{"id":56542,"date":"2018-01-30T20:09:13","date_gmt":"2018-01-31T01:09:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=56542"},"modified":"2018-01-30T20:09:28","modified_gmt":"2018-01-31T01:09:28","slug":"the-daily-gouge-archive-monday-january-29th-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=56542","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge Archive, Monday, January 29th, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>It&#8217;s Monday, January 29th, 2018&#8230;but before we begin, we found this political report from <em>AEI<\/em> of interest, if for no other reason than one particular data point:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"entry-title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aei.org\/publication\/aei-political-report-the-russia-investigation-where-is-public-opinion\/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTUdKbE5qWm1aalEzTVRSaiIsInQiOiJPWXJ3dHVUVzN6VXNpZyt3VEtOTE4yMHhIazh4WXRhcG1rTnZUU3hjc1dzWnVLR1dHZUZRRGNcL1F3MVZNeXRMMk5xaDd4NWF4cTVwSTFnaHkrblJueGRkTXREZHhGY243T2d3RVZCa2xpV0d4YldhTno0ZVwvS2Vyb1ZZVW0wMzFDIn0%3D\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #008080; text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">The Russia investigation: Where is public opini<\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">o<\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\">n<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/poll.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56421\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/poll.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/poll.png 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/poll-282x300.png 282w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong>Around <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>4 in 10<\/em><\/span> in recent polls <em>said <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">they don\u2019t know who Robert Mueller is<\/span> or <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">haven\u2019t heard enough about him to have an opinion<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which fairly <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>screams<\/em><\/span> the question&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OUvKIubY6OY?start=103\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Because it means <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">if\u00a0a significant segment of the population<\/span><\/em>\u00a0doesn&#8217;t even <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>recognize Robert Mueller&#8217;s name<\/em><\/span>, let alone <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>his significance<\/em><\/span>, they <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>cannot<\/em><\/span> even <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>begin<\/em><\/span> to grasp the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>import of Mueller&#8217;s relationship<\/em><\/span> with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>many<\/em><\/span>&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/comey-mueller-russian-collusion-hoax-the-fix-is-in.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56410\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/comey-mueller-russian-collusion-hoax-the-fix-is-in.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"328\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/comey-mueller-russian-collusion-hoax-the-fix-is-in.png 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/comey-mueller-russian-collusion-hoax-the-fix-is-in-300x246.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;if not <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>all<\/em><\/span> of <em>the <\/em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>prime actors<\/em><\/span><em> in this <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">kangaroo court<\/span><\/em>, relationships which would have required <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>anyone else<\/em><\/span><em> to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">recuse themselves<\/span><\/em>\u00a0at the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>outset<\/em><\/span>\u00a0due to a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>gross conflict of interest<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>But <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>this<\/em><\/span> is about <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>The Donald<\/em><\/span>&#8230;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span> Slick Willy, Barry <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>or<\/em><\/span> Hillary&#8230;so neither <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>the rules<\/em><\/span> nor <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>the rule of law<\/em><\/span> applies.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Now, here&#8217;s The Gouge!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>First up, in a must-read commentary at\u00a0<em>NRO<\/em>, Andy McCarthy suggests, when it comes to&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/article\/455757\/release-the-memo-lets-see-in-it?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202018-01-25&amp;utm_term=NR5PM%20Actives\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">The Clamor over the Nunes \u2018FISA Abuse\u2019 M<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff0000; text-decoration: underline;\">emo<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/article\/455757\/release-the-memo-lets-see-in-it?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=NR%20Daily%20Monday%20through%20Friday%202018-01-25&amp;utm_term=NR5PM%20Actives\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #333399; text-decoration: underline;\">Let\u2019s see w<\/span><span style=\"color: #333399; text-decoration: underline;\">hat he\u2019s got<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #333399;\">.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/FIB.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56419\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/FIB.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/FIB.png 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/FIB-300x197.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;There is a great deal of commentary, some of it hysterical, about a short memo authored by Republican staffers on the House Intelligence Committee under the direction of Chairman Devin Nunes (R., Calif.). <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>The memo is said to be about Obama-era abuses of the executive branch\u2019s surveillance authorities under federal law \u2014 specifically, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). <span style=\"color: #333399;\">The contents of the memo are not yet known to the public, so the commentary is the familiar game of shaping reaction to it.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The Republican script is that this was \u201cWatergate on steroids.\u201d The Democratic counter is that the memo is a one-sided partisan summary that takes investigative actions out of context in order to make mountains out of molehills. <span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>Unless and until we can <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">read<\/span> the document, we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">cannot<\/span> make a judgment about <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">which<\/span> of these assessments is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">true<\/span>, or at least closer to the truth<\/em>.