Lessons, Warnings, and Potential Reforms Following the Kavanaugh Confirmation

The confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court: what a victory! This win for the Republican majority, for President Trump, and for the nation as a whole should inspire conservatives going into Election 2018. However, the criminal antics leading up to his success should encourage steps to prevent such an outrageous circus from happening again.

President Trump’s leadership inspired courage and conservatism among a Republican U.S. Senate caucus which had routinely acquiesced to the other side many times rather than fight back. When Republicans fight, they win. They should consider doing more of it. During the 2010 Tea Party wave, a number of Republican incumbents lost their seats in primaries (and Murkowski almost lost hers) because they did not fight for conservative values and fight back against the Democratic Party.

Eight years later, with Trump at the helm, Republican U.S. Senators are flexing their muscle. Perhaps McCain’s passing has cemented the resolve of the Republican conference, too. Never would have I expected Lindsey Graham to put aside bipartisan comity as effectively and severely as he did when defending Judge Kavanaugh during the Judiciary Committee hearings. Senators Orrin Hatch and Chuck Grassley also demonstrated a more solid edge against the loud, obnoxious Democratic minority on their committee. They rebuffed protesters for their ramped-up savage attacks

Even flakey U.S. Senator Jeff Flake stood up for the team in his final year in the Upper Chamber. 

Initially, his request for one more FBI investigation seemed like craven, Never-Trump cowering—anything to screw over the President who had shamed him for his liberal views on borders and national economic interests. Looking back on the 50-48 confirmation victory, Flake’s qualifying motion makes sense. The seventh investigation fully exonerated Kavanaugh beyond reproach, and it offered President Trump the opportunity to prove his commitment to a transparent process. Finally, the investigation provided necessary ballast for U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Joe Manchin to vote for confirmation.

And then there’s Collins. Never have I been so proud of a GOP moderate. Collins has been a 50-50 member of the upper chamber for the last two decades. She voted against Obamacare, but she still voted for Planned Parenthood. This time, she took the bold step of believing Kavanaugh because the accusers and their spurious evidence failed to convince her to withhold her vote. She confirmed not just Kavanaugh, but everything that makes our judicial system great: presumption of innocence, thorough investigations; a commitment to believing the facts, not one’s feelings; and finding the truth rather than promoting a political outcome.

On a larger note, the Alinsky-Obama-Clinton machine of mob-ocracy and muggery failed big time. Before becoming President, Barack Obama’s only real job had entailed community organization and academia (if one can really call those efforts “work”). He intended to remake the United States into a socialist endgame first through his executive actions, and then with an expanded network of social justice warrior activist groups. Organizing for Action is still active, and big money from left-wing donors like Tom Steyer, George Soros, and Michael Bloomberg is pouring into national and statewide efforts. But they hit a big wall of conservative resolve. The stakes were too high for Republicans to let this confirmation slip away.

This victory is a big win for Kavanaugh the man, not just the justice. What incredible fortitude we saw in this jurist. His selection is a big victory for Trump’s political instincts, too. He chose a candidate with a long judicial record. Trump likely foresaw the worst political machinations from the Democrats, and Kavanaugh stood up to them, shaming the disgraceful antics of the Democratic Party, who callously fundraised of this debilitating conflict to shore up election prospects in 2018 and 2020. Democrats don’t understand that conservatives not only understand the corrupt games that liberals play, but now they know how to fight back and win.

There are causes for concern going forward, and those issues were laid out early in this confirmation process. In his opening statements at the Judiciary Committee hearings, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse announced the causes behind the SCOTUS Circus which erupted at the Kavanaugh hearings. Congress is not doing its job to pass meaningful legislation, but is turfing its authority to fourth branch bureaucracies or leaving considerable policy outcomes to the United States Supreme Court.

The court of last resort has become too powerful, taking on a super-legislative role in our republican form of government. Their role in federal and even state politics needs to be scaled back. It’s time to review judicial review, rethink Marbury v. Madison. Should the Supreme Court have the final say on whether legislation withstands constitutional scrutiny? Congress has the power to limit the size and scope of the judiciary’s power. Doing so would decrease the increasingly partisan wrangling which has strangled the nomination/confirmation process.

Last of all, yes indeed the U.S. Senators stood up to the mob of abusive left-wing agitators. Yet if the United States Constitution is to serve as the final guide for our legislature, we must remember the Framers’ original vision for the United States Senate. The upper chamber was never supposed to be a popular chamber, i.e. elected by the people of the several states, but rather selected by the legislatures. Fake news and progressive propaganda induced the passage of the 17^th Amendment, which created the direct election of Senators.

