Squishy Senators Reach Bipartisan Agreement On Amnesty Bill

By William Teach February 15, 2018 – 8:13 am

In essence, this is almost the same as the Gang Of Eight amnesty bill, in that “Dreamers” are given a pathway to citizenship in exchange for almost nothing when it comes to border security. Thanks, squishy Republicans

Senators Strike Bipartisan Deal on Immigration Despite Veto Threat

A broad bipartisan group of senators reached agreement Wednesday on a narrow rewrite of the nation’s immigration laws that would bolster border security and resolve the fate of the so-called Dreamers, even as President Trump suggested he would veto any plan that does not adhere to his harder-line approach.

Their compromise legislation sets up a clash pitting the political center of the Senate against Mr. Trump and the Republican congressional leadership.

Senators in both parties have been racing against a self-imposed end-of-the-week deadline to write legislation that could win wide support by increasing border security while at the same time offering a path to citizenship for young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.

Members of the bipartisan group, which calls itself the Common Sense Coalition, said their deal does just that. They were working Wednesday evening to determine whether their bill could garner the 60 votes necessary to break a filibuster.

As you can imagine, Lindsay Graham is involved.

The bipartisan measure, sponsored by eight Democrats, eight Republicans and one independent, would appropriate $25 billion for border security, including construction of the president’s proposed wall at the Mexican border, over a 10-year period — not immediately, as Mr. Trump demands.

It would also offer an eventual path to citizenship, over 10 to 12 years, for 1.8 million of the young undocumented immigrants, but would preclude them from sponsoring their parents to become citizens. It would make no changes to the diversity visa lottery system, which Mr. Trump wants to end.

According to Marco Rubio, it could end up being way more than 1.8 million, since the cut off date was moved from 2007 to 2012. Regardless, the money for the border wall would be doled out slowly, meaning that it would never really get built. Nothing will happen to the parents who committed the “sin” of bringing the kids illegally, except they can’t get citizenship.

The proof will be in the details, which are rather light at this time. You’re finding the same info at Fox News and The Washington Post, as well all the other outlets. What will be the exact terms of amnesty for the Dreamers? Will it really take 10-12 years? Are there any measures that will knock them out, such as criminal activity, in the same way that people doing it the right way to gain citizenship had to follow?

At the end of the day, this benefits the Democrats and gives nothing to Republicans. And Trump has stated that he won’t sign a bill like this, which most likely wouldn’t pass the House even if it managed to pass the Senate. So, what’s the point? To show citizens that Republicans are as squishy on protecting the nation from foreign invaders as the Democrats?

Read: Squishy Senators Reach Bipartisan Agreement On Amnesty Bill »

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To The Surprise Of No One, Warmists Make Valentine’s Day About ‘Climate Change’ (scam)

By William Teach February 14, 2018 – 4:35 pm

No matter what the holiday or event, the Cult of Climastrology will find a way to interject itself. Here’s loopy Pam Wright at the Weather Channel

Valentine’s Day Bummer: Climate Change Expected to Significantly Impact Chocolate, Champagne Production

There’s some bad news on the horizon for Valentine’s Day: Scientists say global warming and changing weather patterns are expected to significantly impact two staples of the holiday, chocolate and champagne.

For those who may be unaware, champagne comes from the Champagne region in northeastern France. Only sparkling wines that hail from this region are permitted to be called champagne. It’s the same for wines like Bordeaux that come from, well, Bordeaux, or Beaujolais, which comes from … well, you can probably guess.

And here’s one that merges Hotcoldwetdry with VDay and a real environmental concern

‘Endangered Species Condoms’ to be distributed for Valentine’s Day

Some 40,000 free “Endangered Species Condoms” will be given away across the country by the Center for Biological Diversity on Valentine’s Day to encourage people to consider population growth’s threat to wildlife before getting wild.

The colorful condom packages include species threatened by population growth and slogans like “Wrap with care, save the polar bear” and “When you’re feeling tender, think about the hellbender.”

