barbara Bush has been infected with the globalist sustainability virus - man's answers for all societal ills and aberrations must always take precedence over those of the Creator.

[Buford Gooch]

Pagar's link gets a 404. This link worked for me.

http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/20/sotomayor-dissent-reads-like-a-black-lives-matter-manifesto/

[Theo]

derwill --

The police would storm the club even if no one had yet been killed if they had reason that there would be killings if they did not take him out quickly. I read that he threatened to put bomb vests on four people in the next fifteen minutes. That might motivate an assault.

The other reason to attack would be an assessment of the odds of talking him into surrender without loss of life.

Still a lot that we do not know.

[Theo]

JamesD --

I am not sure how much we disagree here. I think that a Republican controlled Senate would not have a lot of leverage in terms of SCOTUS nominations and almost certainly would confirm Rodham nominees that most of us would want rejected.

BUT I think that at the margins it would be better in terms of such nominations to have a GOP Senate than to have Schumer as majority leader. A Republican Senate is little check on her. A Democratic Senate is none at all.

Not a big difference to be sure, but a difference worth casting a vote for.

[jimmyk]

I couldn't get that Sotomayor link to work, but this might:

http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/20/sotomayor-dissent-reads-like-a-black-lives-matter-manifesto/

[derwill]

I agree it would be better, pagar, which is why I think it's vital that the GOPe use some judicious restraint and STFU when it comes to Trump, immigration, and now gun control (which really takes the cake when it comes to pissing off the voters). Short of blowing up the Party with the equivalent of a nuclear bomb at the convention and subsequently losing everything, including not just the WH and the Senate, but the House as well, Trump is going to be the nominee. Period. End of story. So if they truly are afraid his loss will affect their chances of maintaining the Senate, why are they doing everything in their power to help him lose? They've boxed themselves into such a corner with their idiocy that they can't win now no matter which way they turn.

[jimmyk]

For me, when Mr. Trump supported Corey during the Michelle Fields debacle, my support for him (Mr. Trump) solidified.

C'mon cheerleader, I think the record will show that your support for Trump has been as solid as granite for as long as you've been posting here.

[Miss Marple 2]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/tim-cook-apple-paul-ryan-fundraiser-224554

Personally, I have a problem with this.