Demi Rose Extreme

At Drunken Stepfather, "DEMI ROSE MAWBY EXTREME PHOTOSHOP OF THE DAY":

The nice thing about Demi Rose, or really any whore on the internet, is that they are all so photoshopped, sexualizing them, like they sexualize themselves is less offensive than it would be if they were a girl half naked on the street….

You see, when you created an Artificial version of someone, they sort of become a cartoon character, so you should be allowed to write all the “Rape” comments you want on her instagram without people getting mad, without the girl feeling creeped on or creeped out….because it’s fiction. A fantasy. Anime. Whatever...

Let me pour my heart out to you pic.twitter.com/mdltaGyXNI

— Demi Rose (@DemiRoseMawby) July 8, 2019

President Trump Stands By 'Go Back' Comments

This was the big story yesterday, at the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Trump Tells Freshman Congresswomen to ‘Go Back’ to the Countries They Came From."

Great. I love it!

At the Los Angeles Times, "As Trump doubles down on racist comments, House to vote on condemning them":

You’re right, Mr. President - you don’t have a racist bone in your body.

You have a racist mind in your head, and a racist heart in your chest.

That’s why you violate the rights of children and tell the Congresswoman who represents your home borough, to “go back to my country.” https://t.co/adlCUO7r0v

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 16, 2019

Donald Trump is lashing out at me, @AOC, @RashidaTlaib, & @AyannaPressley because he wants to divide our country. We will not allow his latest attacks distract us from working to ensure a brighter future for all. https://t.co/wQhSPwgipk

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) July 16, 2019

Reporting from Washington —  President Trump delivered some of the most incendiary comments of his presidency on Monday, signaling that he intends to build his reelection bid as much around divisive racial and cultural issues as on low unemployment and economic growth.
The rhetoric sparked unusual pushback from several Republicans, and led to a dramatic clash in which four first-year House Democrats — all women of color — denounced Trump’s language as “xenophobic,” “bigoted” and unworthy of a sitting president.

Earlier, Trump had vilified the four elected members of Congress as “people who hate our country.”

“They hate it, I think, with a passion,” he told reporters.

The House is planning to condemn Trump’s comments as “racist” in a resolution to be voted upon as soon as Tuesday. The four-page resolution praises immigrants and condemns Trump’s comments, which have “legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color.”

Trump was asked Monday if he was concerned that white nationalists had found common cause with him after he had urged progressive Democrats to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”

“It doesn’t concern me because many people agree with me,” Trump said. “And all I’m saying is if they want to leave, they can leave.”

Trump questioned the patriotism of the four lawmakers — all U.S. citizens and three born in the United States — at an event intended to highlight American-made products.

His rhetoric trampled over the economic populism his aides had sought to convey with the visual display of motorcycles and military equipment, providing new evidence that Trump’s “America First” agenda is as much about identity politics as it is about trade.

Trump views his efforts to fan racial and ethnic tensions as a political positive for his reelection campaign, even as others worry about the long-term damage to a country that has long struggled to reconcile its commitment to pluralism with its historical racism.

Overall, Trump’s taunts to the four — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) — served to unify Democrats just as they were facing one of their most serious fractures since taking control of the House in the 2018 election.

Pressley was born in Cincinnati, Ocasio-Cortez in New York and Tlaib in Detroit. Omar was born in Somalia and came to the United States in 1997 as a refugee, later becoming a U.S. citizen.

But it also elevated the four progressives in the public eye, potentially causing more problems for Democratic leadership.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has been at odds with the four over the direction of the House majority, including a recent border spending bill. For weeks, progressives viewed Pelosi as pandering to more politically vulnerable moderates in the caucus.

But the four focused only on Trump Monday in a 20-minute news conference at the Capitol.

“This is the agenda of white nationalists,” said Omar, who accused Trump of tweeting to distract Americans from his policies. “We can continue to enable this president and report on the bile of garbage that comes out of his mouth or hold him accountable for his crimes.”

The president can’t defend his policies, “so what he does is attack us personally and that is what this is all about,” Ocasio-Cortez agreed. “He can’t look a child in the face and look all Americans in the face to justify why this country is throwing [them] in cages,” referring to migrant detention camps on the Southwest border.

“Despite the occupant of the White House’s attempt to marginalize us and silence us, please know we are more than four people,” Pressley said. “We ran on a mandate to represent those … left behind.”

Elected Republican officials were largely silent on Sunday, but several condemned Trump’s language on Monday, collectively forming some of the most significant pushback the president has seen from fellow Republicans.

“I am confident that every Member of Congress is a committed American,” tweeted Rep. Michael R. Turner (R-Ohio). Trump’s tweets “were racist and he should apologize. We must work as a country to rise above hate, not enable it.”

Some of the president’s sometime-critics — including Republicans Rep. Will Hurd of Texas and Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — spoke out.

So did Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, who called Trump’s comments “destructive, demeaning, and disunifying” in a tweet. He added, “People can disagree over politics and policy, but telling American citizens to go back to where they came from is over the line.”

But unexpected critics arose, too.

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) said Trump “was wrong to suggest that four left-wing congresswomen should go back to where they came from. Three of the four were born in America and the citizenship of all four is as valid as mine.”

Some Republicans supported Trump, however, suggesting that his mark on GOP politics would probably continue even after he leaves office.

“There’s no question that the members of Congress that @realDonaldTrump called out have absolutely said anti-American and anti-Semitic things. I’ll pay for their tickets out of this country if they just tell me where they’d rather be,” tweeted Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.)...

Jennifer Delacruz Midweek Forecast

It's warming up!

Here's the beautiful Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:

President Trump to Deny Asylum to Illegals at Mexican Border

Good.

At LAT, "Trump moves to eliminate nearly all asylum claims at U.S. southern border":

ICYMI: For months, CBP leadership has spoken about the current border security & humanitarian crisis at the border. They’ve testified before Congress. They’ve been interviewed by the press. Months later, the influx of illegal crossings continues to overwhelm CBP resources. pic.twitter.com/9hA3noSRMJ

— CBP (@CBP) July 12, 2019

This veggie tale didn't have a happy ending for some attempted smugglers: #CBP officers at the Otay Mesa port of entry discover more than 3,300lbs of marijuana mixed in with a cargo load of broccoli following a K9 alert. Details: https://t.co/GL1qkkM1Ab pic.twitter.com/WbqsTwJRaQ

— CBP (@CBP) July 12, 2019

Reporting from Washington —  The Trump administration moved Monday to effectively end asylum for any migrant who arrives at the U.S.-Mexico border, an enormous shift in U.S. immigration policy that could block hundreds of thousands of people from seeking protection in the U.S. — and is certain to draw legal challenges.
The new rule, published in the Federal Register and set to take effect Tuesday, would bar asylum claims for nearly all migrants from any country. It would do so by prohibiting claims from anyone who has passed through another country en route to the U.S., which essentially would cover anyone other than Mexican residents.

