Pompeo explains the perils of Biden’s three Ws

NEWS AND OPINION:

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is very serious about his public message these days, an indicator that he could have his eye on a White House run in 2024.

Mr. Pompeo appeared Tuesday at a “Politics and Eggs” public event at St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, New Hampshire, long considered a traditional stop for presidential hopefuls. Mr. Pompeo — who graduated at the top of his class at West Point — gave a rousing but thoughtful speech, which included references to former President Ronald Reagan and traditional American patriotism.

However, he did not hold back with his observations about President Biden and a recent speech the president gave in Philadelphia.

“With Independence Hall and American uniformed servicemen behind him and the presidential seal in front of him, he had a unique opportunity to unite America by reminding us of the strength, resolve, and unity that lives in the spirit of 9/11. Instead, he desecrated those symbols by giving one of the most divisive presidential speeches in American history. Worse, he used two Marines as window dressing while he attacked half of our nation as enemies,” Mr. Pompeo told his audience.

“He called us a threat to the soul and foundations of our republic. He said we were intimidated, semifascist, authoritarian cronies who want to take our country backwards. Mr. President: I do not know your heart. But I do know that treating your countrymen like enemies is a rejection of the principles that make America great,” he continued.

“And while none of us know the president’s heart, we do know his ideology. Because we see the impact every day. I can sum up the president’s principles in three words. Woke, weak, and waffling,” Mr. Pompeo noted.

Find more about Mr. Pompeo at CavPac.com — home to Champion American Values PAC, which he chairs.

AND SO IT BEGINS

So are you ready?

“It might feel like the primary season just ended (because it did) but, starting this week, voters across the country will start casting ballots in this year’s general elections,” reports Douglas Kronaizl, a staff writer for Ballotpedia, an online political resource.

Early voting gets underway Friday in Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. On Saturday, it begins in Vermont and Virginia, Mr. Kronaizl noted. On Sept. 29, voters in Illinois, Michigan, and North Dakota can head to the polls — while another 35 states begin early voting in October. Kentucky and Oklahoma begin early voting in November.

“Five states — Alabama, Connecticut, Mississippi, Missouri and New Hampshire — do not offer universal, in-person early voting but voters meeting certain eligibility requirements may qualify to vote early,” Mr. Kronaizl said.

CONGRESS: SOMETHING’S BREWING

It is a unique event, even in a city known for unique events. This is all about beer-making and Congress.

Anheuser-Busch hosts the fifth annual “Brew Across America Congressional Brewing Competition” on Wednesday in a spot not all that far from the U.S. Capitol. And yes, members of Congress are vying to determine the true brewmasters among them.

“Over the summer, members of Congress and their bipartisan buddies collaborated on a beer — and a beer name — to create a nonpartisan brew using local ingredients from their districts and states,” Anheuser-Busch advised in a statement to Inside the Beltway.

We’ll soon know who won this beer bout. Meanwhile, here’s the official team roster. It reveals the new brew’s name, followed by the lawmakers who brewed it and the local brewery that supported their efforts:

“Emerald Palmer,” brewed by Reps. Young Kim (California Republican) and Lou Correa (California Democrat), with the Golden Road Pub in Anaheim.

“Legen-Dairy Stout,” brewed by Reps. G.T. Thompson (Pennsylvania Republican) and Salud Carbajal (California Democrat), with the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in St. Louis.

“Paw-Paw Bear,” brewed by Reps. Alex Mooney (West Virginia Republican) and Norma Torres (California Democrat), with the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Los Angeles.

“Reaching Across the Ale,” brewed by Reps. Ben Cline (Virginia Republican) and Jared Golden (Maine Democrat), with the Devils Backbone Outpost in Lexington, Virginia.

“Seventeen Finger Select,” brewed by Sens. Jon Tester (Montana Democrat) and Mike Rounds (South Dakota Republican), with the Anheuser-Busch Fort Collins Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado.

“Sugarhouse Ale,” brewed by Reps. Chris Pappas (New Hampshire Democrat) and Tony Gonzales (Texas Republican), with the Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, New Hampshire.

FOXIFIED

During the week of Sept. 12-18, Fox News marked 83 consecutive weeks as the top-rated cable news network with an average nightly prime-time audience of 2.2 million, according to Nielsen Media Research. In contrast, MSNBC drew 1.3 million prime-time viewers, while CNN had an audience of 705,000.

During the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Fox News also led the coverage, averaging 2.3 million viewers during prime time; MSNBC attracted 1.4 million and CNN 626,000.

Late night host Greg Gutfeld continues to ace the competition, boasting 2 million average nightly viewers compared to CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (1.9 million viewers), NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” (1.5 million) and ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (1.3 million).

“The Five” was the most-watched cable news program of the week with an average daily audience of 3.3 million viewers, followed by “Tucker Carlson Tonight” with 3.2 million viewers. Among morning audiences, “Fox and Friends” led for the 78th week in a row, drawing 1.3 million viewers compared to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” (932,000 viewers) and CNN’s “New Day” (414,000).

POLL DU JOUR

• 69% of U.S. adults say the U.S. is “off on the wrong track”; 88% of Republicans, 74% of independents and 51% of Democrats agree.

• 19% overall say the nation is “heading in the right direction”; 6% of Republicans, 9% of independents and 40% of Democrats agree.

• 12% don’t know whether the nation is on the right or wrong track; 5% of Republicans, 17% of independents and 9% of Democrats agree.

SOURCE: An Ipsos poll of 1,003 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 12-13.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.