Category: Politics

Clinton campaign events are known for being highly scripted and at least some questions from Hillary’s audiences most certainly are plants, providing the candidate a setup to respond in such a way as to make her look like a really nice, downhome person or really on top of a particular subject. Such was the situation recently when a questioner at a Hillary Q&A seemingly admitted that he had been given his softball question for the frontrunner about which former president she most admired. Such situations are not new for Hillary with charges of planted questions arising in all of her past and current campaigns.

With that in mind, one has to be very suspicious of the recent question asked of Hillary about whether she would consider appointing Obama to the Supreme Court if she becomes president. We all know Hillary is a less than skilled public speaker so the feigned surprise she shows at the question and her prepared response are far from genuine:

“Wow, what a great idea. No one has ever suggested that to me, I love that, wow. He may have a few other things to do but I tell you that’s a great idea.”

Sorry, Hill, while your acting skills just aren’t up to carrying that off as being a spontaneous occurrence, that’s only part of the problem because I’m sure I wasn’t the only American watching that arranged exchange whose initial response was, “Whoa, did I just hear the Democrat frontrunner for president float a bribe to the sitting Democrat President of the United States right in front of the entire world?” Anyone watching could see the unspoken implication was, “Hey, Barack, make sure no indictment prevents my election and one of the most coveted, lifetime positions in the world can be yours when your presidential term is over, wink, wink.”

While that, folks, was even less subtle than dragging a hundred dollar bill through a trailer park, you do have to admire the way it was set up so as to shield Clinton from any political charge of attempted bribery or obstruction of justice by her opponents. Unsurprisingly it comes on the heels of Hillary’s recent proclivity to gushingly praise the Obama presidency whereas earlier she’d done everything possible to distance herself from that failed administration. Pundits mull that changing position as being an attempt to stay ahead of her uber-liberal opponent, Bernie Sanders. Cynics like me see it as a naked attempt to stay ahead of an obviously justified indictment from the Obama Justice Department. Whether or not that indictment ultimately happens while Obama is in office is clearly freighted with such enormous political weight that crudely dangled bribes for a cushy sinecure aren’t likely to affect it.

Besides, Hillary, Supreme Court Justices probably don’t get enough time on the links to appeal to Barack Obama; plus they are based in Washington, D.C. not Oahu. Nice try though; at least we know you Clinton’s are still dragging those hundred dollar bills, so to speak.

Crossposted at American Thinker

The LA Times reports that an Orange County Sheriff Department deputy needs your help searching for the AR rifle that he put on the trunk of his deputy-mobile and forgot about until more recently.

The unnamed deputy was starting his shift around 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Southwest Operations Division’s Aliso Viejo station and preparing his equipment for patrol, according to sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Jeff Hallock.

The deputy had placed the rifle, inside its case, on the trunk lid of his patrol car when he became distracted and drove off to conduct his patrol shift in Aliso Viejo and Laguna Hills. It wasn’t until 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, nearly eight hours later, that the lawman realized his weapon was missing.

The department has activated all of their resources to search for the gun, including reserves and detectives.

While you’re out looking for the firearm, keep an eye out for the inmates they lost, too;

The absence of the men — Jonathan Tieu, 20, Bac Duong, 43, and Hossein Nayeri, 37 — went unnoticed for at least 16 hours Friday before jail staff discovered they were missing during a nightly count of inmates.

Thanks to David for the link.

Bobo sends us another link from Fox News that reports this happens more than you would think. The Department of Homeland Security has lost control of 1,300 badges, 165 firearms and 589 cell phones in the past three years.

The majority of the credentials belonged to employees of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), while others belonged to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) employees.

The lost or stolen guns also mostly belonged to CBP employees, though others were cited as belonging to TSA and ICE workers. The agencies all fall under DHS.

Sounds like the Feds need gun control.

Truthfully I did not know we named winter storms. After digging out here in Wild and Wonderful, I am certain it was given names other than Jonas. Most of which cannot be repeated.

Certainly you are following the presidential campaigns. That is a storm of another name. For certain is that when it comes right down to it, politicians are politicians. Most are certainly in a love affair with self that far surpasses mere confidence. But, that is probably what it takes. Trump said he thinks he could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot people and he still would not lose any votes. Maybe so, but if he was shooting at people on a New York street there would likely not be a legally armed citizen nearby to return fire. If statements such as that cannot bring him down a notch or two, it concerns me.

Trump is going to make America great again. He is singing to the choir proclaiming what most of us do want to hear and from my view it sounds a lot like, “….there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America. “ No one can deny that he comes across as scrappy and unafraid of what comes out of his mouth. I do not think he is a conservative as most would view conservatism. Populist, nationalist for certain and I just have an uneasy feeling that it is all show time for “the Donald.”

