Bernie's Q&A: Cheney, Musk, Israel, Trump, and More!

Bernie’s Q&A: Joe Biden, 9/11, Robert E. Lee, and more! (9/10) — Premium Interactive ($4 members)

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Now, let’s get to your questions (and my answers):

Is there any chance of launching a nightly newscast similar to Bill O’Reilly? Your voice surely needs to be heard, the country would benefit greatly. — Joseph B. I appreciate the vote of confidence, Joseph, and the very kind words. They mean a lot to me. But as a practical matter, it’s not likely to happen.

So, if you know what you know now, who would you have voted for in the 2020 elections… Biden, Trump, or O’Reilly? — Tony P.

If you’re wondering if I would — with hindsight — have voted for Donald Trump the answer is no. I did not vote for Joe Biden. At the time I said, I think Donald Trump is a detestable human being … and I hope he wins in a landslide. That’s not as goofy as it may sound. I’m not looking for the perfect candidate but I could not cross that line and vote for Donald. His personality is toxic. As for O’Reilly: Maybe!

I remember a chemistry teacher from high school who explained to us that science is the quest for knowledge. He followed with a session on ethics which quite honestly, I slept through. But I do recall one point he made is that the quest is not always for good, and history has proven that point well. We have a virus that in most likelihood originated from a Chinese lab. Perhaps it was not financed to be a biological weapon but who knows. If it was an innocent research project to investigate a Corona Virus in Bats; my question is Why? A question I believe that world leaders should be asking. We have agencies looking for intelligent alien life and tracking asteroids. We have a world organization addressing climate change that won’t impact us for one hundred years. And today, we have nearly five million dead worldwide from COVID-19. The CDC, WHO, the United Nations, and our own country have treated scientific research as an art to pursue as needed in pursuit of knowledge. As an investigative reporter, do you accept the lame investigations by these agencies into this Virus? I have a different view of these agencies today. I don’t believe they are serving us in our best interest. Just want to hear your views on that. — Tim H. The Chinese Communist Party, being what it is, will never cooperate in any investigation. You raise legitimate questions, Tim … and somebody needs to ASK and eventually answer them. Maybe we’ll get to the bottom of this without the Chinese, but I think the mystery will simply drag on until everyone is bored by the subject. Millions will have died; we won’t know what started the whole thing; and I fear, that will be the end of it. I wish I could be more optimistic.

I disagree with the thrust of [Monday’s] article. Saying Joe Biden won because of who he wasn’t seems true to me and framed quite nicely. The right wing gloating over the problems associated with pulling out of Afghanistan strike me as shallow. This is a defeat for America. As for politics, Ann Coulter tweeted, albeit in much saltier language, that Biden showed he had guts by pulling out and that Trump showed by promising it and never delivering, that he had none. I think this dynamic is what will affect the persuadable few in our country. — John R.

Not sure what you disagree with on my Monday column. But no matter. Let’s move on. The left isn’t persuadable. The right isn’t persuadable. And those who are, I think, will make political decisions based on what they saw on TV — and the fact that as of this moment, we still have Americans in Afghanistan who we left behind. Not sure this is what you were looking for but since you didn’t have a question, this is the best I’ve got. Thanks.

Bernie, I agree with your analysis of Joe Biden’s totally inept handling of the Afghanistan mess, however, I take exception to your statement that they (the people) voted for Biden because they were “tired of the chaos and deception they got from his predecessor, Donald Trump”. That is simply an unfair state and it mars an otherwise excellent article. The chaos and deception under Donald Trump was generated by a corrupt and bias media along with an unhinged Democratic party. If you remember there was the two and a half year Russian probe, two bogus impeachments, the corrupt use of the FBI as a partisan political weapon, all done with the purpose of taking down a duly elected president. — Frederic N.

Was the media biased against Mr. Trump? Absolutely! Was the Democratic Party unhinged and suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome? Yes again. But that doesn’t mean Donald Trump was just minding his own business and all this bad stuff happened to a nice guy. He was vengeful, dishonest, petty, and disloyal to people who had been loyal to him. Please don’t make him out to be a victim.

Bernie, if this nation had a crisis of confidence in the late 1970s, then it has a crisis of credibility in the early 2020s. Americans do not know who to trust on foreign policy, the economy, Covid, or a host of other issues that are plaguing the nation. Today, it seems like Americans are more than willing to trust a random stranger on Tik Tok or Twitter over elected leaders, the mainstream media, and in some cases, their own doctors. Much of this is due to self inflicted wounds by all of the aforementioned groups. If this crisis continues then this nation may face unprecedented issues than do not have a quick fix. Is there anything that can be done to end this crisis of credibility? — Joe M.

I agree with your analysis, Joe. And you’re right, there is no quick fix. We’ve got too many people and institutions who have not been worthy of our trust. So, obviously, we don’t trust them. Unless they change, we won’t. We’ll continue to have, as you say, a crisis of credibility. Maybe we’ll reach a tipping point and things will turn around. But I don’t see it happening anytime soon.

