Joe Campbell is a PR flak for an agency that does “work” for “Protect” Minnesota, Minnesota’s ghoulish gun-grab group.

Rob Doar is a friend of this blog, a married father and a guy who works his butt off for civil rights, having spent this past session lobbying, pretty much on his own time for the MN Gun Owners Caucus.  He’s one of the good guys.

This is what Joe Campbell tweeted about Rob:

.@robdoar is the grim reaper. He is actively working to ensure one of these school shootings happens again. He should be forced to say those words to the parents of children murdered today. #EnoughIsEnough #VoteThemOut https://t.co/sRXjSVkKLa

— Joe Campbell (@JoeCampbellMN) May 19, 2018

It’s hard to have a civil debate with people who are garbage.

I suspect Mark Dayton was one of those kids who used to insist he hated pork when his parents (or their servants) served pork, but insisted he loved pork when beef was on the menu.

Join me from 1-3PM today on the NARN!

Today on the show:

• The bad news about school shootings
• Animals
• Protests

Don’t forget – King Banaian is on from 9-11AM on AM1440, and Brad Carlson is  on “The Closer” edition of the NARN Sundays from 2-3PM.

So tune in the Northern Alliance! You have so many options:

• AM1280 in the Metro
• FM107.5 in the West Metro
• Streaming at AM1280’s Website
• Streaming on IHeartRadio
• On Twitter (the Volume 2 show will use hashtag #narnshow)
• Via my UStream video and chat channel.
• Good ol’ telephone – 651-289-4488
• Podcasts are now available; for my show and for Brad’s
• And make sure you fan us on our new Facebook page!

Join us!

Over at Power Line, Paul Mirengoff asks a question that is redolent with parallels for anyone that lives in a Democrat-dominated area:   if a government is truly authoritarian, nobody wants to be pegged as a “Resister” – for example, to be placed on an “enemies list”.

If you’re on an enemies list in a genuinely authoritarian country – Franco’s Spain, Pinochet’s Chile, Argentina in the sixties and seventies – being an “enemy” meant midnight knocks on the door and cars snatching people off streets and goons hauling off classrooms full of college kids.

In the parts of the US that voted for Hillary and melted down when Trump won, “resistance” means a latte in the morning after pilates, before a vigorous session of screaming at people on Twitter.

Mirengoff looks at “authoritarian” (according to the current leftist whinging) Hungary:

The Washington Post reports that a pro-government newspaper in Hungary published an “enemies list.” Political opponents of prime minister Viktor Orban promptly expressed outrage at not being on the list.

One of them launched a petition demanding to be on the list. He invited others to join in that demand. Nearly 8,000 did.

This tells me that Orban’s government is not authoritarian. The Post eventually concedes as much. Deep into the story, it acknowledges that in Hungary “there is free expression, with opponents speaking out on television, newspapers, and on the streets.” Earlier this month, when the new, elected parliament was sworn in, thousands of opponents rallied against Orban just outside the building.

Trying to get Hungarians to stop expressing freely takes tanks, as the Soviets found.

Liberals in the media are exercised because nearly every newspaper and media outlet in Hungary supports Orban (occording to journalists who oppose Orban and who aren’t, as it happens either unemployed or in jail).  In other words, for  being the same as the American media, but on the right…

Victor Davis Hanson notes something that could well become a Berg’s Law:  Republican Presidents are always “literally Hitler” until another Republiican is in office:

Once a Republican president loses an election or retires after two terms — and is followed by a liberal Democrat — his reputation hits bottom. But once a new Republican president enters office, the prior and now-powerless Republican ex-president is airbrushed into a model of statesmanship to contrast the ogre currently in the White House.

Republican presidencies are seen on a downward spiral of always becoming worse — by always redefining formerly despised presidents as at least better than their monstrous successors.

When a conservative president has the power to enact a conservative agenda, he is a media demon compared with his now-saintly Republican predecessors. Of course, in retirement, they have no power to do anything.

Such reinvention insidiously works to keep former Republican presidents quiet.

