McCain's Tumor: Today's News for July 20th

The big story today is Senator John McCain had a malignant brain tumor removed. You would think such a story could avoid political bias, but no. Even brain tumors are subject to political bias nowadays.

First, the story from the Left:

CNN:

Sen. John McCain has brain cancer, aggressive tumor surgically removed

Sen. John McCain, 80, has been diagnosed with a primary glioblastoma, a type of brain tumor, Mayo Clinic doctors directly involved in the senator's care told CNN exclusively. The doctors spoke directly to CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

The senator underwent surgery to remove a blood clot on Friday at Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix. Lab results from that surgery confirmed the presence of brain cancer associated with the blood clot.

The rest of the article is straightforward and fairly objective. In my opinion, it is a good example of bias-free reporting.

And then we get to Fox News:

Fox News:

'I've been through worse': War-hero McCain tells Senate pal he'll be back

U.S. Sen. John McCain, who has been diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, told Sen. Lindsey Graham over the phone Wednesday that he’s “been through worse,” and then went on to discuss health care and other policy issues.

McCain talked about the long road ahead regarding treatments, but said that he’s been though wars. Graham said McCain-- who is resting at his home in Arizona-- sounded resolved and determined.

“The disease has never had a more worthy opponent,” Graham said.

McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than five years. Injuries from being tortured left the longtime Arizona senator unable to lift his arms above his head.

Gush much? It is surprising that Fox didn't use iambic pentameter for this article.

In other news...

New York Times:

Citing Recusal, Trump Says He Wouldn’t Have Hired Sessions

President Trump said on Wednesday that he never would have appointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions had he known Mr. Sessions would recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigation that has dogged his presidency, calling the decision “very unfair to the president.”

In a remarkable public break with one of his earliest political supporters, Mr. Trump complained that Mr. Sessions’s decision ultimately led to the appointment of a special counsel that should not have happened. “Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else,” Mr. Trump said.

It is never good when your boss says he wouldn't have hired you if he knew then what he knows now. Although you have to admit no previous president would have ever made such a statement about their current attorney general.

And finally today...

Baltimore Sun:

Body camera footage shows officer planting drugs, public defender says

Police and prosecutors in Baltimore have launched investigations after being alerted to body camera footage that the public defender’s office says shows an officer planting drugs.

One officer has been suspended and two others have been placed on administrative duty, police said. Police said they have not reached any conclusions as to the conduct depicted in the video. Other cases in which the officers are involved are now under review as well, police and prosecutors said.

The public defender’s office, which released the footage, said it was recorded by an officer during a drug arrest in January. It shows the officer placing a soup can, which holds a plastic bag, into a trash-strewn lot.

That portion of the footage was recorded automatically, before the officer activated the camera. After placing the can, the officer walks to the street, and flips his camera on.

“I’m gonna go check here,” the officer says. He returns to the lot and picks up the soup can, removing the plastic bag, which is filled with white capsules.

Police cameras have a feature that saves the 30 seconds of video before activation, but without audio. When the officer is first in the alley, there is no audio for the first 30 seconds.

The public defender’s office flagged the video for prosecutors last week, prompting prosecutors to drop the heroin possession charge against the man arrested.

The man, unable to post $50,000 bail, had been in jail since January, according to attorney Deborah Levi, who is leading a new effort to track police misconduct cases for the public defender’s office.

Police officers like this should not only be fired, but they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Cops like this are worse than serial killers, because they undermine our faith in law enforcement everywhere.

