Quick Hits: Volume CCXVII

- Congressman Justin Amash, a self-proclaimed libertarian who switched party affiliation from Republican to Independent last year, has formed an exploratory committee for President on the Libertarian ticket. Certainly a group which refers to themselves as "Principled Conservatives" would consider Amash a viable alternative to a sitting Republican president whom they believe has distorted GOP party values....right?

Well......

We are in uncertain times. It is impossible to know what November holds or exactly how a campaign with a strong libertarian nominee like Amash would play out.

But while it may be true that nothing is quite certain in elections, or economics, or life, there is one thing that is certain about the current federal government:

The president is unfit and dangerous. He has “abused and violated the public trust.”

Anyone who shares that assessment of President Trump should focus on maximizing the possibility of his removal.

Such a calculus should preclude a third party run in 2020.

Translation: We "principled" "conservatives" must vote for Joe Biden this November.

To reiterate what I said about this lot in a previous post: such a stance is neither principled nor conservative.


- Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who spearheaded a movement in 2016 that women who allege having been sexually assaulted have a right to be believed, officially endorsed Joe Biden for President on Tuesday (WARNING: Suuuuuuuper awkward).




How grateful was Biden that Mrs. Clinton conveniently suspended her "believe all women" mantra in the face of Tara Reade's allegations endorsed him?

Photo courtesy of Jon Gabriel

Speaking of egregious double standards on the "Believe All Women" issue, Amber Athey of Spectator USA compiled a handy list of other high profile Biden supporters who have disgraced themselves over this.


- Dave Hughes, who opposed longtime incumbent Congressman Collin Peterson (MN-07) each of the past two election cycles, appears to be making a third run in 2020. However, Hughes has a serious, well-funded challenger for the GOP nomination in former state senator Michelle Fischbach.

In securing the Republican nomination in 2016 and 2018, Hughes never really had a serious challenge.... and it shows. The Hughes campaign's attacks on Fischbach reek of desperation.

A recent post at a tacky looking website called "Do You Know Fischbach" (Paid for by Hughes for Congress 2020) takes issue with David Fitzsimmons, an incredibly experienced operative who was hired to manage the Fischbach campaign. Highlighted in the piece is Fitzsimmons voting to legalize gay marriage when he was a state rep in 2013. The post also points out that he "DONATED MONEY TO ANTI-TRUMP, PROGRESSIVE, PRO-CHOICE, PRO-LGBTQ, FORMER DFL STATE REP. MARGARET KELLIHER."

For a Congressional campaign that has been running almost non-stop for nearly five years, this is amateur hour. First off, Fischbach herself voted "no" on legalizing gay marriage as a state senator. And secondly, Fitzsimmons' support of Kelliher had more to do with ensuring the radical Ilhan Omar didn't become the DFL candidate in MN Congressional District Five. In a D+22 district, the Democrat primary is essentially the general election.

I've gotten to know Dave Hughes over the past few years and felt he was as cordial and upstanding a guy I've ever met. But the campaign he's running in 2020 just ensured that I am throwing my full support behind Fischbach to be the candidate to oppose Peterson. Just as President Trump did.

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