Day: October 7, 2018

Senator Susan Collins’ Historic Speech Lauding Constitutional Principles in Support of Justice Brett Kavanaugh

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U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) delivered remarks from the Senate floor Friday afternoon to announce her decision to vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. On Saturday, Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court by the United States Senate by a 50 to 48 vote. Collins’s speech was the defining moment in the confirmation battle. It has been described by many conservatives and Republicans as one of the greatest speeches ever delivered in the history of the Senate. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) delivers a heartfelt speech explaining her decision regarding Kavanuagh’s confirmation and the importance of this historical occasion to the Senate floor.   Her full remarks are as follows: Mr. President, the five previous times that I have come to the floor to explain my vote on the nomination of a justice to the United States Supreme Court, I have begun my floor remarks explaining my decision with a recognition of the solemn nature and the importance of the occasion. But today we have come to the conclusion of a confirmation process that has become so dysfunctional it looks more like a caricature of a gutter-level political campaign than a…

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New York Senator Gillibrand, Who Wants to Abolish ICE, Helps Raise Money for Bredesen Campaign

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), the first senator to call for abolishing ICE, stumped for Phil Bredesen’s campaign Saturday in the “I Will Vote Rally” at Third Man Records in Nashville. Gillibrand was the first senator to publicly support the idea of abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Here’s what she said about ICE: “[T]hat’s why I believe you should get rid of it, start over, reimagine it and build something that actually works.” She later claimed her statement was misconstrued. Gillibrand donated $5,000 to Democrat Phil Bredesen to join her in the Senate. Bredesen is locked in a tight race for a vacant U.S. Senate seat with U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). A Tennessee Star poll shows Blackburn with a 3-point lead. Bredesen has been under fire in Tennessee for his liberal views on immigration, including giving drivers certificates to illegal aliens. Gillibrand isn’t the only Senator supporting abolishing ICE who has also donated to Bredesen. U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) has donated $10,000 to Bredesen and wants ICE to “start from scratch.” If Democrats are trying to win in a state that gave President Donald Trump 60 percent of the vote, they certainly are picking odd outside reinforcements to do…

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Democrat Staffer Jackson Cosko Arrested for Doxxing is Not an ‘Unpaid Intern’

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by Julie Gunlock   Capitol Police on October 3 arrested 27-year old congressional staffer Jackson Cosko for posting on Wikipedia the private addresses of three members of  the Senate Judiciary Committee—what’s known as “doxxing” (a word derived from the shorthand for “document”). Cosko is facing serious charges that include illegally posting private information of public figures, witness tampering, threats, identity theft, and unlawful entry. In the mainstream media, Cosko is being portrayed as a hapless overzealous intern who didn’t even have the smarts to cover up his criminal act. His former boss— Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) has denied she knew anything about Cosko’s activities. In a press conference held this week, Jackson-Lee explained that she fired Cosko and is cooperating with officials investigating the crimes. (Interestingly, cameras recorded Jackson-Lee passing an envelope to Christine Blasey Ford’s lawyer just before her testimony got underway.) Many Questions, Few Answers So Far Yet, Jackson-Lee still has some explaining to do. While she claims Cosko was an “unpaid intern” in her office, the Washington Post reports that Cosko was actually a “fellow.” This was confirmed by Cosko’s lawyer, who said his client was a “fellow” in Jackson-Lee’s office and that he was being paid by an “outside…

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Nine Times the Media Pushed Misinformation About Kavanaugh

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Brett Kavanaugh

by Peter Hasson   Establishment media outlets repeatedly bungled their coverage of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, spreading misinformation as a result. Here are nine instances in which media outlets pushed misinformation about Kavanaugh. 1. “Devil’s Triangle” Multiple media outlets accused Kavanaugh of lying about the term “devil’s triangle” in his high school yearbook, which Democrats claimed was a reference to a group sex act. When asked by Democratic Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, Kavanaugh said that “devil’s triangle” was a drinking game played with quarters and three cups. The Huffington Post called Kavanaugh’s explanation a “lie.” Seven witnesses — including the classmate credited in the yearbook for inventing the game — have corroborated Kavanaugh’s account of “devil’s triangle.” Politico on Thursday published a video that cited the website Urban Dictionary to suggest Kavanaugh was lying. Politico later deleted the video and issued an apology for its “outdated information.” pic.twitter.com/FXPfEkhEjr — Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) October 4, 2018 2. Media outlets claim Kavanaugh described birth control as “abortion-inducing drugs” Multiple media outlets claimed Kavanaugh described some forms of birth control as “abortion-inducing drugs.” HuffPost’s article, “Brett Kavanaugh Refers To Birth Control As ‘Abortion-Inducing Drugs’ At Confirmation Hearing,” has been shared 110,000 times. The Cut (a New York Magazine website) titled its article: “Brett Kavanaugh…