Perhaps it is because I am so melancholy considering the post 9-11 world but it seems to me that we are locked into a great irony with no real way out. As our nation has politically devolved into something resembling a cross between armed camps and competing high school pep rallies the quality of our leadership choices has devolved concurrently. Like calls to like. My point reflects my deep sense of gloom (I once was an optimist believe it or not) in that hyper partisanship guarantees the destructions brought by populist candidate after populist candidate with each political side armed to the teeth, so to speak. So Bernie, since in your position you have significant access to a likely broader paradigm , are you seeing any constructive alternatives out there as we gather speed through this seemingly never ending tunnel? Or is this a time for an indefinite British style stiff upper lip? — Jesse B.

The best I can offer, Jesse, is that things could be worse. Let me know when you stop rolling your eyes and saying, “Bernie, thanks for NOTHING.” All I can say is let’s not be too pessimistic; we’ve gotten through a lot. But a stiff upper lip, like chicken soup, couldn’t hurt.

Bernie – perhaps the approved and pending Minneapolis ballot question for the upcoming election cycle may change your mind to come visit us sooner vs later???

“Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to remove the Police Department and replace it with a Department of Public Safety that employs a comprehensive public health approach to the delivery of functions by the Department of Public Safety, with those specific functions to be determined by the Mayor and City Council by ordinance; which will not be subject to exclusive mayoral power over its establishment, maintenance, and command; and which could include licensed peace officers (police officers), if necessary, to fulfill its responsibilities for public safety, with the general nature of the amendments being briefly indicated in the explanatory note below, which is made a part of this ballot? _ Yes _ No”

— TheBulldog

Sorry Bulldog. I lapsed into a coma while reading the ballot question.

Why do Liberals want to live in and perpetuate decaying cities where as you’ve noted education is failing, crime is acceptable, small business is handcuffed, and quality of life is deteriorating for the tax payer? This is how they get votes? I don’t get it. –ScottyG

First of all, liberals don’t send their kids to failing schools. They talk a good game but send their darlings to private schools. As for the rest, they would rather put up with all the crap that you’re talking about, Scotty, than live in flyover country. That’s who they are.

Sir Bernie, this week’s Off The Cuff you published is spot on , but let’s face it, this is nothing new. Liberals have been blaming (white) conservatives and that old Boogie Man of white supremacy/ white racism for the failures of black people for Decades. For some odd reason, liberals seem to think that any persons belonging to a minority group are completely incapable of accepting personal responsibility for themselves, nor are they capable of succeeding in life without left wing policies and programs to do it for them, DESPITE all evidence to the contrary. Okay so I get why liberals would often be in denial of these facts, because they disprove the liberal narrative they want to promote, but I must ask——WHY do you think so many black families have bought into this nonsense? Recently I’m seeing more black people speaking out against the terrible liberal policies and denial, but this seems to be a relatively recent phenomenon. And why is achieving success “trying to be white” when the same complainers gripe about how they never get a fair chance in life because of white supremacy? I’m sure you can the paradox here. Your thoughts? –“Soft Bigotry AND Low Expectations” Regards from The Emperor

Someplace along the way — maybe with Nixon and his Southern Strategy — black voters began equating GOP with bigotry. So they vote for Democrats … complain about how bad things are … then vote all over again for Democrats. No one said voters are rational. Maybe if a Republican candidate comes along who can figure out how to connect with black and other minority voters, things will change. If Obama had been a Republican, we wouldn’t be having this conversation … because he was charismatic and, I believe, would have changed the political landscape. So that means the GOP needs a Republican Obama. Know any?

Non-political question this week. Where were you on 9/11/01, and being that you’re from New York, did you know anyone who died that day? — Jen R.

In Miami, watching on TV in real time like the rest of the world. And thankfully, no, I didn’t know anyone who died that day.

What is your opinion of the voting laws passed by legislatures in Georgia, Florida and Texas? It seems both sides of this debate are typically hurt by their hyperbole. These laws aren’t “Jim Crow 2.0”, nor did Joe Biden “steal” the last election. –Steve R.

Bingo! I agree with both statements, Steve. And one of the reasons we don’t know who to trust anymore is because both sides have become addicted to hyperbole. I keep waiting for a ray of sunshine but it’s been a long wait.

This is from a statement Donald Trump released the other day: “If only we had Robert E. Lee to command our troops in Afghanistan, that disaster would have ended in a complete and total victory many years ago. What an embarrassment we are suffering because we don’t have the genius of a Robert E. Lee!”

Bernie, I have a couple questions:

1. Do you think Trump is right in that a defeated 19th- century Confederate general was the missing piece that would have led to a quick, slam-dunk U.S. victory in Afghanistan? 2. Being that Trump gets a lot of historical references wrong, is it possible he was confusing Robert E. Lee for Bruce Lee, and that he believes “total victory” could have been achieved through the use of nunchucks?

— John D.

Let me take your last question first. Yes, I think it’s entirely possible that Mr. Trump is confusing Robert E. Lee with Bruce Lee. But can you blame him? There are so many similarities, starting (and ending) with their last name.

As to your first question, whether Robert E. Lee could have won the war in Afghanistan: I’m having lunch with Stonewall Jackson today; I’ll ask him what he thinks and get back to you.

