Hillary complains she is held to a higher standard.
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Dagny officially becomes skier at 4! Congrats to Daddy Brian , her coach!
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Palestinians may hate Israelis but they prefer working for them. (See 1 below.)
Meanwhile, Democrat Representative from Georgia calls Israeli settlers termites. (See 1a below.)
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Hillary says she no longer gets upset over being held to higher standards but she does not understand why. Perhaps it is because she has been around long enough for the public to assess the fact that she is a liar, a crook and not to be trusted. By now her tongue should be full of warts.
If she becomes president that will save her that ill begotten fortune because she has soooo much baggage it would cost her a fortune to fly commercial.
Hillary claims she knew nothing about Wasserman's actions. Highly unlikely but that's Hillary's Kool Aid.
I believe Wasserman was sacrificed so Bernie can endorse the queen of sleaze which he has agreed to do. Bernie has proven to be just another politician who curry's favor and whose integrity is as thin as ice but you have to hand it to him since he radically altered the Democrat Party.
Hillary and her aids are now blaming Trump for the release of these e mails allegedly by Russia because Trump and Russia want to embarrass Hillary. First, perhaps she needs to try another reset effort and second, how does the truth turn out to be embarrassing? Oh, this is because the truth is embarrassing when it comes to Hillary.
I find it ironic that The Democrat Convention begins with another e mail scandal. Are there more to come? Stay tuned. (See 2 below.)
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Now even Erick Erickson has changed his thinking. (See 3 below.)
You usually get a bounce from a convention but with the two so close to each other it might not be a reliable indicator. Some time must pass before you can really assess whether any bounce is real.
According to polling, Trump made some inroads with the unaffiliated and that is a good sign. Apparently they did not believe he was all doom and gloom and thus was able to move the needle.
As for Hillary, her ability too overcome her unreliability numbers may prove more difficult.
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This from a friend and fellow memo reader. He rebuts what I posted by Ed Klein. I concur with much of what my fiend has written regarding the FBI's function and why Comey would not be charged with tampering
"Dick,
Ed Klein’s rationale (no.2 in your memo) makes no sense to me. His statement, “Lynch and Obama made it clear to him...if he pressed for an indictment, he would be taking the Democrat nominee for president out of the election...If....he then failed to get a conviction...he would be facing charges of tampering with and changing the outcome of a federal election to which he would be facing the rest of his life in prison...” seems tortured at best, completely illogical at worst. First of all, as I’ve said before, it is not the FBI’s job to prosecute anyone. Their job is to investigate (see the third word in FBI), collect evidence and then turn that over to the Department of Justice for their determination as to whether there’s sufficient evidence to warrant prosecution and to prosecute if there is. Second, he, Comey, would not be involved in the prosecution per se, save maybe as a witness as custodian of the evidence to verify the chain of custody, and as such would not be the one to blame if it threw the Democratic party’s candidate out of the election process. It would, of course, be first and foremost Hillary’s own fault for doing such a stupid, not to say treasonous, thing. And thereafter, any fault finding for interfering with the election process would fall on the AG’s shoulders, not the FBI Director’s. And if the AG decided not to prosecute at all for whatever reason, Comey would be off the hook entirely. Finally, Comey’s reason for failing to do his job was that he claimed Hillary “had no intent to harm” in using her own servers is lame at best, self-serving at worst. Further, the statues guiding this kind of crime make NO mention of intent anywhere in the language of the statute. There need be only “excessive carelessness” in the handling of classified material to satisfy the need for a crime to have been committed. And Comey provided ample evidence of that in his talk. All in all, someone must have got to him somehow, somewhere for him not to turn over what appeared to be overwhelming evidence to the DOJ and let them make the decision to prosecute or not as they saw fit. Had Comey finished his job, not hers, I firmly believe the AG could not have refused to prosecute or there would have been a massive uproar/multiple resignations/a revolution within the government. Precisely what Bill said to her on that plane the Saturday before we’ll never know since she (the AG) shooed all witnesses off the plane when Bill arrived and said they then talked about their families. But, given the Clinton’s penchant for making material witnesses disappear unexpectedly or die mysteriously when connected to them in some nefarious affair (the count is up to 92 by now), I can imagine what he said. Something along the lines, “Loretta, let’s talk about family……if you want to see yours again, lay off Hillary.”