“The habitat loss, resource depletion and climate change that come with rapid human population growth make it next to impossible for biodiversity to thrive. It’s important to bring population growth back into the environmental conversation,” Baillie said in a press statement. “’Endangered Species Condoms’ make starting that conversation easier, and they’re a more interesting gift than old standbys like flowers and chocolate.”

Some of that stuff is real. AGW isn’t.

How to Be a Vegan Teen Valentine

…

Has it ever happened to you that you are stumped for ideas to talk about? Me too! A good conversation is key during a date night or when hanging out with friends, which is why I like to talk about exchanging cool vegan things we found on the internet or saw on YouTube, how our parents are dealing with us being veganism, the environmental benefits of being vegan, and sharing cool recipe ideas we can make together in the kitchen. Talking about taboo vegan topics—such as the impact the dairy and meat industries have on climate change and the ethics of not eating meat for the animals—is important, too, because it helps defend yourself when a non-vegan begins questioning you about veganism and nutrition.

Sigh.

Read More »

Read: To The Surprise Of No One, Warmists Make Valentine’s Day About ‘Climate Change’ (scam) »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach February 14, 2018 – 1:00 pm

…are horrible carbon pollution clouds, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Maggie’s Farm, with a post on school being about signaling, not skill building.

Read: If All You See… »

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Denying ‘Climate Change’ (scam) Is A War On Humanity Or Something

By William Teach February 14, 2018 – 10:30 am

The real “war” is those who Believe in AGW yet refuse to give up their own use of fossil fuels, washers and dryers, ice makers, plastics, synthetic clothes, don’t only buy local, don’t grow their own food live in anything but a tiny home, etc and so on, making their lives 100% carbon neutral, but, hey, you do you

Climate Change Denial Is a War on Humanity

There was no doubt that America would regress on multiple issues when it elected Donald Trump as its 45th president. While opinion is divided on his intellectual capacity and mental stability, the president himself opines that he is a stable genius. Yet with every action and tweet of his, he does his best to belie the opinion that he is stable, let alone a genius.

The most damaging of Trump’s egregious actions is the appointment of Scott Pruitt as the head of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Prior to assuming the leadership role as its 14th administrator, Pruitt had sued the EPA 14 times as Oklahoma’s attorney general. Time and again, Pruitt has refused to acknowledge the scientific consensus that human activity is a primary contributor to climate change. As attorney general, he had taken the position of a “leading advocate against the EPA’s activist agenda.” It is a travesty of justice that Pruitt is now heading the EPA.

OK, we can see this is just another unhinged Leftist diatribe based on feelings. Which continue on and on and on, till

Pulling out of the Paris accord with the excuse that it is a bad deal for America is an arrogant display of misguided nationalism. America is the largest consumer of resources in the world and the second largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world. It is only fair and appropriate that in any reduction of excesses America leads the way by doing more than its share in the international community, not walk away from it.

The actions of the Trump administration in rolling back environmental regulations, pandering to business interests with flimsy excuses and shortsighted economic growth, is a brazen attack on humanity, not just Americans. It is a sad irony that the perpetrators will be long gone when the consequences of their actions are faced by the future generations.

If only Pruitt and Trump would reflect on this poignant Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote that “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived — that is to have succeeded.”

Again, is it a crime against humanity to believe in something, and refuse to practice what you preach?

Read: Denying ‘Climate Change’ (scam) Is A War On Humanity Or Something »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Climahypocrites, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Good Grief: Special Snowflakes Ban National Anthem As Raaaaacist

By William Teach February 14, 2018 – 8:00 am

This has happened in California, of course

(Washington Times) Student leaders at a high school in the San Francisco Bay Area have decided that the national anthem is racist and outdated and have banned it from school rallies.

According to multiple area news outlets, the Associated Student Body at California High School in San Ramon made that decision based on a phrase in the rarely-played third verse.

