Some consider the Nation’s Capital as “Fantasyland on the Potomac”. Other outsiders are “Fed Up” with the Federal City. It's better to consider D.C. as “the District of Calamity” (sic).
Of late, there has been a growing realization that our internet overlords are controlling the public square. In 2016, Facebook faced some consternation when the social media giant's curation of news in the sidebar consistently slighted conservative news stories. Twitter took to banning some who defied the politically correct weltenanschauung that our cyber elites favor in their posts. Milo Yiannopoulos was permanently banned from Twitter for posting alt-right opinions while similar sort of liberal content continued unabated. It is not uncommon for conservative sites to experience shadow-blocking, which covertly thwarts wider dissemination of posts through censoring algorithms. Platforms can summarily block access based on anonymous, spurious complaints, and due to the Star Chamber handling of such charges, it is almost impossible to protest much less redress any alleged issues. To counter efforts of cyber-censorship, Andrew Torba et ali. created GAB during the summer of 2016. As a social media platform, GAB exhorted users to #SpeakFreely and vowed not to censor posts unless it advocated violence or child pornography which was against laws.
As a start up, GAB not only faced typical challenges of funding and creating a market, but faced difficulties from a politically correct driven cyber community. GAB encountered tremendous difficulties from Apple to have a i-phone mobile app approved because of the Speak Freely philosophy. Even after GAB successfully developed and started distributing an Android mobile app, there are concerns that the GAB appl will be removed from the Play Store because users might post objectionable contention on GAB's platform.
Alas, it is not only technology giants who are exerting their power as internet overlords. The latest controversy involves a fat meme posted from a neo nazi (who has been banned from other sites and platforms). Torba politely responded to the post that it was a violation of the Terms of Service and asked that it be taken down. This uncharacteristic action roiled users who wrapped themselves around the mantra of #SpeakFreely. Torba later clarified that Asia Registry, demanded that the post be banned or else GAB's registry would be revoked. The GAB leadership is currently scrambling to address the issue.
It is ironic that a fat joke would be used as the linchpin to destroy GAB, however that is the cause celebre which is being exploited by small time internet player Asia Registry, but they have the power. Yet is mirrors the other tech giants efforts to obstruct alternatives to their virtual monopolies by using politically correct Trojan Horses. In an age in which alleged micro-agressions, such as a Hobby Lobby customer is triggered by the "racist" notion of using cotton flowers in a vase, that the left countenances bilious blurtations when it tracks the progressive agenda of the moment. Such in loco parentis progressive sensibilities prompted a Zerohedge pundit to wonder if Internet behemoths are acting as colonial powers.
UPDATE: September 19, 2017 GAB was successful in finding other registrar for the domain which would not play games with them.
The White House
Correspondents' Dinner has been an annual event since 1921 when the press corp
rubs elbows with the Administration in a social, cocktail fueled supper. Some serious journalists, like New York Times columnist Frank Rich have refused to go to the dinner as it "illustrates how easily a
propaganda-driven White House can enlist the Washington news media in its
shows."
In recent years,
the White House Correspondents' Dinner has drawn increased public attention and
glamour as the guest list has grown to be
"more Hollywood". The event has evolved from a humble one night affair
into a week long celebration by
celebutards, power players and the press. The WHCD attendees certainly ate well, unlike many DC Dinners of rubber chicken.
Patrick Gavin, a
reporter formerly of Politico and the Washington Examiner, produced the film "Nerd Prom" (2015) which documented the pomp and circumstance of the 2014
White House Correspondence Dinner. The
title derives from the face that most of the reporters would not have been the
cool kids in secondary school, so the
White House Correspondents' Dinner is a replacement prom.
As a political animal residing in the District of Calamity (sic), I appreciate opportunities to make light of my favorite contact sport--politics. But knowing that the press corps is overwhelmingly liberal and the timidity of inquiries during Presidential press briefings of late, it is unreasonable to expect that the jokes would be evenly divided. But by mining the nuggets from the nabobs of the Nerd Prom from Celebrity in Chief President Barack Obama and keynote comedienne Cecily Strong one can discern some interesting insights.
Cecily Strong was the keynote speaker. While Strong is a Saturday Night Live cast member, she was not a marquis name. Strong self-deprecatingly quipped that she was the vaguely ethnic woman featured in college recruitment brochures. Strong reveled that she was the first female host of the White House Press big bash in years. Strong also noted: “I’m also the first straight woman to host this in 20 years, so, we finally made it, straight people.". Thus the routine was going to be packed with progressive identity politics with an emphasis on female power and gay glory.