This whole sordid affair has left me despondent, despairing and devoid of any confidence we’ll ever see justice in this country again. Sad to say ……….E-"
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This from one of my friends and former doctor when I lived in Atlanta. E mails like this can be dangerous because they encourage me to keep at it: "Dick…You are discussed and quoted regularly @ our Friday lunch group. Please continue giving us fodder to throw at our dimwit acquaintances. Especially liked your multifaceted reasons Jews support Hilary and today’s advice to Trump. Wanted Newt as chief of staff; but, I changed my mind and now support you. Stay healthy and continue doing what you do so well.A----"
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Another testimony to D'Souza, from a dear friend and fellow memo reader: " If you need any more of a reason to not vote for Hillary Clinton, please take the time to see the movie “Hillary's America” This is a documentary on the lies and corruption of the Democrat Party from it's founding days. A major part of the film gives in depth insight to the corruption of the Clinton's, and shows what the Clinton Foundation has done to line their pockets. Nothing could hurt our nation anymore than letting this dishonest scandal ridden family back into White House for them to continue unabated crimes against our nation. I encourage you to make a effort to see this film...it will make my case. R---"
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Worth posting again in case you missed this doggone soulful song: https://www.facebook.com/
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Israel's diplomatic strategy beginning to pay off. (See 4 below.)
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Finally, tonight Michelle Obama, for those who wish to listen, will be told how proud our First Lady is of America after her husband has got everything so straight and orderly.
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1a) Democrat Congressman: Jewish Settlers Are Like Termites Slams Israeli Government, compares top official to Trump BY: Adam Kredo July 25, 2016 1:20 pm PHILADELPHIA-A Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee compared Jewish Israeli settlers to termites on Monday while speaking at an event sponsored by an anti-Israel organization that supports boycotts of the Jewish state. Rep. Hank Johnson (D., Ga.) launched into a tirade against Israel and its policies toward the Palestinians, comparing Jewish people who live in disputed territories to "termites" that destroy homes. Johnson also compared Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, a remark that drew vocal agreement from those in the room. "There has been a steady [stream], almost like termites can get into a residence and eat before you know that you've been eaten up and you fall in on yourself, there has been settlement activity that has marched forward with impunity and at an ever increasing rate to the point where it has become alarming," Johnson said during an event sponsored by the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, an anti-Israel organization that galvanizes supporters of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, or BDS. "It has come to the point that occupation, with highways that cut through Palestinian land, with walls that go up, with the inability or the restriction, with the illegality of Palestinians being able to travel on those roads and those roads cutting off Palestinian neighborhoods from each other," Johnson continued. "And then with the building of walls and the building of check points that restrict movement of Palestinians. We've gotten to the point where the thought of a Palestinian homeland gets further and further removed from reality." Johnson, who in 2010 voiced his fears that Guam would tip over and capsize if too many people resided on the island, said that "Jewish people" routinely steal land and property from Palestinians. "You see one home after another being appropriated by Jewish people who come in to claim that land just because somebody did not spend the night there," he said, referring to claims that Israeli settlers plot to seize Palestinian land. '"The home their [Palestinian] ancestors lived in for generations becomes an Israeli home and a flag goes up," he said, adding, "the Palestinians are barred from flying flags in their own neighborhoods." Johnson went on to compare Lieberman to Trump as he lashed out against the Israeli government. "The fact is the Israeli government, which is the most right-wing government ever to exist in the state of Israel in its history, the most right wing government, you got a guy like Trump who is now the minister of defense in Israel calling the shots on defense," he said, adding that he is not the only member of Congress who holds these views. James Zogby, a member of the Democratic platform committee and president of the Arab American Institute, informed the crowd that efforts to make the Democratic platform more pro-Palestinian ran up against objections from those who are scared of casino magnate and Republican donor Sheldon Adelson. "I had no idea the [platform] fight would be over 'occupation' and 'settlements,'" Zogby said, referring to efforts by more mainstream elements of the Democratic Party to ensure the platform language remained staunchly pro-Israel. "Something happens in this game where they [Democratic Party members] take their policy brain out and put it somewhere and they substitute their politics brain, which they think is a smart brain," Zogby said, summarizing this thought process as: "We can't do it because Sheldon Adelson will come out against us." "Jesus," Zogby said, "he's gonna come out against you no matter what!" | ||||||||
2)
Anti-Semitism card backfires on Debbie Wasserman Schultz amid email scandal
Emails undercut ongoing Democratic efforts to paint Trump as the one running a campaign aimed at dividing America along racial and religious lines.