“It was brought to our attention that the national anthem’s third verse is outdated and racially offensive,” Ariyana Kermanizadeh wrote in an open letter. “We had nothing but good intentions by removing the song so that we could be fully inclusive to our student body.”

Yeah, the 3rd verse that no one knows and no one ever signs. This is all about virtue signaling and being Offended by all things American, yet, these same snowflakes won’t ever actually leave the U.S.

[Kermanizadeh] noted that “this song was written in 1814. That was written 204 years ago. Imagine all the traditions and laws that have changed … [and] so must our traditions.”

The Right to Free speech was written even longer ago: should we do away with that? Of course, Leftists would actually like to end free speech for people they disagree with.

Reaction ranged from bemusement among other students to disbelief among outsiders.

“It comes from a very disrespectful place,” Amir Udler, a senior at the school, told the Californian, the student newspaper that first broke the story last week. The decision “is disenfranchising the vast majority of the school who loves the country.”

That’s the way it work in Snowflake World, where anything that Offends them must be banned, regardless of whether it ruins it for the majority.

Fox News opinion columnist Todd Starnes asked rhetorically, “Where are the grownups in charge of this public school?” and admonished his listeners to contact the school board.

“The Star Spangled Banner may have survived the bombs bursting in air, but it may not be able to withstand the rampaging mob of politically correct inclusivists,” he wrote.

The grownups at the school are probably afraid of the kids, who would surely lob accusations of racism and sexism and stuff at them if the grownups don’t agree.

Read: Good Grief: Special Snowflakes Ban National Anthem As Raaaaacist »

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Cotton: Senate Immigration Bill Is “Best And Final Offer”

By William Teach February 14, 2018 – 7:36 am

Democrats are being given the chance to potentially add 1.8 million voters to their rolls in the form of “Dreamers”. That’s a nice offering. In return, they have to give up a lot to get it. So far, they’ve been sticking with the “clean immigration bill” talking point, which won’t fly. Senator Tom Cotton has some words for them

(CNBC) A Republican senator asserted Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s immigration plan is the only measure that could pass Congress.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas spoke as the Senate was scheduled to start an open debate on how to proceed.

Bipartisan senators will continue contentious discussions on the best measure to protect up to 1.8 million young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children and boost border security. A measure drafted by GOP senators including Cotton aims to mirror Trump’s immigration proposal, which calls for restrictions on legal immigration that Democrats consider unacceptable.

“The president’s framework bill is not an opening bid for negotiations. It’s a best and final offer,” Cotton told “Fox and Friends” on Tuesday morning.

President Trump has stated that he will veto any legislation that doesn’t include his immigration goals. And Democrats haven’t been particularly interested in debating the bill. Meanwhile

It does not appear any Democratic-favored proposals have the necessary 60 votes to advance. The GOP leader is betting that Democrats are willing to give ground because they have pushed for months to have a floor vote on legislation to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

McConnell told reporters that if Congress does not pass a bill by the Presidents Day recess, which begins Saturday, the chamber will move on to other issues.

“We have other things to do,” he told reporters after a Republican policy lunch Tuesday.

“This is an issue we’ve been talking about literally for years,” he added, noting that GOP negotiators have recently “spent three months talking to the Democrats about this.”

McConnell’s giving Democrats a chance to tell their base that they gave Dreamers a pathway to citizenship, and all they have to do is protect the security of the U.S. from future illegal aliens. But, do Democrats really want this issue solved, or do they want it ongoing, in order to create election issues? Of course, is putting illegal aliens over American citizens the best way forward for Democrats?

Read: Cotton: Senate Immigration Bill Is “Best And Final Offer” »

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Irony: Illegal Alien Calls Police About Someone Trespassing, Police Pick Him Up

By William Teach February 13, 2018 – 3:28 pm

How ironic is this?

(CNN) Wilson Rodriguez Macarreno and his family were in trouble, so he did what he knew to do — call police for help. About an hour later, he was in ICE custody.

Rodriguez’s detention on Thursday sent shockwaves through the Seattle-suburb and is now garnering national attention from advocates, warning the way authorities handled the case could make immigrants scared to call police to report crimes.

