Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America close the week with three crazy martinis and a champagne toast. They sigh as President Trump tweets that he is ordering U.S. companies to scale back in China in response to the very real practice of China ripping us off. They also evaluate former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne’s claims that he was ordered to conduct political espionage on four presidential candidates in 2015-2016 on orders from the FBI and Justice Department. They react to CNN hiring disgraced former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe as an analyst. And Jim offers a toast to the late David Koch for his tireless efforts to expand freedom and opportunity to Americans.
President Trump
Inslee Exits, Hickenlooper Runs for Senate, Walsh 2020?
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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America enjoy a fun episode by discussing three presidential hopefuls who never had a chance. They start by applauding Washington Gov. Jay Inslee for recognizing he wasn’t going to win and getting out of the Democratic presidential race. They also sigh as former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper starts running for U.S. Senate just days after dropping out of the presidential field, and admit he’s got a pretty good chance of winning. And they wonder why one-term former Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh is seriously considering a GOP primary challenge to President Trump.
What Trump Is Changing in the Endangered Species Act
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Environmental activists and political opponents are furious with President Trump for revising the Endangered Species Act (ESA), accusing him of being “purposefully” and “willfully negligent” with our natural resources.
But a leading conservative environmental policy analyst says the changes amount to nothing more than common sense, and in some instances return the law to its 1973 origins.
So what actually changed? National Center for Public Policy Research Senior Fellow Dr. Bonner Cohen says the revisions change nothing where endangered species live.
“The Endangered Species Act mandates that critical habitat be set aside for the species’ recovery The Trump administration reforms say, ‘Yes, you can designate critical habitat, but that must be habitat where a species really exists, not potential habitat.
“That distinction is very important, because it limits the amount of land that the Department of the Interior’s Fish & Wildlife Service can regulate. And these regulations can be very strict. The ESA has sadly become a land use restriction mechanism,” said Cohen.
In one instance, the government ordered more than 1,500 acres declared critical habitat for the Dusky Gopher Frog in St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana. However, Cohen says there are no known Dusky Gopher Frogs in Louisiana, yet the land was off limits for development. He says the ESA is often used to stifle rural development, particularly in the western United States.
Another change would revert the Endangered Species Act to have a distinct difference between “endangered” and “threatened” species. Cohen says the government has blurred the line over the past two decades and “threatened” species get the same amount of protection despite being in a better position to survive without federal intervention.
Nonetheless, activists are slamming the president for the revisions to the Endangered Species Act.
“There has never been a presidential administration more willfully, more purposefully negligent when it comes to the stewardship of our natural resources than the Trump administration,”
said conservationist Jeff Corwin on MSNBC.
Cohen is neither surprised nor fazed by the blowback.
“Their reaction is completely predictable because these are the people who have been working hand in glove with federal officials over decades to get species added to the list, not for the purpose of saving those species but for the purpose of shutting down as much activity on rural land across America as possible,” said Cohen.
Listen to the full podcast to hear Cohen explain why the Endangered Species Act is a colossal failure even by government standards, noting that only 40 of 1,661 species have ever been taken off the endangered list and 20 of those were already extinct or didn’t belong on the list to begin with. He also explains why Americans who care for their land end up the biggest losers under the ESA.
Devastating Debt, Trump’s Disloyalty’ Problem, Dr. Biden’s Blunder
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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America have no good martinis today. They wince as the national deficit creeps closer to $1 trillion again and lament that neither party has any intention of seriously addressing the problem before disaster strikes next decade. They also cringe as President Trump rightly slams Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and other far left lawmakers for pushing the anti-Semitic BDS movement but then says says any Jews who vote for Democrats are being disloyal. And they get a kick out of Jill Biden telling Democrats that her husband might not be the best candidate but voters should get on board because he has the best chance to beat Trump.
Planned Parenthood Reveals Priorities, Sanctuary Stupidity, Mooch Madness
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Jim Geraghty of National Review unleashes an epic rant about the re-emergence of Anthony Scaramucci – this time as an anti-Trump figure suddenly loved and respected by the press – and the Trump culture that created the Mooch. But first, he and Greg Corombos of Radio America celebrate Planned Parenthood withdrawing as an applicant for Title X funding for refusing to stop advocating for patients to get abortions – and saving taxpayers $60 million. And they unload on sanctuary counties in North Carolina and Maryland for letting illegal immigrants go despite them being accused of heinous sexual offenses.
Sanctions Crippling Kim, Is Trump Abandoning Hong Kong? PolitiFact’s Pants on Fire
David French of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America welcome the news that U.S. sanctions are inflicting a devastating economic toll and putting a lot of political pressure on North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-Un. They also cringe at reports that President Trump promised China two months ago that he would not condemn a Chinese crackdown on protesters in Hong Kong. And they hammer PolitiFact for refusing to criticize Senators Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris over their characterization of Michael Brown’s death as murder. PolitiFact says, “Legally, it wasn’t. How much should this word choice matter?”
Mass Shooting Madness, Pathetic Political Responses, Remembering Greg’s Dad
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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America wade through a very somber day on the Three Martini Lunch. They recoil at two horrific weekend mass shootings – one in Texas and another in Ohio – and where we stand as nation. They also evaluate how President Trump is responding and not responding to the heinous killings and how Democrats are pointing the finger of blame squarely at Trump. And, after being away last week, Greg comments on the passing of his father and the legacy his dad leaves behind.
Bernie Doubles Down, Hogan Mulls 2020, Politics & the NFL Draft
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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are finally back together. Today they relish Bernie Sanders doubling down on his push for incarcerated felons to have the right to vote, with Jim explaining how the issue could really damage Bernie if he becomes the nominee. They also roll their eyes as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan seriously mulls a primary challenge to President Trump while still lagging badly behind juggernauts like John Kasich and William Weld. And Jim surprisingly agrees with the woke USA Today columnist who is slamming the likely No. 2 overall pick in this week’s NFL Draft for shying away from his conservative politics on social media – although Jim’s motivation for agreeing remains a tad suspicious.
Tiger Roars Again, Pelosi vs. Socialists, Omar & 9/11
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David French of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America have a strong difference of opinion about Tiger Woods, but both are impressed by the comeback Woods pulled off to recover from debilitating injuries and win a fifth Masters green jacket. They also enjoy watching House Speaker Nancy Pelosi try to downplay how socialists and socialists policies are surging among Democrats but David warns conservatives not to pop too much popcorn as they watch. And David explains why we may have hit “peak stupid” on Twitter as the left tries to pretend Ilhan Omar’s comments were something other than a flippant diminishing of 9/11 and that any criticism of her comments amounts to incitement.
Trump Waits on Health Bill, Beto Bashes Electoral College, Bloomberg Reconsiders
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America admit that it’s good politics for President Trump and Republicans to postpone another effort to dismantle Obamacare until after the 2020 election but are frustrated that the GOP still doesn’t have a coherent plan almost a decade after Obamacare as passed. They also blast Beto O’Rourke as he calls for the abolishing of the electoral college because it goes all the way back to the founding and claims that it somehow perpetuates racial discrimination. And they get a kick out of reports that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is reconsidering a 2020 presidential bid if Joe Biden decides not to run or becomes too damaged to have a decent shot at winning.