LA Fires Rest ‘Directly’ On Gavin Newsom’s Policies

Kevin McCarthy Ousted As Speaker

Above, Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Official portrait 2023.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is now ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

A GOP revolt led by Rep. Matt Gaetz voted McCarthy out of the speakership today. I have to admit that I didn't see this one coming.

From Newsmax:

The House of Representatives is officially in recess — closed for business — with the ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy in a historic vote on Capitol Hill, Tuesday.

Eight Republicans voted to remove McCarthy; the Democrat caucus vowed that they were going to be united in not getting involved, all of them voting to oust McCarthy, the first speaker removed since 1910.

Before the final vote, 11 Republicans voted to advance the motion to vacate to the full House.

It will be interesting to see who becomes the next speaker.

To read more, go here. 

Silver At $23.11/toz

The precious metals markets are in a "wait and see" mode on whether or not His Fraudulency Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy can come to a deal on raising the debt ceiling.

If they can't, there is a potential for the federal government defaulting on its debts.

Silver has dropped a bit in today's trading according to COMEX.

This is, as I always say, a good opportunity to buy silver coins and bullion before the price goes up. Sooner or later, it will. 

Remember: Buy low, sell high!

Bearish Outside Metals Gang Up On Gold, Silver

Since the spot price for silver has gone down, I have taken the opportunity to buy more of it. My latest purchase arrived on Monday.

Much of what is happening in the commodity markets is contingent on what deal, if any, is reached on the debt limit talks between His Fraudulency Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

According to Kitco News:

(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are solidly lower in midday U.S. dealings Thursday, with both hitting multi-week lows. The three key outside markets are all bearish for the precious metals today. The U.S. dollar index is solidly up and hit a seven-week high. Rising U.S. Treasury yields and lower crude oil prices on this day complete the bearish trifecta. June gold was last down $26.00 at $1,959.00 and July silver was down $0.262 at $23.635.

Trader and investor risk appetite has also up-ticked late this week, which is also a negative for the safe-haven metals. The U.S. debt-limit extension talks are reportedly going better. President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have both made upbeat comments on getting a deal done before June 1. Reads a Barrons headline today: "Debt ceiling optimism brings markets back to life. It's not without risks." The story details that while the debt matter getting fixed is a positive, the potential negatives are still lingering, including a still-hawkish Federal Reserve, recession concerns, and U.S. and European banking jitters. The marketplace is by no means robustly risk-on at present.

To read more, go here. 

China Sanctions Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Above, yours truly at the doorway of Air Force One (SAM 27000) at the Reagan Library.

This is downright silly.

China is imposing sanctions on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California for hosting a meeting between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

According to the Daily Mail (U.K.):

China is imposing sanctions against the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and other US and Asian based organizations in retaliation for the this week's closely watched meeting between the US House Speaker and Taiwan's president.

The Reagan library in Simi Valley, California, was the site of the rare high-level, bipartisan meeting Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted this week for talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

The sanctions effectively are a travel ban on the individuals in charge of the library and other groups involved in the meeting. They're also banned from working with Chinese organizations.

To read more, go here. 

"QAnon Shaman" Released Early

Good news, folks!

Sebastian Gorka posted the following: 

Jacob Chansley, has been released 14 months early after Speaker Kevin McCarthy released January 6th footage that proved he committed no crime.

 

Rep. Kevin McCarthy Loses 2nd Ballot For Speaker

Hard-line conservatives of the Republican House caucus again defeated Rep. Kevin McCarthy's bid to become Speaker of the House in a second ballot vote. McCarthy needs 218 votes to become Speaker.

This sort of thing (more than one ballot for speaker) hasn't occurred since the Civil War era.

According to Politico:

Kevin McCarthy again failed to secure the votes for speaker in a highly unusual second ballot, as his dozen-plus detractors refused to relent in their push for fresh leadership atop the party.

This time, conservative hero Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) personally urged his colleagues to back McCarthy in a speech before the vote. Instead, 19 Republicans voted for Jordan on the floor — again sending GOP leaders scrambling.

It’s a stunning prolonged chaos on the first day of the new Congress. McCarthy and his allies will now attempt to quell the revolt, preparing members to take repeated votes as pressure mounts from their colleagues. It marked only the second time since the Civil War that a party needs multiple attempts to choose its leader on the House floor — with all business in the chamber, even the swearing-in of members, halted until a speaker is chosen.

It looks to be a long night.

To read more, go here. 

UPDATE (1/4/23): 

McCarthy has since lost a 3rd ballot vote with a defector.

Trump Running In 2024...But

Above, President Trump at the Albuquerque Sunport.

Former President Trump is running for president in 2024.

Although he made his formal announcement yesterday, this really comes as no surprise. If he gets the GOP nomination and wins, he will be the second president after Grover Cleveland to not serve two consecutive terms of office. 

