Daily Archives: July 30, 2024

A 2024 ballot measure seeking to implement ranked-choice voting (RCV) in Idaho violates state law, a lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges.

Filed by Attorney General Ral Labrador, the legal petition requests the Idaho Supreme Court invalidate a statute proposal set to appear on the Gem States November ballot that would abolish party primaries and institute RCV for general elections. Candidates of all parties would be forced to run in a single primary, in which the top four vote-earners would advance to the RCV-run general election, according to Ballotpedia.

The proposed ballot measure would effectively negate a law passed last year by the Idaho Legislature barring the use of RCV.

Under ranked-choice voting, voters rank candidates of all parties in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes are reallocated to the voters second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.

Labrador argues that Idahoans for Open Primaries, the ballot measures primary supporter, employed misleading language and practices when gathering signatures for the initiative by referring to the sought-after system as an open primary.

The attorney general claims defendants did this in spite of a ruling on the initiative by the high court last year. In that decision, the courts majority instructed Labrador to rewrite his original title for the initiative and noted, as Labrador also does in the suit, that the measures use of the term open primary fail[s] to accurately describe the primary system proposed by the Initiative.

The coalitions pervasive uses of the slogan open primaries, after this Court ruled it inaccurate, are knowing false statement[s] or representation[s] that violate state statute, the lawsuit reads. All the coalitions signatures were obtained in violation of this statute and are null and void.'

Labrador also accuses Idahoans for Open Primaries of using deceptive marketing and of neglecting to inform voters the proposal would institute RCV for general elections.

[U]nlike the open primaries slogan, ranked-choice voting is nowhere to be seen on the coalitions clipboards, banners, t-shirts, stickers, or website home page, the lawsuit reads. Indeed, it has been relegated to an afterthought in the coalitions promotional efforts.

In the lawsuit, the attorney general clarifies that [r]anked-choice voting receives so little attention in Idahoans for Open Primaries promotional materials because it is highly unpopular and, when tried in other jurisdictions, often quickly repealed.

By adding a ranked-choice voting proposal to a comparatively more popular top-four primary proposal, Idahoans for Open Primaries hopes to secure votes from citizens who dont notice that the initiative has anything to do with ranked-choice voting, or those who support a top four primary strongly enough to vote for the bundled pair, according to the lawsuit.

[READ: Ranked-Choice Voting Is The Monster Under The Bed Of American Elections]

Another issue raised in the suit is Idahos single-subject rule for initiatives, which, according to a prior court ruling, requires a common object, and that all parts of a statute relate to and tend to support and accomplish the indicated object. Labrador argues that the initiatives attempt to institute a top-four primary and RCV-run general election constitutes two distinct objects, and subsequently violates the single-subject provision.

A top four primary has nothing to do with how votes are tabulated in the general election, and its implementation is unrelated to adopting a ranked-choice voting system, the lawsuit reads.

Labrador has requested the Idaho Supreme Court issue a peremptory or alternative writ of prohibition instructing the secretary of state not to include the initiative title and number on the certified ballot distributed to local election officials, or a peremptory or alternative writ of mandate ordering the Secretary of State to declare that all signatures supporting the initiative are invalid and withdraw his filing, acceptance, and certification of the initiative so it does not appear on the final certified ballot.

The attorney general asked the court to expedite its review of the case given its immediate relevance to the November election, according to a local outlet.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood

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Lawsuit: Ranked-Choice Voting Ballot Measure Violates Idaho Law - The Federalist

A letter posted on President Joe Bidens X account Sunday announced his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, reversing what Biden and other Democrats were insisting mere days ago. Its obvious that something happened to change Bidens mind and force him out. No one with a brain thinks Biden, who has made a career of politics for 54 years and until Sunday was insisting that only God could convince him to step aside, would willingly give up another shot at the presidency.

We know leftist power players, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, all reportedly pushed Biden to step down from the campaign.

Nancy Pelosi dumped him. They all dumped him, former President Donald Trump said in a press call on Tuesday. They said, Either you get out nice or were going to go after you. Thats what happened.

Nancy made clear that they could do this the easy way or the hard way, one anonymous Democrat insider told Politico. She gave them three weeks of the easy way. It was about to be the hard way.

Democrat operatives apparently removed a president of the United States from his reelection campaign in a soft coup. Was that the easy way? What was the hard way?

Republicans must demand the preservation of any records and communications that might relate to potential deals or threats that Democrats extended to Biden to secure his exit from the race. Further, they should prepare to subpoena such records. Until Americans get to the bottom of how the coup happened, they have good reason to doubt that Washington elites are doing anything in the interest of the voters whom the president is supposed to represent.

Democrats pressured Biden to drop out for weeks, causing the president anger, paranoia and frustration, according to the New York Post. He insisted on staying in the race, despite the mounting pressure. So they orchestrated a palace coup.

