Oregon House Expels Rep. Mike Nearman For Invalid 'Hall Pass'
Hope he gets 'detention,' too.
The Oregon House of Representatives voted almost unanimously yesterday to expel state Rep. Mike Nearman, the Republican lawmaker who allowed violent "protesters" into the state Capitol building last December while the building was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was the first time any member of the state Lege has been expelled.
The expulsion came less than a week after Oregon Public Broadcasting posted video showing Nearman telling an audience in December that if demonstrators called his cell phone number, maybe a door might be opened for them, somehow. Nearman called the plan "Operation Hall Pass," because if there's one thing these dipshits love more than ignoring laws they don't like, it's making cute jokes about how clever they are.
Nearman was tossed out of the legislature on a 59-1 vote, and yes, dear readers, he did indeed vote to keep him in his seat, not because he wanted to remain in the state House, but as a matter of principle. The principle that he should remain in the House, in particular.
When Nearman ran his amusing little operation to let protesters swarm into the state Capitol on December 21, Oregon was in the middle of one of its worst outbreaks of the virus, with upwards of 1,100 new cases being diagnosed daily. Although the Capitol was closed, the special legislative session on dealing with the pandemic was broadcast on TV. Witnesses could testify via video or telephone.
But Nearman contended that the Capitol shutdown was illegal, and to prove it, he let some protesters into the building so they could have a dialogue with state troopers guarding the legislature. There was a frank exchange of views as police attempted to push the mob back and the patriotic citizens retorted with bear spray, and the protesters also expressed their love of the First Amendment by assaulting some journalists.
The video, which was livestreamed the week before the Capitol breach, showed Nearman cleverly saying that he didn't know anything about this "Operation Hall Pass," then giving out a cell number which he described as just some random numbers with no particular significance. See how he wasn't doing anything wrong? Oh, what a wag!
There might be some person's number which might be [his cell phone number], but that is just random numbers... that's not anybody's actual cell phone. And if you say, 'I'm at the West entrance' during the session and text to that number there, that somebody might exit that door while you're standing there.
Mind you, that's just a possibility, it's not like he was telling people how they could infiltrate the building, because that would be wrong. The best denials are always the ones you make while you're doing the conspiracy on video.
The Oregonian reports that on Monday, Nearman told a conservative radio host that his audience for that speech had consisted mostly of "blue-haired old ladies," but the paper goes on to point out that "That did not accurately describe the group that showed up at the Capitol and entered the door Nearman opened." Why, it's almost as if those journalists didn't take Nearman at his word!
Rather, the demonstrators included the right-wing, Vancouver-based group Patriot Prayer known for street brawls, people wearing clothing with Three Percenters militia logos and a Confederate flag hat and people armed with rifles and wearing military gear.
They were no doubt looking for some nice blue-haired old ladies to escort to the House gallery to do citizenship things.
Nearman was given unlimited time to make his case for not being expelled, but kept his remarks short, insisting that "the citizens of Oregon should be able to instruct their legislators."
And indeed, Democratic Rep. Julie Fahey confirmed that the mob outside the Capitol had some instructions for her, which included chanting up at her office window such exhortations as "enemies of the state," "traitors" and "we hate you." Technically, none of those is an instruction since they're not phrased as an imperative, but They the People's wishes seemed fairly clear.
Rep. Anna Williams, also a Democrat, didn't speak during the debate yesterday, but did tweet a description of the nice allies of Mr. Nearman who dropped by to petition for redress of nearly endless grievances:
On December 21st, a man with a bullhorn was standing below my office window shouting, "We're coming for you!" as a group of people carrying semi-automatic weapons was looking into my and my colleagues' office windows. Rep. Mike Nearman invited them into the Capitol.
Also too, in a committee meeting prior to the vote on expulsion, Republican state Rep. Daniel Bonham said that Nearman had shown "terrible judgement" in opening the door for the mob, but added, bizarrely, that "When Mike Nearman says that he wanted to let people into the building to engage in the process, I believe that's what he wanted to do." We suppose lynching state legislators as traitors could be seen as a "process," since it would have to be done in a particular order.
