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Own goal: Biden’s bid to discredit Trump with Mar-a-Lago raid has only made Trump more popular —I&I/TIPP poll By Monica Showalter

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2022/09/own_goal_bidens_bid_to_discredit_trump_with_maralago_raid_has_only_made_him_more_popular_iitipp_poll.html

If Joe Biden and his ruling Democrats had intended to discredit President Trump through their showy Mar-a-Lago raid, a new poll suggests they have failed miserably.

They’ve actually accomplished the opposite of what they set out to do.

According to the highly reputable and accurate I&I/TIPP, Trump has lost not a whit of popularity with Republican voters since the FBI raid.

In fact, he’s actually gained.

What do the numbers say about Trump, who, between those two polls, endured the FBI’s raid, which has no precedent in U.S. history?

In August, 53% of Republicans said they would vote for Trump. In September, that number rose to 54%, a small gain. But Trump has a majority of his party, while Biden barely ekes out a third of the Democrats.

And, the important point, he lost nothing from the Mar-A-Lago raid. If anything, he gained support, while other potential challengers slipped.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who received 17% in the August poll, dipped to 15% in September, while former Vice President Mike Pence dropped from 10% to 8%. No other GOP challenger received more than 2% in September.

Trump has the support of more than half his party with that 54% popularity figure commonly characterized as landslide territory.

Biden by contrast has the support of only one out of three Democrat voters, and though the numbers show that Biden’s “popularity” rose from 30% to 34% among Democrats, that’s a chump-change figure, given that so few of them support him at all.

It looks as though that broad effort to smear, criminalize, and discredit President Trump through the Mar-a-Lago FBI raid has actually backfired badly on Democrats.  They’ve actually made him more popular.

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Soros-Backed Prosecutors Face Backlash In Virginia By Andrew Abbott

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://amac.us/soros-backed-prosecutors-face-backlash-in-virginia/

In what has become a disturbing and alarming pattern in Fairfax County, Virginia, a defendant charged with sexually assaulting a minor walked free with only misdemeanor charges last week following a mishandling of the case by Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano, one of nearly 100 Democrat prosecutors funded by far-left billionaire George Soros. Now, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares are ramping up pressure on Descano as well as the Old Dominion’s other radical prosecutors to enforce the law, just the latest example of widespread backlash against Soros-backed prosecutors’ radical criminal justice “reform” agenda.

In the case that concluded last week and drew considerable public outrage, 36-year-old Ronnie Reel, who was originally arrested in July of 2021 on charges of forcible sodomy and aggravated sexual battery against an 11-year-old boy, was released on time served. According to the victim’s mother, Reel “was confessing every little detail that he did, and it was making me sick to my stomach…It was horrible. He literally confessed to me why he did it.”

The case seemed like a slam dunk, and a successful conviction likely would have led to the offender receiving life in prison. But when the case came to trial, the Judge ruled that most of the evidence, including the criminal’s confession, was inadmissible in court due to Descano’s office missing a filing deadline. The case then fell on the shoulders of the 11-year-old victim, who was forced to testify to the assault. Without the corroborating evidence, it was clear that the sex offender would be found not guilty. Descano ultimately offered the sex offender a deal in which he needed only to plead guilty to Misdemeanor Assault and Battery. Notably, the charges Reel pled guilty to do not require him to register as a sex offender, and he is not on supervised probation.

Descano has denied any responsibility for the failure, and incredibly seemed to blame the adolescent victim, saying in a statement that “young victims often have difficulty recalling the details of such significant trauma – which is why prosecuting these crimes is uniquely challenging.”

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The West needs leadership: Biden has failed the test by Liz Peek

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/3664064-the-west-needs-leadership-biden-has-failed-the-test/

Global economies are in free fall even as inflation runs unchecked. The Western world looks to the president of the United States for leadership; they look in vain.

President Biden has not undertaken the two things that might help the economy here at home and others around the world regain their footing: stop the gusher of cash coming from the federal government and help U.S. oil and gas industries ramp up production to bring down energy prices.

