President Joe Biden has had a good run of successful judicial appointments. His total of 214 ranks third on the list of most appointments in a single presidential term. At 44, current judicial vacancies under Biden are below five of his six predecessors. But the American people just handed both parts of the appointment process—the president who nominates judges and the Senate that confirms them—to the other party. It’s time to wrap it up. Biden’s judicial nominees have been the most controversial in American history, receiving an average of 39 Senate votes against confirmation. That’s 77% higher than President Donald Trump’s first-term nominees and 78 times the average opposition to judicial nominees confirmed during the 20th century. Biden’s total for judges confirmed might have been even higher if Democrats themselves had not radically changed the confirmation process. From the start of the 20th century through President Barack Obama, for example, only 10% of confirmed judicial nominees had any opposition at all. Democrats pushed that to 78% for Trump’s first-term nominees. Between 1949 and 2013, when the Senate rule for ending debate could apply to judicial nominations, senators took a cloture vote on less than 3% of the nominees they confirmed. Senate Democrats then neutralized the filibuster so that Republicans couldn’t use it to block Obama nominees. Under Trump, however, Democrats forced the Senate to take a now-useless cloture vote on 80% of the nominees it confirmed, just to delay things and make it harder for Trump to get nominees confirmed in a timely fashion. Biden, therefore, has appointed 25% of the entire federal judiciary despite the more cumbersome and divisive confirmation process his party created. Hats off to him. But Biden is a lame-duck president, the Senate is in a lame-duck session, and it’s time to look forward. Biden himself paved the way. He chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1992 and, hoping that Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton would defeat President George H.W. Bush, Biden refused to give a hearing to dozens of Bush’s judicial nominees. Even The New York Times had to report what everyone knew was happening under the headline: “Waiting for Clinton, Democrats Hold Up Court Confirmations.” When the 102nd Congress wrapped up on Oct. 8, 1992 (there was no lame-duck session), 55 judicial nominations expired and were sent back to the president after Biden refused to give them a hearing. That remains a record to this day. There are several big differences between 1992 and 2024. First, Democrats kept dozens of judicial nominees on ice even though the percentage of the judiciary left vacant was nearly three times what it is today. Second, while Democrats hoped Clinton would be elected, America’s voters had not yet made a decision. Third, Clinton won with just 43% of the popular vote, while Trump just captured an outright majority. As a result of the election, Republicans will take the Senate majority Jan. 3. Even though Republicans today are in the minority, without direct control over the process, they are not without influence to minimize further change in the judiciary. America needs judges who will interpret the law as written and apply it impartially. Biden’s controversial nominees have, as a group, been far from that and—to quote Vice President Kamala Harris—it’s time for “a new way forward.” The post Senate Republicans Should Fight Lame-Duck Judicial Confirmations appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would nominate Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz attorney general. “Matt is a deeply gifted and tenacious attorney, trained at the William & Mary College of Law, who has distinguished himself in Congress through his focus on achieving desperately needed reform at the Department of Justice,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social. “Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System,” the president-elect added. “Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department.” Trump praised Gaetz for playing “a key role in defeating the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax” on the House Judiciary Committee and for “exposing alarming and systemic Government Corruption and Weaponization.” Gaetz has represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District since 2017. Before that, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 until 2016. The congressman serves on the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government under chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. The Department of Justice investigated him for alleged sex trafficking, but ultimately declined to charge him. Gaetz filed a motion to vacate the chair in October 2023, which led to the removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House of Representatives. The post ‘CHAMPION OF THE RULE OF LAW’: Trump Taps Matt Gaetz for Attorney General appeared first on The Daily Signal.

DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—The president of Azerbaijan, host country of this year’s U.N. climate change conference, defended fossil fuels while slamming the media and climate “hypocrisy” in a Tuesday speech at the event. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev described fossil fuels as a “gift of God,” slammed the “Western fake news” media for criticizing his country’s emissions and stated that countries like his “should not be blamed” for developing their reserves of natural resources and bringing them to the market. The U.N. conference—also known as COP29, for short—has attracted tens of thousands of attendees to the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to discuss initiatives like so-called climate finance for developing countries, standards for carbon credit markets, and emissions reduction commitments. UN Climate Conference Carbon Footprint Doubles Previous Summit https://t.co/g0ub4P0lQD— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 12, 2021 Aliyev rattled off statistics about Azerbaijan’s relatively small contributions to global oil and gas production before criticizing the media, politicians, and nonprofits for maligning his country for capitalizing on its natural resources. “I have to bring these figures to the attention of our audience, because right after Azerbaijan was elected as the host country of COP29, we became a target of a coordinated, well-orchestrated campaign of slander and blackmail,” said Aliyev. “Western fake news media and so-called independent [nongovernmental organizations] and some politicians, as if [they] were competing in spreading disinformation and false information about our country. To accuse us that we have oil is the same like to accuse us that we have more than 250 sunny days a year in Baku.” Aliyev emphasized his view that there are many criteria by which to judge a country, but a nation’s resources and their sale aren’t among them. “I said it several months ago, and now all those who want—I mean, international media—to attack me, just quote me that I said that this is a gift of God. And I want to repeat it today here at this audience: It’s a gift of God,” Aliyev said. “Every natural resource, whether it’s oil, gas, wind, sun, gold, silver, copper, all that are natural resources, and countries should not be blamed for having them and should not be blamed for bringing these resources to the market because the market needs them.” Aliyev attacked those who have criticized his country as a petro-state, though Azerbaijan’s economy is “anchored” by oil and gas, which accounted for nearly half of the nation’s gross domestic product and 92.5% of export revenue in 2022, according to the U.S. International Trade Administration. “Unfortunately, double standards, a habit to lecture other countries and political hypocrisy became a kind of modus operandi for some politicians, state-controlled NGOs and fake news media in some Western countries,” said Aliyev. COP29—the 29th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change—kicked off on Monday, and the Taliban even managed to send a delegation to the conference. The Biden administration, meanwhile, is still looking to be productive at the summit despite the looming return of President-elect Donald Trump, who has pledged to roll back climate initiatives and spending as well as withdraw from the U.N.’s Paris Climate Accords, according to The New York Times. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The post President of Country Hosting UN Climate Summit Defends Fossil Fuels, Slams Media and Green ‘Hypocrisy’ appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Thune Elected. Remain Calm. All Is Well.

Euro Sneering Update: As Trump Triumphed, the German Government Collapsed

With CNN and MSNBC both reportedly going through hard times, it’s worth recalling perhaps the greatest corporate media hoax in recent memory. From the very beginning of the first Trump presidency in 2017, practically every journalist in America was frothing at the mouth about the latest national security scare: “Russia hacked the election!” This story would turn out to be not just a pernicious lie, but also evidence of an insidious symbiotic relationship between leftwing media, the DNC, and alphabet soup DOJ agencies. The claim “Russia hacked the election” suggests that somebody broke into voting machines and physically changed votes. It suggests that the software used to conduct and tabulate the 2016 election was in some way compromised by Russian agents. But that never happened. Nobody even alleged that it happened. So what actually did happen? As it turns out, not much. According to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, Russians in 2016 bought about $150,000 worth of political ads on Facebook, supposedly in order to sew “disunity.” And during the 2016 election, Clinton campaign chair John Podesta clicked a phishing link he received in a scam email, and subsequently lost access to his account and has his emails published online. That’s basically it. The astute reader may notice that none of that behavior even comes close to resembling the hacking of an election. Yet high-level DOJ officials and their pet journalists dutifully portrayed this clumsy situation as “Russia hacking the election” on a near-daily basis, for more than a year. Just look at how easily they lie:     The purpose of this lie was to lend credence to the Clinton campaign-originated conspiracy theory that Donald Trump was a covert Russian asset, installed by Putin through a rigged election process. This accomplished two things: it garnered public support for the poorly-predicated Mueller investigation, and it played into the idea that Trump was somehow an illegitimate president. When Mueller concluded his investigation in 2019, having found basically nothing that indicated Russia had hacked any of our election infrastructure, the claim of Russian election hacking — which had been a media catchphrase for over a year at this point — abruptly vanished from the airwaves without explanation. No journalist offered any clarification, there was no “Sorry, we got this one wrong guys.” The media just quietly moved on. All of that brings us to today, with the latest developments in leftwing cable news world spelling dark days ahead for the serial hucksters and hoaxers on TV. Multiple news outlets report that CNN will be laying off hundreds of employees as a result of their dismal election day-ratings, and according to Puck News, Comcast is looking offload MSNBC as dead weight. So in honor of the hundreds of “journalists” who may very well soon be out of a job, we decided today was a good day to remind readers of some of their finest work: a hoax so dishonest and pervasive that its effects are still apparent in American politics today.