One wonders what rhetorical wonders await whomever wins the presidency after Trump…

Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:

John McCain, dying, says he regrets picking Sarah Palin as a running mate in his campaign against Barak Obama and Al Gore.

He wishes he had picked pro-abortion Democrat Joe Lieberman to run as the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate.

This tells us all we need to know about John McCain’s firm commitment to conservative principles – none – and why the Republican base absolutely insisted on a rock-solid Conservative on the ticket.  Without her, people like me would have stayed home and McCain/Lieberman would have received no electoral votes at all.

And I for one was worried about that.

It’s become Big Left’s latest line – America is “too big to govern”.

David French notes – of course it is:

What if trust in American democracy is eroding because the nation has become too big to be effectively governed through traditional means? With a population of more than 325 million and an enormously complex society, perhaps this country has passed a point where — no matter whom we elect — it risks becoming permanently dissatisfied with legislative and governmental performance.

It depends on how one defines “traditional means.” If we’re speaking about the post-FDR form of American government, with power increasingly centralized in Washington, then [Colby University sociology professor Neil Gross] is on to something: American political dysfunction will only increase so long as our leaders remain committed to that kind of government. But if one goes further back and defines “traditional means” as government ordered according to the vision of the Founders, then there’s hope for us yet. True federalism (and only true federalism) can match American government to the larger religious, cultural, and political trends that are pulling Americans apart.

And it shouldn’t even be a tough choice:

Simply put, our current national government isn’t fit for the times in which we live. What we stitched together in response to an unusual one-two-three punch of American history (the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War) during a period of extraordinary Democratic political dominance is now straining under its own colossal weight. It’s not responsive to a nation that lacks a mortal threat to its existence, and it’s incompatible with a population that is using the combination of geographic mobility and technological flexibility to wall itself off in increasingly cocooned and polarized communities.

Of course, true federalism would wipe out a lot of lucrative sinecures.  And that means it won’t happen until things completely collapse – at best.

The board of “Wellstone Action” has voted the sons of the late Senator off its board; the Wellstones had too much affinity…

…for rural white deplorables who forsook the Democrat party.

And like all apostates, they get no love from the Big Left:

Founded after Wellstone’s death in a plane crash in 2002, Wellstone Action has trained thousands of progressive candidates, campaign operatives and community organizers throughout the country, with alumni serving in local and state offices and in the U.S. House. In 2016, the last year for which tax filings are available, the group reported providing training to 2,135 data and digital strategists, 723 nonprofit leaders and community organizers, and 854 aspiring political leaders.

David Wellstone and other Democrats close to his father began objecting last year to what David Wellstone described as Wellstone Action’s abandonment of disaffected Democrats in the rural Midwest — the rural poor were an early focus of the late senator — with an increasingly narrow focus on gender politics and people of color.

“I said, ‘After Trump, we’ve got to figure out how we are going to go back after those Democrats that we lost,” David Wellstone said. “We can do all the stuff we do. We do great stuff on communities of color; we’re doing great stuff on gender identity politics. But we need to do some of these other trainings. … Nobody wanted to have a discussion about that.”

To all my Democrat friends – I say “this is the way true progressives should approach the world”.

Governor Dayton is set to veto a tax cut bill that would have cut taxes to the lowest income brackets in Minnesota – people whose tax burden is in fact disproportionally higher than higher-income Minnesotans, counting federal, state, local and various consumption taxes.

Naturally, it’s about feeding the Educational Industrial Complex:

Gov. Mark Dayton is promising to veto a tax bill that the Republican-controlled Senate passed narrowly on Wednesday, after criticizing GOP legislative leaders for their apparent unwillingness to approve an additional aid package for schools…

“There’s no indication of any willingness to move on my top priority,” Dayton said.

On May 1, Dayton asked for an additional $137.9 million to be spread among all 553 school districts across the state, including at least 59 districts that are anticipating budget shortfalls.

