KURT SCHLICHTER: The victory option.

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE if New York City were as clean and well-run as San Salvador?

YES, IT'S FROM AMERICA'S NEWS OF RECORD: Tiger Woods awarded honorary California CDL.

Linked from Instapundit.

EXALT THE CRIMINAL, ignore the innocent. As noted by the author, "Democrats are sick people."

A BIT LATE, DON'CHA THINK? Federal judge halts White House ballroom project after ruling Trump lacks authority.

AFTER A DECADE, San Francisco discovers that teaching mathematics is key in ensuring students learn mathematics.

Lazarus Long responds: "Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best he is a tolerable sub-human who has learned to wear shoes, bathe, and not make messes in the house."

Which describes most Democrats....

LIBERALISM is a mental illness.

Hat tip TO Instapundit.

DEMOCRAT VIRGINIA GOVERNOR ABIGAIL SPANBERGER blames ICE as repeat offender kept getting released.

PROBABLY FOR THE BEST: OpenAI “indefinitely” shelves plans for erotic ChatGPT.

Then again, maybe not. It might keep the nutcases off the streets until our mental institutions can be rebuilt....

LIBERAL MINDSET IN A NUTSHELL: "The higher your educational attainment and the more shiny your credentials, the more likely you are to be a radical totalitarian with a love for technocracy."

PEOPLE LIKE MARKWAYNE MULLIN built this country. People like Jimmy Kimmel don't deserve to live in this country. An outhouse is too good for his kind.

GIVEN THE LEVEL OF HUMAN STUPIDITY EVIDENT TODAY I don't think it's possible to overestimate AI's ability to think like humans.

GOODBYE:

Our country is already great; go home and work on yours.

RANDOM THOUGHT: Anything said, written, or posted by a certified-by-the-mainstream-media 'expert' is almost certainly wrong.

I'm reminded by the wisdom of Lazarus Long: "Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done and why. Then do it!"

INTERNATIONAL ACTORS are involved in the State Department led color revolution.

Data Republican's Twitter post is here. You'll need a speaker to listen to the last part of her post.

THE BLOWS JUST KEEP COMING for residents of Washington state.

MY FAVORITE from Powerline's Week in Pictures says it all:

Now go see the rest.

I KNEW THIS YEARS AGO. Apple co-founder warns 'you are owned' by big technology.

I bought a new Windows 11 based computer a few months ago and use it sparingly (because my old Windows 7 computer still mostly works) until I can remove copilot, auto-update, and all the cloud-based features on Windows 11.

Assuming that's even possible.

HEH: The Democrats problem with young white men.

OK, now do the Obama library.

THEY'RE TOO STUPID TO PANIC: Democrats should be panicking about this.

[VIP] I'M ALREADY HELPING -- and increasing my assistence -- daily. Bourbon waste may power the future, and I'm happy to help.

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE: Democrats narrative crumbles as ICE agents deliver perfect response to unhinged person in airport.

Click on both videos.

PJ MEDIA'S KEVIN DOWNEY JR. celebrates yesterday's 'No Kings' rallys. Click on all the picture links.

SPRING LEAVES 2026, Week Four: We begin again with the two usuals, the pond and fire pit views:

There's still not a lot of difference from last week. A little bit of growth on the ground and the trees are just beginning to bud if you're close enough to see, but nothing yet in the photographs.

It's difficult to see in this picture but one dogwood on the south side of our house has just begun to bloom. Next week maybe we'll see actual blossoms from both dogwoods. Unfortunately that side of the house doesn't get much sun so the dogwoods can't really grow grow and the steepness of the terrain makes it difficult to take out the small stuff that interferes with their sun.

Looking across the valley where our creek runs, you can actually see the trees on the other side. That won't last as the forest fills out.

Here's the other side of our abode along the road. It's looking pretty good - all the plants and flowers are growing nicely, although the roses have still yet to begin flowering.

Finally across the road from our house, the trees are still bare. No obvious budding out yet. Until next week, then.

YOUR FIELD GUIDE to observing the seasonal 'No Kings' display.

Enjoy the astroturf you paid for with your (stolen) tax dollars....

IF YOU THINK DEMOCRATS CARE ABOUT YOU, you’re an idiot.

I'll be generous and go with moron.

IT PAYS TO BE EXTRA-SKEPTICAL of anything published in medical journals — particularly when it involves firearms.

It pays to be extra-skeptical of any mainstream news (or advertising) source....

DEMOCRATS: Elect us, we're miserable too.

KURT SCHLICHTER: No, MAGA is not falling apart.

POVERTY TOURISM: Poverty is good for little people.

Like Cuba....

WELL, THEY'RE GOOD AT PLAYING TRAUMA VICTIMS: Are you ready for the Democrats’ 2028 Presidential Childhood Trauma Olympics?

In a 1960s interview, John Wayne said, “Ten or 15 years ago audiences went to pictures to see men behaving like men… today there are too many neurotic roles.”

