Wednesday, November 20, 2024

NEW: Biden HHS Officials Are Trying to Rig the Game to Stop Trump From Making Changes

NEW: Biden HHS Officials Are Trying to Rig the Game to Stop Trump From Making Changes

Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP

If any Republican thought the war ended on November 5th, they are in for a rude awakening. It's probably more realistic to say that Donald Trump winning the election was just the first battle. Now, the entrenched bureaucracy will seek to protect itself at all costs, and officials at The Department of Health and Human Services are already hard at work. 

According to a new report, members of the "Office of Climate Change and Health Equity" are shifting responsibilities to more protected employees and seeking to codify their work away from the pesky reach of elected officials. If that sounds authoritarian, that's because it is. 

Adding to the uncertainty is Trump’s decision to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental litigator turned vaccine skeptic, to head HHS.

 

The department has nonetheless taken steps to hardwire the climate office’s work into the agency. It required senior executive service employees — which have the strongest protections against removal among career federal staff — to ensure the climate literacy of their staff. HHS has since created a climate training module for all employees.

 

Asked whether that will be in the employee manual in 2025, Balbus said: “It will be there.”

It is deeply undemocratic to have government agencies above the reproach of voters. That's what's happening here, though, and these bureaucrats are proud of what they are doing. That should make everyone angry. Deeply entrenched government employees are essentially running the government, able to use machinations to ensure the will of the people is ignored. 

This is why Trump has to make tearing down the bureaucratic state his top priority. Nothing else will have a more long-lasting impact than that. The Supreme Court's recent decision to nuke the Chevron doctrine, which protected these agencies, provides the necessary tools. 


SEE: Supreme Court Makes Monumental Ruling on Chevron Deference 


As to the rationalization these officials and their press allies are running with, they claim that "climate change" is affecting health systems, making their work worthy of being untouchable. 

Trump’s victory in the Nov. 5 election came as climate damage is piling up for the health care sector, for example when Hurricane Helene inundated Unicoi County Hospital in Tennessee this fall. Ingraining climate change into the broader health-care sector’s thinking has been “slow,” but director John Balbus said his office is making steady progress.

“Health systems are recognizing that this is a business issue, this is a financial risk issue, that it's a threat to the mission and operations, and that message is just starting to get out,” he told reporters Monday in Baku, Azerbaijan, at the COP29 global climate summit. He was at the summit to discuss the administration's efforts to address the health impacts of climate change.

I guess we are just going to call every weather event "climate change" despite hurricanes existing for the entire duration of history. It seems to be an easy way for bureaucrats to gather funding and power when the actual answer is to just assist when needed on a case-by-case basis. No government agency is going to stop hurricanes or any other weather phenomenon from occurring.

Yet Trump represents a threat to many of the initiatives Balbus’ office has touted because they rely on the Inflation Reduction Act, which Trump has vowed to reverse. Biden’s climate law has supplied key funding for health-care and hospital systems to improve their defense against the effects of climate change, particularly through direct payments supported by Treasury Department tax credits, Balbus said.

Notice how vague all that language is and then realize that's the point. What is meant by "improving their defense" there? Those kinds of details are never really provided because these are simply giveaway programs to special interests funded by already-strapped taxpayers. 

Whatever improvement in "defense" is being carried out by healthcare and hospital systems isn't necessitated by climate change. It's necessitated by weather events that have always happened and will continue to happen. So why exactly does the already bloated federal government need yet another middle-man sucking up resources? Congress could easily appropriate money for generators, for example, if needed. There doesn't need to be an "Office of Climate Change and Health Equity."

And to be sure, the "equity" part of that means what it always means: The government picking winners and losers based on perceived "oppression." It's time for all of this to stop, but it's not going to happen overnight. This will be a prolonged war with lots of pitfalls along the way. I hope Republicans are up for it because, with the House likely to flip in 2026, time is already running short.

https://redstate.com/bonchie/2024/11/19/new-biden-hhs-officials-are-trying-to-rig-the-game-to-stop-trump-from-making-changes-n2182209?utm_source=rsmorningbriefingvip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

A sickening peek into the election cheating process in an all-mail-voting state

A sickening peek into the election cheating process in an all-mail-voting state

Very little commentary is needed in addition to the posts about my state of Washington. Governed since 1984 by far-left DemocRats from Seattle/King County. These two graphics from friends explain just what is wrong with our far-Left state. In the 2024 election on November 5, our state was the ONLY one of the 50 states which moved even further Left than they already were. First, an excellent synopsis of all that is wrong with our voting system here.

One thing does not appear above. That is the fact that this state allows illegal aliens to get drivers’ licenses, and anyone with a license can register to vote, even if they are not a US Citizen. We knew this would happen when the State started giving illegals licenses. Our state also urges everyone to register, and doesn’t emphasize the fact that a person must be a citizen to vote.