Well Mr. Romney, here we are sir. You are indeed the man. When the Maverick was shot down in 08, I said that it would be your turn next. You see, that is how it is done inside your country club. Alas, you are the warrior with whom we must engage the fight for the life of our nation. Ann Coulter would dub you Saint Mitt [Ann appears in the tank for Trump too]. I am not so overwhelmed.

I predicted you would win the nomination and then lose the general election. I am not Karl Rove, thankfully, so I do not rely on a lot of political, establishment mumbo jumbo to tell me the likely outcome. Nor do I rely on over the top pontification of those either for or against you. For me, it is not that complicated. You simply have not proven to me that you are a scrapper.
…..
Have you ever been in a street fight Mitt? A bar room brawl? A bench clearing de-cleating? Even a tiff over the back yard volley-ball net? That could be part of your problem. I believe you could probably throw the volley ball at your sister and storm away in anger, (of course you would apologize profusely later) but I am just not sure how well you might fair in the other scenarios. Whether you realize it or not, bud, you are in a hair pulling, eye-gouging, shin kicking, foot stomping, bust you in the doggoned head with a trash can lid, street fight. It is not going to be fair and you cannot intellectualize it away. – Silver Spoons April 22, 2012

I think Trump has broken that code. Americans like a fighter, I have just learned over time to be wary of the one who would save us. Do not all of them present themselves as such?

Now Sarah Palin is climbing aboard the Trump train. It is just odd. She endorsed Ted Cruz in his senate race. Now she puts her own conservative standing on the line to endorse someone whose record is anything but conservative. Also recall the Trump-Cruz meeting at the beginning of this. I have not figured out the Trump-Cruz-Palin connection, but something in my gut tells me there is one.

The last time I heard from Morton Kondracke, I know who the hell is that, he was beside himself that Sarah Palin might end up in the Whitehouse. I wrote about Morton in 2008. Cannot find it on line because my website went down for a lengthy time right after, but here is an excerpt:

On Friday, I was particularly interested in what the program’s panel discussion might offer up on the selection of Governor Sarah Palin by Senator McCain as his Vice Presidential running mate. I was not surprised to hear Morton Kondracke express some contempt for the choice. He cited her lack of experience to assume the duties of the President as if he fully expected McCain to drop over dead on inauguration day. Why, he’s had two bouts of melanoma declared Mr. Kondracke. Morton is prone to say some dumb things, at least in my view, but following his comments about Governor Palin’s lack of experience he added to his nuttier than a squirrel turd opinion by saying that Senator Obama was more qualified to be President simply because he had been running for the job for the past 3 years. Morton actually had a pained expression on his face. Perhaps you need more fiber in the diet Morton. And just for the record, Obama is running against McCain or maybe it is Bush. I am not always sure, but he is not running against Palin.

Do you know what Morton’s problem is? Intentionally or not, John McCain just kicked down the door to the country club and invited in an ordinary outside and I mean way outside the beltway American. Morton may have to someday soon grit his teeth, furrow his brow in further consternation and admit that there is a blasted commoner in the White House, even if it is only as Vice President. Moose stew on the menu, my, my. Morton and the remainder of likeminded beltway bandits cannot fathom the concept that a former member of the serfdom could ascend to the ruling class. It is not a glass ceiling that needs broken, it is the country club strangle hold on our country that does. – Rocking Morton’s world, August 31, 2008.

Just brought that up, because Morton the beltway elitist that he is has just put forward his strategy to put another progressive in the Whitehouse. You see, Mortie cannot fathom the thought of a Trump or Cruz in the Whitehouse, which is why he wants all the “moderates” such as himself to write Paul Ryan in for president. Acknowledging that he has no prayer of winning, but that a powerful message will be sent. We already received the message Mortie – your superiority complex remains unchanged. Once again his world is being rocked by the potential election of one not owned by establishment Washington and clearly one not as smart as him and his type. Kondracke and those who think like him is exactly the reason we are where we are.

Not sure how it will turn out, but if we do not get someone in the Whitehouse that is truly concerned about everyday Americans, we lose. Trump has been funneling money to the beltway bandits for many years. He is not wanted in the Whitehouse because he knows where all of the bodies are buried. Cruz has proven he is a principled conservative not fond of career beltway bandits and it is for that reason he is unwanted.

©2016 J. D. Pendry All Rights Reserved

Judge Andrew Napolitano, being interviewed on The Kelly File, recently said something that caused my head to pop out of my nether regions – namely, that Hillary Clinton was playing a word game with the media when she denied that none of the emails in question were marked “classified.” It was almost an “aha!” moment for me for the simple reason that even though I have written that Hillary is playing word games in this matter, I had not previously perceived just how devious her word parsing is. And unless you’ve had a federal security clearance and understand the system of security classification and document marking, you aren’t likely to have a prayer of deciphering Hillary’s deception.