The argument for repeal of the 17^th Amendment may be difficult to make. However, as the country becomes more conservative, concerned about federal overreach at the expense of individual liberty and state sovereignty, a “Repeal the 17^th Movement” can take shape. Once enacted, the U.S. Senate can be restored as a deliberative body immune to mob rule and ensure a respectable process for confirming Supreme Court justices and other executive officials.

For now, the country (and conservatives in particular) can bask in this incredible legal, moral, and political victory. Let’s hope that our leaders learn from this process and take steps to reform it in the near future.

Patrick Morrisey for US Senate: AG Victories, Manchin Loses

Dear Friend, (1)   PATRICK SCORES VICTORY AGAINST OPIOID SUPPLY Last week, Attorney General Morrisey announced he had sued the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) over its opioid production quota system. As a result, the Trump administration announced that it was reevaluating the system that has led to opioid manufacturers flooding the market with pills.  Morrisey’s lawsuit is leading to fundamental progress in our fight to stop the opioid epidemic.  You can read all about it here, here, and here (2)   SEN. MANCHIN TANKING How vulnerable is Sen. Joe Manchin? After years of supporting Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, and now Chuck Schumer, the answer is very vulnerable. A new poll conducted by AXIOS shows Sen. Joe Manchin losing BADLY to a generic Republican. According to this poll, Sen. Manchin is the second most vulnerable Democratic senator in the country. In addition, at 65%, President Trump’s approval rating in West Virginia is the highest in the nation. (3)   SAY WHAT? EVAN JENKINS DEFENDING OBAMA EPA REGS We knew Evan Jenkins was a liberal Democrat for 20 years, but this takes the cake. According to an exclusive in Breitbart News, Rep. Jenkins is lobbying President Trump’s EPA to keep one of Obama’s job-killing EPA regulations requiring higher emission standards for trucks. Why is Evan Jenkins going to bat for Obama’s EPA regulations? Read the whole story here and here (4)   NEW CAMPAIGN OFFICES Morrisey for Senate has opened two campaign offices, and we hope you’ll stop by to pick up bumper stickers and volunteer! Eastern Panhandle Office 179 E Burr Blvd Suite L Kearneysville, WV 25430 Charleston Office 205 Capitol St Suite 208 Charleston, WV 25301 Thanks,

The West Virginia Public School Strike: What's Really Going On

West Virginia was once an absolute Democratic stronghold. Since FDR and the New Deal Days, government largesse was the defining factor for West Virginia politics. Even though the state embraces some of the most socially conservative values in the country, the state still voted Democrat, and even placed plutocrat lawmakers like Jay Rockefeller into office.

One of the longest-serving crony US Senators was Robert Byrd, a hard-core big government boondoggle self-enricher who plastered his name all over the state in order to promote himself at the expense of everyone else.

He was also a card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan, yet Democrats from Bill Clinton to Barack Obama and later Hillary Clinton justified his membership in that odious group or turned a blind eye to it.

The media enabled that disgusting double-standard, too.

Now, West Virginia has become a rub-red GOP trifecta, including a Governor who was elected as a Democrat, but became a Republican last year. The last remaining Democrat in any office in the state, US Senator Joe Manchin, is facing the fight of his life. His state voted for Donald Trump overwhelmingly, in fact it was the highest margin of victory for Trump in any state in the union.

Manchin has tried to hew himself as a center-right Democrat who can still compete and thrive in the left-wing Democratic Party. He never criticizes President Trump or his staff, but simply blames Washington DC for being a place that "sucks."

He also tries to straddle both sides of the issue, saying that he is pro-life, but also celebrating Planned Parenthood.

Now what's going on with the teachers' strike that occurred all over West Virginia over the last two weeks? This long-term union stunt was a political move to undermine Republican chances. This fight brought in the West Virginia Attorney General, Patrick Morrisey, who is running against Joe Manchin this year.

Teachers unions in West Virginia put their demands for more pay ahead of the needs of their students. They don't care about getting young children out of poverty and into prosperity. They only cared about enriching themselves on the taxpayer dime. Eventually, Governor Jim Justice agreed to a 5% raise, but didn't give the teachers everything they wanted.

This movement was a threat not just to the lawmakers in West Virginia, but to show the might of organized labor going into Election 2018. Splinter News referenced this desperate reality:

But there is no question that in the past two weeks, West Virginia teachers gave us a very clear demonstration of what organized labor is capable of. While their strike might soon be over, their movement is not.

Organized Labor is still bullying state legislatures and taxpayers, and they won't stop, even if President Donald Trump won. Big Labor still calls the shots in Los Angeles County, California.

We need Janus to strike down forced unionism once and for all. These liberals and progressive leftists will stop at nothing. They have no qualms about exploiting children for their agenda. This is all wrong.