Only in rare cases, such as when a migrant applies for asylum elsewhere and is denied, would a person be eligible to apply for protection in the U.S.

The rule would, in effect, nearly wipe out U.S. asylum law, which establishes a legal right to claim protection for anyone who arrives at the U.S. border and can make a case that they face torture or persecution at home. The law applies regardless of how a migrant reaches the border.

The law currently provides a major exception in cases in which the U.S. has negotiated a “safe third country” agreement with another government. Under those agreements, such as the one the U.S. has with Canada, migrants must apply in the first safe country they reach.

The new proposal would short-circuit that, effectively requiring migrants to apply in any country they land in, whether the U.S. formally considers that country safe or not.

The new rule was issued by the Justice and Homeland Security departments, which administer the asylum system, and it was written to take effect immediately when it’s formally published on Tuesday. It would apply only to those arriving to the U.S., not migrants already in the country.

The sweeping change drew an immediate threat of a legal fight.

“This rule is inconsistent with both domestic and international law, and we intend to sue immediately to block it,” Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU’s national Immigrants’ Rights Project, said.

“If allowed to stand, it would effectively end asylum at the southern border and could not be more inconsistent with our country’s commitment to protecting those in danger.”

The rule would most directly affect Central American families and unaccompanied minors, who account for most of a recent surge in migrants arriving at the border. But it applies to any nationality, including the large numbers of Haitians, Cubans and Africans who transit South and Central America and Mexico in order to claim asylum at the border.

“With limited exceptions, an alien who enters or attempts to enter the United States across the southern border after failing to apply for protection in a third country outside the alien’s country of citizenship, nationality, or last lawful habitual residence through which the alien transited en route to the United States is ineligible for asylum,” the rule states.

The rule would place a major burden on Mexico, which has already been inundated with a record number of asylum requests. Mexico’s Commission for Aid to Migrants projects that it will receive 80,000 asylum requests this year, up from 29,648 last year and 2,137 five years ago.

Last month, Mexico agreed to ramp up its immigration enforcement, and in exchange, Trump agreed to hold off on imposing tariffs on Mexican imports for 45 days. Many in Mexico reacted angrily on Monday, saying Trump had reneged on that agreement and had unilaterally imposed a policy that would hurt Mexico.

At a news conference, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said Mexico disagrees with the new rule, but said he did not see it as a violation of the June immigration deal because Mexico does not have a safe third country agreement with the U.S.

“Our country has made it very clear that we will not enter into any phase of negotiation on a safe third party agreement without the express authority of [the Mexican] Congress,” he said.

Ebrard avoided answering a question about what will happen to migrants currently waiting in Mexico for their chance to apply for asylum in the U.S. Those migrants who have already been screened by U.S. officials and are waiting in Mexico until their court hearings under the administration’s Remain in Mexico plan will be able to complete the asylum process in the U.S., he said.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan said the rule was necessary despite a recent $4.6-billion bill to address humanitarian challenges at the border, and would deter migrants crossing through Mexico “on a dangerous journey.”

“The truth is that it will not be enough without targeted changes to the legal framework of our immigration system,” McAleenan said in a statement Monday.

Why Kamala Harris' Ancestry is Relevant

At the Other McCain, "The Media Smear Machine (and Why Kamala Harris’s Ancestry Is Relevant)."

Neither of Kamala Harris’s parents are Americans. Her mother is from India and her father is from Jamaica. Harris spent most of her childhood in Canada. She thus has little in common with most black people in the United States whose ancestors were slaves here. Before this fact became controversial, it was referenced by such “far-right” personalities as . . . CNN’s Don Lemon.

Keep reading.

'Maxim' Model Hannah Palmer

At Inquisitr, "‘Maxim’ Model Hannah Palmer Goes Braless in Tiniest Crop Top Ever on Instagram."

And Celeb Jihad, "HANNAH PALMER NUDE PUSSY FLASH FOR AMERICA."

Still more, at the Fappening, "Hannah Palmer Nude And Sexy 2019 Collection."

Jeffrey Epstein

Robert Stacy McCain has the story, "MSNBC and CNN Are Trying to Spin the Jeffrey Epstein Scandal Against Trump."

And the biggest journalist on this has been Julie K. Brown, at the Miami Herald, who even had a New York Times write-up about her investigative reporting. See, "The Jeffrey Epstein Case Was Cold, Until a Miami Herald Reporter Got Accusers to Talk."

NEW: Great work by My Miami Herald team today. Love the headline. Thank you to my editor @caseyfrank1 pic.twitter.com/VjKdNzYFrR

— julie k. brown (@jkbjournalist) July 9, 2019

ICYMI: From the penthouse to the jailhouse: Jeffrey Epstein pleads not guilty to sex traffickinghttps://t.co/4qAuqNAxhH

— julie k. brown (@jkbjournalist) July 9, 2019

Megan Rapinoe

I saw all the Twitter outrage over the politicization of the Women's World Cup Championship. I don't care about the politics. I just want to enjoy sports, and I did enjoy watching the U.S. Women's National Team. They're incredible. Rapinoe herself is just phenomenal. And I think she's beautiful. I could look at her all day. I love her hair, her face, her teeth, her smile. What I don't love is how she's taken her success in sports and turned it into a platform to elect Democrats. That's not the role she was given by being a sports leader, an ambassador for women's and girls' soccer. And thus, she's going to harm her agenda ultimately, especially in how she says the debate's won, the conversation's finished, and that she'll only meet with people who already agree with her. That's not how you win in politics. That's how you divide.

More later, I guess, But until then, at WaPo, "Fifteen minutes on cable television that illustrated one of America’s deepest political divides" (via Memeorandum).

And at CNN and MSNBC, where else?

School Bus Driver Drives Bus Loaded With Kids Through Raging Floodwaters in Maryland (VIDEO)

Umm, don't do this. *Eye-roll.*

TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN: This video (@SweeneyABC) shows a bus driver in Montgomery County doing exactly what law enforcement is telling people NOT to do.
The entire region is dealing with flooding this morning as heavy rain moves through. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/2p4dm0PrYy pic.twitter.com/2gF3hVaZSz

— ABC 7 News - WJLA (@ABC7News) July 8, 2019

Alex Morgan Behind the Scenes (VIDEO)

I'd rather have Alex Morgan, heh.

