On Thanksgiving, I remember my Jewish ancestors who left Europe and am thankful America took them in

Posted on November 23, 2023 by Ian Reifowitz

“I’ve got something I’d like to say.” That’s what I usually offer up as a preamble as I try to get the attention of my kids and other family members gathered around the Thanksgiving table. It takes a couple of attempts, but once we’re all on the same page I offer words of thanks for my ancestors. I talk about how brave they must have been to leave the communities of their birth, which were at least familiar to them despite the hardship, discrimination, and all-too-common violence they faced. They came to a land where they didn’t speak the language, didn’t know the culture, and, in many cases, didn’t know a soul.

In this offering, I mention the family names of the people who came and the places they came from. We’ve done quite a bit of genealogical research on my side and my wife’s side of the family, and we’re lucky to have as much information as we do. My goal is to give my kids a sense of who their ancestors were and what they went through to give us a chance to have the life we do here in America. One branch of my father’s family came from Vilnius, now the capital of Lithuania; another from Riga, Latvia’s capital; another from Minsk, the capital of Belarus; and the last from Odesa, now in Ukraine, which is a country fighting back with growing success against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s vile aggression.

Growing up, I had learned that all my father’s ancestors were “Russian.” It turns out none of them came from places that are now in that country—and let’s hope its borders don’t expand any further.

The story is similar on my mother’s side. One branch was described to me as Austrian; in fact, they came from Skole in today’s Ukraine. The other was Hungarian and came from Sighet (Elie Wiesel’s hometown) in Transylvania, now a province of Romania. During my Thanksgiving meal talk, I also thank my wife’s family, who came from Vienna, Poland, and Russia. In reality, the primary point of identification in terms of culture and identity for all these people was not the country of origin on their passport, but the fact that they were members of the Jewish people, regardless of any particular level of belief or religiosity.

In addition to being Jews, the family ancestors I’ll be acknowledging were also, of course, Americans. That’s the other part of the thanks I’ll give on the holiday: I’m thankful my ancestors had a place to go, that they could become Americans and make a life here.

The last of them got in just under the wire, arriving a few months after the first world war and only a couple of years before a series of immigration “reforms” severely limited the number of immigrants our country accepted from outside the British Isles and northwest Europe. My wife’s grandmother’s family got out of Poland in 1937, and only because the youngest child had been born here (it’s a long story). One of the oldest living “anchor babies,” I’d surmise. Very few Jews were able to find refuge here at that point and immediately afterward, during the years they needed it most.

I make sure my kids know about these restrictions on immigration as well as the fact that people coming from Asia had almost no chance to emigrate and become U.S. citizens until the early 1950s. We also talk about how although their ancestors and other Jewish immigrants certainly didn’t have it easy, they at least had opportunities that America denied to the large numbers of African Americans and American Indians who had arrived long before our family.

America didn’t treat everyone living here equally, either on paper or in practice. Certainly, as the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Patrick Lyoya, and too many others have reminded us, we’ve still got room for improvement on that front as well, to say the least, though we have come a long way thanks to those heroes who fought and bled to get us as far as we have.

Over the course of four long years, the twice-impeached former guy made the process for coming here far more difficult and far more treacherous for refugees and asylum-seekers. But thankfully, The Man Who Lost an Election and Tried to Steal It was unsuccessful in that endeavor. We now have a far more humane president, one who led the Democratic Party to its best midterm performance in six decades as well as another night of victories earlier this month. These are developments for which my family and I are deeply thankful, for many reasons.

Contrast Trump with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society of Pennsylvania, which for more than a decade has organized a Thanksgiving event in Philadelphia specifically for immigrants. Over 100 people shared the holiday meal in 2019:

Vanessa, who declined to give her last name, says the event is exactly what she and her family needed after being under the threat of deportation.

"We couldn’t miss it today, because recently my parents were in deportation court," she said.

Vanessa says she's thankful her family can stay together just in time for the holiday.

If that organization sounds familiar, it might be because of the wonderful work it does on behalf of immigrants, or it might be because the terrorist who killed 11 Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh specifically mentioned HIAS in a post just a few hours before committing that mass murder:

A couple of hours before opening fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue, Robert Bowers, the suspected gunman, posted on the social network Gab, “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” HIAS is the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and Bowers had posted about it at least once before. Two and a half weeks earlier, he had linked to a HIAS project called National Refugee Shabbat and written, “Why hello there HIAS! You like to bring in hostile invaders to dwell among us?” Another post that most likely referred to HIAS read, “Open you Eyes! It’s the filthy EVIL jews Bringing the Filthy EVIL Muslims into the Country!!”

