Selections from our analysis topics this week…

Nate Jackson covered Joe Biden’s unhinged political diatribe in Pennsylvania Tuesday. Biden took a taxpayer-funded trip to Wilkes-Barre, where he was supposed to unify Americans behind a “Safer America” agenda to support law enforcement and reduce crime. It was meant to be a layup speech for his Thursday night address about saving democracy and promoting Unity™. Instead, an angry old man divided Americans with an unhinged, hateful, and at times downright threatening message condemning his political opponents. Taxpayers should demand a refund for that disgraceful and decidedly unpresidential demagoguery. Read more.

I followed up with coverage of round two of Biden’s “Unity™” tour in the “city of brotherly love” here.

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Douglas Andrews wrote on Biden’s “fascist fetish.” From Jim Eagle to ultra-MAGA to semi-fascism to F-15s, Joe Biden has a way with words. It’s a dimwitted way, an idiotic way, but a way nonetheless — and he thinks it’ll energize his equally dimwitted base between now and the November 8 midterms. It was a week ago, in fact, when ol’ Scranton Joe, speaking at a Democrat fundraiser in Maryland, said: “What we’re seeing now is either the beginning or the death knell of an extreme MAGA philosophy. It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the — I’m going to say something — it’s semi-fascism.” Read it here.

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Emmy Griffin covered “The Dangerously Unbridled Anger of Misinformed Women.” Political pundit Ben Shapiro warned this week that Republicans are balancing on a knife’s edge. The anticipated red wave may not happen due to two particular events, and these events largely speak to women voters. First and foremost was the Dobbs decision and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The second instance was the Mar-a-Lago raid. Read more.

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Thomas Gallatin covered the GOP senators who want the FBI’s communications with Mark Zuckerberg about Hunter Biden. Two GOP senators, Ron Johnson (WI) and Chuck Grassley (IA), sent a letter earlier this week to Meta (Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg requesting the names of all Justice Department and FBI officials who contacted the social media giant to warn it against Russian disinformation. The letter read in part: “The American people deserve to know whether the FBI used Facebook as part of their alleged plan to discredit information about Hunter Biden. … If so, Congress and the American people require clarity with respect to the extent the FBI communicated with Facebook during the 2020 election about Hunter Biden-related information.” Read more.

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On the FBI’s problems, I wrote this week “It’s Not an ‘FBI Problem.’” The Department of Justice — and more specifically its domestic law enforcement, intelligence, and security service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation — has been taking some well-earned criticism over the last six years for fabricating a politically motivated investigation, starting with a deceitful FISA warrant, to target Donald Trump. Read more.

Select quotes from our daily Short Cuts section…

This Week’s BIG Lie: “The extreme MAGA Republicans have made their choice: to go backwards, full of anger, violence, hate, and division. We’ve chosen a different path: forward, the future, unity, hope, and optimism. We choose to build a better America.” —Joe Biden

Dumb and dumber: “I’m determined to ban assault weapons in this country. … It’s not about taking away anybody’s guns. … How many deer or bear are wearing Kevlar vests, huh? Not a joke! For those brave, right-wing Americans who say it’s all about keeping America — keeping America as independent and safe: If you want to fight against a country, you need an F-15. You need something a little more than a gun.” —Joe Biden

A couple of Non Compos Mentis Award entries:

“The fact that [restricting abortion] is such an assault on women of color and women [in] lower income families is just sinful. It’s sinful. It’s wrong that they would be able to say to women what they think women should be doing with their lives and their bodies. But it’s sinful, the injustice of it all.” —House Speaker Nancy “Good Catholic” Pelosi

“That’s not how it works. … It’s not like somebody walks over.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre when asked about the southern border, “Somebody unvaccinated comes over on a plane. You say that’s not OK. Somebody walks into Texas or Arizona unvaccinated, they’re allowed to stay. Why?”

And the rest…

“Not long ago, many people were predicting a long, hot summer of inflation. To their surprise — and, for some Republicans, dismay — that isn’t happening. Overall consumer prices were flat in July, and nowcasts — estimates based on preliminary data — suggest that inflation will remain low in August.” —New York Times columnist Paul Krugman

“Jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong, okay? Get out of town. … [Republicans] don’t represent our values. You are not New Yorkers.” —New York Governor Kathy Hochul

“Fed tackles inflation with its most diverse leadership ever.” —AP headline

Top videos this week…

Leaving Afghanistan: Inside America’s Final Days in Our Longest War

California to Ban Gas-Powered Cars by 2035

What Having Privilege Actually Means

And a miscellaneous mention…

“We urge you to take immediate action to address any threats of violence against law enforcement that appear on your company’s platforms. … Violent rhetoric and personal threats and attacks toward law enforcement officers have deadly consequences.” —House Oversight Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and House National Security Subcommittee Chair Stephen Lynch (D-MA) in letters to social media platforms

So, where were these protest letters back in 2020 when their Marxist Black Lives Matter radicals and antifa movement of self-styled “anti-fascist” fascists constituencies were burning down inner cities and battling and murdering cops, all while being stirred into violent frenzies by Democrats? Social media platforms were instrumental in fomenting the “summer of rage” violence.

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776