Tag: democrats

The great affordability hoax

Many politicians are so superficial that they’re inclined to latch on to a popular buzzword — in droves — to sustain their power over the masses.  “Affordability” is now filling that need.  Ignorance of economic reality is sustaining this process.

There are two significant concepts that pull the rug out from under this pathetic hoax: consumer sovereignty and the principle of substitution.  Consumer sovereignty simply means that free people get to choose how they spend their money.  Necessities such as food and shelter tend to dominate these choices, but Americans, being the beneficiaries of the prosperity that comes with freedom, have room for other items in their budgets.  The principle of substitution means that a consumer gets to choose from a multiplicity of similarly priced options — that they will ultimately spend their money on.

All of this freedom, for the political world, is the problem.  People still get to live their own lives.  How anti-progressive can this be?

Harping on “affordability” is intended to lead to adopting the long worn out means for suppressing market forces known as “price controls.”  The folly of this form of demagoguery was showcased in Studs Terkel’s The Good War.  First, he provides a statement from John Kenneth Galbraith, breathlessly extolling the virtues of government-imposed price controls during the days of rationing caused by a profound national emergency.  After all, the American people still managed to survive during such trying times.

Immediately after Galbraith’s presentation, Terkel posted a statement from the humble owner of a neighborhood grocery store.  In it, he first tells of what happened to a can of pork and beans: Yes, the price of the can didn’t change.  But in the can was less pork and fewer beans, and a lot more water.  Also, since his store was closed on Sunday, black marketeers took it over to sell otherwise rationed meat.  And the line of eager customers stretched around the block.  Talk about consumer sovereignty.

To further deceive the public about affordability, the “news” media make no distinction between true inflation due to government carelessly increasing the money supply and price increases caused by shortages resulting from various causes.  The bottleneck at the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with public debt and deficit spending.  And yes, the bump up in petroleum has increased the cost of all forms of transportation, including produce and many other commodities being delivered to retail stores.

Now back to my original point: Leftists are confined to a pre-determined position.  This can easily be described as conformity.  Rather than be confined by the “arbitrary” dictates of reality, leftists close ranks and join in with mutual agreement.  They have become carbon copies of one another.  Their policy positions are pretty much pre-packaged — so they all seem to agree with one another on everything.  The package includes opposition to white supremacy, corporate greed, and global warming, while strenuously extolling the benefits of “affordability.”

Instead of offering commonsense solutions to obvious problems, they keep pushing free stuff and victimhood.  And guess what: It’s not working.  Beyond the devoted automatons, sentient beings are abandoning the deranged demagoguery of what used to be a sort of credible major party: the Democrats.

Keep reading

California Democrats deploy risky strategy to shut out Republican governor candidates

A growing number of California Democrats are embracing an unusual election strategy ahead of the state’s crowded gubernatorial primary: waiting until the final possible moment to cast their ballots.

The tactic is being fueled by anxiety within left-wing circles over the state’s open primary system, where the top two candidates advance to the November election regardless of party affiliation, infamously earning the name “jungle primary.”

With multiple Democrats splitting the vote and two Republicans performing strongly in polling, some progressive activists fear a scenario in which Democrats are entirely excluded from the general election, CalMatters reported.

The concern intensified earlier in the race when many Democratic voters rallied around former Congressman Eric Swalwell in hopes of consolidating support behind a single candidate.

Swalwell’s campaign, which at the time was gaining momentum as he lead polls among others his block, collapsed after multiple women accused him of sexual assault, reopening uncertainty among Democratic voters searching for a viable contender.

Keep reading

Living Wage for All: A Prescription for Economic Ruin

Four Democratic House members, Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), and Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), introduced the Living Wage for All Act on April 28, proposing to raise the federal minimum wage to $25 an hour.

The bill is backed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a coalition of more than 100 organizations. Large employers would have until 2031 to comply, while smaller employers would have until 2038. After that, the minimum wage would adjust periodically to two-thirds of the national median wage, currently around $31 an hour.

