“Outspoken ex-Marine” – the New York Times’ description of General James “Mad Dog” Mattis, President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, is music to my ears. 

“The president-elect could not choose a better man to be our next Secretary of Defense,” says Ralph Peters of Fox News. “I trust Jim Mattis because he’s a man of character, that most un-Washingtonian quality.”

There are many articles such as this one, from people close to the General, which echo that sentiment. 

Mattis is described as a “warrior monk” with a big library – and his colorful quotes are certainly worth a read. 

What do you like most about Gen. Mattis and his qualifications for Secretary of Defense? That’s the first question in our new Weekly Poll. 

And for the second question, let’s go back to those quotes I just mentioned: I’ve listed my favorites – which one do you like most? 

News of the Mattis nomination has made this a wonderful day for me, but of course Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is trying to ruin it. 

Maybe a sign of things to come – do you think General Mattis and President Trump’s “team of outsiders” cabinet nominees will face difficulties getting confirmed by the Senate? That’s Poll question three for this week. 

Meanwhile in Washington, the Democrats have doubled down on failure by putting “clueless” Nancy Pelosi back in power – and with that, the Democratic Party may very well be on the verge of extinction.

And it’s now clear (as if it wasn’t already) that Chuck Schumer will violate any principle to toe the Democratic Party line.

Donald Trump hasn’t even taken office yet and he’s already delivering on his promises. 

And by the way, despite the media’s outrage, the President-elect is probably right when he talks about the impact of voter fraud. 

Here in New York, all signs point to more Cuomo Administration incompetence.  

And finally, this past week we said goodbye to a truly despicable human being. May the myth of Fidel Castro die with him. 

Have a great weekend!

The EPA,  created in 1970, has long been a federal agency overstepping its charter, but collecting information about employees sexual orientation is beyond comprehension especially when the EPA states that gender is “an evolving area.”  

David Keene opines on ‘A pack of sore losers.’ while the Daily Signal gives us their take on why Jill Stein is creating havoc with her expensive and grandiose delusions that numbers will change.

Meanwhile, some think Hillary is raising election doubts to ‘Keep Her Options Open’ for 2020.  (I’mmore inclined to believe she is raising doubts to keep those speaking fees from totally drying up.)  Ed Klein has his own interesting thoughts on why Hillary is involved with the recount. 

Artists’ Free Speech Rights at Stake in Washington Florist Case. 

Trump delivers one for workers. 

Why is this man even being considered as the new DNC Chairman?   Apparently, there is another choice.  Has the DNC looked at the results of this election?  Do they really think either of these candidates will bring the democrats home?  It is no wonder they lost and will continue to lose.

Was there any doubt that Nancy Pelosi would be re-elected minority leader?

Betsy McCaughey has an opinion piece on the looming replacement of Supreme Court Justice Scaliain the NY Sun and an interview on Fox Business News regarding Obamacare.  As we mentioned earlier this week, former Lt. Gov. McCaughey will be one of our CPPAC speakers in January at the Radisson Hotel in Albany.  The registration form is here. 

Millions in city taxes are wasted on unused public school spaces. 

California has really gone off the deep end with this idea. 

Wednesday’s with Walter E. Williams…a must read!

Kudos to Assembly members Nicole Malliotakis and Ron Castorina Jr., for asking Mayor de Blasio to not destroy the documents collected from illegal immigrants when applying for the IDNYC cards.

What part of ILLEGAL do these legislative members not understand? Tax dollars are for citizens of our state;  not to protect ILLEGAL immigrants.  President-elect has only talked about ILLEGAL, or as the progressives say – undocumented – immigrants,  will be sent home, especially if they have a criminal record.  America’s diversity works because immigrants who came to our country legally, studied our language and customs and became AMERICANS.  America and New York still welcome immigrants, we just want them to observed the law.  Senator Hamilton and the rest of the renegade democrats had best learn that simple fact.  

Not to be confused with immigration —  How Trump Can Reshape US Policy Toward Refugees. The Refugee Act of 1980 gives the U.S. president unilateral power over how many refugees the country admits each fiscal year, and where they come from. Congress is only consulted in the process and does not get an up or down vote on the numbers.

