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Friday, June 22, 2018

Fox News Contributor And Longtime Columnist Charles Krauthammer Has Died




He was the reason I watched Special Report with Bret Baier. He'll be sorely missed. He stood alone and was the voice of common sense and rational thought emanating from a forest of political fools.






Earlier this month, longtime columnist, commentator, and Fox News contributor Charles Krauthammer explained his prolonged absence. He had battled stomach cancer. In August of 2017, he had surgery to remove a tumor, which led to complications. In 2018, he wrote that the cancer had returned. It was aggressive and doctors give him only weeks to live. On June 8, he released a note saying, “This is the final verdict. My fight is over.”

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I have been uncharacteristically silent these past ten months. I had thought that silence would soon be coming to an end, but I’m afraid I must tell you now that fate has decided on a different course for me.

In August of last year, I underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in my abdomen. That operation was thought to have been a success, but it caused a cascade of secondary complications — which I have been fighting in hospital ever since. It was a long and hard fight with many setbacks, but I was steadily, if slowly, overcoming each obstacle along the way and gradually making my way back to health. However, recent tests have revealed that the cancer has returned. There was no sign of it as recently as a month ago, which means it is aggressive and spreading rapidly. My doctors tell me their best estimate is that I have only a few weeks left to live. This is the final verdict. My fight is over.

I wish to thank my doctors and caregivers, whose efforts have been magnificent. My dear friends, who have given me a lifetime of memories and whose support has sustained me through these difficult months. And all of my partners at The Washington Post, Fox News, and Crown Publishing.

Lastly, I thank my colleagues, my readers, and my viewers, who have made my career possible and given consequence to my life’s work. I believe that the pursuit of truth and right ideas through honest debate and rigorous argument is a noble undertaking. I am grateful to have played a small role in the conversations that have helped guide this extraordinary nation’s destiny.

I leave this life with no regrets. It was a wonderful life — full and complete with the great loves and great endeavors that make it worth living. I am sad to leave, but I leave with the knowledge that I lived the life that I intended.

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Guy has more here about the life and legacy this man will leave behind. 

Here are excerpts of his obituary from The Washington Post:


Charles Krauthammer, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist and intellectual provocateur who championed the muscular foreign policy of neoconservatism that helped lay the ideological groundwork for the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, died June 21 at 68.

The cause was cancer of the small intestine, said his son, Daniel Krauthammer. He declined to provide further information.

By any measure, Dr. Krauthammer cut a singular profile in Washington's journalistic and policymaking circles. He graduated in 1975 from Harvard Medical School — on time, despite a diving accident that left him a paraplegic — and practiced psychiatry before a restless curiosity led him to switch paths. Instead of diagnosing patients, he would analyze the body politic.

Jacob Heilbrunn, author of “They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons” and editor of the National Interest, said in an interview that Dr. Krauthammer “crystallized conservative thought and exerted influence by setting the terms of public debate at key moments in the nation’s political life.”

He initially defined himself as a liberal Cold Warrior, a Democrat who embraced anti-communist as well as New Deal and Great Society programs that aided the most vulnerable. His support for the robust use of American military power gradually left him alienated from the Democratic Party, however, and he found ideological succor in neoconservatism, identifying with writer Irving Kristol’s definition of its adherents as onetime liberals who have been “mugged by reality.”


Rest in peace, Dr. Krauthammer.





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Wednesday, June 20, 2018

OMG...don't tell me he was escorted from building



FBI agent Peter Strzok escorted from building amid an internal review

Strzok's lawyer:

“Pete has steadfastly played by the rules and respected the process, and yet he continues to be the target of unfounded personal attacks, political games and inappropriate information leaks," his attorney Aitan Goelman said in a statement Tuesday.

How could anyone possibly say this with a straight face?


Via:

"So, the FBI Director, who used personal emails for work purposes, tasked Peter Strzok, who used personal emails for work purposes, to investigate Clinton’s use of personal emails for work purposes."



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FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok was escorted from the building amid an internal review of his conduct, his lawyer confirmed Tuesday.

Strzok, who had a central role in the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while serving as secretary of State, was reportedly escorted from the FBI building on Friday amid an internal review of his conduct.

"Pete has steadfastly played by the rules and respected the process, and yet he continues to be the target of unfounded personal attacks, political games, and inappropriate information leaks," his attorney Aitan Goelman said in a statement Tuesday.

"Despite being put through a highly questionable process, Pete has complied with every FBI procedure, including being escorted from the building as part of the ongoing internal proceedings."

Strzok became a target of President Trump and conservatives after it was discovered that he had exchanged private text messages with former FBI lawyer Lisa Page that disparaged Trump and other political figures.

Goelman on Tuesday said partisan politics called into question the "impartiality" of the investigation into Strzok's conduct.

"All of this seriously calls into question the impartiality of the disciplinary process, which now appears tainted by political influence. Instead of publicly calling for a long-serving FBI agent to be summarily fired, politicians should allow the disciplinary process to play out free from political pressure," he added.

Last week a report from the Justice Department's inspector general into the handling of the probe into Hillary Clinton's email server also made public previously undisclosed texts where Strzok told Page they would have to "stop" Trump from becoming president.