<\/span> We <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>can<\/em><\/span>, however, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>make some observations about the controversy<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>First, the main questions that we need answered are:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><em>Were associates of President Trump, members of his campaign, or even Trump himself, subjected to foreign-intelligence surveillance (i.e., do the FISA applications name them as either targets or persons whose communications and activities would likely be monitored)?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><em>Was information from the Steele dossier used in FISA applications?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><em>If Steele-dossier information was so used, was it so central that FISA warrants would not have been granted without it?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><em>If Steele-dossier information was so used, was it corroborated by independent FBI investigation?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><em>If the dossier\u2019s information was so used, was the source accurately conveyed to the court so that credibility and potential bias could be weighed (i.e., was the court told that the information came from an opposition-research project sponsored by the Clinton presidential campaign)?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">The FBI has said that significant efforts were made to corroborate Steele\u2019s sensational claims, yet former director James Comey has acknowledged (in June 2017 Senate testimony) that the dossier was \u201cunverified.\u201d<\/span> If the dossier was used in FISA applications in 2016, has the Justice Department \u2014 consistent with its continuing duty of candor in dealings with the tribunal \u2014 alerted the court that it did not succeed in verifying Steele\u2019s hearsay reporting based on anonymous sources?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>These <em>are <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">not<\/span><\/em> questions that call for nuanced explanation. <span style=\"color: #333399;\"><em>These things either <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">happened<\/span> or <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">didn\u2019t<\/span><\/em>.<\/span> <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">To provide simple answers to these straightforward questions would not be a one-sided partisan exercise<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">even if<\/span> the person providing the answers happened <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">to be<\/span> a partisan<\/em>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;<span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>Conforming to House rules, Chairman Nunes has taken pains to make his memo available to all members of Congress before proceeding with the steps necessary to seek its disclosure.<\/strong><\/span> Thus, lawmakers have an opportunity to propose the inclusion of details that may be necessary to correct any misimpressions; or Democrats could prepare their own summary in an effort to demonstrate Nunes\u2019s partisan spin. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>Congressman Nunes is a smart guy, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>and he clearly knows he will look very foolish if he plays fast and loose with the facts<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"color: #333399;\">It is in his interest <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span> to do that, <em>and the careful way he has gone about complying with the rules<\/em> \u2014 rather than leaking classified information, as Trump\u2019s opponents have been wont to do \u2014 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>suggests that his memo will prove to be a fair representation of the underlying information<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>On that last point, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>it would be hard to imagine a more one-sided partisan screed than the Steele dossier<\/em><\/span>. <em><span style=\"color: #333399;\">Democrats seem to have had no hesitation about using <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">it<\/span> as a summary of purported Trump collusion with Russia<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Which just goes to prove you cannot spell &#8220;Lying, Pieces of Sh*t, Hypocritical Democrats&#8221; without an &#8220;L&#8221;, an &#8220;I&#8221; and an &#8220;E&#8221;!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Next up, courtesy of\u00a0<em>NRO<\/em>&#8216;s <em>The Corner<\/em>, the <em>Center for Immigration Studies<\/em>&#8216; Mark Krikorian relates what, at first blush, appears to be&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/455798\/trump-immigration-preemptive-surrender?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=180126_Jolt&amp;utm_term=Jolt\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #333399; text-decoration: underline;\">The Art of the Ch<\/span><span style=\"color: #333399; text-decoration: underline;\">oke<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/then.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56436\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/then.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/then.png 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/then-300x245.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><em><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">That was then&#8230;<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/maxresdefault-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56435\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/maxresdefault-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/maxresdefault-1.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/maxresdefault-1-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><em>who the heck KNOWS what&#8217;s now; will the REAL Donald Trump please stand up!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #333399;\">The White House immigration outline was released today <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>and it\u2019s not good<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> It <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>could<\/em><\/span> change tomorrow, for all we know, <em>but as it stands <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">now<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">this is a preemptive surrender on several issues<\/span><\/em>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The enforcement component is fine, as far as it goes \u2013 there\u2019s no E-Verify, but the White House decided months ago not to push that, thinking it would be a bridge too far for Democrats, since it impacts illegals who are already here.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>But the amnesty and chain migration components are <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>fatally<\/em><\/span> flawed. <span style=\"color: #800080;\">The fact that the amnesty would include a path to citizenship (i.e., the beneficiaries would eventually get green cards like regular immigrants) is fine with me \u2013 <em>if you\u2019re <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">going<\/span> to amnesty illegal aliens, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">just rip off the band-aid and get it over with<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #333399;\">Instead, the issue is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>the size<\/em><\/span> of the amnesty, <em>or rather <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the universe of people<\/span> who <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">would<\/span> be amnestied<\/em>.