The Morning Brew for Monday, May 10, 2021
Psaki Bailing, Pelosi Confusing and the Kentucky Derby Winner Juicing?
Welcome to another week of The Morning Brew! Hope you had a great Mother’s Day.
Let’s see what beans the weekend left us to grind.
Psaki to Quit Next Year, Admits They Don’t Want Biden Answering Questions
White House press secretary Jen Psaki says she’ll likely step down next year. She tells David Axelrod she wants to spend more time with her kids.
Nice, especially over Mother’s Day Weekend. But that’s also the stock answer when someone’s seeing the writing on the wall. Psaki has been a wreck. Even when facing a White House press corps so lovey-dovey they make Hallmark movies look like a Tarantino flick.
Case in point. In that same interview she dared say aloud what is obvious: The White House, the people who actually are running things, do not want “The Most Powerful Man in the World,” Joe Biden answering questions from reporters … even from the 99.9% who are friendly to him.
“That is not something we recommend. In fact, a lot of times we say ‘don’t take questions,'” she said. “But he’s going to do what he wants to do because he’s the president of the United States.” (But odd how he always then apologizes, or says “they’re going to be mad at me,” when he does spontaneously take questions.)
And then the White House is left cleaning up the mess … or watching helplessly as the gaffes become viral memes.
So Who’d Replace Psaki?
Who’d replace Psaki? According to Newsmax, the leading contenders are two openly gay Democratic officials. Karine Jean-Pierre, currently the principal deputy press secretary, would get the promotion, or Ned Price, currently the State Department spokesman.
One thing we do know: Whoever gets the gig, they’ll be able to eat at any restaurant without getting run out by the owner. (Yes, Lexington, Virginia, I still won’t stop there anymore after what was done to Sarah Huckabee Sanders, regardless of how full the bladder or empty the stomach.)
Pelosi Confused Two Legendary African-American Baseball Players
Poor Nancy Pelosi. You’d think the queen of identity politics would at least know the identity of her city’s most legendary baseball player.
In a gaffe that would have Democrats and late night comics screaming “RACIST!!!!!!!!” if done by a Republican, Nancy Pelosi confused Major League baseball legend Willie Mays with his great Giant teammate Willie McCovey. Pelosi sent out a tribute celebrating the Say Hey, Kid’s 90th birthday. Except it was a photo of her with McCovey.
(She switched out the photo once the error was pointed out. Thank you, Joe Viviano for capturing the original.)
— Joe Viviano (@javiviano) May 7, 2021
Pelosi’s office blamed a staffer for the screw up, naturally.
Still … Happy 90th Birthday, Willie Mays! To celebrate, here is one of Willie’s finest moments … only one of the greatest catches in baseball history:
Kentucky Derby Winner Failed Post-Race Drug Test
Jumpin’ Mint Julip!
Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit may be disqualified and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has already been suspended from Churchill Downs after the horse failed a post-race drug test. Medina Spirit was found to have 21 picograms of the steroid betamethasone, double the legal threshold in Kentucky racing, in a post-race sample.
The steroid is sometimes used to treat inflammation and pain in horses.
Medina Spirit is still considered the winner … for the moment. But, Churchill Downs officials said in a statement, “To be clear, if the findings are upheld, Medina Spirit’s results in the Kentucky Derby will be invalidated and Mandaloun will be declared the winner.”
Baffert denied any wrongdoing Sunday, insisting to reporters he had no idea how the drug got into the horse’s system. (“Don’t look at me,” said Medina Spirit.)
From Our “Heroes Who Stand Up to the Woke” File
Remember that exchange between a college student who defended the police as heroes and the snotty Cyprus College professor who interrupted to shred cops and insist she wouldn’t call police even if someone broke into her home?
Well, that still unnamed professor has now been placed on leave.
And a tip of the cup to young Braden Ellis for standing tall and defending our men and women in blue.
Thank You, NPR For Admitting Big Tech Interfered in the Election
Remember when suggesting that Big Tech helped sabotage the 2020 election by undermining Trump and hiding stories detrimental to Biden was a “conspiracy theory? You were an “insurrectionist undermining democracy?
Guess who fessed up? NPR — itself, not incidentally, guilty of burying the Hunter Biden/Joe Biden Communist Chinese business dealings story. NPR tweeted: Whether or not Facebook decides to reinstate former President Trump’s account in the coming months will likely have major consequences for Trump’s political power and possible future campaign.
Mollie Hemingway caught the significance, tweeting in response: “Interesting way of admitting how much election interference and election meddling against Republicans that our tech companies can do and have done!”
Interesting way of admitting how much election interference and election meddling against Republicans that our tech companies can do and have done! https://t.co/EzQMD3lWO2
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) May 6, 2021
Speaking of Mollie, Stream contributor Mark Judge has a wonderful column out about her this morning. It’s called “How Mollie Hemmingway Time-Traveled to Stymie the New York Times and Save Our Timeline.”
Coming Up Today on The Stream
David Limbaugh asks where all the moderate Democrats are, in response to Biden’s ever more radical policies. And Dr. Michael Brown begs Sean Hannity “Please Do Not Make ‘Caitlyn Jenner’ a Hero.”
Just some of what we’ve got brewing today.
Have a great start to your week!
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl on Twitter and Parler, if his Twitter account is restored. You can also follow him @StreamingAl on Gab and MeWe.