Will the legislative members come back before January?  Pay raise??  421-a housing subsidy?  More ethics reform,  but, sadly not the kind that will make a difference. 

File this under “It pays to have friends in high places.“

Why is it that companies believe government has to subsidize them... because the government has mandated their existence.  Simple solution, government should stop mandating and let the free enterprise system work.  As taxpayers we are forced to invest in ideas that may not work as anticipated, and if perchance they do achieve their goals, we do not get reimbursed for our forced investment.  Who would invest in the stock market if they knew they would never make a profit?

Governor Cuomo did get this one right.   

Could Trump Put This Disgraceful Liberal Organization in the Poorhouse?

So far, President-elect Donald J. Trump has made some excellent choices for his cabinet,  Tom Price andElaine Chao were named today.

More Than 800,000 Non-citizens May Have Voted in 2016 Election, Expert Says.  Of course, the media would not admit that any non-citizen voted.

Denis Prager is being substituted for Tuesday’s with Thomas Sowell as he must be on a well deserved break.

Start-Up NY is at a critical juncture says the Poughkeepsie Journal in today’s editorial as they note the questionable results of the taxpayer funded boondoggle.  

The NY Post editorial points out The left’s lunatic ‘hate’ hysteria and New York politicians should stop pandering to anti-Trump hysteria. 

The idiocy of banning Old Glory and how our beloved veterans responded. 

Gary DeMar opines on Catering to the Participation-Trophy Generation, while Ira Stoll writes on The Sun how Harvard Puts a Priority On Protecting Students From Immigration Law. 

Betsy McCaughey opines on repealing Obamacare.  We are pleased to announce that former Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey will be one of our esteemed speakers at this year’s upcoming CPPAC in Albany.  Click here for registration form.

Nicole Gelinas lets us know why NY’s most beloved stores are dying.

Andrew Cuomo’s phony war on Indian Point. 

Here Are Five Outrageous Responses to Fidel Castro’s Death.   Here is how two patriots respond.

Hillary’s hypocrisy is back.   

The Washington Free Beacon gives us more information about the potential head of the DNC. 

What to Do If You Are Involved in a Lone Wolf Attack or Mass Shooter Incident. 

Monday’s with Robert Knight.

Hot Air writes about NY Governor’s top aides indicted on sweeping corruption charges. (Is Hillary next?).  The intriguing portion of the articles deals with how US Attorney Preet Bharara is investigating former Congressman Weiner and the NY offices of the Clinton Foundation.   If I were Hillary, I would not be celebrating just yet.  President-elect Trump is right to leave the Clinton Saga to the professionals.

Sigh: No, Hillary Didn’t Lose Because Wisconsin’s Voting System Was Hacked. 

Colleges Look to Create Sanctuary Campuses for Illegal Immigrant Students. 

Jonathan Lash, president of Hampshire College is disgraceful and should be removed since he does not have the backbone to teach the students of Hampshire College to respect the symbol of American freedom and the untold number of lives that have been sacrificed to give them the freedom to discuss a presidential election. 

Cause for concern?  We should be if what Sen. Grassley says is true. 

Jason L. Riley opines in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) on Democrats Are Obsessed With Race. Donald Trump Isn’t; Why does the press hype a white nationalist sideshow of only 275 people? It feeds the ‘deplorables’ narrative.

The Weekly Standard writes about “a bad hombre.”

Trump picks Betsy DeVos for education secretary post.

Wednesday’s with Walter E. Williams.  Trump and College Chaos. 

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

A special Thank You to our Veterans for our freedoms.

We will be back on Monday, November 28, 2016.

“As one who celebrates and strives for diversity, individual freedom, and respect for all lifestyles, I will not participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next First Lady,” wrote fashion designer Sophie Theallet in an open letter this week.  This is the opening paragraph in a Reason.com article  that points out the hypocrisy and intolerance of the left.

The Washington Free Beacon takes the NY Times down with All the News That’s Fit to Fake. 