In other words, Dayton is throwing a tantrum because the Legislature doesn’t want to transfer money from poor people to Dayton’s DFL cronies in the Teachers Union.

I’ll be so sorry to see that stammering marionette go .

A good guy with a gun and a baby, attacked by four thugs, fails to become a tragic statistic:

Four men were at a McDonald’s in Memphis’ Orange Mound neighborhood when they attempted to rob the father, police said. David Chase, who witnessed the attempted robbery from across the street and called 911, told WREG the father fought back.

“They jumped out of the car and they started fighting him and trying to take his wallet and stuff,” Chase told the news station. “He was fighting them. He dropped his baby and started fighting them and the child was just sitting on the concrete.”

Chase said he heard three to four gunshots. The father is believed to have shot at least one of the suspects.

Fingers crossed for the good guy.

Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:

Former Obama officials want European nations to expel US diplomats in retaliation for Trump backing out of the Iran nuclear bribe.  I hope they do.

I hope Trump responds by announcing that the wise policies put in place by President Truman to rebuild Europe after WW II have succeeded beyond all expectations.  European nations have demonstrated they are fully capable of managing their own affairs wherefore we intend to serve notice that we’re withdrawing from NATO.  American military commanders will be preparing a timetable for orderly withdrawal of troops and equipment with plans for redeployment along our southern border. We congratulate our European friends and former allies and wish them a bright and prosperous future.

Joe Doakes

There’s a part of me that hopes Trump drops that on the likes of Merkel.

Of course, it’s the likes of Estonia and Poland that’d end up suffering when the pusillanimous central European powers cave in in the face of Russia bullying.

I said when.  

SCENE:  DFL headquarters in Saint Paul.  Behind a door with a sign labeled “Field Worker Training”, Avery LIBRELLE is leading a group of DFL employees, including Moonbeam BIRKENSTOCK, Edmund DUCHEY, Gutterball GARY, Cat SCAT  and about a dozen other activists being trained to start working for the DFL’s 2018 campaign season.  

LIBRELLE:  OK, everyone.  It’s been a good session.  Can you recap the lessons so far?  (Points to DUCHEY).  Start?

DUCHEY:  Say whatever it takes, because none of our voters are going to check facts anyway.

LIBRELLE:  Excellent.  And… (points at GARY) you?

GARY:  We’re running against Trump!

LIBRELLE:  Because…?

SCAT:  He’s literally Hitler.

LIBRELLE:  Good!   And…(to BIRKENSTOCK) You.

BIRKENSTOCK:  Tax hikes put people directly back to work for the children.

LIBRELLE:  Outstanding.  Now – each of you has an envelope in front of you.  It’ll explain where you’re assigned for this campaign.

(There is a mad rustling of papers as the trainees open the envelopes and take out their assignments)

DUCHEY:  W00t!  I got South Minneapolis!

SCAT:  I got Edina!

GARY:  I got Crocus Hill in Saint Paul!

BIRKENSTOCK:  (looking and sounding crestfallen)  I got…Marshall?

(The other trainees visibly wince)

LIBRELLE:  Do you have a problem with your assignment?

BIRKENSTOCK:  Well, for starters – where is it?

LIBRELLE:  I have no idea.  You’ll have to Google it.

BIRKENSTOCK:  But isn’t that way outstate?  Where they…grow corn and stuff?

LIBRELLE:  Could be.  I didn’t make the assignments.  They’re places where people…well, voted, I guess.

BIRKENSTOCK:  But they voted…Republlican.  Right?

LIBRELLE:  They’re farmers, though.  Right?   And the “F” in “DFL” means Farmers.

GARY:  Is that what it means?

LIBRELLE:  I guess.  Anyway – Moonbeam, that’s your job.  Do outreach in Marshall.

BIRKENSTOCK:  But there’s no DFLers there.   Who wijll I do outreach to?

LIBRELLE:  Well, I have no idea.  But good news!  You can pay people to talk to you!

BIRKENSTOCK:  Ah.  Problem solved!

LIBRELLE:  It’s good to be Democrat!