Now that's how Democrats audition for the role of The Most Powerful Man in the World.

Linked from Instapundit.

CONFIRMED: Another one gets a dirt nap.

FIVE DAYS AND $19 LATER: "For shits and giggles, I decided to see just how hard it would be to replace my birth certificate, Social Security card, AND my marriage license, since Democrats think women are too stupid to figure it out."

The Patriot Post agrees.

I LIKE ELON MUSK but as a former Austinite, moving facilities there is a bad call.

On the bright side, however, Lockheed Martin's old Austin facility may still be available....

ISRAELI ENVOY: Iranians likely to overthrow regime.

One can must hope.

ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ spent $19K on ketamine-linked psychiatrist.

According to my web sources, at lower doses ketamine is used as a treatment for pain and treatment-resistant depression. It is not used to treat stupidity....

REPUBLICANS PUT SENATE on the record in vote on biological men in womens' sports.

Read the record -- and weep for America.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY [R-LA] goes full beast mode on cowardly colleague.

CROWN PRINCE PAHLAVI: Iran is not the Islamic Republic.

BREAKING: Senate votes for Markwayne Mullin for DHS Secretary.

I agree with Sarah Anderson (the author) on this one: you do need a college (preferably Ivy League) degree to be a Congressional idiot.

UGLY, CHEAP, AND DEADLY: The A-10 proves itself again over the Red Sea.

ENGINEERING is magic (to those who can't do math).

YEAH, RIGHT: Something is screwy is going on in the Georgia election fraud investigation.

It's called Fulton county.

I GUESS CAMERAS are now racist.

Linked from Instapundit here.

DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF THE CUP: Scientistes may have found the ideal amount of coffee to lower stress.

Fun comments here.

MAMDANI'S LATEST PROPOSAL: Stripping the dying of their assets.

That'll certainly hasten NYC's devolution into a third-rate township in rural New York....

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE

the more they stay the same.

COMMON SENSE? FROM NEW YORK? Oops, that climate law was a mistake...

Yes. Yes, it was. So is taxing millionaires and billionaires....

THE DEMOCRATS' HIVE MIND has received today's message: ICE may "brutalize or in some instances, kill" people at airports...

Starting Monday.

I GUESS I'M 'PRE-CLASSIC': The day we become classics.

CHARLES DARWIN RETURNS: Progressive crackpots vs. environmental wackos.

theory of evolution in In his book 'On the Origin of Species' in 1859, Darwin theorized that the hardier species evolved while those less hardy disappeared. With the advent of modern medicine, those lesser species have evolved into 'progressive crackpots' and 'evvironmental wackos'.

I don't have a humane solution other than perhaps to not let them vote....

MR. PRESIDENT: Change the name of the Department of Homeland Security to the (no longer used) Department of Defense and dare the Democrats to defund it.

Something I suggested earlier.

IT GOES FOR THE USA, TOO.

THE DEMOCRATS are locked in a Möbius loop of crazy.

THE ULTIMATE ONLINE PRIVACY POLICY:

You have none. Linked from here. There are more; go see the rest.

More memes in the comments here.

TRUTH: Trump post casts Democrats as main threat to America.

SENATE DEMOCRATS are lying even harder about the TSA mess they've created.

Another "Schumer shutdown" and the Democrats are trying to lie about it by blaming Republicans.

SPRING LEAVES 2026, Week Three: As usual, we begin with the pond and fire pit views and, as to be expected, not much has changed except for the sun angle.

Our bellwether forsythia, which blossomed in full yellow even before I started taking pictures this year, is now almost fully green. The trees behind and to the south still haven't begun to bud out yet -- at least not visibly.

The same is true of the trees to the north, except that flowers and other plants along the fence line are perking up nicely.

So are the yards as our barn cat (Tuxedo) surveys his property

And finally, a look back at our house and the (bare) forest behind us.

Until next week then....

IMPRIMIS: Recovering the lost art of diplomacy.

Or, as I've been taught (when schooling meant something), war by other means....

FCC TAKES NOTICE as America’s most popular sport becomes increasingly costly, frustrating to consume.

Which explains why when fall rolls around I'll probably no longer be watching football.

NORWEGIANS don't want to be punished for success.

Linked from Instapundit here.

LET THAT SINK IN: San Francisco spends $141,852 per homeless person on average.

Instapundit nails it.

PRESIDENT TRUMP has pretty much the whole Muslim world against Iran and its allies now. Well, except for Britain and France.

POINT- GUN CONTROL’S ENDGAME: No guns for anyone.

COUNTERPOINT: Iran.

IT'S DIFFERENT THIS TIME: The Iranian people will overthrow their government even though the Iraquis couldn't because ....

I hope so, but ....

TOUGH LUCK, NYC. You voted for him, so suffer the consequences. And don't expect the rest of America to bail you out.

TOP AIDE TO TULSI GABBARD RESIGNS, blaming Israel for ‘Iran war.’

