I woke up today with so much already happening on the ethics front that I immediately knew I had no chance of making a dent in it, especially since I am facing deadlines and crises on other fronts. Let me get one minor matter out of the way before I turn it over to you, dear EA contributers.
There were two items in yesterday’s potpourri post relating to the persistent insanity on “The View.” I wonder if I should just ignore that idiot program from now on, applying the Julie Principle. Occasionally the thing makes news, but it is a blight on the culture and social discourse. Barbara Walters, who started it, needs to be marked down in critical assessments of her career because her creation inflicted Joy Behar, Whoopie and Sunny Hostin and the rest on our social and political discourse.
Here is one last “View”-related ethics ugliness. Speaking on the “Behind the Table” podcast this week (who listens to these things?), Hostin, arguably the worst of the worst on the current panel, discussed the moment when Kamala Harris declared on the show that she wouldn’t change a thing her alleged boss, Joe Biden, had done during his Presidency. Harris’s fatuous response—did she ever say anything that wasn’t fatuous?—came after Hostin tossed the Democrats’ DEI nominee the softest of softball questions: what would she do differently from Biden? “There is not a thing that comes to mind,” said Kamala.
Many believe that Harris lost the 2024 election in that moment, which is scary to think given how many other reasons she gave the voters to vote Republican. Hostin, in the podcast, said, “I knew it instantly when she answered it. Which is why I asked the follow-up question, ‘is there one thing?’ Because I knew, I could see the soundbite and I knew what was going to happen, but I thought it was a really fair question and I thought it was a question that she would expect… I feel terrible.”
Bob Hoge writes at Redstate, “Such are the depths to which our mainstream media has sunk, that a professional pundit doesn’t have regrets about trying to push an incompetent candidate on the country; no, her real regret is that Kamala was exposed.”
Sad but true.
Your turn!
Ethics Alarms 
Ms. Hostin’s navel-gazing response is so typical of the inane, phony “hindsight prophecy” that many in her position are now using. The typical “I knew it was over for VP Harris when <xxx> happened (insert whatever value for ‘xxx’ you want).”
She’s lying (as is nearly everyone else, including loud-mouthed James Carville). Every one of them…EVERY ONE…predicted the Harris/Walz ticket would be victorious, all the way up until the returns started coming in Tuesday night.
VP Harris’ appearance on “The View” was weeks before the election, and Hostin (and everyone else) did nothing in the ensuing weeks other than spew venom at President Trump and victory-lap platitudes at his opponent.
Hostin’s statements now are nothing more than trying to say, “Even though I preached over and over that Harris would win, I knew inside she was going to lose. So even though it looked like I was wrong, I really was right.”
Had Harris ended up victorious, would Hostin now be saying, “After that interview, I was convinced Harris was going to lose, but I clearly was wrong…”…?
Pffft…no…
Most of the Hostin-ites are comprised of 100% “lying bones.”
During last night’s post-game interview on ABC, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton referred to his ferociously talented in a 1960s-way, 6’1″ and white back-up point guard teammate T.J. McConnell as “The Great White Hope,” the name the Pacers have bestowed on McConnell according to Haliburton. Anyone? Beuhler?
I wonder if Haliburton was referring to superstar Larry Bird and may not have realized the meaning behind the phrase. Grok says that the phrase originated in the early 1900s when the boxing world was desperate for a white boxing challenger to dethrone super star black heayweight champ Jack Johnson. I was not aware of that context. I often thought of it as the “Great White Buffalo” myth. I guess my understanding was incomplete.
jvb
James Earl Jones became a star playing Johnson in the Broadway epic “The Great White Hope.” There was also a movie. Johnson was a fascinating character whom history should treat more reverently.
I saw that on Wikipedia but I have never seen the movie. I might watch it this weekend.
jvb
If you can find the PBS documentary on Johnson, that is also excellent!