<\/span> If \u2013 as the White House promised just days ago \u2013 the amnesty were confined to those who now actually have DACA work permits (or even those who had them but didn\u2019t renew), administering the amnesty would be relatively straightforward.<\/strong><\/span> All those people are already in the DHS database, and even if they were all re-examined as part of the amnesty process (to weed out the fraudsters that snuck past Obama\u2019s eagle-eyed DHS), it could still be done relatively quickly and with minimal disruption of the work of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the DHS component that deals with green cards, work permits, and the like.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>But <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>going <\/em><em>beyond DACA beneficiaries<\/em><\/span> to those who could have applied but didn\u2019t <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>is a different thing<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"color: #800080;\">It\u2019s not just a difference <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>in degree<\/em><\/span>, but <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>in kind<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span> A whole new process will have to be set up for the 1 million additional people who would be expected to apply. The other work of USCIS would grind to a halt, delaying other legal immigration applications, as happened when DACA was originally implemented (and remember that Obama\u2019s DACA amnesty was smaller than what Trump is proposing). In addition, there would be an opportunity cost, with USCIS unable to pursue many urgently needed administrative reforms.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>What\u2019s more, expanding the amnesty beyond DACA beneficiaries is morally dubious.<\/strong><\/span> The reason they have a compelling case for amnesty before all enforcement measures and in place and legal immigration curbed is that not only did they arrive here as minors but they voluntarily came forward and provided their information to the government.<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong> Those who chose not to do so should not be granted the same extraordinary act of mercy.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>Then there\u2019s the legal immigration \u201ccuts.\u201d<\/strong> <\/span>The outline says that no new applications for the visa lottery and the chain-migration categories would be accepted, limiting family immigration to spouses and minor children. Great! But it also provides for the continuation of those categories (and reallocation of the lottery visas) until the admission of all 4 million people on the current chain-migration waiting lists. <span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">This is the same gimmick that was in the Hagel-Martinez amnesty bill in 2007<\/span> \u2013 and the estimate <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">at the time<\/span> was that <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">it would take 17 years before all those people got their green cards<\/span><\/em>. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>In other words<\/em><\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>legal<\/em><\/span> <em>immigration <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">would not actually be reduced<\/span><\/em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> <em>until after President Kamala Harris\u2019s successor took office<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The Cotton and Goodlatte bills both grandfather people on the waiting list who were within one year of getting their green card applications adjudicated, and refund the application fees for everyone else. This is a reasonable measure, since as the date gets closer, people might be selling property and whatnot as part of their relocation planning.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><em>But to wait <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">almost two decades<\/span> before there\u2019s <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">any<\/span> reduction in legal admissions <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">is absurd<\/span><\/em>. <span style=\"color: #800080;\">First of all, <em>if we\u2019re going to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">amnesty<\/span> close to 2 million illegal aliens<\/em> (and maybe more, since past estimates have proven so woefully wrong), <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">that<\/span> needs to be <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">offset<\/span> by immediate reductions <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">elsewhere<\/span><\/em>.<\/span> <em>What\u2019s more this would be <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">yet another example<\/span> of the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">other<\/span> side getting what <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">it<\/span> wants <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">up front<\/span>, with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">promises<\/span> of things <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">we<\/span> want <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">in the future<\/span><\/em>. <span style=\"color: #800080;\">As Popeye\u2019s friend J. Wellington Wimpy might have said, \u201cI will gladly reduce immigration on Tuesday for an amnesty today.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The White House has botched the DACA issue, cutting Bob Goodlatte\u2019s House bill off at the knees and making it more likely that either there will be no bill at all or that any final bill the president signs (which is guaranteed to be even weaker than this) will fatally demoralize Republican voters in November. <span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>If the latter happens, the president will be well on the way to joining Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton in the impeached-but-not-removed club.<\/strong><\/span>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Writing at <em>Townhall.com<\/em>, Derek Hunter <em>echoes<\/em> Krikorian&#8217;s sentiments, while making some great points of his own as he legitimately wonders&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"headline\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/derekhunter\/2018\/01\/28\/are-we-heading-for-an-immigration-sellout-n2440709\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\">Are We Heading for<\/span><span style=\"color: #800080; text-decoration: underline;\"> an Immigration Sellout<\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #800080;\">?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/blog_breitbart_trump_immigration.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56438\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/blog_breitbart_trump_immigration.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/blog_breitbart_trump_immigration.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/blog_breitbart_trump_immigration-300x176.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><em>Yeah&#8230;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">except<\/span> that <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">chain migration<\/span> wouldn&#8217;t actually <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">cease<\/span> for some <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">17 years<\/span>!!!