There is more bad news for NY taxpayers.  APNewsBreak: Feds: NY was overpaid for health exchange setup.  

The Obama Administration decision on this just boggles my mind.  President-elect Trump must overturn this foolish and potentially dangerous decision as soon as possible and Colorado should adopt a law as soon as possible to require that a law enforcement official be a US Citizen as 40 states have already. 

The Daily Signal opines on the very liberal views of the leading DNC Chairman contender. 

William Smith talks about Sen. Jeff Sessions.  More on Sen. Sessions here.

Many will be disappointed about this, however, you have to ask, is it worth continuing to keep her as a political martyr.  She lost.  Close the book and let her fade away into oblivion.  (That would be justice and save taxpayers money.)   This just in:  UPDATE: Trump Says He Won’t Take Clinton Investigations Off the Table

President Obama continues to turn felons loose; over 1000 pardons already.

Trump Momentum Powers Wall Street to Fresh Records, Dow Trades Above 19K. 

Tuesday’s with Thomas Sowell:  Backward-Looking ‘Progressives’

Find Law states the following regarding Immigration:   Immigration is regulated at the federal level, chiefly under the rules established in 1952 with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 was enacted to curb illegal immigration, denying welfare benefits to undocumented immigrants and strengthening sanctions against employers who hire them.  The U.S. Congress has control over all immigration-related regulations, while the White House is in charge of enforcing immigration laws.

President-elect Donald J. Trump ran on a platform of ending illegal immigration in the United States.  According to the statement above, Mr. Trump’s responsibility is to enforce immigration laws, which we know the current administration has been lax in doing. 

Our current Governor stated yesterday that New York will take specific steps to highlight what he says has been the state’s role as “the social conscience” of the nation.  The governor said he will be proposing a new “public/private legal defense fund” that will be available to immigrants who are unable to afford legal services. The plan will be included in his proposed 2017 state budget that he will unveil in January.  The taxpayers of New York will be forced to pay the legal bills of people who are not necessarily here legally. 

  Gov. Cuomo earned his law degree in 1982 from Albany Law School but apparently skipped the class that said illegal immigration is a crime and that the federal law is the supreme law of the land.

The governor decried the anger and anxiety that Mr. Trump’s election created, yet his statements encourage the anger by ignoring the rule of law.  Cuomo’s statement yesterday plays to the anarchy the demonstrators want.

What gives an elected official the right to pick and choose the laws to follow?  If they have that right, don’t we all have the same rights.  Governor Cuomo had the audacity to say “If there is a move to deport immigrants, I say then start with me,” because he is the grandson of immigrants.  Governor Cuomo did more with this speech to stir the anger and hatred of the demonstrators while claiming to lead the way in stopping the anger.  Shameful rhetoric from a man who exploits a situation for personal gain. 

How Infantilized Campuses Threaten Our Nation’s Future. 

Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo are progressive clones. 

Mayor de Blasio’s budget blues.

More of your tax dollars wasted.

Diversity at the expense of common-sense. 

Clinton Foundation donations are down, the only ones who do not understand why are Bill and Hill. 

Why Jeff Sessions, ‘an Advocate for the Constitution,’ Has Conservatives So Excited. 

Monday’s with Robert J. Knight. 

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday planned. 

I’ll give the first question in our new Weekly Poll a holiday theme: What’s your favorite part of Thanksgiving – eating? Shopping? Friends and family? Football?  

I know Thanksgiving will be a lot more festive for me, since any political discussions will be about President-elect Donald Trump – NOT Hillary Clinton.  What are you most thankful for now that Mr. Trump has won the White House? That’s the second question in this week’s Poll – and there is a lot to be thankful for!

The left has to find something, anything, that lets them criticize our next President – so they are brewing up a storm about how Mr. Trump hasn’t announced his cabinet yet. The Daily Signal explains that this is much ado about nothing. 

Is there any doubt that, if several cabinet officials had already been named, the very same liberal news outlets would have outraged stories about how President-elect Trump was moving too fast and not giving such important matters the proper consideration? 

At any rate, there’s been lots of speculation this week about who will make up the Trump cabinet – lots of names we’ve all heard of, and a few surprises too – did anyone expect Mitt Romney to be in the mix? 

