The Alex Padilla dustup, invading Greenland and other thoughts

Happy Fathers’ Day

I am banned from X. Don’t know why but they won’t let me create an account and many times won’t let me access any posts. I guess Musk didn’t like me saying that DOGE was redundant.

California senator Alex Padilla was forcefully removed from an ICE press conference. He interrupted Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem saying “I am Sen. Alex Padilla. I have questions for the secretary.” He was grabbed by security, forced to the ground, handcuffed and removed from the hearing. He was then released without being charged. Naturally the democrats are having a cow – and rightfully so (later on why). The democrat Hispanic caucus called for an investigation. Fellow democrat senators like Schumer, Warnock and Schiff denounced the action. On the republican side Lisa Murkowski expressed concern. The republicans were less sanguine. Speaker Mike Johnson said “It was wildly inappropriate. Democrats have been “defending lawbreakers, and now they are acting like lawbreakers themselves.” Naturally the White House was unapologetic with press secretary Karoline Levitt saying Padilla “should be ashamed of his childish behavior today.” Of course it this had happened to a republican legislator, the republicans would be spiting mad.

Noem said that she thought the senator was “an attacker.” “His approach was something I don’t think was appropriate at all, but the conversation was

great, and we’re going to continue to communicate. I’ll let law enforcement speak to how this situation was handled but I will say people need to

identify themselves before they start lunging at people during press conferences”. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said the agency’s personnel “acted completely appropriately” and that Padilla wasn’t wearing a security pin to identify himself.

Pardon me but Noem and Bongino are lying if they say that they did not know who Padilla was and if they are telling the truth then both should be fired. In my years on Capitol Hill I can tell you that the security personnel there pride themselves in being able to recognize and identify every legislators by sight. 

Noem and Bongino knew who Padilla was. Any statement to the contrary is a lie. That is the reason that any person from the congress should be alarmed – regardless of party. Noem and Bongino should be censured. Mike Johnson should be ashamed for not supporting his legislative colleague. You may want to condemn Padilla for showboating but you have to condemn the actions taken against him.. Mind you, I am no fan of the senator but I am aghast by the boorishness of this incident.

Did you see the headline “Anti-ICE riot funding investigated after ‘numerous high budget requests’ for paid agitators were reported”? Seems that a California firm named Crowds on Demand provides crowds for “spontaneous” protests said that it received “numerous high budget requests” to get involved with the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles and other cities but declined to participate. I wonder why. Probably they weren’t getting paid enough. The company spokesman said that it declined to get involved because it did “not want to get close to any form of illegal activity, including violence, vandalism or blocking off roads without a permit.” Seriously.

A cargo ship with over 3,000 cars including 800 EVs is burning off the coast of Alaska. The fire started in one of the lithium batteries in an EV. The authorities are just letting it burn since trying to extinguish an EV fire is problematical. As was the case with the Los Angeles fires where hundreds of EVs were aflame, the atmosphere has all the toxins in the batteries such as hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen cyanide. Again, if EVs weren’t “green” they would be banned as hazardous to ones health.

The proposal by some so-called conservatives to use the DOGE “savings” to give out $5,000 checks is too stupid to comment on. President Trump said regarding the $5,000 checks “We’re thinking about giving 20% back to the American citizens, and 20% down to pay back debt.” Don’t.

The San Francisco school superintendent suggested further dumbing down their standards by allowing students to retake final exams an infinite number of times and allowing 21 as a passing grade. This is called the “grading for equity” initiative. The proposed grading approach includes allowing students to retake tests; excluding factors like lateness, effort, and participation from final grades; omitting classwork and homework from grading; and basing 100% of the grade on “summative” testing.

Also more than 200 California takers of the bar exam were moved from “fail” to “pass” after a state bar committee approved new scoring adjustments. Is this also “grading for equity”?

Pete Hegseth says that the Pentagon has contingency plans on invading Panama and seizing Greenland by force. Say it isn’t so. Do it and even I will back an impeachment of this president.