Shop Deals at Amazon

I appreciate all the reader support. I mostly love Amazon for the books. I love posting and learning about all these books. And I use the commissions to buy books, heh. I've never really blogged for the money. When Amazon cut off California from the marketplace in the sales tax standoff, I just kept blogging as always.

In any case, I do thank all of you for your support. It's very nice of you. I'm a humble community college professor. American Power isn't as popular as it used to be, although I like to think I can still fill niche here, especially with unabashedly pro-American and politically incorrect blogging. That's never going to change.

In any case, at Amazon, Today's Deals.

Also, Audio Technica AT-LP120BK-USB Direct-Drive Professional Turntable (USB & Analog), Black.

Here, AmazonBasics Apple Certified Lightning to USB Cable - 6 Feet (1.8 Meters) - White.

And, Millennium Assorted Energy Bars (6 Count) - Long Shelf Life Fruit flavored Bar Bundle - Survival Pack for Calamity, Disaster, Hiking and Meal replacement - with Emergency Guide.

More, Mountain House Just In Case...Breakfast Bucket.

Plus, Koffee Kult - Medium Roast Coffee Beans (2 lb Whole Bean) Highest Quality Delicious Coffee - Fresh Gourmet Aromatic Artisan Blend - Packaging May Vary.

BONUS: Harvey Klehr, Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America, and The Soviet World of American Communism.

ICYMI: David Horowitz, Take No Prisoners

Following-up, "David Horowitz Interview with Dave Rubin (VIDEO)."

At Amazon, David Horowitz, Take No Prisoners: The Battle Plan for Defeating the Left.

David Horowitz Interview with Dave Rubin (VIDEO)

I have friends who despise David Horowitz. He's said to be totalitarian himself. But there's nobody else, for me, who better expose the evil and hatred of the left, and thus I'll always love the guy.

Here's his latest book, at Amazon, Big Agenda: President Trump’s Plan to Save America.

And watch, "David Horowitz on Communism, Marxism, and the Black Panther Party":

Trump Administration Said to Apologize to U.K. Over Spying Claims

At the Los Angeles Times, "Trump's unsubstantiated claim that Obama spied on him has now entangled — and upset — Great Britain."

This was the big thing on CNN this morning, which I had on for a while while grading essays:



Still more, at Memeorandum, "White House apologizes to British government over spying claims."

Once Called a Hoax, Vallejo Kidnapping Leads to Prison

At the Los Angeles Times, "Harvard-educated former attorney sentenced to 40 years in prison for bizarre Vallejo kidnapping":

Harvard-educated man sentenced to 40 years for bizarre Vallejo kidnapping police had called hoax https://t.co/cVmFeM9NYn @brittny_mejia

— Hailey Branson-Potts (@haileybranson) March 17, 2017

It had been nearly two years since Denise Huskins had been in the same room as the man who kidnapped her in the early morning darkness.

Standing at a podium in a Sacramento courthouse, she faced him. Then she turned her words against the man — a Harvard-educated former attorney — who had bound, drugged and raped her twice.

“Now we meet face to face, eye to eye,” Huskins told Matthew Muller. “I’m Denise Huskins, the woman behind the blindfold.”

Huskins’ family and friends grew teary eyed as she described her pain after Muller kidnapped her on March 23, 2015, and after the Vallejo Police Department, at one point, publicly portrayed the case as a hoax.

In an emotional scene, Huskins asked that Muller be sentenced to life in prison.

“I know, without doubt or hesitation, that as long as he walks free, there will be more victims,” she said.

At the sentencing, Muller’s defense attorney argued for a 30-year sentence, citing his client’s struggles with mental illness.

“I’m sick with shame,” Muller said, adding that he would accept whatever sentence was imposed.

His parents sat with their younger son and their family and friends, as they waited in silence for U.S. District Court Judge Troy L. Nunley to hand down his sentence:

Forty years in prison.

The kidnapping took place before dawn as Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, slept in the master bedroom of his home on Mare Island. The couple awoke to find a stranger standing in the room.

Using a stun gun and a water pistol made to look like a gun, Muller ordered the couple to lie still while he bound and blindfolded them and gave them a sleep-inducing liquid, prosecutors said. A recorded message played over headsets, threatening electric shock if the couple did not comply with his orders.

Muller placed Huskins in the trunk of Quinn’s 2000 Toyota Camry and moved her to the trunk of another car before driving her to his family’s South Lake Tahoe home...

Keep reading.

Patricia Nelson Limerick, The Legacy of Conquest

*BUMPED.*

I picked up a copy.

It's at my beside. Indeed, I've read the preface to the new edition. She's a energetic writer who's endlessly pleased by the publication of her book. It changed her life. She's got few regrets.

She became something of a public intellectual too.

At Amazon, Patricia Nelson Limerick, The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West.

Cas Mudde and Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser, Populism

Following-up, "Dutch Election Sows (Shows) Extreme Political Fragmentation."

At Amazon, Cas Mudde and Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser, Populism: A Very Short Introduction.

Dutch Election Sows (Shows) Extreme Political Fragmentation

From Cas Muddle, an excellent scholar, at NYT:

MY take on Dutch elections. Headline by @nytimes doesn't really summarize different points made in it. #TK17 🇳🇱 https://t.co/9ZmoHAC936

— Cas Mudde (@CasMudde) March 16, 2017

The parliamentary election in the Netherlands on Wednesday was predicted to be the next populist show of strength after the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump’s election. The Dutch would be the first of a number of European countries to succumb to the right-wing populists’ siren songs in 2017, with the French not far behind.

It didn’t work out that way.

Geert Wilders, who is all too often described as a bleach blond or referred to as “the Dutch Trump,” did not defeat the conservative prime minister, Mark Rutte. In fact, he didn’t come close.

With more than 95 percent of the vote counted, Mr. Rutte’s People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, or V.V.D., came first with 21.2 percent of the vote, compared to Mr. Wilders’s Party for Freedom, which took only 13.1 percent. Mr. Wilders barely improved on his margin in the 2012 election (where he took 10.1 percent) and failed to do as well as he did in 2010 (where he got 15.5 percent of the vote).

The real story in Dutch politics isn’t Mr. Wilders’s rise, it is the unprecedented fragmentation of the political system. Together, Mr. Rutte’s and Mr. Wilders’s parties look set to make up only 33 percent of the Parliament, with 11 more political parties constituting the rest. This splintering of Dutch politics is making effective governance of the country increasingly impossible.

While previous Parliaments have counted 14 or more factions, what has changed is the relative size of the parties. In 1986, the top three parties together won 85 percent of the vote. In 2003, it was down to 74 percent. Today it is just around 45 percent.

Because of its proportional representation system of voting, the Netherlands is an extreme case. But the trends are similar across Western Europe: The main center-right and center-left parties are shrinking, smaller parties are growing and unstable coalition politics are becoming the norm. There are many reasons for this — from secularization to deindustrialization to the emergence of new political issues, like the environment or immigration.

The consequences have been painfully visible across Europe for some time. It took Belgium 541 days to form a government after its 2010 election. Both Greece and Spain were in recent years forced to hold second elections after the first Parliaments failed to form coalitions. In the Netherlands, forming a government is not quite as difficult, but the next one will most likely be a coalition of four to six parties.