Wednesday Wisdom: Ron Paul

(hat tip to Wikipedia for the pic)

"The most important element of a free society, where individual rights are held in the highest esteem, is the rejection of the initiation of violence. All initiation of force is a violation of someone else's rights, whether initiated by an individual or the state, for the benefit of an individual or group of individuals, even if it's supposed to be for the benefit of another individual or group of individuals. Legitimate use of violence can only be that which is required in self-defense."--former congressman Ron Paul

Politics and Police Shootings: Today's News for July 19th

One would not think that a police shooting would be subject to the political biases of the "cold civil war", as Carl Bernstein called it. Sadly, one would be wrong:

Fox News:

Australian woman shot after Minnesota cops heard loud sound, officials say

The Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed Australian woman Justine Damond heard a loud sound near his squad car before firing the fatal shot, according to information released Tuesday by investigators.

Damond approached the driver’s side window of the police vehicle immediately after the two responding police officers heard a loud sound.

The officer in the passenger seat, Mohamed Noor, fired his weapons through the open driver’s side window, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).

The officer driving the car, Matthew Harrity, interviewed with the BCA, but Noor declined to be interviewed.

...Harrity said he was startled by a loud noise just before Damond approached the driver’s side window. That’s when Noor fired his gun, according to Harrity.

If that is the reason Noor eventually provides for the shooting, consider that a moment: "I heard a loud noise, so I drew my gun and shot her." Note that it wasn't, "I was startled by a loud noise and the gun in my hand accidentally discharged." Noor had to actually draw the gun. Unless he is a quick draw artist, then it sounds like he heard a loud noise and immediately decided to shoot the 40 year old woman approaching the car.

In summary, the view from the right seems to be at least an attempt to explain what happened from the cops' perspective.

The view from the Left is the shooting cop isn't talking:

CNN:

New details emerge in officer-involved shooting in Minnesota

The mayor of Minneapolis said she wants to hear from the officer who fatally shot Justine Ruszczyk.

But so far, officer Mohamed Noor has exercised his constitutional right to not speak to state investigators, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Tuesday.

And, it's not clear if or when he will.

Note how CNN has gone to using Justine's maiden name (Ruszczyk), although she had already started using her fiance's last name (Damond). While the maiden name is technically her legal name, she was only a month away from her wedding when she died. If she was transsexual and was using the name "Justin" instead of "Justine", any wagers that CNN would have honored that choice?  

In CNN's defense, they did elaborate on the story which Fox used as their lead:

According to the BCA, Harrity was driving and Noor was in the passenger seat as they drove through the alley looking for a suspect. The squad lights on their vehicle were off.

Harrity told investigators that as they drove down the alley, he was startled by a loud sound near the squad car. Immediately afterward, Ruszczyk approached the driver's side window and Noor fired his weapon, striking Ruszczyk through the driver's side window, Harrity told the BCA.

There are still a lot of questions here. For example, how much time elapsed between the "loud sound" and the shooting? Was Noor looking at Damond when the "loud sound" occurred?

This shooting was sad. But the fact that our media sources use it to push their own agendas is even more sad.

In other news...

Bloomberg:

Finally, a Poll Trump Will Like: Clinton Even More Unpopular

For a president with historically low poll numbers, Donald Trump can at least find solace in this: Hillary Clinton is doing worse.

Trump’s 2016 Democratic rival is viewed favorably by just 39 percent of Americans in the latest Bloomberg National Poll, two points lower than the president. It’s the second-lowest score for Clinton since the poll started tracking her in September 2009.

The former secretary of state has always been a polarizing figure, but this survey shows she’s even lost popularity among those who voted for her in November.

More than a fifth of Clinton voters say they have an unfavorable view of her. By comparison, just 8 percent of likely Clinton voters felt that way in the final Bloomberg poll before the election, and just 6 percent of Trump’s voters now say they view him unfavorably.

“There’s growing discontent with Hillary Clinton even as she has largely stayed out of the spotlight,” said pollster J. Ann Selzer, who oversaw the survey. "It’s not a pox on the Democratic house because numbers for other Democrats are good."

The former first lady and New York senator has made a few speeches and occasionally tweaks Trump on Twitter, but has mostly kept out of sight since a defeat in November that shocked the political establishment and surprised markets.