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;&#8230;<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>The White House announced their end of a deal on the so-called \u201cDREAMers,\u201d the people the media constantly remind everyone are in the country illegally \u201cthrough no fault of their own,\u201d <em>and it\u2019s <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">bad<\/span><\/em>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>First off, <em>can we just say that <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the country owes these adults<\/span> (because they\u2019re all adults now) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">nothing<\/span><\/em>.<\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong><em>Their parents <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">broke the law<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">knowingly<\/span> and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">willingly<\/span><\/em>. <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">The idea that granting them citizenship is the only \u201cmoral\u201d option because they\u2019re here \u201cthrough no fault of their own\u201d <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>is ridiculous<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> There are <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>millions<\/em><\/span> of Americans with parents in prison, should <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>their<\/em><\/span> parents be released <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>because leaving someone without their parent is a situation they\u2019re in \u201cthrough no fault of their own<\/em><\/span>\u201d? <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If someone embezzled millions of dollars and spoiled their kids with the money, should the kids get to keep the house and all their gifts purchased with stolen money because they\u2019d obtained them from stolen money \u201cthrough no fault of their own\u201d?<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Hell<\/em><\/span> no.<\/strong><\/span><i class=\"fa fa-arrow-circle-right\"><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>So why should children of illegal aliens simply be given the greatest thing the United States has to offer <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>because they weren\u2019t caught earlier<\/em><\/span>? <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">There is no statute of limitations on violating immigration law<\/span> \u2013 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">every day someone is in the country illegally they are breaking the law<\/span><\/em>.<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>It\u2019s a continual violation<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">You can\u2019t trespass on someone\u2019s property, but hide in their treehouse or garage for a week and the trespassing expires, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>then get to move into the house<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Worse is President Trump\u2019s plan grants amnesty to\u00a01.8 million illegal alien DREAMers, not the 700-800 thousand who\u2019ve actually registered for the program. Why? It doesn\u2019t matter why. <span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>A case can be made for those who did register being granted something, including the ability to stay in the country legally (though <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>not<\/em><\/span> citizenship), <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>but what is the rationale for extending it to people who didn\u2019t bother to comply with then-President Barack Obama\u2019s DACA program<\/em><\/span>? <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ff6600;\"><em>None<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>In all fairness, this <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>could be<\/em><\/span> The Donald&#8217;s gambit to bait the Dims with an offer providing them practically everything they&#8217;ve <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>ever wanted<\/em><\/span> for illegals, knowing they&#8217;ll refuse <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>any<\/em><\/span> offer involving funding, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>however<\/em><\/span> de minimis, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>for an effective wall<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Two thoughts occur to us: first, keep in mind <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Progressives and their anarchist allies<\/span><\/em> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ff0000;\"><em>ultimately<\/em><\/span> won&#8217;t be satisfied with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ff0000;\"><em>anything less<\/em><\/span> than <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ff0000;\"><em>open borders<\/em><\/span>, i.e., <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ff0000;\"><em>uncontrolled illegal immigration<\/em><\/span>.\u00a0 Second, the Dims <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>might well<\/em><em> take Trump<\/em> <em>up on his offer<\/em> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>knowing<\/em><\/span><\/span>, as Mark Krikorian previously noted, they get the vast majority of what they want (at least for now) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ff0000;\"><em>in the present<\/em><\/span>&#8230;and can always <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>de<\/em><\/span>fund the wall when they regain control of Congress <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #ff0000;\"><em>in the future<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Since we&#8217;re on the subject of The Donald&#8217;s rambling ruminations, the incomparable Stilton Jarlsberg offers this sneak preview of Tuesday&#8217;s SOTU address:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Stand-Up-State-of-the-Union-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56466\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Stand-Up-State-of-the-Union-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Stand-Up-State-of-the-Union-1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Stand-Up-State-of-the-Union-1-228x300.jpg 228w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>A prediction we can only hope and pray comes true!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In a related item, also courtesy of <em>NRO<\/em>, David French details&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/article\/455772\/democrats-immigration-beliefs-sign-increased-extremism?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=180126_Jolt&amp;utm_term=Jolt\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600; text-decoration: underline;\">Democratic Immigration Extremism and Warnings<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff6600; text-decoration: underline;\"> of Extremism to Come<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/article\/455772\/democrats-immigration-beliefs-sign-increased-extremism?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=180126_Jolt&amp;utm_term=Jolt\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #993300; text-decoration: underline;\">The cultural power of the progressive machine has moved the boundaries of acceptable<\/span><span style=\"color: #008000; text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color: #993300; text-decoration: underline;\"> political disco<\/span><span style=\"color: #993300; text-decoration: underline;\">urse<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #993300;\">.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/noborders.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56439\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/noborders.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/noborders.