We all want to have sex with Megan Rapinoe right?

— Megan Gailey (@megangailey) July 7, 2019

Added: At Celeb Jihad, "ALEX MORGAN ULTIMATE ASS COMPILATION."

Bella Thorne Bikini and Beer

At Drunken Stepfather, "BELLA THORNE NOT GETTING EATEN BY SHOTS OF THE DAY."

Megan Rapinoe and U.S. Women's Team Win World Cup 2019

At the Los Angeles Times, "Megan Rapinoe took center stage and owned it at Women's World Cup."

And at the Other McCain, "Anti-American Women Win World Championship of Anti-American Sport":

.@PatriarchTree "Anti-American Women Win World Championship of Anti-American Sport." #USWNT #Soccer #WordCup 🤷‍♂️🙄 https://t.co/kWhFZZW0NT pic.twitter.com/HPuJrHhUhB

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 8, 2019

If you don’t want to Make America Great Again, why should Americans cheer for you? If you are an American opposed to the freely elected government of your own country, our First Amendment protects your right as a citizen to engage in protest, but those who support the government cannot be required to endorse your protest.

How many celebrity athletes expressed Tea Party sentiments while Obama was president? Can anyone recall sports teams refusing to go to the White House after winning a championship during the Obama years? Perhaps you can think of a right-wing analog of Megan Rapinoe, but searching my memory, I don’t recall any Democrat president ever being openly insulted the way the U.S. women’s World Cup team has insulted President Trump. And if Rapinoe and her teammates imagine that soccer will become more popular because they have made their sport symbolic of an anti-American protest movement, my guess is that they will be learn otherwise. There has been a lot of noise about the disparity of income between men and women in professional soccer, but the fact is that in most of the world, this is a sport played primarily by men. Only in the United States, where real men play real football, is soccer regarded as a coed sport. One reason the U.S. women are so dominant in international competition is that in soccer-crazy countries like Brazil and Argentina, the sport is still regarded as too rough for girls to play. (And if you’ve seen how Brazilians and Argentines play the game, you understand why they routinely stomp the crap out of the U.S. men’s team.)

Honestly, I am pro-soccer...

Still more.

Jennifer Delacruz's Monday Forecast

We're having wonderfully mild weather.

Compared to Oklahoma, this is heaven.

Here's the lovely Ms. Jennifer, for ABC News 10 San Diego:

How the 'Invisible Primary' May Pick Dems' 2020 Nominee

From Bill Schneider, who used to be a great analyst on CNN back in the day, but you never see him anymore. *Shrugs.*

At the Hill, "The 'invisible primary' has begun":

My latest piece for The Hill:https://t.co/41ky5eohU4

— Bill Schneider (@BillSchneiderDC) July 7, 2019

The first primary of the 2020 presidential campaign is underway. It’s called the “invisible primary.” Nobody actually goes to a polling place to cast a ballot — but there are winners and losers.

The invisible primary takes place the year before the presidential election. The winner is the candidate who ends the year with the most support in the polls and the most money raised.

Does the invisible primary predict the ultimate winner? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It worked four years ago when Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump came out on top of their respective parties. It didn’t work in the 2004 election when the winner of the invisible Democratic primary was Howard Dean. In January 2004, when the actual voting began, Dean came in third in the Iowa caucuses and second to John Kerry in New Hampshire. By mid-February, Dean was out.

So where does the Democratic race stand now?

California Sen. Kamala Harris was the clear winner of the first Democratic debate. That has brought her a huge amount of media attention and a rise in the polls. She may become the leading progressive candidate. But not necessarily the nominee.

Since World War II, Democratic primaries have often ended up as showdowns between progressives and populists. The difference is social class. Progressive Democratic voters tend to be relatively affluent, well educated and liberal, particularly on social issues like abortion and guns. Populist Democratic voters tend to be working class, non-college educated and moderate on social issues, though often liberal on economic issues like health care.

In the 1950s, Democrats were divided between Adlai Stevenson (progressive) and Estes Kefauver (populist). In 1968, it was Eugene McCarthy (progressive) versus Robert Kennedy (populist). In 1972, George McGovern (progressive) and Hubert Humphrey (populist). 1984: Gary Hart (progressive) and Walter Mondale (populist). 1988: Michael Dukakis (progressive) and Richard Gephardt (populist). 1992: Paul Tsongas (progressive) and Bill Clinton (populist). 2000: Bill Bradley (progressive) and Al Gore (populist). 2008: Barack Obama (progressive) and Hillary Clinton (populist). In the 2016 Democratic race, Bernie Sanders branded himself a populist, but his core support came from young progressives.

Democrats won in 2018 because, in a midterm, the party didn’t have to come up with one presidential candidate. In 2020, they do.

Right now, Joe Biden dominates the populist wing of the party, often described as “moderates.”

The progressive field is more crowded — and more divided.

Harris is poised to challenge Sanders as the progressive alternative to Biden. But she faces a lot of competition from other Democrats popular with the NPR crowd — Elizabeth Warren, Julian Castro, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke, Kirsten Gillibrand. Biden has to hope progressives fail to unite behind a single “Stop Biden” candidate.

The polls show Biden doing best among older Democrats. To young progressives, Biden is a voice of the past. The English novelist L.P. Hartley once wrote, “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” Like bipartisanship and compromise. And collaboration with outright racists. To older Democrats, however, the past is when things used to work — before Trump came along to cause chaos and disruption. They’re counting on Biden to restore that past.

From the 1930s to the 1960s, white populists, led by organized labor, were the dominant force in the Democratic Party. They began leaving the party when Democrats embraced the civil rights movement. Non-college educated whites have not voted for a Democrat for president in more than 50 years.

The populist vote in the Democratic Party today is mostly minority voters. Southern whites and northern white ethnics (who used to be called “Archie Bunker” voters) have become out of reach for Democrats. White working-class voters are often depicted as the swing vote, but they’re unlikely to swing back to the Democratic Party, not even for Biden. Biden started the race with strong black and Latino support. He’s finding out that he can’t afford to alienate those minorities.

The swing vote today is college-educated white suburban voters who are appalled by President Trump. In 2018, Democratic House candidates made their biggest gains in affluent suburban districts like Orange County, Calif., and Fairfax County, Va. Those upscale voters respond to progressive messages on social issues like abortion and guns. Not to tax hikes or “socialism.”