In follow-up interviews with poll participants, Clinton voters denied that their negative feelings about her had anything to do with her losing the election and, therefore, helping Trump move into the White House.

Instead, their comments often reflected the ongoing angst among Democrats about how best to position themselves against Trump and Republicans in 2018 and beyond. Many said they wished Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont had won the Democratic nomination, or that they never liked Clinton and only voted for her because she was the lesser of two bad choices.

As bad as Trump is, the alternative was worse. Even Democrats realize that now.

Trumpcare Dies, Obamacare Repeal on the Table: Today's News for July 18th

Associated Press:

2 more GOP senators oppose health bill, killing it for now

The latest GOP effort to repeal and replace "Obamacare" was fatally wounded in the Senate Monday night when two more Republican senators announced their opposition to legislation strongly backed by President Donald Trump.

The announcements from Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Jerry Moran of Kansas left the Republican Party's long-promised efforts to get rid of President Barack Obama's health care legislation reeling. Next steps, if any, were not immediately clear.

Lee and Moran both said they could not support Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's legislation in its current form. They joined GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky, both of whom announced their opposition right after McConnell released the bill last Thursday.

If Will Rogers were alive today, he could say, "I am not a member of any organized party — I am a Republican."

Seriously, the amazing thing is that Mitch McConnell thought he could suggest any kind of dog food, and the Republicans would just eat it.

On to plan B...

Republicans should just REPEAL failing ObamaCare now & work on a new Healthcare Plan that will start from a clean slate. Dems will join in!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2017

Fortunately, Mitch McConnell read the writing on the wall (or in this case, the writing on Twitter):

Axios:

McConnell: Next step is a straight repeal vote

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell bowed to pressure tonight from conservatives — and President Trump — to bring up a straight repeal of most of the Affordable Care Act as the next step now that the Senate health care bill appears to be dead. It will be based on the repeal bill Congress passed in 2015, which then-President Barack Obama vetoed.

His statement: "Regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful. So, in the coming days, the Senate will vote to take up ... a repeal of Obamacare with a two-year delay to provide for a stable transition period to a patient-centered health care system that gives Americans access to quality, affordable health care."

Reality check: It's highly unlikely to succeed, but conservative groups won't consider the GOP's health care promises to be fulfilled until Republicans have at least tried a straight repeal vote. It will put enormous pressure on the moderates, who are sure to have reservations. But as conservatives will remind them, most of them already voted for straight repeal in 2015 — and it will be hard to explain why they wouldn't do it again.

This is perfectly reasonable. The only thing worrisome is they think it will take two years to write a health care law. Anything that takes two years to write tends to be fiction.

In other news....

StarTribune:

Woman was fatally shot through door of Minneapolis police car, sources say

A 40-year-old woman who family members said called 911 to report a possible assault in the alley behind her home Saturday night was fatally shot by a Minneapolis police officer.

The shooting happened at the end of the alley on W. 51st Street between Washburn and Xerxes avenues S. in the city’s Fulton neighborhood.

The woman, Justine Damond, from Sydney, Australia, and her fiancé lived in the 5000 block of Washburn.

Three sources with knowledge of the incident said Sunday that two officers in one squad car, responding to the 911 call, pulled into the alley. Damond, in her pajamas, went to the driver’s side door and was talking to the driver. The officer in the passenger seat pulled his gun and shot Damond through the driver’s side door, sources said. No weapon was found at the scene.

On the surface, there doesn't appear to be any reason for this shooting. But let's add some more current information:

StarTribune:

Medical examiner: Justine Damond died from gunshot wound to abdomen

While many of the details about what happened Saturday night in the city's southwest corner have not been disclosed, this much was: She called to report a possible assault in the alley behind her house in one of the city's safest neighborhoods and was unarmed when officer Mohamed Noor shot her.

...The Hennepin County medical examiner said Monday evening that Damond, also known as Justine Ruszczyk, died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen.