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/noborders-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;<span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Who\u2019s<\/span> the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">racist<\/span> who once said <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">this<\/span><\/em>:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><em><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">All<\/span> Americans&#8230;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">are rightly disturbed<\/span> by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country.<\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">The jobs <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">they<\/span> hold might <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">otherwise<\/span> be held by <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">citizens<\/span> or <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">legal<\/span> immigrants.<\/span> <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">The public services they use impose burdens on our taxpayers<\/span>\u201d?<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Who\u2019s the racist who once said this:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><em><span style=\"color: #993300;\">\u201cWhen I see Mexican flags waving at pro-immigration demonstrations, I sometimes feel a flush of patriotic resentment.<\/span> When I\u2019m forced to use a translator to communicate with the guy fixing my car, I feel a certain frustration\u201d?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>If you guessed <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>the last two Democratic presidents<\/em><\/span> \u2014<\/strong><\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=swtDFqaXy6Y\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Bill Clinton<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #993300;\"><em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>and<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sahilkapur\/status\/955841311260794881\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Barack Obama<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>, <span style=\"color: #993300;\">respectively \u2014 <em>then you\u2019re <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">correct<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>If you believe <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>their own party<\/em><\/span> would excoriate them for the same words <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>if they uttered them today<\/em><\/span>, then you\u2019re <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>also correct<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>It\u2019s time to acknowledge that <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the Democratic position on immigration has moved rapidly and decisively to the left<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">so<\/span> rapidly and decisively that <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">internal progressive debates that were common even a few years<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">ago<\/span> are <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">settled<\/span><\/em>. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Over<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> <span style=\"color: #993300;\">To <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>some<\/em><\/span> activists, <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">good-faith dissent<\/span> from the new position <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">simply isn\u2019t possible<\/span><\/em>.<\/span> <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><em>It\u2019s <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">proof positive<\/span> that <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">you\u2019re racist<\/span><\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Indeed<\/em><\/span>, this change is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>so<\/em><\/span> rapid and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>so<\/em><\/span> dramatic <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>that<\/em><\/span> <span style=\"color: #008000;\">(even)<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>thoughtful liberals are taking note<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>Last summer Peter Beinart<\/strong><\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/2017\/07\/the-democrats-immigration-mistake\/528678\/\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>wrote a long piece in The Atlantic<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/a> <strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">chronicling the transformation.<\/span><\/strong> <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>The party platform <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>substantially changed<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>Politicians like Bernie Sanders were browbeaten into backing an ever-more open-borders position.<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>(Which, <em>frankly<\/em>, is <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/wSTNPspaPTA\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #0000ff;\"><em>nothing new to Bernie<\/em><\/span><\/a>.)<\/strong><\/span> Beinart talked to Jason Furman, the former chairman of President Obama\u2019s Council of Economic advisers. <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>\u201cA decade ago or two ago,\u201d Furman said, \u201c<em>Democrats were <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">divided<\/span> on<\/em><em>\u00a0immigration<\/em>.<span style=\"color: #993300;\">\u00a0<span style=\"color: #008000;\">(<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>ILLEGAL<\/em><\/span> immigration to be precise!)<\/span>\u00a0Now <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>everyone agrees<\/em><\/span> and is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>passionate<\/em><\/span> <em>and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">thinks very little<\/span> about <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">any<\/span> potential <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">downsides<\/span><\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>As Beinart notes, this change hasn\u2019t happened because there\u2019s now some sort of unshakeable scholarly agreement about immigration\u2019s economic or cultural benefits. <span style=\"color: #993300;\">Instead, a combination of political and cultural pressures <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>have shoved Democrats to the left<\/em><\/span>, and they often <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>justify<\/em><\/span> that move <em>by citing a scholarly consensus <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">that does not exist<\/span><\/em>.\u00a0<span style=\"color: #008000;\">(As evidenced by the subject matter of today&#8217;s\u00a0<em>Environmental Moment<\/em> which follows.)<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><em>Conservatives<\/em> look at this change and think, \u201c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Here we go again<\/em><\/span>.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">In the last two decades we\u2019ve witnessed <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>remarkable<\/em><\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>rapid<\/em><\/span> Democratic changes from <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">tolerance<\/span><\/em> to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>intolerance<\/em><\/span> on critical political, cultural, and religious issues.