Sen. Schumer can be mum when it serves him well.

Schumer Demanded FBI Probe Kavanaugh, Was Mum On Wife’s Role in NYC Deadly Crash

September 21, 2018

Democrat minority leader, Chuck Schumer has deemed Brett Kavanaugh accuser’s claims against the judge as “extremely credible”.

Yes, the pathologically partisan senator has proclaimed that;  6 different FBI background checks, days of grueling testimony and an endless number of character witnesses to the contrary, Christine Blasey Ford’s 36-year-old allegation, unsupported by specific critical details such as year, time, and place, is plenty good enough for him!

Chuck wanted the FBI to “reopen” their background investigation, although he wasn’t precise as to which of those half dozens should be reopened.

Schumer demanded the feds step in and get to the bottom of this;  no matter how long it takes.  He wanted them to find all the answers, especially if there are no real answers to be found.

Seeing Senator Schumer shamelessly preening in front of friendly cameras never comes as a surprise to anyone paying attention.

But, what even Schumer watchers may not know is;15 years ago, during what would normally have been one of those classic ambulance chasing media moments Chucky lives for, he was nowhere to be found.

In the fall of 2003, there was a horrific, deadly ferry boat crash in the senator’s very own New York City. 

Strangely absent, was the typical spectacle of Schumer racing for a camera and calling for an over-the-top federal look into the circumstances surrounding one of the worst public transportation disasters in NYC’s history. There was none of his usual bluster crying out for increased regulations and punishment for all those responsible. He went underground. Why?

Because hidden from public view, the key player entwined in this calamity, was one Iris Weinshall.

Here’s the story:

On Wednesday, October 15, 2003, the Andrew J. Barberi crashed full-speed in a concrete pier at St. George ferry terminal, killing 11 and injuring 165. The crash was so horrific, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg felt compelled to issue a statement saying it was not a terrorist attack.

Facing multi-million dollar lawsuits the NYC Department of Transportation had the hard-hearted chutzpah to claim the clearly avoidable tragedy resulted from an Act of God.  Not only was that pathetic argument debunked to the tune of well over $50 million, but 5 people were charged in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York with 11 counts of seaman’s manslaughter and making false statements.

In addition, an independent federal report found fault with upper management ruling, “the lion’s share of culpability in this case as resting with the high-level management of the Ferry Service.”, given this was just the kind high profile catastrophe Senator Schumer would normally use to bleat about dramatically expanding the Fed’s role; where was Chuck?

The answer is easy if you know two things. The Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation was Iris Weinshall. Iris Weinshall was Senator Schumer’s wife. If this was unknown at the time it’s not the reader’s fault. The power couple was very careful covering their tracks. In July of 2006 Iris, as a defendant in a related lawsuit, went so far as to have the hyphenated Schumer part of her Weinshall-Schumer name removed and both were virtually unreachable for comments regarding the deadly accident.

While others were disciplined, fired and/or served jail terms Ms. Wesinshall had the remarkable good fortune to serve in that position for another four years. She then took a job at the City University of New York, ironically tasked with overseeing the planning, building, and maintenance of physical structures.

A running joke has been the most dangerous place to be standing in between a camera and Chuck Schumer. On October 15, 2003, literally, the most dangerous place to be standing was on ferry under the control of a NYC agency headed by Mrs. Charles Schumer.

If Schumer continues his factually unfounded vendetta against an honorable Brett Kavanaugh, the Dem pol should be reminded of events 15 years ago that drove him to keep his mouth shut.

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Sen. Grassley on the Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearing.

Committee Chair Sen. Chuck Grassley needs to make 

a statement concerning the recently concluded Kavanaugh 

Confirmation Hearing.

As much as he provided fair and equitable leadership, it

was not enough get any sense of 'comity' the Senate

prides itself on.

I hope Grassley offer such a statement, such as below.

The Senate hearing to confirm the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh

for the vacated seat on the Supreme Court has been a circus from day one 

which could have been predicted soon after the announcement by President

Trump on July 9th.

It did not take long for Democrats​ to 'fill in the name' of the already created, 

scripted criticism to be used over and over against whomever Trump chose.