He purchased the podcaster starter pack: 'If I can't be in charge I'm taking my football and going home.'

UPDATE: Former counterterrorism chief Joe Kent under FBI investigation for alleged classified leaks.

INTERESTING: Elon Musk offers to pay TSA workers' salaries amid DHS budget standoff.

Normal Americans are pretty obviously getting pissed off with Dumbocrat Democrat obstruction.

COLD.HARD.FACTS: Data Republican (small r) is a national treasure.

This one is long, and has nothing, nada, zero to do with politics. What it does do is explain why she is so damned effective.

THE LAWS OF MAN do not constrain the laws of physics.

Read the whole thing.

THE BOTTOM LINE -- Iran is transitioning into an extremist military regime where Mojtaba Khamenei acts as a mere "puppet" of the Revolutionary Guard, who completely control the country.

Linked from Instapundit here.

IN THIS CASE, the host is the parasite.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE MIKE JOHNSON [R-LA] exposes Democrats’ deadly priorities - illegals first.

ELISSA SLOTKIN & OTHER DEMOCRATS turn up the TDS meter at Markwayne Mullin's DHS confirmation hearing.

KURT SCHLICHTER: Don’t listen to idiots about the Iran war.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Our new ungracious immigrants.

NO SHIT, SHERLOCK: “These people are absolute freaking morons.”

THEY'RE NOT REALLY AFTER 'THE RICH'; they're after you.

DEMOCRATS REALLY ARE DISGUSTING, and this proves it.

As if more proof is needed.

THE OSCARS’ APPEAL is becoming more selective.

STEP RIGHT UP: The new head of Basij who replaced the previous head of Basij who was eliminated yesterday, was eliminated today.

Another leadership vacancy needing to be (temporarily) filled...

THESE DEMOCRATS wouldn’t stand for Americans — now they’re targets of an epic new midterm ad.

Name them and shame them. It would be a long list, but they should be individually shamed.

WE NEED WANT YOUR TAXES: NY Gov. Kathy Hochul asks the wealthy who left NY to return.

GUN CONTROL SEASON IS HERE. Expect gun control advocates to ignore these stories of armed self-defense.

WELL, GOOD: In an article on Robert Goddard, the New York Times admits an error.

They didn't understand physics then and probably still don't.

LIES AND LIARS: Let’s count the lies Virginia assault weapons bill author Saddam Salim tells in just three paragraphs.

WHO COVERS AI BUSINESS BLUNDERS? Some insurers cautiously step up.

I predict this to be the next great growth opportunity for the legal profession. Better even than political lawfare....

SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT META eyeing massive layoffs as costs for emerging technology skyrockets.

ISOLATIONIST WEIRDOS TO THE LEFT, NEOCONS TO THE RIGHT: Stuck in the middle with JD Vance.

On reading the post I'm reminded of Robert Heinlein's "Crazy Years" (a term coined in the early 1940s for his Future History stories) describing a period of social and moral decline in the United States, characterized by a deterioration of societal norms and institutions, leading to mass psychoses. This era is depicted as lasting from the mid-20th century into the early 21st century, with Heinlein suggesting a potential recovery afterward.

He was only about 70 years early and I'm not convinced a recovery is possible....

TOP DEMOCRAT accidentally reveals what her party really fears in the SAVE act.

RANDOM THOUGHT: I hate to even think it, but the current Democrat party gives morons a bad name.

IF YOU NEED A LESSON in the value of gun rights, just look at Iran.

“THESE PEOPLE are absolute freaking morons.”

BYRON YORK: The insane government shutdown.

FINALLY, Iraq is approaching the LeMay threshold: "If you kill enough of them, they will quit fighting."

Based on what I've seen in the news over the last 2-3 days, it seems to be working. Slowly, very slowly, but working.

MISTAH LARIJANI — he dead.

Also Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij force, the Islamic Republic's 'iron fist' used to suppress protesters internally.

Good riddance to both.

IT WAS STILL A DECENT STATE WHEN WE LEFT 10 YEARS AGO: Virginians at more risk thanks to Soros-funded prosecutors.

No longer.

DID AN IRANIAN EMBASSY just defect?

Look to see more in the coming days....

TRUTH: All cats are basically Americans.

NYC CITY COUNCIL'S UNBELIEVABLE PLAN to tackle self-checkout retail theft - punish business owners.

Well, they don't dare punish their own voters.

OBAMA’S PRESIDENTIAL CENTER seeking 100 unpaid volunteers to staff lavish facility.

They've got to save money to pay the lavish salaries of Obama's cronies. Obama certainly won't pay them himself....

THE BRITISH EMPIRE went from covering the world to covering its ass.

LEFTISTS, take Rubio's offer.

I WONDER WHY I don't see any Muslim countries on this list.

PORTLAND HOMELESS SHELTER NONPROFIT to close after claims of financial mismanagement.

I suspect it has already stolen everything, including the furniture.