Early Thursday morning, Rodriguez saw someone trespassing on his property in Tukwila, Washington. In the last few weeks, someone had been repeatedly trying to break-in to his home and car.
So, he called 9-1-1.

Police arriving on scene apprehended a trespasser according to Rodriguez’s lawyer Luis Cortes.

After giving officers his ID for what he thought was “report purposes,” police put Rodriguez in handcuffs, his lawyer said. After running his information through the National Crime Information Center database, officers saw he had an outstanding warrant.

Less than an hour after making a simple trespassing call, Rodriguez was headed toward an uncertain future as he was driven to an ICE field office in Seattle for processing. His lawyer says ICE never arrived to pick up his client, so Tukwila police officers volunteered to take him to the ICE field office.

The supposed trespasser was not arrested, as there was no probably cause. Rodriguez, who’s trespassing on U.S. soil, was arrested. Rather ironic, is it not?

Of course, this article, and the starting point at the Seattle Times, has brought on much of the same old same old hand-wringing, whining about it being an administrative warrant (which, shocker, is legal) without judicial involvement, about why those big meanie police officers would dare do the job of law enforcement and involve themselves with a federal warrant, and the old canard about illegals now being afraid to call La Polizia. And, of course, the Tukwila PD has promised to change the way the follow the law to protect illegals.

Rodriguez entered the US from Honduras in 2004, fleeing violence his lawyer says took his brother and a friend. Rodriguez says his brother died from a gunshot to the head and his friend was found chopped to pieces. CNN could not verify these claims.

His lawyer says that ICE did apprehend him in Texas in 2004, but Rodriguez missed his court date — he did not have an address to send the court notice. Cortes says his client has no criminal history.

He illegally entered the nation, was busted, told to report to court, blew the date off, and has now been apprehended. Poor decisions have consequences. As far as it goes, ICE hasn’t released any details on Rodriguez at this time.

Related, Jazz Shaw discusses a case where an illegal alien complains that ICE is, get this, deporting illegal aliens. And, in this case, there’s a bit more to the story about one of these “upstanding” illegals that the media likes to yammer about.

Read: Irony: Illegal Alien Calls Police About Someone Trespassing, Police Pick Him Up »

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If All You See…

By William Teach February 13, 2018 – 1:00 pm

…is a world flooded due to Other People eating meat, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Political Clown Parade, with a post on Michelle Obama’s new portrait.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 10 Comments | Trackback URL

Exxon Sues Conspiratorial Warmist

By William Teach February 13, 2018 – 10:30 am

This is supposed to be very sinister

(Bloomberg) As climate-change lawsuits against the oil industry mount, Exxon Mobil Corp. is taking a bare-knuckle approach rarely seen in legal disputes: It’s going after the lawyers who are suing it.

The company has targeted at least 30 people and organizations, including the attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts, hitting them with suits, threats of suits or demands for sworn depositions. The company claims the lawyers, public officials and environmental activists are “conspiring” against it in a coordinated legal and public relations campaign.

Exxon has even given that campaign a vaguely sinister-sounding name: “The La Jolla playbook.” According to the company, about two dozen people hatched a strategy against it at a meeting six years ago in an oceanfront cottage in La Jolla, Calif.

Sinister!

“It’s an aggressive move,” said Howard Erichson, an expert in complex litigation and a professor at Fordham University School of Law in New York. “Does Exxon really need these depositions or is Exxon seeking the depositions to harass mayors and city attorneys into dropping their lawsuits?”

An interesting point of view. Could Exxon be suing back as harassment against all those who are harassing Exxon with lawsuits and demands for documents? Really, what Warmists are upset about is that Exxon would dare fight back.

Experts say Exxon’s combative strategy — an extraordinary gambit to turn the tables — is a clear sign of what’s at stake for the fossil-fuel industry. So far, New York City and eight California cities and counties, including San Francisco and Oakland, have sued Exxon and other oil and gas companies. They allege that oil companies denied findings of climate-change scientists despite knowing that the use of fossil fuels posed “grave risk” to the planet.

