Tucker Carlson used a candidate forum on Friday to wreck the GOP presidential primary field. That wasn't his goal, of course, but that's what happened, because the candidates aren't used to challenges.
Several candidates seemed to believe the line -- where do they get this from? -- that the U.S. must defend Ukraine at almost any cost, rather than seeking some kind of negotiated deal to end a stalemate.
Others seemed plainly out of their depth. Word on the street is that Amb. Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy were the only two who really did well. Gov. Ron DeSantis did OK. (Trump didn't go.)
I've not always been a huge fan of Tucker's style -- the cackle is a little much -- but his adversarial style, while abrasive, is useful in separating the wheat from the chaff. Major-league pitching, here.
My friend Mark Levin, similarly, has a hard-hitting book coming out called "The Democrat Party Hates America." I'd never give a book that title. It risks alienating readers and dividing the country even further.
And yet -- there's a use to it. It's hard to forget. And while many on the left are simply well-meaning-but-misguided, a few really do hate the country. It's important to "call that out," to use a popular phrase.
It's important to have a wrecking crew. They might not be the best to build bridges, but they do clear out a lot of what needs removal. A vibrant political movement will have all types, and many approaches.
I should have noted in my message about the weekly Torah portion that this week is Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of Vision. We are about to mourn -- but see through that pain to something better that lies beyond, on the other side.
Wishing you the best vision -- and an incredible reality to follow. It happens!
We begin the final speech of Moses to the people of Israel before they enter the Promised Land. He relates the ups and downs of the years of wandering in the desert, before, finally, the people have the merit to enter the land itself.
This Sabbath always precedes Tisha B'Av, the Ninth of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is the anniversary of the destruction of both of the Holy Temples, and a catch-all for many calamities that befell the Jewish people.
A word on Tisha B'Av. This year I am leaving for an overseas trip during the afternoon of the holiday -- in the middle of a fast day. Not idea, but there was no other choice. But my flight is in the afternoon, which is significant.
We relax some of the harsh, mournful customs of the day in the afternoon. We start to pray normally; we sit on regular chairs; we start to have hope again in the redemption that will, one day, lead us all back from exile to our home.
I'll be taking a trip to a land where an important part of ...
President Trump is in Scotland, playing golf and making big trade deals -- a major deal with the EU, in fact. Meanwhile, there is a global outcry about humanitarian aid to Palestinians (not about the Israeli hostages, mind you).
On top of that, Democrats are at their lowest polling numbers ever -- so they are trying to win control of the House by redistricting in the middle of a 10-year Census cycle. Oh, economic optimism is up, so they have a tough road.
And Tulsi Gabbard's revelations about the Russia collusion investigation make it clear that Obama's lieutenants lied to Congress. How deeply was he himself involved? The media continue to ignore the evidence, but we certainly won't.
Special guests:
Nick Gilbertson - Breitbart News White House correspondent, on EU deal
Frances Martel - Breitbart News foreign editor, on Trump abroad and Russia
John Spencer - urban warfare expert, on humanitarian aid and war in Gaza
Bradley Jaye - Breitbart News congressional correspondent, on the ...