Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are glad to see former UN Ambassador Samantha Power exposed for egregious “unmasking” of Americans detected on foreign surveillance, including a huge number just prior to President Trump’s inauguration. They also cast a skeptical eye upon North Korea’s threat to detonate a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean, but note the troubling impact it would have on the area and the prospects for war. And they express disgust as former CIA operative and liberal media darling Valerie Plame tweets out a story blaming “America’s Jews” for America’s Wars and suggesting American Jews recuse themselves from Middle East policy and be identified as Jews when speaking on television. They also roll their eyes at her pathetic explanation and wonder how her attitude played into her controversy at the outset of the Iraq War.
National Review
Rudderless Dems, Kimmel vs. Health Bill, NFL Activism Month?
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are pleasantly reminded the Democrats are also deeply dysfunctional as former Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. says he doesn’t know what his party’s economic agenda is. They also sigh as late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel suddenly becomes the media’s benchmark for whether the latest GOP health care bill is a good idea. And they groan as four NFL players want to institute a month dedicated to social activism, similar to how the league devotes a month to breast cancer awareness.
Right to Work Wins Again, Students Clueless on Free Speech, ‘Top Gun’ Ad Flops
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America cheer a court decision that upholds Wisconsin’s right to work law and rejects the argument of organized labor that it has a right to part of workers’ paychecks. They also shudder as a new study shows students of all political stripes evenly divided on whether “hate speech” should be protected speech, whether it’s OK to shout down speakers they don’t like, or even whether uncomfortable views should be allowed on campus. And they have fun with a political ad that is a horrible parody of a famous scene from “Top Gun.”
Pelosi vs. Amnesty Crowd, Feds Tapped Manafort, Trump & ‘Rocket Man’
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America enjoy watching Nancy Pelosi get drowned out by amnesty activists who think she and Chuck Schumer are not doing enough for people who are in the U.S. illegally. They also discuss the revelation that the feds did in fact wiretap former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort before and after the 2016 election. And they have no problem with President Trump referring to Kim Jong-Un as “Rocket Man,” given that decades of professional diplomatic statements have achieved so little.
Closing the Embassy in Cuba? Refugee Bomber in London, College Park’s Shame
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America applaud the Trump administration for considering a full closure of the U.S. embassy in Cuba in response to the bizarre sound wave assaults on U.S. diplomats in Havana and urge officials to follow through on the idea. They also discuss the revelation that the London tube bomber was a teenage refugee just three years ago and why extreme vetting makes perfect sense. And they get a kick out of College Park, Maryland, council members having to admit they actually didn’t vote to allow illegal immigrants to vote in local elections because they didn’t know their own charter.
Berkeley Stays Calm, Harvard’s Manning Mistake, Terrorism in London
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America are happy to see Ben Shapiro was able to give his speech at Berkeley without incident in the auditorium and minimal unrest outside, which this year counts as very good news. They also unload on Harvard for offering convicted spy Bradley Manning, who now identifies as Chelsea Manning, a position as a visiting fellow, and only rescinding the offer after the intelligence community denounces the move. And they groan as a terrorist attack on the London tube injures 22 people and suggests terrorists there might be changing their tactics.
Trump’s Dizzying DACA Move, Soft on Iran Sanctions, White House vs. ESPN
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America react to President Trump making a deal with Democratic leaders to enact DACA into law in exchange for “massive border security” that has yet to be defined. They also sigh as the Trump administration continues sanctions relief for Iran in conjunction with the nuclear deal it still hasn’t scrapped. And they slam the White House for suggesting ESPN anchor Jemele Hill ought to fired for tweeting that Trump is a white supremacist while also blasting Hill and ESPN for their aggressively extreme politics.
Dems’ Single Payer Deception, Hillary’s Clear Delusion, Illegals OK to Vote
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America welcome the political debate to come as more and more Democrats enthusiastically endorse full government control of our health care and point out Americans sour on the idea quickly when they learn even a little bit about what single-payer really means. They also kick back and watch the public implosion of Hillary Clinton, most recently featuring her refusal to offer “absolution” to women who didn’t vote for her and contending George Orwell’s message was to trust our government and media. And they react to College Park, Maryland, officials voting to allow illegal immigrants to vote in local elections.
Haley Wins Again, Politicians Not A Panacea, Frivolous Fashion Week
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America cheer U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley for leading another round of sanctions aimed at North Korea in response to another nuclear test. They also groan as the Democrat running for governor in Virginia implies that voting her him will give kids there a better chance for success and Jim slams any politician who promises that electing them will solve everyone’s problems. And they discuss Jim Carrey’s on-air castigation of New York Fashion Week as meaningless, leading Jim to reveal tales of how the recent National Review cruise shared the ship with a lot of people connected to this superficial event.
Trump’s Tough Talk, Post Loves Anarchists, Jeffrey Lord’s Odd Exit
The Three Martini Lunch is on vacation for the week and will return on Monday, September 11. Please enjoy this encore presentation of a recent podcast.
Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America discuss the media hand-wringing over President Trump’s words towards North Korea and point out why Trump’s rhetoric is serving an important purpose. They also throw their hands up as The Washington Post offers a glowing profile of D.C.-based anarchists and how all their rioting and property destruction is all for some greater good. And Jim and Greg speculate about how a conservative group would be treated by the media if it behaved similarly. Finally, Jim goes after CNN for their dishonesty in firing Jeffery Lord over a Twitter battle: “Just come out and say it — we’re tired of Jeffery Lord!”