Happy Wednesday!

Today we start with the Boss Roast. As in, Gen. Milley just roasted his boss.

Milley Throws Biden Under the Tank: Testifies He Wanted Biden to Keep 2500 Troops in Afghanistan for Withdrawal and That Failure to Do So Would Result in Taliban Quickly Taking Over

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and head of U.S. Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie tossed Joe Biden under a tank yesterday. Both testified under oath that they wanted to keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan for the withdrawal, and had warned that a failure to do so would result in the Afghan government collapsing and Taliban quickly taking over.

Biden ignored their advice. (Or the Secret Cabal that actually runs the White House ignored their advice.) This disastrous decision led to chaos in Afghanistan, thousands of Americans abandoned behind enemy lines, and 13 brave service members killed. To say nothing of a family of 10 being blown to bits in the mistaken belief their father was an ISIS bomber.

Furthermore, their sworn testimony directly contradicts Biden’s denial that he’d been told to keep troops there for the withdrawal. Biden told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that “no one” that he “can recall” advised him to keep about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan.

Thank you, Rep. Jim Banks for highlighting the exchange:

To all this, Sen. Tom Cotton asked Milley, “Why haven’t you resigned?” His answer, “My dad didn’t get a choice to resign at Iwo Jima.” His other answer: Resigning would be an “incredible act of political defiance  for a commissioned officer to just resign because [his] advice is not taken.” Let’s translate that: “I’ll be darned if I am going to take the fall for this debacle.” 

Small comfort to the families of those killed and those left behind enemy lines. 

Milley Defends Calls to China, Although He is “Certain” Trump Didn’t Intend to Attack China

Any greater a head-scratcher and you’d need stitches for your scalp. Milley testified, “I know, I am certain … that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese.” What? 

And yet, after talking with Nancy Pelosi about the dangers of an out-of-control Trump, he called up China twice to assure them he’d warn them if Trump was going to attack. Milley, according to Bob Woodward, also told junior officers to ignore any nuke orders from Trump unless they ran them by him first.

In Tuesday’s hearing, Milley denied doing anything outside the chain of command and that calling China was part his job. He also swore to his “absolute loyalty” to the U.S.

So if he knew Trump wasn’t going to do anything rash, why was he conspiring with Pelosi to create the appearance he was? Why didn’t Milley tell Pelosi to take a flying leap into the Reflecting Pool when she rang him up?

And while we’re thinking about it …

Milley was perfectly comfortable warning Communist China that Trump was not going to attack, but he was unwilling to warn American citizens that Biden was going to abandon them in Afghanistan. Tell me again about that absolute loyalty. 

Marine Who Demanded Accountability from Military Leaders Tossed in the Brig

Nobody in the administration has been held to account for the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. But you know who is being punished? Stuart Scheller, the Marine lieutenant colonel who posted a video asking for military leadership to take responsibility for the failures. Lt. Col. Scheller has been tossed in the brig.

So, Who’s Really in Charge? Ask Nancy.

A government shutdown is looming midnight Thursday night. (Well, technically 12:01 a.m. Friday morning.) Nancy Pelosi is adamant a deal be worked out to suspend the debt ceiling and prevent that from happening.

She also may have answered the much-debated question “Who’s really in charge at the White House?”

NEW – Pelosi: "Keep government open… to address the full #Obama agenda of building back better."pic.twitter.com/uU0LvIw11y

— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 28, 2021

Yes, we need to stop a government shutdown to protect Obama’s full “Building Back Better” agenda.

Slip of the tongue or a rare burst of honesty, Ol’ Nancy?

Second Chances: Lori Laughlin Returning to Hallmark’s When Calls the Heart…Well, at Least the Spin-Off

Actress Lori Laughlin was booted from Hallmark’s wholesome When Calls the Heart series when charged in the 2019 college bribery scandal. Her character Abigail Scanton was off visiting her sick mother back east … while Laughlin was off to the Big House.

However, Laughlin will be returning to acting and reprising Abigail in the When Calls the Heart spin-off When Hope Calls. Specifically, she’ll appear in When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, which premieres December 18 on GAC Family.

Meanwhile, Laughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade, who got into USC via her folks’ $500,000 bribery scheme, is competing on the new season of Dancing With the Stars and amazingly, she’s scored perfect 10s on all her dances. Okay, I made that last bit up.

(Hallmark? Did someone mention Hallmark? On Friday, we’ll give a little preview of 2021’s Hallmark Christmas movie lineup.)

Along The Stream

On Monday, New York’s new governor Kathy Hochul declared that you “aren’t listening to God and what God wants” if you don’t take the COVID vaccine. Dr. Michael Brown calls this a “serious and ugly error” in his new article, “May I Offer a Word of Wisdom to the God-Evoking Governor of New York.”

Tell ya what, Guv. Since you’re so convinced you have God’s ear, why not ask Him his thoughts on your state ripping babies apart in the womb through nine months … and celebrating the fact.

Also, our Nancy Flory covers California’s shocking new law in “California Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Into Law That Allows Children to Hide Abortions, Transgender Treatments, from Parents.”

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Morning Brew;and co-author, with John Zmirak, of; The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at Gab, Parler, MeWe and now; GETTR.