See? It’s combative to fight back against those who are combative against Exxon (yet, those some Warmists refuse to give up their own use of fossil fuels. Has anyone seen those cities, jurisdictions, and states stop using fossil fuels?)

Plaintiff lawyers and legal experts contend the oil giant’s tactics are meant to intimidate while shifting the spotlight away from claims of environmental damage. And they say there’s nothing improper with lawyers discussing legal strategies together.

“It’s crazy that people are subpoenaed for attending a meeting,” said Sharon Eubanks, a lawyer who was at the La Jolla gathering. “It’s sort of like a big scare tactic: reframe the debate, use it as a diversionary tactic and scare the heck out of everybody.”

The projection is amazing. Cities and AGs like New York’s Eric Schneiderman have used their powers to demand all sorts of crazy documents, including lists of people and organizations that have had contact with Exxon. It was abusive. A witch hunt.

But, Exxon is a big company, with deep pockets and excellent lawyers on staff. And if they get the other fossil fuels companies involved, it could be tough for cities and states, and cost them a lot of money.

Read: Exxon Sues Conspiratorial Warmist »

Posted in Energy, Global Warming | 10 Comments | Trackback URL

Trump Budget Has Steep Cuts In Science, Especially For ‘Climate Change’ (scam)

By William Teach February 13, 2018 – 7:08 am

Anthony Watts writes that this is what happens when you have the zealous overselling of climate science

PRESIDENT TRUMP PROPOSES STEEP, DEVASTATING CUTS TO SCIENCE AGENCIES

Washington, D.C.—The following statement is attributable to American Geophysical Union (AGU) Executive Director/CEO Chris McEntee:

President Trump’s proposed budget ignores the valuable role science agencies play in nearly every facet of American life. The proposal provides a steep increase in military spending and infrastructure but saddles federal scientific agencies with extremely damaging cuts. What the President’s budget fails to recognize is that these agencies provide much of the technical expertise needed to help realize his Administration’s policy priorities.

When we underfund or cut funding to science agencies and their programs, the implications reach far beyond the agencies themselves and the scientific enterprise. Data and applied research from science agencies like NASA and NOAA are critical to U.S. military operations and defense-related systems. Scientific research helps to create infrastructure that is sustainable and effective, and with the release of such a large infrastructure plan that invests trillions in America’s roads and bridges, we need a budget proposal that will ultimately protect that infrastructure from long-term impacts like climate change. We’re discouraged to see yet another White House proposal that indicates either the Administration’s continued lack of understanding about the crucial benefits scientific research provides to Americans or worse, their persistent disregard of the value of science to society.

We recognize that Congress ultimately sets the budget through the appropriations process and we call on members of Congress to set funding levels for science agencies that reflect their important research and programs, and provide funding that will move American innovation forward.

Realistically, how much of this is supposed to be done by the government? Is this a duty as laid out in the Constitution? Further, what happens when there is extreme mission creep, and the agencies become overly political? Anthony Watts wrote

My take: I’m a fan of science, no, let me qualify that. I’m a fan of QUALITY science. Science done correctly, without an agenda, without politics, and without the need to drive the next funding cycle.

A lot of this reduction is driven by Trump (and many others) getting fed up with science trying to blame just about everything on the universal boogeyman, climate change.

Just like the stock market recently, I see this as a correction for government funded science that has become bloated. We’ve traded quantity for quality.  And. there’s a lot of redundancy.

This is something that needs to be done in all departments, including the military. Stop wasting the taxpayer money. And especially stop wasting it while manufacturing data that Blames mankind for tiny changes in the Earth’s temperature while recommending all sorts of taxes, fees, and governmental control of citizens.

Read: Trump Budget Has Steep Cuts In Science, Especially For ‘Climate Change’ (scam) »

Posted in Global Warming, New Climate Deniers | 16 Comments | Trackback URL
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