POLITICAL QUESTIONS: "This is a case about swinging dicks." [Is it okay as long as the dicks swing?]

You'll have to scroll down to the third item, but go ahead and read the others along the way.

A GOOD START: Trump shrank federal workforce by 10%.

But only a start. Keep going, Mr. President.

DIRTY WORDS trump dirty deeds for the next SCOTUS pick.

A WARD CLARK SPECIAL: Clever critter outfoxes immigration authorities.

PRIVACY? PRIVACY? You only thought you had privacy.

IMPRIMIS: American Virtues – Victor Davis Hanson's 2025 commencement address to Hillsdale College graduates.

RANDOM THOUGHT: IED spelled backward is DEI....

SPRING LEAVES 2026, Week Two: I'll start the week (late, as I almost always am) with the usual pond and fire pit views.

As usual this early, not much difference from last week. The trees are still bare, as is the lawn -- though it is growing some, and the weeds around the driveway got mowed.

The iris plants are growing like weeds, but as yet no blooms. There are a few others blooming, and the roses are beginning to show some signs of growth, but that's about it so far.

Across the road, the trees are beginning to show signs of budding (upper left) and the iris plants are almost jumping out of the ground. I guess the deer aren't that hungry right now.

From Friday, here's a picture of the pear trees down the highway at a local church. They're blooming all over town. They haven't begun to drop their blossoms yet, although I'm sure that'll be next week as that 'bomb cyclone' plaguing the North is due to hit us tonight with a week of freezing night time temperatures.

Until next week....

ANTI-ICE ACTIVIST in Los Angeles learns it's not a good idea to block an SUV.

Luckily she's got plenty of, er, 'heft' to cushion the blow....

DID IRAN CAVE after Trump struck Kharg Island's military infrastructure?

FAILIFORNIA Due to sky-high taxation and all-around government incompetence, California has shifted from the Gold Rush state to the Out Rush state.

As a (thankfully) former Californian, I'd only quibble about the lede: it should be 'Failedifornia'.

SHOULD I BE SURPRISED? Illinois has most blue-haired state lawmakers in the U.S.

A 'MICHIGAN MAN,' A 'VIRGINIA MAN,' AND A 'NEW YORK MAN' all walk into a bar...

THE RATS ARE JUMPING SHIP: Is the Iranian Regime relocating to Canada?

Is it time to bomb Canada -- just in case?

HE NEEDS TO BE IMPEACHED -- STAT. Judge Boasberg strikes again.

Or ignored....

RANDOM THOUGHT: Now that we have a Department of War we need to rename Homeland Security the new Department of Defense.

JUST PLAIN WEIRD: A Taliban shooting — in Utah?

TIT FOR TAT: Meet the double-edged sword.

Linked from Instapundit here.

WELL,THERE'S NOTHING ENTERTAINING IN 'ENTERTAINMENT' ANYMORE: 'Access Hollywood' canceled after 30 years.

[VIP] IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ILLEGALS: Did Schumer reveal the real reason Democrats oppose the SAVE act?

Answer: Yes.

CROWD-SOURCED AIR POWER: This brilliant move by the Iranian people against their Basij oppressors may just make your day.

YES, this is real.

'Something weird' is inadequate to describe the Democrats' Deep State. It needs to be defunded -- deeply and completely defunded.

POWERLINE'S WEEK IN PICTURES has posted. My favorite:

I'm sure we saw California's locomotive in a nearby National Park a few years ago....

Now go see the rest. There are many excellent ones.

IS IT HAPPENING? Cuban regime makes a big announcement.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS DRAW A LINE: No Senate bills will move until Save Act moves.

Good. The Republicans, both House and Senate, should put the kibosh on moving any bills until Homeland Security is fully funded.

SINCE REBRANDING is what Democrats are excellent at, the Trump administration plans new approach to ending DEI.

MATT TAIBBI EXCLUSIVE: The FBI’s 'Deep State' stash finally uncovered.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Our long road to war with Iran.

THE BABYLON BEE reports on the aftermath of 'Lobstergate'.

LIBERAL GUN OWNERS don’t matter enough to Democrats to make a difference. I'm a bit surprised that there's such a thing as a liberal gun owner....

IRAN'S KHARG ISLAND ATTACKED: U.S. ‘obliterated’ military targets in strike on island; civilian infrastructure left alone (for now).

RANDOM THOUGHT: On the Right, there's science and scientists; on the Left there's 'science' and 'scienticians'.

THE BABYLON BEE has entered the realm of future news.

HUGH HEWETT: "We can no longer afford the narcissists among us that think they are helping."

Fixed.

CAN SPACEX HELP NASA reach Uranus before it’s too late?

I know I'm being a bit sarcastic, but I think NASA is already circling....

IT SURE LOOKS LIKE IT: Have Iran's Mullahs cut and run for a safer locale than Tehran?

TRY AS THEY WILL, the Left can’t out-MAGA Donald Trump.