The legislation is unlikely to pass with Republicans controlling both chambers of Congress. However, the economic damage caused by a forced multiplication of the minimum wage would be staggering.

The federal minimum wage has stood at $7.25 since 2009. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 82,000 workers currently earn at that floor, approximately 0.05% of the 170 million-person U.S. labor force, or about one worker in every two thousand. To raise wages for that population, every employer and consumer in the country would absorb the cost.

Proponents claim the bill would benefit millions more, pointing to BLS data showing 760,000 workers earn below the standard minimum wage. That figure is misleading. Those workers are tipped employees, legally paid $2.13 an hour under a separate federal provision on the assumption that tips make up the difference. This is a legal carve-out, not exploitation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook reports the median hourly wage for waiters and waitresses, including tips, was $16.23 in May 2024, more than double the standard minimum wage. Tipped workers who found the arrangement unprofitable could leave for minimum-wage jobs, which are plentiful. The market already corrects for this. The actual universe of workers this bill targets is 82,000.

The cost impact on prices can be modeled mathematically under explicit assumptions: all affected workers currently earn $7.25 an hour, wages rise to $25 an hour, employers pass 100% of the increase to consumers, and no automation or headcount reductions occur. This produces a ceiling estimate, not a prediction.

Keep reading

Hakeem Jeffries Concedes Defeat, Moves Gerrymander Battle to 2028

Sounds like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has conceded defeat in the 2026 redistricting battle, but like George Costanza and the Jerk Store, he’s already plotting his revenge in 2028.

If you take a deep breath, you can smell the failure laced with no small amount of humiliation…

“In advance of 2028, where we will have additional states that will come online, including but not limited to New York, New Jersey, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Illinois, and Maryland,” says Jeffries. “That’s at least seven states. We will be able to unleash a decisive and forceful response to what they are doing in the Deep South.”

He adds, “And I’m telling you right now we will, as several of those governors have already publicly indicated and as the Senate president in New Jersey just said earlier today.”

Beneath Hakeem’s feet is an $80 million pile of ash, which is what Democrats spent to lose their redistricting battle in Virginia.

So, let’s go through Hakeem’s list… The first number is the number of Democrat to Republican seats. Then we’ll compare the percentage of Democrat seats to the percentage of the vote President Trump received in each state:

  • New York: 19D to 7R — Democrats hold 73.1 percent of the seats in a state where Trump earned 43.3 percent of the vote.
  • New Jersey: 9D to 3R — Democrats hold 75 percent of the seats in a state where Trump earned 46.1 percent of the vote.
  • Colorado: 4D to 4R — Democrats hold 50 percent of the seats in a state where Trump earned 43.1 percent of the vote.
  • Washington: 8D to 2R — Democrats hold 80 percent of the seats in a state where Trump earned 39 percent of the vote.
  • Oregon: 5D to 1R — Democrats hold 83.3 percent of the seats in a state where Trump earned 41 percent of the vote.
  • Illinois: 14D to 3R — Democrats hold 82.4 percent of the seats in a state where Trump earned 43.5 percent of the vote.
  • Maryland: 7D to 1R — Democrats hold 87.5 percent of the seats in a state where Trump earned 34.1 percent of the vote.

So, as you can see, other than Colorado, these states are already gerrymandered and rigged in the Democrat Party’s favor way out of proportion to the percentage of that state’s Democrat voters.

How much more damage can they really do?

Keep reading

Dem L.A. Mayor Karen Bass Proposes Free Teeth for Meth Addicts

Failed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has proposed a new government program for her failed city: free teeth for meth addicts, paid for by taxpayers.

Speaking at an event this week, Bass floated her latest idea to further destroy and bankrupt what was once a great city…

How many people who are unhoused that you meet have no teeth at all?” she asked. “They don’t have teeth, why? Because meth rots your teeth. You can’t succeed without teeth! So there needs to be comprehensive healthcare provided to people.”