The broadcast networks all broke in Wednesday morning with special reports on President-Elect Donald Trump’s Oval Office meeting with outgoing President Joe Biden. But it was a comment Trump made earlier in the morning joking about staying in the White House longer than four years that left ABC and CBS bent out of shape. Speaking to House Republicans at a nearby Washington D.C. hotel, Trump quipped (as per The Hill): “I suspect I won’t be running again, unless you do something. Unless you say, ‘He’s so good, we have to just figure it out.’” This left CBS beside itself.  Congressional correspondent Nikole Killion alluded to it, but it was CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell who was incensed, whining that only “some view that as a joke” and huffed that “Democrats or people that oppose President-Elect Trump would be concerned about a comment like that given the President-Elect has promised to be a dictator from day one”: CBS freaks out over Trump joking about sticking around in the White House after 2028.... Nikole Killion: Trump “also appeared to joke he intends or does not intend to run again unless they ‘do something,’ but in talking to Speaker Mike Johnston he may clear to me just yesterday… pic.twitter.com/3tY6MuQQFQ — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 13, 2024 Over on ABC, Trump-hating correspondent Rachel Scott also alluded to it: “He also said that I suspect I won't be running again unless you say he's so good we've got to figure something else out. Multiple members inside that room told me that was intended to be a joke. That several people also chuckled in that room as well.” ABC also had this pathetic use of a Special Report meant to focus on the second Trump transition and Biden’s exit. Of course, they’re still mourning the election results: Even though it happened a day ago, ABC News used part of its Special Report on the Trump-Biden Oval Office meeting to cheer White House and Eisenhower Office Building staff cheering and clapping Vice President Kamala Harris showing up at the WH *24 HOURS AGO* pic.twitter.com/2NpcUTyh1d — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) November 13, 2024 To see the relevant transcripts from November 13, click “expand.” CBS News Special Report November 13, 2024 11:24 a.m. Eastern NIKOLE KILLION: He also appeared to joke he intends or does not intend to run again unless they “do something,” but in talking to Speaker Mike Johnston he may clear to me just yesterday this meeting was really an opportunity to congratulate the President-Elect and really celebrate his  victory and this mandate of that Republican believe they now have as a result of the outcome of the election. In addition to those House elections, there are also, as you mentioned, the race underway for Senate majority leader. Just really remarkable the first time in some 18 years Senate Republicans will be electing a new leader. As you well know, Mitch McConnell has held onto that post as majority and minority leader in the Senate for that period of time. He stepped down from leadership earlier this year. And so, that race now underway to replace him between Senators John Thune, John Cornyn, and Florida Senator Rick Scott. So, that election now underway by secret ballot and the outcome of that will determine who leads Senate Republicans as they take the majority next year, Norah. NORAH O’DONNELL: Nikole Killion on the Hill. Nikole pointing out that some view that as a joke when President-Elect said, “I suspect I won't be running again unless you do something else.” Of course Democrats or people that oppose President-Elect Trump would be concerned about a comment like that given the President-Elect has promised to be a dictator from day one. So, that would be an extraordinarily difficult thing to do to try and extend and be able to run for a third or fourth term to be in FDR, but he was joking about that as some believe up on Capitol Hill today. ------------------------------------------------------------- ABC News Special Report November 13, 2024 11:22 a.m. Eastern RACHEL SCOTT: He also said that I suspect I won't be running again unless you say he's so good we've got to figure something else out. Multiple members inside that room told me that was intended to be a joke. That several people also chuckled in that room as well. (....) 