Eight Percent > Four Percent //

federal tax revenues increased by four percent in 2019, reaching the highest level in American history. Republicans cut taxes (every single Democrat voted no), the economy grew, employment soared, and the federal government is now collecting more money in tax revenues than ever before. And yet, that same federal government is running a growing deficit, with the debt mushrooming, all in a period of prosperity and relative peace. Why? It's manifestly not because of the tax cuts. It's because Uncle Sam is spending way too much, with the top drivers of the debt being...unsustainable and ballooning entitlement programs, and interest payments on the debt. This is basic stuff to people who pay attention to our worsening fiscal mess, but it's diametrically opposed to the rhetoric of leading Democrats.

Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, and others capped off a solid first night for the RNC. //

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, though, gave what was far and away the best speech of the night. Emotional and biographical, Scott focused on the good of America, that ability to start anywhere and work your way up. In mentioning his grandfather, he gave the most powerful line of the night.

Mentioning that his grandfather had to drop out of school to work in cotton fields, Scott then noted that “he lived long enough to see his grandson become the first African-American to be elected to both the United States House, and the United States Senate, in the history of this country. Our family went from cotton, to Congress, in one lifetime.”

But black lives matter? //

there’s a real reason to this kind of destruction and it was clear the street lights were purposely targeted with the effort to take them out. They want to bankrupt the cities they do this to, so they have to cut back on police and services, thus contributing to even more chaos, thus helping their cause.

So how does any of this help black lives?

America's gun ownership has exploded and this is a great thing.

Experts around the world cannot agree on whether the right approach is to open up schools, scale back lockdowns, and wear masks.

Amazing...

The media are now offended if you don't sufficiently trash the country. //

Curtis Houck
@CurtisHouck
Go figure --> @ABC is upset @NikkiHaley said that "America is not a racist country" #GOPConvention //

JERRY DUNLEAVY
@JerryDunleavy
Amazing.

(This is what she deleted) https://twitter.com/LeslieMarshall/status/1298102640291622912

Says a white woman -- "America is not a racist country" (Nikki Haley) //

That a political “analyst” in 2020 could still not know that Nikki Haley is Indian is pretty astonishing. But the need to quickly call someone “white” in an attempt to discredit them for making a true statement is perhaps more ridiculous than possibly just being ignorant of Haley’s background. Even if she were white, so what? The country itself is not racist, though there will always be individuals who hold prejudices. //

This idea that an entire country must be damned because of the actions of a few is dangerous, destructive rhetoric. It causes divisions that can’t even be reconciled. When you’ve got one side decrying the nation as irredeemable, what is the other side supposed to do with that? Yet, that warped view of the most free nation on earth has overtaken the Democratic party. That’s what Republicans are up against in 2020, and while the media may not like it, it needs to be pointed out over and over.