The 2016 election taught Democrats an important lesson. They expected that revulsion at the prospect of a Trump presidency would rally the party. That didn’t quite happen. Here’s why...

Still more.

Diarmaid MacCulloch, All Things Made New

At Amazon, Diarmaid MacCulloch, All Things Made New: The Reformation and Its Legacy.

Local CBS News Anchor Ducks Under Desk During 7.1 Earthquake (VIDEO)

Althouse has it, "'I think we need to get under the desk'."

And at the Hollywood Reporter, "Panic on Local L.A. News Station Following 7.1 Earthquake."

I didn't feel the need to duck, not yet, at least. But the earthquake was long, and I was ready to move if it kept going. My wife said perhaps this lady wasn't from California, and hadn't live through earthquakes. If you're not used to them, you might freak out.

Thanks Alan. Whew! https://t.co/BUJjv0ErzW

— Juan Fernandez (@NewsJuan) July 6, 2019

New 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Rocks California (VIDEO)

I felt both earthquakes, but last night's was much more powerful. My apartment was rolling for about 20 seconds, but even as it was rolling and rocking, I felt bad for Ridgecrest, because I could imagine how strong and deadly it was at the epicenter.

This second quake was actually a "foreshock" to the Fourth of July temblor.

At the Los Angeles Times, "7.1 earthquake causes damage; more significant temblors likely":

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Southern California on Friday night, the second major temblor in less than two days and one that rocked buildings across Southern California, adding more jitters to an already nervous region.

The quake was centered near Ridgecrest, the location of the July Fourth 6.4 magnitude temblor that was the largest in nearly 20 years. It was followed by an aftershock first reported as 5.5 in magnitude. Scientists said the fault causing the quakes appears to be growing...

More.

Celebrating Our Unique Country's Origins

From Professor Gordon Wood, at NYDN, "What Independence Day really means: Our unique country’s origins":

The Fourth of July, Independence Day, is not just a time for barbecues and fireworks. It is also a time for us to reflect on the meaning of the Declaration of Independence. That declaration is the most important document in our history, even more important than the Constitution. It sums up the principles by which the nation lives. Indeed, it is what holds us together as a nation.

We are a very unusual country, and were unusual even at the time of independence. Lacking a common ancestry, we have never been able to take our nationhood for granted. In America, said John Adams, the country’s second president, there was nothing like “the Patria of the Romans, the Fatherland of the Dutch, or the Patrie of the French.”

Even at the outset, Adams wondered whether a people composed of so many religious denominations and so many ethnicities could hold together as a nation. In 1813, he counted 19 different religious sects in the country. “We are such an Hotch potch of people,” he concluded, “such an omnium gatherum of English, Irish, German, Dutch, Sweedes, French &c. that it is difficult to give a name to the Country, characteristic of the people.”

No wonder then that at the end of the Declaration of Independence, the members of the Continental Congress could only “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” There was nothing else but themselves that they could dedicate themselves to: no patria, no fatherland, no nation as yet.

n comparison with the nearly two-and-a-half-centuries-old United States, many countries in the world today are new, some of them created in the relatively recent past. Yet many of these states, new as they may be, are undergirded by peoples who had a pre-existing sense of their common ancestry, their tribal and blood connections, by which they meant their nationhood.

In the case of the United States the process was reversed. In some sense we have never become a nation, and today, with people from all over the world gathered within our borders, we can never be a nation in any traditional meaning of the term.

In the present this peculiarity of American nationhood, this lack of a common ethnicity, may be our saving grace. It may turn out to be an advantage in the 21st century, dominated as it is by mass immigration from the south to the north and east to west. It certainly enables the United States to be more capable than other countries of accepting and absorbing immigrants.

Of course, America has its own recent problems with immigrants, but these problems pale in comparison with the problems of immigration the European nations are facing and will continue to face.

Because we are not a traditional nation and have no ethnic base, the Declaration of Independence with its ringing affirmation that all men are created equal has become the sacred document holding us together. On the eve of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln came to realize how important the Declaration was in defining the nationhood of the United States, how it had become the adhesive for a diverse people.

Half the American people, Lincoln said in 1858, had no direct blood connection to the founders of the nation. These German, Irish, French and Scandinavian citizens had either come from Europe themselves or their ancestors had, and “finding themselves our equals in all things,” had settled in America. Although these different ethnicities may have had no actual connection in blood with the revolutionary generation, they had, said Lincoln, “that old Declaration of Independence” with its expression of the moral principle of equality to draw upon...

More.

All the Military Flyovers at 'Salute to America' Celebration on the National Mall (VIDEO)

Following-up, "President Trump's Fourth of July 'Salute to America' at Lincoln Memorial (VIDEO)."

Traveling Photo Model Marta Gromova

At Drunken Stepfather, "MARTA GROMOVA OF THE DAY."

Philip Roth, American Pastoral

At Amazon, Philip Roth, American Pastoral American Trilogy (1).

Philip Roth, I Married a Communist

At Amazon, Philip Roth, I Married a Communist: American Trilogy (2).

Sarah McDaniel

At Celeb Jihad, "SARAH MCDANIEL NEW NUDE PHOTO SHOOT."

Some Random Lady Takes Her Top Off at Magic Mountain

Heh.

Six flags wouldn’t give me my picture 😔 pic.twitter.com/OfqxEl6T8Z

— Julia Rose (@JuliaRose_33) June 6, 2019

David McCullough, The Pioneers

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, David McCullough, The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West .

Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich in Power

At Amazon, Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich in Power.

This Guy. I Can't Even...

On Twitter:

Intolerant man harasses people trying to have dinner and is shocked that he is asked to leave. https://t.co/KFvwGIQo0k

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) July 5, 2019

Not all heroes wear capes. pic.twitter.com/nzXxj4vCWw

— Jay Cost (@JayCostTWS) July 5, 2019

I'm sorry this is hilarious pic.twitter.com/uxcigNHaFE

— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) July 5, 2019

'Why do you think Democrats are freaking out because President Trump wanted some tanks in the Fourth of July parade? Because the U.S. military symbolizes everything they hate about America...'

The Other McCain, with his typically incisive analysis, "Happy Fourth of July, You Fascists!"

"Happy Fourth of July, You Fascists!" https://t.co/v2riAw7pOT via @PatriarchTree #July4th #RadicalLeft pic.twitter.com/T9mwJBcvou

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 5, 2019

President Trump's Fourth of July 'Salute to America' at Lincoln Memorial (VIDEO)

At the Los Angeles Times, "Trump’s Fourth of July speech inserts politics and protests into national celebration":

Fourth of July celebrations in Washington usually bring Democrats and Republicans together to mark the national holiday while taking a break from partisan politics.