If the Party for Freedom is excluded — and almost all parties have pledged that they will refuse to serve in a coalition with Mr. Wilders — the government will probably consist of five or six medium-size parties that span almost the entire political spectrum. Given that the conservative V.V.D. and the Christian Democratic Appeal are ideologically closer to the Party for Freedom than they are to, for example, the Green Left party with which they will be governing, the government will be rightly perceived as an anti-Wilders coalition.

This will play right into Mr. Wilders’s hands. He has long argued that the Netherlands’ political parties are all the same. Being the leader of the largest opposition party against an internally divided, weak “anti-Wilders” coalition is undoubtedly his second most desired outcome of the elections — after, of course, winning an outright majority of the votes.

The only way to break this vicious circle is for the parties in government to come together to support a positive program, one that justifies their cooperation and their decision to exclude Mr. Wilders...

Why Trump is Wise to Refer to 'Radical Islamic Terrorism' (VIDEO)

Here's Robert Spencer:

Shop Today

Okay, I've got to hop in the shower and get ready for work.

I figured out what happened on my *bumped* posts last night: I had the wrong date, the 13th instead of the 14th, so the posts wouldn't bump up to the top of the blog. My bad. I was fatigued from work and I thought the posts were from yesterday and not the day before. In any case, at least Blogger's not all "hinky" after all.

Until tonight, Shop Deals at Amazon.

Here's one, Save on Dyson AM05 Hot + Cool Fan Heater (Certified Refurbished).

BONUS: Carol Anderson, White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide.

How a Selfie of White Neighbors Jogging in Historically Black Leimert Park Reveals the Simmering Tensions on the Places We Call Home

This shouldn't be a thing, but then, leftists are the biggest racists.

At the Los Angeles Times.

More Hailey Clauson (VIDEO)

Following-up from yesterday, "Hailey Clauson Uncovered for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2017 (VIDEO)."

At Sports Illustrated:

Campuses Are Becoming Unsafe Spaces for Conservative Students

Seriously not kidding.

At Instapundit, "ANALYSIS: TRUE."

Marine Corps Nude Photo Scandal (VIDEO)

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's been on a hardcore feminist jihad anyway. These hearings just gave her a platform to spew her PC rage.

At Quartz, "Watch: Senator Gillibrand tears into the marines over why no one’s been held responsible for the nude photo scandal."

And CBS This Morning:

Professor Robert Kelly Viral Children Interruption Video

Well, he's a lucky man. What a beautiful family!

ADDED: At Althouse, "'My real life punched through the fake cover I had created on television'."

Professor Robert Kelly speaks to us again - now we can officially meet his wife & children 😉 https://t.co/SmwRdyPOd7 #BBCDad pic.twitter.com/smCE8iW431

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 14, 2017

Fear and Loathing at MSNBC

Following-up from last night, "President Trump Paid $38 Million in Taxes on More Than $150 Million in Income in 2005 (VIDEO)."

At the Other McCain:

FEAR AND LOATHING AT MSNBC! https://t.co/GxSx1DHubW pic.twitter.com/XWWdGXomav

— The Patriarch Tree (@PatriarchTree) March 15, 2017

Thank you Rachel Maddow, for debunking the myth that Trump hasn't paid any taxes in 18 years. pic.twitter.com/wRWNbQZzu1

— Elizabeth® (@MissLizzyNJ) March 15, 2017

Dutch Elections Today

Following-up from last night, "Immigration Fatigue Defines Dutch Elections."

And after the Dutch elections on March 15, 2017

I Will Make The Netherlands Great Again!#MakeTheNetherlandsGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/rZXo1QpOy0

— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) November 6, 2016

.@BlazingCatFur Dutch Vote Watched Across Europe With a Finger in the Wind. https://t.co/X4huwf0rhg

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) March 15, 2017

In less than 24 hours, Dutch voters head to the polls. Here's where the race stands now https://t.co/J2kNtCMYVj pic.twitter.com/asKQa62gzS

— Bloomberg Politics (@bpolitics) March 14, 2017

Viacheslav Morozov, Russia's Postcolonial Identity

Here's a work of political science that might be of interest, especially considering all the leftist fake news about Russia.

At Amazon, Viacheslav Morozov, Russia's Postcolonial Identity: A Subaltern Empire in a Eurocentric World.

President Trump Paid $38 Million in Taxes on More Than $150 Million in Income in 2005 (VIDEO)

I saw a couple of tweets on this, but now here comes Legal Insurrection with the story. See, "Rachel Maddow’s career committed suicide live on national TV tonight."

And at Bloomberg, "Trump Paid $38 Million Tax on $150 Million Income, Return Shows."

That's huge tax hit. Huge.

It's an effective tax rate of 24 percent. Sheesh. Didn't Mitt Romney get his effective rate down to 14 percent in 2011? I think President Trump needs a new accountant, lol.

And Rachel Maddow needs to get her head screwed on correctly. This is no bombshell. Trump's paying his fair share in federal taxes. Shoot, he's being over-taxed. Maybe that's why he didn't want to release his returns? He's getting hammered by the IRS.

In any case, Maddow's still as butch as ever. I never --- absolutely never --- watch her show. It's been years, literally.



Also, at the Daily Beast, via Memeorandum, "Report: Trump's 2005 Taxes Revealed."

One More Time, ICYMI: Robert J. Utley, The Indian Frontier

I tried to bump this post, but Blogger is acting all hinky, so I'm reposting it as a new entry.

From earlier today:

*****

I just finished Utley's chapter on the final campaigns of the frontier wars, which concludes with the surrender of Geronimo in 1886.

It's a great book. Marvelously balanced.

At Amazon, Robert J. Utley, The Indian Frontier of the American West, 1846-1890.

One More Time: Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest

I tried to bump this post, but Blogger is acting all hinky, so I'm reposting it as a new entry.

From earlier today:

****

I've got this one on order.

At Amazon, Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest.

The book is referenced by Vine Deloria, Jr., in Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto.

Marine Le Pen Informs Young Woman Reporter: 'Madame, the French people have no confidence in the media. Are you aware of that...?'

Via Paul Joseph Watson, on Twitter:

Marine Le Pen Smacks Down Reporter: ‘No One Trusts the Media’ - https://t.co/MCAzme6GWx pic.twitter.com/robZyew2XM

— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) March 14, 2017

Welcome to Spring Break, Miami-Style

Heh.

At London's Daily Mail, "EXCLUSIVE - 'We've been drinking vodka and smoking joints. It's really cool': A haze of weed, booze on the beach, twerking and sex in the open – welcome to Spring Break, Miami-style."

Immigration Fatigue Defines Dutch Elections

This is a great piece!

From Andrew Michta, at the American Interest:

A predictor for Europe: Immigration Fatigue Defines Dutch Elections @aminterest @RealClearWorld @Marshall_Center https://t.co/a5PdOqX0z1

— Andrew A. Michta (@andrewmichta) March 14, 2017

No matter the outcome, tomorrow’s parliamentary elections in the Netherlands will widen the divisions between European elites and publics.

As the Netherlands enters the final stretch in its 2017 election campaign, all eyes have turned to watch the political churning in this small but potentially significant EU member state. The intense interest by the international media is warranted; the Dutch election is the first of the “decisive three of 2017” (followed by elections in France and Germany) that many analysts believe will be leading indicators of the evolution of European politics in coming years. This has made the Dutch balloting in effect the first major European referendum on the past three decades’ immigration policy not only for Holland but also for the largest European countries.