This is like refurnishing a house that’s still on fire.

This has to be one of the most ridiculous ideas anyone has ever come up with, and she actually uses the retarded term “unhoused.”

What good does it do to fix the teeth of a meth head? Who’s going to look at a meth head’s smile and say, Please work my cash register.

And we’re not talking about a cleaning here. We’re talking about tens of thousands of dollars in dental care. Implants cost about $6000 per tooth. Extractions run around $300 per tooth. Meth heads will almost certainly require bone grafts, sinus lifts, and maybe even sedation. Are we going to trust meth heads with dentures, which are cheaper at around $5000, but likely to end up in a pawn shop or left behind in a crack house?

In my experience, you’re looking at a total cost in the range of $30,000 to $80,000, and that’s if the city pays the dentist directly, which it won’t. The whole program will be funneled through a non-profit or NGO, which will double or triple the cost to taxpayers (with sweet kickbacks to Democrats), just like Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) “free” diaper program tripled the cost of the diapers the government (i.e. taxpayers) bought.

As for “my experience,” it’s been two years and counting of paying massive dental bills out of my own pocket, just like every other law-abiding taxpayer in America.

You mean, all I have to do to get my dental bills paid is smoke meth?

Medicare doesn’t even cover dental, which means people who have worked all their lives and paid into the system do not have government help paying their dental bills. Ah, but the government will assist degenerate meth addicts.

Keep reading

Josh Shapiro and AOC Are Waging War Over a Midterm Congressional Race with 2028 Implications: Report

Democrats face a problem that will likely plague them well into the 2028 election cycle.

Until then, it appears that one prominent Democrat will try to sidestep the problem for as long as possible.

According to Axios, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, widely considered a centrist and a possible 2028 presidential contender, has worked behind the scenes to undermine a progressive congressional candidate supported by Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York — another potential 2028 aspirant.

The candidate, Chris Rabb of Philadelphia, has earned AOC’s endorsement in a tight three-way Democratic primary scheduled for May 19.

Meanwhile, three sources close to discussions told Axios that Shapiro not only disapproves of Rabb but has quietly taken steps to ensure that the AOC-approved progressive candidate gains no advantage at the expense of the other two candidates, Sharif Street or Ala Stanford, both regarded as more centrist Democrats like Shapiro.

For instance, Philadelphia’s building trades unions support Street. But Shapiro has urged those unions to refrain from running negative ads against Stanford for fear of inadvertently helping Rabb.

At the same time, the governor must appear neutral if he hopes to avoid alienating his party’s left wing.

To that end, Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder said that “the governor has not endorsed or opposed anyone in this primary — and he looks forward to working directly with whoever wins to win in November. Gov. Shapiro is focused on flipping Republican seats and winning up and down the ballot in November.”

Rabb, however, has a history of vocal criticism toward the governor. In January, the upstart progressive even spoke at a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which organizers staged outside the first stop on Shapiro’s book tour.

In short, a Rabb victory would saddle Shapiro with a prominent critic inside his own state’s U.S. House delegation.

Eventually, of course, the governor will have to take on his party’s AOC-led left wing. But he appears determined to dictate when and how he will meet that challenge publicly.

At the heart of that impending clash lies the strong anti-Israel sentiment inside the Democratic Party.

Shapiro, who is Jewish, supports Israel, whereas Rabb, in a since-disavowed December social media post, blamed “Zionists” for carrying out an alleged false-flag attack on Australia’s Bondi Beach, where a Dec. 14 Islamic terror attack claimed the lives of 15 people.

On the face of it, Shapiro has qualities that victory-starved Democrats should crave.

In 2022, for instance, he won the governorship of a trending-red swing state by nearly 15 points. Two years later, in the 2024 election, President Donald Trump won Pennsylvania by nearly two points.

But the 2024 election also highlights Shapiro’s problem.