So while I’m thankful to our country for taking in my family and so many others, I am aware that not everyone approves of America’s generosity, or the support Jews have generally shown for it. There’s another person whose family is also Jewish and from Eastern Europe who expressed a sense of gratitude that reminded me of my own: Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. He did so in the context of coming forward to testify in an impeachment inquiry focused on Donald Trump. Vindman has faced antisemitism from the Tangerine Palpatine and his allies in retaliation for stepping forward and telling the truth. Here are his words, words that make me proud to share my heritage with this man:

Next month will mark 40 years since my family arrived in the United States as refugees. When my father was 47 years old he left behind his entire life and the only home he had ever known to start over in the United States so that his three sons could have better, safer lives. His courageous decision inspired a deep sense of gratitude in my brothers and myself and instilled in us a sense of duty and service. All three of us have served or are currently serving in the military. Our collective military service is a special part of our family’s story in America.

I also recognize that my simple act of appearing here today, just like the courage of my colleagues who have also truthfully testified before this Committee, would not be tolerated in many places around the world. In Russia, my act of expressing my concerns to the chain of command in an official and private channel would have severe personal and professional repercussions and offering public testimony involving the President would surely cost me my life. I am grateful for my father’s brave act of hope 40 years ago and for the privilege of being an American citizen and public servant, where I can live free of fear for mine and my family’s safety.

Dad, my sitting here today in the US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to United States of America in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.

Thanksgiving—at least in the form we celebrate in this country—is an American invention, a holiday about each of our relationships to America and to our fellow Americans. It means different things to different people depending on how their ancestors were treated. For me, America is my home, the only one I’ve got. It is the place that made my life and my family possible. My membership in the American people, the diverse yet singular American national community, is central to my identity. Although I don’t always agree with the policies of our government, I love America deeply.

Antisemitism in our country is on the rise from across the political and ideological spectrum. Although the most dangerous anti-Jewish hatred comes from the right wing, the antisemitism on college campuses since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks that killed 1,200 Israeli civilians has been impossible to ignore.

I am truly grateful for what America did for me: taking in my ancestors when they needed a place to go. I know many others will end up being far less fortunate. They are the ones we have to fight for now.

Ian Reifowitz is the author of The Tribalization of Politics: How Rush Limbaugh's Race-Baiting Rhetoric on the Obama Presidency Paved the Way for Trump (Foreword by Markos Moulitsas)

This is an updated version of a piece I have posted the last few years on Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving, I remember my Jewish ancestors who left Europe and am thankful America took them in

Posted on November 24, 2022 by Ian Reifowitz

“I’ve got something I’d like to say.” That’s what I usually offer up as a preamble, as I try to get the attention of my kids and other family members gathered around the Thanksgiving table. It usually takes a couple of attempts, but once we’re all on the same page, I offer words of thanks for my ancestors. I talk about how brave they must have been to leave the communities of their birth—which were at least familiar, despite the hardship, discrimination, and all-too-common violence they faced—and come to a land where they didn’t speak the language, didn’t know the culture, and, in many cases, didn’t know a soul.

In this offering, I mention the family names of the people who came and the places they came from. We’ve done quite a bit of genealogical research—on my side and my wife’s side of the family—and are lucky to have as much information as we do. My goal is to give my kids a sense of who their ancestors were, and what they went through to give us a chance to have the life we do here in America. One branch of my father’s family came from Vilnius, now the capital of Lithuania; another from Riga, Latvia’s capital; another from Minsk, the capital of Belarus; and the last from Odesa, now in Ukraine—a country fighting back with growing success against Putin’s vile aggression.

The story is similar on my mother’s side. One branch was described to me as Austrian; in fact, they came from Skole in today’s Ukraine. The other was Hungarian, and came from Sighet (Elie Wiesel’s hometown) in Transylvania, now a province of Romania. During my Thanksgiving meal talk, I also thank my wife’s family, who came from Vienna, Poland, and Russia. In reality, the primary point of identification in terms of culture and identity for all these people was not the country of origin on their passport, but the fact that they were members of the Jewish people, irrespective of any particular level of belief or religiosity.

In addition to being Jews, the family ancestors I’ll be acknowledging were also, of course, Americans. And that’s the other part of the thanks I’ll give on the holiday. I’m thankful that my ancestors had a place to go, that they could become Americans and make a life here.