By Ami Eden
Just last week Debbie Wasserman Schultz was playing the anti-Semitism card against Donald Trump.
But in a startling turnaround, on the eve of her own party’s convention, it’s the South Florida congresswoman who is out as chair of the Democratic National Committee — over a Jewish-related controversy of her own.
At issue is a May 5 email leaked Friday by Wikileaks, in which Brad Marshall, the DNC’s chief financial officer, suggested that the party should “get someone to ask” about “his” religious beliefs.
“It might [make] no difference, but for KY and WVA can we get someone to ask his belief,” the message says, presumably referring to Kentucky and West Virginia.
“Does he believe in a God? He had skated on saying he has a Jewish heritage. I think I read he is an atheist. This could make several points difference with my peeps. My Southern Baptist peeps would draw a big difference between a Jew and an atheist.”
The email was sent to several top DNC officials — CEO Amy Dacey, communications director Luis Miranda and deputy communications director Mark Paustenbach. Marshall followed up two minutes later with this short message: “It’s these [sic] Jesus thing.”
For months, Sanders and his backers have wanted Wasserman Schultz to go, claiming that instead of playing referee, Wasserman Schultz and her team were using the powers of the DNC to help Hillary Clinton.
The emails not only backed up these claims, raising the specter of angry Sanders voters refusing to get behind Clinton. They also undercut ongoing Democratic efforts to paint Trump as the one running a campaign aimed at dividing America along racial and religious lines.
For most of the GOP primary, this line of attack was focused on Trump’s comments about Mexicans and Muslims, as well as his support among white nationalists.
But in recent weeks — after the Trump campaign lifted an image from an alt-right feed with a six-point star and a pile of cash — Democrats, including Wasserman Schultz, have stepped up their focus on the issue of anti-Semitism.
Last week, during the GOP convention, Wasserman Schultz used a briefing with reporters to claim that the Republican gathering had brought to the fore an “anti-Semitic environment that Donald Trump embraces” and that the “anti-Semitism that is threaded throughout the Republican Party of late goes straight to the feet of Donald Trump.”
After being pressed by JTA, Wasserman Schultz later backtracked, clarifying that she wasn’t pointing a finger at the Republican Party or her Republican colleagues in Congress, but rather Trump and his campaign officials.
Still, tough words.
Well, suddenly it was Wasserman Schultz’s outfit under scrutiny — not a renegade campaign, but the Democratic Party itself. And this wasn’t a few inexperienced low-level staffers conspiring to schedule debates on the weekend to limit Sanders’ exposure.
It was a circle of top officials kicking around the idea of playing the (Jewish) atheist card against Sanders. (Sanders has, in fact, denied being an atheist — not sure it makes a difference, unless ignorant plus offensive is better/worse than just plain old offensive.)
It is worth noting that whatever role Wasserman Schultz played in boosting the Clinton campaign from her DNC post, she was not on the email chain about Sanders’ religion. Nor is there any evidence that she knew about the emails or that anyone at the DNC acted on them.