<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Think of the major sexual-revolution controversies over abortion and gay marriage<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>In the 1990s, Bill Clinton used the phrase \u201csafe, legal, and rare\u201d to articulate the Democratic position on abortion. <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">The 2006 Democratic takeover of the House was empowered in part by pro-life Democrats.<\/span> Now there\u2019s an active debate as to whether pro-life Democrats even fit within the party\u2019s \u201cbig tent,\u201d and the question of party support for a moderately pro-choice mayoral candidate in Omaha, Neb., sparked bitter infighting.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>Safe, legal, and rare?<\/strong><\/span> Now some activists want women to \u201cshout\u201d their abortion. <strong><span style=\"color: #993300;\">By some counts, <em>the number of <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">pro-life Democrats<\/span> in the House has gone from <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">more than 100<\/span> to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">fewer than five<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>The transformation on gay marriage has been faster and even more decisive.<\/strong> <\/span><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><strong>Not long ago Barack Obama <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>and<\/em><\/span> Hillary Clinton <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">made religious and cultural arguments about the definition of marriage<\/span> that would be considered <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">bigoted<\/span> today<\/em>. <span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">To say they \u201cevolved\u201d on the issue is an understatement.<\/span> Evaluating the records of both Clinton and Obama, PolitiFact judged both to be \u201cfull flops.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>What do these issues have in common<\/em><\/span>? <span style=\"color: #993300;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Identity politics<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Immigration<\/em><\/span> (race), <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>abortion<\/em><\/span> (gender), and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>gay marriage<\/em><\/span> (sexual orientation) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>activate key portions of an increasingly identity-driven Democratic coalition<\/em><\/span>, and the <em><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">activist base<\/span><\/em> doesn\u2019t just <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>nudge<\/em><\/span> the party to the left, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>it shoves as hard as it can<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"color: #993300;\">While it shoves, it also shouts about all the \u201cisms\u201d and \u201cphobias\u201d that slander the opposition and silence dissent<\/span><\/strong><\/span>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>We remain down with our <em>Quote of the Day<\/em> at the top of the page: no <em>tickie<\/em>, no <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>entry<\/em><\/span>.\u00a0 Which makes us, by any <em>Progressive<\/em> standard, a racist, misogynist SOB; and by any <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>other<\/em><\/span>\u00a0definition, a cold, harsh <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>realist<\/em><\/span>!\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And in the <span style=\"color: #008000;\"><em>Environmental Moment<\/em><\/span>, writing at\u00a0<em>Reason.com<\/em>, Christian Britschgi reports on a big-government, inherently unreasonable Dimocratic solution to a non-existent problem; and no, we&#8217;re not making this up, nor is the article from <em>The Onion<\/em>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/reason.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/25\/california-bill-would-criminalize-restau\"><span style=\"color: #008000; text-decoration: underline;\">California Considers $1,000 Fine for Waiters Offeri<\/span><span style=\"color: #008000; text-decoration: underline;\">ng Unsolicited Plastic Straws<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<h3 class=\"subtitle\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\"><a style=\"color: #003300;\" href=\"http:\/\/reason.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/25\/california-bill-would-criminalize-restau\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">This sucks<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/strawcup2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56423\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/strawcup2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/strawcup2.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/strawcup2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_premium\">\n<div class=\"entry postcontent\">\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;Ian Calderon wants restaurateurs to think long and hard before giving you a straw. <strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Calderon, the Democratic majority leader in California&#8217;s lower house, has introduced a<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em><a style=\"color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;\" href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB1884\" class=\"broken_link\">bill<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #008000;\">to stop sit-down restaurants from offering customers straws with their beverages <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>unless they specifically request one<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> <span style=\"color: #003300;\">Under Calderon&#8217;s law, a waiter who serves a drink with an unrequested straw in it would face up to 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>&#8220;We need to create awareness around the issue of one-time use plastic straws and its detrimental effects on our landfills, waterways, and oceans,&#8221; Calderon\u00a0explained\u00a0in a press release.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_div_Blog_sub_mobile_middle1\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\"><strong>This isn&#8217;t just Calderon&#8217;s crusade.<\/strong><\/span> The California cities of San Luis Obispo and Davis both passed straws-on-request laws last year, and Manhattan Beach maintains a prohibition on all disposable plastics. And up in Seattle, food service businesses won&#8217;t be allowed to offer plastic straws\u00a0<em>or<\/em>\u00a0utensils\u00a0as of July.<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The\u00a0<em>Los Angeles Times<\/em>\u00a0has gotten behind the movement,\u00a0endorsing\u00a0straws-on-request policies in an editorial that also warned that &#8220;repetitive sucking may cause or exacerbate wrinkles on the lips or around the mouth.&#8221; Celebrity astronomer Neil DeGrasse Tyson (always up for a little chiding) and\u00a0<em>Entourage<\/em>\u00a0star Adrian Grenier have\u00a0appeared\u00a0in videos where an octopus slaps them in the face for using a plastic straw.