The last of them got in just under the wire, arriving a few months after the First World War and only a couple of years before a series of immigration “reforms” severely limited the number of immigrants our country accepted from outside the British Isles and northwest Europe. My wife’s grandmother’s family got out of Poland in 1937—and only because the youngest child had been born here (it’s a long story); one of the oldest living “anchor babies,” I’d surmise. Very few Jews were able to find refuge here at that point and immediately afterward—during the years when they needed it most.

I make sure my kids know about these restrictions on immigration, as well as the fact that people coming from Asia had almost no chance to emigrate and become U.S. citizens until the early 1950s. We also talk about how—although their ancestors and other Jewish immigrants certainly didn’t have it easy—they at least had opportunities that America denied to the large numbers of African Americans and American Indians who had arrived long before our family. America didn’t treat everyone living here equally, either on paper or in practice. Certainly, as the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Patrick Lyoya, and too many others have reminded us, we’ve still got room for improvement on that front as well, to say the least—although we have come a long way thanks to those heroes who fought and bled to get us as far as we have come.

Over the course of four long years, the twice-impeached former guy made the process for coming here far more difficult, far more treacherous, for refugees and asylum-seekers. But thankfully, The Man Who Lost An Election And Tried To Steal It was unsuccessful in that endeavor, and we now have a far more humane president—one who led the Democratic Party to its best midterm performance in six decades. These are developments for which my family and I are deeply thankful, for many reasons.

Contrast Trump with the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) of Pennsylvania, who, for more than a decade, have organized a Thanksgiving event in Philadelphia specifically for immigrants. Over 100 people shared the holiday meal in 2019:

Vanessa, who declined to give her last name, says the event is exactly what she and her family needed after being under the threat of deportation.

"We couldn’t miss it today, because recently my parents were in deportation court," she said.

Vanessa says she's thankful her family can stay together just in time for the holiday.

A couple of hours before opening fire in a Pittsburgh synagogue, Robert Bowers, the suspected gunman, posted on the social network Gab, “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.” HIAS is the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and Bowers had posted about it at least once before. Two and a half weeks earlier, he had linked to a HIAS project called National Refugee Shabbat and written, “Why hello there HIAS! You like to bring in hostile invaders to dwell among us?” Another post that most likely referred to HIAS read, “Open you Eyes! It’s the filthy EVIL jews Bringing the Filthy EVIL Muslims into the Country!!”

So while I’m thankful to our country for taking in my family, and so many others, I am aware that not everyone approves of America’s generosity, or the support Jews have generally shown for it. There’s another person, whose family is also Jewish and from Eastern Europe, who expressed a sense of gratitude that reminded me of my own. This person did so in the context of coming forward to testify in an impeachment inquiry focused on Donald Trump. He has faced antisemitism from the Tangerine Palpatine and his allies in retaliation for stepping forward and telling the truth. Here are the words of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, words that make me proud to share my heritage with this man:

Next month will mark 40 years since my family arrived in the United States as refugees. When my father was 47 years old he left behind his entire life and the only home he had ever known to start over in the United States so that his three sons could have better, safer lives. His courageous decision inspired a deep sense of gratitude in my brothers and myself and instilled in us a sense of duty and service. All three of us have served or are currently serving in the military. Our collective military service is a special part of our family’s story in America.

I also recognize that my simple act of appearing here today, just like the courage of my colleagues who have also truthfully testified before this Committee, would not be tolerated in many places around the world. In Russia, my act of expressing my concerns to the chain of command in an official and private channel would have severe personal and professional repercussions and offering public testimony involving the President would surely cost me my life. I am grateful for my father’s brave act of hope 40 years ago and for the privilege of being an American citizen and public servant, where I can live free of fear for mine and my family’s safety.

Dad, my sitting here today in the US Capitol talking to our elected officials is proof that you made the right decision forty years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to United States of America in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth.

Thanksgiving—at least in the form we celebrate in this country—is an American invention, and also a holiday about each of our relationships to America and to our fellow Americans. It means different things to different people, depending on how their ancestors were treated. For me, America is my home, the only one I’ve got. It is the place that made my life and my family possible. My membership in the American people, the diverse yet singular American national community, is central to my identity.

We are living in a time when, once again, demagogues are playing on our deepest fears to argue against taking in people fleeing oppression in their homelands, just as was the case in 1939. Demagogues are also casting doubt on the loyalty of Jewish Americans who were born elsewhere, just as was the case in the Dreyfus Affair over a century ago. Antisemitism is on the rise from across the political and ideological spectrum—although the most dangerous anti-Jewish hatred comes from the right wing.