From the first, all Democrat members ensured the hearing would not go 

without interruption. First, they provided tickets to people interested 

in disrupting the proceedings, not respectfully listening to what was 

being said.  

But, this was not the worst of this 'circus', what we saw next surely 

was, the performance of Democrats on the committee themselves,

all showed little interest in a respectful query of Judge Kavanaugh, 

only an ongoing attack on him.

The foregone conclusion was obvious and two fold.  Even before 

the hearing began every Democrat said they would not confirm the 

nomination, while a few Republicans wanted assurances on 

concerns they wanted addressed.

After a three day hearing that included three sessions of questioning 

Kavanaugh by all twenty-one senators, totaling one hour each

they hearing ended, with only the scheduled vote on Sept. 19th 

to be taken.

The next day I learned from Sen. Diane Feinstein that she received

a letter from a woman that claimed she was sexually assaulted by

Judge Kavanaugh when they were teenagers, over thirty years ago,

information Feinstein new about in July!

Now, the Democrats, who I remind you, were not going to vote

for Kavanaugh at all, want to bring in this women, now a professor

to address the committee.

But, even that does not seem to be enough, now the women's lawyer

is demanding an FBI investigation before she speaks to our committee

which the Democrats demand as well.

I have to call this as I see it, a slow moving flow of lava to scuttle the 

appointment of Judge Kavanaugh which I will refuse to allow.

Our committee will not submit to demands by either party or any

individual. I will call for a vote at the earliest, not negotiate with 

Democrats that from the beginning had little interest in Judge 

Kavanaugh's of the law.

As much as I empathize with Prof. Ford, beyond allowing her to 

address the committee, I will not delay the the vote for demands

of any nature, by anyone. 

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"The Coddling of the American Mind"

I am not sure you are aware of or read this subject book, but I did come

across the one hour CSPAN video "The Coddling of the American Mind",

in which the authors, Greg Lukianoff and Johnathan Haidt discussed it.

From the introduction:

Something has been going wrong on many college campuses in the last

few years. Speakers are shouted down. Students and professors say they

are walking on eggshells and are afraid to speak honestly. Rates of anxiety,

depression, and suicide are rising—on campus as well as nationally.

How did this happen? 

I did not read the book, but I learned enough from the one hour CSPAN

video to see a glaring omission, the possibility that "coddling" began

when raising children changed in our country, with the birth of "latch

key" school age children, leading to the the current state we are in!

Perhaps I am 'old school'  but discussions  of "micro aggression", "safe

spaces" and "demands of the students",  etc.  never occurred forty odd

years ago, which is more than troubling when the authors did not

delve into what could be the source of many of the problems today.

To me, the current method of public education may be the cause and

needs to be examined and compared with earlier education and

societal rearing. 

Did replacing at home development with day care have played a role?

Perhaps the uptick in single parenthood, leaving millions without the

presence of a father figure.

In K-12 we learned  the building blocks required to become responsible

adults. Observing that college students need "coddling"  also shows

many have yet to reach adulthood.

Even the word 'rigger', used to describe teaching, has been reduced to

a pacifier, perhaps to mislead parents, as true 'rigger'  and structured

standards were replaced with more relaxed ones so students could easily

advance without learning what is needed to meet the next grade's standard;

none which the authors discussed.

Our country turned for the better when more women with children chose

to pursue careers, but it needs to be understood such a change has a price,

and should be part of the discussion if there is to be a serious discussion.

Nor, did the authors address what else happened when women entered

the workplace; the 'delegation' of  parenting to public schools as well.

What was taught in the home was no longer taught at all.  The maturity

of children entering college was nonexistent in many, still immature,

leaving it up to administrators to handle, a task universities were never

charged to provide.

I don't know of anyone, other than Charles Murray, with  the courage

to compare then with now, so the public understands for themselves,

not be dependent on the education professionals to add another layer

of bureaucracy that fails public education as earlier ones have.

Pass along this email to friends in teaching.  AS always, your feedback

is appreciated.