NYPD CONFIRMS REAL IED thrown at protest crowd for the crime of inciting Islamists to kill them.

WHACK-A-MULLAH: There is a chance that newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba is in fact dead.

The Babylon Bee already confirmed the news.

THIS IS MAMDANI’S NYC: He's coming out harder over peaceful protesters than he is at guys throwing incendiary devices outside his house.

THE BRITISH ARMY'S NEW BATTLE PLAN: Mascara for morale while bombs drop.

TRUMP IS DOING A COMPETENT JOB. Nancy Pelosi doubles down on defending Obama's strikes on Libya.

Obama did not.

THE WUSSIFICATION OF AMERICA: Aesthetic science for men.

ANNALS OF LEFTIST AUTOPHAGY: Actor’s woke status revoked over rumors he might be dating Zionist man.

'Woke' is circling the drain....

NEWSFLASH: Eric Swalwell is lying scum. And a narcisstic idiot....

CASES OF AI AGENTS 'FREEING THEMSELVES' and going rogue are becoming increasingly common.

I think I've already said "Told'ja so" a few times now.

IT'S A WAR, STUPID. HMS Dragon delayed because shipyard works only 9 to 5.

Just not their war. Humiliating.

JUST FRAUD FRIENDLY: "Minnesota is not a business-friendly state."

NOT SURPRISED: Universities function as money laundries for the Left.

It was true when I first graduated 50 years ago, just a helluva lot more subtlely....

AS I'VE PREDICTED: Voters expect AI to transform our lives — but today is not that day. Actually I'm somewhat surprised that the buy-in is as high as it is. I expect that will change as AI gets more and more intrusive.

THIS IS NEWS? The left destroys everything.

2031: A SPACE ODDITY. It's opening a bit early.

BREAKING: Mojtaba Khamenei named Iran’s next supreme leader after father’s death.

AMERICA'S NEWS OF RECORD responds with their headline.

SWELTER IN PLACE: New York should be prepared for massive electric bills and rolling blackouts.

Good job, Mamdani....

WE NEED TO WALL OFF CALIFORNIA: Chevron warns Newsom’s climate alarmism will cost 500,000 jobs.

HERE'S A MYSTERIOUS TIDBIT from 'the intelligence war' in Iran. It's long and ambiguous as to whether it's pro- or anti-Iranian. Make of it what you will.

Here is more on bubble jammers.

ARE FREE CONDOMS NEXT? New Jersey lawmakers advance free menstrual products mandate for colleges.

SHIELD OF THE AMERICAS SUMMIT: We are not going to cede an inch of territory in this hemisphere to our enemies or adversaries.

IRAN: A regime full of psychopaths.

CHECKING THE POLLS and looking good.

HEH: America graciously converts 20 Iranian warships into new submarines. The lede is (obviously) from America's News of Record, but the post itself is serious. Go read it.

SPRING LEAVES 2026, Week One: It's now Daylight Saving time, and I'm probably a bit late starting since the forsythia started leafing out over a week ago, the iris plants are popping back up, grass has begun to grow, and I'm beginning to see buds in some of the trees. Here's what the yard looks like today:

... resuming my post following last night's computer crash, I'll start (again) with the usual pond view. The hill itself is still brown, and likely to remain mostly due to the thick layer of fallen leaves. It a bit worrisome to walk there since those same leaves cover up stumps, holes, fallen branches and other hazards to walking. The trees themselves are just beginning to bud out, but it's not yet visible in the pictures.

Our bellwether forsythia is well ahead this year. The initial yellow flowering is already being overtaken by the green leaves that follow. The fire pit is looking good, and flowers are beginning to become active -- the lone yellow iris (bottom right) that survived deer munching on it has already flowered.

Along the road, the plants we put in along the fence line and around the barn are all showing activity, though no flowers yet. And the grass has begun to turn green -- finally!

Spring is finally springing and it's good to be outside again.

Until next week then (assuming I can figure out what's causing my computer to go bonkers -- I blame Google).

WHEN YOU’VE CONSTRUCTED a cartoon version of the world in your mind, what do you do when reality proves it wrong?

THE FEVER IS BREAKING. The dawn of 2026 is here. And this time, the light wins.

SUNDAY SMILES: There are many good ones this week, but this one is my favorite:

Now go see the rest. And read the commentary before scrolling down to the cartoons.

WHAT A SURPRISE. The Left is frickin’ insane.

MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.

Linked from Instapundit.

IRAN: our 88 member Assembly of Experts has selected a new Supreme Leader but we won't tell you who he is.

ISRAEL: Okay, then, we will have 88 new targets....

Update: America's News of Record has identified Iran's new Supreme Leader.

TRUMP: Just do things.

November 4, 1979 — almost 47 years ago — Iran seized the American embassy in Tehran and held its staff hostage. Ever since then, American presidents have struggled with what to do.