Powerful figures set Biden up to fail at his debate with Trump in June, according to the New York Post, hoping to convince Democrats he could not run for president. Biden froze up, stuttered, and acted visibly confused during the debate. He performed so poorly that afterward, even corporate media turned on him. Just like Bidens adversaries planned.

Still, Biden would not drop out.

The debate was really his ending, Trump said.

Polling numbers from battleground states last week showed Biden trailing not only in those states but in states that reliably vote blue, according to Politico. It appeared it would be nearly impossible for him to beat Trump.

According to the New York Post, Democrat leaders threatened to eject Biden from office. An unnamed Biden insider told the Post that Democrats threatened to invoke the 25th Amendment, which allows removal in case a president is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, unless Biden dropped out.

They told him to Get out, youre not going to win, Trump said. They gave him a chance, and they said, If you dont get out now were going to go after you. And that was it. He got out.

If true, using the 25th Amendment to blackmail a sitting president is nothing less than a coup. Was that the easy way or the hard way? What other means might party leaders have leveraged to convince Biden to get out?

The Biden family has largely escaped accountability for their influence-peddling business. What kind of influence could top Democrats exert on the Biden family if someone threatened to stop turning a blind eye?

When President Barack Obama was in office, then-Vice President Joe Biden peddled political influence in exchange for payments to his family members, with a cut of the cash going to himself, as The Federalist previously reported.

At the center of the operation was Hunter Biden, who appears to have acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Ukraine and China. Hunter sat on the board of Burisma Holdings, from which he allegedly coerced $10 million for himself and his father.Hunter, the presidents brother James Biden, and James wife Sara Biden all played key roles in funneling money from China to Biden bank accounts.

Joe Biden claimed in 2019 that he had never spoken to Hunter Biden about his overseas business dealings. But according to the House Oversight Committee, Joe Biden interacted with his sons business associates including Russian and Kazakhstani oligarchs, a Burisma executive, and Chinese nationals. They spoke by phone, attended dinners and meetings, and had coffee.

In addition to influence trading, Hunter allegedly engaged in sex trafficking which the Department of Justice ignored, according to the House Oversight Committee. He has used cocaine often, which mysteriously appeared in the West Wing of the White House last year.

A jury found Hunter guilty on three firearms charges in June. But he, his relatives, and his father have so far evaded accountability for most of their alleged wrongdoings.

According to an FBI confidential human sources account, Burisma executive Mykola Zlochevskysaidit cost 5 [million dollars] to pay one Biden, and 5 [million] to another Biden to buy political favors. What kind of incentives might it take to get him and Hunter and Jill to give up a chance at four more years in the White House?

Were Jill and Joe Biden offered lofty board positions or other sinecures, complete with generous salaries and security details? What about donations to Bidens presidential library?

Now that theyve pushed Biden out, Democrats have disingenuously praised him as a wonderful president who ushered in unparalleled wealth, peace, and safety. Pelosi gushed that he was on the right side of history. Were those praises part of the deal?

Assurances to financially take care of the Biden family including Hunter Biden and James Biden, now that their bargaining chip is headed out of office might be convincing.

On the other hand, Bidens withdrawal was announced on National Ice Cream Day. Perhaps Democrats offered him a scoop of chocolate-chocolate chip.

Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo's editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.

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Democrats Forced Joe Biden To Drop Out. How Did They Do It? - The Federalist

In every election this century, Democrats have smeared Republicans as a party built on voter disenfranchisement. When Democrats lose, it is because Republicans have manipulated voter ID rules, registration requirements, or early and mail-in voting periods to suppress votes. Somehow, free IDs, lax registration requirements, weeks upon weeks of early voting, and rules that let able-bodied citizens vote from their couches are voter suppression and the cause of Democrats electoral losses.

Since Sunday, however, the mask has dropped. We now know which party has no qualms about disenfranchising as many voters as necessary to preserve or gain political power. In orchestrating President Bidens withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries, and the rest of the Democrat elite disenfranchised millions of voters across the country. Their calculations and machinations had the same effect as if they had taken every single ballot cast over the past six months and tossed them into the yawning depths of the Grand Canyon.

In place of the Democrat voters choice of Biden, the country will be offered Kamala Harris a woman who has the endorsement of exactly zero voters to become president in 2024 and could not even finish within the top seven of the Democrat field in 2020.

Perhaps most shocking is how casual and callous leading Democrats have been in their voter suppression efforts. Biden announced that his supporters ballots would be disregarded in a post on X the equivalent of ending a marriage through a text message. He did not explain himself. He did not even offer a photo of him signing the letter that was posted to X. In the moments that followed, leading Democrats did not decry this betrayal of voters nor express an ounce of sympathy for the fate of their ballots. Rather, within minutes, they showered Bidens ready-made successor with unreserved endorsements and lavish praise.