Noor, a second-year officer whose identity became public Monday, has retained a lawyer. Attorney Thomas Plunkett said in a statement that Noor "takes these events very seriously." 

...Sources identified Noor's partner on the scene, who did not fire any shots, as officer Matthew Harrity, 25, who earned his peace officer's license last year. 

Noor, the second-year officer, sees a woman dressed in pajamas approach her partner, the rookie Harrity. Noor knows they are there to investigate the report of a possible assault. They are in a well-lit alley, so whatever Damond does is well-seen by both officers. What happens next?

Let's play devil's advocate here. Rookie Harrity orders the woman to step away from the police car. She doesn't comply, perhaps asking why, or going into an explanation that she was the woman who called 911. Noor is in a bad position to hear what Damond is saying, but he knows his partner Harrity just issued an order and Damond isn't complying, maybe even hearing something in Damond's tone of voice that makes him suspicious of her intentions, or perhaps he misheard something she did say. Or maybe she tries to reach into the window to shake the officer's hand, and Noor thinks she is reaching for Harrity's gun. Or maybe she tried to reach into her pocket, and Noor thought she was going for a gun.

We can play with hypotheticals all day long, but there is one TRUTH we can take away from this: A 40 year old woman died unnecessarily due to a gunshot wound from a cop. When dealing with police officers, regardless of why, you are walking on glass. Treat the situation as though he is pointing the gun at you already, because he is.

Joining the Zombies: Today's News for July 17th

Los Angeles Times:

George A. Romero, 'Night of the Living Dead' creator, dies at 77

It was the night of April 4, 1968, and George A. Romero was driving to New York City from Pittsburgh on a mission: In the days to come he was to meet with film studios in hopes that one might buy the horror film he was lugging in his trunk, “Night of the Flesh Eaters.”

None of the studios was interested, but Romero still managed to get his $114,000 film in front of audiences that year. And though critics panned the picture, retitled “Night of the Living Dead,” moviegoers were mesmerized — packing theaters, hitting the drive-ins in droves and making Romero the father of the modern movie zombie. Romero’s “Living Dead” franchise went on to create a subgenre of horror movie whose influence across the decades has endured, seen in movies like “The Purge” and TV shows like “The Walking Dead.”

Romero died Sunday in his sleep after a “brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer,” according to a family statement to The Times provided by his longtime producing partner, Peter Grunwald. He was 77.

As the article points out, "Night of the Living Dead" went on to gross $50 million. While Romero was an American success story, his impact on our culture cannot be overstated. Prior to Romero's movies, zombies were an insignificant blip, even within the horror/monster movie genre. Today, we even have A-list stars like Brad Pitt making zombie films like "World War Z".

On top of this, we can add zombies to the pantheon of monsters like vampires and werewolves.

It was Romero who touched on that one fear we all have. Next time you walk through a graveyard, you know you will imagine a rotting, flesh-covered hand reaching out from the ground of one of the graves, or perhaps a corpse stepping out from behind a tree and walking towards you to do unspeakable things. You can thank Romero for that image.

In news of another loss...

Los Angeles Times:

Oscar-winner Martin Landau, who starred in 'Ed Wood,' 'North By Northwest' and 'Entourage,' dies at 89

Martin Landau, the Oscar-winning veteran who appeared in classic films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest” and starred in the “Mission: Impossible” television series in the 1960s, has died. He was 89. 

Landau died Saturday at UCLA Medical Center, where he experienced “unexpected complications” during a short hospitalization, his publicist confirmed.

For me, I will always remember Martin Landau for "Space: 1999", which aired during television's science fiction dark ages from 1975-1977. As a young science fiction fan, this was the period where there were no first-run tv shows available, except for "Space:1999". "Star Trek" re-runs were about it, and "Battlestar Galactica" didn't start until 1978 (in response to the movie success of "Star Wars").