I am truly grateful for what America did for me—taking in my ancestors when they needed a place to go. I know many others will end up being far less fortunate. They are the ones we have to fight for now.

Ian Reifowitz is the author of The Tribalization of Politics: How Rush Limbaugh's Race-Baiting Rhetoric on the Obama Presidency Paved the Way for Trump (Foreword by Markos Moulitsas)

This is an updated version of a piece I have posted the last few years on Thanksgiving.

House Republicans To Launch Climate Caucus After Biden Claims Global Warming Is Greatest Threat To American Security

Posted on June 23, 2021 by Rusty Weiss

House Republicans are preparing to launch a caucus designed to educate members on the effects of climate change.

The effort, led by Representative John Curtis (R-UT), will, according to The Hill, “give members information and new strategies for how to talk about” climate change and “possibly even change some minds” on the topic.

The climate caucus reportedly already has 45 members.

Curtis says he is seeking bipartisan solutions on matters such as limiting greenhouse gasses in other countries and supporting nuclear power.

Still, he believes other less popular options for the GOP “should be on the table.”

“I didn’t really know what solutions were good solutions. I didn’t know which ones I could support,” said Curtis.

“It felt like, and I think a lot of Republicans feel this way, I had to endorse the Green New Deal if I was going to … be part of the solution, and a lot of Republicans find that troubling.”

NEW: House Republicans will launch a caucus this week aimed at educating its members about climate change. https://t.co/DJoyr0PRVn

— The Hill (@thehill) June 22, 2021

Climate Caucus After Biden Declares Global Warming America’s Greatest Threat

President Biden, during a speech to Air Force personnel in the United Kingdom earlier this month, warned that global warming is the “greatest threat” facing America and that it is “not a joke.”

Biden claimed he was told this by Pentagon officials when he was serving alongside Barack Obama in 2009.

“When I went over to the tank in the Pentagon when I was first was elected vice president with President Obama, the military sat us down and let us know what the greatest threats facing America were, the greatest physical threats,” he told those in attendance.

“This is not a joke,” he insisted. “You know what the Joint Chiefs told us the greatest physical threat facing America was? Global warming.”

BIDEN: “This is not a joke. You what the Joint Chiefs told us the greatest threat facing America was? Global warming.” pic.twitter.com/apH7RtQWft

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 9, 2021

Curtis has been seeking to get his GOP colleagues to take the matter of climate change more seriously for some time now.

“This is a Republican bread and butter issue,” he said at a climate change town hall last September. “We care about the Earth, now let’s show it.”

“We have to stop being so afraid of this conversation,” he insisted.

“We’ve got good answers. We’ve got answers that don’t kill the economy. We’ve got answers that can be bipartisan,” Curtis said. “We’re in this. We want to be part of this.”

Curtis Sought to Censure Trump

On Tuesday, The Political Insider reported that wildfires in California, something Democrats have consistently blamed on climate change despite their existence throughout history, are being fought through billions of dollars in funding meant to clear out forest floors.

Perhaps that topic will be addressed in the new Republican climate caucus.

Clearing forest floors to combat wildfires in California is something that was frequently suggested by former President Donald Trump.

He was ridiculed for such suggestions.

‘You gotta clean your floors. You gotta clean your forests.’ — Trump’s still blaming California’s wildfires on unclean ‘floors’ pic.twitter.com/3G4hHyDBGG

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 29, 2020

Curtis, shortly after the Capitol protest on January 6th, introduced a resolution to censure and condemn Trump.

“The events at the Capitol last week were abhorrent; all those involved must be held accountable, including President Trump,” he said at the time.

“Censuring the President and making it clear that Congress does not support any level of his involvement in the riots nor any attempts to undermine an election is a critical step in holding him accountable as more facts continue to unfold,” added Curtis.

The Utah Republican voted against impeachment, however, citing a lack of time for a full inquiry.

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Lara Trump Calls Out AOC And Democrats For Hypocrisy On Border Crisis

Posted on March 29, 2021 by LifeZette

Fox News contributor Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump, just called out Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) for their hypocrisy regarding the border crisis that many say was created by Joe Biden.

Lara Trump Sounds Off

“We had the most secure border under my father-in-law, under President Donald Trump that we have had in decades, and I think the best thing possible is to discourage people from making that really dangerous, awful journey north through our southern border,” Trump said.

“The problem is that the Biden administration has said, ‘Well, if they come, we’ll take you in,’ So guess what’s going to continue to happen,” she added. “You’re going to continue to have all of these children, you know, flooding our southern border.”