Not this year.

With tanks on the streets of the nation’s capital, military jet flyovers and a presidential address on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, President Trump injected his trademark over-the-top style — as well as his divisive personality — into the traditional fireworks display at the National Mall.

While most presidents have steered clear of Fourth of July festivities to avoid politicizing the day, Trump has been personally involved in the details of the planning — much to the frustration of local officials and residents in the predominantly liberal city.

Ever since Trump’s 2017 visit to watch France’s Bastille Day celebration, he has pressed for a similar event at home. He initially tried to organize a military parade on Veterans Day, but plans fell apart amid opposition from the local government and estimates that the costs would run into the tens of millions of dollars. Even some Pentagon officials bristled at such an overt public display of American military power.

But many of those same ideas were part of Thursday’s celebration, including military tributes and flyovers. And Trump made himself the main event.

“We are one people, chasing one dream, and one magnificent destiny,” Trump told the crowd. “We all share the same heroes, the same home, the same heart, and we are all made by the same Almighty God.”

Despite fears Trump would use the opportunity to push his policies or criticize Democrats, the president stuck to a teleprompter and refrained from the combative language he prefers at campaign speeches and on Twitter...

More.

Divisions on Display for Trump's 'Salute to America' on Fourth of July

At USA Today, a good piece:

‘Are you proud to be an American?’ How Trump’s 4th of July became a tale of three different celebrations
W/ @maxpcohen @sarahbishi @oliviarsanchez @LizLaw1126 @jasonlall9 https://t.co/7wQVCKckbt

— Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) July 5, 2019

This is Amiee LeDoux. She traveled with her family from New Hampshire to watch Trump speak and all the festivities for the 4th of July. She says Trump’s speech marked the first time she’s ever cried on the 4th of July. She started crying again as I spoke with her @USATODAY pic.twitter.com/Ca7epp5moo

— Christal Hayes (@Journo_Christal) July 5, 2019

Dan Crenshaw, Patriot

An amazing guy. True patriot and awesome antidote to idiots like AOC.

pic.twitter.com/SE3g5QCiIJ

— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) July 4, 2019

Megan Parry July 4th Forecast

It's going to be lovely weather.

Enjoy the 4th!

Alexis Ren of the Day

At Drunken Stepfather, "ALEXIS REN EROTICA OF THE DAY."

pic.twitter.com/rKxiI2POjz

— Alexis Ren (@AlexisRenG) June 14, 2019

I’m sad there isn’t a pointe shoe emoji pic.twitter.com/WEFWTVyKaa

— Alexis Ren (@AlexisRenG) July 2, 2019

Today's Shopping

At Amazon, Today's Deals. Save on our top deals every day.

And especially, Legacy Heating vc-CDFP-S-CB Gas Aluminum Fire Table, 56.7" x 21.3" x 24", Black.

Here, Logitech MK735 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo - MK710 Keyboard and Wireless Mouse M510.

Also, Buck Knives 110 Famous Folding Hunter Knife with Genuine Leather Sheath - TOP SELLER.

More here, Military Outdoor Clothing Never Issued U.S. Military Canteen.

Also, CLIF Fruit Smoothie Filled - Organic Energy Bar - 3-Flavor Variety Pack - 1.76 Ounce Protein Snack Bar, 12 Count.

Plus, Nestlé Pure Life Bottled Purified Water, 16.9 oz. Bottles, 24/Case.

Still more, Koffee Kult Dark Roast Coffee Beans - Highest Quality Gourmet - Whole Bean Coffee - Fresh Roasted Coffee Beans, 32oz.

BONUS: John O'Hara, BUtterfield 8 (Penguin Classics).

Thanks to #Democrats, Pride in America Hits New Low

At Gallup, "American Pride Hits New Low; Few Proud of Political System":

#Democrats hate America. 🤷‍♂️ #July4th #Patriotism #Dems #Antifa #AntiAmericanism cc. @MichelleMalkin 😯 https://t.co/KH2RqkYKTd

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 3, 2019

The latest overall declines in patriotism are largely driven by Democrats, whose self-reported pride has historically been lower and has fluctuated more than Republicans'. Democrats' latest 22% extreme pride reading is the group's lowest in Gallup's 19 years of measurement, and is half of what it was several months before Donald Trump's 2016 election victory.

For their part, most Republicans have remained extremely proud of their country, and the latest 76% reading is just 10 points below the high recorded in 2003. Even when Barack Obama was in office, Republicans' extreme pride never fell below 68%.

Independents have historically been less proud of the U.S. than Republicans have been; currently, 41% express extreme pride -- which is, by one point, the lowest reading in the trend.

Several subgroups that typically identify as Democrats -- women, liberals and younger adults -- all express lower levels of extreme U.S. pride than their counterparts...

Joy Villa Defends the Flag (VIDEO)

She's promoting her video from last year on Twitter.

It's worth re-upping.

D Is for Damaged, Dangerous and Delusional

From Dennis Prager, at American Greatness:

D Is for Damaged, Dangerous and Delusional https://t.co/fVKUdAmhqL pic.twitter.com/SgTSe8vocc

— American Greatness (@theamgreatness) July 3, 2019

If you watched either or both of the two Democratic Party presidential candidate debates, and if you are a liberal, a conservative or a centrist, you had to have been depressed. The intellectual shallowness, the demagoguery and the alienation from reality were probably unprecedented in American political history. Only a leftist, a socialist or a communist could have gone to bed a happy person on either night.

If you think this is a baseless generalization, here are a few of myriad examples from the first night:

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.): “(The economy is not doing great) for the African Americans and Latinx whose families are torn apart, whose lives are destroyed and whose communities are ruined.”

Two things stand out: First is Warren’s morally reprehensible and false description of the economy. She never explains how the American economy is tearing families apart, destroying lives or ruining communities. Aside from being baseless, it is another left-wing libel against America.

She went on to explain economic inequality in America: “Corruption, pure and simple. We need to call it out.” It is difficult to overstate the contempt she and the rest of the left have for America.

Even more troubling was Warren’s use of the term “Latinx.” When leftist Orwellian newspeak makes its way into the United States Senate and into the vocabulary of a presidential candidate, the country is in trouble.