This is the link to watch the video.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?450784-1/the-coddling-american-mind


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The media is worse than "Enemy of the People"

The media was quite disturbed when President Trump began calling 

their biased reporting on his Administration "fake news" but now the journalistic community have proven they are also dishonest brokers 

of public information and equally deserving of the president's latest

claim, they are the "enemy of the people".

To challenge the president they offer self serving platitudes on the 

First  Amendment, even daring to make a moral equivalence to
many high water marks of American journalism. Such ridiculous
assertions only demonstrate how far journalism has fallen.

Most open minded and objective citizens have observed for almost two

years the  mix of  both; "fake news" in the form of unverified reports

coming from unsourced leaks masquerading as journalism and prejudice by only reporting negative stories that strengthens the "enemy of the 

people" claim. A partisan media that omits information is clearly no

"friend of the people".

How can anyone call Trump's criticism a form of slander when over 

90% are negative stories. Perhaps "journalist malpractice" is more fitting.

And, having hurt feelings isn't enough. Now print media is going even 

further, organizing independent newspapers to attack, which only proves Trump's point! 

The call has been sent across the country for editorial boards to solicit 

opinion pieces on the "dangers" of Trump's criticism. 

While they are attacking to defend against the "enemy of the people" 
claim, they are making the case for the president!  Its one thing for an independent editorial to cite an opinion but blatantly dishonest when
only prejudiced commentaries are the only ones "the people" get to read.

When the print media publicly says it will enlist editorial writers to cite 

the dangers of  Trump's attacks they are no longer doing what the First Amendment protects, they have slid into the area of 'propaganda' on
a foundation of collusion! 

In closing, there are two parallels in what is going on.  The first occurred 

during the campaign when the National Review, a conservative magazine, published an entire issue, with solicited opinion pieces of why Donald Trump should not be elected.  We saw how that worked out.

Second and even more disturbing is the state of "editorial independence"

in the newspaper industry today.  One has to wonder why,on any given 

day across our nation so many editorials take the same position on an
issue, a concern that transcends the 'target' and goes to the core of the 
problem, the corrosion of American  journalism.

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Republicans are once again failing their electorate

Observing the remarks from Republicans and Democrats following

President Trump's meeting with Putin I noticed a distinct difference 

between how both parties advance their interests.

We have seen time and again Democrats seek to destroy a Republican 

president, as they did to Bush during the Iraq War without any

defense from Republicans.

Democrats seek to destroy a person, his reputation, his love of

country and even his legitimacy!

We now see this political strategy used against President Trump.  

Republicans will speak out against a Democrat president,  but

I know of no moment they launched charges of treason as many

Democrats are doing now. 

In fact, many Republicans joined Democrats in their criticism 

of  Trump's remarks after meeting with Putin, yet they allowed

over the top criticism of President Trump, to go unchallenged.

Republicans do this time and again, they take the bait, join

the lemmings, demean the president, sending a message to

the electorate which further divides a fractured constituency.

This is the reason elected Republicans are viewed weak and 

could lead to Democrats taking Congressional majorities in 

the mid term election.

Allowing  unproven allegations to go unchallenged Republicans

are doing their part in weakening the Trump presidency and

could lead to impeachment by a Democrat led Congress.

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"This November, cast your vote against the GOP".

Recently George Will wrote a column entitled,  "This November, cast your vote against the GOP". At first I took little interest in what Will had to say, I already knew he was a 'anti-Trump' member of the Washington establishment, more aligned of their view of governance than on concrete principles and solution orient approach to enduring problems. As the days moved along I became  curious of what Will offered to argue the case the Republican Party should be shunned, costing them Congressional majorities.

Mr. Will begins with a term new to me, "misrule" referring to the Republican leadership, 

and pointing to "family-shredding policy". Apparently, enforcing immigration laws which 

Congress and previous presidents refused to seriously address is troubling, especially so

near the midterm election.

Will goes on to criticize Speaker Ryan for working with President Trump, calling it a

"false proposition" that will only "down grade" governance. Never mind Will offered 

no such opinion during the eight years Republicans were persona non grata to the Obama 

Administration.  He goes on to call Ryan and other Republicans "the president's poodles", 

without pointing to any legislation he disagrees with.