Across Europe there has been a lot of polling, theorizing, opining, and (quite frankly) reading of tea leaves about the outcome of this vote. Paradoxically, the actual numbers of this election matter less than the political undercurrents it has brought to the surface. Geert Wilders’s anti-establishment, anti-immigration Party of Freedom (PVV) may still be positioned to deliver a stunning upset, though newer polling suggests a much tighter race. Still, the recent collapse of popular support for the social-democratic Labor Party (PvdA), a coalition partner of the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) since 2012, has made any firm predictions about the outcome a mug’s game. Regardless of whether Geert Wilders’s PVV overtakes or comes a few seats short of current Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s VVD, election day will permanently alter Dutch politics—and the politics of Europe.

The consensus seems to be that, even if Wilders delivers an upset, it is unlikely that his party will be able to enter into a coalition government, and so it will most likely become an opposition party in Parliament. Still, even if the PVV is not able to enter into a coalition, much less form a government, its gains will shrink the center of Dutch politics, making the building of a workable coalition much more difficult. Most importantly, the Dutch election is likely to herald a broader European trend of the center losing more and more ground to extreme left and right political parties. As in the United Kingdom and the United States, the perception that elite policies have failed has spread throughout Dutch society. Wilders’s anti-immigrant message has resonated especially in the aftermath of the 2015-16 wave of migration from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA); the Netherlands has been a prime destination for migrants on account of its generous immigration and welfare policies.

Will the past three decades of multiculturalism and institutionalism continue to define the Continent’s future? This is precisely the question at issue in Europe today. The idea that Europe can in fact become a tapestry of comingling ethnicities and cultures has in only the past couple of years met with hardening resistance, not just in smaller countries like the Netherlands and Sweden but also, and perhaps more importantly, in the largest EU countries, including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. The gathering anti-immigrant rebellion in Europe has fueled a resurgent nationalism that cannot simply be dismissed as “populism” or “Islamophobia”—the default position of most media commentary. The predominantly Muslim wave of the current migration—including, for instance, the nearly one million MENA migrants that are estimated to have entered Germany in 2015–16—has contributed to the largest mass migration in Europe since the end of the Second World War (and furthermore, for the first time ever, members of the migrant wave predominantly hail from outside of Europe). At the same time, because of low levels of acculturation among these immigrants, citizenship in Europe is not generally seen as the primary identity marker. Public perceptions and differentiation in Europe increasingly focus on ethnic origin and religion. Hence, unlike in the United States, it matters less and less whether the Muslim population is first, second, or even third generation. One in five people living in the Netherlands is an immigrant or a child of immigrants. This is especially important in larger Dutch cities; for instance, in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, close to half of the population has a first- or second-generation immigrant background. For young people, the numbers are even higher, approaching two-thirds of school age children in those two cities. The high concentration of immigrant populations in Europe’s large cities is a pattern repeated across the Continent, from Paris and Copenhagen through Stockholm and Frankfurt to London and Brussels. The progressive balkanization of neighborhoods in these large cities of Western Europe is polarizing politics and raising tensions between the indigenous European population and immigrants and their descendants...

Keep reading.

Illegal Alien Parents Prepare Families for the Worst

At the Los Angeles Times, "Fearful parents sign papers for friends to care for kids in case they're deported":

She saw the news of the raids happening around the country and felt helpless. Scared. She had lived here for more than a decade, following her father’s advice: Work hard and stay out of trouble.

But suddenly it felt as though trouble was looking for her. Lorena Napola worried about her four children. What if she were hauled away? Who would make sure they got to school? To doctors’ appointments? To church?

The questions weighed on her in recent weeks. She saw on the news a mother in Arizona get picked up by federal agents for deportation. Napola thought the woman seemed normal. Unassuming. She was without papers. Like her.

Napola’s friends spoke of rumors: Dark trucks filled with people in dark uniforms raiding nearby neighborhoods. She knew President Trump campaigned to crack down on illegal immigration and now he appeared to be a man of his word.

So she went to see Andres Paredes, a leader at her local Mormon church. Three of her children are U.S. citizens, she told him. Would he care for them if la migra came and she were deported?

Paredes, a quiet man who came to the United States from Peru decades ago, drew up power of attorney papers that gave him authority to make school, medical and other decisions for her children in case she and her husband were deported. Napola felt relief that her kids would be cared for and sadness that it had come to this.

“They are my life,” she said. “They are everything.”

As the papers were signed, Paredes said, his heart broke. He has signed power of attorney with two families.

“It’s a big responsibility,” he said softly. “I’m not sure it’s entirely sunk in yet.”

The fear among immigrants in the United States illegally has reached such a pitch that some have altered their lifestyles, won't answer the door if someone knocks and pay close attention to reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions on social media and the news...

Still more.

RELATED: "Illegal Border Crossings Appear to Drop Under Trump."

Amazing what some seriousness of purpose on immigration can accomplish. It's almost like we're enforcing our laws!

Fire in Downtown Los Angeles Fueled by Red Hot Chili Peppers (VIDEO)

Really.

At the Los Angeles Times, "Chili pepper ash and a pungent odor linger at scene of L.A. warehouse district fire."

ICYMI: Alan Taylor, William Cooper's Town

I know, I know.

I've got too many books going at one time!

But I love 'em.

This book is fantastic. I can't recommend it enough.

At Amazon, Alan Taylor, William Cooper's Town: Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic.

A Glimpse Into the Life of a Slave Sold to Save Georgetown

Pretty fascinating.

At NYT:

A glimpse into the life of a slave sold to save Georgetown https://t.co/da5k7LVSbj pic.twitter.com/v2nPgViW9X

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 13, 2017

He was an enslaved teenager on a Jesuit plantation in Maryland on the night that the stars fell. It was November 1833, and meteor showers set the sky ablaze.

His name was Frank Campbell. He would hold tight to that memory for decades, even when he was an old man living hundreds of miles away from his birthplace. In 1838, he was shipped to a sugar plantation in Louisiana with dozens of other slaves from Maryland. They had been sold by the nation’s most prominent Jesuit priests to raise money to help save the Jesuit college now known as Georgetown University.

Mr. Campbell would survive slavery and the Civil War. He would live to see freedom and the dawning of the 20th century. Like many of his contemporaries from Maryland, he would marry and have children and grandchildren. But in one respect, he was singular: His image has survived, offering us the first look at one of the 272 slaves sold to help keep Georgetown afloat.

These rare, century-old photographs of Mr. Campbell help illustrate the story of those enslaved men, women and children. We shared that story with you back in April, starting a conversation about American institutions and their historical ties to slavery that has engaged many readers.

The photos had been stored in the archives of the Ellender Memorial Library at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., not far from where Mr. Campbell was enslaved.

Clifton Theriot, the library’s archivist and interim director, made the connection late last year after stumbling across an article in a genealogical quarterly about the Jesuit slaves who had been shipped to Louisiana. He was startled to see Mr. Campbell’s name listed among them.

“I thought, ‘I know this name,’” Mr. Theriot recalled.

He went into the archives and pulled out a small, black photo album from the early 1900s. Mr. Theriot went through the album, page by page, photo by photo, until he found them: three photographs of a bearded, elderly black man with pearly white hair.