By determining to cut our deficits and drive energy production higher, Biden could immediately signal that he is serious about helping the Federal Reserve fight inflation and willing to buck climate-obsessed progressives in his party in the face of a global emergency.

Currently, he is signaling the exact opposite. While Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has (finally) undertaken stiff measures to rein in money supply growth, the White House nullifies his efforts by continuing to pump money into the economy as fast as possible.

The latest spending spree from Biden is his plan to cancel student debt, a regressive program estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to cost $400 billion. Given that the CBO neglected to cost out parts of the program that could add to the tally, the Committee for a Responsible Government Budget puts the expense at closer to $600 billion.

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Biden Has Opened Door to Russian Nuke Strikes by Gordon G. Chang

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18942/biden-russia-nuclear-strikes

Russia’s nuclear doctrine is called “escalate to deescalate” or, more appropriately, “escalate to win,” which means threatening or using nukes early in a conventional conflict.

Even if Putin is now bluffing — most analysts think he is — he is getting what he wants with threats. Biden, for instance, has been cautious and even timid in providing military assistance to a beleaguered Ukraine. Putin has obviously noticed, which is the reason he has been making more such threats.

Why, then, doesn’t the United States have what it needs at this crucial moment: nuclear-tipped cruise missiles like Putin’s? The arms-control community, arguing that such low-yield weapons would make nuclear war more likely, persuaded American presidents not to build them. President Trump authorized their development, but Biden cancelled the program.

Unfortunately, arms-control advocates got it backwards. As evident from today’s developments, America lacking low-yield nuclear warheads on cruise missiles is making nuclear war more likely, not less.

“The United States will need to reduce its nuclear arsenal to encourage Russia to do the same,” wrote Tom Collina and Angela Kellett on the 21st of this month on the Defense One site.

Entice Russia into disarmament? Been there. Tried that. Failed miserably.

Is it possible to work with Putin at this time?

Even if we can put aside the morality of talking to a genocidal mass murderer — we cannot — it is reckless to believe Putin might actually honor arms-control agreements when he has continually violated them with impunity.

Moreover, it is bad enough to argue for disarmament in peacetime, but it is the height of folly to do so during war — and when China and North Korea are making first-strike nuclear threats of their own.

America’s arms-control advocates have always been naïve. Now, they are delusional.

“If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on the 25th of this month, referring to threats to use nuclear weapons. “The United States will respond decisively.”

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REPUBLICAN HUNG CAO FOR CONGRESS VIRGINIA DISTRICT 10

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://www.hungcaoforcongress.com/

Hung Cao is a retired Navy Captain who served in Special Operations for twenty-five years. He and his wife April are the parents of five beautiful children whom they homeschool. After their thirteenth move across the United States and around the world in the  service of our nation, Hung and April made their home  in Purcellville, Virginia where they have been active in their community and their church, Cornerstone Chapel for the last five years.

Hung is a refugee from Vietnam and immigrant to the United States. Hung’s family escaped in 1975 shortly before the fall of Saigon. After a brief stay in the United States, his family relocated to West Africa where he was educated in French schools before returning to Annandale, Virginia in 1982. Hung is a proud member of the inaugural graduating class at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Moved by the opportunities afforded to his family, Hung vowed to serve his newly adopted country and was accepted to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Upon graduation, he served as a Deep Sea Diver and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officer. As a Navy Diver, he salvaged several plane wreckages including the recovery of John F. Kennedy Jr, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette. Hung deployed in combat to Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia serving alongside Special Forces and SEAL Teams.

Hung’s non-combat assignments included balancing the Navy’s $140 Billion budget at the Pentagon, writing Department of Defense policy, working with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in San Diego California, establishing a Sheriff’s bomb squad in Monterey, California, and participating in humanitarian and disaster relief in Pakistan. In his private time, Hung has served multiple non-profit organizations and gone on mission trips around the world. He and his family established a 501(c)3 which builds beeping Easter Eggs for children with visual impairments.