We should be very clear about what has happened. At the outset, Democrat Party leaders and donors rigged their primary to dramatically and artificially limit the choices available to voters. Millions of voters, nevertheless, participated, stood up, and said, We accept the choice youve given us we choose Joe Biden. And although Biden was insistent to the end that he wanted to run, Democrat Party leaders and donors got cold feet. So they simply nullified the voters choice by relentlessly badgering Biden to drop out, day and night, for three straight weeks, until he relented.

Since then, no Democrat, not even Biden, has seen any need at all to offer voters an explanation for what just happened. To this minute, neither Democrat Party leaders nor donors, to say nothing of Biden himself, have offered a single word as to why they have pursued a strategy of massive and unprecedented voter disenfranchisement. Is Biden too frail or too sick to continue? Did he suddenly lose the passion for public service hes professed for over 50 years? Something else? No one has told the American people. Democrat leaders just said he had to go, and so hes gone.

The lesson from all of this is that for Democrats, voters are not even an afterthought when it comes to governing this country. They are merely a begrudgingly necessary means to an end. When voters facilitate their power, Democrats sing hymns to the will of the people and the wisdom of our democracy. But when voters jeopardize their power, Democrats ignore the people entirely and scheme against them to maintain control at whatever cost. After Sunday, there can be no doubt of Democrats duplicity. They did all they could to undermine the peoples choice of George W. Bush. They have done even more to kneecap Donald Trump at every turn. Now, theyve done it to one of their own. The pattern is unmistakable.

Of course, the American people deserve a prompt, comprehensive explanation from Biden. But broadly speaking, there are only two options. Either Biden has become incapable of campaigning, or he has become unwilling to campaign. Was his withdrawal a medical necessity, or simply a vulgar bid to salvage Democrat power undertaken at the expense of Americans sacred right to vote? Is it an act that necessitates his resignation, or a cowardly and craven act that is beneath contempt?

Under normal circumstances, we would know these answers already by way of Bidens conduct. By staying in office, as he has so far, it would be safe to assume that he is healthy and was simply too afraid to press on against Donald Trump. Sadly, given all Democrats and legacy media have done over the past four years to cover up Bidens obvious decline up through the first presidential debate and even thereafter, we cannot take that for granted.

But even if Biden is physically and mentally up for the job, his conduct threatens to inflict serious and lasting harm on our country. Presidential elections should be and traditionally have been years-long battles between competing visions for the fate of nations. If the Biden gambit takes hold, however, these contests could soon devolve into bait-and-switch gamesmanship, as parties wait for the right moment to spring their real candidates on the American people. And the candidates best positioned to succeed in such a system will not be those who offer bold visions for the future, but people like Kamala Harris, empty vessels through which the donors who control those games can exert their influence.

If the Democrats really wanted to save democracy, Biden, if healthy, would still be pressing forward with his campaign, trying to win on behalf of the millions upon millions of people who voted for him to do just that. But saving democracy is not, and has never been, the point. The point is, and always has been, about saving Democrats. That is why hes out of the race. It is as simple and as ignoble as that.

Derek Lyons is President and CEO of Restoring Integrity & Trust in Elections.

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Joe Biden Dropped Out To Save Democrats, Not Democracy - The Federalist

After helping leftist oligarchs nuke Joe Bidens reelection bid, its become evident the primary mission among Americas regime-approved media is to erase any trace of Kamala Harris extreme policy positions and failures as vice president.

Having started the week claiming she wasnt Bidens border czar to now asserting she never raised money to bail out Black Lives Matter rioters, the legacy media lies designed to boost Harris are becoming too numerous to count. These reporters have even attacked those highlighting how she was picked as vice president due to her sex and race and downplayed her record as one of the most liberal senators in the Senate.

The mistruths have been so shameless they make Lyin Biden seem like an honest fella.

[READ: The Media Wont Tell You Political Corruption Defined Kamala Harris Affair With Willie Brown]

But Americans shouldnt consider these press-induced vanishing acts surprising. Everything these so-called journalists are doing aligns with their track record of running interference for Democrats.

These are the same media hacks who gave us the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, the Brett Kavanaugh rape hoax; the Trump-Charlottesville hoax; the suckers and losers hoax; the Ukraine impeachment hoax; the 2020 election was the most secure in history hoax; the bloodbath hoax; the Project 2025 hoax; the Supreme Court corruption hoax; the Kansas City Chiefs blackface hoax; the Mark Robinson hoax; the Jussie Smollett hate crime hoax; the Jan.6 was an insurrection hoax; and the Covid response hoax.

Theyre also the same figures who told us just last month that videos of Bidens mental decline were cheap fakes. Only when they realized the exposure of their preferred candidates ailing health to the public could cost them political power did the democracy dies in darkness crowd acknowledge the problem. And if that flip-flop didnt give you whiplash, its worth noting these same hack-tivists have gone back to praising Biden after their silent coup to drop him from the 2024 ticket was successful.