Underneath was a handwritten notation. It described the man as having been born in “Moreland” or “Mereland,” probably referring to Maryland, Mr. Theriot said.

And it identified him as “Frank Cambell our old servant 19 when the stars fell.” The fiery meteor shower of 1833 was so memorable that many people used it to date important moments in their lives.

Mr. Theriot knew he was on to something: “I was like, ‘This is the guy.’”

He reached out to Judy Riffel, the author of the article that had inspired his search through the archives. She is the lead genealogist for the Georgetown Memory Project, a group founded by Richard J. Cellini, a Georgetown alumnus, to identify the 272 slaves and their descendants...

Hailey Clauson Uncovered for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2017 (VIDEO)

She's wonderful.

Jackie Johnson's Sunny and Warm Forecast

But lots of fog near the coasts in the mornings. I noticed it this morning, in fact.

Here's Ms. Jackie, at CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

CBO Cost Estimate of the American Health Care Act (VIDEO)

I think I've mentioned it, but there's a couple of core elements of ObamaCare that shouldn't be repealed, particularly the protections for preexisting conditions and the provision to allow health coverage for children up to 26 under parents' insurance plans.

Some of the other provisions of ObamaCare, especially the individual mandate, have to go. Doing so would of course weaken the law, making it easier to shift to a more market-oriented alternative. Whatever happens, though, Republicans can't just drop millions of people off the health care rolls. It's going to be political dynamite, as a number of conservatives mentioned last week (see Dana Loesch, for example).

Most of all, congressional Republicans must protect the Trump administration, to say nothing of their majorities in the legislature.

At the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "G.O.P. Health Law Insures Fewer People, Nonpartisan Review Shows."

I personally don't trust the CBO to be "non-partisan," but that's just me.

Also, at CBS Evening News:

Wearing Red, White, and Blue is 'Offensive' at Iowa Basketball Game (VIDEO)

This is pretty messed up.

You can't even wear America's colors anymore without being attacked as "racist."

At Zero Hedge, "It Is Now 'Blatant Racism' to Wear Red, White, and Blue."

Also, at Heat Street, "Iowa Teens Blasted for Wearing ‘Offensive’ Patriotic Attire to Basketball Game."

Lightning Deals

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Today's Deals.

And, Brother TN450 High Yield Black Toner - Retail Packaging.

Also, GoPro HERO5 Black.

More, Coleman 8 Person Tenaya Lake Fast Pitch Cabin Tent with Closet.

Plus, Acer Aspire 15.6-Inch Full HD Laptop (Intel Core i5, NVIDIA 940MX, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, Windows 10).

And, NordicTrack T 6.5 S Treadmill.

BONUS: David Horowitz, Take No Prisoners: The Battle Plan for Defeating the Left.

Intersectionality as Religion

Andrew Sullivan got props at Hot Air from John Sexton.

See, "Andrew Sullivan: Is intersectionality a religion?"

Excitable Andrew's arguably a great writer. It's just so hard to get past all of his baggage (don't look over there!)

But I'll give him a link, to be nice, heh.

At New York Magazine, "Is Intersectionality a Religion?"

"Intersectionality" as orthodoxy is shutting down debate on college campuses, says @sullydish https://t.co/90IdlNiBpq

— New York Magazine (@NYMag) March 11, 2017

SEAL Team 6 'Decapitation' Strike Against North Korea

That just has a rad ring to it, not to mention it'd be cool to really "decapitate" the North Korean regime, as in regime change Pyongyang.

At Business Insider, via Memeorandum, "SEAL Team 6 is reportedly training for a decapitation strike against North Korea's Kim regime."

How the Lack of Ideological Diversity on College Campuses Slows Progress and Threatens the Ideals of Liberal Education

From political scientist Samuel J. Abrams, at the American Interest, via Instapundit, "HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: Mind The Professors."

Alexa Ray Joel Uncovered for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2017 (VIDEO)

She's nice.

Amazingly so.

Sean Spicer Ambushed While Shopping at Apple Store in Washington, D.C.

I hope the dude has some security with him.

It's just not safe to go about your business on your own. Leftists are truly evil.

Here's some black chick named Shree, attacking the press secretary, via Memeorandum, "Such a Great Country, Such Nasty Bigotry."

Nicholson Baker, Substitute

At Amazon, Nicholson Baker, Substitute: Going to School With a Thousand Kids.

Charlie Rose is Back After Undergoing Heart Surgery in February (VIDEO)

At CBS This Morning.

I'm normally up at 7:00am to catch the opening of the show, but not on Mondays when my son has late start at school. (We can sleep in an hour longer, which is heavenly.)

Charlie's a good guy. Yeah, they're progs on the show, all of them, but I like the more serious news format compared to the morning shows on the other networks, especially Good Morning America, which is vile.

Theodore Draper, A Struggle for Power

At Amazon, Theodore Draper, A Struggle for Power: The American Revolution.

Sunday Cartoons

At Flopping Aces, "Sunday Funnies."



Also at Theo's, "Cartoon Roundup..."

Cartoon Credit: A.F. Branco, "The Shadow Knows."

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

*BUMPED.*

I picked up a copy.

Dunbar-Ortiz gets right into "settler colonialism," starting on page 2 of the "Introduction."

She really hates the U.S.

Know your enemies, people. Books like this have a lot of influence.

At Amazon, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States.

New Michael Brown Video Prompts Massive Round of Fake News

This is so stupid. Even Obama's own Justice Department couldn't exonerate the thug Mike Brown.

At NYT, via Memeorandum, "New Ferguson Video Adds Wrinkle to Michael Brown Case."

And at Conservative Treehouse, "CNN Tries Another Michael Brown Con Job – Everything About The “New” Mike Brown Video is Fraud Here’s Proof…," and from Ed Driscoll, at Instapundit, "NO. NEXT QUESTION? DOES NEW VIDEO IN THE MICHAEL BROWN CASE CHANGE ANYTHING?"

Still more, at Gateway Pundit, "VERY FAKE NEWS: CNN Releases New Mike Brown Video at Convenience Store – Suggests It’s From Day of Shooting."

The Glory of Rhian Sugden

At the Sun U.K., "Spend some time drinking in the glory that is @RhianMarie."

Also, "NEW CBB LINE-UP: Former Page 3 girl Rhian Sugden to be part of most explosive Celebrity Big Brother ever as O.J. Simpson and Peru drug mules ‘join the line-up’ — Model is set to have some VERY interesting housemates."

Rhian Sugden joins the line up of the most explosive #CBB series ever https://t.co/OtmqwvhalW pic.twitter.com/3JhIBrtMGA

— The Sun (@TheSun) March 12, 2017

Far-Right Surge in the Far-Left Netherlands

As you know, I don't think populist nationalist parties are "far-right," but WaPo insists on the terminology, despite the support for Geert Wilders' insurgent parliamentary campaign among people we'd normally call center-left.

A great piece, surprisingly.

At the Washington Post:

Anti-immigrant anger threatens to remake the liberal Netherlands https://t.co/5OvIlBfutY

— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 12, 2017

Internet Addiction Resistance

Following-up, "Adam Alter, Irresistible."