“It is so sad. It is so hard to watch, but we have to get this under control,” Trump continued. “This is not fair to these kids. It’s not fair to Americans who are footing the bill now. $86 million to pay for hotel rooms for illegal immigrants.”

“People that are breaking our law, coming to America, we are paying $86 million for hotel rooms,” she said. “It is totally unacceptable, but you know what? We don’t expect to see that change because this seems almost like it’s part of the Biden plan, sadly.”

Trump Doubles Down

Not stopping there, Trump went on to call out the “total hypocrisy” that is happening here.

“It’s total hypocrisy. You bring up a great point,” she continued. “The way they covered this under the Trump administration versus the Biden administration is total hypocrisy.”

“Where is the outrage from the folks on the left? Where is AOC down there doing a photo op crying in front of a wall?” Trump said. “Because I have news for her, it’s much worse right now than it ever was under the Trump administration, yet it has been crickets from those folks. I think it tells a very scary story.”

‘They know that they have millions of illegal immigrants coming to America,” she added. “They are trying to change our voting laws. They are hoping one day that all of these folks can go in and vote with no ID because that’s one of the things in HR-1 that they are proposing.”

“These are their new voters, and it is a terrifying prospect,” Trump concluded. “If we let everybody flee flow over our southern border guys, we lose our country. It is a very, very scary thing going on.”

This piece was written by James Samson on March 29, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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George Washington Should Be Celebrated, Not Canceled – A President’s Day Reminder

Posted on February 14, 2021 by John Hanson

George Washington is the United States of America’s first president and the father of our country.

He is a man of legendary stature around the entire globe for his wisdom and bravery.

But today, many on the far-left believe he should be canceled – erased from American culture and history.

It’s incumbent on patriotic Americans to rise to this challenge, and celebrate Washington more than ever.

Just when you think the cancel culture can’t get any worse, the San Francisco Board of Education is removing the names of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and even Dianne Feinstein from certain schools. This is cancel culture gone crazy. It’s time to cancel the cancel culture. pic.twitter.com/yVNtSfGVLJ

— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) February 3, 2021

Tearing Down Washington

In June 2020, George Washington was the top trending topic on Twitter after his statue was toppled in Portland, Oregon.

The next day, his statue was also defaced in Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park.

There are more examples of leftist attacks on Washington as a symbol of our country and Founding Father. I will spare you the gory details.

Schools named after Washington in various U.S. cities and towns are dropping the name as citizens kowtow to an outrageous and radical “woke” left.

The head of one private all-female prep middle school and high school, Harpeth Hall, in Nashville, Tennessee said that the school’s annual reflection on Washington was “not consistent with or relevant to the way that we teach history today.”

Pure nonsense.

A prominent prep school (Harpeth Hall) in Nashville has said it will no longer hold its annual celebration of George Washington because its “not consistent or relevant to the way that we teach history today.” They only teach revisionist history now? https://t.co/d8PntRlPQO

— Nick Short (@PoliticalShort) June 23, 2020

The Greatness Of Washington

Washington helped win the Revolutionary War and served as the first Commander-in-Chief, but there is even more to his grand legacy.

The Competitive Enterprise Institute’s John Berlau’s book “George Washington: Entrepreneur: How Our Founding Father’s Private Business Pursuits Changed America and the World” explains how George Washington paved the way for American innovation and dynamism through his business ventures and support of early American inventors.

Berlau explains, “I reveal how excessive British regulation was a big factor in turning him toward revolution.”

Obviously American independence was crucial to our budding nation. But Berlau also explains how Washington spoke out against the bigots of his time.

“I also show how Washington crusaded against bigotry toward Catholics and Jews and eventually turned against slavery—speaking out against it frequently in letters and freeing all his enslaved workers in his will,” Berlau writes.

On the Harpeth Hall school controversy, Berlau said, “I think it’s very sad but unfortunately typical of what’s going on in the rest of the country.”

He added, “If I were a parent with a student at that school, I would be very disappointed that they were not giving my child a well-rounded education.”

“Washington wasn’t perfect, and It’s fine to teach criticism of him and the other Founding Fathers, but this school official actually says learning about him is irrelevant,” Berlau continued.

Finally, someone with a brain, or an entire city is getting really sick and tired of this BS and are banning together to put an end. San Franciscans are no fond of wasting $400.000 just to uphold petty politicshttps://t.co/THSmPIpDkr

— The Real Engie (@engie_real) February 5, 2021

If You Cancel Washington, You Might As Well Cancel America Entirely

“But of course, George Washington is relevant if you live in this country, being the father of this country and someone who set up the American system,” he noted. “He took the unheard step of voluntarily giving up power both after the war for independence and then as president, setting the American precedent of peaceful transition of power.”