Jimmy Carter temporized for many months, even as ABC’s newly created Nightline — a nighttime news show created specially to cover the hostage crisis — opened every night with “America held hostage, day XXX.” His wife, First Lady Rosalynn Carter, finally prodded him to do something. The “something” turned out to be a shambolic rescue mission that ended in disaster.

President Reagan intimidated the mullahs a bit, but never seriously retaliated for the Beirut barracks bombing that killed over 200 Marines along with over a score of other service personnel. George H.W. Bush invaded Iraq but left the mullahs largely alone. Bill Clinton did nothing of substance. George W. Bush had a chance to bring the Iranians to heel after the conquest of Iraq, but inexplicably failed to press his advantage. Barack Obama was, basically, complicit in their nuclear program, to the point of famously sending them pallets of cash totaling over a billion dollars.

President Trump, on the other hand, killed General Soleimani and told other Iranian leaders that they could be next.

It works. Go read the whole article.

LUIGI MANGIONE escapes federal death penalty in CEO slaying.

Let him suffer. Life in prison without any chance of parole will do.

WATCH THE VIDEO. The Deep State strikes.

SO HACKERS JUST STOLE MEXICO'S TAX AND VOTER ROLLS and you'll never guess how.

Believe in Artificial Intelligence? Think again.

SHUT UP AND SING: Crusty Democrat dino rockers should have some dignity.

A CONVERSATION, not a speech.

THE VALDO CALOCANE CASE CONFIRMS IT: Wokeness kills.

VIRGINIA GOV. ABAGAIL SPANBERGER slams Trump on ‘affordability’ in SOTU response — as Virginia Democrats push new taxes.

WHAT IF TRUMP IS SENTIENT AFTER ALL?

Donald Trump’s behaviour during this presidential term reveals a surprisingly deep strategic logic.

The core goal remains to restore absolute American superiority over China and Russia. But Trump wants to avoid confronting these major rivals directly. He is rather working to isolate Beijing and Moscow from their international partners and deprive them of any major means of external support.

At the same time, Trump is building a program of sustained economic, technology and other sanctions to markedly weaken the Chinese and Russian economies over the longer term.

The evidence for this strategic approach is fairly clear from the patterns of the administration’s behaviour.

Linked from Instapundit here. And he's right.

HEH: THE SWORD HAS TWO EDGES. Lawfare works against Democrats too.

EILEEN GU INDICTS BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP and our entire immigration orthodoxy.

As Instapundit points out, many orthodoxies are falling in the modern era.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE SMIRK: Democrats' Spanberger strategy tells you everything you need to know about them.

They think know their voters are chumps....

VOTERS WILL REMEMBER THIS from the State of the Union above all else — "The GOP stands for you and me. The Democrats stand for 'they'.”

POWERLINE'S Week in Pictures has this obvious favorite from the Winter Olympics:

Now go see the rest.

CHINESE TECHNOLOGY FLAW exposed live feeds from thousands of American homes.

'Flaw?' Still feel comfortable putting all your information in the [Chinese] cloud?

PENTAGON GIVES AI FIRM ULTIMATUM: We decide, you don't.

TRAITORS! Nonprofits began mobilizing anti-war protests 10 minutes before Trump announced strikes.

RANDOM THOUGHT: After 47 years of ankle-biting of the 'Great Satan" by Iran, our 47th president has ended it.

Permanently.

BE ARMED AND READY – the asymmetrical battlefield could be here at home.

I'm ready.

IRAN SAYS IT'S 'CLOSED THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ' - Inquiring minds respond 'With what?'

RANDOM THOUGHT: Now that there is a new Department of War administered by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth it's time for an new Department of Defense with Kristi Noem being its first female Secretary of Defense.

DEPORT DEMOCRATS. Better yet, send them to Guantanamo and pay Cubans to take care of them.

Win, win ....

AFFORDABLE FOR WHOM? Virginia Democrats vote themselves 178% pay raise amid affordability push.

GOOD. VERY, VERY GOOD: Mood is ‘horrific’ inside CNN as staffers brace for change.

If you're in NYC, you might put yourself on Mamdani's 'snow shoveler' list....

May be a bit late, though....

WELL, THEY ARE SWAMP DWELLERS AFTER ALL. Democrats' 'State of the Swamp' counter event features a stage full of frog people.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The graveyard of destructive ideas.

OUR MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM’S HISTORIC WIN was just too much for sports writers to bear.

GET ACTIVE AND EAT REAL FOOD: Masculinity’s comeback makes America thrive.

NEW YORK’S FIRST FREE GROCERY STORE shows yet again that socialism doesn’t work.

But, but ... next time we'll get it right.

BERNIE SANDERS WAS ASKED ABOUT GROWTH — and his socialism fell apart.

ROBBER MEETS ROAD: New York City cannot afford democratic socialism.

THE MOST MINMANAGED, UNDERTILIZED, AND UNDERVALUED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY in conservative media is ... Rush Limbaugh.

HEH: SUPREME COURT ORDERS CNN TO RESPOND to petition filed to hold CNN and the mainstream media accountable for spreading falsehoods during President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial.