Here's a great piece, with the reference to the book, from Ross Douthat:

My Sunday column: Resist the Internet:https://t.co/BNR0FYxWpQ

— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) March 12, 2017

Fabulous Pic Dump

He doesn't do these so much anymore, and thus a rare thing to behold.

At Theo's, "Pic Dump..."

Here's Owen Wister, The Virginian, in Mass-Market Paperback

I posted Owen Wister's book the other day, but at the time I didn't see the Signet mass-market paperback edition that's available.

Here, Owen Wister, The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains (Signet Classics).

And it turns out Zane Grey had read Owen Wister to study the format of the Western novel. Here's my previous entry, "Zane Grey, Riders of the Purple Sage."

(I'm not a Western fiction fanboy, so this is new information to me. I do love it, though.)

Zane Grey, Riders of the Purple Sage

Amazing.

This book's over 100 years old and still in print.

At Amazon, Zane Grey, Riders of the Purple Sage.

Disney Now Provides Training to Help Young Stars Avoid Scandals

Bella Thorne's a bad girl I guess, following in the footsteps of Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears.

At the New York Post, "Burned by fallen princesses, Disney is training stars to avoid scandal":

The House of Mouse is putting its foot down on starlets-gone-wild https://t.co/wqCCOoDa4Y

— New York Post (@nypost) March 11, 2017

In the last few months, Bella Thorne has tweeted a photo of herself wearing nothing but high heels, and also Snapchatted a pic of her newly pierced nipple (seen through a sheer pink top) and one of her sharing a kiss with a bosomy pal during a vacation to Mexico.

It’s a far cry from the 19-year-old’s days playing cutesy dancer CeCe Jones on the Disney Channel show “Shake It Up.” But Thorne’s rebellion is par for the course for the kiddie network’s roster of female stars — many of whom have ditched Disney’s squeaky-clean image for meltdowns, arrests and scandal.

Last April, 23-year-old Debby Ryan, the actress who starred in Disney’s “Jessie,” was arrested for DUI and pled no contest to the lesser charge of reckless driving after crashing her Audi into another vehicle in Los Angeles. Demi Lovato, who appeared on Disney’s “Sonny With a Chance” for two years, has been candid about her battle with drugs and alcohol, as well as bulimia and self-harm. Last April, two months after her Disney XD show “Lab Rats” ended, then-20-year-old actress Kelli Berglund was arrested for using a fake ID. There was “High School Musical” star Vanessa Hudgens’ nude-photo leak of 2007 and Miley Cyrus’ barrage of hypersexualized, pot-smoking antics. And no one can forget “Mickey Mouse Club” member Britney Spears’ epic, shaved-head, umbrella-thrashing meltdown a decade ago (her former manager, Sam Lufti, said in a lawsuit that Spears was on drugs at the time).

While stars-gone-bad is not a new phenomenon, Disney’s sheltered teen flock trashing its squeaky-clean image faster than you can say M-I-C-K-E-Y — letting the world know they are sexual beings and unashamed to party.

Recently, Disney has tried to provide more guidance to its young stars with classes focused on healthy living and social-media responsibility. Speaking to The Post exclusively about the courses, studio insiders also reveal for the first time that the network offers “life skills,” coaching actors on how to navigate the wilds of social media and pitfalls of fame.

But if the latest batch of troubled Disney princesses is any indication, the kid-friendly channel still has its work cut out for itself...

Debby Ryan DUI? She was the goodiest of the goody-two-shoes child stars. My kid used to watch all of those shows at the time.

But I agree: Part of growing into adulthood is embracing the side of sexual being, and unless you're a cloistered monk outside of filming Disney programs, it's going to be hard to resist the pull of the young celebrity party culture. Young people want to explore. I partied like it was going out of style when I was young, to my great dismay later. I had to work extra hard in my late-twenties to make up for lost time. But I think there's a pay-your-dues kind of need-for-experience thing going on as well. You have to screw up sometimes before you know how to make it better.

In any case, more at the link.

ICYMI: Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins

Deloria's a great writer. I find myself giggling at some of his stuff.

At Amazon, Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto.

There's No Feminism Without the Baby-Killing

From Twitter the other day:

Feminism is an anti-male, anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-capitalist hate movement controlled by the Democrat Party. pic.twitter.com/pcNKfyBapM

— The Patriarch Tree (@PatriarchTree) March 9, 2017

Heh. Can you tell me what feminism's all about, lol? https://t.co/40AizcJ0JT

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) March 10, 2017

You don't need a Ph.D. in gender studies to understand what "crazy" means. https://t.co/AaaSHW2d5a pic.twitter.com/qO1wotXgHV

— The Patriarch Tree (@PatriarchTree) March 10, 2017

And today, from Katha Pollitt, at the Nation, "Can a Feminist Be Pro-Life?"

Is there pro-life feminism? @kathapollitt replies to @LNEnriquez and @dleonhardt https://t.co/j1iuZemHvY

— The Nation (@thenation) March 10, 2017

These are bad people. Very bad.

Ranking King Kong Movies

Following-up from last night, "Opens Today: 'Kong: Skull Island — Rise of the King'."

From Christian Toto, at Pajamas, "All the King Kong Movies ... Ranked."

Hollywood's Conservative Minority Faces Backlash in the Age of Trump

Punch back twice as hard, Hollywood conservatives!

At LAT, "In liberal Hollywood, a conservative minority faces backlash in the age of Trump":

As an Academy Award-winning producer and a political conservative, Gerald Molen has worked in the entertainment business long enough to remember when being openly Republican in Hollywood was no big deal.

“In the ’90s, it was never really an issue that I had to hide. I was always forthright,” recalled the producer, whose credits include “Schindler’s List” and two “Jurassic Park” movies. “It used to be we could have a conversation with two opposing points of view and it would be amiable. At the end, we still walked away and had lunch together.”

Those days are largely gone, he said. “The acrimony — it’s there. It’s front and center.”

For the vast majority of conservatives who work in entertainment, going to set or the office each day has become a game of avoidance and secrecy. The political closet is now a necessity for many in an industry that is among the most liberal in the country.

Since the presidential election, some conservatives feel that their political beliefs are more of a career liability than ever — even for those traditional Republicans disenchanted by President Trump.

“I feel absolutely it has harmed me professionally,” said Andrew Klavan, the L.A.-based screenwriter and novelist, and a “reluctant” Trump supporter. His credits include the 1990 Michael Caine dark comedy “A Shock to the System” and the novel “True Crime,” which was made into a movie directed by Clint Eastwood.

Klavan said that producers have “called my agent asking, ‘Why would you represent this guy?’ Anything that lowers your odds is going to hurt.”

While no official tally exists, conservatives in the local entertainment industry estimate their numbers could be as high as a few thousand. That’s a small fraction of the nearly 240,000 entertainment-related jobs in the county estimated in the most recent Otis Report on the Creative Economy of the L.A. Region.

Friends of Abe — the industry’s largest conservative organization — alone counts about 2,500 people on its roster, having started a decade ago with just a handful of individuals led by actor Gary Sinise.

The organization, which keeps the identities of its members secret, holds monthly social events as well as lunches for new members. A new member can only join through a recommendation by an existing member. The group doesn’t endorse candidates, but does hold speaking events with past guests including Trump, Ted Cruz and Glenn Beck.