We need to put an end to this anti-constitutional forced unionism, which is hurting working families and putting taxpayer dollars and state legislative solvency at risk.

Election 2018: West Virginia Attorney General for US Senate Victory!

We need Patrick Morrisey in the United States Senate!

This man is a fighter, and refuses to be pushed around by bullying teachers union which care more about their pockets than their pupils.

Dear Friend,

Today, our campaign released a new ad, called “Hiding” that educates West Virginia voters about Evan Jenkins’ 20-year liberal record as a Democrat.

Some of the information is shocking.

• Did you know liberal Evan Jenkins supported Joe Manchin’s cap-and- trade bill?
• Did you know liberal Evan Jenkins voted for more than 20 tax and fee increases?
• Did you know liberal Evan Jenkins rallied for Hillary Clinton in 2007 and supported John Kerry for president in 2004?

Check out all the truth about Evan Jenkins’ shockingly liberal record at www.liberalinhiding.com.

That’s right. Evan Jenkins cannot be trusted to fight for our shared conservative values in the U.S. Senate. Unfortunately, Jenkins is telling voters that he is conservative. It’s critical that we get our message out and make sure voters see this ad.

Will you please donate $50 or $75 or even $100 so I can run this ad across West Virginia?

With only 9 weeks to the primary, we must make sure voters know the truth. Can I count on your support?

I will campaign across West Virginia on my conservative record of protecting unborn life, defending coal, stand up for our gun rights, and restricting government control over our lives. Together, I know we can be victorious on May 8th!

Thank you in advance for your commitment and generosity.

Sincerely,



asdads

West Virginia GOP US Senate Candidate Slams Manchin's No Vote on Tax Cuts

Dear Friend, This week Congress passed the biggest tax cut package in decades, putting more money in your pockets and taking it out of the hands of the Washington elite. Republicans gave the country a great Christmas gift this year. These tax cuts will boost our economy, promote business investment, and create good paying jobs. Better jobs and more money sounds like a win-win to me— but it didn't to  Senator Joe Manchin. He says he represents your interests in Washington, but voted against this bill. Why? Because he answers to Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, not you. Manchin even admitted there were, “some good things” in the bill, and that people would, “see more changes” in their taxes. He knew this bill would help us and our families, but he let us down. West Virginia deserves someone who will look out for them, and who fights to keep more money in your pockets.  I will be that person.  I’m running for Senate so your voice can be heard and West Virginia interests can be represented. Can you donate $5, $10, or $25 today to help us build a strong war chest to take on Manchin? I can’t do this without you! Joe Manchin has the liberal elites backing him, but West Virginia deserves better. Will you join my team today with a $5, $10, or $25 contribution to give West Virginia a brighter future? -Patrick Morrisey

Media Fail: WV Republican Governor Has Not Rejected GOP Candidates

The Hill is a generally liberal-leaning rag covering all the major business on Capitol Hill (Aptly named) in Washington DC.

Now they are depending on BuzzFeed, the fake news frenzy of the Internet, to cough up stories claiming that the newly registered Republican Governor of West Virginia is leaning toward endorsing incumbent US Senator Joe Manchin for re-election:

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a former Democrat who announced in August that he was switching his party affiliation to Republican, declined this week to pledge his support for his new party's eventual challenger to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

BuzzFeed News reported that during a GOP gathering in Charleston, W.Va., on Monday, Justice spoke positively about Republicans who were running to unseat Manchin. But he stopped short of making a loyalty pledge when asked to do so.

Instead, BuzzFeed reported, citing two Republicans who were in the room, Justice said that he would look to President Trump regarding the Senate race.

The text could not make it clearer. There is no indication that Justice is running away from his party label. Senator Manchin is already facing a primary challenge from his left. He will not vote in line with the needs of West Virginians, no matter how popular he may make himself out to be. Jim Justice joined with the GOP most likely because he realized the best way to play ball in his own state and with an established GOP trifecta in Washington DC was to go along with the right.

Besides, how can any down-to-earth politico claim any further connection or affiliation with the left-wing antics of the current Democratic Party, which has completely lost touch with working Americans and basic Middle America values.

Sorry, liberal media, but you are not going to create another non-entity wedge in West Virginia, and all the machinations to save Joe Manchin will not pan out!

Mountain State GOP Takeover: Manchin Will Crumble in 2018

The good news for Republicans just got better.

And the Democratic Party is in such dire straits, that one has to wonder how they intend to make it through Election 2018.

Joe Manchin, embattled incumbent

Real Clear Politics has outlined the uphill battles they face. The DNCC and DRSC are investing heavily into blue states, and hope that they can flip seven seats in California to buttress their Congressional chances.