[READ: Democrats Have Become A Party Of Paranoia And Conspiracy Theories]

The vast majority of American newsrooms arent designed to publish the truth. Their purpose is to advance the Democrat Party agenda.

Masquerading as journalists, these leftists manipulate the facts of any given story to carry water for their political counterparts. As shown above, this includes outright lying to the American people about relevant issues and whitewashing history inconvenient to the party narrative.

Their subservience to leftism has even prompted them to excuse, ignore, and sometimes, encourage, the federal governments abusive persecution of conservatives. That behavior is no different than the way state-run media run cover for inhumane actions orchestrated by foreign authoritarian regimes against their own people.

The medias bid to sanitize Harris abysmal record is just another example of their role as mouthpieces for the Democrat Party machine. So long as their primary allegiance remains to the Marxist cause, reporting the truth will continue to be nothing more than an afterthought.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood

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Americas Anti-Truth Media Are The Face Of Regime-Approved Propaganda - The Federalist

A mob gathered outside Union Station in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus joint session address to Congress, during which a rabble of pro-Hamas protesters burned American flags and vandalized federal monuments.

In response, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced the No Visas for Violent Criminals Act, which seeks to deport foreign nationals who commit crimes while protesting.

This morning my colleagues and I introduced a bill to deport any foreigner involved in violence and vandalism on federal property. The actions of the pro-Hamas lunatics at Union Station in DC are shameful, and anyone on a visa who took part should have it revoked immediately, Cotton said on X.

Cottons bill comes after Republicans in the House and Senate have urged the Biden administration for months to enforce existing U.S. law and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country, stated Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Cotton was joined by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C.

The proposed legislation will amend Section 1237(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to expedite the removal of foreign nationals convicted of vandalism, defacement, or destruction of a federal memorial or monument.

Under the bill, foreigners on university campuses or faith institutions are subject to deportation if they commit crimes while participating in a protest. The bill would also penalize noncitizens who intentionally obstruct the use of any highway, road, bridge, or tunnel.

Any violation would result in the cancellation of the individuals visa and an expedited deportation.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., introduced a companion version in the House.

Foreigners who come here to spread antisemitism, block highways, and deface statues and other public property must be deported immediately, Banks said in a statement.

If theres students who are engaged in this radical activity thats against the law and theyre here on a visa, theyre supposed to be removed, said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, earlier this year.

I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews, said Vice President Kamala Harris in a statement she released nearly 24 hours after the violent protests began.

The Biden administration, however, has sympathized with these violent protesters. This month, Harris said in an interview with The Nation, They are showing exactly what the human emotion should be, as a response to Gaza.

Harris is now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Countries such as Greece have already taken action against pro-Hamas protesters who are foreign nationals, recently deporting nine individuals.

Arianna Villarreal is a summer intern at The Federalist.

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After Pro-Hamas Vandalism, Sen. Cotton Introduces Bill To Deport Foreigners Who Deface Monuments - The Federalist

Police arrested a Virginia Democrat this week on felony charges of election and voter fraud.

Blacksburg Town Councilman Liam Watson, a 24-year-old Democrat operative, allegedly committed three counts of election fraud and one count of illegal voting in an election in August 2023, according to online court records. The Montgomery County grand jury handed up the charges on Tuesday, and Watson turned himself in to the Virginia State Police (VSP) on Wednesday, according to VSP Public Relations Director Corinne Geller.

The United States Postal Inspection Service assisted the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation with this matter, Geller said in an email. The investigation remains ongoing.

Watson allegedly feloniously and intentionally made false statements or entries last year on his Virginia voter registration application, on a statement of organization candidate committee, and on a declaration of candidacy form, according to indictments obtained by The Federalist. He also allegedly feloniously and intentionally voted in an election in which he was not qualified to vote.

All of the crimes were allegedly committed in Montgomery County, which contains the town of Blacksburg.

Watson has served the citizens of Montgomery County in various roles for a number of years and was most recently elected in 2023 in a write in campaign by the citizens of Blacksburg for a seat on the Blacksburg Town Council, his attorneys said in a statement to a local news outlet. He is 24 years old, with a heart for public service, and has worked diligently for the citizens who elected him.

Ian Lichacz, who works for the office of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, told The Federalist the state police approached his office in March.

In this case back in March VSP came to the AGs office with evidence and asked for permission to investigate, Lichacz said, and the AGs office approved it.

The VSP then proceeded to investigate an allegation of election fraud, according to Geller.

Watson was released from jail on a personal recognizance bond for all of the charges, Geller said.

Watson has an extensive background in Democrat politics. He worked as press secretary for the Democratic Party of Virginia from June 2022 through December 2023, according to LinkedIn, and as a digital specialist for the Democratic Party of Georgia from May to June of 2022.