Hollywood conservatives are themselves a divided group when it comes to Trump, whose brash style and controversial policies on trade and immigration have alienated many Republicans.

Leaders of Friends of Abe said its members have sharply divergent views on the current president...

Keep reading.

Kate Hudson and Candice Swanepoel

At Drunken Stepfather, "KATE HUDSON BRALESS OF THE DAY," and "CANDICE SWANEPOEL's MOM-BODY TOPLESS PHOTOSHOOT OF THE DAY."

Anastasia Ashley Hawaii Adventure (VIDEO)

Previous Anastasia Ashley blogging is here.

Reader Recommendation: Hervey Allen, The Forest and the Fort: The City in the Dawn

*BUMPED.*

Thanks to the enthusiastic reader who recommended Hervey Allen's, The Forest and the Fort, the first book in a three-part series called The Disinherited and later published together as The City in the Dawn.

At Amazon, Hervey Allen, The Forest and the Fort: The City in the Dawn.

Bernard DeVoto, Across the Wide Missouri

*BUMPED.*

Here's a classic for you.

At Amazon, Bernard DeVoto, Across the Wide Missouri.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the Bancroft Prize. Across the Wide Missouri tells the compelling story of the climax and decline of the Rocky Mountain fur trade during the 1830s. More than a history, it portrays the mountain fur trade as a way of business and a way of life, vividly illustrating how it shaped the expansion of the American West.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Won't Resign

Following-up from yesterday, "President Trump Fires 46 Obama Administration Holdovers at the Justice Department."

At the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Preet Bharara Is Said to Refuse Order to Step Down as U.S. Attorney."

And at the Hill, "U.S. attorney Bharara won't resign despite Trump demand: reports."

Obama-appointed US attorney fired by Trump after refusing to resign https://t.co/cAO7SULb7I pic.twitter.com/gAFvrr42FB

— The Hill (@thehill) March 11, 2017

The Next French Revolution

I don't love the Economist so much these days, with its steady move to the left, but this is a great cover leader.

See, "France’s next revolution: The vote that could wreck the European Union - Why the French presidential election will have consequences far beyond its borders."

The implications of France's political insurgencies are hard to exaggerate https://t.co/tB5vTJrZH4

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) March 4, 2017

I'll credit them with a fair and decent discussion of Marine Le Pen, who I hope and pray becomes the next president of France.

RELATED: "France’s Next Revolution? A Conversation With Marine Le Pen."

Opens Today: 'Kong: Skull Island — Rise of the King'

I need to see "Logan" if I'm going to the flicks, and besides, "King Kong" movies are so tragically sad.

Pretty spectacular trailer, in any case:

On March 10, witness the rise of the King. Watch the NEW trailer for #kongskullisland! Get tickets now: https://t.co/ujrlGZAy5Y pic.twitter.com/YZ1b4rUxFB

— Kong: Skull Island (@kongskullisland) February 27, 2017

And see Kenneth Turan, at LAT, "Review: Big cast, big budget, not enough big ape in 'Kong: Skull Island'."

Rex Tillerson: Weakest Secretary of State Ever?

We're at 50 days in, so perhaps this analysis is a bit premature.

That said, it's Robert Jervis, eminent political scientist at Columbia University, and he makes some good points.

Of course, Tillerson could be the victim of a massive Democrat-leftist-bureaucrat sabotage campaign, designed to damage the entire administration. So, again, we'll see.

At Foreign Policy:

Here's why Rex Tillerson might be the weakest @StateDept Head ever. Robert Jervis explains: https://t.co/9t3KY34htr pic.twitter.com/tC4hPxkpp7

— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) March 10, 2017

President Trump Fires 46 Obama Administration Holdovers at the Justice Department

Hey, right on!

At the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Trump Abruptly Orders 46 Obama-Era Prosecutors to Resign."

Also at Twitchy:

YOU'RE FIRED: Donald Trump just told all 46 Obama-era US Attorneys to resign and Dems are LOSING IT https://t.co/OO3M34Nz6u

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 10, 2017

BONUS: At FrontPage Magazine, "David Horowitz on Hannity: 'Purging the Deep State' (VIDEO)."

Dana Loesch: Congressional Republicans Endangering the Trump Administration (VIDEO)

Via RCP, "Dana Loesch: Paul Ryan ObamaCare Plan a 'Middle Finger' to the American People, Trump Administration":

DANA LOESCH: I think there's a lot of danger there [with the House Republican health plan], Shannon. I want to reiterate what Senator Paul said, but I want to take it a step further. I think it's an insult. It's an insult to the American people and it's an insult to the Trump administration for Republicans, Congressional Republicans to deliver this bill to his desk.

They are the ones who are endangering this new administration and I can't bold, italicized, underline that anymore...

Also, at Breitbart, via Memeorandum, "7 Reasons Why ObamaCare 2.0 is All But Guaranteed to Impose Crushing Costs on Voters, Hurt Trump's Base, and Hand Power Back to the Democrats."

New Releases, Updated Hourly

At Amazon, Our Best-Selling New and Future Releases. Updated Hourly.

BONUS: Vine Deloria, Jr., Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto.

I'm off for interviews with the political science hiring committee all day.

Thanks for your support!

Scott Weidensaul, The First Frontier

*BUMPED.*

I'm almost 100 300 pages into Allan Eckert's, The Frontiersmen, which I'm loving.

For additional reading, see Scott Weidensaul, at Amazon, The First Frontier: The Forgotten History of Struggle, Savagery, and Endurance in Early America.

U.S. Marines Have Landed in Syria

Well, you know what they say: Send in the Marines!

And they have.

At the Washington Post, "Marines have arrived in Syria to fire artillery in the fight for Raqqa":

Marines from an amphibious task force have left their ships in the Middle East and deployed to Syria, establishing an outpost from which they can fire artillery guns in support of the fight to oust the Islamic State from the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, defense officials said.

The deployment marks a new escalation in the U.S. war in Syria, and puts more conventional U.S. troops in the battle. Several hundred Special Operations troops have advised local forces there for months, but the Pentagon has mostly shied away from using conventional forces in Syria. The new mission comes as the Trump administration weighs a plan to help Syrian rebels take back Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State. The plan also includes more Special Operations troops and attack helicopters.

The force is part of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which left San Diego on Navy ships in October. The Marines on the ground include part of an artillery battery that can fire powerful 155-millimeter shells from M-777 Howitzers, two officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the deployment.

The expeditionary unit’s ground force, Battalion Landing Team 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, will man the guns and deliver fire support for U.S.-backed local forces who are preparing an assault on the city. Additional infantrymen from the unit will provide security, while resupplies will be handled by part of the expeditionary force’s combat logistics element. For this deployment, the Marines were flown from Djibouti to Kuwait and then into Syria, said another defense official with direct knowledge of the operation.

The official added that the Marines’ movement into Syria was not the byproduct of President Trump’s request for a new plan to take on the Islamic State...

Keep reading.

Thanks to the Readers Who Bought Allen Eckert's, The Frontiersmen

I'm still plugging away on this book, but it's one of those you actually don't want to rush through. I know there's not too many books like the ones from Eckert's series, the "Narratives of America." I want them to last a bit.

At Amazon, Allan Eckert, The Frontiersmen: A Narrative.

A couple of readers picked up copies. It's appreciated.