As for those actually involved in the email: Marshall, the DNC official who wrote the email, issued an apology on Facebook this weekend, prior to Wasserman Schultz’s resignation.
“I deeply regret that my insensitive, emotional emails would cause embarrassment to the DNC, the Chairwoman, and all of the staffers who worked hard to make the primary a fair and open process,” he wrote.
“The comments expressed do not reflect my beliefs, nor do they reflect the beliefs of the DNC and its employees. I apologize to those I offended.”
Dacey, the DNC’s CEO who answered with an all-caps amen, has yet to comment.
Still unclear: whether Marshall’s and Dacey’s emails will cost them their jobs, or just Wasserman Schultz’s.
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3)
I Now Believe Donald Trump Is On Track to Win the Presidency
I have said repeatedly, over and over, ad nauseum that I do not believe Donald Trump will win the Presidency. Yes, it has always been possible, but it has been very, very improbable that this would happen. I have also said repeatedly that events can change things. And events are now changing things rapidly.
Those rapidly changing events are a staggering intervention into the political process by aggressive Trump supporters I never anticipated and only in the last few months realize they were there. They have mobilized, are unwavering in their support, and will say and do anything to get Trump elected.
Hillary Clinton has no such effort on her part. The people supporting Hillary Clinton are mostly supporting her because she is not Trump. But Trump now has a loyal, highly expert group of foot soldiers who are not anti-Clinton, but very pro-Trump. In a 50-50 nation, these loyal foot soldiers may be enough to put Trump over the edge.
They have just leaked damning emails about Hillary Clinton and the Democrats. The weekend of the start of the Democratic National Convention, the Russian hackers via Wikileaks have turned the Democratic convention upside down. The DNC Chair is out. The Sanders supporters are now on the verge of street violence in Philadelphia that did not happen in Cleveland.
I suspect that there will be a Russian hacker engineered October surprise where they dump all the emails they swiped from Hillary Clinton’s server throwing her more fully into chaos and damage control. They will put Clinton on defense in ways she has never been. I would not be surprised if the Clinton Foundation is likewise hacked.
All the while, the GOP will cheer it on because their team is winning and they will completely ignore the national security and national integrity questions arising from a Vladimir Putin backed foreign army of hactivists actively working to undermine Hillary Clinton in order to get Donald Trump in the White House.
We cannot ignore that this provides Trump an advantage he would not have on his own. If the election stays close, Trump has a very real shot at getting pushed first past the post with a strong assist from Moscow. It is a very real possibility.
A major American political party is being undermined by a foreign power with the intent to affect the American Presidential election. While those of us on the right can marvel at what the data dump reveals and confirms for us about the Democrats, we should also be very concerned about such foreign interference in our elections.
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By EVELYN GORDON
A
Wednesday’s announcement that Guinea is resuming ties with Israel almost half a century after severing them is a nontrivial piece of good news. Granted, Guinea is a poor and relatively unimportant African country. But it’s 85 percent Muslim, and few Muslim-majority countries have yet been willing to forge open relations with Israel; consequently, its decision could encourage others to follow suit. Guinea was also the first country in Africa to sever relations with Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War. For both those reasons, its renewal of ties underscores the degree to which a new Israeli strategy aimed at improving relations with the non-Western world has begun bearing fruit.
The Guinea announcement comes on the heels of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s successful trip to Africa earlier this month. Highlights of that trip included announcements by both Kenya and Ethiopia–two of Israel’s closest African allies–that they would push for Israel to receive observer status at the African Union, as well as Tanzania’s announcement that it planned to open an embassy in Israel, 21 years after renewing relations.
Israeli media outlets have also reported that officials from three other Muslim-majority African countries that don’t have relations with Israel–Mali, Chad, and Somalia–recently paid secret visits, indicating that the prospect of other Muslim countries following Guinea’s lead is far from inconceivable. Indeed, just last week, Foreign Ministry Director General Dore Gold visited Chad for a meeting with its president. This prospect is made more plausible by the warming of Israel’s relations with key Arab states. As several African leaders noted during Netanyahu’s trip, there’s little point in African countries continuing to give Israel the cold shoulder when some of the very Arab countries that originally pushed them to do so now have either overt or covert relations with it.