Thanks, everyone! You can send me questions for next week using the form below! You can also read previous Q&A sessions by clicking here.

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Message: * Submit Bernie’s Q&A: Joe Biden, Afghanistan, Jason Whitlock, and more! (8/27) — Premium Interactive ($4 members)

Welcome to this week’s Premium Q&A session for Premium Interactive members. I appreciate you all signing up and joining me. Thank you.

Now, let’s get to your questions (and my answers):

I’m curious how many fair minded “we are not liberal biased” papers came after the LA Times for this reported headline about Larry Elder who is running to oust the current Nuisance: ‘Larry Elder is the black face of white supremacy. You’ve been warned’ — Gary

This was not a headline on a news story. It ran over a column, an opinion piece. It was designed to get clicks and readers. I think, Gary, that we’re so numb to this kind of garbage that we just read it and move on. Sad, right?

With China and everyone else watching our weak and incompetent leader, how long do you think it will be before China makes a serious move to take over Taiwan? I give it 2 yrs. or less. I have always felt that whoever was president, good or bad, that America would always survive them. I no longer am so sure. What happens to Biden from here? Impeachment, Court Marshall, or nothing. I suspect the latter. — Beverly B.

If China moves on Taiwan the American people will not be in favor of an American war with China — not over a place so far away. China, I trust, knows this and so your prediction may be right. As for President Biden: Do we really think he should be impeached? Do we really want to go down that road where every time a president screws up we try to remove him from office? That’s not for me. Court martial? I don’t think it applies to civilians, even if they are commander-in-chief. Or “nothing” you ask. Well, there’s always the next election. That’s not nothing.

About 8 months into this Administration and we are seeing unprecedented blundering complete with horrible CYA attempts at justifying the buffoonery. Do you think Joe can survive this level of criticism & accompanying stress for 3 plus more years? I really don’t, but I certainly don’t like the back up plan so I’m pulling for the old bird to keep his wits. Are you? And what scares you most if he doesn’t ? — ScottyG

If Biden doesn’t last his full term, I don’t like the back up plan either, Scotty. I’d rather have a weakened Biden as our president then Kamala Harris no matter her mental condition. If Biden doesn’t last 3 1/2 more years what scares me is that his successor will be worse than him.

I like Jason Whitlock. In some ways he reminds me of someone else I follow (guess who) as he’s not afraid to attack his peers. In a recent article in the Blaze (“Bill Maher is lying. To his audience. And to himself,” he states: “The left is a house of Trump cards. Remove Trump and the progressive movement immediately collapses beneath the weight of its bulls**t. Remove Trump and the left can’t defend the authoritarian actions it’s taking to overhaul America’s cultural norms.” “Compelling liberals to defend their agenda without their trusty Trump card would unmask their wickedness.”

Speaking with my conservative friends, we want Trump out of the picture. I’m not sure what that takes. But perhaps this is a great start. — Tim H.

Whitlock is a much needed voice in American journalism. And if the reference to someone else you follow is who I think you mean, then thanks, Tim. Things are looking pretty rosy for the GOP — at … the … moment. Donald can screw things up royally, something he’s more than capable of doing. Maybe you should start a Whitlock for President movement and settle a bunch of problem for all of us.

Sir Bernie, I have to say that I’m pleasantly surprised to see that it’s not just the liberal media that is going after President Biden on his horrible blunders of the withdrawal from Afghanistan—-it’s also Democrats in his own party. I would have assumed (incorrectly) that they would have made excuses for him by attempting to blame Trump as well. For my own part, I don’t think Biden is crazy so the 25th Amendment shouldn’t apply here; I just think he’s F—-ING Stupid—-you know, like Jimmy Carter. In your opinion, Sir Bernie, why do you think Democrats aren’t defending him as much, and what do you speculate that Kamala Harris would have done differently? — “Stupid Is As Stupid Does” Regards From The Emperor

I agree with almost everything you say, Emperor … except … Jimmy Carter, whatever else he was, definitely was not stupid. Actually he was one of the smartest presidents we’ve ever had. But I understand what you were getting at. I think the reason that some of his fellow Democrats have turned on him is self- preservation. Democrat voters watch television news too and they’ve seen what we’ve all seen. Like liberal journalists who (for a change) are calling out President Biden, liberal pols know their reputation and credibility are on the line. As for VP Harris and what she would have done differently: We can only speculate, but I’m guessing she’d screw this up just like her boss has done.

This is the lead paragraph from an article published in The Hill: The White House is trying to regain control of the narrative on Afghanistan by staging more public appearances for President Biden and highlighting the way in which evacuations have ramped up significantly over the past week. It seems to me; this one sentence sums up what is wrong with our country right now. That the narrative is more important to control than the situation. If the media accepts narrative over performance, the situation on the ground will only deteriorate. How can we as American citizens accept such tripe and how can the White House put out such garbage as the solution to a crisis. A good Commander in Chief would have demanded the resignation of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the CIA Director, the National Security Director, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of State. They were all asleep at the wheel. The prime purpose of the Government is to protect the citizens and sovereignty of its citizens. This Administration has proven to be woefully inadequate to this task. What is your take on this Mr. Goldberg? — Douglas C.