MEDICINE AND HEALTH Comments turned off

British Cardiologist Who Initially Promoted COVID Vaccines, Releases Peer Reviewed Papers Calling For Suspension of mRNA Shots By Debra Heine

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://amgreatness.com/2022/09/27/british-cardiologist-who-initially-promoted-covid-vaccines-releases-peer-reviewed-papers-calling-for-suspension-of-mrna-shots/

Dr. Aseem Malhotra, an eminent British cardiologist who helped promote the mRNA vaccines when they were first rolled out, is now calling for the suspension of the injections until all the raw data from clinical trials are released for independent scrutiny, and all adverse side effects are fully investigated, the World Council For Health reported.

In a two-part peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of Insulin Resistance on Monday, Malhotra presented real world data revealing that in the non-elderly population, the risk of suffering a serious adverse event from the jabs are greater than the any benefits. [See part one here, part two here.].

Malhotra is a Consultant Cardiologist, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and President of the Public Health Collaboration, and an honorary council member to the Metabolic Psychiatry Clinic at Stanford University school of medicine California.  He is an internationally renowned expert in the prevention, diagnosis and management of heart disease.

His re-analysis of Pfizer and Moderna randomized controlled trial data also found that the risk of suffering serious adverse effects of mRNA vaccines for individuals is significantly higher than the risk of being hospitalized with Covid-19.

The study found that the international roll-out of mRNA vaccination program overstated benefits of vaccination especially in low-risk populations, and the under-reported adverse events.

Commenting on the report, Malhotra said, “There has been a rise in out of hospital cardiac arrests and heart attacks linked to Pfizer’s Covid-19 mRNA vaccine with plausible biological mechanisms of harm.” He added, “pharmacovigilance systems and real-world safety data, coupled with plausible mechanisms of harm, are deeply concerning, especially in relation to cardiovascular safety.”

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Poll: Majority of Americans Disapprove of Affirmative Action in College Admissions By Caroline Downey

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/poll-majority-of-americans-disapprove-of-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions/

With the Supreme Court scheduled to hear oral arguments in a pair of landmark affirmative-action cases this fall, a majority of Americans say they disapprove of racial preferences and still favor a meritocratic system in college admissions.

An 85 Fund poll conducted by CRC Research found that 59 percent of respondents disapprove of colleges and universities considering a prospective student’s race or ethnicity when making admissions decisions. Only 29 percent approve, and 12 percent are unsure. Respondents were selected randomly from opt-in panel participants for the September 14–18 polling.

Most Americans, 58 percent, still want colleges and universities to judge applications based on credentials, test scores, and other qualifications rather than racial identification, even if it means that fewer minority students are represented in the student body.

One of the affirmative-action cases on the Supreme Court docket, Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, involves a complaint against Harvard for its alleged discrimination against Asian candidates, who typically submit statistically very high test scores and academic records. The plaintiffs have asked the justices to ban the consideration of race in college admissions, arguing that it disadvantages Asian applicants and violates federal law. Recently confirmed justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself from the case due to her past role on the school’s board of overseers.

Asked to speak to the Harvard situation specifically, 72 percent of conservatives, 58 percent of moderates, and 47 percent of liberals oppose the school’s consideration of race and ethnicity in admissions, the poll shows. Harvard acknowledged in its brief that if it “abandoned consideration of race as one among many factors, representation of African-American and Hispanic students would significantly decline.” It also said that the “lower courts found Harvard uses race . . . only ‘as a plus factor in the context of individualized consideration of each and every applicant,’” seemingly conceding that race can elevate an application of certain individuals but not others.

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Importing Even More Crime By Peter Kirsanow

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/importing-even-more-crime/?utm_source=recirc-desktop&utm_medium=homepage&utm_campaign=right-rail&utm_content=corner&utm_term=second

The record increase in illegal-alien encounters at the southern border due to Biden administration misfeasance, malfeasance, and nonfeasance portends significant and persistent increases in crime.