Here is how HuffPost explains the term (of which it approves):

“Latinx is the gender-neutral alternative to Latino, Latina and even Latin@. … Latinx is quickly gaining popularity among the general public. It’s part of a ‘linguistic revolution’ that aims to move beyond gender binaries and is inclusive of the intersecting identities of Latin American descendants. In addition to men and women from all racial backgrounds, Latinx also makes room for people who are trans, queer, agender, non-binary, gender non-conforming or gender fluid.”

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.): “If billionaires can pay off their yachts, students should be able to pay off their student loans.”

My only response to this statement is to ask, Do most Democrats find that a compelling argument? Do they not realize what a non sequitur it is—and therefore how demagogic?

Billionaires, like non-billionaires, pay off their debts because they do not incur debts they cannot repay, not because they are billionaires. Senator Klobuchar apparently believes that non-billionaires need not pay off their debts. Every Democrat who addressed this issue said American society should repay student debts—which amount to $1.6 trillion. The party of “fairness” thinks it’s fair that every student who repaid his or college debts—and every young American who never went to college—must pay off that debt.

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro spoke in Spanish. Perhaps they—like all on the left—are unaware of the importance of all Americans speaking English in uniting the most ethnically disparate nation in human history. You cannot say “diversity is our strength” if you do not work to unite all the diverse cultures into Americans. And you cannot unite Americans without one language.

Their speaking Spanish was so transparently pandering to Latin, Latino, Latina, Latin@ and Latinx Americans that, for that reason alone, that group should decline to vote Democrat.

O’Rourke: “This economy has got to work for everyone. And right now, we know that it isn’t.”

This is just not true. Given some of the lowest unemployment rates in modern American history, this economy seems to be working quite well—certainly for all those willing to work.

Booker: “This is actually an economy that’s hurting small businesses and not allowing them to compete.”

The question I always want answered when someone on the left tells an outright lie is, Does he or she believe it? Someone should ask this of Booker. As the National Federation of Independent Businesses announced last month:

“Optimism among small business owners has surged back to historically high levels, thanks to strong hiring, investment, and sales,” said NFIB President and CEO Juanita D. Duggan. “The small business half of the economy is leading the way, taking advantage of lower taxes and fewer regulations, and reinvesting in their businesses, their employees, and the economy as a whole.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio: “There’s plenty of money in this country. It’s just in the wrong hands. Democrats have to fix that.”

The notion that America’s money is “in the wrong hands, (and) Democrats have to fix that” should frighten every American who believes in private property and who opposes dictatorships and theft.

Castro: “I don’t believe only in reproductive freedom; I believe in reproductive justice.”

Here’s an important rule: Whenever anyone adds an adjective to the word “justice,” know that the person is not speaking about justice but about something else entirely. “Social” justice is another such example.

Castro boldly proclaimed his view that unauthorized border crossing should be decriminalized and announced, “In my first 100 days with immigration reform (I) would put undocumented (i.e., illegal) immigrants, as long as they haven’t committed a serious crime, on a pathway to citizenship.”

Though not one Democrat candidate used the term, every single one believes in open borders...

Larry Schweikart, A Patriot's History of the United States

A good time to repost Schweikart's book.

At Amazon, Larry Schweikart, A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to America's Age of Entitlement (Revised Edition).

Victor Davis Hanson, The Second World Wars

*BUMPED.*

At Amazon, Victor Davis Hanson, The Second World Wars: How the First Global Conflict Was Fought and Won.

Dua Lipa

At the Fappening, "Dua Lipa Sexy (18 Photos)."

And at Celeb Jihad, "DUA LIPA NEW YEARS NIPPLES AND BIKINI PICS."

I can finally tell you...that I've collaborated with @pepejeans to create the Dua Lipa x Pepe Jeans collection for you! I've wanted to learn about designing as another way to express myself because i’m always imagining the clothes I want to wear and now im putting it into action! pic.twitter.com/jtJYe47BtE

— DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) July 3, 2019

Jason Statham Bottle Challenge

I love this guy, heh.

"#bottlecapchallenge #challengeaccepted This thing landed on my head from @johnmayer but will quickly go to a couple of fellas we’ve seen do push ups badly. All yours Guy Ritchie and @jmoontasri" | https://t.co/J1X9XWKxHl pic.twitter.com/RT16VahcMv

— Jason Statham (@realjstatham) July 1, 2019

The Boldly Public Anti-Americanism of the American Left

It's Rush Limbaugh:

RUSH: So, Mr. Snerdley walked in here, looks at me, and says, “You’re gonna catch hell today, buddy.” I said, “Why? What did…? What did I do?” He said, “You gotta get that Nike shirt off, man! You can’t show up on the Dittocam…” “Oh, my God. I forgot. I didn’t even think about it.” So I made a mad dash into the dressing room in there that we use about twice a year when I do television. Thankfully, I had a shirt not made by Nike in there. It’s a Steelers coach’s shirt. So I slapped it on there. It’s a good catch by Mr. Snerdley. I didn’t even think of it. It didn’t even occur to me.

Who makes the shirt doesn’t matter to me when I go grab ’em and put ’em on. It’s not why I bought ’em. Anyway, greetings, folks. Here we are set, ready, and loaded to unload on another day in the United States of America. We’re coming up on Independence Day, which is Thursday, a couple days from now. Oh, by the way, have you heard? Mike Pence was scheduled to do an event in New Hampshire and his plane has been called back. The event, whatever it was in New Hampshire, has been canceled.

Pence is on the way back now to D.C. (he may be back by now) for an unspecified emergency. I haven’t seen any more on it than that. If there is something, it has escaped me. But whatever. When we learn more, we’ll pass it on. I wonder what it is. You know, then you realize Trump is gonna be front and center in Washington on Thursday. He’s asked for there to be tanks and a flyby on The Mall as part of the celebration of America. That is gonna… (chuckles) If that happens, can you imagine the provocative nature? I mean, putting tanks on the street!

The Democrat Party, the American left is gonna go bonkers. By the way, folks, is there any doubt that what we’re dealing with here — flat-out, now — is straight-up anti-Americanism? When I have mentioned casually and pointedly over the recent past that the American left has now become a political group that does not believe America could be fixed. America needs to be disbanded. America needs to be ripped up, torn apart, and rebuilt. We are forever flawed because of our founding.

Even though all of the grievances that they have about the founding have been addressed, have been fixed, such as women being able to vote, slavery and any number of things. That’s not good enough — and this Nike situation with Colin Kaepernick proves it! Colin Kaepernick is objecting to today’s flag, not the flag that flew before slavery. He’s objecting to today’s flag, and here’s Nike (because one of their paid athletes objects to the flag) pulling the shoe made with the American flag on it! I mean, there isn’t any question here that what we’re dealing with is not people who are aligned with us on things in common.