Berlau emphasized how crucial Washington was for setting the original pace of American values like ingenuity and striving for improvement.

“George Washington was also responsible in many ways for setting up America’s tradition of innovation,” he said. “He was an innovator himself.”

“Making new plows and creating things like a 16-sided barn. He was the first to bring mules to America. And introducing crop rotation,” he explained.

“Giving up tobacco when he found it was harmful to soil, and planting new crops like weed and hemp,” Berlau continued. “And he was a patron of American inventors both as a private citizen and a president.”

“There are so many things I think that are inspiring today about both George and Martha,” Berlau finished.

I’ve only scratched the surface here. Readers can learn much more in books, like those of Berlau and Ron Chernow.

George Washington should never be canceled. And for those who believe otherwise, you might as well cancel the rest of America too.

The post George Washington Should Be Celebrated, Not Canceled – A President’s Day Reminder appeared first on The Political Insider.

Lindsey Graham Rips Impeachment – ‘We’re Doing A Lot Of Damage To The Country Because People Hate Trump’

Posted on February 10, 2021 by LifeZette

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) spoke out on Monday night to rip into Democrats for their impeachment effort against former President Donald Trump.

Graham Rips Democrats Over Impeachment

While appearing on “Hannity” on Fox News, Graham complained about having to participate in the impeachment trial at all.

“I got to listen to this crap,” Graham said. “So, I hope by Sunday or Monday, the trial will be over. Here’s what I can tell you — if the House managers want to call one witness, the defense is going to call all the people you named and then some.”

“To my colleagues tomorrow, there are a hundred of us, what we do today is going to make history of the time America exists,” he added. “What Democrats have done is basically declared war on the presidency itself. The impeachment in House took place without a hearing, without one witness being called, and without a lawyer for the president of the United States.”

“You can’t get a traffic ticket based on the producers they used to impeach President Trump,” Graham continued. “And we’re also impeaching a man who’s out of office. When you combine a snap impeachment with an impeachment of a president who’s out of office, you’re going to destroy the presidency itself.”

“I know you hate Trump but please, pull back before we set in motion this destruction of the presidency by never-ending impeachments based on lack of due process and political retribution as the motive,” he said.

Graham Doubles Down

Not stopping there, Graham went on to argue that in impeaching a former president, the Democrat-controlled Congress was creating a new precedent.

“I think you’ll see statements by politicians that are more insightful than what President Trump said,” he predicted. “But when the Founders created impeachment for the president, it was different than for judges and anybody else. It requires that the chief justice of the United States to preside over presidential impeachments. Why? Because you don’t want a juror preceding over the impeachment of a presidential officeholder.”

“So the idea that the president is treated differently under the Constitution makes perfect sense,” Graham said. “They never envisioned going after the president once he’s out of office because the purpose for impeachment is to remove the person, not bar them from running in the future.”

“So, the whole point of impeachment is lost when the person is no longer in office,” Graham continued. “They didn’t go after Nixon when he resigned for a reason. So to my colleagues here, you’re about to set in motion a historical precedent that will put at risk every future president.”

“You could be impeached in the future based on hatred, 50 hours no witness, no hearing, no lawyer,” he concluded. “You can be impeached after you leave office. George Washington, under this theory, can be impeached for owning slaves. We’re doing a lot of damage to the country because people hate Trump. Knock it off.”

This piece was written by James Samson on February 9, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Schumer Discusses Making DC A State – We’ll Get ‘Big Bold Change…No Matter What’

Posted on February 1, 2021 by LifeZette

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke out over the weekend to ominously say that Democrats will get “big, bold change” “no matter what” as he called on his party to tackle issues like “improving our democracy. Making D.C. a state, automatic voter registration.”

Schumer Speaks Out About Future

Schumer said this during an interview with Reverend Al Sharpton on MSNBC on Saturday.

“Well, Rev., we have one goal: big, bold change in America,” Schumer said. “We would like the Republicans to join us in some of those things at least, and maybe they will. But we are going to get that change no matter what.”

“We cannot — there is such a demand, three huge issues we have to do: climate, huge issue facing the country, racial and economic inequality, which has gotten worse, not better, which demands change and justice in a big, bold way, and improving our democracy,” he added.

Schumer Doubles Down

“Making D.C. a state, automatic voter registration, getting rid of Citizens United, all the things embodied in H.R. 1, which the House passed and McConnell would block up, but we’re going to fight to pass it in the Senate,” Schumer continued.

