The Biden White House and its Democrat allies in Congress were hoping for good news in yesterday’s inflation report. They were sorely disappointed, as was the stock market.

The so-called “experts” were predicting that inflation had dipped slightly in August. Instead, it went up slightly — increasing by 0.1%. Even the steep drop in gas prices wasn’t enough to overcome increases in other prices, like food and shelter.

Looking backwards over the last 12 months, the inflation rate has been a scorching 8.3%.

While it’s true that gasoline prices are falling, and that’s good news for individual consumers, it’s really bad news from a macro-economic perspective.

Biden’s high interest rate policy is slowing the economy down. Fears of a recession and demand destruction are largely responsible for the fall in gasoline prices.

Another reason gas prices are falling is because Biden recklessly drained the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to dangerously low levels we have not seen in decades, and at a time of tremendous global instability.

From the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis in Europe and increasing tensions with communist China, this is precisely the wrong time to be draining our emergency energy reserve.

By the way, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is warning that gasoline prices are about to go back up again.

Biden’s emptying of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is supposed to end next month — right before the elections. I think it’s a safe bet that the White House will continue tapping the reserve, which was meant for national emergencies, not political emergencies.

But what happens after November 8th once the immediate political pressure is over? Every other policy Joe Biden has implemented is choking off supply.

A final point: Last month’s inflation reading was low, and, of course, Biden lied about it. He’s doing the same thing again today, which shows the foolishness of building an entire election campaign around inflation.

Yes, candidates should talk about it, but they shouldn’t make it their only issue. There are plenty of opportunities — crime, open borders, tens of thousands of new IRS agents, out-of-control spending, corruption, record drug overdoses, as well as the sanctity of life.

GOP consultants telling conservative candidates to avoid abortion have it completely backwards. We should be talking about abortion. We should be telling the American people that Democrats are the real pro-abortion extremists.

Dishonoring 9/11

America just observed the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. That solemn day is supposed to be a time for us to remember those who died at the World Trade Center Towers, at the Pentagon, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and those who died fighting our radical Islamist enemies overseas in the years since 9/11.

Radical Islam still threatens America today. Jihadists are crossing our wide-open southern border. Radical imams are still preaching hate in many mosques. Iranian terrorists have sent assassins to kill former Trump officials.

But, as I noted yesterday, on this year’s anniversary of 9/11, the Biden Administration ignored radical Islam and used the day to demonize American conservatives.

Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of Homeland Security, told MSNBC, “The threat landscape has evolved considerably over the last 20 years.” The real threat today, he suggested, is from individuals here in the United States who are radicalized by anti-government sentiment.

This is what virtually every Biden Administration spokesman said on the anniversary of 9/11, on the day that is supposed to focus our minds on the ongoing threat from radical Islam. They turned it into a day to demonize normal conservatism.

At the same time, multiple government agencies are using the enormous surveillance powers we gave them in the aftermath of 9/11 not to fight radical Islam, but to instead intimidate their domestic political opponents and to meddle in our elections.

We saw it in the FBI’s surveillance of Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. We saw it in the FBI’s coverup of Hunter Biden’s laptop. And the political interference and intimidation is accelerating.

According to the New York Times, dozens of former Trump associates and advisers, perhaps as many as 40 individuals, have been subpoenaed or had their homes raided in recent days.

Then there’s the story of Lisa Gallagher. The day after Biden’s horrible speech at Independence Hall (see next item), three armed FBI agents were knocking on her door. Why? They allegedly received an anonymous tip that Gallagher was on Capitol Hill on January 6th. She wasn’t there, and the FBI more than likely knew that.

This is Soviet-style intimidation!

No matter what we think about fraud in the 2020 election, we are entitled to express our own opinions. That’s protected by the First Amendment. Opinions may be wrong, but that’s why we have free speech — so we can debate the issues.

If we’re going to start criminalizing “wrong” statements, the Democrats are in big trouble.

They told us Trump colluded with Russia.

They’re telling us men can get pregnant.

They’re telling us the border is secure.

All lies!

Once again, we see how the intolerant left is trying to make debate in America impossible.

About That Speech…

Yet another poll finds most Americans were shocked and disgusted by Joe Biden’s over-the-top speech at Independence Hall. Here are some key findings from the recent TIPP survey:

• 62% of Americans felt Biden’s anti-MAGA speech was divisive rather than unifying.

• 58% felt that Biden’s remarks are an “uncouth and biased” abuse of the bully pulpit.

• 55% felt Biden’s attack on MAGA conservatives endangered free speech.

Another Biden Surrender

As you know, Joe Biden surrendered to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Now, he’s trying to surrender to Al Qaeda in Guantanamo Bay.

CBS News reports that military prosecutors are reportedly discussing plea deals with five Al Qaeda terrorists currently held at GITMO, including 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Gee, I wonder why Biden didn’t mention that in his remarks at the Pentagon on Sunday?

Republicans on Capitol Hill are furious, as they should be. But Biden’s sellout of America will continue as long as the left has total power in Washington.

A November Warning

While the conventional wisdom suggests that Democrats have the momentum going into the final weeks of the 2022 midterm elections, the New York Times is warning liberals against putting too much faith in the polls as they tend to overstate Democrat strength.

For example, polls predicted Joe Biden would win Florida by two points in 2020. He lost by three. An ABC News poll had Biden winning Wisconsin by 17 points. He barely won it by less than one point.

There are various theories about why some polls have been so wrong. One explanation is that conservatives don’t trust media pollsters and they refuse to participate. As a result, the samples don’t reflect the actual electorate.

I think there’s something else at work. Polls continue to underestimate the turnout in rural areas, where conservatives like Donald Trump and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin often overperform.

There’s also a warning for conservatives going forward.

Many conservatives have serious concerns about the integrity of the last election. But if we allow that to discourage us from voting, we only guarantee our own defeat.

We must not allow concerns about election integrity to become a self-fulfilling prophecy!

If you think there was cheating in the last election and that the left may cheat in this election, then you should be working to ensure that there is massive turnout to overcome it.

If it’s not close, they can’t cheat!

• Contact your local GOP headquarters and volunteer to be a poll watcher.

• Offer to drive someone to the polls.

• Make sure all your friends and family members are registered to vote.