It used to be said of the two political parties that we all want what’s best for America. That can’t be said anymore. And it has not been the case for a long time, if you ask me. These people are not interested in what’s best for America. They want to tear it down, folks. They’re not even hiding it anymore. They’re not trying to even camouflage it. They aren’t trying to mask it. They aren’t trying to deceive us. They’re flat-out in our faces. They don’t like this country, and it’s not about fixing it. It’s about tearing it down. It’s about ripping apart the fabric of this country and destroying the people who are the descendants of those who founded it.

I don’t mean in a genetic sense. But people who believe in the founding, they’ve gotta go. Make no mistake about it. Colin Kaepernick and his behavior and Nike going along with him, in my estimation, is flat-out un-American. It’s anti-America, let’s put it that way. We don’t have any overlap here where it used to be said (impression), “Yeah, well, we’re all… We all want the best for America. We just have different, uh, theories about how to get there.” They’re not looking at the best! They want to rip this country apart. They want to tear up the concepts of the American founding.

Here we are two days before the Fourth of July, and I wouldn’t blame any of you if you’re out there kind of pulling your hair out, saying, “Can we not just have one day to celebrate this country? Can’t we just have one day between us?” This little AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and this gaggle of hysterical women that she takes down there with her to the border, lying their way through that border visit. You know, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has had happen to her what a bunch of shock-jock type people on the radio always have happen.

After a while, your gig gets old, your schtick no longer shocks, and so you have to keep crossing new lines. And that’s all she’s doing. She’s addicted to getting noticed. She’s out there, a former bartender, saying that Ivanka Trump has no business being a diplomat. “She’s got no experience being a diplomat! She doesn’t know what being a diplomat is,” from a former bartender who’s been elected to Congress with one of the lowest vote it turns out in the history of the congressional district.

Now she runs down there and starts trashing and lying about conditions at the border and the people who administer the people who come into this country illegally. She flat-out lies that the detainees are being forced to drink out of toilets! The Border Patrol and ICE people are denying this. Even this gaggle of lunatics with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez admit they haven’t seen it. There aren’t any witnesses have actually seen people being forced to drink water out of a toilet.

But, my friends, based on what we’re told about the circumstances where these people are fleeing, maybe toilet water’s a step up for some of them. Based on what the left is telling us their homelands are like. So we’ve got that to deal with. Now we have Nike canceling the rollout of a flag shoe — a new flag shoe — at the behest of a triggered anti-American ex-jock, Colin Kaepernick. But in a way, you can’t blame Nike because Kaepernick and that ad campaign they ran sold a heck of a lot of shoes. You couldn’t blame Nike for thinking that Kaepernick’s audience and the people that buy tennis shoes or whatever are indeed themselves anti-American. Not un-American, anti-American...

'Mini-AOC' Doxxed, Death Threats

She had a funny little gig going, but leftists can't tolerate any going against the party line, even a little kid. And yeah, her parents put her up to to it. But so what? It's a parody and the kid was learning a lot about politics and the political process.

Unfortunately, the lesson now is "shut up or you'll be dead."

BREAKING: @MiniAOCofficial has deleted her account after her family was doxxed and received death threats pic.twitter.com/fz4TzYD13Y

— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) July 3, 2019

There's video of her still up here, "Mini AOC gets better every time!! Now with with her official Twitter handle: @miniAOCofficial."

And at Fox News, "Mini-AOC releases 're-election video' mocking the New York congresswoman.

Michael Eric Dyson Compares Betsy Ross Flag to Swastika, Burning Cross

This guy's a clown.

At Free Beacon:

Michael Eric Dyson compares Betsy Ross Flag to a swastika or burning cross during MSNBC hit. https://t.co/q0RAY4dqtW pic.twitter.com/EDoA7DgcZa

— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) July 3, 2019

Weird that no one had a problem with The Betsy Ross Flag when it flew over Obama’s inauguration. Now it’s not patriotic... ok got it. 🙄 #morons https://t.co/wkxDRZs6bM

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 3, 2019

John O'Hara, A Rage to Live

At Amazon, John O'Hara, A Rage to Live (Vintage Classics).

Mark Honigsbaum, The Pandemic Century

At Amazon, Mark Honigsbaum, The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris.

Andy Ngo on 'The Story with Martha MacCallum' (VIDEO)

Following-up on my earlier post on Antifa's heinous attack on Andy Ngo.

Ngo appeared earlier with Martha MacCallum, and you can see that he's impaired, obviously in the very earliest stage of recovery. What a guy.

U.S. Women Beat England in World Cup Semifinal

It was a great game, even better with Megan Rapinoe benched, lol.

Frankly, that was the most enjoyable part of the game. 🤷‍♂️⚽️🤓🇺🇸👍 #USWNT #MeganRapinoe #WorldCup https://t.co/3dw4nfQ0Nm

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 3, 2019

No. 13 on her birthday. In honor of those 13 colonies.

That’s. The. Tea 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Go on, @alexmorgan13, what a birthday! pic.twitter.com/Rge0HMMrCk

— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) July 2, 2019

Niall Ferguson Becomes an American (VIDEO)

It's always a fine time, and Ferguson's now at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, bidding farwell, apparently, to far-left Harvard University.

Watch, at Prager University:

Today's Shopping

At Amazon, Today's Deals. Save on our top deals every day.

See especially, Apple MacBook (2017) 12" Laptop, Retina Display, Intel M3-7Y32 Dual-Core, 256GB PCI-E SSD, 8GB DDR3, 802.11ac, macOS 10.12, Gold (Renewed).

And, Leather Travel Duffle Bag Gym Overnight Weekend Luggage Carry on Airplane Underseat Bag.

More, Smith & Wesson SWMP4LBS 8.6in Stainless Steel Assisted Folding Knife with 3.6in Clip Point Blade and Aluminum Handle for Outdoor Tactical Survival and Everyday Carry.

Plus, Barnett Whitetail Pro STR Crossbow, 400 Feet Per Second.

Here, Samsung QN65Q6F Flat 65” QLED 4K UHD 6 Series Smart TV 2018.

BONUS: Victor Sebestyen, Lenin: The Man, the Dictator, and the Master of Terror.

Alexandra Stan

At Drunken Stepfather, "ALEXANDRA STAN TOPLESS 55."

And the Fappening, "Alexandra Stan Sexy & Topless (46 Photos + Video)."