I suspect Bari Weiss (CNN's new leader) is pleased...

IMPRIMIS: Learning from Minnesota's Somali fraud scandal.

As if that's possible. And based of Gov. Walz's appearance at today's Congressional investigation, I'd predict 'impossible'.

FOCUSED ON THEATRICS: Activists override government move at NYC monument.

KURT SCHLICHTER: Shut up and sing!

CALIFORNIA GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: A thoroughly detestable creature.

REPUBLICANS LOVE AMERICA; Democrats only love power.

A VACUUM BETWEEN THE EARS? Newsom steps on multiple rakes as he reveals something that might stall his presidential run.

THE BENEFITS OF COMMUNISM DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: "The garbage in NYC is piling up so fast the rats are taking Ozympic."

Said by Steve Forbes on Fox Business this morning.

SUNDAY SMILES: Here are two of my favorites this week.

There are many others, including the UK's Amelia^* in the collection. Go see them.

^*For more on Amelia's history, go here.

RANDOM THOUGHT: I wonder how long it will take for Zohran Mamdummy Mamdani's Jim Snow 2.0 Shovel Brigade to complete its DEI training/shovel safety inspection before the first snowflake is lifted from the ground?

THE STORY YOU WON’T SEE ON THE EVENING NEWS: When compassion guides the badge.

SUSAN RICE'S TERRIFYING VOW if Democrats take back power.

Republicans should preemptively use the Democrats' Golden Rule: "Do unto others before they do unto you."

GAVIN NEWSOM WANTS TO RUN THE COUNTRY, but he can't keep track of his own birth certificate.

Then he can't vote. I find that appealing.

DEMOCRATS WARN VOTER ID will disenfranchise key voting demographic of people too stupid to get an ID.

Not that that's a bad thing. And yes, it is America's News of Record.

'JIM SNOW 2.0': Mamdani requires multiple forms of ID if you want to help clear NYC streets.

Given that he's shutting down all traffic in NYC starting tonight, I wouldn't be surprised to see his minions out tomorrow confiscating illegal snow shovels....

DOUBLING DOWN ON STUPID: Gavin Newsom and AOC trash Trump at European summit as they [atttempt to] raise their 2028 profiles.

Asked about a wealth tax, Ocasio-Cortez responded "We don’t have to wait for any one president to impose a wealth tax... That needs to be done expeditiously." I'd ask her "How about a 'sudden wealth' tax?" 100% sounds good to me.

OPEN CARRY FOR ME ... Portland [OR] city council member wants to open carry after anti-ICE protest.

Just not for thee.

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDUMMY MAMDANI STRIKES AGAIN: NYC seeks emergency snow shovelers for blizzard, requires IDs not needed to vote.

THE COMING REVOLUTION DOWN SOUTH: Will Cuba be free soon, and if so what happens next?

Personally, I think they'll get rich selling antique automobiles to wealthy Americans.

HEH: Every Iranian a billionaire.

It would only take about 600 U.S. dollars....

NAME CHANGE REQUIRED: The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is now the American Association for the Advancement of 'Science' (AAA'S').

My own professional organization, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) became the Institute of Electrical and Electronic 'Social Engineers' (IEE'SE') a few years back ... so I quit.

RANDOM THOUGHT about Presidential campaign tag lines. President Trump has a good one that's lasted almost 10 years: 'Make America Great Again'. I hope his successors retain it.

Here are some tag lines for future potential Democrat presidential candidates:

Harris: Make America cackle again
Pritzger: Make America fat again
Newsom: Make America greasy again
Ocasio-Cortez; Make America stupid again
Spanberger: Make America smirk again
Buttigeig: Make America gay again

Here are some other potential candidates: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly of Arizona and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, and former Commerce Secretary. Gina Raimondo.

Try one yourself.

ABSOLUTE IMMUNITY AND AN UTTER LACK OF DECENCY: Why Khanna could do it.

RANDOM THOUGHT: Zohran Mamdani should change his name to Zohran Mamdummy.

HUGH HEWITT IS WRONG: President Trump should not ease up on deportations.

At least not until the criminal^* aliens are gone. Then perhaps it's time to take a pause and reflect on next steps. Certainly (encouraged) self-deportation should be a primary option, allowing them to be vetted for citizenship and able to return legally.

^*in the sense of beyond simply crossing the border illegally.

FROM SHADOW'S WORLD ten years ago. Carbon-free sugar.

NYC MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI: We have to tax you to pay for all the free stuff we're gonna give you.

And take a bit off the top to 'facilitate' the transfer, of course.

BIDEN WON GEORGIA IN 2020? Watchdog says Fulton County had more votes without ballots than Biden’s ‘win’.

In a way, I'm pleased that the Democrats' cheating won the 2020 election, because the 4 intervening years of the Biden administration taught now President Trump how corrupt the Deep State actually is and redoubled his determination that this administration -- and Cabinet -- will fix it.

