Guard to DC and Trump to Alaska

Don't Get Your Hopes Up

President Trump is meeting Vladimir Putin in Alaska this week. Hard to believe a deal will result. Putin lost a million Russian lives and stands to gain "little to no territory". His bosses (Oligarchs + Military) ain't gonna like that. What to do?

Meanwhile Israel is in a pickle too. Hamas is destroyed and disenfranchised. But, they won't surrender.

Israel doesn't want to occupy and run Gaza. But they can't let Hamas retain hostages and survive to reconstitute.

What to do, what to do?

How Trump Works

Read an interesting article by KT McFarland who's been in the Situation Room with four Presidents as a National Security advisor. She opines:

"Most DC politicians, especially liberal ones, think Trump's just like them. None of them understand what makes Donald Trump tick.  They think he’s another standard issue politician who cares more about perception than reality, who values process over progress, who may have an end goal, but is usually unwilling to make compromises to achieve it." (Ideologue)

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

"Donald Trump approaches problems from the other direction. He has an end goal, even if he’s not yet sure how to get there.  He’s willing to improvise, to compromise, to completely change his approach, even if it’s unorthodox.

That’s why President Trump is moving on all these issues at warp speed. That is why he always has a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. That’s why his critics call him unpredictable and mercurial and howl with outrage if he changes plans."

(After all he was a real estate developer in the toughest markets. Running into obstacles all the time. Unions, city and state officials, business partners, banks, the weather, suppliers, etc.)

"Most politicians are understandably focused on the next election.  They must appear to have all the answers, for fear their opponents will tear them apart.  When was the last time a politician admitted his plan didn’t work? They give speeches, have negotiations, and don’t take risks for fear of failure or alienating important electorates.  A politician can make process seem like progress."

If his plan doesn't work, Trump doesn't give a fig. Move on. He has supreme confidence in his ability to get the best possible deal done (or walk away). After all he's been doing it for half a century.

So what's the situation with Putin. Well, KT says -

"President Trump’s Plan A for ending the Ukraine War was to use his charm and personality to bring both sides to the negotiating table. That’s why for years he was reluctant to criticize Putin; because he wanted to flatter him to the negotiating table.  But Plan A failed. 

Plan B was to use maximum pressure to bring them to the table. It worked with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump’s threats to pull support from Ukraine convinced him to sign an agreement binding our economies together to develop Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.  He offloaded much of the war’s costs to Europe. They’re now footing the bill instead of the American taxpayer."

But it didn't work with Putin. They would talk all nice then Putin would go out and bomb a hospital.

"So, what does Plan C look like?  We don’t know yet. That is why President Trump wants to meet face to face with Putin: to assess whether he really does want a negotiated peace agreement or wants fight on…and on…and on… in a grinding war of attrition."

If Trump thinks Putin is playing him again, he will likely move to Plan D. Tighten the screws. He is likely to pull every lever to strangle the Russian economy and make the Oligarchs feel real pain. In a nice way. He will use secondary sanctions on those who buy Russian oil and gas until Russia runs out of money.

The irony here?  They are meeting in Alaska. Russia used to own Alaska but was forced to sell it to America in 1867 – because it went broke paying for the Crimean war.

Not Just on the Federal Level...

is DC a mess. DC is called the Swamp because of the phrase - drain the swamp, which refers to the corruption and inefficiency of its primary resident, the federal government.

But that's not the only problem the nation's capital has. Thanks to years of left wing leadership, crime is now more out of control than ever - and it's been a problem for decades.

So bad now, Trump just federalized (Monday, August 11 at noon) the DC police department. And deployed the National Guard.

The worst part it's largely juveniles. Teens. Kids.

Consider-

• More than half of carjackings involve juveniles.

• Juvenile arrests have increased every year since 2020.

• 2000 juveniles were arrested between 2023 and 24.

• Juveniles account for 52% of all robberies.

• 200 Juveniles had prior arrests for violent crimes.

• DC has the highest truancy rates in the nation.

