Cross-Examination

• Dems already making excuses for coming electoral thumping: It appears that Democrats see the proverbial writing on the wall three weeks ahead of the midterm elections. Several prominent Democrats are starting early writing the Dems’ campaign postmortem. Barack Obama blamed Democrats for getting too caught up in woke politics, saying, “We’re going around scolding folks if they don’t use exactly the right phrase, or that identity politics becomes the principal lens through which we view our various political challenges.” Former Democrat strategist James Carville blasted the Democrats for focusing on abortion: “A lot of these consultants think if all we do is run abortion spots that will win for us. I don’t think so. It’s a good issue. But if you just sit there and they’re pummeling you on crime and pummeling you on the cost of living, you’ve got to be more aggressive than just yelling ‘abortion’ every other word.” Even socialist Senator Bernie Sanders knows that the Democrats’ failure to focus on the number one issue for voters, the economy, is killing them. “At a time when we have an economy in which the wealthiest people, the billionaire class, are getting much, much richer while working people are struggling to put food on the table, it goes without saying that we have to focus on the economy,” Sanders argues. Of course, since the Democrats have followed Joe Biden lockstep in passing laws that have only hurt the economy and brought about sky-high inflation, it’s not at all surprising that Democrat candidates avoid talking about the economy. But avoiding a problem won’t make it go away. Democrats seem intent on learning their lesson the hard way.

• Justice Barrett denies stay on Biden’s student debt forgiveness: On Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected a request from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) for a stay on Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. WILL filed a lawsuit on behalf of American taxpayers against Biden’s program, contending that he exceeded his authority when he used the 2003 HEROES Act, a law that permits the Education Department to make amendments to student financial programs “in connection with a war or other military operation or national emergency,” to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans en masse. WILL requested that SCOTUS block Biden’s program from going into effect while the appeals process was working its way through the Seventh Circuit Court. Justice Barrett denied the request to put an emergency hold on the program. However, as WILL’s deputy counsel Dan Lennington observed, Barrett’s decision “does not make the program lawful.” In fact, “Student loan forgiveness will remain under review by the courts and could possibly still be paused as we advocated for this week.” The tough thing, however, is that this sets up a situation of having to put the toothpaste back into the tube should the Seventh Circuit rule against Biden.

• Delaware computer repair shop owner sues the Bidens for defamation: The store owner of the computer repair shop where Hunter Biden’s infamous laptop was left is now suing Joe and Hunter Biden, the 2020 Biden campaign, Democrat Representative Adam Schiff, and Leftmedia outlets CNN and Politico for defamation. Instead of reporting on a legitimate story, the mainstream media spiked it in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, likely changing the outcome. Furthermore, store owner John Paul Mac Isaac alleges in his suit that he was falsely accused of crimes, including theft, hacking into Hunter’s laptop, and “being part of a plot by Russian intelligence.” Isaac notes that he was accused of being a “Russian plant” and a liar by Biden’s deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield, who claimed: “Five former heads of the CIA, both parties, say what he’s saying is a bunch of garbage. Nobody believes it except his good friend Rudy Giuliani.” Isaac included Schiff in his suit due to the congressman having falsely asserted on CNN, “We know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin.” The Leftmedia outlet Politico is included due to its coverage of the laptop, falsely labeling it “Russian Disinfo” and “part of a Russian disinformation campaign” from “more specifically a Russian agent.” The fact that Hunter’s laptop was not stolen, that it did not contain Russian disinformation, and that the FBI knew this and had been engaged in investigating it all lend credence to Isaac’s case. That said, it will still be a difficult one for him to win.

Headlines

• Free-speech nonprofit sues former J6 staffer for defamation over “domestic violent extremists” smear (The Federalist)

• Why the housing market should brace for double-digit mortgage rates in 2023 (MarketWatch)

• Inflation costing Americans $445 more in expenses per month (NY Post)

• Top Democrat admits “all of us knew” their party’s policies would cause inflation (PJ Media)

• Nancy Pelosi slams Republicans campaigning on inflation: “They ain’t got nothing” (Washington Examiner)

• Rasmussen poll: Voters expect GOP to take House and Senate (Washington Examiner)

• Pentagon to pay service members’ travel costs for abortions (Free Beacon)

• Why not 99%? Nearly 80% of voters oppose transgender procedures on minors (Daily Wire)

• Bucs coach Todd Bowles to woke whites: Stop yapping about race every chance you get (The Federalist)

• Humor: Feminists rejoice as all-time record for shortest term as prime minister now held by a woman (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.