My general take, Douglas, is that President Biden is in way over his head. As for mass resignations: If the heads of those agencies are responsible for the fiasco, fine with me. But what if they gave the president solid advice and he rejected it? That’s more than possible.

Here’s Karl Rove on the subject: “Done right, this sort of military withdrawal would have required the president to insist on robust, cross-agency planning. It appears he didn’t. Mr. Biden should have asked tough questions about what was needed for the Afghan government to hold on or to form an agreement to protect human rights if it couldn’t. He didn’t. Regular briefings—on the intelligence on the ground, reactions of allies, status of the planning—were necessary. But were they held? And if they were, did the president pay attention to them? It certainly doesn’t look like it.”

As for your other point, about how the White House is handling the PR aspect of the mess in Kabul: That’s what politicians often do; they try to take our mind off of the mess they created by saying, “But look at all the good stuff we’ve done.” I don’t think the American people are buying their story. They have seen the pictures on television. They know how bad it is, no matter how hard Team Biden tries to spin it.

[Afghanistan is a] foreign policy debacle to be sure, but in the 1976 election nobody cared about President Ford’s messy evacuation of Saigon. I do expect Republicans to take control of the House of Representatives in the 2022 election. Do you think Donald Trump will seek to be it’s Speaker? Do you think Republicans will stick with Kevin McCarthy? — John R.

Donald Trump as Speaker? Even though the Speaker does not have to be a Member of the House — Did you know that? … I didn’t until someone pointed it out to me — there’s no way that Donald Trump will seek the job. No Way! As to your other question: If the GOP takes control of the House next year, I do think they’ll stick with McCarthy.

My eyes have seen almost everything that yours have as I am fairly confident that we are in the same general age bracket. When it comes to Biden’s foreign policy chops I’d guesstimate that, were he a major league hitter, his batting average would be hovering around .100 . I had the very same thoughts that this might be his Lyndon Johnson moment ala Vietnam, or his Iranian Embassy moment ala James Earl Carter. The Biden as FDR nonsense has been humorous if not ridiculous. The odds are heavily weighted against the success of his one term administration. What scares me most is what in the world comes next? — Jesse B.

I’m with you, Jesse … except I think you’re being generous saying he’d be batting .100 … that may be a tad high. As for “what in the world comes next?” … Let’s just home it’s not Kamala Harris … because she makes Biden look like a .300 hitter.

Bernie, prior to the COVID vaccines, did you ever envision that once they were available at every corner drug store, a large portion of the U.S. population would refuse to get vaccinated, and needlessly help drive hospitalizations back up through the roof? And what’s with a bunch of these people seeking out horse de-worming agents and ‘monoclonal antibody treatments’ instead of just getting two shots in the arm of something all of the numbers show to be safe and quite effective? This pandemic is being prolonged with all of this nonsense and I’m sick of it. — Ben G.

I’m never surprised, Ben, when stupid people do stupid things … but when smart people do stupid things, it throws me. What I mean is that I know several intelligent folks who won’t get the vaccine. They have excuses, of course … their own reasons … but they don’t make sense to me. I’m as troubled by this as you are but I don’t want the federal government mandating that everyone must get the shot — or else. Private companies are another matter.

Bernie, I agree with everything you said [in this week’s “Off the Cuff”] except when you said, “I suspect he knows that already.” In reference to Biden and his concern for swing voters. Unfortunately, I think President Biden’s mental faculties are far too gone for such reasoning on his part. Such worries are now in the hands of his handlers. — David P.

Maybe. But if his handlers know he’s in trouble, they’ve told him, I suspect. And he, I think, understands. I do believe that his handlers are driving the car and he’s sitting in the back seat looking out the side window. But he’s a lifelong pol and lifelong pols can smell trouble. I think he knows what’s going on.

Bernie, what country am I in right now? Republicans are now pro-choice (when it comes to vaccines), Democrats are over the me too movement (when it comes to women in Afghanistan), and the liberal President wants to run and hide from the liberal media. I thought 2020 was odd, but 2021 has taken us further down this bizarre rabbit hole. Where are we headed? — Joe M.

We’re headed towards 2022 and it’s going to get even crazier between now and then.

Bernie, Good stuff this week, sad to say Lunch Bucket Joe is providing you and the rest of us plenty of items to comment on. But with all the clamor about Joe’s decision to pull out of Afghanistan and the ensuing chaos, I’m not so sure he’s actually calling the shots here. I don’t think and truly believe there are figures behind the scenes cuing the President up every time he supposedly makes a move. And it seems the moves he makes are handled so clumsily, why, it’s almost as if Obama never left office. Or Carter for that matter. LBJ is another story. And Clinton, for all his bravado, is responsible for Mogadishu. Are Democrats just lost as far as foreign policy is concerned? Or do they let their egos, (Johnson, Obama) get in the way of listening to their advisers? Or are their advisers just political hacks like Blinken who are truly out of their league? — Rod A. Democrats will distance themselves from their nominal leader … and some already have. They want no part of the chaos that President Biden has unleashed. They will look out for themselves and toss Joe over the side if that’s what they feel they need to do. So this time around, it’s more a Biden issue than a Democratic Party issue. Though I get your historical point about Jimmy Carter et al.