11:23 a.m. Eastern DAVID MUIR: Quite a split screen from 24 hours ago. I want to go back to this image from just yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris returning to the White House for the first time to have lunch with president Biden. And she was greeted by hundreds of workers at the White House and the old Executive Office Building. Let's listen to that sound here for just a moment. [ADMINISTRATION STAFF CHEERING AND CLAPPING] MUIR: It happens every four years. There are winners and losers in these presidential elections. She thanked the team gathered there, and she said there is still a lot of work to get done, but that she was grateful for their support. Mary Bruce, any reporting on the lunch between President Biden and the Vice President. The words that they might have shared? MARY BRUCE: Yeah, this private meeting between the two of them, this luncheon, the first really extended time that the President and the Vice President have had alone together since the election. The White House, not surprisingly, not reading out too many details of that. This was a private conversation between the two of them. The Vice President we know is back at work. She's meeting, we are told, with staff and aides today. She notably is not a part of this Oval Office meeting today. You can imagine that would have been a bit uncomfortable. And the White House stressing today is really about a chance for the President and the President-Elect to meet. But it was hard not to look at those images yesterday and see that she clearly was touched by the outpouring of support from her staff and yet stressing there's still a lot of work to do. 

In the aftermath of President-elect Donald Trump's landslide win, legacy media outlet the Los Angeles Times appears to be making a frantic effort to realign with voters.On Wednesday, the Times' owner, Dr. Pat Soon-Shiong, announced that the newspaper would replace its editorial board.'Putting lipstick on a pig.'In a statement on X, Soon-Shiong wrote, "When the President has won the vote of the majority of Americans then ALL voices must be heard. Opinions are just that.""I will work towards making our paper and media fair and balanced so that all voices are heard and we can respectfully exchange every American's view," he added, emphasizing that diverse perspectives would include opinions "from left to right to the center.""Coming soon," Soon-Shiong wrote. "A new Editorial Board. Trust in media is critical for a strong democracy."Over recent years, the editorial section of the L.A. Times has frequently published articles that clearly demonstrate its left-leaning bias.The Times issued an opinion piece in 2021 written by columnist Erika D. Smith, titled, "Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy. You've been warned." The following year, the newspaper released an op-ed by business columnist Michael Hiltzik titled, "Mocking anti-vaxxers' COVID deaths is ghoulish, yes — but may be necessary."Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin noted that the L.A. Times published article after article "endorsing soft on crime [Los Angeles District Attorney] DA George Gascon, who just got blown out by over 20 points in his re-election bid."Police analyst and Townhall columnist Phil Holloway responded on X to the news that the L.A. Times plans to replace its editorial board.Holloway wrote, "Here in the south we call this 'putting lipstick on a pig.'""They can change the editorial board all they want, but until they abandon 'advocacy journalism' — which is a euphemism for propaganda — they will remain a newspaper worthy only of lining birdcages," Holloway added.Leading into the election, Soon-Shiong faced significant pushback after he refused to allow the newspaper to endorse Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris. Since 2008, the Times has backed every Democratic presidential candidate.Following the non-endorsement decision, the newspaper faced a wave of resignations, including three editorial board members.Then-editorials editor Mariel Garza stated at the time, "I am resigning because I want to make it clear that I am not okay with us being silent.""In dangerous times, honest people need to stand up. This is how I'm standing up," Garza added.Soon-Shiong explained, "The Editorial Board was provided the opportunity to draft a factual analysis of all the POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE policies by EACH candidate during their tenures at the White House, and how these policies affected the nation.""Instead of adopting this path as suggested, the Editorial Board chose to remain silent and I accepted their decision," he said.The Los Angeles Times Guild Unit Council and Bargaining Committee accused Soon-Shiong of "unfairly assigning blame to Editorial Board members for his decision not to endorse."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