“That’s why we’ve made it S 1. So, climate, racial inequality, economic inequality, and democracy, improving our democracy, letting people vote much more easily, dealing with D.C. and Puerto Rican statehood, dealing with bad money that flows in,” he said.

“The John Lewis Act, undoing the horrible decisions the court made, which defanged the Voting Rights Act, and that’s why Republicans have gotten away with taking people’s right away to vote for the last four years,” he added.

‘What About The Filibuster’

“What about the filibuster?” Sharpton asked.

“Well, as I’ve said, we will find a way to do big, bold change,” Schumer replied. “And our caucus will sit down and figure it out, but failure is not an option. We must create change.”

Democrats now have control of the presidency, the Senate, and the House. It remains to be seen what changes that they will bring about for our country in the next few years.

This piece was written by James Samson on February 1, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Schumer Discusses Making DC A State – We’ll Get ‘Big Bold Change…No Matter What’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

Mitt Romney Suggests Trump Impeachment Necessary For ‘Unity In Our Country’

Posted on January 25, 2021 by John Hanson

Republican Senator Mitt Romney suggested Sunday that impeaching former President Donald Trump could bring national unity.

The “Never Trump” Senator made his comments on “Fox News Sunday” with host Chris Wallace.

Watch the interview below.

Romney Argues Senate Trial Necessary For Unity

Wallace asked Romney, “Senator, do you support holding this impeachment trial, and what do you think the rules should be on the length of the trial and whether or not to call witnesses?”

Romney replied, “Well, we’re certainly going to have a trial. I wish that weren’t necessary, with the president’s conduct with regard to the call to the secretary of state in Georgia as well as the incitation towards the insurrection that led to the attack on the Capital calls for a trial.”

Then the anti-Trump Republican suggested that the impeachment could bring more unity for the U.S.

“If we are going to have unity in our country, I think it’s important to recognize the need for accountability, for truth, and justice,” Romney said.

Chris Wallace: "Senator, it sure sounds like you're going to vote to convict."

Sen. Mitt Romney: "There's no question that the article of impeachment sent over by the House suggests impeachable conduct, but we have not yet heard either from the prosecution or from the defense." pic.twitter.com/Kq0NuAgy2s

— The Recount (@therecount) January 24, 2021

Romney: ‘Pretty Clear’ Trump Spent A Year Trying To ‘Corrupt The Election’

He added, “So I think there will be a trial, and I hope it goes as quickly as possible, but that’s up to the council on both sides.”

Romney said it has been “pretty clear” over the last year and Trump had been trying to corrupt the election.

“I think it’s pretty clear that over the last year or so there has been an effort to corrupt the election of the United States and it was not by President Biden, it was by President Trump and that corruption we saw with regards to the conduct in Ukraine as well as the call to Secretary of state Raffensperger as well as the in citation to insurrection.”

Romney has a long history of anti-Trump sentiment.

Romney was the only Republican Senator to vote to convict President Trump during the first impeachment trial.

In 2016, Romney famously gave a “Never Trump” speech when it became clear that Trump was likely to win the Republican nomination for President.

Chris Wallace: [D]o you believe that Donald Trump is unfit to serve as president and should be removed from office?

Mitt Romney: I do believe he should be removed from office. pic.twitter.com/VxT9c1aXrE

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 5, 2020

The Utah senator finished his interview with Wallace by saying Trump provoked an attack on American democracy.

“I mean, this is obviously very serious and an attack on the very foundation of our democracy, and it is something that has to be considered and resolved,” Romney added.

Watch:

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Maxine Waters Warns Trump May Want ‘Civil War’ – Wants Him ‘Stopped Dead In His Tracks, However We Do It’

Posted on January 8, 2021 by LifeZette

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) spoke out on Friday to nonsensically warn that Donald Trump may try to start a “Civil War,” adding that he “has got to be stopped dead in his tracks,” whether it’s by impeachment or by invoking the 25th Amendment.

Waters Demands Investigation Into Capitol Police

Waters, who is chair of the House Financial Services Committee, has also called for an investigation to be launched into the U.S. Capitol Police’s failure to stop Wednesday’s riot at the Capitol building.

“There’s got to be prosecutions. There’s got to be accountability,” Waters said while appearing on “The Joe Madison Show” on SiriusXM.

“And of course, this president, who has lied his way all the way up, until this insurrection that he has caused, and the fact that we all, many of us believe he is trying to create a civil war, has got to be stopped dead in his tracks, however we can do it: whether it is Amendment 25 or whether it is a new way by bringing him up before the Congress,” Waters continued.

