Back in June, The Hill ran a story about the Iowa governor preparing to sign an Executive Order restoring rights to convicted felons. I posted it here to ensure that I was accurate in saying that is not true, as Virginia still requires individual application for rights restoration. A nice exchange of thoughts and information followed.

Today, The Hill ran a story saying the EO had been signed, but was again reported as the “last state” to do so. I recalled the earlier discussion here and decided to email the editors @ The Hill. Here is what I sent:

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/509210-kudlow-gop-plan-will-include-increased-business-deductions-for-meals-and

Some cynics would say this: “Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement Monday that a provision to expand deductions for meals and entertainment would be “the latest example of a tax provision tailor-made to benefit the Trump family finding its way into major tax legislation.”” And they could be accurate.

Yascha Mounk, founder of a new Liberal blog, Persuasion, uses George Orwell’s defense of P. G. Wodehouse to call on all to stop the madness.

His closing paragraph is telling: “The obligation to stand up for the wrongly accused—even or perhaps especially when they are imperfect—remains as important now as it has ever been. So I shall do my best to live up to the example Orwell set in much more perilous times. And I hope that you will, too.”

Brent Orrell, a senior fellow at AEI, makes the case that cancel culture exists in Trump’s GOP almost as much as on the left.

” Free trade has been Trump’s one departure from orthodoxy, but it has mainly been a rhetorical one, marked by a spasmodic and ineffectual protectionism that seems to have succeeded mostly in inflicting pain on American producers and consumers. The price among Republicans for these policy victories has been the imposition of the ultimate “cancel”: an omerta as it relates to the erratic leadership and unsavory character and behavior of Donald Trump himself. All conservative interests, positions, policies, and fidelity measures have been collapsed into an oath of loyalty to Donald J. Trump.”

Loyalty to Trump over loyalty to TRUE party values and country are quite damaging. As is other CC crapola.

https://www.persuasion.community/p/americas-mission

World Chess champion, Gary Kasparov, writes passionately about what he thinigks is right and wrong about this country.

“The United States is deeply imperfect. But the country and the world will pay a steep price if we allow its flaws to blind us to its achievements and its potential.”

He is no fan of Mr. Trump, but he is a fan of the American promise.

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/508717-dc-nfl-team-to-call-itself-washington-football-team-pending

The Washington Football Team needs a new name. This takes time and effort and the time part is kind of off the shelf for this season (IF it is played).

This is NOT about whether it is the right thing to do or not. (I kind of have a clue of who thinks what on that.) This is about the TV market we are in and what the “home” team should be called now.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/508326-conservatives-clash-with-cheney-over-support-for-fauci-massie-primary-opponent

A little disagreement is good for the soul, I suppose. But I do wonder if any of the Representatives have enough balls to call Liz Cheney what Ted Yoho called AOC.

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/508259-ocaasio-cortez-accosted-by-gop-lawmaker-over-remarks-that-kind-of

If you don’t feel like reading it, here is the key quote. “The two then parted ways. Ocasio-Cortez headed into the building, while Yoho, joined by Rep. Roger Williams (R-Texas), began descending toward the House office buildings. A few steps down, Yoho offered a parting thought to no one in particular.

“Fucking bitch,” he said.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/508138-trump-signals-he-will-send-federal-agents-to-major-cities

I beleive the move is unconsitutional, unless the local authorities request the assistance.

The stories out of Portland, OR were disturbing enough: Unmarked vehicles, unidentified law enforcement agents (meaning WHICH agency, not the individual’s name), apparently clandestine operations against American citizens (potentially only) exercising thier First Amendment rights.

Even Rand Paul takes issue with it: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/508158-rand-paul-no-place-for-feds-rounding-people-up-at-will-in-portland

And Trump supporters will, once again, let us listen to the crickets when questioned about it.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/507763-meadows-says-fauci-wrong-to-compare-coronavirus-to-1918-pandemic

COS Mark Meadows says it is wrong for Dr. Anthony Fauci to compare the current pandemic to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. Yet his boss has made similar comparisons repeatedly since April. The only difference is that Mr. Trump has used 1917 as the year in question. Maybe if Dr. Fauci used the same year, he wouldn’t get rebuked in such a manner?

1917 was an excellent movie depiction of WW I. Maybe that is where Mr. Trump gets confused.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/507663-chuck-woolery-deletes-twitter-account-after-announcing-his-son-has-coronavirus

Chuck Woolery thinks, I mean THOUGHT, that COVID was a big lie and it was being over-hyped to hurt the President.

Yep, she’s a bitch.