Keep reading

America’s Fanatical Left Wing Mayors Are A Malignant Threat

This week the Democrat mayor of Arcadia, CA pled guilty to charges of acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China.  Prosecutors alleged that from 2020–2022 (pre-mayor but continuing into her time in office), she and an associate operated a website promoting pro-China propaganda at the direction of PRC officials, without registering as a foreign agent. 

She faces at up to 10 years in prison for the crime, and it raises questions about how many more US mayors are on the payroll of foreign governments.  But this scandal, like most scandals surrounding Democrats, will probably be erased from public discussion and forgotten within days.  It’s a tale that keeps repeating over the last decade and the lack of scrutiny (or pattern recognition) is leading to devastating consequences for the US as a whole.

The common reaction among many conservatives when they come across such news is to dismiss it as predictable.  “The idiots living in that city got exactly what they voted for…” is the often heard retort.  The implication being that it’s “not our problem” and that leftists should be allowed to rot in the hellholes they created for themselves.  But the truth is, it is a problem, for the entire country. 

It’s difficult to determine when it became fashionable for conservatives and centrists to abandon the fight for America’s cities, but the consequences are spreading like a cancer into the political sphere.  Leftists view these cities as victories.  They see them as “territories, or “home bases” where they can launch assaults on various targets without fear of serious prosecution. 

Allowing this takeover to continue should be treated as embarrassing by anyone with a modicum of moral clarity.

Failing metros also represent symbols of embarrassment on the global stage.  When people around the world see the fentanyl zombie hordes of San Francisco or Philadelphia, that image sticks in their minds as a meme for the US.

Keep reading

The Liberal Media Is Finally Noticing Democrats Are Willing To Shred The Rule Of Law

Democrats have anointed themselves the defenders of democracy and protectors of the rule of law. For years, the liberal media has been more than willing to help push that narrative. But after the state Supreme Court struck down the Virginia gerrymander, the reaction from Democrats was so extreme that even their usual defenders couldn’t ignore how bad it looked.

On Sunday, the New York Times reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Virginia Democrats held a conference call the day after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the party had violated the state constitution by passing its gerrymandered map, nullifying the new map before it could be implemented. According to the report, lawmakers spent the call “venting anger at their defeat,” with the atmosphere described as “desperation and fury,” and Democrats floated the idea of lowering the mandatory retirement age of the court so they could replace all the justices and restart the process of passing their gerrymandered map.

Even some of the liberal media’s old guard felt uncomfortable that such an idea was seriously considered, and what that says about the party that claims to be defenders of Democracy and the rule of law. 

That’s the unmistakable takeaway from a revealing exchange between Chris Cillizza and Chuck Todd on Monday on Cillizza’s podcast.

Chuck Todd framed the Virginia ruling as the natural consequence of bad politics and worse arrogance. “That’s how I feel about this, this ruling in Virginia, right? This was a bad idea. This was terrible messaging. This was defeat. This sort of undermined every supposed principle that the Democratic Party had been running on for over a decade,” he said.

The deeper problem, as Todd and Cillizza both made clear, is that Democrats did this to themselves. “And, you know, and they didn’t dot their I’s and cross their T’s,” Todd said, acknowledging reports that Democrats in Virginia knew their plan wasn’t constitutional but pressed forward with it anyway.

“The Democratic state legislature told the Virginia State Supreme Court, ‘Do not offer a ruling on this until after the election,’” Cillizza noted. In other words, they knew exactly what they were doing. They were trying to run the clock and hope the courts would stay out of the way until after the votes were cast, and there was nothing that could be done about it.

Todd then referenced the  New York Times report about the plan to lower the retirement age for Supreme Court justices to 54, which he used as another example of Democrats careening away from any serious commitment to institutional norms.

“And you’re sitting there going, ‘Wow.’ And you’re the same party that’s been complaining that Donald Trump doesn’t respect, um, the democracy? Doesn’t respect the will of the voters, doesn’t respect institutions.” 

“How about rule of law?” Cillizza added.