Angels Pitcher Tyler Skaggs Has Died

It's still early and the cause of death has not been announced, but it's official. I wonder if he took his own life. This is enormously sad.

.@lamblock #Angels Pitcher #TylerSkaggs Has Died: https://t.co/tIIcMxUN3N 😢

— Donald Douglas (@AmPowerBlog) July 1, 2019

How awful. Just 27 years old. https://t.co/JTO2Zx0QFP

— Nathan Fenno (@nathanfenno) July 1, 2019

Latest on @Angels LH Tyler Skaggs vs. Southlake Police Dept. (and @nathanfenno):
The police were called to the team hotel and found him "unresponsive" in his room. "No foul play is suspected. This investigation is ongoing ..."

— mike hiserman (@MikeHiserman) July 1, 2019

More from police regarding Skaggs: "At this time no foul play is suspected, and the investigation is ongoing."

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) July 1, 2019

Southlake Police Department Press Release 7/1/19 pic.twitter.com/vgZTUBIc40

— Southlake DPS (@SouthlakeDPS) July 1, 2019

Angels statement on the passing of Tyler Skaggs. pic.twitter.com/6XA2Vu1uWV

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) July 1, 2019

Emily Ratajkowski Twerking

At Hollywood Tuna.

BONUS: "Emily Ratajkowski Hacked Nude Photos."

pic.twitter.com/el1hE6iF9G

— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) June 29, 2019

🍑 pic.twitter.com/DzxWfDmdzp

— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) June 12, 2019

👋🏽 pic.twitter.com/XUhzcPZEGO

— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) May 20, 2019

Madison Gesiotto

A conservative former Miss Ohio. What's not to like?

Plus, she's stacked!

Today was a great day! pic.twitter.com/2uPbLh3IkU

— Madison Gesiotto (@madisongesiotto) June 21, 2019

Never mind what haters say, ignore them til’ they fade away 💤 pic.twitter.com/9Y0acu0L3h

— Madison Gesiotto (@madisongesiotto) June 29, 2019

Do you approve of the President’s unconventional foreign policy strategy with North Korea, China and others? pic.twitter.com/n8qGlQcGvm

— Madison Gesiotto (@madisongesiotto) July 1, 2019

Kamala Harris Wants to Bring Back Forced Busing

This is at the New York Times, via Memeorandum, "Kamala Harris and Classmates Were Bused Across Berkeley. The Experience Changed Them."

She's on record as supporting a return to the failed desegregation polices of the 1970s.

And at the Los Angeles Times, "School busing in Berkeley during Kamala Harris’ childhood was both voluntary and volatile":

Kamala Harris, Berkeley and busing >>> "Even in a city that had become a worldwide symbol of 1960s counterculture revolt, systemic racial prejudice in education and housing remained deeply entrenched." https://t.co/3sBXbF6yHe Excellent @LATSeema @melmason @finneganLAT

— Shelby Grad (@shelbygrad) July 1, 2019

.@KamalaHarris: “I support busing. Listen, the schools of America are as segregated, if not more segregated, today than when I was in [school]...need to put every effort, including busing, into play to de-segregate the schools...fed govt has a role & a responsibility to step up." pic.twitter.com/a7ujueP0Bu

— Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) June 30, 2019

The school bus ride was less than three miles from one side of Berkeley to the other, but from 1969 to 1973 it transported Carole Porter to an entirely different world.

Like her neighbor and friend Kamala Harris, Porter was one of thousands of black children bused into predominantly white neighborhoods to learn. It was part of Berkeley’s bold experiment in desegregation.

But even in a city that had become a worldwide symbol of 1960s counterculture revolt, systemic racial prejudice in education and housing remained deeply entrenched.

“That’s a really hard thing to reconcile,” said Porter, 55. “Berkeley was an oxymoron. It was a contradiction in many ways.”

Harris’ three years of busing from her family’s mainly black working-class neighborhood to a prosperous white enclave in the hills overlooking San Francisco Bay was at once universal and uniquely Berkeley.

As in many American cities, the discriminatory housing policy known as redlining kept blacks from moving into white neighborhoods in Berkeley and busing fueled some white flight to the suburbs.

But unlike other sizable cities, Berkeley undertook its busing program voluntarily and required both white and black families to travel into unfamiliar neighborhoods. Rapid demographic and political changes shielded the community from the most extreme pushback, including violence, that hobbled busing efforts nationwide.

More than 50 years after Berkeley launched its busing program, Harris, one of its most famous participants, thrust it back into the spotlight in last week’s Democratic presidential debate.

As California’s first black senator chastised her rival Joe Biden for his fight against forced busing in the ’70s, she leaned on her personal history in Berkeley, portraying herself as a beneficiary of the charged battle for educational equality.

“There was a little girl in California who was a part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bused to school every day,” Harris said. “And that little girl was me.”

Contrary to its enduring reputation as a progressive mecca, the Berkeley of Harris’ childhood was more politically muddled. The conservative John Birch Society operated two bookstores in the area. It wasn’t until the early 1960s that Democrats cracked a Republican stronghold on the city council. Black residents were restricted to living to the southern and western flats, while whites resided in the northern hills.

Thelette A. Bennett, 71, a retired vice principal of Berkeley High School, grew up in the same neighborhood as Harris.

Bennett’s father, a black World War II Navy veteran, was an airplane mechanic at a local naval air station in 1945, when redlining blocked him and his wife from buying a house in a white neighborhood. Even in the black neighborhood where they settled, she said, they needed to get a white real estate agent to buy a home and transfer it to them.

“There were only certain areas where they could buy a home,” Bennett said. “We lived where they allowed us to live.”

But a large influx of African Americans during and after World War II and whites affiliated with UC Berkeley were pulling the local politics to the left, paving the way for desegregation. Black leaders raised concerns about segregation in the city starting in the late 1950s.

In response, the school board studied the matter, concluding that all but three of the district’s 17 elementary schools and two of the three junior high schools were segregated. (Berkeley High, the city’s only high school, was integrated by default.) In 1964, the school board voted to desegregate its junior high schools.

Residents’ reactions were not as extreme as the segregation battles elsewhere in the country, such as the South, but “it wasn’t as far from that as you might assume,” said Natalie Orenstein, a reporter for local news site Berkeleyside. “There were definitely really angry parents and hours-long school meetings.”

Desegregation opponents launched recall campaigns of multiple school board members over the junior high busing program, but lost by a wide margin.

Jennifer Delacruz Sunday (Monday) Forecast

She's so sweet.