Last week, I wrote about the image of a smirking illegal immigrant giving media cameras double middle fingers as he walked out of court scot-free. He and others just been taken into custody for assaulting NYPD officers as the cops tried to make an arrest related to separate alleged crimes, but thanks to 'progressive' bail laws, several assailants were out in a flash. And in light of New York's 'progressive' sanctuary policies, the likelihood of deportation was slim-to-none, as the local government refuses to cooperate with federal enforcement. The smug, bird-flipping "asylum seeker" represented the Democrats' 2024 mascot, I wrote, as he embodied the infuriating end game of the left-wing governance project. It seems as though Trumpworld agrees that such images are powerful. This ad is effective:
Joe Biden is giving you the finger. pic.twitter.com/CiVSHyiCii
— MAGA War Room (@MAGAIncWarRoom) February 6, 2024
The news clips -- and especially Biden's angry and garbled declaration that he eliminated Trump's asylum policies because "there's no need for [it]" -- tell the story. In an imminent New York special Congressional election, this incident has also made it into a GOP commercial:
This is a Biden district, flipped by R's in 2022, vacant because of Santos ouster. The Dem in the race is well-known, well-funded, and sounding like a Republican in some of his ads. Here's a new GOP spot tying him to Biden: "I support the president's agenda, 100%." Close race… https://t.co/yAuINsWaFn
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 6, 2024
That election is next Tuesday, but early voting is already underway. The Democrat, as I mentioned, is sounding quite conservative in some of his ads, and he's a prominent figure in the area. His party is trying the Republican to the disgraced and expelled George Santos as a closing argument. This is a swing district. The Democrats have seemed pretty confident about winning this seat back, but there are some indications that the GOP nominee is surging. Crime was a big issue in New York in the midterm cycle, helping Republicans over-perform their underwhelming night in many other places. We'll see what happens next week. Will moderate Long Island voters tolerate New York City officers being beaten up by illegal immigrant criminals, basically with impunity (though they've since been apprehended on the opposite side of the country)? Tying the Democrat to Biden with his own words ("100 percent") is a smart play, given Biden's deep unpopularity. Meanwhile, House Republicans continue to do themselves no favors, failing on an impeachment vote against the DHS Secretary this week, an outcome influenced by the aforementioned Santos vacancy:
Mayorkas survives in part due to vacancies (Santos, McCarthy seats) and medical absence (Scalise)…
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 6, 2024
Republicans tossed Santos out of the chamber after his indictments came down. Senate Democrats have, by contrast, eschewed their own 'country over party' preaching by keeping Bob Menendez in his seat, despite his extremely serious criminal charges. The House GOP made their tiny margin even smaller. Upper chamber Democrats have protected theirs. Noted. Also, some Democratic chicanery may have also impacted the Mayorkas impeachment whip count:
1) From colleague astute colleague Tyler Olson. House Democrats appear to have outwitted Republicans Tuesday – disguising their attendance numbers and convincing House Republicans they had the votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. In fact, they did not
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 7, 2024
Meanwhile, the pathetic drivel and spin coming out of the administration continues, as the border crisis rages on:
Insulting. The border was in way better shape before this guy took office & ripped up a bunch of effective policies. Now, it’s an historic disaster. No laws changed in the interim. This is about him & his choices. It’s obvious, so this spin will fail, just like his policies. https://t.co/Gorar6WqDo
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 6, 2024
Doocy: “So —”
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 6, 2024
KJP: “I mean, [Republicans] voted —”
Doocy: “— the Democrats —“
KJP: “— they’ve actually voted —”
Doocy: “— who were in charge the first two years — no response from you?”
KJP: “— it has — I’m not saying that Democrats have not been in control of the first two… pic.twitter.com/HDLJn0A0LE
And on the wider subject of responsibility, blame, and controlling the crisis, I'll leave you with this interview:
I had a spirited exchange with the Border Patrol’s Brandon Judd, who supports the scuttled Senate bill. As the leader of front line agents, his perspective matters—even if we reach different conclusions (despite agreeing on a lot). He makes an impassioned case here: https://t.co/IFt44WRzLh
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) February 7, 2024
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