See also, Wilderness Empire: A Narrative; The Conquerors; The Wilderness War; Gateway to Empire; and Twilight of Empire.

Long day today with the committee for the new political science position at my college. But I'll update with something later tonight.

Thanks for your support.

Washington D.C. — One of America's 'Most Beautiful Cities'

I love D.C. A little chilly, otherwise I could fully hang.

At the Telegraph U.K.:

Tracy Chevalier: 'Washington DC is one of America's most beautiful cities'https://t.co/naF3vBoqQd pic.twitter.com/zgBlsbnH6r

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) March 7, 2017

Laura Hunter Files Lawsuit Against Right-Wing Website 'Conservative Post' (VIDEO)

The real Laura Hunter (a former Ms. World-winning beauty contestant) posted on Facebook to warn against the fake one, I think, heh.

See, "Before you all see it in the news, I'm involved in a stolen identity lawsuit and it's been picked up by the media."

And from CBS Evening News, last night:

Jackie Johnson's Continued Warm Forecast

At CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

MacKinlay Kantor, Andersonville

*BUMPED.*

Frankly, I'd never heard of this book, but I picked up a copy yesterday. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1956.

At Amazon, MacKinlay Kantor, Andersonville.

The novel's supposedly "the most powerful ever written about our nation’s bloodiest conflict," the Civil War.

Massive WikiLeaks C.I.A. Hacking Dump Reveals Spy Secrets, Possible Espionage on Americans (VIDEO)

I just don't know what to think anymore.

Absolutely nothing is safe these days from cyberhacking, and what's worse, the C.I.A. may well have been involved in domestic espionage, which is prohibited by statute. Either that, or other operators using the same technology.

In any case, at the New York Times, "WikiLeaks Releases Trove of Alleged C.I.A. Hacking Documents":

WASHINGTON — WikiLeaks on Tuesday released thousands of documents that it said described sophisticated software tools used by the Central Intelligence Agency to break into smartphones, computers and even Internet-connected televisions.

If the documents are authentic, as appeared likely at first review, the release would be the latest coup for the anti-secrecy organization and a serious blow to the C.I.A., which maintains its own hacking capabilities to be used for espionage.

The initial release, which WikiLeaks said was only the first part of the document collection, included 7,818 web pages with 943 attachments, the group said. The entire archive of C.I.A. material consists of several hundred million lines of computer code, it said.

Among other disclosures that, if confirmed, would rock the technology world, the WikiLeaks release said that the C.I.A. and allied intelligence services had managed to bypass encryption on popular phone and messaging services such as Signal, WhatsApp and Telegram. According to the statement from WikiLeaks, government hackers can penetrate Android phones and collect “audio and message traffic before encryption is applied.”

The source of the documents was not named. WikiLeaks said the documents, which it called Vault 7, had been “circulated among former U.S. government hackers and contractors in an unauthorized manner, one of whom has provided WikiLeaks with portions of the archive.”

WikiLeaks said the source, in a statement, set out policy questions that “urgently need to be debated in public, including whether the C.I.A.’s hacking capabilities exceed its mandated powers and the problem of public oversight of the agency.” The source, the group said, “wishes to initiate a public debate about the security, creation, use, proliferation and democratic control of cyberweapons.”

The documents, from the C.I.A’s Center for Cyber Intelligence, are dated from 2013 to 2016, and WikiLeaks described them as “the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency.” One former intelligence officer who briefly reviewed the documents on Tuesday morning said some of the code names for C.I.A. programs, an organization chart and the description of a C.I.A. hacking base appeared to be genuine.

A C.I.A. spokesman, Dean Boyd, said, “We do not comment on the authenticity or content of purported intelligence documents.”

WikiLeaks, which has sometimes been accused of recklessly leaking information that could do harm, said it had redacted names and other identifying information from the collection. It said it was not releasing the computer code for actual, usable cyberweapons “until a consensus emerges on the technical and political nature of the C.I.A.’s program and how such ‘weapons’ should be analyzed, disarmed and published.”

Some of the details of the C.I.A. programs might have come from the plot of a spy novel for the cyberage, revealing numerous highly classified — and in some cases, exotic — hacking programs. One, code-named Weeping Angel, uses Samsung “smart” televisions as covert listening devices. According to the WikiLeaks news release, even when it appears to be turned off, the television “operates as a bug, recording conversations in the room and sending them over the internet to a covert C.I.A. server.”

The release said the program was developed in cooperation with British intelligence...

Keep reading.

And watch, at CNN:

Tough Resistance to GOP's #ObamaCare Overhaul

Ann Coulter's pretty tough, and she hates it!

Heh.

But see the Los Angeles Times, "Obamacare overhaul faces resistance in Congress from right and left":

Who wrote this piece of crap Obamacare replacement bill? Please be specific.

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) March 7, 2017

I have to give full identifying info as each health ins co goes bankrupt. What are names of the brain trust that wrote this piece of crap?

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) March 7, 2017

Also, I would like every person involved in the writing of this Obamacare replacement POS to take a ten-minute IQ test. Transparency!

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) March 7, 2017

House GOP leadership faced mounting opposition Tuesday after introducing an Obamacare repeal and replace bill that was rejected by small government conservatives, panned by Republican moderates and given only lukewarm support from President Trump.

One day after unveiling the GOP’s long-promised effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and replace it with something better, the new American Health Care Act already appears to be on life support, unlikely to survive the onslaught of friendly fire unless Trump personally rallies his party.

But Trump’s intervention looks uncertain. While the president embraced “our wonderful new healthcare bill” in an early morning tweet, he also suggested it’s just a starting point “for review and negotiation” — opening the floodgates to alternative ideas and proposals that could take weeks to sort out.

Later, in a White House meeting with House Republicans, he offered a stronger endorsement, saying he was "proud to support" their plan and expected it to pass “very quickly.”

At the same time, though Trump is also accepting back-channel calls from conservative Republican opponents — including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — who are warning him off legislation they view as nothing more than a revamped federal entitlement program. Conservative lawmakers are being backed by the Koch network, whose supporters rallied outside the Capitol on Tuesday, and other influential groups including Heritage Action and Club for Growth. They dismiss the GOP leadership’s bill as “Obamacare 2.0” or “Obamacare lite.”

“This is not the Obamacare repeal bill we’ve been waiting for,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who is leading the GOP opposition with Paul and the House Freedom Caucus. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has also raised objections.“We promised the American people we would drain the swamp and end business as usual in Washington. This bill does not do that,” Lee said. “This is exactly the type of backroom dealing and rushed process that we criticized Democrats for, and it is not what we promised the American people.”

For seven years Republicans have promised to end Obamacare, and after winning repeated congressional elections on their promise to repeal and replace the law, they were confident Democrats would have no choice but to join them.

But Democrats have shown no interest in the GOP bill, saying it would drop millions of Americans from healthcare coverage without offering them viable alternatives. Rather than being spooked by their November election losses, Democrats have been buoyed by the outpouring of support for Obamacare by constituents and protesters flocking to lawmakers’ town hall meetings across the country...

Time to Shine Light on Obama Administration's Election Activities

From Professor Glenn Reynolds, at USA Today, "Did Obama spy on Trump?":

It isn't out of the question. The former president's administration wiretapped journalists and spied on Congress.