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Commentary: The Left’s Pattern of Overlooking Due Process

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by David Harsanyi   The notion that certain Americans are pre-emptively guilty of wrongdoing, whether there’s any corroborating evidence to back up an accusation or not, isn’t reserved for conservatives who happen to be in contention for a Supreme Court seat. In the hierarchy of progressive values, due process is a bottom dweller. Over the past decade, you could see the illiberalism evolving on college campuses, where Democrats subverted basic standards of justice. It was the Obama administration that demanded schools judge cases of alleged sexual assaults under a “clear and convincing evidence” standard rather than on a “preponderance of evidence” standard, allowed accusers to appeal “not guilty” findings, and permitted the meting out of punishment before any investigation was even conducted, among other big problems. Democrats are simply shepherding those corrosive standards into the real world. Another area of American life where we continue to see egregious attacks on the presumption of innocence is gun ownership. You might remember that a couple of years ago, Democrats engaged in a much-covered congressional “sit-in” to support legislation that would have stripped Americans on secret government watchlists—hundreds of thousands of people who had never been accused, much less convicted, of any crime—of their…

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Higher Education and the Threat of Fascism

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by George Leef   In a recent essay published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Yale philosophy professor Jason Stanley is haunted by a spectre—the spectre of American universities aiding the rise of fascism. (The essay, “Fascism and the University” is subscriber-only content, unfortunately.) He says that “patterns have emerged that suggest the resurgence of fascist politics globally” and lists the United States as among the countries where he sees that occurring. Moreover, he argues that our higher education system could become complicit in the advance of fascism. What does Stanley mean by “fascism?” He defines it as “any ultranationalism—ethnic, religious, or cultural—in which the nation is represented by an authoritarian leader who claims to speak for the people.” He fears fascist politics pave the way for nationalists to achieve power and regards them as dangerous even if they don’t lead to an explicitly fascist state. Focusing on higher education, Stanley says that it has “historically been a bulwark against authoritarianism” but worries that “this time” (meaning the U.S. under Trump), it will instead be “its pawn.” That sounds like a troubling prospect. Ultranationalist fascism creates an overpowering, omnipotent state that serves the interests of a few at the expense of the rest of…

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‘But, Kavanaugh!’ Never-Trump’s Awakening

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by Julie Kelly   The headline was a stunner: “For Once, I’m Grateful For Trump.” Even more shocking was the column’s author: New York Times columnist Bret Stephens. At great risk of alienating his Trump-hating readership at the Times, Stephens carefully explained why he is relieved a man he detests now sits in the Oval Office. From evidence-free accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh to grandstanding, hypocritical senators, Stephens admitted he was reluctant to make such a heretical confession in the pages of a newspaper committed to destroying the Supreme Court nominee: I’m grateful because Trump has not backed down in the face of the slipperiness, hypocrisy and dangerous standard-setting deployed by opponents of Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. I’m grateful because ferocious and even crass obstinacy has its uses in life, and never more so than in the face of sly moral bullying. I’m grateful because he’s a big fat hammer fending off a razor-sharp dagger. The piece was not well-received by Times readers. As of Friday morning, there were more than 3,500 comments, mostly tantrums by progressives about Stephens’s viewpoint. The attempted political assassination of Brett Kavanaugh has triggered an epiphany for NeverTrump “conservatives” such as Stephens. Some of Trump’s most vicious and vocal critics on the Right…

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Capitol Police Arrest Ex-Democratic Staffer Suspected of Doxxing GOP Senators

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by Andrew Kerr   U.S. Capitol Police arrested Wednesday a former Democratic staffer suspected of posting the personal information of at least one United States senator to the internet. The home addresses and other personal information of Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch of Utah were posted to Wikipedia on Sept. 27 from an individual located in the House of Representatives. Jackson A. Cosko, 27, was charged with making public restricted personal information, witness tampering, threats in interstate communications, unauthorized access of a government computer, identity theft, second-degree burglary and unlawful entry, according to a Capitol Police statement. Additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues. Cosko has most recently worked as an intern for Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee. He has also worked under Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and former California Sen. Barbara Boxer, according to Fox News. Jackson Lee’s Chief of Staff Glenn Rushing told Politico that Cosko has been fired. “We’re just cooperating with law enforcement right now,” Rushing said. Cosko is a “Democratic Political Professional & Cybersecurity Graduate Student,” according to his LinkedIn page, which states that his job duties in the U.S. Senate included assisting senior staff “with…