And SCENE

The House passed a bill barring people form blocking freeways yesterday, on a largely party-line vote:

Following an impassioned debate, the House voted to make it a gross misdemeanor to participate in protests that block freeways, transit or airport roads, despite intense opposition from DFLers.

The problem isn’t that we don’t already have laws against disturbing the peace, trespassing on freeways (just try riding a bike on one) and the like.

The problem is, neither Betsy Hodges / Jacob Frey nor Chris Coleman / Mel Carter nor Mark Dayton were ever going to enforce them against Black Lives Matter.

Had Pro Life Action blocked a freeway, they’d have been met with attack dogs and water cannon.

The problem in Minnesota is, some protesters are more equal than others.  The Ramco and Henco attorneys, who don’t even up-charge gun criminals, aren’t going to enforce this law (on the off chance Dayton doesn’t veto it) under any circumstances.

So what’s the point?

Opponents said the bill does nothing to address injustices that could prompt people to march on freeways and quashes one of the most important tools people have to draw attention to an issue: civil disobedience.

Dear idiot entitled whiffleball-life DFL fops:   if it’s not illegal, then you’re not disobeying anything.    Grow a pair.

Tom Wolfe, author of a shelf full of seminal American journalism and literature, dead at 88.

And later yesterday, word circulated on social media (although I’ve found no confirmation yet in the dead-tree media) that Nick Coleman, longtime columnist (as with all columnists in the Twin Cities, it seems) for both the Strib and the PiPress, had suffered a massive stroke and passed away.

More on that when more details are available.

It was about four years ago that Thomas Sowell – one of America’s most irreplaceable public intellectuals – called out the Federal Government for jamming policies down onto schools that led, among many other things, to Nik Cruz killing 17 people last winter.

As with all things Sowell – read the whole thing.

The Air Force loses a box of automatic grenade launcher rounds in western North Dakota:

The box looks something like this.

A 91st Missile Wing Security Forces team from the Minot Air Force Base lost the ammunition container on May 1 while traveling between missile sites in Mountrail County, according to a news release the Air Force issued late Friday.

A Mark 19 Grenade Launcher – basically a machine gun that shoots grenades.

The team was traveling on rough gravel roads about four miles west of Parshall when the back hatch of the vehicle opened, and an ammunition container fell out, the Air Force said.

The USAF helpfully adds:

The ammunition will not operate in any other launching device.

Since the USAF went nearly two weeks before telling the public about this, I’m gonna suggest that those rounds will turn up, expended, during prairie dog season, fired from some contraption ginned up by some Norwegian bachelor machinist.

Well, the cartridge cases will turn up, anyway.

…with which I love to beat my liberal friends over the head, is that without Barack Obama, there’d have likely been no Donald Trump.

Not just in social terms – blue-state coastal elitism has been brewing a backlash since I was a kid (Lori Sturdevant’s mewling notwithstanding).

But in terms of presidents acting like kings?   For all the Democrat whining about Trump, he’s merely working within Obama’s precedents.

David Harsanyi:

Even if you substantively supported Obama’s actions — as I do on legalizing the children of immigrants who are in the country illegally, for instance — the reasoning that girded these supposedly temporary executive decisions was soon revealed to be abusive. In 2012, Obama told the nation that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which by any standard was a stand-in for legislation, was merely a “temporary stopgap measure.” By the time Trump overturned it, the measure represented “who we are as a people.” That’s because by “temporary,” Obama always meant “until Democrats can make it permanent through the courts or electoral victories.”

Even when implementing laws Congress had passed, Obama and his allies relied on coercing participation through mandates. And when it became inconvenient, they began arbitrarily implementing parts of laws. Administrative discretion became administrative abuse. When the president decided the Obamacare’s employer mandate was politically inconvenient, for example, he simply skipped it for expediency.

Democrats:  If you don’t like the way Trump is doing the presidency, you have only Obama to blame.

Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:

Congress passed the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015, which President Obama signed into law.  It directed the Executive Branch to designate nations which were unable to perform adequate background checks on its own citizens to identify terrorists.  Travel from those nations was banned to prevent terrorists from slipping into the country.  Obama’s Department of Homeland Security identified seven nations but took no action to block inadequately vetted immigrants.  President Trump adopted an Executive Order to implement the existing law.  Liberals exploded in outrage over implementation of their own law and dubbed it the “Muslim Travel Ban.”

Congress adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 which became law when Bill Clinton failed to veto it.  The law requires the United States embassy to be located in Jerusalem unless the President signs a waiver on national security grounds, every six months.  President Trump declined to certify that moving our embassy posed a threat to the nation’s security so the embassy is moving.  Liberals are exploding in outrage over implementation of their own law.

I suspect Liberals’ real grievance is they never intended those laws to be implemented – they were simply virtue signaling theatre intended to hoax the yokels.  Who could imagine a President would faithfully execute the law?

Joe Doakes

Pretty radical concept.

Over the weekend, Tina Flint Smith – former de facto governor of Minnesota, and currently finishing out Al Franken’s term and running to replace him this fall – had this to say on getting (shock of shocks) the endorsement of Education Minnesota.

Read it and pass it around:

Was it Will Rogers who said sometimes politicians slip up and tell the truth?

Heidi Heidtkamp’s poll numbers are looking about the same as the rest of the North Dakota Democrat Party’s.

Everything that’s wrong with modern feminism…:

Advertised as a “rejuvenating and a safe space where women can reinvent themselves and their desires,” an island off the coast of Raasepori in southern Finland is being touted as an all-inclusive, testosterone-free luxury resort. According to the Supershewebsite, the island can accommodate ten women in four newly-renovated cabins.

…and modern PC-entrepreneurship…:

Spending time in a “man-free” milieu is an expensive treat, as Benny Smeds has put the starting price for a week’s stay at “several thousand euros.” The price, however, includes food, service and even tailor-made programs.

…and casual sexim…:

Advertised as a “rejuvenating and a safe space where women can reinvent themselves and their desires,” an island off the coast of Raasepori in southern Finland is being touted as an all-inclusive, testosterone-free luxury resort. According to the Supershewebsite, the island can accommodate ten women in four newly-renovated cabins.

…and the modern social welfare state…:

Roth admitted scrapping plans for further investments in Finland, voicing her frustration over the difficult time she’s had as an entrepreneur in Finland, which she dubbed a “negative country that sucks energy and money.”

“My experience as an outsider and investor in this beautiful country led me to reconsider future plans,” Roth said…Meanwhile, Aija Valleala from the equality ombudsman’s office has said their investigation into whether a women-only business classifies as illegal discrimination hasn’t been completed yet.

…all in one story that you’d almost think was from The Onion if you didn’t know better.

Join me from 1-3PM today on the NARN!

Today on the show:

• Now, gated communities are OK to MN DFLers.
• The Real Resistance

Don’t forget – King Banaian is on from 9-11AM on AM1440, and Brad Carlson is  on “The Closer” edition of the NARN Sundays from 2-3PM.

So tune in the Northern Alliance! You have so many options:

• AM1280 in the Metro
• FM107.5 in the West Metro
• Streaming at AM1280’s Website
• Streaming on IHeartRadio
• On Twitter (the Volume 2 show will use hashtag #narnshow)
• Via my UStream video and chat channel.
• Good ol’ telephone – 651-289-4488
• Podcasts are now available; for my show and for Brad’s
• And make sure you fan us on our new Facebook page!

Join us!

…among sectors of one’s population…

…is to stop keeping track of it.  As Sweden has done.

Problem solved!

I disagree with some of my harder-core conservative friends’ animus toward John McCain – to a point.  He’s caused a lot of problems for conservatives and the GOP.

Still, it’s just politics.  Right?

Well, to a point.

Bagging on Sarah Palin a decade after the fact is kind of tacky.

…that Australia banned guns, so they don’t have any more mass…

…er, shootings…

…er…

…oh.