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>The <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>actual number<\/em><\/span> of straws being used <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>is unclear<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong> <span style=\"color: #003300;\"><strong>Calderon, along with news outlets writing about this issue\u2014from CNN to the\u00a0<em>San Francisco<\/em>\u00a0<em>Chronicle\u2014<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">unfailingly state that Americans use 500 million plastic straws a day<\/span><\/em>, many of them ending up in waterways and oceans. <span style=\"color: #008000;\">The <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>500 million figure<\/em><\/span> is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>often<\/em><em> attributed<\/em><\/span> to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>the\u00a0National Park Service<\/em><\/span>; <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>it<\/em><\/span> in turn <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>got it from the recycling company Eco-Cycle<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Eco-Cycle<\/em><\/span> is <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>unable<\/em><\/span> to provide <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>any data<\/em><\/span> to back up this number, telling\u00a0<em>Reason<\/em>\u00a0that <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>it<\/em><\/span> was relying <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>on the research of one Milo Cress<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Cress<\/em><\/span>\u2014whose Be Straw Free Campaign is hosted on Eco-Cycle&#8217;s website\u2014tells\u00a0<em>Reason<\/em>\u00a0that <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>he<\/em><\/span> arrived at the 500 million straws a day figure <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>from phone surveys he conducted of straw manufacturers in 2011<\/em><\/span>, <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>when he was just 9 years old<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Cress<\/em><\/span>, who is now 16, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>says that the National Restaurant Association has endorsed his estimates in private correspondence<\/em><\/span>. <span style=\"color: #003300;\">This may well be true, <em>but the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">only<\/span> references to the 500 million figure on the association&#8217;s website <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">again points back to the work done by Cress<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8230;<strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">In any case, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>criminalizing unsolicited straws<\/em><\/span> seems like a rather heavy-handed approach to the problem, <em>especially since we don&#8217;t actually know <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">how big<\/span> a problem <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">it is<\/span><\/em>.<\/span> <span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #003300;\">But don&#8217;t take <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>my<\/em><\/span> word for that.<\/span> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>Ask Milo Cress<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> <span style=\"color: #003300;\">&#8220;If people are forced not to use straws, then they won&#8217;t necessarily see that it&#8217;s for the environment,&#8221; he tells\u00a0<em>Reason.<\/em><\/span>&#8221; <span style=\"color: #008000;\">They&#8217;ll just think it&#8217;s just another inconvenience imposed on them by government.&#8221;<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>And in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>that<\/em><\/span> they&#8217;d be&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y8hcfTFVJ9k\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"p402_premium\">\n<div class=\"entry postcontent\">\n<p><strong>Meanwhile, in an update to our story&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>&#8220;&#8230;<\/em><span style=\"color: #003300;\"><strong><em>Reason<\/em>\u00a0spoke with Voleck Taing, a senior assistant to Assemblyman Calderon, <em>who said they intend to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">amend<\/span> the bill to <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">remove the fines<\/span><\/em>.<\/strong><\/span>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p><strong>To which we can only say&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aNiAOSKFNR4?start=3\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>After all, in the Progressive mind, while your average waiter in California can&#8217;t afford a $1,000 fine, they can <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>surely<\/em><\/span> do six months in stir <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>standing on their heads<\/em><\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Which brings us to the <em><span style=\"color: #003300;\">Pure Michigan<\/span><\/em> segment, where we learn&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"headline head1\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/2018\/01\/26\/following-nassar-scandal-michigan-state-president-leaves-with-lifetime-perks.html\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #003300;\">Following Nassar scandal, Michigan State president leaves with lifetime of perks<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/23fax8.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56427\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/23fax8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/23fax8.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/23fax8-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">&#8220;Michigan State University was accused of covering up what is believed to be the biggest sexual abuse scandal in U.S. sports \u2013 and just hours after gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar\u2019s sentencing Wednesday, Lou Anna Simon stepped down as president. <strong><span style=\"color: #003300;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>However<\/em><\/span>, <em>Simon is expected to collect her <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">full<\/span> presidential salary <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">for two years<\/span> with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">many added benefits<\/span>, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">including<\/span> lifetime free tickets to MSU football games <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">and<\/span> paid research leave if she returns as faculty<\/em>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>According to her\u00a0contract, she can choose to return as faculty with a salary of $750,000 for up to two years, an office space and secretarial support, as well as the title of \u201cpresident emeritus.\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Simon\u2019s compensation package raises questions when compared to past presidents, according to James Finkelstein, a professor emeritus of public policy at George Mason University who studies college presidential compensation. <span style=\"color: #003300;\"><strong>&#8220;In the 200+ presidential contracts we\u2019ve reviewed, this is the only contract that provides for the president to receive 100% of their last presidential base salary for the first year that they return to the faculty,&#8221; Finkelstein told the\u00a0Detroit Free Press.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #003300;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">\u201cIt would appear that Dr. Simon will be paid more than twice the amount of the most highly paid faculty member in the College of Education,\u201d Finkelstein added.<\/span> \u201cIn addition, she will be paid more than the most highly paid faculty member in the entire university, C. Konrad Gelbke who makes $433,441. He is one of the world\u2019s leading physicists.&#8221;<\/span><\/strong>&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>And this to someone who essentially knowingly conspired to cover up the serial sexual abuse of young girls.\u00a0 What ever happened to Liberals being all about the children?!?