Do as I say, not as I do
Mammoth Democratic funder George Soros is quite clear about his climate change politics. Indeed, he contributed $36 million between 2000 and 2014 to 18 of the 55 organizations behind last April's "People's Climate March."
"I don't want to go into details on climate change because it is well known what needs to be done," he said at the World Economic Forum in January. "We have the scientific knowledge; it is the political will that is missing, particularly in the Trump administration."
But behind the scenes, Soros spent nearly $160 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 alone investing in fossil fuel companies, according to his company's Securities and Exchange Commission filing. It's certainly a little odd for someone who has pledged to eliminate the oil, gas and coal industries, claiming they are accelerating climate change.
His investments, though, have been in all three of those industries, including the coal industry he once called "a lethal bullet" for climate change. In the last quarter of 2017, for instance, he invested $4.7 million into Peabody Energy Corporation, often called the largest "pure play coal company" in the U.S.
Thus, the cash-poor Democrats have two choices. Divest themselves of the hypocrite or welcome his millions and his hypocrisy. Guess which one they're likely to choose.
Party over faith
Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., apparently has chosen his party over his faith and will be banned from receiving Holy Communion until he "repents" of his pro-abortion "sin," the bishop of his Springfield Catholic diocese has declared.
The senator's long support of abortion constitutes "obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin," Bishop Thomas John Paprocki said recently, and thus "is not to be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents of this sin."
The decision, the bishop said, "is intended not to punish but to bring about a change of heart. Sen. Durbin was once pro-life. I sincerely pray that he will repent and return to being pro-life."
Paprocki noted Durbin was one of 14 Catholic senators who voted against the recent Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would have prohibited abortion starting at 20 weeks after fertilization. He also recalled a previous admonishment of Durbin by his former pastor, Bishop Kevin Vann, now of Orange, Calif., who said in 2004 he'd be "reticent to give Sen. Durbin Holy Communion because his pro- abortion position put him outside of unity with the Church's teachings on life."
Durbin did not respond to questions about the decision but said in 2017 that, regardless of personal views, Democrats must back the party line on abortion.
"I am committed to women's rights under the law, reproductive rights certainly, and our party is," he said. "We've made that part of our platform and position for a long, long time."
Captain Kirk not amused
A Democratic candidate for the Texas state House thought it would cute if she used a photo she had made years ago with William Shatner, Captain Kirk from TV's "Star Trek," in an email to supporters, but Shatner didn't want any part of it.
Brandy Chambers, who is an attorney and should have known better about attempting to use someone's image without their permission, told WFAA-TV she recently sent the image to supporters to show her personality.
"If it bothers you that your leader geeks out when she meets Captain Kirk," she said she emailed supporters, "then maybe I'm not the leader for you."
But someone forwarded the email to Shatner, who wrote to Chambers on Twitter that "using a convention picture in a political ad is NOT ALLOWED!! That implies endorsement which never will happen." He asked her to remove the photo and destroy all copies immediately. "Am I clear?" he asked.
Shatner fans also replied to her, making her even angrier, so she tweeted Shatner, "Sorry you don't stand for women's rights and education." In turn, he contacted the Texas Ethics Commission.
Chambers eventually deleted the image from her website, but Shatner wondered why she couldn't have just complied with his wishes instead of trying "to shame me."
This'll impress 'em
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, beloved by the left wing in the United States for his liberal views, did not find such a fawning audience in India, where it appeared he and his family had spent a fortune on traditional Indian outfits that looked to be cut out of a 1980s United Colors of Benetton ad.
The clothing got rave reviews for the first two days of his trip, but his long gold jacket for a Bollywood reception turned the tide. Authors, journalists, ministers and everyday Indians mocked the outfits, calling them "fake and annoying," according to the Daily Mail.
"Is it just me or is this choreographed cuteness all just a bit much now?" tweeted Omar Abdullah, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. "Also FYI we Indians don't dress like this every day sir, not even in Bollywood."
"Did he come [to] India to get married again?" another wondered. "Looks like a Groom."
India Today described the clothes as "tacky" and called them insulting to his hosts.
Trudeau may have gotten the point. After three days of the over-the-top costumes, he donned a suit.