Al Perrotta is sheltering in place in an undisclosed location.

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley is a national treasure, like the only remaining passenger pigeon: He’s among the last liberal academics who actually believe the maxims about “rule of law,” “transparency” and “individual rights” that once were the center-left’s stock in trade. Doubtless, that has gotten Turley hated by colleagues, pundits, and Trump-Deranged online trolls. We owe him our thanks and prayers.

In his latest column, Turley coolly analyzes the facts surrounding the Biden family’s apparent influence-peddling operation, run out of the Vice President’s suite during Barack Obama’s first two terms in office as President for Life:

I recently wrote a column about five facts that justified the start of an impeachment inquiry. While I have stressed that I do not believe that there is currently sufficient evidence for an actual impeachment, I am mystified by the claim that there is not ample evidence to warrant an inquiry into possible impeachable offenses. Notably, CNN just reactivated its fact-checking team for a review of the basis for the inquiry. In so doing, the network made an iron-clad argument in support of the decision by Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

He goes on to quote CNN’s own words to show how the network makes the case for, not against, an impeachment probe — by any non-partisan, rational standard (i.e., not CNN’s). And Turley offers the following bulletproof argument:

[T]he requirement of an envelope filled with money or a deposit slip into the checking account of Joe and Jill Biden is a bit ridiculous as a condition. If millions went to Biden children and grandchildren, it is still a benefit for the President.

Joe Biden is currently worth more than $8 million. At his age, he will never spend the wealth that he has. Most people in his position are focused on ways to leave financial legacies for their family and minimize estate and death taxes. It is absurd to suggest that millions going to Joe Biden’s family would not constitute a benefit to him.

Who Knew That Euthanasia Could Turn Out So Ugly?

Gateway Pundit is impolitic enough to tell the truth about medical euthanasia: that it’s killing, and it’s hideous. It’s always morally monstrous, and often the outcome of a sick, old, or sad person feeling abandoned by those who should love him and care for him. But sometime the horror presents itself so plainly that you can’t help but smell the brimstone:

Thirty-six year old Alexina Wattiez received the devastating news that she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In 2021, doctors told her she would not survive another year. By the spring of 2022, her health had deteriorated to the point that she chose Belgium’s controversial euthanasia program to end her life in what she hoped would be a more peaceful and less painful way to die.

…

Unfortunately for Alexina, her death was anything but peaceful. After a cocktail of drugs failed to end her life, European media outlet Le Soir, reported that Alexina was suffocated with a pillow by nurses while her loved ones in another room heard her screams.

God willing, the pain Alexina experienced at death’s literal door provoked repentance of her tragic choice. It’s not a choice which any government should be dangling before sick, desperate people … and their weary, worn-out caregivers.

Is Trump Sawing Off His Own Head With His Abortion Waffling?

Yesterday I pointed out how unprincipled is the position which Donald Trump recently floated, of a Nikki-Haley style “grand compromise” on abortion that would make “everybody happy.” Ben Domenech warns that such a stance is political suicide, too:

Trump has now placed himself as the furthest left Republican candidate on the abortion issue, favoring a nationwide standard that is well to the left of the mainstream opinion in his party. In doing so, he undermines everything that pro-lifers have been working towards for years, even in the wake of re-electing the governors who signed these heartbeat measures into law.

On the other hand, perhaps DeSantis backer (and gifted author!) Steve Deace is taking a less than productive approach when he speaks about Trump this way:

[W]e need to remember there are Founding Fathers who are in h*** for all of eternity, who did some great work, but they didn’t bow the knee to Jesus either. They didn’t repent of owning slaves either. And they’re in h*** now because of where — because of that, those decisions. And so will [Trump] be.

I’ve never been a fan of “winsomeness,” which strikes me as only appropriate when you’re apologizing to an hysterical, unhinged spouse. But maybe dial your Marshall stack down from “11” occasionally, Steve … .

Federalist Society Co-Founder Climbs Down From Trump “Disqualification” Claim

The National Pulse reports:

Steven Calabresi – the law professor who co-founded the conservative Federalist Society legal organization – has conceded that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment does not in fact bar former President Donald Trump from the presidential ballot, despite claiming in a much-hyped op-ed from August that this was the case.

…

Additionally he concedes the events of January 6th do not constitute an ‘insurrection’. Calabresi credits former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey with changing his mind.

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan has already rejected calls to disqualify Trump, via the 14th Amendment, from the state’s ballot.

The Deep State Inquisitors Filling the D.C. Gulag

Are you one of those few, those happy few, who still imagine that the January 6 protestors were all dangerous extremists, akin to the 9/11 terrorists (as George W. Bush infamously said)? Who thinks that our fair, impartial system is giving them due process of law? Then you haven’t read investigative reporter Julie Kelly’s book on the subject. For a taste of what you’ll learn there, check out this recent Tweet:

Doing some research this weekend and came across this clip. This is Fatima Goss Graves, head of National Women’s Law Center.

Her husband is Matthew Graves, US Attorney for DC.

He is prosecuting every J6 defendant.

He also declined to prosecute Hunter Biden. I suspect… pic.twitter.com/UXtWa7uvwZ

— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) September 17, 2023

Our next president must pledge to pardon the non-violent 99% of these defendants. Then endorse the best of them for seats in Congress.

Sorry, Ma’am, I Have Tourette’s

I don’t usually wax personal in my writings at The Stream. Be very glad of that. But here’s a fun memory I posted to Facebook which I’ve decided to share.

True story: I was in a long-distance relationship, hadn’t seen my gf in 8 months. We finally had a date, went to see Benjamin Button. There were maybe … 10 other people in the theater.

A woman walks in, past all the empty aisles, and sits right next to me. So now it’s the THREE of us.

I lean over to her, smile graciously, and say “Ma’am, this will be a nice movie, I’m sure. I just thought I owed to you to tell you that I … have Tourette’s Syndrome, so I can’t vouch for what I might blurt out during the movie. Okay? Thanks, enjoy the movie.”

She politely (it was Texas) thanked me. Waited a decent interval of 120 seconds, and headed for the hills, 10 rows away.

Because I’m a New Yorker, I didn’t just THINK about doing this. I did it.

And yes, the gf and I are still together. She thought that was awesome.

And it wasn’t entirely a lie, because if she hadn’t moved away I fully INTENDED to mimic Tourette’s until she did.

Those who would like to comment on the morality of telling an untruth in this situation are invited to direct their scruples here: vlad.putin@kremlin.gov.

Along The Stream

No, this news story isn’t a parody. It’s real. The U.S. Air Force has lost a fighter jet, and is asking the public’s help in finding it, as Tom Sileo writes. My hope is that 2nd Amendment advocates sick of hearing Joe Biden sneer that citizens would need fighter jets if they wanted to resist tyranny decided … to get their hands on one. Hey, a guy’s allowed to hope, am I right?

Good news! Despite the malign neglect of the Bush-era Swamp, “Christianity Is Alive and Well in Iraq,” reports Kathryn Jean Lopez.

 

John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”