The Roanoke Times reported Watson has been employed for close to six months with Sapphire Strategies, which, according to the agencys website, specializes in comprehensive digital strategy to help progressive campaigns and causes. The group has done work for Democrats like former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and former Obama cabinet member Julin Castro, according to its website. Sapphire offers digital get-out-the-vote advertising to persuade every last on-the-fence voter and turn out every last base Democrat.

Watson also publicly criticized election security efforts by Republicans.

In an October post on X, Watson accused Virginias Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, and state Republicans of taking actions to undermine voting rights. The accusation was in response to a New York Times hit piece about grassroots election integrity groups training poll watchers and recruiting election workers.

In another post last month supporting the efforts of Virginia Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine, Watson touted the importance of work[ing] to expand early voting access in Montgomery County to ensure that everyone regardless of zip code receives every opportunity to make their voice heard.

Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo's editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.

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Virginia Democrat Councilman Charged With Election Fraud, Illegal Voting - The Federalist

Its a given that the news media will assist the Democrat ticket for president in any way they can this election, but since the party is now set to nominate a black Woman of Color, any way they can is going to include some shockingly vicious schemes. Yes, even more so than their usual brazen deception and perversity.

There was a small peek at whats to come when none other than the White House Correspondents Association President Eugene Daniels, also a reporter for Politico, posted a clip on X from Fox News that he said featured a quote it demonstrably did not.

The video was from Wednesdays edition of Fox & Friends, co-hosted by Brian Kilmeade, who Daniels attributed a completely false comment to. Shed rather address, in the summer, a sorority a COLORED sorority, like she cant get outta that! wrote Daniels in his fake transcript of the segment on Vice President Kamala Harris. Then, in what he presumably believed to be a humorous comment of his own, Daniels wrote, Not this in the year of Beyonce 2024.

For context, Daniels is widely recognized in Washington media circles as Kamalas favorite person to reliably relay her preferred narratives, usually with a lot of nauseating details about how allegedly approachable she is. (Harris spent the rest of Sunday at home with family and staff in the vice presidents mansion in her Howard University hoodie and sweats grinding through calls , read one of his recent dispatches from Harris makeup bag.) Not entirely related, but his social media profiles are little more than a series of photos of his painted fingernails, his gaudy apparel and obnoxious declarations of whatever products traditionally marketed toward women he enjoys using.

Back to the false and defamatory quote. What Kilmeade said was a college sorority, not colored sorority, and he certainly didnt shout it, as Daniels all-capitalized transcription indicated. Anyone watching the video would, at most, have heard Kilmeade trip over the word college, but it didnt come remotely close to colored.

Under a cascade of corrections from other X users, Daniels deleted the post with the video, but said in a subsequent post that the audio is garbled, thus excusing his libel.

The audio was clear and Daniels is a degenerate busboy for Harris.

The next three months are going to be like this, and so much worse. Everything said in public about Harris that isnt overtly laudatory will be instantly deemed racist by the media, especially as it relates to her performance as vice president. Even things not said will be called racist.

You didnt say it? Theyll make it up. Easy fix.

Every effort will be made to skirt actual conversations about policy and record because thats where Harris is so weak its laughable anyone would even suggest she can govern.

Thats why at this very moment, news outlets like Axios are demanding there be no recollection of Harris being appointed by her boss to solve the ongoing catastrophe at the southern border. They called her the border czar. Now theyre saying it never happened.

The conversations need to be about everyone else who opposes her being a racist. Thats what they will do, even if they have to make it up. And they will. They are.

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Kamala Cant Win On Policy Or Performance, So The Media Will Make This Campaign A Race War - The Federalist

Hardworking Americans were once again betrayed by big business this week when Southwest Airlines (SWA) announced it will soon relegate its famous open seating policy to the graveyard of good airline travel policies.

First came the fatties fly free policy. Now, the beloved airline has allegedly decided to ditch the 50-year tradition that set it apart from competitors after listening carefully to Customers and conducting extensive research. A deeper dive into SWAs press release suggests that the company chose the change with hopes of saving its flailing second-quarter profits, a dip several major airline carriers suffered regardless of their seating policies.

The blowback that ensued after SWA President, CEO, and Vice Chairman of the Board Bob Jordan debuted the change on Thursday morning, however, suggests the loyalists who have kept the heart-branded Boeing carrier afloat for decades are not pleased.

SWA has long been hailed as the airline that made it possible for regular Americans who love the freedom to choose and dont have easy access to massive metroplex airports to get across the country with efficiency and ease. The beloved airlines discount prices and noteworthy hospitality offered sky passengers an affordable air travel option other than notoriously brawl-plagued budget carriers like Spirit and Frontier.

Plus, those who love SWA but long for a better shot at a front-row chair and some legroom already have the opportunity to pay for priority boarding offers like Earlybird check-in and A-list preferred status.