It was clear from the material that Strong was not a Washington insider. She wanted to play up sex scandals in the Capital City, so she segued “It is great to be here at the Washington Hilton… is something a prostitute might say to a congressman.” Then Strong pivoted to the point by musing: “The Washington Hilton you guys. If these walls could talk. They’d probably say ‘clean me.’” Kind of funny, but when a District of Calamity denizen associates hotels with scandals, toe sucking at the Hay Adams (by then Clinton adviser Dick Morris) and the Mayflower (where Democrat NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer rented room 941 with his Empire Club call girl) or maybe DC Mayor Marion Berry's drug bust at the Vista. The Capital Hilton is remembered as the Hotel where President Reagan was shot in 1981. But why let reality get in the way with a funny quip.
Strong played up the progressive press pieties by jabbing that Memories Pizza from Elkhorn Indiana would not be catering because of a rumor that Barney Frank would be attending thus they could not taste that world class Indiana Pizza. A triple play in a homage to the homosexual lobby, a fly-over country jab and massaging the egos of Nerd Prom. Of course, the family pizza joint does not cater (but got caught up in a media made mess over RFRA and same sex weddings in INDIANA), Rep. Frank left Congress over two years ago and these media nabobs would never be caught eating pizza in public. Strong worked in hits on Hobby Lobby being anti-women with opposing contraception (for employees of a faith based corporation), even though that was a Supreme Court decision nearly a year old.
Some of Strong's ziggers were sharp, but her delivery was weak. Her stand-up did not pack a strong punch (sic). It might have hurt that she kept looking down to read her one liners, which accented her exaggerated fake eyelashes. It seems that she could not get use of TOTUS (Teleprompter of the United States).
Strong seemed more successful when using props and slight physical comedy. For example, Strong scourged Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL 18th) with a slide show mocking his travels and surfing while implying infidelity. That was less than courageous comedy as Schock announced his resignation six weeks ago over funding improprieties (not sexual harassment) and left town a month ago. When Strong chose to savage Mr. Obama about being weak on ISIS, she could not utter his name but did an eye roll towards the President.
Where Strong seemed equal opportunity in her irreverence was towards the media. Strong zinged CNN over its Ebola obsession, MSNBC for being long winded and showing prison documentaries and lamenting over FoxNews losing viewers ("May they rest in peace") and being like a party scene from Weekend at Bernie's (1989) full of hot women and old guys. Strong did not spare NPR or the Huffington Post's alliance with AOL.
Initially, Strong said that she could not say anything about Brian Williams since she worked for NBC. But during the Shock and Aw surfing slideshow, Strong said sotto voce "Brian Wiliams, come on--you weren't there.". The camera panned to a black female reporter who had a priceless look of disgust on her face.
It was telling how the room gravitates towards the camera, as Strong joked that print media was serving the tables and there was appreciative laughter. It was funny when Strong spoke to CSPAN viewers in their native tongue "Meow".
Strong slammed law enforcement by claiming that the Secret Service it was the only law enforcement agency that would get in trouble if a black man was shot was edgy while fueling the police brutality narrative. Strong's quip that Mr. Obama's hair had gotten so white that it could talk back to the police also reflected the racial divide and the false hands up don't shoot narrative.
These "jokes" were delivered as there was civil unrest occurring in Baltimore, forty miles to the north. When the Mayor of Baltimore holds Orioles fans in their seats because there are rioters outside of Camden Yards, this ceased to be funny even for black satire. It just shows how the Amtrak corridor elites are out of touch as well as pushing a progressive narrative.
Vice President Joe Biden was the butt of several stinging observations. Strong noted that her Amtrak experience was augmented by a Biden massage seat, alluding to his creepy tendency to manhandle women standing next to him. Later, Strong quipped that our national treasure Joe Biden could be found in a ball pit at Chucky Cheese. So much for the boomlet of Biden for President in 2016.
Strong was unabashed in her support for Hillary Clinton's White House run. It seems that it was important to put a "real woman" in the White House, not a right woman like Carly Fiorina. No surprise from a celebrity waxing politically. Strong did joke about foreign entities getting more favorable treatment by contributing to the Clinton fund. But Strong tried to be serious by chiding the press not to comment on Hillary's appearance, which garnered modest applause. But the press has already been told how to cover Hillary and they know that going against these demands will cause them to loose access, get minders following them or be locked in a holding cell during events.
[L] Keegan Michael Keys at "Luther" the Anger Translator & [R] Barack Obama as the 44th President
of the United States at the 2015 White House Correspondents' Dinner
Some feel the President Obama demeaned the office by the puckish slideshow which included a picture of the President swimming in a White House fountain. However, Mr. Obama already demeaned the prestige of the Presidency by granting an extended interview with an internet phenom whose claim to fame was bathing in a tub of Fruit Loops and milk. So when Mr. Obama opined that his new policy methodology rhymed with "Buck it", it fit right in with the vulgar values of a Daily Show and Reddit audience.