Bonham also said he was very disappointed that people who condemned Nearman hadn't also spoken out against anarchist rioters who had destroyed property in Portland last year, although strictly speaking, those folks hadn't actually tried to invade the state Capitol in Salem, a whole different city. Nonetheless, Bonham did join his colleagues in voting to expel Nearman.
During the expulsion vote, Willamette Week reports, a small crowd of about 40 demonstrators gathered outside the Capitol and shouted "Traitors! Traitors! Traitors!" while watching the proceedings on video. Mr. Nearman, however, was a bit busy, and was unable to meet them to let them into the building.
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Joe Biden Gonna Vaccinate THE WORLD
About time, too!
The Biden administration announced Thursday it will purchase 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, to share with 92 countries around the world through the World Health Organization's COVAX initiative — the international effort to get vaccines to low- and lower-middle-income countries that Donald Trump couldn't be bothered to join. The White House announcement noted this would be the "largest-ever purchase and donation of vaccines by a single country and a commitment by the American people to help protect people around the world" from the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden also called on other wealthy nations to do their part, too, which is one of those "American leadership" things that disappeared from the world for four years.
The administration plans to get at least 200 million doses shipped out by the end of 2021, with the rest of the 500 million shots being delivered by June of next year. The 500 million dose commitment comes on top of an initial plan to donate 80 million doses, announced earlier this year. Biden announced the initiative after meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson before this weekend's G-7 summit in Cornwall, Britain-Land:
Pfizer is selling the 500 million doses to the US at a "not-for-profit" price, and in his announcement, Biden emphasized that the vaccines would be distributed to other countries with "no strings attached," which means he's going to send out the vaccines without even pressuring Ukraine to dig up dirt on his son Hunter.
CNBC reported Wednesday that the US is also negotiating with Moderna to get additional doses of its vaccine to distribute through COVAX.
The announcement, timed to come just before the summit, is expected to goose other well-off nations to take similar action. Even with billions of vaccine doses, it's going to take at least through 2022 to get vaccines distributed across the world.
Biden has also said he favors waiving intellectual property restrictions so that pharma companies in the rest of the world can produce their own vaccines, although that's still waiting on an international agreement; French President Emmanuel Macron said this week he favors IP waivers as well, so there's one more thing for the G-7 to talk about, non? Germany and the UK have so far opposed any such waivers, while Japan and Canada seem to be on the fence.
One very big reason for the developed world to haul ass on getting vaccines to the rest of the world is that controlling the spread of the virus will reduce the chance that new variations will evolve and bite us. Next time your awful wingnut neighbor complains that Biden's being played for a fool and giving handouts to the world, maybe remind them that US America has a perfectly selfish interest in preventing some possible mutation from coming back here.
Then let your dog poo in their roses late at night.
[White House / Reuters / MSNBC / Politico]
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Rick Wiles Science-Splains How And Why Chinese Spies Put COVID In His Butt
This is just true.
Science problem solved!
You know End Times nutbag person Rick Wiles got the COVID, which was shocking since he was actively boycotting the vaccine, since he thinks the vaccine is going to bring about a global genocide. And you know he survived the COVID, praise the Lord from whom all blessings flow.
Now Rickles the Clown has solved the science conundrum of how he got the COVID. (No it wasn't in the last paragraph, in the sentence about "boycott vaccine.") Apparently his guest host Lauren Witzke was saying WRONG DUMB IDIOT WORDS when she suggested Wiles and the rest of his TruNews staff got the pestilence because they allowed longtime heterosexual "Milo" to talk on Rick Wiles's TruNews show about how he's forsworn touching men on their weener-wangs, FOREVER. She said it was a spiritual attack! She said Satan was just super pissed Pastor Rick had allowed Milo to talk about boycotting cock on the show! Therefore Satan gave everybody in the building COVID. That'll show 'em, thought the Devil!
Well, FACTCHECK, LAUREN WITZKE:
(Transcript via Right Wing Watch because puh-leeze, we are not in a transcribing mood.)
"There is a medical mafia in this country," a noticeably hoarse and thinner Wiles said. "I'm suggesting the CCP agents in America struck at me because I am calling for Fauci to be arrested and interrogated."