It wasn't until years later that I saw him in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest", which was surprising to me. Having been used to his "Space: 1999" role as Commander John Koenig, to see him playing a villain was a shock, although a pleasant one as he did the role perfectly, and really added to the conflict in the film. A good villain always makes a move better.

In other news...

Washington Times:

Carl Bernstein: 'Cold civil war' gripping US as media embrace 'different truths'

Carl Bernstein depicted the contentious nature of politics as being in the middle of a "cold civil war" as President Trump pushes back against what he calls "fake news" and various news outlets are perceived as espousing different "truths."

Appearing on CNN's "Reliable Sources" on Sunday, alongside Leonard Downie, former executive editor and vice president of the Washington Post, Bernstein compared the current media climate to that of the Watergate era. He stressed the importance of anonymous sources and said "quote 'leaks' which really are not leaks" are instead "mostly reporters trying very hard to get truthful information and put some context to this story."

...Bernstein said one of the big difference between Watergate and now is "that we are in the midst of a cold civil war in this country."

He expanded on that idea, saying that there is a political and cultural civil war and all of our reporting is taking place in the context of that cold civil war. And nothing quite like that existed at the time of Watergate."

Part of the "cold civil war," Berstein added, can be pinned on the "configuration of media with Fox News, with CNN being perceived by different sets of viewers as representing different truths." Singling out Fox News, he said the right-leaning cable news channel has "changed American politics as perhaps no other institution has."

Not all of his critique focused solely on specific networks, but on cable news in general, which he described as a "hothouse of political debate in which fact-base debate is becoming impossible in this culture."

Watch out for that phrase, "cold civil war". That may be the most apt description of our current political climate.

Weekly Finale: Driver's Seat

Yes it is Friday, and that means another edition of the weekly musical finale.

This week's finale centers on a one-hit wonder, Sniff 'N' The Tears, and their lone hit from 1978, "Driver's Seat":



It's not exactly a deep song. According to Paul Roberts, the song's writer, it is about the "fragmented, conflicting thoughts and emotions that might follow the break-up of a relationship". So is Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U", and it is a far better song.

Where "Driver's Seat" succeeds is the music, with a driving beat (pardon the pun) and just an overall good feeling to it, even though the song is technically about heartache.

As for covers, there is really only one creative cover of "Driver's Seat", and that is by D.H.T. (featuring Edmée):



That is all for me this week. so pick up your feet and enjoy this weekend, and come on back here Monday.

This Was About Junior? Today's News for July 14th

(hat tip to Wikipedia for the pic)

So the entire Russian collusion investigation was about catching Donald Trump Jr.? Really?

Based on what is being said by the talking heads, one might assume as much. Consider the following from columnist David French:

National Review:

There Is Now Evidence That Senior Trump Officials Attempted to Collude With Russia

Donald Trump Jr.’s e-mails are damning.

Just hours ago, Donald Trump Jr. released one of the more astounding e-mail chains of the entire Russia controversy. The end result is that Americans may now be introduced to the term “attempted collusion.” Or, perhaps more accurately (based on present information), “failed collusion.”

In other words, there now exists evidence that senior members of the Trump campaign tried unsuccessfully to facilitate Russian government efforts to defeat Hillary Clinton.

In other words, this big massive search for collusion between the Russian government and Donald Trump's campaign has netted us one failed collusion attempt by Trump's idiot son? The media has spent months in an Ahab-like effort to catch the great orange whale, and managed to net a remora?

This is French's conclusion:

As of now, we should have zero confidence that we know all or even most material facts. We should have zero confidence that Trump’s frustration is entirely due to his feeling like an innocent man caught in the crosshairs of crazed conspiracy theorists. It now appears that his son, son-in-law, and campaign chair met with a lawyer who they were told was part of an official Russian government effort to impact the presidential election. The Russian investigation isn’t a witch hunt anymore, if it ever was. It’s a national necessity.

Leftist websites like Vox are even holding up David French to make themselves feel better about this.

