The Washington Post
“Morning Bits”
By Jennifer Rubin
December 24, 2015JMI mention near the end.Whatever happened to diamonds? “Giving your wife a high-powered rifle for Christmas might seem in conflict with two turtle doves and peace on Earth, not to mention making the gun-control crowd shudder. But gun store owners and firearm instructors say gun-happy husbands are increasingly leaving weaponry under the tree for their beloveds — rifles, handguns, ammo, pretty much anything that makes a loud pop.”What a gem this guy is. “Rep. Michael Grimm pleaded guilty to a single count of felony tax evasion on Tuesday, setting off rampant speculation about whether the New York Republican will resign or fight to keep his job. Grimm apologized and admitted to aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent tax returns, part of a 20-count indictment federal prosecutors brought against him in April. But outside the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Grimm was defiant and said he had no plans to step down.”Big donors may think they’ve struck gold with Jeb Bush. “Some potential supporters of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio are already saying they will instead back Jeb Bush if he runs for president, illustrating the new challenge both men face with Bush now likely to be a 2016 candidate.”It’s not so much the snow birds as the fortune seekers. “It’s official. Florida is the nation’s third-largest state with 19.7 million people. It surpassed New York this month by adding an average of 803 new residents every day as opposed to New York’s 140. Contrary to the stereotype, sun-seeking seniors aren’t the main drivers of Florida’s population growth. James Johnson, a business professor at the University of North Carolina, told the AP that Florida’s powerful economic engine is driving its growth: ‘I think it’s going to be for the 21st century what California or New York was for the 20th century.’ As the James Madison Institute reports, Florida’s growth is built on a consensus that taxes, spending, and regulation should be restrained. Its budget is half the size of New York State’s, it lacks a state income tax, and it is much easier to start and run a business there than in many northeastern states.”Sometimes it is better to give than receive. But this is more like don’t castpearls before swine: “Two new Israeli-made SodaStream machines have been shipped to Harvard’s top brass following the school’s decision to ban the product and economically boycott the Jewish state, the Washington Free Beacon has learned. Pro-Israel activists on Tuesday shipped two of the soda-making devices to Harvard President Drew Faust and dining services head David Davidson following the elite university’s decision to boycott the Israeli product due to pressure from pro-Palestinian group on campus.”Whether it is the military or the police, we should treasure those who risk their lives for our safety. “Mayor de Blasio, along with Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama, have spoken in ways that have created a false and pernicious narrative, one that would lead you to believe that race was a factor in the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson and the death of Eric Garner in Staten Island–and, more broadly, that (a) racism is a prominent problem in many of America’s 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States; (b) African-Americans are frequently targeted by cops because of bigotry; and (c) the main problem facing inner-city blacks is white cops. . . .It isn’t a good thing when the president of the United States, the attorney general, and the mayor of New York City grant more esteem and deference to a divisive and dishonest charlatan like Al Sharpton than they do to the police.”The plaintiffs seem not to have struck the mother lode. “Hunters, hold your fire — the Environmental Protection Agency won’t regulate your bullets. A federal appeals court denied a lawsuit Tuesday by environmental groups that the EPA must use the Toxic Substances Control Act regulate lead used in shells and cartridges.” They seriously were going to use the EPA for gun control? Sounds like something talk radio would make up.Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective.Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2014/12/24/morning-bits-493/