You can see from the above list that there are numerous points in the system where fraud can be introduced. One local story had a woman who received SIX ballots at her new apartment, and NONE of them was for her! Not only do we allow election-day voter registration, but for this year’s election, the DemocRat Secretary of State, who was re-elected, illegally removed the 30-day residency requirement for voter eligibility, potentially allowing people new to the state to cast their vote in more than one county or even more than one state. Everyone should already be aware that the DemocRats have voter fraud down to a science (read any account of Dem Machines in big cities voting for dead people, illegal aliens, and others who are not qualified to vote, buying votes, and filling out ballots for drunks and homeless), so you can assume that the ones who run our state have learned this well. And the 2020 election, where half the country voted by mail, was rife with the worst kind of fraud.

And then, there’s This:

This next graphic is the icing on the cake of voter fraud. The public in Washington has next to no recourse if they want to inspect potentially fraudulent ballots.

This is absolutely disgusting, that the ruling DemocRats have essentially enshrined their fraud into the State regulations, ensuring that they can cheat all day long, and never face accountability. This is the worst adverse effect of one-party rule-they set the rules.

Then, there’s this. See what our legislature is doing, because they can.

Washington is one of the most beautiful states in America, with the best climate; mountains, lakes, rivers, and the ocean within short driving distance; little harmful wildlife; and an entire wine region with many different AVAs.

It’s a crying shame that our politics are so toxic. Many people are so fed up with Leftist rule, they are leaving. Not in droves yet, but I expect the trickle to become widening stream within the next few years.

https://rushbabe49.com/2024/11/14/a-sickening-peek-into-the-election-cheating-process-in-an-all-mail-voting-state/

Who Let the DOGE Out? Elon, Vivek Already Targeting Wasteful Spending

Who Let the DOGE Out? Elon, Vivek Already Targeting Wasteful Spending

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

The Department of Government Efficiency - the DOGE - is an idea whose time has come. In fact, it's an idea whose time came about 1980, but I suppose, better late than never.

DOGE co-chiefs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy appear to be wasting no time.

It seems they already have their target-acquisition radar set up and are sighting some wasteful animal research projects that we taxpayers are funding for unknown reasons. Some of these projects were called out by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in his Festivus waste reports. In an email, Justin Goodman, Senior Vice President of the White Coat Waste project, lists a few:

More recently, WCW has exposed millions more in ongoing wasteful government spending including:

This is, of course, barely scratching the surface. Oh, the DOGE, essential as their purpose is, is already facing pushback from the usual suspects, but Elon and Vivek simply aren't having any of it. Of course, both of them are essentially invulnerable. They both have "eff-you money" - what kind of lawfare can you level against the richest man on the planet that won't simply be overwhelmed by Elon just dumping piles of money on it? That is just one of the many reasons these two are the perfect selections for this Herculean task.


See Related: Vivek and Elon Tag Team to Wreck Elizabeth Warren After She Attacks Dept. of Government Efficiency


Of course, were Senator Warren to ask my opinion, I could give her 36 trillion reasons why this should - nay, must be done.

A Herculean task this is, obviously; this makes the cleanup of King Augeas' stables look like a poop-scoop after Fluffy lets one go in the city park.

The DOGE will, of course, not only focus federal spending on the kind of stupidity noted above. They will - they better - also focus on the Brobdingnagian federal bureaucracy, which everyone with enough brains to pound sand knows is feather-bedded beyond belief. I've been saying for years that, were I for some reason elected president (which would be difficult, as I have no intention of running for the job), one of my first acts would be to visit every federal agency and department in the executive branch, talk to each and every employee, and ask them two questions:

"What is your purpose here?"

"What are you doing right now?"

Anyone who did not answer to my satisfaction would be told, "You're fired. Get out."

Let's hope the DOGE gets let loose on the bureaucracy as well. So far, it looks like they plan to swing a Viking war-axe at federal spending. They even have libertarian hero Ron Paul chiming in.


See Related: Ron Paul Throws His Support Behind Trump, Revels in the Collapse of the Mainstream Media


All I have to say about that is: It's about damn time. Let the DOGE out, Elon and Vivek. Let the DOGE loose on Big Government; let go of the leash and yell, "Sic 'em!" 

It's going to be fun to watch.

https://redstate.com/wardclark/2024/11/14/who-let-the-doge-out-elon-vivek-already-targeting-wasteful-spending-n2181999?utm_source=rsmorningbriefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&bcid=15803c7fc8c68b6fd1f0a5e7f4b59fc49df45d48335d4339ad60f7b0a0c7404d&lctg=28668535?utm_source=rsmorningbriefingvip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

What the 2024 Election Exposed About the Dems' Plan to Turn Texas Blue

What the 2024 Election Exposed About the Dems' Plan to Turn Texas Blue

RoschetzkyIstockPhoto/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Years ago, it would have seemed implausible that the Republican Party would shatter the Democrats’ blue wall twice in less than 10 years. Only a candidate like Donald J. Trump could make that happen. Taking Pennsylvania was also that political unicorn that was never to be for Republicans until Trump arrived. He’s transformed the GOP into a multiracial working-class party. Liberals who can’t see that are either stupid or detached from reality. 