Obviously the kids who aren’t in class aren’t just sitting at home. They’re raiding CVS, carjacking people running errands, tearing through grocery stores and roaming the streets at midnight. Entire curfews have been imposed on parts of the city just to get them inside. Many times Teens are used as proxies by career criminals because Police have been ordered to keep hands off.

Residents and business owners say they can feel the change in daily life. At some grocery stores, you now have to scan a receipt to be let out through locked gates. At drug stores, you have to push a button and wait for an employee to unlock basic toiletries. That’s not just an inconvenience; it’s a sign that businesses no longer feel they can operate normally.

Expect the following changes to come and quickly...

• Homeless moved out of DC to shelters we provide.

• No more hands off on Teenagers just because they have a gun.

• Get rid of No Cash Bail, whereby alleged criminals get out of jail without bail.

Quote from DC Father: " As a D.C. resident and a young Black man living in America, I’m not here to play nice. The time for that has long passed.  Washington, D.C., is spiraling out of control and it’s not just because of bad mayors, weak prosecutors or woke policies. It’s because too many fathers in the Black community have walked away from their responsibilities, and too many people in power are too cowardly to say it out loud.

If you want to know why our nation’s capital has become one of the most dangerous cities in America, start in the home. The reality is simple: when boys grow up without fathers, the streets raise them. And the streets are predictably doing a terrible job. " Not surprising but certainly well said.

Throwing minors into prison and forgetting them is not a solution. Accountability has to come with a chance at redemption. That starts with holding parents responsible, strengthening K–12 education and tackling truancy before it turns into something worse. All of that is just not something Liberals are good at. It makes them squirm.

So much to fix.

Watch it Chicago. You may be next.

Liar Liar

Of course, the Dems are on the warpath over Trump's decision to federalize law enforcement in the nation's capital

That paradigm of all truth, Hilary Clinton, claims crimes are at a 30 year low and Trump is unhinged. Hakim Jeffries echoed these words. Residents say...Tell Clinton to go live in Anacostia or Navy Yard (two DC neighborhoods). Somebody needs to tell these clowns that DC is more than 1600 Pennsylvania.

FACT: The most objective measure of crime is murders. When you're dead, you're dead. Ain't no fudging. Murders in DC are the highest in 25 years, which is as far back as stats exist.. The murder rate in 2024 was 83% higher than in 2012. Higher than Bogota, Colombia and Mexico City. Murder rate per 100K people is 27.54% in DC versus 15% in Bogota, 11% in Mexico City, 9% in Islamabad, 2% in Paris, 1% in London. What's wrong with this picture?

The Dems just can't stand the truth. Can't face up to fact that Liberal Governors and Mayors have done a piss poor job of protecting citizens for decades across major cities. More concerned with criminal "rights". Citizen safety is the wrong place to play policies.

Let's not forget...Washington, DC is the nation's capital, the seat of Democracy and a federal city.

Wouldn't This Be Dandy?

Congressman Harris from the Communist State of MD admitted last week that if it weren't for counting illegals Democrats would have 10-12 fewer seats in the House.

Democrats, of course, allege the Constitution (14th Amendment) stipulates all residents of state are to be counted.

Here's what it really says (abridged)

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. Representatives (number of House reps) shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed.

The clear implication of the clause - excluding Indians not taxed - is that, because (at that time) Indians were not citizens of the US and were governed by the law of the reservation to which they belonged, they were not entitled to representation.

So... are illegal immigrants closer to Indians not taxed and not citizens - or US citizens?

Change it is a'comin. Gotta stop counting Illegals in census. So many things to fix.

Republicans are Rookies

...when it comes to gerrymandering. Whole bunch of Red States are up in arms because Texas Gov Abbott has told the Dems who fled the state in protest of redistricting that when they return they will be arrested.