If SWA fliers wanted assigned seats and the higher prices and unfriendly flight attendants that come with those, they would fly American. Or Delta, which is still scrambling to satisfy the customers it left stranded at airports around the country last week.

SWAs attempt to broaden its appeal and attract more flying from its current and future Customers by getting rid of that freedom to choose, however, will inevitably jack up ticket prices in an attempt to win over customers who are happily married to airlines that already offer assigned seating. So much for Low fares. Nothing to hide. Thats TransFarency!

Trusting passengers to pick where they sit keeps costs low and gives the airline wiggle room to offer flash deals and rewards programs that actually benefit travelers like me who want to fly. And thats good because flying aint cheap.

The only reason people like me can afford air travel in the face of price hikes that outpace inflation is because of SWAs open seating policy. I dont live in the boonies, but I also dont have easy access to a metroplex wherebudget airline options abound. SWA is the only sky bus that offers reasonably priced flights to choice destinations from my hometown.

Theres no doubt that flying is becoming less and less enjoyable by the year. The only thing that makes shrinking seats, cardboard-like snacks, and airlines embarrassing embrace of wokeism better is choosing my seat.

Open seating may get a bad rap from people who fly with other airlines, but who cares what they think? Choosing your own seat isnt just the cherry on top of SWAs other perks like family-friendly boarding, bags that fly free, companion passes, and smiley staff. Its the whole sky sundae.

SWAs friendly staff and informative boarding process make it easy to get settled in a flotation device-equipped chair. If a passenger doesnt like his neighbor or wants a better view of the clouds, open seating makes it easier to talk someone into switching because passengers did not pay for specific spots. Thanks to pick-where-you-plant-yourself policies, customers can even make last-minute flight changes and cancellations with little to no penalty.

After today, I count myself among the growing club of SWA loyalists who think the carrier has gone soft by selling out the one thing that set it apart from other airlines in exchange for unpromised profit. SWA let their desire for new customers and greediness get ahead of them and their frequent flyers wishes, and now people like you and me are literally going to be paying for it.

Jordan Boyd is a staff writer at The Federalist and producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has also been featured in The Daily Wire, Fox News, and RealClearPolitics. Jordan graduated from Baylor University where she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow her on X @jordanboydtx.

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Southwest Airlines: Where Freedom (Open Seating) Goes To Die - The Federalist

The party that claims to be the savior of democracy is about to go back into smoke-filled rooms to choose a presidential candidate.

With this weeks announcement that President Joe Biden is dropping out of the presidential race because hes unfit to run (but curiously not leaving office), the Democrat Party Machine is moving to coronate Vice President Kamala Harris as the candidate of choice. But more than 14 million voters cast ballots for Biden in this years primary season, with more than 99 percent of the partys pledged delegates loyal to the old coot less than a month ago.

No worries, say the DNC powers-that-be. Well just give Bidens votes to the vice president, the ambassador of cackle is about as popular as Joe Biden, which is to say she is about as popular as pink eye.

They are going to be overturning the verdict of Democrat voters in states across the country, Heritage Foundation election law expert Hans von Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Election Commission, said in an interview. Theyre making it more like the kind of conventions we used to have in this country, with smoke-filled, backroom deals.

The Democrats race to consolidate power less than a month ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago is being done with little regard for the rules and the election laws in place that govern the process.

Things are moving so fast that the Democratic National Committee, as of Wednesday morning, has yet to update the convention homepage to note that the partys standard bearer up until his disastrous debate performance nearly a month ago has been thrown under the leftist bus.

Democrats will rally around Joe Biden and Kamala Harris nomination for President and Vice President of the United States, the outdated website declares. The 2024 Democratic Convention in Chicago will show America what President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats stand for .

Of course, what the party clearly stands for is power, and standing with Biden is no longer a viable path to holding on to power.

The establishment rats have been scurrying to silence any internal opposition from Dems who have more than a sneaking suspicion that there are more competent candidates than border czar Kamala.

Powerful leaders of the Democratic establishment quickly embraced Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday after President Bidens shocking exit from the race, hoping that a seamless succession could end a month of damaging chaos and transform a contest widely believed to be tipping toward Republicans, the New York Times, chief media sponsor of the quiet coup to remove the octogenarian Biden, reported earlier this week.

Endorsements cascaded in as the vice president took swift control of the Biden campaign in a transformed contest, though some key Democrats, including Barack Obama, did not immediately back her, the leftist publication reported, sending the message that, open convention be damned, Kamalas the partys anointed one.

But like Harris romantic past, its complicated.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has said the Democratic Party likely faces some legal challenges in heaving Biden from the November ballot, no matter who his replacement is.