Biden ‘s Afghanistan Desertion really bad. It has been a calamity of poor judgment and tragic errors. There’s a LA Times story that 24 high school students + 16 parents from San Diego are stranded ‘somewhere in Afghanistan.’ And an attack at an airport gate with US military injured. This is a presidency killer as you spoke about this week. And things will likely get worse before they get better. In the midst of this, Pelosi and Biden are celebrating their $3.5 infrastructure pancetta squandering while trying to ignore Afghanistan (as they do the Border). I was critical of Michelle Obama when she said something similar, that I have never been embarrassed as an American, but I am now with this collapse in American integrity and fortitude. I am very concerned about about our future, how long will it take us to get our sea legs back and right the rudder. This is really bad. What say you? –Don Estif

I’m with you Don. This IS really bad. This is a Biden screwup from the jump. His presidency is in shambles and as a practical matter he may not be able to recover. My guess, as I write this, is that we’ll now hear from a “tough” Joe Biden. He and his team have to deal with the reality of what’s going on in Afghanistan … AND … the political fallout. Not sure they can do either … or both.

Here in Colorado, it was recently discovered that the president of our state’s Fraternal Order of Police had illegally taken stolen license plates from a police evidence room, placed them on his own automobile, and racked up close to $1,600 in toll-road charges that were then billed to the victim whose plates were stolen. Do you believe that this is proof that the pendulum has swung back too far from the “defund the police” movement? — John D.

As Newton’s Third Law tells us: For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. So if we keep taking money from police departments … if we insist on defunding the police … then the police (or the head of Colorado’s FOP, anyway) are going to fight back do what any of us would do: Steal license plates to avoid toll-road charges. I mean, can we really blame the guy? I am curious though about who steals license plates in the first place? Why not just steal the whole car? And why wouldn’t the cops notify the person who’s tags were stolen and return them instead of holding them in the evidence room? Is it true, John D, that you have a stolen vanity license plate on your car, a 1955 Nash Rambler. And is it true that the plate reads: Fancy Boy? And was it stolen from your boyhood idol, Liberace’s, Rolls Royce? Just asking!

Thanks, everyone! You can send me questions for next week using the form below! You can also read previous Q&A sessions by clicking here.

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Message: * Submit Bernie’s Q&A: Woodward & Bernstein, Roddy Piper, and more! (8/13) — Premium Interactive ($4 members)

Welcome to this week’s Premium Q&A session for Premium Interactive members. I appreciate you all signing up and joining me. Thank you.

Now, let’s get to your questions (and my answers):

Judging by the comments and questions you get, it seems like your readers are mostly Republicans? No problem with that but if that is true, I wonder why you don’t attract more Democrats being that I find you to be a balanced reporter? — Tony P.

It’s because in these hyper-partisan times most people don’t want balance — they want the views they already hold simply validated. That’s how cable news operates. Give the audience what it wants to hear. I’m not saying this to pander to my readers but I firmly believe they’re more than a cut above your typical subscriber to website that carries political comment. Even when they disagree with me (regarding Donald Trump, for instance) they’re civil and their comments are both reasonable and smart. But that’s the exception not the rule.

A lot can, and will, happen between now and November 2022. And in the end does it really matter whether Biden or a moderate (swamp) republican gets elected? Both sides continue down the same road of ever bigger and more intrusive and controlling government, albeit the republicans about 20-30 years behind the democrats. Just giving the people what they want! Also, is there a major media outlet that does not regularly, even without realizing it, shill for a particular political party, personality, or ideology? — Scott K.

Yes, Scott, it does really matter if a Democrat or what you call a “swamp” Republican gets elected. I get your point but if you care about limited government you’ve got a better chance with a Republican, even a moderate Republican. As for the media: I like the Wall Street Journal. I think the paper is fair. But generally speaking, news outlets cater to their paying customers — and that includes the New York Times, not only the obvious: cable news.

As a long-time observer of American news, sports and politics, is there anything that has surprised you lately? Or we are now entirely too predictable? — John R.

Very little surprises me anymore, John. If I see a conservative on cable TV praise a liberal or a liberal praise a conservative, I’ll be surprised. But generally speaking, I understand the business model: Give the audience what it wants to read and hear and hope they come back for more.

In the 1940s, the New York Times lost their credibility when exposed for the WWII Nazi extermination crime coverup. The power they wielded at the time was forgotten, and life went on. For many years, the liberal/conservative pendulum seemed to swing both ways. The “conspiracy theories” of nearly 30 years ago were either laughed at or shrugged away. It could never happen in America, the leader of the free world! We were too self-assured and confident that being liberal was normal societal progress. But changes crept in while we slept. Will what we see happening in today’s America wake up the sleeping giant within us enough to make a difference? — Sandy S.

We seem to be accepting more and more of what, not that long ago, would have been unacceptable. Not that long ago while we realized there were still some bigots among us — in a very big nation, there are bound to be — we didn’t accept the idea that America was fundamentally racist, that racism is embedded in just about every American institution. But now it’s widely accepted — even by corporate leaders who a decade or so ago would never have bought into this kind of thinking. Things will get back on track when enough of us have had enough. Radicals often go too far. They probably will again.

