Hi everyone.
Welcome to this week’s Daly Weekly, where I answer whatever questions you throw my way.
Let’s get right to your questions…
John: Alan Dershowitz has a column this week in the Wall Street Journal where he reveals that he has joined the Republican Party and will actively contribute and campaign for Republican candidates. The main reason for this change is the Democratic Party's radical anti-Israel shift. Dershowitz's quote: "The Democratic Party has become the most anti-Israel party in U.S. history." You and Bernie have been very public about your becoming independent as neither a registered Republican nor Democrat. Was Dershowitz's political conversion surprising to you? — Steve R.
No, I wasn’t surprised. I actually half-thought he had already joined the Republican Party (like Tulsi Gabbard and other high-profile lefties). I knew he had left the Democratic Party a while back (apparently multiple times). It’s certainly possible that he joined the GOP precisely for the reason he stated, even with corridors of the Right going through its own anti-Israel binge (though not so much in Republican leadership, which is an important difference).
Personally, in this political era, I find neither of our major political parties appealing. I can, however, think of two entirely logical reasons for wanting to be in one: 1) If your state requires a party-affiliation to vote in the primaries (mine doesn’t); 2) If you plan on running for office (I don’t).
Sir John — apparently Air Force Major-General William Neil McCasland has mysteriously disappeared after leaving his New Mexico home and taking his gun with him. This silver alert could easily be a simple tragedy, except that several other scientists who either worked under him or had some other type of connection to his work (which included UFO research) have also either vanished or died mysteriously, one of which was murdered. Barack Obama AND Donald Trump have both made some tantalizing remarks recently about otherworldly aliens as well. Alien Abductions!? Foreign enemy assassins!? A secret cabal!? The Men In Black!? In all seriousness, I know you think I indulge in conspiracies too much, but one has to admit that there sure are some odd coincidences occurring recently. (Speaking of which, You live in Colorado; what secrets are hidden beneath that airport,, and have you ever seen that spooky cursed statue of the horse known as “Bluecifer” in your travels? What’s going on here, Sir John? Enquiring Minds Want To Know —“Area 51” Regards from The Emperor
I haven’t followed this story closely enough to offer much insight on it, Emperor. In fact, if not for my wife mentioning it to me last week (she learned about these mysterious disappearances and deaths from her newsfeed), today would have been the first time I’d even heard about any of them. From what little I know, it’s certainly unusual, but I have no theories or conclusions to present you with.
As for Blucifer, yes, I see him often — every time I go to Denver International Airport. He’s large, in charge, and displayed prominently out front (on the drive in).
Blucifer has been a fun topic and cultural landmark for us Coloradans for several years now. He was an interesting art choice (for the very art-centric DIA), but what makes him even more notable is that he actually killed his sculptor before he was completed (by falling on him).
Blucifer is a hit with tourists (though you can’t really get your picture with him), and my wife and I got a kick out of him making an appearance on this season’s “Paradise.”
Represent!
I'm all in on a 10% tariff all around. Congress should approve this and dedicate it to the elephant in the room which is our national debt. I would also like to see an overall spending cut of 10% with the only exception to defense. I would like to see an annual decrease in spending of 5% to NATO with a five-year sunset clause. Minnesota fraud continues to be uncovered by independent reporters and covered up by mainstream reporters. The left has found a way to redistribute our federal tax dollars. Simple fiscal policies could rid our debt in 20 years. Unfortunately, it will never happen and to our grandchildren I ask forgiveness for the crash that will occur in their lifetime. — Tim H.
Tim, I certainly agree with you on that very last part. What we’ve done to our grandchildren, by letting our national debt explode well beyond our control, is unforgivable. Both parties have chased the fiscally-literate leaders out of office, and largely replaced them with grifters and clowns who are awesome at parroting talking points and sharing internet memes, but couldn’t care less about the most serious challenge we face as a nation.
I disagree with a mandatory 10% tariff. As we’ve learned, tariffs are a very inefficient, costly, and regressive way of raising tax revenue. Plus, they wouldn’t put a dent in the national debt. At this point, unfortunately, higher taxes will have to play a role in dealing with the issue, but tariffs aren’t the answer. There are far less damaging forms of taxation.
Of course, the major drivers of our national debt remain our major entitlement programs. They’re in desperate-desperate-desperate need of reform (and have been for many years). We can’t get anywhere at all on this issue without making serious changes to them.
On other spending, I would absolutely welcome a 10% federal cut across the board. Sun-setting NATO would be a terrible decision (for reasons I’ll probably get into in a future column). Fraud should be aggressively targeted and eliminated (and the fraudsters prosecuted). Unfortunately, even if you eliminate all government fraud, that wouldn’t put a dent in our debt either.
Ukraine’s going to win this thing, isn’t it? — Alex D.
Alex, I’m more confident of that now than I’ve ever been. Their home-grown drone technology (along with the Ukrainians’ amazing courage and resilience) has been an absolute game-changer for them. They’re steadily taking back territory, depleting the Russian forces, and securing new alliances and funding. It is to our country’s deep shame that we largely abandoned them, and have kept trying to tip the scales in favor of Putin, while they were (and still are) on the front line of defending the free world.
I wish the Ukrainians continued success, and eventual triumph.
Ok I know you have replied to an earlier question about Trump vs. Pope Leo, so this is more about the possible political ramifications. Do you actually think there will be any? Or is this just another “mean Tweet” that will be forgotten by next month.
BTW although many pundits have described this as a “tiff” or even a “fight” between them, seems so far it’s Trump who is swinging most of the online punches.
Most of the Pope’s public comments on the folly of war, the evils of politicians weaponizing religion, etc., are just what modern Popes tend to say, and really don’t come across as aimed at Trump personally, although I am sure they weren’t excluding him, either.
Anyway, at first I didn’t think this would affect Trump’s popularity at all. But I did see a recent poll indicating a drop in his support among Catholics, and even some non Catholic Christians, say that Trump’s recent blasphemous posts are the last straw, etc.
But Trump isn’t running again (and no I don’t agree with people already assuming he will figure out a way to run again in 2028). And when it comes to the midterms, I doubt this will matter much, unless Iran goes totally pear-shaped (like, Trump orders a mass ground invasion, and hundreds of American soldiers die, or get captured and set up Iran Hostage Crisis Part 2), but that would be much more about the Iran issue itself, than what the Pope said about it. — Aylene W.
Hi Aylene. I do not believe there will be any Pope-related political ramifications for Trump. The president’s Christian supporters have long exempted him from their moral standards (on everything from philandering to autographing Bibles for $1,000 a pop). Thus, I don’t expect that to suddenly change based on this. You’re right in that this dust-up (or whatever it is) has been one-sided (well, kind of). The Pope has been weighing in on policies and cultural issues (some are related to Trump), while Trump’s been going at The Pope individually for doing so. I think Trump’s worsening poll numbers (among all groups at this point) are more related to other things, like Iran, the economy, ICE, and general Trump-fatigue.
How much online hatred did you get from posting that picture of you and David French? — Ben G.
Ha! Surprisingly little, Ben. If David had retweeted it, I’m sure I would have received all kinds of unhinged responses, as I have in the past (since a lot of people hate-follow him).
I’ve interviewed David a number of times, and saw him speak at an event a year or so ago, but this was the first time I’d met him in-person. Nice guy. He and his Advisory Opinions podcast co-host, Sarah Isgur, were doing a live event at the University of Denver. So, I figured I’d drive down and say hi. I’m glad I did.
Thanks everyone! You can send me questions for next week by leaving a comment in the comment section.