This AM: @RonDeSantisFL explained Tuesday why @Disney should not control its own government, including the right to zone its own property. Before my retirement from active practice of law I was a land use lawyer for 30-plus years. I am astonished Disney had that authority. Now @Disney can expect due process of law and equal treatment under the laws but it should never have been given the authority to supervise its own land use. That was unique. And undoing the sweet-heart deals it gave to itself as Florida reclaimed its sovereignty should be… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

The national debt has gone from <$6T in 2001 to >$31T today. The federal deficit was $2.7T in ‘FY ‘21 and $1.4T in FY ‘22. In ‘FY 02 —the year after 9/11– deficit was $158B. Our $25T in new debt and >10x increase in annual deficit spending is b/c of 9/11, 2008, Covid, Obamacare.1 Half way along this bipartisan (and often necessary) spending splurge, President Obama confronted a new GOP House majority in 2011 —and negotiated some spending controls which did not work and which thus resulted in automatic sequestration, a disaster for national security. 2

Social media nutters, most w/o names and a few score Twitter followers, are targeting long-time conservatives like @DLoesch @seanhannity @marklevinshow and me b/c w/ think the 20 are doing great damage. They say the represent "The Base." It is sort of hilarious. Always ask for a definition of "The Base" when you see "The Base" invoked. Mine: You are willing to state your name and state, you have voted in at least five consecutive elections for the R (which means you are at least 26) and that you can articulate Constitutional principles.

Overnight @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy's support remained very strong. Anger among the 200 v. the 20 grew and became vocal. The permanent damage to the careers of the 20 begins today. Their legacy media heat shield is melting away and the reasonable few have to find a way out stat 1 I'll play the presser of the score of veterans who seem particularly incensed b/c they know how leadership works. The grandstanding could go on a long time, but it is clear that McCarthy is not quitting and his rock-solid support is not slipping. 2

Legacy media is full of “alternatives to @GOPLeader McCarthy as Speaker.” But there aren’t any. These outlets, unfailingly left wing, love narratives of GOP in chaos, hope that tomorrow’s 1st ballot wounds McCarthy. But there is no alternative, the Crank Caucus notwithstanding 1 A handful of GOP outliers are feeding legacy media as much damaging narrative as they can, and they might delay organizing the House. But it’s just terrible “journalism” to make up alternatives to Speaker McCarthy when there are none. The outliers just want and need attention. 2

Been thinking about @ijbailey interview this AM and his subsequent Twitter thread on the burden of a stutter. Lefty-land MSNBC put me on at 7:30 AM on a Sat morning and I had 75K+ watch. Can you imagine the audience for @ijbailey just among people who stutter (3 million in US)? 1 It’s a hard thing to imagine, but audience would follow such a show while such a show would also encourage Americans with disabilities of all sorts. It would have an insta-audience. Maybe @peacock first? But I have to think a smart guy like @ijbailey could make it work. 2

I'd like to thank @donlemon and @CNN for its rude, unprofessional treatment of @MessageFromLen last week, b/c it led to my booking him for this AM when he can review not only what Don didn't last week, but the new fractures in Iran's regime featured in @WSJ this AM. 1 Len of course condemned the dinner at Mar-a-Lago but if Don had any iota of curiosity, he'd have known his back story as a Soviet Jew who came to America as a child w/o any English and came to lead the efforts by @mikepompeo @KeithJKrach to undermine mullahs from State. 2

I’m watching @RishiSunak v. @trussliz closely for what it portends for U.K., Europe and of course U.S. New PM will get a brief honeymoon and has to move quickly to put their stamp on the future as an election is two years off. Almost every senior executive misses one thing: 1

https://twitter.com/rishisunak/status/1550536729194627073

How very little time they have to implement their key legislative objectives. @JoeBiden chose to spend billions on an inflationary splurge, but got nothing lasting like immigration reform. Former Presidents Trump and Obama picked tax cuts and Obamacare respectively. 2

I'll be joining @CapehartJ and @Eugene_Robinson on @PostLive this AM, discussing the Nancy Pelosi 1/6 Committee and Justice Thomas' concurrence in Dobbs. On the latter point of what the justice said and didn't say, there is a crucial passage. 1 Do "other constitutional provisions guarantee the myriad rights that our substantive due process cases have generated...[are] any of the rights announced in [the] substantive due process cases...'privileges or immunities of citizens of the U.S. protected by the 14th Amendment"? 2

There is a lot a speculation the day after the earthquake that shook #SCOTUS about the leaker. That individual broke faith w/ a 230+ year tradition, one of crucial importance to the rule of law. I hope they are discovered, punished. But presumption of innocence is even older. 1 Much as everyone inside the Beltway, Manhattan-Beltway Big Journalism, the pro-life and pro-abortion rights movements and the vast legal community would like for various reasons to speculate and even accuse, don't. Leave it to Chief Justice and his colleagues. 2