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What the FBI Report on Kavanaugh Really Tells Us

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by Hans von Spakovsky   The new FBI report on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh that was being reviewed by senators Thursday makes it clear that there is absolutely no reason to further delay the confirmation vote on his nomination. America would be well-served if the Senate seats this extraordinarily qualified judge on the nation’s highest court. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, reviewed the FBI’s supplemental background investigation of charges of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh on Thursday morning. Grassley said: “There’s nothing in it that we didn’t already know. These uncorroborated accusations have been unequivocally and repeatedly rejected by Judge Kavanaugh, and neither the Judiciary Committee nor the FBI could locate any third parties who can attest to any of the allegations.” Furthermore, Grassley said the FBI’s “investigation found no hint of misconduct.” The new FBI report supplements the sixth full-field FBI background investigation of Kavanaugh since 1993. The claims being made by Democrats that the FBI was somehow limited or curtailed in its investigation because it didn’t have enough time to conduct the probe shows a woeful ignorance of the resources of the agency and the extensive manpower it can bring to bear. While this supplementary investigation…

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Nashville Buses Get $9 Million, Despite Apparent Lack of Use

Chris Butler

Federal taxpayers will hand over more than $9 million so Nashville officials can replace the city’s fleet of buses for its public transportation system. This, despite a recent WSMV investigation showing Nashvillians don’t use existing buses as often as one might assume. According to a recent U.S. Department of Transportation press release, the $9 million will replace some of the city’s aging buses with new hybrid electric models. The rest of the money will pay to maintain existing buses, the press release said. This $9 million was part of $366.2 million in grants the feds gave out to cities nationwide. According to a WSMV investigation last week, however, too few people evidently ride the buses to justify the high costs to taxpayers. Sometimes, according to the station, only five people rode a bus. The station quoted one passenger, Rae Keohane, who said she often is the only person on board. Another bus, which runs along West End Avenue, was empty for more than 30 minutes. Also, the bus on the Grassmere-Edmondson route was empty for 19 minutes, according to the station. The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority has seven low-performing routes. The most expensive, the University Connector, costs taxpayers $1.4 million…

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Nashville Metro Reduces Pension for Cop Who Had Affair with Megan Barry

Chris Butler

The former police sergeant who had an extra-marital affair with former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry will get a reduced pension, according to Nashville Public Radio. Members of the Nashville Metro Benefits Board recalculated the earnings for Robert Forrest, who served on the police force for 31 years. Metro Nashville spokeswoman Tara Stewart told The Tennessee Star Thursday she received our questions seeking comment on the matter. Stewart, however, said she would have not answers before the close of the business day. Nashville Public Radio elaborated and said board members chose not to move to revoke Forrest’s entire pension, based on his five highest-earning years. “From that total amount, members subtracted $10,780 in overtime that Forrest improperly earned guarding the mayor,” according to Nashville Public Radio. “That means a cut of more than $1,000 to Forrest’s annual pension — which will likely end up around $73,000. That’s according to a prior analysis, with slightly different figures, that was run by the Metro Auditor. A final tabulation was not immediately available after the board’s vote.” Board members made the adjustment retroactive, per city code. Forrest has to return any overpayments since he retired this year, Nashville Public Radio reported. Barry resigned as…

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Blackburn Praises Senate for Confirming Kavanaugh, While Tennessee GOP Leader Calls It Fulfillment of President Trump’s Promises

Jason M. Reynolds

Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, who has strongly supported Judge Brett Kavanaugh, praised the Senate Saturday for confirming the newest Supreme Court justice. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh on Saturday afternoon following a grueling process in which Democrats waged war against the judge’s character. U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) said, “Judge Brett Kavanaugh will make a fine Supreme Court Justice, and I applaud the Senate for confirming his nomination. After weeks of delay tactics and eleventh hour smear campaigns by the Democrats, I am thrilled to see he will serve the American people on the Supreme Court. I am disgusted by Democrats who are already discussing impeaching Judge Kavanaugh before he has even been sworn in. If Phil Bredesen were to be elected, Democrats would take the majority, and they would do everything they could to block President Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court and the federal bench. Phil Bredesen and the Democrats will get it wrong every time, but I will always vote to confirm good constitutionalist judges and justices who do not legislate from the bench.” Blackburn referred to her Senate election opponent, Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen. He has been harshly criticized for waiting nearly three months to give an insipid…

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