Excellent [piece on revisiting “Bias”]! I’m retired right now. (Thank God.) And, I am able to live off my retirement savings very well. I feel sorry for the people who have to work in this environment. I think that you probably don’t like Mark Levin, but I am reading his book, American Marxism, right now. And, a lot of what he says is on target also. I’m also going to use his game plan and that is to fight back (mainly through the WSJ blog), and start boycotting – no more movies, watching TV news or much TV at all. (I wish that I could get rid of it.) No more going to see woke prima donna sports stars who are making multi-millions, while trashing the country that provided them that opportunity, No more going to major cities except to go and quickly come back. No more traveling to states run by Democrats, e.g. California, Hawaii, NJ, NY, Connecticut, etc. (Sadly, I live in one, Illinois, and I’ve tried to get my wife to move to Wyoming or South Carolina or Tennessee but she likes it here, so I live in a town called “Libertyville”.) — Jerry G.

I’m with you about not supporting movies or TV shows or athletes whose views you don’t agree with. That’s up to you. But we differ on no more traveling to Blue States. I know somebody on the left who won’t visit Red States. How do you feel about that, my friend? Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t to me.

Bernie: “Repeat a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth” is never more evident than today in the language of the left. In that spirit, please power rank the following popular leftist lies: “The rich don’t pay their fair share of taxes.” “The greatest threat to our democracy is white supremacy.” “Women earn 72 cents on the dollar for performing the same jobs as men.” “Proposed voting laws are the new Jim Crow.” “Men can get pregnant and have babies.” — Steve R.

They’re all tied for first place as far as I’m concerned Steve. But a friend points out that many of the same people who are hammering the left for their BS remained silent during 4 years of Donald Trump’s BS. I’m not saying you’re one of those people — just passing along a respected friend’s thinking on the subject.

Sir Bernie, I’ve heard that back during the campaign of 2020 that a Biden/Harris campaign bus was passing through Texas when a caravan of Trump supporters surrounded the bus and tried to run it off the road. There seemed to be some facetious remarks made on the internet about the Trump caravan welcoming and “escorting” the bus through Texas, prompting Trump to say “I love Texas!” There are several videos on You Tube showing the caravan and one of the vehicles driving a bit erratically near the bus. It’s obvious that the Trump supporters were NOT welcoming and escorting the bus through Texas, that’s for certain. However I didn’t see any deliberate attempts to run it off the road either. Supposedly the San Antonio police were investigating the incident, but I never heard of any final decision on the matter. In the clips that I’ve seen, at worst it appears to be Trump supporters following the advice of Maxine Waters by being confrontational and letting the “other side know that they are not welcome here.” (I wonder how Auntie Maxine felt about Republicans taking her advice to fruition, but I digress). I just want to know if you know whether or not incident was ever proven to be inappropriate intimidation or harassment, OR an attempted criminal assault. What can you tell us about this incident? — “My Way Or The Highway” Regards from The Emperor

Like Sgt. Schultz … I know nothing. And just between us, a bit surprised that this matters to you — now.

I am the same age as you, Bernie. Growing up I heard the following over and over: there is no such thing as a free lunch; money doesn’t grow on trees; and finally, when I protested one of my parents dictates, the standard reply. Life’s not fair, get used to it. Today our government is doing it’s damnedest to prove these adages obsolete, much to our detriment I am afraid. When as a country, did we stray so far from our upbringing? — Douglas C.

It happened over time. The more society tolerated the more of what we tolerated we got. Like the frog in boiling water: By the time Froggie realizes what’s happening, it’s too late. But … when they go too far the pendulum might swing back. But no guarantees on that.

Care to predict for us how -BIAS- journalism will be 20 years from now? Is there any chance we will see a shift back towards center? Hmmm, How close to center was it ever in your mind? — ScottyG Twenty years is a long, long time — and my crystal ball doesn’t work that far out. So I have no way of knowing what bias will look like in 2041. Yes, there’s a chance reporting will shift to the center, presenting credible points of view from all sides. But there’s also a chance we’ll get even more opinion masquerading as fact. Get back to me in 20 years for an update.

I read with interest your look back at Bias and Slobbering Affair…. as one who’s been in the game for awhile does any of this resonate with you: Woodward & Bernstein became cult heroes when they broke Watergate. Arguably one of the “poster child” moments in investigative journalism. Underdog journalists brought down corrupt leaders, or so the story went. It seems to me something good went way wrong when investigative journalism transitioned into advocacy journalism (oxymoronic in my view) and all those who grew up wanting to emulate Woodward & Bernstein got swept up into a storm unleashed by the always present liberal bias of the media (under the cover of society “needs” us to deal with abuse of power). At the same time, Roger Ailes and friends saw not just a need to tell the other side of the story but to make a ton of dough in the process. Thus, the road to polarization was open for business and journalism as we once knew it is now essentially extinct, laying in repose right next to common sense, which died a painful death a few years ago. Your thoughts? — Paul M.