Every sports community —like Northeast Ohio aka “The Land”— deserves a writer/columnist like @terrypluto. Once a week the Dean of Cleveland sportswriters sits down w/ @illibuck9 for “Terry’s Talking,” a near perfect podcast. (This week’s is here: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ter…) 1 What @terrypluto brings to a podcast is a deep appreciation for all of the games, the players, coaches, front offices, owners and especially the fans. Terry’s also a very grounded Christian who writes an “On Faith” column weekly which gets covered by David and him in the show. 2

What Rep @RoKhanna appeals for in his new book “Dignity in a Digital Age” is basic civility in American discourse online. The book is a fine statement of the progressive agenda w/ which I disagree but he’s candid, funny, polite and smart. Give a listen: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ukr… 1 The transcript will be posted tonight (and the audio is already up at the website) but reactions tell me that legacy media is missing the chance to build the old Crossfire audience. John Stewart was very wrong when he attacked it. @PaulBegala and @TuckerCarlson ran a good show 2

I doubt you recall the 1993 general election in Canada. The conservatives up north lost all but 2 of their 156 seats in Parliament. That’s a drubbing. U.S. Democrats have to be wondering if they are headed towards the American equivalent of that smash-up. 1 Every issue, foreign and domestic but especially domestic, has turned against them. Inflation is of course their greatest curse, and their fingerprints are there —the massive spending of @JoeBiden (who wanted even more…thank you Senator Manchin.) 2

There is every reason to believe that unfolding battle between Gov. @GlennYoungkin (and AG @JasonMiyaresVA) will be a proxy war for every common sense parent v. every aloof and dismissive educrat in US (elected Boards and appointed superintendents). 2022 elections impact too.

https://twitter.com/hughhewitt/status/1482820049538744320

What Governor Youngkin knows he knows from retail campaigning and hearing from parents about the backlash against masking, remote learning, suspended sports and normalcy. What educrats “know” is old knowledge based on an earned legacy of public esteem for teachers. But it’s over.

“Our common path forward is with the miracle of modern medicine, that’s given us vaccines, new therapeutics and medical treatments.

Our common path forward is with our deep and abiding respect for individual freedom.” Gov. ⁦@GlennYoungkin⁩ 1 wjla.com/news/local/rea… “We will remove politics from the classroom and re-focus on essential math, science and reading. And we will teach all of our history the good and the bad.
And we know that when our children don’t go to school it harms their learning and development.” 2

“Nowadays the idea that a group of Washington fixers will work with mainstream-media outlets to set the rules for debates strikes one as anachronistic. No one trusts Washington fixers. No one has confidence in mainstream media. No one seems particularly interested in debate.” 1 This from @continetti is mostly right. But I’ve already moderated three debates among serious candidates for statewide office in CA, OH and MN, w/ 2 more moderator jobs on tap next month for more statewide races. There is a hunger for real debate. But I agree to moderate if…2

"The current coronavirus wave will give Israel herd immunity and won’t overwhelm hospitals, former coronavirus czar [of Israel] Prof. Ronni Gamzu. He also voiced optimism over the decision to start offering fourth coronavirus shots for Israelis over 60" @TimesofIsrael Outsourcing the U.S. covid policy to the Israelis and just following their lead would restore a great deal of credibility to CDC and @POTUS team. The face plant on testing could be replaced by new booster policy and mandates from governors to keep schools open.

Today’s AM show will begin with this, and w/ the key bit of data from @ScottGottliebMD that prompted it. Been very pro-vaccines/boosters from the first day they have been available, but Omicron’s arrival in midst of semi-break from political battles offers window to persuade. 1

https://twitter.com/hughhewitt/status/1475548727641358336

“Sunk costs” is the key concept (and @asymmetricinfo one of its great explainers via “The Upside of Down.” Megan explains the “fallacy of sunk costs: essentially putting good money behind bad ideas, or fighting a losing battle simply b/c you’ve invested so much in it.” 2

Christmas shopping for a conservative today? Give any format of @aroberts_andrew “The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III” amazon.com/Last-King-Amer… I love the audio version but have the hardback as well for note-taking etc. 1 I’ll have @aroberts_andrew back this week, but it may be too late for even Prime members to get it delivered so preview: It’s riveting and fair to all involved in the American Founding, but also to George, both Pitts, Fox and more and provides a coherent review of French revo 2

On 8/9 I asked Dr. Fauci “Is there a potential omega variant out there that becomes deadlier still, doctor?” He responded “Hugh, it is potentially the situation that that could occur….” People need to focus on this: It could come back and be far worse. 1 hughhewitt.com/dr-tony-fauci-… This is why getting vaccinated and getting the booster is so crucial for everyone, including people with natural immunity brought about by having had the virus. Imagine the country as a walled castle. If the walls are down or gates open some places, it’s easier to invade. 2

This AM I will be playing the key questions from the six center-right justices of #SCOTUS (it did not seem as though Justice Breyer, Kagan or Sotomayor were inclined to any modification of Roe/Casey). One cannot predict what a Justice will decide based on their questions, but...1 I heard six justices ready to overturn Roe and Casey, probing for any argument other than "stare decisis" and "reliance" to keep them and hearing none. I also heard "stare decisis" correctly explicated as a key but not absolute doctrine, and the Roe/Casey decisions scrutinized. 2