The CCP agents — he means the Chinese Communist Party — struck the COVID directly at him! And they were successful because he wasn't vaccinated. THAT STRIKE-THROUGH SENTENCE IS A LIE.
OK, so ... China attacked Rick Wiles in his man body because he won't stop telling his global audience of probably trillions that he wants known Chinese Communist Party Doctor Anthony Fauci arrested. Gotcha.
"I mean this with all my heart," Wiles continued.
No foolin'.
"If the China Communist Party is not stopped, most Americans may be dead in the next five years."
Hoo boy. We are no fans of the Chinese authoritarian dictatorship, but we are forced to ask to what end? What would be their point in murdering all of America?
Oh thank goodness, he explains:
"Think about what I just said: a systematic, genocidal plan to exterminate the American population over the next five years through a variety of biological weapons and vaccines, to the point that there's hardly anybody remaining alive in the country. China is deliberately exterminating the American population for the purpose of migrating hundreds of millions of Chinese settlers to North America."
They want to move here? All of 'em? Do they have lots of Zillow alerts set up and everything? Has China SEEN what a seller's market most of America is right now? Because if we were real-estate-advising the entire nation of China right now, we might say wait a sec to see if things cool off. Otherwise all of China gonna be paying $50K over asking with no inspection, and that's just not a #BeBest idea.
In summary and in conclusion, Rick Wiles got COVID because he's a batshit COVID vaccine conspiracy theorist, and we hope that is the end of this story arc about Rick Wiles.
Glad he's back in the studio and we pray for his continued healing, not even with our fingers crossed behind our backs.
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What's Joe Biden Out Of Today? TRAILERS
For sale or rent.
Today we bring you the first in what we hope won't be a terribly long series on the weirdness of the COVID economic recovery, in which we'll pretend to blame Joe Biden for supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic. Today, it's the recreational vehicle industry, which actually did pretty well in 2020 because one way to travel fairly safely was to drive your own hotel room around the country, as long as you masked up at the gas station. Problem is, now at least one of the biggest RV manufacturers has more orders than it can fill! Darn it, Joe Biden!
Thor Industries - which owns RV brands like Jayco and Airstream - first began seeing a boost in sales in May and June of 2020, especially with RV newcomers, Thor Industries' president and CEO Bob Martin told Insider in May 2020. This boom in popularity only continued to grow: Thor achieved $3.46 billion in net sales in Q3 2021, the strongest in the company's history, Martin said in the earnings report. This is a 105.7% increase compared to Q3 2020.
The downside is that Thor now has a great big backlog of some $14 billion in orders that it's having trouble filling, and RV dealers are saying, "You're Thor? I'm completely thold out!"
On CNBC, Martin explained that Thor's RV brands are already "pretty much sold out for the next year," which is creating problems for the retail networks:
We have backlogs that are full of retail orders, so those will hit the dealer's lot and then leave, and so we're still not able to build inventory at our dealer's lot.
He also said he believes the trend during the pandemic is bringing a lot of younger customers into the RV lifestyle, which means they'll keep upgrading to bigger RVs through their lifetime, so "we see this as a long-term trend." Sure sounds like he's selling something, although maybe that'll turn out to be true. It's like they say, your first RV is free and then once you're hooked ... wait, they don't say that at all.
In an earnings report, Martin wrote that "Since a significant number of units in our backlog have already been retail sold, we currently believe the restocking cycle will extend well into calendar 2022," so the company will continue boosting production to meet the demand.
This all sounds like really good news for one industry, apart from how the shortages are probably all Joe Biden's fault or something.
Gosh, we sure hope that it doesn't turn out that the RV business is some kind of cyclical thing; we keep thinking of that time in 2009 when Barack Obama went to promote his recovery plan in Elkhart, Indiana, home to many RV factories, and there was a lot of Fox News grumbling about how he had tanked the economy while George W. Bush was in office. Then when Obama returned to Elkhart in 2016 to campaign for Hillary Clinton and point out that jobs had returned, Indiana voted instead for Donald Trump, after which the air conditioner manufacturing jobs went to Mexico anyway.
So what we're saying is that the economic news for Thor looks promising, but you probably should judge the economy by watching long-term growth, not just the trailer.
[Business Insider (via Yahoo News) / CNBC]
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