The Heritage Foundation Oversight Projects draft memo in June stated that swing states Wisconsin, Georgia, and Nevada in particular have fixed deadlines in place for candidates appearing on ballots. According to the memo, these [t]hree of the expected six most contested states have some potential for pre-election litigation aimed at exasperating, with legitimate concerns for election integrity, the withdrawal process for a presidential candidate. The memo explains how Heritage is exploring such timelines and litigation in the battleground states.

Emory Law professor Alicia Hughes told States Newsroom days before the announcement of Bidens withdrawal that such a scenario would be a complicated mess with an unpredictable outcome that very likely could end up at the steps of a very conservative United States Supreme Court.

DNC lawfare thugs are itching for a fight.

There is a zero point zero, zero, zero percent chance that Mike Johnson and his fever dream of somehow there being legal action to prevent Kamala Harris to keep [her] off the ballot, there is no chance that will happen, morally suspect leftist lawfare practitioner Mike Elias, peddler of the phony Russian dossier, told the left-wing mouthpiece Democracy Watch.

Corporate media have quickly pushed the narrative that theres nothing to see here, asserting no official nominee, no foul. Election officials who have been criticized for failing to secure elections are circling the wagons, too

Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for Georgias secretary of states office, posted on Xthat Biden dropping out will not impact Georgia ballots. As the Democrats havent had a convention, there is no nominee to replace.

Von Spakvosky says Bidens party has to act fast.

As you know most of states have deadlines in August, with a few in early September when the head of the political party has to certify to election administrators who the candidate is so ballots can be printed, von Spakovsky said of the varying deadlines.

Most of the deadlines are set for late August or during the first two weeks of September, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thats when states start finalizing and printing ballots.

Some states begin sending absentee ballots more than 45 days before the election,but all states must have ballots finalized, printed and ready to send 45 days prior to the election for military and overseas voters, as required by federal law, NCSL notes.

Von Spakvosky, manager of Heritages Election Law Reform Initiative, said under DNC rules and many state laws, delegates are supposed to be bound on the first vote on the floor of the convention. But the DNC rules committee, slated to meet Wednesday, holds the cards.

Im assuming they will quickly have a vote to change the rule so that delegates will have a vote to determine whoever the anointed one is, von Spakovsky said.

But DNC chairman Jaime Harrison insists the process will be transparent and orderly, even as the establishment and the partys corporate media public relations firm rally around Harris.

In the coming days, the party will undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward, Harrison said in a statement. This process will be governed by established rules and procedures of the party. Our delegates are prepared to take seriously their responsibility in swiftly delivering a candidate to the American people.

Kamalas likely to get the campaign cash, too. As of June 20, the most recent day the Biden/Harris campaign had to file a campaign finance report, the Biden-led ticket had $91.5 million in cash on hand. In a column for Fox News, von Spakovsky noted that there is no requirement in federal law for campaign committees to provide refunds to donors who want to get their contributions returned. It would be entirely up to the Biden for President committee to decide whether it wants to provide refunds if donors request them.

Because Biden has already endorsed his vice president, its clear he wants the money to stay with Harris, who is also listed on the principal campaign committee. Biden would be prohibited from distributing the brunt of the campaign funds to a candidate other than Harris, under FEC regulations. But von Spakovsky clarified there is no limit on the transfer of funds from a candidate committee to party committees. Biden for President could, therefore, transfer all of its cash to the Democratic National Committee, Democratic congressional and senatorial committees, and state and local party committees, which could then use the money to support their federal, state and local candidates.

There has already been legal pushback from the GOP on the transfer of funds as the Trump campaign filed a Tuesday complaint with the FEC reportedly claiming that Kamala Harris is seeking to perpetrate a $91.5 million dollar heist of Joe Bidens leftover campaign cash a brazen money grab that would constitute the single largest excessive contribution and biggest violation in the history of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended.

The Harris campaign also claims it raised a record $81 million within the 24 hours following Bidens announcement, an assertion the Associated Press thirstily lapped up.

Republicans have accused Democrats of rigging their own elections.

It looks like, dare we say it, an insurrection, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said during an appearance Sunday on Fox News. It is hysterically funny, or would be, if not for the fact that Democrats have persecuted good Americans half of the country and more for the last three years doing exactly what theyre doing now. This is a joke.

Matt Kittle is a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist. An award-winning investigative reporter and 30-year veteran of print, broadcast, and online journalism, Kittle previously served as the executive director of Empower Wisconsin.

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Democrats Are Heading Back Into Smoke-Filled Rooms To Make Kamala Queen - The Federalist

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, released bodycam footage Tuesday showing Secret Service and police speaking after killing the would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump. He also released security plans for the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally.

We NEED detailed answers ASAP on security failures, Grassley posted on X. TRANSPARENCY BRINGS ACCOUNTABILITY.

Grassley wrote Secret Service Acting Director Ronald Rowe, Jr., and Department of Homeland Security Director Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, demanding the Secret Services operational security plan with locations and roles of all federal personnel staffing Trumps June 13 rally where a gunman shot the former president in the ear, wounded two attendees, and killed Corey Comperatore.