Here’s what she’s doing: in interviews with the media, Hillary carefully says that none of the emails in question were marked “classified.” Well, of course they weren’t, because “classified” isn’t one of the designations with which classified documents are marked. Classified is an overall designation wherein individual documents are marked CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET, or TOP SECRET. I’m unfamiliar with how other designations higher than top secret are marked, because they were beyond my pay grade. But what I do know is that “classified” itself is not one of the specific markings found on classified documents, and I’ll bet the farm that whoever in Clinton’s campaign is crafting her media responses knows that as well.

Thus, when Hillary blithely denies that any of the questionable emails on her server was marked “classified,” she’s telling a strictly narrow, word-specific truth so that she cannot be shown later to be blatantly lying to the media, although that is precisely what she’s doing with such word-parsing. It’s another Clinton word game, much like Slick Willie’s infamous “it depends upon what the meaning of is is.”

Hey, they’re Clintons…whaddaya expect?

Crossposted at American Thinker

Heard the one about the old Texas cowboy visiting the big city who strays into a lesbian bar? He sits down on a bar stool next to a tough-looking woman in biker leathers; tips his hat politely; and says, “Howdy, ma’am.” She looks at him hard and says, “Don’t ma’am me, cowpoke. I’m a lesbian. All I think about is young, beautiful women and their soft, lovely bodies, and all the things I can do to them. That’s all I think about, day in, day out, at night, all night and all day when I’m at work.” Thinking she’d shocked him, she challenged him with, “So whaddaya think about that?” The old fellow looks at her for a long thoughtful moment and responds, “Well, when I walked in here I thought for sure I was a cowboy, but dang if you ain’t got me wonderin’ if mebbe I ain’t a lesbian.”

Well, that’s the way I feel after wandering in to the-american-interest.com and reading Charles C.W. Cooke’s “Andrew Jackson, Revenant.” I was in there only a few paragraphs before I said to myself, “Dang, I think I’m a Jacksonian.” By the end of the piece, I knew I was.

For starters, Cooke says Jacksonians see the 2nd Amendment as the foundation of our freedom and security. That’s me for sure. Here’s more:

It is Jacksonians who most resent illegal immigration, don’t want to subsidize the urban poor, support aggressive policing and long prison sentences for violent offenders and who are the slowest to ‘evolve’ on issues like gay marriage and transgender rights.

Cooke notes that Jacksonians have been the slowest segment of American society to come around on racial advancements but says this regarding that:

Jacksonians have come a long way on race, but they will never move far enough and fast enough for liberal opinion; liberals are moving too, and are becoming angrier and more exacting regardless of Jacksonian progress.

Cooke explains that Jacksonians have difficulty in organizing politically and exerting their influence:

Jacksonians are neither liberal nor conservative in the ways that political elites use those terms; they are radically egalitarian, radically pro-middle class, radically patriotic, radically pro-Social Security. They are not, under normal circumstances, joiners in politics; they are individualists who organize in response to threats, and their individualism goes to their stands on what outsiders sometimes think are the social issues that unite them.

With regard to Jacksonian morality and religious beliefs, Cooke says this:

Many Jacksonians, for example, are not evangelicals and not even Christian at all. While some are strongly anti-abortion, others believe that individual freedom makes abortion nobody’s business but their own. Some stand strongly behind the drug war; many indulge in recreational drugs and some Jacksonians grow or manufacture them, much like the moonshiners who have been evading ‘revenuers’ since the Washington administration.

While he lays out a number of difficulties facing any sort of immediate Jacksonian movement, Cooke says:

What we are seeing in American politics today is a Jacksonian surge. It is not yet a revolution on the scale of Old Hickory’s movement that transformed American politics for a generation. Such a revolution may not be possible in today’s America, and in any case the current wave of Jacksonian activism and consciousness is still in an early and somewhat incoherent phase.

And then he gets to the possibility of Jacksonian influences in the current presidential contest:

Donald Trump, for now, is serving as a kind of blank screen on which Jacksonians project their hopes. Proposing himself as a strong leader who ‘gets’ America but is above party, Trump appeals to Jacksonian ideas about leadership. … Indeed, one of the reasons that Trump hasn’t been hurt by attacks that highlight his lack of long term commitment to the boilerplate conservative agenda (either in the social or economic conservative variant) is that Jacksonian voters are less dogmatic and less conservative than some of their would-be political representatives care to acknowledge.

Whatever happens to the Trump candidacy, it now seems clear that Jacksonian America is rousing itself to fight for its identity, its culture and its primacy in a country that it believes it should own. Its cultural values have been traduced, its economic interests disregarded, and its future as the center of gravity of American political life is under attack.

Several months ago I expressed my belief that Donald Trump’s appeal was Jacksonian, but this is the first time I’ve seen the premise spelled out so coherently. Thank you, Charles C.W. Cooke. What I’m wondering now is how many folks out there reading this are saying to themselves, much like that old cowboy in the lesbian bar, “Dang, I think I’m a Jacksonian!”

Crossposted at American Thinker