I like your analysis. Advocacy journalism brought a response from Ailes and his brand of advocacy journalism. And so the two sides went at it … and everyone soon realized that there’s a lot of money in dividing Americans — or as you correctly say: “the road to polarization was open for business.” Things can get better but only if the audience demands it and I don’t see that in the near future. The audience likes the polarized news they’re getting.

Bernie, have you ever had the chance to interview anyone in the WWE? I believe John Daly wrote an article on your site a while back about the “Roddy Piper Presidency” and I recall him mentioning that he was a fan of Roddy. I recently saw a biography on A&E about Roddy and several other pro wrestlers. The documentary about Roddy was interesting but also extremely sad. He apparently had a falling out with WWE over an interview he gave to Real Sports in which he correctly predicted that he would not live to the age of 65 because of the toll wrestling took on his body. The lifestyle for many pro wrestlers appears to follow an often tragic path that involves tremendous success followed by a tremendous downfall that in one way or another leads to a shortened life. I was curious to know if you’ve ever interviewed anyone at WWE and what your thoughts are about that industry. — Joe M.

At CBS I reported a story about how popular with the chic set professional wrestling had become. It wasn’t only for the blue collar crowd anymore. It had become hip. It was a fun piece. Later as you correctly say, Real Sports did a serious piece on the subject. In my story, I remember interviewing a giant, nasty-looking hulk who supposedly was from Russia. His Engish was (supposedly) limited … and I asked him, “What part of Cleveland are you from.” He simply replied, looking unamused … “Moscow.” I looked up at him, laughed, and walked away.

Rudy Giuliani has reportedly been struggling to pay his legal fees going back to the work he did for former President Donald Trump. He hasn’t received payment from Trump for the election lawsuits he filed on his behalf (Trump says it’s because the lawsuits failed), he’s been the target of multiple lawsuits himself (including over false claims he made about voting- system companies), and he’s also having to deal with a federal investigation into his dealings with Ukraine.

So, with times tough and money tight, Giuliani has started to do what any reasonable person in his position would do: sell personalized video messages from himself to anyone willing to pay $200. My question: Since I have a couple hundred burning a hole in my pocket from that child tax credit check, what would you like Giuliani to say in the video message I’ll be ordering for you? — John D.

Here’s what I want Rudy to say for the $200: “Bernie, you were right. Anyone who gets too close to Donald Trump will regret it. I wish I had listened to you. You are such a wonderful, humble, decent, fair and modest human being. And make the check out to ‘Cash.’ I don’t want to report it to the government.”

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Off the Cuff: Caring More About Criminals Than Victims In today’s Off the Cuff audio commentary, I look at the progressive politics of caring more about criminals than victims.

You can listen to it by clicking on the play (arrow) button below. http://bernardgoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/OTC-AOC-et-al.m4 a

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Side note: If you’re a Premium Interactive member (the $4 tier), and have a question for this Friday’s Q&A, make sure to get it to me before Wednesday night at midnight. You can use this form on my website. Bernie’s Q&A: Richard Branson, Sean Hannity, Joe Biden, and more! (7/23) — Premium Interactive ($4 members)

Welcome to this week’s Premium Q&A session for Premium Interactive members. I appreciate you all signing up and joining me. Thank you.

Now, let’s get to your questions (and my answers): Sir Bernie, As evidenced in this video, some progressive pundits claim that the U.S. embargo on Cuba is what’s causing these protests by the Cuban people. Do you think this is true? What are your thoughts on this? –“End The Embargo” Regards from The Emperor

What’s causing the protests is that the Cuban people are losing their fear of the dictatorship. It takes a great deal of courage to protest against people with guns. As for the embargo, it hasn’t done much good to get rid of the bad guys, has it?

I don’t know if you have been following much this walk-out of the legislative session by Texas Democrats due to new voting legislation under consideration. What is your opinion of this tactic – brave and gutsy move by the minority party or a spineless dereliction of duty? How do you think this will end – Will Dems stay gone long enough to wait out this session until August 2022? They certainly have the monetary backing to do so with the wealthy-white-privileged-empty-golf-shirt known as Beto O’Rourke providing funding. How will this play regionally and nationally in the 2022 mid-terms? — Steve R.

Taking off for DC doesn’t help the Democrats in Texas — or anyplace else. Sooner or later they’ll be back home and even if the governor has to call a special session of the legislature, the vote on the new voting law will proceed — and will pass. My main thought, Steve is this: If they were Republicans and flew on a private jet … without masks … and several of them came down with COVID … and they could have exposed the VP to the virus … the media would be all over the story and play it just the way you think they’d play it. And when someone calls them on their bias, they dismiss it. And their approval numbers continue to plummet.

I equate Biden winning fair and square with the earth being flat. We have seen these people in action for many years, why would you be surprised by anything they do? Need hard proof? I watched it happen right before my eyes. The FBI? Don’t make me laugh. I have also witnessed their selective adherence to law and order and have come away far less than impressed. Love you Bernie but you are not being fair. — Thomas C.

You can deny the obvious all you want, Thomas. But Trump lost and Biden won, and it wasn’t because the Democrats cheated. If there was proof of that, Trump’s lawyers wouldn’t have lost more than 60 times in various courtrooms in front of judges appointed by both Democrats and Republicans. Were there some shenanigans? Probably. But not enough to throw the election. But if it makes you feel better thinking Trump got robbed, that’s your choice. It’s a free country. But I’m guessing you don’t buy that either.