Grassley said Rowe and Mayorkas have until July 30 to respond. Kimberly Cheatle, Secret Service director at the time of the assassination attempt, resigned Tuesday after failing to answer questions from Congress.

Grassley released bodycam footage on X, showing Secret Service speaking with Beaver County, Pennsylvania, police after taking out the shooter.

A Beaver County sniper saw him, sent the pictures out. This is him, a local officer said, gesturing to the deceased shooter.

The officer said a Beaver County sniper had sent pictures of the shooter on his bike before the attempted assassination, but lost track of him. Police reportedly saw the shooter with a rangefinder and backpack and relayed this to a command center.

The officer showed a Secret Service agent the pictures.

Yep, I got that one, the agent said.

The Secret Service agent said one person was detained, and a local officer said two people were detained.

The people detained were filming. Maybe they were involved, maybe they werent, the agent said. The guys that saw them filming were like, They were filming us, then filming the guy up on the roof, then filming us. Then when shots started firing, they tried to run away. Isnt that what everybody would do that had a phone?

Several people filmed the shooter beforehand and tried to warn law enforcement. According to ABC News, Secret Service agents saw the shooter on the roof 20 minutes before he tried to take Trumps life.

Over the radio, a voice can be heard asking for access to a drone to clear this water tower.

Grassley included other evidence in the letter to Rowe and Mayorkas, including a diagram showing state law enforcement sectors for the rally ordered by importance. He asked if the document was accurate, and told the Secret Service to provide equivalent records.

The diagram did not include the shooters building in a security sector. It also shows more apparent security gaps, such as no security sectors around other nearby buildings, and the fourth most important sector an open area around ponds directly adjoining the most important sector the stage and audience.

Grassleys letter also included a personnel list for the rally, including Butler and Beaver County police, Secret Service counter-snipers, and most notably a counter UAS or anti-drone operator.

Yet, its reported that the gunman flew a video capable drone over the event site hours before former President Trump took the stage, which may have helped him plan the attack, Grassley wrote. Is that reporting accurate? Is the below document accurate?

Grassley referenced his July 16 letter to Mayorkas and Cheatle requesting relevant information. He also said he asked them July 20 for the total number of federal personnel at Trumps rally, as well as the number of post standers at Trumps event versus the nearby Jill Biden event.

The Secret Service must provide its operational security plan showing the locations and roles of all federal personnel assigned, Grassley wrote.

He demanded to know things like whether law enforcement deployed drones or counter-drone measures for the rally, if there was an unauthorized UAS intrusion within the restricted airspace, if they cleared the nearby water tower beforehand, and if the water tower had any role in the attempted assassination against Trump.

Trumps security detail had reportedly been asking for increased resources for weeks before the rally, only to be denied by the DHS. Secret Service Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi claimed this was false, despite The Washington Post confirming it a week after The Federalists reporting.

The Secret Service held two briefings July 8 with stakeholders, including FBI staff, to discuss stretching security to cover the Trump rally, the nearby Jill Biden event, and a North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting in Washington, D.C., according to a letter from the House Judiciary Committee to FBI Director Christopher Wray last week.

Guglielmi, the Monday after the assassination attempt, also denied that resources were diverted from Trump.

Local police reportedly told the Secret Service beforehand they did not have enough manpower to secure the building from which the shooter fired.

The shooter flew a drone over the rally grounds just hours before Trumps speech, The Wall Street Journal reported last week. He also hid his gun before the shooting.

At the rally, officials left a clear line of sight from the shooters rooftop to Trump. Meanwhile, three counter-snipers were reportedly stationed inside but not on the building.

Cheatle claimed officials did not place snipers on the shooters roof because it was sloped. But it was nearly flat, and easily navigable for law enforcement after the rally, as the bodycam footage from Grassley shows. Counter-snipers at the same rally were stationed on a roof with a more significant slope.

Secret Service agents knew about the shooter, but Trump continued speaking uninterrupted.

Then shots rang out, grazing the former presidents head. Trump ducked and Secret Service agents dove on top of him. They left his head unprotected while ushering him to his vehicle. One female agent fumbled with her holster, another seemed to stumble back and forth, and another dropped her sunglasses and put them back on.

Cheatle, under increasing scrutiny, resigned Tuesday. But Grassley said on X he is still seeking badly needed answers/clarity.

Logan Washburn is a staff writer covering election integrity. He graduated from Hillsdale College, served as Christopher Rufo's editorial assistant, and has bylines in The Wall Street Journal, The Tennessean, and The Daily Caller. Logan is originally from Central Oregon but now lives in rural Michigan.

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Grassley Releases Bodycam Showing Aftermath Of Trump Assassination Attempt, Demands Answers - The Federalist