Redistricting is (was) the hottest story in America at the moment, as state legislators have fled Texas, some to New England, to stop a vote to change the congressional map in the Lone Star State, and likely give Republicans five more House seats in Washington D.C. (Correction: Redistricting WAS the hottest story until Trump sent to Guard into DC)

But when it comes to drawing districts in order to shut out the minority party, which is really what gerrymandering is, New England Democrats have a perfect record: There are 21 House seats spread over six states and not one single GOP representative. That's right 21-0 Democrats.

Frankly, a Republican would be about as likely to win a House race in 1860 Mississippi as one in New England in 2025.

By the way, one consequence of the Dems fleeing and abdicating their responsibilities in Texas is relief checks to those affected by last month's catastrophic floods are being delayed. Must have learned from Biden when he slow-played aid to NC hurricane victims.

In response, Governor Maura Healey of Massachusetts threatened to redistrict on Tuesday. There's a slight problem. All 9 of the state's district are already Democrat.

Another Commie Steps Up for Mamdani

Pocahontas Warren from the great state of Massachusetts.

But the facts are just starting to come in.

Zohran Mamdani is a con man.

Not just because the socialist currently atop New York’s mayoral leaderboard lives in a rent-controlled apartment, which should offend everyone, but because he promises to make life more affordable for New Yorkers while ignoring the real causes of the Big Apple’s cost-of-living crisis.

Mamdani is correct: New York is one of our country’s most expensive cities, ranking either first or second in cost of living, vying with San Francisco for top honors. In a list of top ten most costly cities to live in, all but one – Miami, Florida – are in blue states like California and Massachusetts.

Let's look at some of the real reasons housing is so expensive in NYC.

Electricity. New Yorkers pay exorbitant costs for electricity, thanks to leftist policy decisions. The average residential electricity rate in New York City is 52% higher than the national average. Officials, bowing to environmentalists, have tried to phase out fossil fuels, including affordable, plentiful and relatively clean natural gas, and also shrink nuclear power’s share of the pie, even as they push electrification. The increasing reliance on solar and other renewable fuels, which is endorsed by Mamdani, has driven electricity costs higher. 

Transportation. The cost of mass transit in New York skyrocketed 56% between 2012-13 and 2022-23, according to State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. And believe me the NYC subway system is no day at the beach.

Cost to Build New Housing. NYC is too expensive a place to build. Regulations and union rules are the main culprits. It takes too long to build in New York, thanks to burdensome regulations, and it is expensive thanks to union demands and other costs. Even the left-leaning New York Times concluded last year, "It has become quite difficult, time-consuming and expensive to build and maintain apartment buildings here."  Navigating the zoning and regulatory thicket, complying with onerous building codes, getting approval from the numerous agencies and political bodies involved, including the City Council, can take years and drives costs higher.  The Times cites a study showing New York is the most expensive place in the world to build.  

Is Mamdani planning to solve the root causes which are mostly due to liberal policies? Nah. We'll just tax the wealthy

I Didn't Know This.

Turns out Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, is a pretty squared up guy.

He is the eldest of four children. Dad was a firefighter disabled on the job. Mike was educated at LSU. Prior to Congress, he was active in several non profits defending ethics and religious freedom.

He donates his $233,000 salary as a member of the House to the needy. He donated his $250,000 speaker's bonus to flood victims. He only takes a $10,000 per month allowance donating the rest to veteran housing. He flies coach and stays in $60 a night motels. The $80,000 he's saved goes to food banks. The family is "with it" too. His wife operates a cancer screening center out of their garage.

All I can say is WOW! Goodonya, Mr. Speaker. Mike says things like..."when you tell a generation of people that life has no value (abortion), no meaning, that it's expendable, then you do wind up with school shooters." Apparently this guy is one of the few pols that backs up words with actions. New respect here.

Schifty Pool

There's Mike Johnson and then there's Adam Schiff from the Wildfire State.

A Democratic whistleblower has told the FBI that Adam Schiff approved leaking classified information in order to discredit President Donald Trump, according to newly-released documents. The documents, which were obtained by Just The News, were recently handed over to Congress by FBI Director Kash Patel.

The whistleblower worked for Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee for over ten years, and reported Schiff's alleged behavior to the FBI in 2017.