Those efforts will not prove successful. Other blue states will take on a redder hue going into 2018, too, like Minnesota and Connecticut.

But one Democrat in the US Senate is clearly in trouble, and will likely crumble in 2018 with the expanding GOP takeover in the Mountain State.

Check out Manchin's hypocrisy on cultural issues like abortion, all captured in one photo in one Tweet:

Washington @Sen_JoeManchin stands with @PPFA, but he refuses to admit that to WV. #WVSen https://t.co/kqrHiOICxs pic.twitter.com/XPd1Vp4CfT

— The Senate Majority (@NRSC) June 20, 2017

Even The Hill can't salvage Manchin's diminishing efforts.

Check out the crazy whopper they published in the first paragraph of the article:

Manchin is anti-abortion, once held an “A” rating from the National Rifle Association and has accused the Environmental Protection Agency of pushing overly burdensome regulations. 

How can anyone claim to be anti-abortion if they stand with Planned Parenthood? Laughable at best.

Notice also that Manchin "once held" the highest rating with the NRA.

What is it now, by the way?

While the ratings are currently not available, the NRA clearly has Manchin in their target scope.

Election 2018 US Senate Map

They slammed him savagely for attacking the due process concerns which prevented the FBI from stopping the Orlando shooter in 2016:

The problem we have, and really the firewall we have right now is due process. It’s all due process. So we can all say we want the same thing, but how do we get there? If a person is on a terrorist watch list like the gentleman, the shooter, in Orlando, he was twice by the FBI. We were briefed yesterday about what happened, but that man was brought in twice. They did everything they could. The FBI did everything they were supposed to do. But there was no way to keep him on the NICS list or keep him off the gun-buy list. There was no way to do that … due process is what’s killing us right now.

He also supported more background checks in 2013. Not as friendly toward the Second Amendment as he used to be.

There's more trouble for Manchin heading into 2018, too!

"Please Help Me"

From The Hill:

Manchin’s unique brand makes him “incredibly valuable to the Democratic Party,” according to FiveThirtyEight’s Harry Enten, who used statistics to show that a successful primary challenge would effectively guarantee Democrats lose the seat.

The brand is actually toxic all over the country, and Manchin is having a  harder time trying to stay in office, even though he wants to play conservative with the Mountain State Electorate, while playing the liberal two-step game in Washington.

This same kind of double-dealing doomed Tom Daschle, who had served as the Democratic Minority Leader until 2004, when he was finally forced out of office. Manchin is facing the same fate.

Actually, it's worse, since he will contend with a progressive, Berniecrat primary challenger named Paula Swearengin:

She confronted the senator during a March town hall in South Charleston, asking Manchin what the state’s “Plan B” is for its economy when coal is gone.

"When coal is gone" ... she obviously doesn't have the heart of the coal miners in mind, but she is seeking to rev up the Democratic base to turn out for her. After all, 55% of the Democratic primary electorate jumped behind Bernie Sanders, even though his cultural views clearly clash with the vast majority of the Mountain State electorate.

They are falling in line with the growing left-wing stance of the Democratic Party, which is dedicated at all costs to embracing every socialist, communistic line item available to them. Red State Democrats are finding fewer options and narrower means for holding onto the Democratic base in their states while remaining competitive for the bold red general election audience.

But Swearengin and other progressives don’t believe the conventional wisdom that only Manchin can win the seat for Democrats — they argue that Democrats have lost their way in the state because they are running too close to Republicans.

How did this formula work in Georgia? Not much, that's for sure. They tried to get a young nobody with some fashion and media appeal, and he didn't make it, despite $50 million spent in the special election.

Swearingen is plunging ahead on the progressive talking points:

“The Democratic Party has failed us, because we haven’t run the progressive platform we’ve been promised. … That’s why people have moved their votes to the Republicans,” she said.

This progressive platform has been rejected by the vast majority of the electorate all over the country. No one wants single-payer health care. No one wants gun control and registration. The younger generation has assisted the increasingly pro-life cultural shift sweeping the country.

Progressive Democratic politics will not play well in West Virginia. The only reason Bernie Sanders won the primary is that he did not announce an overt, all-out war on the coal industry. 

Manchin is betraying his pro-life constituents. He has backed away from clear stances against gun control, and he will not repeal Obamacare. His 2018 re-election bid is not looking very good as it is, and now it's gotten worse with a primary challenge.

As The Hill article mentioned above, anyone but Manchin as the Democratic nominee guarantees a Republican pick-up in 2018. I submit that with more attention paid to his left-wing votes against his right-wing persona in his home state, Manchin will find himself out of job next year.