Tag: politics

The longest-serving legislative leader in US history will be sentenced on corruption charges

Michael Madigan’s stunning political collapse is expected to culminate Friday when the longest-serving legislative leader in U.S. history is sentenced on federal bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud convictions tied to a scheme to push legislation in exchange for jobs and contracts for his associates.

The former Illinois House speaker was convicted in February on 10 of 23 counts in a remarkable corruption trial that lasted four months. The case churned through 60 witnesses and mountains of documents, photographs and taped conversations.

Madigan will appear in U.S. District Court Friday in Chicago, where Judge John Robert Blakey will determine his sentence.

Federal prosecutors are seeking a 12 1/2-year prison term. Madigan’s attorneys are seeking probation, contending the government’s sentence would “condemn an 83-year-old man to die behind bars for crimes that enriched him not one penny.”

During a legislative career that spanned a half-century, Madigan served nearly four decades as speaker, the longest on record for a U.S. legislator. Combined with more than 20 years as chairperson of the Illinois Democratic Party, he set much of the state’s political agenda while handpicking candidates for political office. More often than not, he also controlled political mapmaking, drawing lines to favor his party.

Meanwhile, prosecutors said, the Chicago Democrat built a private legal career that allowed him to amass a net worth of $40 million.

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“I Am Senator Alex Padilla!”: Democrat Lawmaker Deported From DHS Press Conference, Placed In Handcuffs

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) was physically removed from a DHS press conference and placed in handcuffs on Thursday, after reportedly lunging at Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem during a press conference in Los Angeles.

As Axios reports;

In a video posted to X by Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, Padilla was seen being grabbed and pushed out of the press conference while saying he had “questions for the secretary.”

  • “I am Senator Alex Padilla,” Padilla said in the video. He was then grabbed by multiple men and shoved out of the room.
  • Further video showed Padilla being handcuffed and detained in the hallway outside the room.
  • “He is not currently detained, and we are working to get additional information,” Padilla’s office said in a statement on Thursday.

Noem subsequently said she would contact Padilla and “try to have a conversation,” NBC News reported.

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A Disappointing Finish – Three Groups Worked Hard to Throw the South Korean Presidential Election

The outcome of the election in South Korea on June 3, 2025, was disappointing but pre-determined.  The reason for the election was routinely misreported in Western Media.

The BBC, a cauldron of left leaning drivel said, “It (South Korea) is still recovering from the martial law crisis last December, when the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, tried to orchestrate a military takeover.”

Fact Check:  False.  The purpose of the six-hour declaration of Martial Law by former President Yoon Suk Yeol was to raid the National Election Commission (NEC) to retrieve evidence of election fraud.

No one was harmed, disappeared, or arrested during the six-hour period last December when President Yoon used his Constitutional authority to declare this period.  There was not even a hint of a military takeover.

Lee Jae-myung, is the Democrat Candidate who is now the South Korean President after the June 3 election.

The Korean election made Fulton County, GA look trustworthy.  Lee performed first class street theater wearing a visible bullet proof vest and often appearing behind bullet proof glass while denouncing the “Yoon Insurrectionists” and vowing to imprison all of them.

Lee’s theatrics eerily resembled the same script of Biden and Harris after the stolen 2020 election and their creation of a fortress around the U.S. Capitol to add drama to their sparsely attended inauguration.

Lee Jae-myung’s inauguration had a very small gathering on the lawn of the National Assembly which was outnumbered by the media on the inauguration platform.  Stunning for someone who supposedly won the election by 6%.

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Fake Tears and No Sound: Newsom’s Formal Address to California Amid Los Angeles Riots is a Dumpster Fire

California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a (prerecorded?) formal address to California on Tuesday evening amid ongoing Los Angeles riots.

A desperate Newsom, who is actually hunkered down in LA right now, texted Fox News host Sean Hannity and begged him to cover his address to California.

However, Newsom’s formal address was off to a bad start because there was no audio.

CBS News noted there was a problem with the audio.

Newsom attacked President Trump and accused him of declaring a war and assaulting the First Amendment.

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America’s Dirtiest Sec of State and Dem Candidate For MI Governor Pulls A “Kamala” and DESTROYS Her Political Career With One Stupid “X” Post About LA Rioters

On any given day, America’s dirtiest secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson (MI-D), is potentially the most unpopular elected official on “X.”  It doesn’t matter which woke, or anti-Republican message she’s sharing on “X,” Michigan’s crooked secretary of state is consistently called out for her dishonestly and her ridiculous, anti-American views.

Yesterday, while defending the violent rioters in Los Angeles, CA, Michigan’s Democrat SOS Jocelyn Benson potentially ended her political career with a ridiculous post on “X” where she claimed she was praying for the safety of the rioters. Kamala Harris likely helped to end her political career in June 2020, when she foolishly asked her supporters on “X” to “chip in” to help bail out criminals who were destroying the city of Minneapolis over the drug overdose-caused death of George Floyd.