That being said, Mr. Obama displays an odd sense of humor in public. One wonders why he continually goes back to birther jokes-- is this a political dog whistle, a psychological perseveration or a healthy sense of humor? And his comment that he needed as much money as the rumored $1 Billion that the Koch Brothers will contribute to the Presidential campaign in this election as he has a middle name of "Hussein" seems strange and in your face to the American electorate. Mr. Obama's writers had a clever quip based on Bernie Sanders that: "We could put a pot smoking, socialist back in the White House-- an Obama third term.". Is that reductio ad absurdum humor or epater le bourgeosie?
Part of President Obama's shtick was assisted through an anger translator played by Keegan Michael Key. This skit culminated by Mr. Obama feigning losing his cool over racial issues and his "anger translator" holding him back. This segment had been preceded by allusions to Blackish. This obsession with race contradicts Mr. Obama's first forays onto the public scene as a post-racial President. More alarmingly, playing up internalized anger over racial strife seems to fan the flames of Fergusion which are now burning in Baltimore.
The Lame Duck President could afford to take some jabs at the Presidential field. Obama unleashed a few stingers at Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) which shows who liberal elites seem to fear. While Mr. Obama mocked much of the Republican field, I do not recall any snide snips against Governor Scott Walker (R-WI). Surprisingly, President Obama gave a towel snap to his former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D-AR NY). Mr. Obama joked about a friend living in a van in Iowa, which alluded to Hillary in the "Scooby" Mystery Machine during her brief Iowa listening tour. This reveals the reality that there is not much love lost between the Clinton and the Obama "dynasties".
All in all, the writing for the 2015 White House Correspondent's dinner was better than most Saturday Night Live political skits. Unfortunately, Strong's delivery lacked a punch. Mr. Obama showed his snarky side, which was smooth but not flattering. Even his attempts at self depricating humor about being self absorbed were not endearing. But at least First Lady Michelle Obama let the crowd enjoy roast before these self important nabobs at the Nerd Prom are condemned to consume cake. No wonder some serious journalists refuse to make spectacles of themselves in self congratulatory ceremonies. The only thing missing from the White House Correspondents' Dinner from entertainment awards shows is an array of lucite trophies beng awarded. It has been said that "Politics is Hollywood for ugly." But Patrick Gavin is right that the White House Correspondents' Dinner is not Hollywood for the ugly, it's a Nerd Prom. The only trouble with this analogy is that Nerds are capable of making useful contributions (despite their social awkwardness), whereas today's crop of White House Correspondents seem like either stenographers for their Dear Leader or "jo-whore-nalists" for a progressive cause.
One of the more poignant speeches during the Senate floor debate was by Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). Cruz observed that the practical effect of S. 2578 would gut the Free Exercise of Religion clause from the First Amendment of the Constitution and impose federal will upon all 50 states through the supremacy clause.
To bolster his argument, Senator Cruz concluded his speech by boldly invoking John F. Kennedy's quote on religious liberty to condemn so called "faith fines".
Seasoned political junkies realize that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) brought S. 2578 to a vote as a cheap political stunt which had no actual chance of passage but would gin up a liberal base through identity politics and scare tactic campaigns during a tough election cycle. While the bill won the votes of all Democrat Senators and a few RINO Republicans (Murkowski, Kirk, and Collins), it failed the cloture vote 56-43, with the Senate Majority Leader switching sides for the ability to vote on it again later.
While this vote on S. 2578 was doomed for legislative failure is instructive. Senate Democrats seem to care more about partisan politics and elections than respecting Federalism, the First Amendment and Religious Liberty. Cruz quoting JFK spotlights the progress (and arguably the devolution) of the modern Democrat party. And the episode shows how Christianity is endangered even in America,
During a tough interview with Megyn Kelly on Fox News Channel, Patricia Ireland speaking on behalf of the National Organization for Women (NOW) sought to justify NOW's labeling of the Little Sisters of the Poor as part of the "Dirty 100" in light of the recent Burwell v. Hobby Lobby (2014) Supreme Court ruling.
Ireland deflected the denigration of the Catholic nuns as being like the "Dirty Dozen" with other corporations, presumably for fundraising efforts. But Kelly does not let her off than easily, suggesting that the nuns be considered "Groups with whom we disagree". The former NOW President kept insisting that the Little Sisters could "opt out" of the Obamacare contraception mandate. Except the alleged work around forces the Sisters to sign the Form 700 document permitting others to provide the abortifacients which are anathematic to their faith. Ireland offered patronizing lip service to the nuns' living their faith and helping the indigent infirmed. But what she does not realize is that if the Little Sisters of the Poor are eventually forced to pay for such unwanted services ordered by former HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius then they will move out rather than contravene their consciences. Ireland insisted that I.U.D.s, which is one of the abortifacients in question, does not kill eggs in the uterus. Well, that's not quite true. Generally, inter-uterine devices act as spermicide to prevent fertilization but copper I.U.D.s are touted as an emergency contraceptive for five days after intercourse. Most sperm dies within two days after ejaculation (even in the uterus), thus the emergency contraceptive quality of such I.U.Ds intimates that it prevents the implantation of the blastocyst thereby killing a fertilized egg. Ireland incorrectly asserted that the Supreme Court had ruled on the "opt-out" provision. Hobby Lobby covered closely held corporations with conscience objections but Obamacare opt-outs for non-profits has not been decided yet (although SCOTUS has offered a unanimous injunction pending appeal on January 24th, 2014). Ireland's fatal rhetorical faux pas was her bon mot that Supreme Court decisions do not affect the reality. The hostess of the Kelly Files jumped in and asked if Roe v. Wade affected the reality. T o borrow an oft uttered Ireland phrase from the interview "Bless her heart."