For Democrats, their strategy to deliver the death blow to Republicans was to flip Texas. How long have we heard that Texas is turning blue war cries? There are too many to count, and with each election cycle, it’s becoming increasingly more embarrassing for liberals to say. It’s not happening. It’s also not a death blow since Ohio and Florida are no longer swing states. 

The 2024 election exposed that this plan to flip Texas was dead and obliterated. It’s redder now than it was 10 years ago. The reason: the Hispanic-majority border counties swung heavily for Mr. Trump. You saw that trend in 2020, where Trump nearly quintupled his support in these areas. With the border out of control and Democrats uninterested in addressing the immigration crisis they caused, it’s one of the many reasons why these counties hopped on the MAGA train. 

Democrats likely didn’t expect this shift—no one did. But it has thoroughly obliterated their plans to change the dynamics of the state regarding national elections.


Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Democrats Are Broke And Broken

Democrats Are Broke And Broken

 

AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, file

Imagine having a billion dollars or your own money, several billion more from others, and every major media outlet except one using every resource at their disposal to prop you up, favorably lie about you while ignoring your own lies and faults. You still lose an election to someone with a fraction of those resources. You might want to find a reflective surface and stare at it before assigning blame for your loss to anyone outside of that mirror. Democrats are not. They are broken, and they are broke – two truths that are very much connected.

Under normal circumstances, Kamala Harris's and Tim Walz's embarrassing campaign would be studied and taught as a cautionary tale for anyone thinking about running for office, as they are the perfect examples of what not to do. But to learn from a mistake, you must first admit you made one, and the Democratic Party Industrial Complex is not only unwilling to admit they made mistakes, it might be incapable of doing so. 

When you find yourself in a hole, the first rule of life is to stop digging. The Democratic Party, however, seems to be part shovel company. They can’t stop digging because they don’t believe they’re in a hole; everyone else is. That’s the only conclusion you can really draw when you hold the people you’re asking for support from in complete contempt, which is what Democrats do.

Aside from being broken people, which Democrats undoubtedly are after the election, they’re also broke. The Harris/Walz campaign set giant piles of money on fire, seemingly to watch it burn—for example, a reported $20 million on musical performances at campaign rallies. 

It’s unclear where the money went. Many of the musicians have denied being paid to perform, and honestly, they are likely telling the truth because they’re rich and wouldn’t think to ask for money from a candidate they support. But they don’t ask for money in their everyday lives. They have people—agents and managers—who do the asking or demanding. The actual “star” probably has no idea what they do. 

No musician will show up and just perform, at least not a wildly famous and successful one. They have a sound guy, a guitar guy, and people who do lighting and make-up (yes, it’s true). Some have dancers and stylists, not to mention the countless positions none of us can even fathom, all of whom have to travel to the venue for the performance. Those people aren’t cheap.

And the celebrity isn’t going to eat those costs. They may not be getting an appearance fee, but they own production companies that administer the pay for everyone, and they get paid. Oprah didn’t get an appearance fee for her wasted town hall with Kamala, but her production company was paid $1 million to put on the event. There was no way that event cost $1 million to put on – it was a studio rental with a few hundred seats, a stage, and some TV screens for celebrity Zoom calls, along with the crew to run the actual event for 90 minutes. What could that possibly cost, a quarter to a half million? Maybe it did cost a million, but if it did, it was only because they made it cost that much.

Oprah’s company got a check. It’s a business. If it got a million and it cost $750,000, then Oprah made $250,000. Not in the form or a check to her, but the company she owns made a profit. Same for all of these celebrities.

None of it was necessary, and all could have been avoided by simply putting forward a compelling candidate or allowing the one they offered to speak to the public like a normal human being about the things the public cares about. But Kamala was so crazy, not to mention such a horrible candidate unable to speak to people like a normal person, that Democrats couldn’t do that. 

Now, after blowing through that billion dollars, they’re $20 million in debt and still trying to raise money to pay it off. They’re pretending it’s to “continue to fight for candidates in tight races,” but they’re going to pay off their debt first. Well, after the fundraisers take their cuts off the top. If there’s anything left over after all of that, and the bonus payments to party employees, the remaining Harris/Walz campaign infrastructure may well toss a couple of bucks to ongoing campaign fights. 

Of course, by the time these people raise $20 million from the corpse of Harris/Walz (if they ever do), the remaining campaigns will likely be over, and they’ll just divide the rest among themselves. They’re evil, not stupid.