In fiscal year 2020, the Border Patrol recorded 458,088 encounters with illegal immigrants at the southern border. That figure has spiked to approximately 2 million in fiscal year 2021.

In 2020, 2,438 of the illegal immigrants encountered at the southern border already had criminal records at the time of entry. In 2021, 10,763 illegal immigrants encountered had criminal records.

It’s troubling enough that lax border policy permits thousands of convicts (and scores of suspected terrorists) to enter the country illegally. The evidence shows, however, that tens of thousands more illegal immigrants will commit crimes while in the United States (not counting the hundreds of thousands of  crimes related to facilitating illegal immigration such as crimes related  to identity theft, obtaining false driver’s licenses, improperly accessing public benefits, using fraudulent green cards, etc.).

NATIONAL NEWS & OPINION Comments turned off

Biden’s Depletion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Could Be Catastrophic Soon By Matt Margolis

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2022/09/27/bidens-depletion-of-the-strategic-petroleum-reserve-could-be-catastrophic-soon-n1632699

Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan may have tanked his approval ratings, but record inflation and soaring gas prices kept them underwater.

As fuel prices reached historic highs, Biden stubbornly refused to do anything that would increase domestic supply, opting instead to buy fuel from overseas before eventually raiding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It was a foolish thing to do, and while gas prices have gone down, the impact of raiding the reserves is debatable. But one thing is for sure: Biden depleted the reserves, which are now at a 37-year low, to boost his poll numbers.

Now that Hurricane Ian is headed for Florida, the folly of Biden’s tactic is on full display.

That’s not to say he shouldn’t have seen this coming. Jeffrey Lord predicted this exact scenario back in July.

“The Biden administration, for political purposes with an eye on the November election, is using the SPR to lower the price of gas. And just where is the SPR getting its crude in the first place? That would be the Gulf of Mexico — which is exactly where so many hurricanes wind up in the United States,” Lord wrote at The American Spectator. “All of which means Biden is lowering U.S. reserves — and taking the chance that no hurricane will hit the gulf in this coming hurricane season that will halt the ability of the U.S. to refill the reserves it has used for the purely political purpose of lowering the price of gas at the pump.”

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FBI Seized $86 Million In Raid On Innocent Americans’ Safe Boxes After Duping Judge For Warrant By: Evita Duffy

Posted By on September 28th, 2022

https://thefederalist.com/2022/09/27/fbi-seized-86-million-in-raid-on-innocent-americans-safe-boxes-after-duping-judge-for-warrant/

‘The government’s theory is that having cash makes you a presumptive criminal, and I think every American should be worried about that.’

There is no denying anymore that our federal agencies have weaponized their power against the political adversaries of the left. But if you think the feds’ abandonment of all standards only affects outspoken critics of the regime, think again. More allegations of FBI corruption and hubris are coming to light after a lawsuit last week revealed FBI agents misled a judge so they could illegally seize and withhold property from innocent American citizens.

Agents took more than $86 million in cash, jewelry, and gold from 1,400 safe deposit boxes during the raid of a Beverly Hills vault company in March 2021. Lawyers representing a group of deposit box owners claim their items were illegally taken and not returned to them more than a year after the raid of the Beverly Hills, California, branch of U.S. Private Vaults.

Seizing Innocent Americans’ Assets

This past March, a year after the raid, the owners of U.S. Private Vaults pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder drug money. However, the hundreds of citizens whose assets were seized by the FBI are not suspected of any crimes, according to court documents.

Deposit box holders whose property was taken sued the bureau for violating their rights. Robert Frommer, a lawyer with the Institute for Justice, the libertarian, nonprofit law firm that filed the suit, said in the court papers: “We brought suit on behalf of seven clients, but we were representing a class of at least 400 people. What we’ve been trying to show for the past several months is that the government’s actions violated the search-and-seizure protections of the US Constitution in the Fourth Amendment.”