We now know that Jeff Sessions has been offered the job of Attorney General.

If you could pick anyone – regardless of whether they’ve been discussed, or if they’ve declined any role in the cabinet – who would be your TOP pick – the one person you want more than anybody else to be serving in the Trump Administration? That’s the third and final question in our new Weekly Poll. I’ve made a big list full of former presidential candidates, law-enforcement officials, military veterans, and everyone in between – let me know what you think!

The left continues to protest Donald Trump and refuses to accept the outcome of the election – and our current President is encouraging them. 

Barack Obama still doesn’t get it – there’s nothing to be “proud” about… his policies have been rejected by the American people.  

And Obama’s elitist friends still don’t get it, either – history is NOT on their side. 

And for that, we can all be thankful.  Have a great weekend!

The Heritage Foundation gives President-elect Trump ways to end sanctuary cities. 

Thanks to Hans von Spakovsky we have learned that the head of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Is violating federal law and her actions may be void.  The Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, did not advise President Obama of his oversight in not officially nominating Vanita Gupta for the position.  Maybe she was too busy talking to former president Bill Clinton to notice that the head of the Civil Rights Division was not legally appointed or perhaps no one cared as long as their bidding was being done. 

Will Congressional earmarks return? 

Monica Crowley opines in the Washington Times on Donald Trump and the real black swan event.

The end may really be near for Obamacare.  

It’s Time to Stop Spending Taxpayer Dollars on Elon Musk and Cronyism. 

Now They Tell Us: Trump’s Economic Plan Will Boost Growth

Trump team announces tough lobbying ban. 

Good News:  A $900 Billion Oil Treasure Lies Beneath West Texas Desert. 

Religious liberty sees a small ray of hope in Oregon. 

The ‘Rubio Effect:’ Conservative Victory Among a Diversifying Electorate. 

Thursdays with Gipperten.com

There is no surprise with this announcement:  Sen. Chuck Schumer is the new Senate Minority Leader.  Fortunately for us, not the Majority Leader, but he will still be a problem to work with as he is quite the partisan and his lieutenants prove the Senate will be difficult to work with. 

If Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) is elected as the Chair of the DNC expect it to lean more left than under the leadership of Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.  If he is elected, rest assured they learned nothing from the 2016 elections. 

Here is more on the Sanctuary City plan to “protect immigrants” from President-Elect Trump.  From the O’Reilly Factor last night:  Continuing on the subject of sanctuary cities, The Factor asked Kimberly Guilfoyle and Lis Wiehl to examine the legal aspects. “The federal government cannot compel any local agency to round up illegal aliens,” Wiehl asserted. “Under the Tenth Amendment, any right not directly given to the feds is given to the states, and the feds cannot commandeer local agencies to arrest people.” Guilfoyle elaborated on the separation of powers between the federal government and local authorities, saying, “The states are considered to be sovereign entities distinct from the federal government, which cannot usurp their authority.” However, both Wiehl and Guilfoyle agreed that the federal government can force local authorities to hold on to criminal illegal immigrants who are already in custody.   Rush Limbaugh has this to say to Governor Cuomo and others ” “Fine, you want to do this? You keep it up and I’m going to impound every dime of federal money your cities are getting. I am not going to sit here and openly tolerate lawlessness like you are encouraging, Governor Cuomo.” Illegal immigration is illegal. 

This is the headline in US News and World Reports (Not known for their conservative stance):  Stop Teaching Anti-Trump Bias.

Teachers OK’d students skipping class to join anti-Trump protests.  Seriously?  What is wrong with these teachers? 

This will not go over well with some legislators, however, taxpayers may benefit from it.  Politico has more on the lack of a pay raise for legislators.

Michael Goodwin opines that De Blasio values political future more than people of NYC. 

E. J. McMahon lets us know tax revenues are still weakening and Bill Hammond points out the projected impact of minimum wage cost on Medicaid.

Thomas Sowell’s Tuesday columns:  What Now and What Now, Part II.

Wednesday’s with Walter E. Williams.