The 25th Amendment allows for a president to be removed from office if the Vice President and the majority of the cabinet deem him incapable of carrying out the job, according to The Washington Times.

Congresswoman @RepMaxineWaters just told me she believes Donald Trump is trying to start a Civil War and he must be removed. Listen live on @SXMUrbanView: https://t.co/niyie2Macv pic.twitter.com/pEl2b0zA5h

— Joe Madison (@MadisonSiriusXM) January 8, 2021

Waters Doubles Down

Not stopping there, Waters also slammed U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who has already handed in his resignation. She said that she had already specifically asked Sound about security.

“[Sund] was telling us that he had it all under control. It turned out he had nothing under control. Nothing under control. And we were overrun,” said Waters.

“The Capitol of the United States of America, one of the most supposedly secure buildings in the country, was breached, and with them climbing the wall it looked like a Third World country overtake of the government,” she added.

She went on to add that she was afraid of snipers, so she asked him about the top of the buildings.

“[Y]ou know what I was thinking about? I was thinking about John Kennedy and Martin Luther King in opposite buildings and windows near the top of those buildings, and how they target people and they snipe and they could kill people,” she said. “And that’s what really was on my mind. I asked him about all of that.”

This piece was written by James Samson on January 8, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Maxine Waters Warns Trump May Want ‘Civil War’ – Wants Him ‘Stopped Dead In His Tracks, However We Do It’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

MSNBC Host Joy Reid Claims Tight Presidential Race Shows America’s ‘Great Amount Of Racism And Anti-Blackness’

Posted on November 5, 2020 by LifeZette

MSNBC host Joy Reid launched a truly vile attack on America on Wednesday night, claiming that the fact that the presidential race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is so close shows just how “racist” our country is.

Reid Attacks America As Racist

“I think partly because we knew the red wave was a thing, the red mirage, I should say, we all knew it was coming,” Reid told Rachel Maddow. “In the moment, it’s aggravating.”

“And I think partly — and I said this last night — I do think it’s because we’ve been reporting for five years, Rachel, about Russia … undermining our national security, the impeachment, the racism, the Nazis, all of it and then COVID laying on top of it, [it] felt like a repudiation was coming,” Reid continued.

“I think even though we intellectually understand what America is at its base, right?” she added. “That there is a great amount of racism, anti-blackness, anti-wokeness, this idea that political correctness is some scheme to destroy white America, right?”

Reid Doubles Down

Not stopping there, Reid continued to shame America like it’s her job, which it arguably is given the fact that she works for MSNBC.

“We know what this country is, but still part of you, I think part of your heart says, you know what, maybe the country’s going to pay off all of this pain, the children that were stolen, with a repudiation,” she said.

“And as the night wore on and I realized and it sunk in, OK, that’s not happening, we are still who we thought, unfortunately,” Reid added. “It’s disappointing. And I emerged from this disappointed.”

Homophobe Joy Reid, who just two days ago called Justice Clarence Thomas a racist slur while her white co-anchors Rachel Maddow and Nicole Wallace were silent, says a close election means Americans are racist. pic.twitter.com/DLBT88bQut

— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) November 5, 2020

Reid’s Racist Attack On Clarence Thomas

This came after Reid was hit with backlash for calling black Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas “Uncle Clarence” in an apparent reference to Uncle Tom.

Also on Wednesday, Reid said that if election litigation makes it to the Supreme Court, “do any of you guys trust Uncle Clarence and Amy Coney Barrett and those guys to actually follow the letter of the law? No.”

Her full comment was that it is:

“not exactly clear that we can trust Amy Coney Barrett and Kavanaugh and these others not to be just like Bill Barr. And so, I think what scares people is that if…somehow they manage to stumble into the Supreme Court, do any of you guys trust Uncle Clarence and Amy Coney Barrett and those guys to actually follow the letter of the law? No.

I mean, it is a completely politicized Supreme Court that you can’t just trust that they’re going to do the right thing. Now, so far the courts have actually been pretty good. So, we’ll see.”

Joy Reid with an absolutely disgusting comment about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas just now on MSNBC

"Do any of you guys trust Uncle Clarence…" pic.twitter.com/a0TLxmFfPY

— Jesse Hunt (@JJHunt10) November 4, 2020

Reid can claim that America is “racist” all she wants to, but it’s clear that the real racist here is Joy Reid herself.

This piece was written by James Samson on November 5, 2020. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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