The narrative from Democrats for years has been about protecting democracy, defending norms, and standing up for institutions. But when their own power is on the line, that lofty rhetoric suddenly turns into just another set of talking points. Todd even admitted the entire episode looked insane from the outside. 

The most damning part came when Todd explained what he thinks the Democratic Party is willing to do.

“The left has become… as bad as Trump,” he said.

Keep reading

Billionaire Friend of Swalwell and Dem Donor Stephen Cloobeck Arrested in Los Angeles

Lefty casino and timeshare mogul Stephen Cloobeck, who once called Swalwell his “little brother” and poured over $1 million into his failed campaign for California governor, was arrested in Los Angeles on Tuesday on a felony charge of attempting to prevent or dissuade a witness from testifying.

Last month, Cloobeck dramatically cut all ties and kicked Swalwell out of his luxurious $26 million Beverly Hills mansion.

Cloobeck also demanded every penny of his cash back after explosive allegations that Swalwell sexually assaulted multiple women, including a former staffer who claims the Democrat raped her while she was too drunk to consent.

The Gateway Pundit previously reported that Swalwell had missed votes in Congress while running for California governor, spending his time hanging out at a multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills mansion owned by one of his top campaign donors.

Swalwell visited the lavish 9,700-square-foot estate on Roxbury Drive on at least 10 different days since September.

Cloobeck’s property features six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a tennis court, double gates, and luxury artwork that Swalwell has used as a backdrop for social media videos and TV interviews.

Congressional records show Swalwell missed House floor votes on at least three days when he posted content from the mansion.

Swalwell missed more votes in 2025 than any other active member of Congress, more than even the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who died in March.

Cloobeck was a major backer of Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign. He contributed $1 million to a supporting committee, provided resources from his own short-lived 2025 governor bid, and previously spent $31,000 on a trip flying Swalwell to Nice, France, according to congressional gift reports.

Cloobeck publicly referred to Swalwell as his “Little Brother” and confirmed the use of his home for campaign work, saying of one televised hit, “That’s my backdrop. Mi casa, su casa.”

On Tuesday, Cloobeck was arrested in Los Angeles just weeks after booting Swalwell from his mansion.

Keep reading

SO AUTHENTIC! Camera Catches Pete Buttigieg and Another Democrat Being Coached on How to Act ‘Normal’ at a Campaign Event

One of the things you’ve heard a lot of in recent months is that voters like authentic candidates. People who are not acting but just being themselves is popular, largely due to Trump, who pulls this off effortlessly.

Democrats struggle with this. They come off as polished and rehearsed. They are perceived as saying things just to please the people in front of them at any given time, not because they actually believe what they are saying.

In the video below, Pete Buttigieg and another Democrat are seen being coached on how to appear authentic and normal. Buttigieg even cracks a joke about it at one point.

They’re so bad at this.

FOX News reports:

Democrats caught on camera coaching candidate on how to be ‘authentic’ in 2026 messaging

Democrats campaigning in Pennsylvania inadvertently posted a video online, giving a look behind the curtain of their 2026 midterm strategy and how they’re preparing to appear more authentic and win back voters who felt “left behind.”

The clip, viewed by Fox News Digital and not previously reported, shows Democratic Pennsylvania candidate Bob Brooks in a conversation with Biden-era Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who couldn’t even remember what district he was campaigning in. The pair received coaching from an off-screen staffer, urging them to stay on message.

“Think about your audience,” the staffer prompted. “Why is this race so important? We need to win the House [of Representatives] — all of that. Winning over people who feel like they’re left behind by the party, flipping the district. All of that, I think, is really strong, showing up for working people, affordability.”

The rare look at a behind-the-scenes campaign moment, filmed by Democratic campaign arm The Bench, highlights the efforts the party is taking to underscore affordability, appeal to everyday voters and come across as naturally as possible after losing swaths of their base in the 2024 election.

“We are going to have a really normal conversation with three cameras pointing at you,” the staffer joked.

“Everybody act normal,” Buttigieg chuckled.

Keep reading