When working in this capacity, [redacted staffer's name] was called to an all-staff meeting by Schiff In this meeting, Schiff stated the group would leak classified information which was derogatory to President of the United States Donald J. Trump. Schiff stated the information would be used to indict President Trump [The whistleblower] stated this would be illegal and, upon hearing his concerns, unnamed members of the meeting reassured that they would not be caught leaking classified information.

Supposedly this is the first of several major leak investigations we're going to see over the coming days. We're likely to see other major people that were clearly identified by the FBI as having leaked classified secrets.

So a double whammy. Not only did crum bun Schiff openly admit they were going after Trump, the FBI knew and did nothing about it.

Like I said...someone has to go to the slammer.

So Where Do We Stand on Tariffs?

Correct answer - it's too early to tell.

Several important deals have been done. EU, Japan etc.

Others remain open questions. Canada, Mexico, India, and, of course, the 800 pound gorilla, China.

So, once again, why are tariffs important?

Well, Trump insists a level playing field (almost all trading partners has been decidedly UNFAIR to the US) is "not fair" and unacceptable. He feels, rightly so, that it is bad for the US because it penalizes US companies, creates a huge trade deficit and weakens us economically.

Many economists and all Democrats decried tariffs and assured that the resultant inflation would dwarf Biden's. So far that hasn't happened. But it's early days. In all likelihood US manufacturers are treading water to see how this all shakes out. On the plus side, everybody seems to agree the US stands to collect some $300-400 billion in tariffs this year, which helps the debt problem we clearly have. and the EU is going to step up defense spending, lightening our load.

As far as China is concerned what's at stake goes far beyond tariffs. If, when the tariff war ends, China still controls Tik Tok, still withholds rare earth minerals, can still get its hands on Nvidia super chips, continues to steal US technology, and still buys sanctioned oil from Iran and Russia, what have we really accomplished? Regardless of tariff rates.

There is another consequence of the prolonged negotiations. UNCERTAINTY. Nothing the markets hate more. Though they love less regulation, energy security, border control, interest rate deductions (coming soon?) and just about everything that's happened so far under Trump, they despise uncertainty.

So Where Will the Next Generation of Dem Leaders Come From?

Perhaps the Congresswoman from Illinois, Delia Ramirez. Ramirez was born in Illinois and is married to a husband who is here illegally. She recently attended (on taxpayer money) the Pan American Conference in Mexico City. She declared she is a "Guatemalan FIRST". She went on to say America is imperialist, militaristic and run by a wannabe dictator who spends millions propping himself. Fact: Guatemala has GDP of about $500 per month per citizen. And a murder rate 3X the US.

Or maybe Ilhan Omar, born in Somalia and now representing the great state of Minnesota, home of Tim Waltz. Ilhan is the one who said "apparently some people did something" and she was concerned about fellow Muslims being able to access civil liberties as a result. The "something someone did" was 911. Somalia has a GDP per capita of about $12 per month. Even Minnesota's better than that.

Or Ayanna Pressley, who reps the great state of MA, voted against the formation of a Tough on China committee because it might inflame anti-Asian sentiment.

Or Rashid Tlaib from Michigan who refused to condemn those chanting "Death to America". Her reason - she won't answer a question from Fox News who uses "racist tropes."

Or Representative Summer Lee from PA who says denying illegals the right to vote is xenophobic.

Where do they find these people. And who votes from them?

Nah, couldn't be - could it? Zohran? He's now saying - forget his absurd leftwing positions of the past. They don't matter because the Orange Man is bad. Compelling, eh?

Ideologue versus Pragmatist

Ideologue: an adherent of an ideology, especially one who is uncompromising and dogmatic.

Pragmatist: someone who deals with problems in a sensible way that suits the conditions that really exist, rather than following fixed theories, ideas, or rules:

Guess who is which?

The Democrats in DC are more concerned with losing their status than their lives. Their fear: God forbid this works.

Tough times for liberals. In long run, can't beat common sense. Calling conservatives Hitler or Fascist is lame.