At present, I am just going to take a wait-and-see attitude. I am also leaning towards Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, should he decide to throw his hat into the ring.

After the midterm elections, things are a bit topsy-turvy right now. A lot of election results make no sense. The Republican Party needs to see what went wrong and make corrections during the next two years. It appears at this point that the Republican Party will be in control of the House of Representatives with Kevin McCarthy as Speaker, replacing Nancy Pelosi.

One thing is for certain, the financial markets should be happier now that we have a divided government. 

Things are going to be mighty interesting over the next two years. 

David Gold "Hanging In"

Above, David Gold.

Over the past few months, I was wondering what happened to former talk show host David Gold. His Facebook page has been gone for months.

I always enjoyed his insights on politics and current affairs.

Apparently, he had a fall (knee-related is what I am gathering) and suffered a fractured clavicle and, more seriously, a head injury.

Kevin McCarthy posted the following two days ago on David's current status:

David Gold update from DeAnna: (summarized)

First of all, thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.

As of tonight, David is still hanging in there... was able to cross room with walker yesterday and today. ASAP, he will be moved from the hospital to a rehab unit that we all think is the best one locally. After a few weeks there, then it'll be safe to do another angiogram to see if he is safe from another bleed in his brain. He's still struggling with pain from his knee, and a complex break in his clavicle.

They are postponing treatment of the clavicle until the brain injury is sorted and it's safe to mess with him. If all goes well, at some point he'll be able to come home but we are looking at a long road ahead.

My best wishes to David and DeAnna.  

Biden's DOJ Targeting Parents

Parents are being harassed by the Department of Justice for protesting against Critical Race Theory and mask mandates at school board meetings.

People are only exercising their First Amendment rights to free speech. The actions by the Department of Justice is right out the totalitarian playbook

The New York Post reported:

Parents and politicians are slamming the Department of Justice’s decision to bring in the FBI to investigate a spike in “threats against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff,” saying the Biden administration is likening their protests of “woke” policies such as Critical Race Theory — as well as mandatory mask wearing — to “domestic terrorism.”

“Dear @TheJusticeDept Merrick Garland and @FBI Director Christopher Wray,” Asra Nomani, vice president of investigations and strategy at Parents Defending Education, posted on Twitter. “This is what a domestic terrorist looks like? You are criminalizing parenting, and you owe the people of America a swift apology.”

She sarcastically signed the missive, “‘Domestic Terrorist,’ Asra Nomani.”

Nomani’s group has been researching how school boards across the US implement “woke” ideas into curricula, such as critical race theory. 

In recent months, dozens of parents have taken a stand in school board meetings against the teaching of Critical Race Theory in classrooms and to protest mask mandates, causing some to wonder what the FBI and DOJ are actually investigating. 

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has joined the fray by posting the above Tweet on Twitter.

To read more, go here.

Maxine Waters Must Go!

 

"Maxine Waters is inciting violence in Minneapolis — just as she has incited it in the past. If Speaker Pelosi doesn’t act against this dangerous rhetoric, I will bring action this week".

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 19, 2021

Whether Maxine Waters resigns or is expelled from congress, in any case, she must go! 

“As a sitting United States Congresswoman @MaxineWaters threatened a jury demanding a guilty verdict and threatened violence if Chauvin is found not guilty. This is also an abuse of power,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

House Minority Leader McCarthy: Schiff Lied About Whistleblower

When I first heard it, I couldn't believe my ears. Well, since it was Rep. Adam Schiff, I guess I could believe it as Ol' Pencilneck's a compulsive liar.

The Washington Times reported:

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy explicitly accused House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of lying about his knowledge of the whistleblower. 

The California Republican slammed the Democrats’ point man for the impeachment process for not publicly acknowledging his staff met with the whistleblower during Wednesday’s first public impeachment hearing. 

“I don’t think it’s the first time he’s lied either,” Mr. McCarthy told reporters on Thursday, citing Mr. Schiff’s claims around Russian collusion.

Last week, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), chaired by Schiff, published the unredacted name of the whistleblower, Eric Ciaramella.

To read more, go here.

Kevin McCarthy Dies At 96

The pods finally got Kevin McCarthy.

Kevin McCarthy, the star of the original 1956 science-fiction classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, died yesterday at age 96.

His most famous line in the movie was, "Can't you see? Everyone! They're here already. You're next!"

The Los Angeles Times reports:

Kevin McCarthy, the veteran stage and screen actor best known for his starring role as the panicked doctor who tried to warn the world about the alien "pod people" who were taking over in the 1956 science-fiction suspense classic "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," died Saturday. He was 96.

McCarthy died of natural causes at Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, Mass., said his daughter Lillah.

To see the full article, go here.