Thanks to Kamala’s promotion of the bail fund, George Howard, an alleged domestic abuser, was released from jail on a $1,500 bond that was paid by the organization Kamala was touting. Two weeks later, Howard was involved in a road rage incident where he was arrested and charged with the murder of a 38-year-old man. He would have still been in jail had it not been for Kamala Harris trying to publicly flaunt her support for the BLM rioters by asking people to bail them out of jail. This serious issue repeatedly surfaced during Kamala’s failed 2024 presidential campaign.

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Humiliation for Kamala Harris after ‘fake’ California governor dropout post drives 2028 rumors amid LA riots

A new image of a statement from Vice President Kamala Harris announcing she would not run for governor of California was denounced by her team as a fake after it went viral on social media on Monday.

The image had a similar template as a statement Harris earlier used to condemn President Donald Trump’s decision to send in the National Guard to combat rioting protesters in California.

But the fake statement from Harris featured three separate typos as it purported to announce that she had decided not to enter the race for Governor of California. 

Eric Katz, a Senior Correspondent for GovExec shared the post on X, noting it was sent to him by a source who said it would be made public shortly.

‘Source sent it before it went public. Not usually what I cover but wanted to share. I expect it will be up soon,’ he wrote.

But Harris’ spokesperson Kristen Allen moved quickly to denounce the post as ‘fake’ after it started gaining traction.

Katz later deleted his post, apologizing for posting what appeared to be a false statement

‘I’ve deleted a previous tweet reposting something sent to me that now appears inauthentic. Apologies for sharing too quickly,’ he wrote.

Harris remains unclear about her plans to run for governor in California, despite frustrations from her fellow Democrats who believe she needs to get in the race or officially rule out a run for office. 

The former vice president joined many California Democrats on Sunday denouncing President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles to help quell violent protests in the city.

She was ridiculed for describing the protests as ‘overwhelmingly peaceful,’ even as protesters burned vehicles, threw rocks, and blocked freeways.

Harris condemned Trump for his ‘cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division’ in the city.

Earlier this month Harris further triggered speculation that she was not running for governor of California after she delivered a lackluster three-minute virtual address to the Democratic state political convention

In a steady, monotone voice, she spoke about the Trump administration’s recent actions against universities and praised activists’ efforts to fight the president’s agenda.

‘While this administration in Washington tries to divide us, we hear know that we are stronger when we stand together,’ she said, a flashback to her 2024 campaign slogan.

Harris’ failure to appear at the convention in person suggested she was not interested in running for governor of California, and instead may be pursuing a return to presidential politics. 

The Democratic primary for the governor race is scheduled for June 2, 2026, with the general election scheduled for November.

Harris has always been popular in California, easily beating Democratic challengers in her races for Attorney General and Senator.

Her 2020 race for president, however, failed spectacularly as she ended her campaign before the Iowa caucuses and the California primary.

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Falling For Socialism

Across college campuses, on TikTok feeds, and in everyday conversations, a familiar narrative is gaining steam: capitalism is broken.

Rising rents and stagnant wages fuel the claim among some young people that free markets have failed an entire generation. According to a 2024 poll by the Institute of Economic Affairs, more than 60 percent of young Britons now view socialism favorably. In the United States, the trend is similar, with Generation Z increasingly skeptical of capitalism’s promises.

But much of this idealism is rooted in distance—many of the young people romanticizing socialism have never lived through the economic dysfunction or political repression it often brings. For those who experienced Soviet shortages, Venezuelan collapse, or East Germany’s surveillance, the word socialism doesn’t suggest fairness or opportunity—it suggests fear, failure, and control. There’s a reason so many fled those systems to come to freer countries. What sounds utopian in theory has too often turned dystopian in practice.

But blaming capitalism misses the mark. The real culprit is cronyism, the unholy alliance between big government and big business that twists markets, blocks competition, and rewards political connections over genuine innovation.

The Myth of Market Failure

Capitalism, in its true form, is based on voluntary exchange. It rewards businesses that meet people’s needs and wants, with consumers deciding what succeeds and what fails. Competition drives improvement, innovation, and lower prices. No one is forced to buy or sell anything; choice reigns.

Cronyism is a different beast altogether. In a crony system, businesses succeed not by serving customers but by lobbying politicians. Profits come through subsidies, bailouts, and regulations designed to crush competition.

The 2008 financial crisis, often cited as proof of capitalism’s failures, actually showcased what happens when markets are rigged. Reckless banks, instead of collapsing as they deserved, were bailed out with taxpayer money. Ordinary people lost jobs and homes, while the politically connected survived and thrived.

This wasn’t free enterprise. It was cronyism.

The COVID-19 pandemic provided a grim sequel. Small businesses were forced to shut their doors under government mandates. Meanwhile, corporate giants like Amazon, able to operate under looser restrictions or pivot online, soared to record profits. Policies, written in the name of public health, often privileged the biggest players while leaving Main Street devastated.

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New DNC Chairman Bursts Into Tears: You ‘Destroyed Any Chance I Have!’

The Democratic Party is spending $20 million to learn how to reach young men. Here’s Ilyse Hogue, the co-founder of “Speaking with American Men,” explaining the problem:

“Democrats are seen as weak, whereas Republicans are seen as strong,” Hogue said. “Young men also spoke of being invisible to the Democratic coalition, and so you’ve got this weak problem and then you’ve got this, ‘I don’t think they care about me’ problem, and I think the combination is kind of a killer.”