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Pure Michigan, baby&#8230;not mention a perfect exemplification of the hypocrisy of the Progressive kleptocracy.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Turning to\u00a0<em>The Lighter Side<\/em>&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/military-preparedness.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56446\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/military-preparedness.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/military-preparedness.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/military-preparedness-300x206.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/cb012518dAPR20180126124506.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56441\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/cb012518dAPR20180126124506.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"349\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/cb012518dAPR20180126124506.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/cb012518dAPR20180126124506-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/dreamer.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56442\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/dreamer.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/dreamer.png 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/dreamer-300x206.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gmc15540920180126074300.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56443\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gmc15540920180126074300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gmc15540920180126074300.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/gmc15540920180126074300-300x218.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/payn_c15540720180126120100.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56444\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/payn_c15540720180126120100.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"462\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/payn_c15540720180126120100.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/payn_c15540720180126120100-300x195.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-1-9.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56412\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-1-9.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-1-9.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-1-9-300x278.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-3-8.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56413\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-3-8.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"492\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-3-8.jpeg 492w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-3-8-300x277.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 492px) 100vw, 492px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-4-5.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56414\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-4-5.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-4-5.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-4-5-246x300.jpeg 246w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-5-1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56415\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-5-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"312\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-5-1.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-5-1-300x208.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-7-1.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56416\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-7-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"572\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-7-1.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-7-1-236x300.jpeg 236w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-15.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56417\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-15.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"536\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-15.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/download-15-252x300.jpeg 252w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Then there&#8217;s <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>this<\/em><\/span> vile result, a combination of our &#8220;<em>Those Who<\/em> <em>Can&#8217;t<\/em>\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>do<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>TEACH<\/em><\/span>\u00a0&#8221; and the &#8220;<em>Those Who<\/em>\u00a0<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>can do neither\u00a0<\/em><\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>RUN FOR OFFICE<\/em><\/span>&#8221; segments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VlXV9kWpAY8\" width=\"420\" height=\"235\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>As Gregory was already suspended <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>once<\/em><\/span> back in <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>2010<\/em><\/span> for making inappropriate comments about race to his summer school class, we&#8217;d suggest, with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>two<\/em><\/span> strikes, Senor Salcido should be <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>OUT<\/em><\/span>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Which means he&#8217;ll probably get an award co-sponsored by <em>La Raza<\/em>, the California legislature and the <em>NEA<\/em>!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally, we&#8217;ll call it a day with an item from <em>FOX News<\/em>\u00a0which presents what we&#8217;d term, on the whole (and you exceptions know who you are!), a classic good news\/bad scenario courtesy of another sordid story straight from the pages of\u00a0<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><em>The Crime Blotter<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"headline head1\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/2018\/01\/28\/men-had-enough-fentanyl-to-kill-entire-population-new-york-city-new-jersey-combined-police-say.html\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: #800000;\">Men had enough fentanyl to kill entire population of New York City, New Jersey combined, police say<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/1517148809488.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-56457\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/1517148809488.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/1517148809488.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/1517148809488-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Sooo<\/em>,&#8230;what&#8217;s the <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>bad<\/em><\/span> news?!?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Magoo<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Monday, January 29th, 2018&#8230;but before we begin, we found this political report from AEI of interest, if for no other reason than one particular data point: The Russia investigation: Where is public opinion? &nbsp; &#8220;Around 4 in 10 in recent polls said they don\u2019t know who Robert Mueller is or haven\u2019t heard enough about [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1988,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1988"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=56542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56543,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56542\/revisions\/56543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=56542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=56542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=56542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}