So President Trump set off a firestorm over the weekend with a series of tweets alleging that Obama had tapped Trump Tower. But getting hung up on imprecise language in the president's tweets isn't the right way to look at things. What seems to be at true is that the Obama administration spied on some of Trump's associates and we don't know exactly how much information was collected under what authority and who was targeted.

As former prosecutor Andrew McCarthy summarizes in National Review, the Obama Justice Department considered a criminal investigation aimed at a number of Trump’s associates. When they didn’t find anything criminal, they converted the investigation into an intelligence probe under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Elements of that story have been confirmed by The New York Times, the BBC and McClatchy newspapers.

FISA surveillance has to be approved by a special court, which almost always allows the government to spy on people when asked. But when the Justice Department asked to spy on several of Trump's associates, the court refused permission, according to the BBC. As McCarthy writes, this is notable because “the FISA court is notoriously solicitous of government requests to conduct national security surveillance.”

Not taking no for an answer, the Obama administration came back during the final weeks of the election with a narrower request that didn’t specifically mention Trump. That narrower request was granted by the court, but reports from the Guardian and the BBC don't mention the tapping of phones..

Former Obama officials issued denials that the former president had anything to do with it, which McCarthy calls “disingenuous on several levels.” Others have characterized them as a "non-denial denial.”

Of course Obama spied on Trump.

It's a no brainer.

But keep reading.

PREVIOUSLY: "NSA Whistleblower Backs Trump Up on Wiretap Claims."

NSA Whistleblower Backs Trump Up on Wiretap Claims

At Instapundit, "BILL BINNEY’S NOT JUST ANY WHISTLEBLOWER: NSA Whistleblower Backs Trump Up on Wiretap Claims":

President Donald Trump is “absolutely right” to claim he was wiretapped and monitored, a former NSA official claimed Monday, adding that the administration risks falling victim to further leaks if it continues to run afoul of the intelligence community...

Keep reading.

Shop Today

Thanks so much for the support.

I have a long Tuesday today. More blogging tonight, although I'll be with the hiring committee on my campus all day Wednesday and Thursday (conducting interviews), so I'm not sure how much blogging I'll be able to do.

It's a big week. I'll be looking forward to the weekend, heh.

In any case, at Amazon, Today's Deals.

BONUS: Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism.

'Turn The Beat Around'

Miami Sound Machine aluma, Gloria Estefan:

Santa Ana Seizes the 'Sanctuary City' Label

While seizing the "moment," Santa Ana risks losing the money.

At NYT above, and CBS News 2 Los Angeles at the video below.

"Sanctuary cities" should wear the label proudly https://t.co/ficPkrQCxw

— NYT Opinion (@nytopinion) March 7, 2017

Christina Hoff Sommers: What Gender Wage Gap?

She's the "Factual Feminist," and boy is she factual!

A great video, via Prager University:

'The fact that two different speeches triggered violence at two different campuses within the space of a month suggests that we may be entering into a new and more dangerous phase of the anti-free-speech movement...'

Well, you think?

It's Megan McArdle, via Instapundit, "MEGAN MCARDLE OFFERS ADVICE TO STUDENT PROTESTERS: Use Your Words."

Charles Murray, Coming Apart

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Charles Murray, Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010.

And from yesterday the other day, ICYMI, "Fanatical Left-Wing Mob Attacks Charles Murrary and Middlebury Professor Allison Stanger."

'Day Without a Woman'

These leftists "protests" get more stupid by the one. I mean, of course no one can go "a day without a woman." Just like no one can go a day without a man. People need people to have commerce, to interact, to keep the wheels of society going. What's the point?

Well, to cause chaos, for one thing. That's what leftists do.

At AL News, "'Day Without a Woman' protest forces schools to close Wednesday." And iOTW Report, "Women’s March Protest Causes ‘Burden on Parents’."

And here's the kicker, at the Seattle Times, "Day Without a Woman protest sparks debate on white privilege":

There are no A Day Without a Woman events planned for Wednesday amid charges of “white privilege.” What may be the only Puget Sound area event is a free yoga open house in Kirkland.

So maybe it wasn’t the best thought-out event, A Day Without a Woman general strike this Wednesday, on International Women’s Day.

“Stupid. That’s what I first thought,” says Angie Beem, the state director of the Women’s March that in Seattle drew tens of thousands of participants on Jan. 21.

“What’s the purpose of a strike when you can’t afford a day to not work? Women who could possibly do this are in an executive-type position. Life will go on for them. Their career is more stable. This screamed …”

Guess the next two words.

“White privilege,” concludes Beem.

Her group is not sponsoring any events associated with A Day Without a Woman, which also coincides with International Women’s Day.

There are strike events promised in New York, Washington, D. C., Boston and even Fairbanks.

Beem remembers a tweet coming a month or so ago from the national Women’s March group.

“It was just two women who decided it was going to happen. They put this out on social media without discussing it,” says Beem.

“Facebook blew up. There were a lot of people like myself saying, ‘This isn’t right.’ ”

She says she had the same misgivings about “A Day Without Immigrants” that took place Feb. 16 — that there’s too much risk. News reports said a number of protesters were fired for not showing up for work that day.

“People are desperate to take some action and some control over their lives,” says Beem. “Then they make the horrible choice of not going to work and their whole career is over.”

While Beem doesn’t agree with the strike, the event was later expanded to include avoiding shopping that day — except for at small women-and-minority owned businesses — and wearing red in solidarity.

About the color red, says the national group, “We have chosen red as a color of signifying revolutionary love and sacrifice. Red is the color of energy and action associated with our will to survive. It signifies a pioneering spirit and leadership qualities, promoting ambition and determination.”

Beem says she will wear red on Wednesday...

Keep reading.

Financial Red Flags at Celerity Charter School Group in Los Angeles

Well, staying on the education beat here, check out the Los Angeles Times, "Inside Celerity charter school network, questionable spending and potential conflicts of interest abound":

By her own account, Vielka McFarlane was an immigrant success story. She had escaped a childhood of poverty in Panama, made her way to Los Angeles and founded a nonprofit network of publicly funded charter schools called the Celerity Educational Group.

In 2013, she earned $471,842, about 35% more than Michelle King, the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, makes today.

McFarlane was prospering, and it showed. She wore Armani suits, ate at expensive restaurants and used a black car service.

Financial records obtained by The Times show that, as Celerity’s CEO, she paid for many of these expenses with a credit card belonging to her charter schools, which receive the bulk of their funding from the state.

It could not be determined whether McFarlane, 54, ever reimbursed the charter schools for her credit card purchases. Neither she nor a lawyer hired by Celerity responded to requests for comment about the transactions.

At a time when charter school advocates are determined to increase the number of such schools in L.A., the story of McFarlane and the Celerity schools offers a case study of the growing difficulty of regulating them. The task of spotting and stamping out risky financial practices in charters largely falls to the school district’s charter schools division, which employs about a dozen people dedicated to monitoring the schools’ fiscal health.

But as the number of L.A. charter schools has grown to more than 220, enrolling about 111,000 students, oversight has become a challenge for district officials, who are at once competitors and regulators...

Well, nice work if you can get it. And a "black car service"? Must be nice.

And I'm a fan of charters too!

Put me down for more regulation, though. Can't trust those Panamanian immigrants, it turns out.

Keep reading.