Here are my observations and opinions on my selected news stories of the day.
THE LOOK ON LEMON’S FACE? Priceless. CNN’s Don Lemon tried to shame singing legend Gladys Knight for accepting the invitation to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. As Knight proceeded to talk about her up-bringing, singing the Star Spangled Banner and saying a prayer in school, the look on his face was if he was going to be sick.
Lemon went so far as to ask her if she wasn’t in fear of ending her career, but she wasn’t having any of that as she went on to say “it’s about respect … there are so many that have died for our great country even in my family.”
Charles Payne of the Fox Business Network got it right, calling Lemon’s remarks “amazingly sad and pathetic.”
GONE ARE THE DAYS when I used to look forward to the creativity of those who produced commercials to be unveiled during the Super Bowl. Joining the list of the worst was that of The Washington Post, which I understand the paper coughed-up $5.25 million for its self-congratulatory commercial narrated by actor Tom Hanks.
“Unquestionably, the First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and freedom of the press are among the most important rights enshrined in the Constitution,” wrote Patrick Poole for PJMedia. “Many critics of the news media industry feel that these outlets are insular, unduly elitist, condescending, biased, politically partisan, and generally unfair in their handling of political reporting.”
This week we learned that The Washington Post buried a claim of assault against Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat. Yet the Post published unverified, uncorroborated allegations against Justice Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court hearings last year.
The Post, which has had to publish retractions and extensive corrections on many of its biggest stories, proudly displayed its motto, Democracy dies in darkness, at the end of the commercial.
ELECTRIC CAR OWNERS in cold weather parts of the country are reporting losses in battery range draining. Although the problem affects all electric cars, a Tesla owner reported a 20-25-mile overnight drainage and an extra five to 10 miles on a drive to work.
Tesla Model 3 owners reported difficulty opening the doors as the recessed door handles became frozen.
AVERAGE PAY GREW 3.0 PERCENT for blue collar workers in transportation, restaurants, services, construction and sales in the 12 months ending In December, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sales and related employees received a 4.2 percent increase, while there was a 4.1 gain for leisure and hospitality workers. Workers in production, transportation, and material moving saw a 3.7 percent increase, while those in trade, other transportation and utilities saw a 3.4 percent gain.
Meanwhile, those in jobs normally related to college graduates – management and professional related – gained by 2.5 percent.
RESULT OF LIBERAL LEADERSHIP – The state of New York faces a $2.3 billion shortfall in revenue after December and January witnessed a steep drop in income tax collections, according to Jeffrey Cimmino of the Free Beacon.
While Gov. Cuomo tried to blame it on the federal government, Long Island-based economic analyst Marty Cantor disagreed, saying, “The problems here are caused by the governor and his administration. It’s too expensive to live on Long Island and in New York state. Taxes are too high, people are leaving, (and) it has nothing to do with Trump.”
The New York Post recently reported that 48,560 citizens abandoned New York between June 2017 and July 2018.
THOSE PRO-CHOICERS GIDDY over the late term abortion law recently passed by the state of New York and proposed in other states continue to say it’s important to the health of the mother.
Not so, says Omar L. Hamada, MD, MB, who wrote @OmarHamada: “I want to clear something up so that there is absolutely no doubt. I’m a Board Certified OB/GYN who has delivered over 2,500 babies. There’s not a single fetal or maternal condition that requires third trimester abortion. Not one. Delivery, yes. Abortion, no.”
SICK LIBERAL SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA) – When Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NEB) called for unanimous consent on his Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which provides protections for any infants born alive after attempted abortion procedures, lefty Murray prevented it from receiving unanimous consent.
“Murray didn’t do her fellow Democrats any favors,” said Jazz Shaw in Hot Air, “the bill will now come up for a floor vote, (putting) every Democrat on the spot since they’ll have to go on record with a (different kind of) choice of either anger the hard left base or endorse killing infants.”
A CHICKEN IN EVERY POT – Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is the latest Democrat to announce as a candidate for president in 2020, and not to be left out, joined the others on the left who are pushing “Medicare for all,” according to David Ruiz in the Free Beacon.
Appearing on CBS This Morning, he failed to answer host Norah O’Donnell’s question, “just quickly, just so that people know. How much would it cost.”
After Booker’s jibberish response, O’Donnell told her audience that it would cost $20 to $30 trillion over 10 years, and “no one is having that discussion about how that will be paid for.”
MEDICARE NO PANACEA – Those under 62 years of age, struggling to find suitable and affordable health insurance, may like the sound of “Medicare for all” being touted by a number of Democrat candidates for president in 2020.
Many young Americans are completely unaware that many seniors, like me, have paid for it for decades through my FICA payroll deductions. Moreover, as a retiree, I continue to pay for it from my Social Security benefits.
Those of us who have supported Medicare for decades should object loud and clear to those liberals who want to give it to those who haven’t paid anything into it. Medicare for all will surely require a hike in taxes to cover the giveaway.
Unfortunately, those who look to the Democrats for “free stuff,” like Richard Mertens, of West Lafayette, Indiana, who recently told the Wall Street Journal he preferred an all-in-one plan where the cost is actually shared by all Americans.”
Further, many don’t understand that Medicare is an 80/20 system, with the patient responsible for 20 percent of the costs. Medicare pays what it considers reasonable and appropriate fees, causing hospitals or doctors to refuse patients. Supplemental insurance is a must to pay uncovered costs.
Just as there is no such thing as a free lunch, health coverage will not be free, even if the likes of Senators Booker, Harris, Warren and Sanders keep spouting it.
“BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND” – People of Falmouth, Massachusetts are paying the price for their decision to invest $10 million to install two wind turbines on 314 acres of land. It paid for the first turbine with a $5 million, 20-year bond and received $8 million in federal stimulus money to install the second one
After the 400-foot-high turbines began to whirl, residents quickly grew disillusioned with the thumping noises and feeling the pulses of the turning blades. Some living nearby began getting headaches and an increase in heart rate.
Both turbines have been decommissioned and Falmouth is taking a financial hit as it will cost a million or two dollars to dismantle and remove them. And the city will spend the next 11years paying off the remaining $3.6 million bonds.
Falmouth planned to see some of the energy it generated sold to the electrical grid of a local utility company, and anticipated $1 to $2 million in annual profit, according to the Wall Street Journal.
You might say that the people of Falmouth had dreams of profit, but the answer wasn’t “Blowin in the Wind.” I don’t think that’s what Bob Dylan had in mind when he recorded that hit song.
AND FINALLY … Bret Baier, host of Fox News Channel’s Special Report, tweeted @Bret Baier: “Republicans are now noting that the long list of Democrat senators who said “we believe her” and “we have to believe her first” during the Kavanaugh hearing – are silent in the Lt. Gov. Fairfax issue so far.”
May God bless the United States of America.