To commemorate the 62nd annual National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday in May, President Barack Obama issued a proclamation. The text of Mr. Obama's 2014 proclamation touted religious liberty and those being persecuted for their convictions.
Those are noble sentiments, if only they were observed. Dennis Miller has quipped that citizens who disagree with Mr. Obama are often treated worse then his enemies. The Obama Administration has been adamant about enforcing the Contraception Mandate upon religiously oriented organizations (but not churches themselves) which find abortifacients abhorrent.
The U.S. Supreme Court may decide on the constitutionality of this Contraception Mandate when it rules on Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby in June. Nonetheless, Dr. James Dobson of Family Talk (and previously the founder of Focus on the Family), used his remarks at the 2014 National Day of Prayer to underline how deeply he finds Obama's abortion mandate offense and that he will fight for his religious freedom.
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops will be sponsoring their third Fortnight for Freedom from June 21st to July 4th. This year, the Fortnight for Freedom will focus on the freedom to serve the poor and vulnerable in accord with human dignity and the Church's teaching. But living one's faith outside of the doors of the Church requires religious liberty.
If we relied upon words alone, one might conclude that the Obama White House has experienced a metanoia and respects religious liberty. But in the real world, actions speak louder than words.
When MSNBC was reporting on the Hobby Lobby which was going to be argued before the US Supreme Court, Joy Reid's video package included some naked Catholic bigotry.
Rather than settle for arguing the merits of Sebilius v. Hobby Lobby for the State (as is MSDNC's wont) on whether corporate personhood can include religious convictions, Joy Reid impeached the credentials of two thirds of the nation's highest court based on religion.
To think that an originalist like Associate Justice Antonin Scalia or natural law jurist like Associate Justice Clarence Thomas would vote en bloc with their wise Latina co-religionist Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor is drinking liberally spiked Kool-Aid around the ugly fever swamp.
Jeff Dunetz observed that MSNBC is hypersensitive about racial implications. So if court commentators hypothetically opined about three African American judges voting together, this would be condemned as racism. Dunetz, who writes Yid with Lid, noted: "However because Joy Reid was questioning Catholic judges, it’s no big
deal. In the world of the mainstream media it’s only bigotry when
directed toward certain groups, blacks, women, Muslims, Hispanics, etc.". Yet liberals are quick to condemn conservatives for supposedly judging people because of their race or creed.
It is sad that unwarranted accusations against certain groups of faithful, such as Roman Catholics or Latter Day Saints (Mormons) are accepted by progressive posses but judging the actions and expressed intentions of Salaphist or Jihadist Muslims is quickly condemned as "racism".
Ms. Reid's read of the Catholic cabal on the Supreme Court proved to be quite mistaken. Arguments before the high court had Justices gravitating their questions from ideological and gender groupings, not from shared creed.
Sketch of Solicitor General Donald Verrelli arguing Sebelilius v. Hobby Lobby at US Supreme Court
In fact, based upon early reporting, the more overt allusions to applications of faith to legal hypotheticals was a question from Associate Justice Samuel Alito , who queried Solicitor General Donald Verrelli (arguing the Obama Administration's case) whether halal or kosher butchers could be banned if legislators passed an animal cruelty law like Denmark. Verrelli's answer was that they could get standing with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but they better get their cases to court by raising claims on behalf of their customers using the First Amendment.
While CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin called Verrelli's two hours of arguments a "train wreck" for the Obama Administration, other liberal commentators dissented.
Let us hope that in late June when the contraception cases are likely to be issued that the Lamestream Media can contain their contemptible secularist biogotry against the faithful. But that is expecting a minor miracle from the media.
The Museum of the Bible, a non-governmental not-for-profit organization, intends to open large scale national, non sectarian gallery in Washington, DC to display sacred texts by 2016. The Green Collection, 40,000 biblical artifacts collected by Hobby Lobby President Steve Green in less than four years, will find a permanent home two blocks from the National Mall. The nascent museum is meant to engage people to appreciate the story of the Bible and to read it more. READ MORE about this story at the DC Barroco website