Will than points to retiring senator Bob Corker for being an exception by suggesting Congress should "retrieve a small portion of policy making power".  Its interesting that it took Donald Trump for George Will to suggest Congress is broken. Again Will has it wrong, the problem is not 'policy making', it is and has been abdication of legislative responsibility and accountability for decades.

Also troubling to Will, President Trump cites trade restrictions being done in the name of 

'national security", but seems to have forgotten it is the president with this sole responsibility, not the legislative branch.  And when people can walk, drive and hop on a freight train to come to our country unimpeded it IS a national security concern!  Maybe Will agrees with the "Abolish ICE" crowd too!

Nor do I recall George Will was troubled when George W. Bush sent our nation to war against Iraq, costing over 5000 lives and trillions of dollars without a peep from a Republican led Congress.

He is correct stating Trump is 'easily peeved", but no more so than a Republican electorate that have endured as 'conservatives' in Congress failed time and again to govern as true

conservatives, 

and the primary reason over sixty million went to the polls and elected him.

In his closing Will finally gets it right when he says Trump "is the mainstream". Trump is right about trade policies, lowering taxes, reducing regulations, cutting non-military spending, ending mandated health care, and reviving industries essential to our nation and national security.  What Will does not seem to understand it is HE that is not part of mainstream America. 

Ending this piece by suggesting to "vote against" Republicans would "affirm the nation's honor while quarantining" Trump shows Will cares little about the benefit ​ of a​ Repubican let legislation, preferring a Democrat majority that would spend every day placing mine fields to destroy the Trump presidency. 

Our country does not need a Republican party to "gum up the Senate's machinery" as Will

suggests. We need a solution oriented legislative branch that can be as equally effective as

the Trump Administration has been since January 20, 2017.

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Thoughts on the US-North Korea deal

No need to venture into a territory already occupied by the anti-Trump
media and political establishment class.  If you have been paying attention
you are well aware of their perspective on what has occurred at the meeting between President Trump and North Korea president, Kim Yong-nam.

What I have concluded, which I did not need the media to report, were
some of the reasons the first meeting of these two heads of state was
that we may now be on the threshold of a success never imagined in the
seventy years since we engaged North Korea in a United Nations 'police
action' that cost our country more than 36,000 lives.

What is different this time then the thirty years of  failed attempts to reign
in the threat North Korea posed on its Asian neighbors is that President
Trump has not used the same play book that has failed time and again.

First, President Trump did not send a pin-stripped diplomat with our
taxpayers' checkbook in hand. Trump's emissary, newly installed Secy.
of State Mike Pompeo, brought a more potent message, the overwhelming
power of our  military will destroy North Korea if provocative actions
continued.

Complementing this warning was another first, President Trump has
agreed to requests from Japan and South Korea to have their own arsenals
for the first time since the end of World War II to defend themselves .  

Trump also agreed to meet with Kim, something no president had done in
the generations the Kim family has governed North Korea. Doing this, he
showed respect for Kim, placing him on equal footing as a head of state.

It appears Trump believes Kim, from a different generation, would be open
to the great benefits of engaging with his Asian neighbors to build a thriving economy rather than remain in despotic isolation which his family preferred.

Kim sent some signals of his own, including voluntarily releasing three 

US citizens weeks before the planned meeting with President Trump.

Kim also fired three key military leaders, holdovers from his father's

regime, sending a signal he may have turned the page on failed policies.

President Trump's primary condition will not change, total denuclearizion 

before going forward to introduce real prosperity, not US welfare.

President Trump is committed to help North Korea mirror the regional

successes all around them.  

The thriving economies of its nearest neighbors, Japan and South

Korea are not to feared as his father and grandfather believed. If

these two countries can live peacefully there is no reason for Kim

to believe to can't. 

As for what South Koreans thought of Trump's visit.  The people

were glued to their TVs taking in the first true step towards peace

in the region.

One little mentioned development is the potential of finally getting

some closure of the MIAs,  as Trump announced he would restart 

efforts to repatriate the remains of lost servicemen after a more 

than 10-year interruption.

So, never mind President Trump's critics, sour grapes do not

go down easily.

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