Ah, I see. Democrats want to rebrand themselves as being strong and powerful. Makes sense, especially after Kamala Harris only captured 42% of the male vote.

Pro Tip: Bursting into tears isn’t the best way to reclaim your Man Card.

Politico reported today that newly elected Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin began weeping (multiple times!) during a Zoom meeting of DNC officers. The article — “‘You essentially destroyed any chance I have,’ DNC chair told David Hogg in private meeting” — paints a vivid picture of the estrogen-fueled pillow fight between the DNC’s top leadership:

“I’ll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job … the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore,” he said in a May 15 Zoom meeting of DNC officers, according to a recording obtained by POLITICO.

In the recording, an emotional Martin describes being deeply frustrated by the fallout over [David] Hogg, who has ignited a firestorm in the party by vowing to spend $20 million in safe-blue primaries to oust incumbent Democrats he believes are ineffective. Martin paused twice while appearing to choke up. [emphasis added]

Yeah, when your new DNC chairman is already crying and threatening to quit, it doesn’t exactly capture the ethos of rugged, manly confidence. Whereas Donald Trump was undeterred by assassins’ bullets, lawfare, and bogus allegations, Ken Martin, it seems, is reaching for his Midol because of David Hogg:

“No one knows who the hell I am, right? I’m trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to to [sic] put ourselves in a position to win,” Martin said, addressing Hogg. “And again, I don’t think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it’s really frustrating.”

It was an extraordinary admission from the chair of the Democratic Party, just a few months after being elected to lead the party through its post-2024 crisis.

There’s no crying in baseball, of course.

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An attempted assassination of senator and presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shakes Colombia and revives the ghosts of political violence.

This Saturday, June 7, 2025, an attack shook Colombia and reignited fears of a past marked by political violence and drug trafficking.

Senator and presidential pre-candidate for the Democratic Center party, Miguel Uribe Turbay, was shot in the head while attending a campaign event in the Fontibón district of Bogotá.

The incident, which left the politician in critical condition, has sparked a national debate about the country’s security and stability.

According to multiple media reports, the attack occurred around 5:00 p.m. at El Golfito Park, in the Modelia neighborhood of Bogotá, during a political event organized by the Democratic Center. Uribe, 39, was shot multiple times from behind by an armed individual.

Reports vary on the number of bullets fired, with sources citing between two and six shots—at least one of them hitting the head or neck.

Videos shared on social media capture the moment of panic following the shooting, showing Uribe covered in blood as he was rushed to Clínica Colombia.

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Belated Republican Objections to the One Big Beautiful Bill Glide Over Its Blatant Fiscal Irresponsibility

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the House of Representatives narrowly approved early in the morning on Thursday, May 22, lives up to its name in at least one respect: It is big, weighing in at 1,037 pages and nearly 200,000 words. Since the bill’s final text was not available until 10:40 p.m. on Wednesday, about eight hours before it passed by a single-vote margin shortly before 7 a.m. the next day, it would not be surprising if bleary-eyed legislators overlooked some of its nuances in their hurry to deliver the package that President Donald Trump demanded. As Reason‘s Liz Wolfe notes, at least two Republicans—Reps. Mike Flood (R–Neb.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R–Ga.)—have publicly admitted as much, saying they missed objectionable parts of the bill when they voted for it.

If Flood and Greene had voted no, it would have been enough to change the outcome. Furthermore, it seems safe to assume that at least some of their colleagues had similar regrets but are too embarrassed to admit that they failed to exercise the minimum diligence that should be expected from members of Congress. But the complaints from Flood and Greene are notable for another reason: They have nothing to do with the bill’s blatant fiscal irresponsibility, the main flaw highlighted by critics such as Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.), Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.), and Elon Musk, who on Tuesday condemned “this massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill” as “a disgusting abomination.”

That much was clear prior to the House vote. As Reason‘s Eric Boehm noted the day before Flood and Greene gave their crucial assent to the bill, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that it would add $2.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years—an estimate that the CBO upped to $2.4 trillion this week. Boehm added that “other assessments of the bill” by the Yale Budget Lab (originally published on May 16) and the Penn Wharton Budget Project (published three days later) estimated that it would add “more than $3 trillion” to the debt.

Those are low-ball estimates, based on the unrealistic assumption that Congress will allow Trump-favored tax cuts to lapse toward the end of that period. If “temporary provisions in the bill are made permanent,” Boehm reported, the Yale Budget Lab estimated that it would trigger $5 trillion in new borrowing.

The national debt currently exceeds $35 trillion, including about $29 trillion in debt held by the public, which is about the size of the entire U.S. economy. In January, the CBO projected that publicly held debt would hit 119 percent of GDP by 2035. Two months later, Trump promised to do something about that. “In the near future,” he told Congress, “I want to do what has not been done in 24 years—balance the federal budget. We’re gonna balance it.” But the glaring gap between that promise and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act did not faze Flood or Greene, whose concerns are much narrower.

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