SUSIE MOORE from Red State's Morning Minute:

I've been thinking about the Obama Presidential Center...and when I say "thinking," I largely mean recoiling in revulsion. Why would anyone want to have their name and legacy associated with such a gawdawful eyesore? The styles we choose — be they fashion, interior design, or architecture — reflect something of our nature.

I'm not sure what former President Obama thinks the aesthetic of his presidential center says about him, but I can tell you what it says to me: cold, gray, aloof, angular, ugly.

Not that I expect I'll ever get the warm fuzzies about our 44th president, but I'm not sure how much harder he could have worked at choosing a structure that's unwelcoming and foreboding. Yuck.

Yuck indeed....

INDIANA, HERE WE COME: Chicago Bears move one step closer to ditching Illinois.

And I think I saw somewhere that the Seattle Seahawks are up for sale....

VIA INSTAPUNDIT: "Congress was not meant to be a crooked nursing home."

A MAN JOKED ABOUT MOVING INTO BILLIE EILISH'S MANSION. Her response is breaking irony detectors.

LEE GREENWOOD TO NEWSMAX: 250th Anniversary celebration will unify US.

Color me skeptical. Skeptical but hopeful.

STOP DOWNPLAYING the threat of AI to our jobs and society.

NYC SHARIA UPDATE: ‘Palestinian’ activist calls to ban dogs as pets.

Kurt Schlichter responds: "In such a scenario, John Wick is the moderate solution."

In my neck of the woods too....

[VIP] MINNESOTA ATTORNEY GENERAL KEITH ELLISON IS WRONG; illegal immigration is like breaking and entering a home.

Add fraud and it becomes burglary....

A NOTE TO SALEM MEDIA: You've already told me with your privacy statement that you're going to glom on to every bit of information you can find on my computer every time I click on one of your web sites and there's not a damn thing I can do about it, so quit wasting my time reminding me every time I stop by....

KURT SCHLICHTER: Let’s liberate Cuba and gut America’s Left.

AWFLs -- AND MORONS -- ON THE MARCH: Local police are now getting the ICE treatment.

HOUSE PASSES GOP ELECTION OVERHAUL requiring proof of US citizenship.

Only one House Democrat (Rep. Henry Cuellar, [D-TX]) voted in favor of voter identification. For the rest, it's all about control; nothing else matters.

EXCUSE ME, but California Democrats stole how much again?

K-12 IMPLOSION UPDATE: Educatioal technology is booming, but so is ‘brain rot.’

As predicted....

"DEPORT THE RACISTS". That would be most of the Progressive Left.

Picture lifted from this PJMedia post.

SUNDAY SMILES: Amelia is on our side.

For more on Amelia's history, go to the Sunday Smiles link. Then continue down for the meme cartoons of the week.

THE DEI CASUALTIES ARE MOUNTING UP ON CAMPUS: California State University professor warns scrapping SAT in name of ‘inclusivity’ has left students unprepared.

SORRY, BUT YOU BROKE IT, YOU OWN IT: Minnesota demands taxpayer cash after ICE operation caught murderers, sex offenders.

Don't expect normal America to pay for your lunacy....

TIME TO GIVE PAIN A CHANCE: It is right and proper to laugh at the suffering of journalists.

Here's the entire Kurt Schlichter column.

AND THAT'S A BAD THING? Podcasters panic over more 'diabolical' successor to Trump in future.

YOUR TINFOIL HAT UNCLE WAS RIGHT AGAIN: "Some of us are old enough to remember when people were sane."

Not enough of us, unfortunately.

SO WE HAVE DEMOCRATS openly suggest it's okay to shoot ICE agents.

So can we normals now openly suggest that it's okay for police to shoot ICE rioters?

OBLIVIOUS TO THE OBVIOUS. Study argues AI chatbots have anti-gun bias. There's a reason for that.

NYC GETS ITS FIRST FREE GROCERY STORE -- What could possibly go wrong?

PRACTICE? How does the Left come up with so many stupid Democrats?

And education. Don't forget education.

RANDOM THOUGHT: Normal Americans are rapidly becoming an endangered species.

VIRGINIA IS WHAT HAPPENS when gun owners lose elections.

While I'm glad that I managed to get out before Virginia's fall from grace, it does sadden me to think that my favorite gun range in Culpeper is probably now defunct.

HAVING A PHOTO ID TO VOTE — It’s so simple, even a Congressman can do it. Here's how.

Just for troll's sake, in the comments (Pillage Idiot, scroll down) points out that MSNOW (formerly MSNBC) is upset that Rep. Cloud [R-TX] 'illegally published a photo of the secret voting machines used in the House.

KARENS CONTROL THE DEMOCRAT PARTY: Sen. John Kennedy [R-LA] explains.

WHY NOT? Free Virginia, make D.C. square again.

[VIP] KURT SCHLICHTER: Our choice is to give their demands the attention, respect, compassion they deserve -- none.