There are two reasons why Israel ascribes such importance to its warming ties with Africa, and both have more to do with the long term than the short term. The first is the need to diversify its trading partners. Currently, about a third of Israel’s exports go to Europe. But the combination of Europe’s slowing economy and its growing hostility to Israel make this heavy reliance on Europe a potential threat to Israel’s economic future. Africa is the world’s poorest continent, but it’s experiencing rapid economic growth, and many of Israel’s fields of expertise fit well with Africa’s needs, including agricultural technology, water conservation, and counterterrorism. Thus by expanding and improving its diplomatic relations with African countries, Israel hopes to eventually expand its trade relations as well.
The second, as Netanyahu said during his Africa trip, is the hope of ending the automatic majority against Israel in international forums. As he readily acknowledged, this could well take decades; long-entrenched voting patterns don’t change overnight. Nevertheless, change is far from impossible: See, for instance, the 2014 Security Council vote on setting a deadline for Palestinian statehood, which was defeated because the Palestinians failed to muster the requisite nine votes. Two of the five crucial abstentions came from Africa (Rwanda and Nigeria).
Even if African countries can’t yet be flipped into the minuscule camp of pro-Israel voters, just moving them from the anti-Israel bloc to the abstention column could ease Israel’s dependence on America’s Security Council veto. Since Security Council resolutions need a minimum of nine “yes” votes to pass, an abstention has the same effect as a “no” for countries without veto power. It should also be noted that reliably abstaining would suffice to make African countries better voting allies than about half the European Union and of equal value to most of the rest: EU countries almost never vote with Israel, and some regularly vote against it.
Israel’s burgeoning relations with Africa obviously stem partly from something beyond its control: the rise of Islamist terror. As several African leaders openly acknowledged during Netanyahu’s trip, counterterrorism assistance is currently the thing they most want from Israel. And if reports of the visits by officials from Mali, Chad, and Somalia are true, it’s a safe bet they were also seeking counterterrorism help; all three have serious problems with Islamist terror.
The improvement also stems partly from Israel’s longstanding policy of proffering aid even to countries it has no relations with, which sometimes bears belated fruit. For instance, Israeli officials said one factor in Guinea’s decision to renew relations was the medical aid Israel gave it during the Ebola crisis two years ago. A salient example from Asia, another continent with which Israel’s ties have recently blossomed, is Singapore. Singapore asked Israel to train its army in the mid-1960s, before the two countries even established relations, and then concealed that fact for decades. But last month, as Elliott Abrams noted, Singapore joined forces with India and Rwanda–the third country in the club of Israel’s closest African allies–to help Israel gain the Non-Aligned votes it needed to win the chairmanship of a key UN committee.
The third reason for Israel’s declining isolation, however, is a deliberate decision by successive Netanyahu governments that the country could not afford, either economically or diplomatically, to keep focusing almost exclusively on the West while largely ignoring the rest of the world. Avigdor Lieberman, now the defense minister, made a major push to improve Israel’s ties with Africa and Asia during his term as foreign minister, and since his departure, the ministry has continued this drive under the de facto leadership of Gold (Netanyahu is the nominal foreign minister).
This constituted a major shift in Israel’s strategy, and it stemmed from a simple realization: Relations with Europe are inevitably being frayed by the fact that what the EU seems to want most from Israel is something beyond Israel’s power to provide. Namely, a peace deal with people who have consistently refused every Israeli offer and are currently refusing even to negotiate with it. Europe’s attitude could change someday, but Israel can’t count on that. Hence it must develop alternative sources of trade and diplomatic support as an insurance policy.
The restoration of relations with Guinea is yet another sign that this strategy is starting to pay off. And that’s very good news for Israel.
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