The problem with the interpretation by French is it ignores a more plausible explanation: The actual hacking that was done of Hillary Clinton's campaign and the DNC never touched the Trump campaign. If the Russians were behind it, and wanted the Trump campaign to win the election, why would they ever get in touch with Trump or his people? They could easily release the information to the public without risking contact with Trump's campaign. Actual collusion between Trump and the Russians would do irreparable damage to U.S.-Russian relations, not to mention the damage to Russia's international reputation. In a risk-reward calculation, collusion would be a loser for Russia.

Needless to say, the Left and the Democrats have their hyperbole in overdrive, and incorrectly (as usual):

Washington Times:

Democrats claim ‘treason,’ but the law says otherwise

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), “This is moving into perjury, false statements and even into potentially treason.”

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), “If this isn’t treasonous, I’m not sure what is.”

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), “Trump Jr. was willing to betray US to cheat for his Dad’s campaign.”

The treason law says something else:

“Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.”

Look directly at what the law requires for someone’s actions to rise to the level of treason.

1- One must owe allegiance to the United States AND

2- Levy war against the United States OR

3- Adhere to enemies of the United States, giving them aid or comfort within the United States or elsewhere

Donald Trump Jr. did not levy war against the United States. He did not give aid or comfort within the United States or elsewhere to our countries enemies. There is absolutely no rational basis to claim that he committed treason against the United States of America, but Sen. Kaine and others continue to rattle off their baseless claims. 

To put it in the simplest terms possible, we are NOT at war with Russia. Junior might be an idiot, but he isn't a treasonous idiot.

Now let us look at some REAL news:

CNN:

Graham, Cassidy unveil details of alternative health care plan

With the prospects for passing the current Senate Republican health care bill still in jeopardy, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, are working with their GOP colleagues on an alternative approach to replacing Obamacare: keeping much of the federal taxes in place and sending that money to the states to control.

"Here is what will happen," Graham said in an exclusive interview with CNN's Kate Bolduan. "If you like Obamacare, you can re-impose the mandates at the state level. You can repair Obamacare if you think it needs to be repaired. You can replace it if you think it needs to be replaced. It'll be up to the governors. They've got a better handle on it than any bureaucrat in Washington."

Cassidy, who is a physician, explained that the plan would keep popular protections under Obamacare, including a ban on denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.

...Graham and Cassidy, who have been working closely with former Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, argue that one of the main reasons that Republicans are having such a hard time agreeing is because they are working from the Obamacare template -- particularly federal control of health insurance.

"The reason we can't pass a bill is because we are trying to do it in Washington, so stop it," Santorum, a CNN contributor, told CNN. Both senators agree that the key to making their plan work, is giving states flexibility. "A blue state can do a blue thing, a red state a red thing," Cassidy said. "My state is going to repeal and replace Obamacare with something that gives power to the patient, but that starts with us giving power to the states."

My two cents: This is an improvement on Obamacare, although I don't see it as a perfect solution. Perhaps it is a mildly acceptable alternative? Until the government is removed from health care, and control is given to the free market, then health care costs will continue to go up. At least under this plan, it is possible that some states could model a good free market solution.

Finally, in other news...

Wall Street Journal:

Hawaii Judge Orders Loosening of Trump Travel Ban

A Hawaii judge late Thursday ordered a nationwide loosening of President Donald Trump’s temporary ban on U.S. entry for some travelers from six Muslim-majority countries, ruling the administration’s strict approach contradicted a recent Supreme Court ruling.

The decision is a fresh legal blow for the president just two weeks after a Supreme Court ruling allowed the administration to implement its travel ban against refugees and foreign nationals from six countries who have no connection to the U.S.

Begin sarcasm.

In another ruling, judges stated that Amish people immigrating from these Muslim countries must be allowed, but only if they enter the U.S. on a Tuesday during a full moon while Congress is in session.

End sarcasm.