Bernie, I want to encourage you and others to read Dr. Steven Koonin’s book, “Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, And Why It Matters.” Pretty darn interesting, especially when the President, the EU, world leaders, and others are using the phrase “existential threat” with frequency and planning to act on that, and yet the technical reports prepared and reviewed by scientists do not (remotely) make that forecast.

Recently, Angela Merkel said that the heavy rains in her country are due to “climate change,” but Koonin points out several times, with numerous supporting citations, that all recent weather events are within the past historical variations. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”), through it’s most recent Assessment Report (AR5) and the U.S. Government’s National Climate Assessment 2018 indicate, using 20 economic analyses of worst-case scenario RCP8.5 in climate models (40 models) forecast >3% economic impact in 2100 – the US is forecast to grow at 2.00%/yr. and the worst-case climate change scenario would cause that growth, on average, to reduce to 1.96%/yr. Does that seem to be ‘existential’? The EU just heralded a proposal in which import tariffs on goods will be imposed on countries not meeting specific CO2 emission targets set by the EU. The Biden Adm. is preparing multi-trillion-dollar spending programs to address this ‘existential threat’ of -0.04% GDP annually. Is it worse that human’s contribution of CO2 grow from 0.043% (0.00043) to 0.056% of greenhouse gases, or to have multi- trillion-dollar programs implemented based on wild speculation (note: models’ accuracy ratings by IPCC and UD Gov = low confidence, and model uncertainty ranges from 17% to 83%)? Koonin is not some right-wing denier, he was Obama’s chief scientist in the Dept. of Energy after spending 20 years at Cal Tech and a stint at BP. We are betting a lot of money on who knows what! (apologies for the length) — DonEstif

They call it an “existential threat” either because they honestly believe the world will end if we don’t act right now on climate issues … or they use that term because it scares people and they can get tax dollars for the green world they dream about. In some cases, it’s both. But politicians often buy into issues simply because they think it’s a good political move. Too bad we don’t have journalists who’ve done as much research as you, Don.

Under your Monday column, a longtime commenter on your website (others pointed out that he’s been here 10 years) concluded that you — Bernard Goldberg — “seem to assume that the Mainstream Media are entirely objective”.

In reality, you’ve been one of the country’s top alarm- sounders and consummate critics of mainstream media bias for over 20 years (books, television, columns, radio, etc). Does it ever get you down that in today’s crazily tribal political environment, people manage to memory-hole literally everything you’ve ever said about the “other side” the very moment you say something critical about someone on “their side” (which in this case was Fox News)? –Jen R. Thanks for asking, Jen. It used to bother me more than it does now. I used to have more faith in people who read columns about the media, politics and the culture generally. But over time I’ve come to understand that some people only want their side represented … and if I acknowledge that the other side may have a point, I suddenly become a “typical liberal.” It’s hard to take stuff like that seriously. In the example you mentioned, I never said anything that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that I assumed that the mainstream media are “entirely objective.” So his observation doesn’t really bring me down. It does make me shake my head and then … simply move on.

While Tucker Carlson continues to give anti-vaccine conspiracy theories a platform on his show, I noticed this week that other Fox News commentators including Sean Hannity and Steve Doocy have suddenly gotten VERY pro-vaccine in their rhetoric, actually PLEADING with Fox viewers to get vaccinated. I don’t think either of those guys were ever necessarily “anti- vaccine,” but they’re now taking on a pro-vaccine advocacy role, which was quite a change. GOP leaders including Mitch McConnell and Steve Scalise have started doing it as well (this after Scalise had been holding off on getting the vaccine himself for quite some time). Do you think these people are having a Come to Jesus moment in that they’ve realized that rhetoric on their side of the room has contributed to a lot of Americans not getting vaccinated (and suffering because of it)? — Ben G.

Maybe … but a wise man once said: The answer to all questions is money. So, I’m thinking there’s a ratings angle someplace in here. I hate to be cynical but that’s what cable news people do to me.

What are your thoughts on Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk taking a lot of criticism from the left for spending their and their corporations’ money on space travel as opposed to earthly aid type issues like poverty, cancer research, etc? Personally, I’m all for people spending their money however they want to, as long as it’s not MY money. But the left also seems to forget that these individuals and companies also dedicate a lot of money to the very issues they’re talking about. — Alex D.

I’m with you, Alex. It’s their money so they can do whatever they want with it. And you’re right when you say they also spend money on things the left likes. I’m sure they give a lot of money to worthy charitable causes. The left isn’t happy unless we’re all making decisions based on what they think is right.

Bernie, I’m on vacation at the moment, and am too busy turning heads on beaches to come up with one of my trademark brilliant questions. So, I’m going with this one today: What’s the song that you’re most embarrassed to admit that you really like? — John D.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirlelles. I’m well aware that it’s a “chick song” but I love the arrangement and the strings — the work of Carole King and Jerry Goffin. There I said it. And if I get heat for admitting it, I’ll kick your ass to prove I’m not a girly man.

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