President-elect Donald Trump confirmed that he has nominated Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida to serve as attorney general, Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida to serve as secretary of state, and former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii to serve as director of national intelligence.Reports of Rubio's and Gabbard's appointments have circulated over the last few days, with Trump confirming their nominations on Wednesday. Although Gaetz has long been an ally of Trump, his name has not appeared on any short lists for the administration. 'As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties - She is now a proud Republican!'"Few issues in America are more important than ending the partisan Weaponization of our Justice System," Trump said in a statement. "Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans' badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department." "Matt will root out the systemic corruption at DOJ, and return the Department to its true mission of fighting Crime, and upholding our Democracy and Constitution," Trump continued. "We must have Honesty, Integrity, and Transparency at DOJ. Under Matt's leadership, all Americans will be proud of the Department of Justice once again."In response, Gaetz tweeted, "It will be an honor to serve as President Trump’s Attorney General!"Trump also confirmed rumors of Rubio's nomination. "Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom," Trump said in a statement. "He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.""Fighting partisan gridlock and elite complacency is never easy, but Senator Rubio is honored to serve his country and the people of Florida," Trump continued. "Every day, he wakes up determined to make it easier for you and your family to pursue the American Dream. He will not stop until American politics is once again centered on commonsense and the common good."In response to the nomination, Rubio thanked Trump and promised to prioritize American interests. "As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out [Trump's] foreign policy agenda," Rubio said of the nomination. "Under the leadership of President Trump, we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else." Given Rubio is currently a sitting senator, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida will have to make an appointment to replace him for the remainder of his term. Trump also went on to congratulate and praise Gabbard for her past and future service to the country. "For over two decades, Tulsi has fought for our Country and the Freedoms of all Americans," Trump said in a statement. "As a former Candidate for the Democrat Presidential Nomination, she has broad support in both Parties - She is now a proud Republican!""I know Tulsi will bring the fearless spirit that has defined her illustrious career to our Intelligence Community, championing our Constitutional Rights, and securing Peace through Strength," Trump continued. "Tulsi will make us all proud!"Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Trump derangement syndrome is alive and well among liberals, but Bill Maher is refusing to let the ailment get the best of him, as it has so many others. In a recent segment on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” he made this incredibly clear. “He called for a military tribunal against her,” panelist John Heilemann said of Trump’s recent comments about Liz Cheney. “He might not do it, but you don’t want to normalize the notion that that’s the kind of language that we want to have.” “This is the problem with, I’m sorry, the far left, is that you’re not going to drag me into Trump derangement syndrome. It’s not deranged to be upset and worried about the real things. Like, he could be a fascist,” Maher responded. “But if you’re going to think I’m going to chase every rabbit down the hole for the next four years, you’re wrong. I’m not going to,” he continued. “I did this once; I’m not going to do it again.” “That’s who he is. If he talks about Arnold Palmer’s **** or he says a bad word or says something that everybody thinks like ‘There are s***hole countries,' I’m not going to lose my s*** about it. I’m just not, ‘cause that is deranged,” he added. Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” is impressed to say the least. “Who knows where Bill will end up years from now? Maybe he never gets where we all would want him to be electorally, and okay, so be it, but he’s saying it,” Rubin says. “He’s saying, ‘I will not behave the way I behaved last time,’ which was, ‘I was going to hate him and undermine him no matter what,’” he adds. Want more from Dave Rubin?To enjoy more honest conversations, free speech, and big ideas with Dave Rubin, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.