Yes. Jack Johnson was The Great White Hope. Whether Haliburton knows Jack Johnson from Magic Johnson, it’s clearly a “white guys can’t jump” sort of observation. McConnell definitely plays below the rim but he’s quick as can be and has a deadly mid-range jumper and can also finish drives. It just struck me as the obverse of Joe Biden saying Obama was articulate and well dressed for a black guy. And of course, there’s always the fact the NBA doesn’t “look like America.” Black players are not limited to thirteen percent of the rosters. And of course, achievement and expertise in any and every field is a racist, white supremacist construct used to oppress people of color. Except in sports and entertainment.
No! Jess Willard was the Great White Hope! Because he was white, and the “hope” was that someone white would finally beat the black champion.
And he did!
I was told that the purpose of sanctuary city policies was to remove a deterrent against illegal aliens from reporting crimes.
https://www.americanexperiment.org/minnesota-dad-assaults-federal-officer/
The headline:
Convicted Sex Offender Illegally Present in the Country Assaults Federal Officer During Immigration Removal.
That’s from a U.S. Attorney’s press release put out this evening. Where to begin?
Let’s start with the basics:
Who: Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, age 39, from Mexico.
He is currently being held in the federal lockup at the Sherburne County jail.
What: Injures federal officer while attempting to flee arrest. Munoz dragged the arresting officer 100 yards with his car, before the officer shook free. Munoz is lucky to be alive, the federal complaint mentions (p. 4, paragraph 9) that two officers pulled their service weapons as he fled the scene.
Munoz was tasered, twice. He was arrested by Bloomington city police a mile from the scene.
When: June 17, 8:00 a.m.
Where: Bloomington, MN.
The backstory, from the U.S. Attorney:
According to court documents, in December 2022, Munoz was charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a minor victim. He was ultimately convicted of Fourth-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, a felony offense. At the time of his arrest for sexual abuse, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a detainer for Munoz. That detainer was not honored by local authorities and Munoz was released from custody.
Charged in December 2022, convicted of a felony, but freely roaming the streets in June 2025.
That the detainer was not honored is standard practice for “sanctuary state” Minnesota. Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison would have it no other way.
Fox 9’s Seth Kaplan reports:
In the 2022 case, Munoz was found guilty of sexually assaulting his 16-year-old stepdaughter.
From state court records, traffic citations indicate that he has been living in Minnesota since at least 2011.
Munoz appeared in federal court in St. Paul this afternoon (Wednesday). State and federal court records indicate that he requires a Spanish language interpreter for court appearances.
There is no hope for that state. As it so happens, a gentleman I’m dating is a Hennepin County Sheriff’s Deputy (Minneapolis.) He is also a legal immigrant from Mexico and has been here for 40+ years. He hates Minnesota and can hardly wait until his kids are fully launched to get the heck out of dodge.
Robertito sounds like a prince of a guy.
jvb
In the “Well, THIS is interesting” category, Pakistan has nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize
Anyone want to bet on how many seconds the old Norwegian women will give to considering this?
We took two of the granddaughters (10 and 7) to see the live-action Disney Lilo and Stitch movie. It was fairly entertaining (though less for the “littles” than the original , I thought), but spent a larger portion of the movie on the “family separation” aspect than the original, and less time on Stitch (the ultimately “good alien”). In the end, Lilo’s sister/guardian does leave to pursue her college opportunities in expectation of a career, but only after being assured that Lilo will be OK with the neighbors because of government social services, like Medicaid.
Am I seeing too much “Disney Woke” influence in these adjustments, or are they just updates to enhance the more realistic live-action style?
I’m a day late, but here’s my considered commentary on the events in Los Angeles:
All these cars are burned
Foreign flags displayed
I’ve been hearing talk
that it’s all okay
I’d be risking harm
if I was in L.A.
California’s burnin’
to make ICE go away
All just to besmirch
actions launched in May
Well, they want to be appeased
by making agents prey
You know the POTUS will not fold
the Guard is gonna stay
California’s burnin’
Hear Newsome’s fiddle play
All around this town
people throwing flames
outline made of chalk
the price someone will pay
I’m no fortune teller
but that’s clear as day
California’s burnin’
so welcome to L.A.
it’s all in disarray
is this the U.S.A.?
–Dwayne