Some criminals’ names are worth remembering, as pathetic examples of futility. Such an individual is James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, IL.

As V noted Wednesday, he opened fire on Republican representatives from Congress who were practicing to play baseball for charity, and he critically wounded one of them, Rep. Steve Scalise (R – LA).

I don’t know if Hodgkinson was mentally ill? I do know the media reports that he was a Republican-hating and Trump-hating supporter of the Democrat-socialist, Bernie Sanders. (To the Controlled Media’s credit, they have been presenting this fact; not hiding it.)

I don’t know what Hodgkinson’s life was like; if he accomplished much or had kids or did charity or had overcome abuse or handicaps? I don’t know his life, but I do know that his death was malicious (on his part), pointless and stupid.

He gave his life to injure others, express his hatred and injure America. And he failed. He didn’t make a single kill. (He would still be futile and one of life’s losers, if he had; the point is that, even on his own evil terms, he still failed.) A likely proponent of gun control, he made himself into a cautionary tale in favor of guns; specifically, their ability to stop would-be mass-murderers like Hodgkinson quickly – when good people are around, who have them.

I only hope that, in his last moments of consciousness as he died from the bullets that rained back upon him, Hodgkinson realized his error and had a second or two of repentance. If he did, God in His mercy and power will still be able to make something good of Hodgkinson’s soul.

UPDATE: Hannity notes that Bernie is not to blame for this. He’s right. Except we have to put a qualifier on it.

While Bernie is NOT responsible for every act of his supporters – just as Trump isn’t – it can’t be denied that the Left has been fomenting a Climate of Hate. It has many elements, including falsehoods and smears that Bernie has helped to spread.

The Nutty Professor who was allegedly assaulting people with bike locks on behalf of Antifa, during those riots in Berkeley, and who was later arrested.

The update is, he has a lawyer. The lawyer loves “Brother Comrade Hugo Chavez” and “escalating the lack of peace” in America today.

Up against Tucker Carlson on TV, he claims that Clanton either wasn’t there at the riots, or wasn’t the one hitting people with bike locks, and anyway those nasty right-wingers deserved it.

Along the way, he also claims that the recent Portland killer, a documented Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein supporter, was right-wing. Lawyers!

Helicopters, armored vehicles, thousands of heavily armed Federal Agents in body armor, snipers, all dispatched (allegedly) in the service of punishing a rancher for grazing his cows. (I guess the Government needs to shake down ranchers to make up for the $6,000,000,000.00 Hillary Clinton “misplaced” while she was running the State Department.)

Update: Apparently the BLM has backed down for the time being. Interesting that when the Government “loses,” no one dies. Compare to Waco and Ruby Ridge, where the Government “won.”

Do you think if one of Harry Reid’s cronies could make money off of it, we could get this kind of coverage at the Southern Border?

Tell me, lefty progressives, is this the America you envisioned when you voted for Barack Obama?

The Republican Party was actually having a pretty good couple of weeks. Obamacare was imploding. The generic ballot flopped in favor of Republicans. 2014 was beginning to look like 2010, and maybe… just maybe… control of the senate was tantatlizingly within their grasp.

And then it’s like the Party Leadership got together and said, “O.K., How can we screw this up?”

The next day, John Boehner hired John “Landslide” McCain’s chief advisor on (illegal) immigration to help him push Amnesty through the House.

Is there anyone left who doesn’t hate the Republican Party? Is the Leadership of the GOP really stupid enough to believe that Amnesty will help them win elections? Do they really think Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin are pushing Amnesty because they think it will help make Republicans more competitive.

If Mitt Romney had gotten 60% of the Hispanic vote in 2012, he’d still be known as the out-of-touch rich guy who lost to Barack Obama because idiot voters thought he wanted to outlaw tampons. (Also because Obama and the Democrats were promising more free stuff from the Government, which is sugar to Hispanic voters.)

But four more percentage points among white voters … especially, the working class “Reagan Democrats” whose wages have been devastated by the influx of cheap illegal labor …. and he would be known as “President Romney.”

And he probably would be pushing for some kind of Amnesty right now.

Le sigh.

Update: Harry Harry Reid says Boehner will cave on Amnesty. He is probably correct. (Also, the Hill seems to have found a reporter even less butch than Chris Hayes.)

Five of the pirates who hijacked a Saudi supertanker drowned with their share of a $3million ransom, a relative said Saturday, the day after the bundle of cash was apparently dropped by parachute onto the deck of the ship…

The drowned pirates’ boat overturned in rough seas, and family members were still looking for four missing bodies, said Daud Nure, another pirate who knew the men involved. (Associated Press)

Huh. Such delicious schadenfreude. Almost too easy, but I’ll go with the obvious with a spiritual twist I guess: “Live by the sword…”

— John (Average Gay Joe)