The report found that political bias did not influence the Clinton investigation and also that Strzok did not actually use his office to work against Trump. But the report found that those actions cast a cloud over the department and was deeply critical of FBI and DOJ leadership.

The statement from Strzok's lawyer came as Horowitz spent roughly seven hours testifying before the House Judiciary and House Oversight and Government Reform Committees about his findings and defending his judgment.

Republicans pressed the inspector general on FBI director James Comey's decision to exonerate Clinton for her handling of classified materials.

The joint hearing was Horowitz's second straight day of testimony. Senators grilled him on Monday over the report's findings.

Strzok has also come under fire for his early involvement on special counsel Robert Mueller's investigative team, which is examining ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Mueller promptly removed him from his team after Horowitz's internal review uncovered the critical text messages that disparaged Trump and his supporters.

Trump has repeatedly bashed Strzok on social media, calling him a "sick loser" on Twitter over the weekend.

"Why was the FBI's sick loser, Peter Strzok, working on the totally discredited Mueller team of 13 Angry & Conflicted Democrats, when Strzok was giving Crooked Hillary a free pass yet telling his lover, lawyer Lisa Page, that "we'll stop" Trump from becoming President? Witch Hunt!" Trump tweeted Sunday.

Strzok has said he is willing to testify before the House in light of the report, although the timing of such a hearing is not yet known.



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Saturday, June 16, 2018

IG Report: Comey broke protocol








What a paradox! Not only is he not going to jail for helping Hillary while simultaneously trying to fuck Trump he profited earning a $10 million paycheck during the whole ordeal. Wonder how many suckers fell for it and bought the book?

Oh...and then the movie rights kick in. He'll probably play himself because nobody could be a better actor. 


Horowitz was appointed by Barry and in true fashion, he molded this unprecedented corruption into another whitewash... just like the IRS scandal.

I knew it was coming when I sniffed the air about a month ago and got nuances of  ‘lack of candor’ followed by a hint of ‘misjudgment’. Peter Strzok vowed ‘We Will Stop Trump from Becoming President’. 


 >Page texted Strzok in August 2016 and said: “[Trump’s] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!”

“No. No he won’t. We’ll stop it,” Strzok responded.< 


Who is we? 

How much more crystal clear can the political bias be? 
And no one finds it odd he was the lead investigator in the Clinton email scandal and simultaneously hated Trump but that didn’t influence any of his decisions in the slightest… and the fuck is still working for the FBI!!!

Was a minute I think I’m getting another whiff…

DOJ Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz found no evidence that the Clinton email probe was discussed in the infamous tarmac meeting. However, he said Lynch made an “error in judgment” (sniff-sniff) in not cutting the conversation short, given its problematic appearance, and that she should have made more of an effort to clear the air publicly. Wonder what Horowitz's views are on Hillary deleting 31,000 emails while under Congressional subpoena? 

These bastards must think we’re awfully stupid.


He ain’t lying.


Donald J. Trump
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
FollowFollow @realDonaldTrump

I’ve had to beat 17 very talented people including the Bush Dynasty, then I had to beat the Clinton Dynasty, and now I have to beat a phony Witch Hunt and all of the dishonest people covered in the IG Report...and never forget the Fake News Media. It never ends!

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Comey's decisions had a fateful impact on the 2016 campaign; Catherine Herridge reports from the Justice Department.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, in a comprehensive and at-times scathing report on the handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, exposed extraordinary text messages by a top FBI official vowing to "stop" Donald Trump -- while calling then-director James Comey's actions in the case "insubordinate." 

The long-awaited report was released Thursday afternoon, spanning nearly 600 pages and scrutinizing the actions of numerous figures who played a key role in the Justice Department and FBI's investigation. It is the result of an 18-month investigation, incorporating dozens of witness interviews and hundreds of thousands of documents. 

But one of the most stunning findings concerns texts between agent Peter Strzok and bureau colleague Lisa Page. 

According to the report, Page texted Strzok in August 2016 and said: “[Trump’s] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!”

“No. No he won’t. We’ll stop it,” Strzok responded. 

Strzok was a lead investigator on the Clinton case and later worked the Russia investigation before being removed from that assignment. 


“In particular, we were concerned about text messages exchanged by FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, Special Counsel to the Deputy Director, that potentially indicated or created the appearance that investigative decisions were impacted by bias or improper considerations,” the IG report says.

Still, the report said investigators found “no evidence that the conclusions by the prosecutors were affected by bias or other improper considerations.”

Months ago, Horowitz revealed other anti-Trump texts between the two officials, who were romantically involved. The "stop" Trump text goes further and is likely to fuel claims from the White House that the bureau was working against him.

The FBI, in its response to the review, said the inspector general “found no evidence to connect the political views expressed by these employees with the specific investigative decisions.”


But it said the inspector general has referred five employees for investigation into whether the messages violated the FBI’s Offense Codes and Penalty Guidelines.

Horowitz’s investigation looked at a variety of other allegations, including whether it was improper for Comey to make a public announcement about not recommending prosecution over the Clinton email arrangement.

"We found that it was extraordinary and insubordinate for Comey to conceal his intentions from his superiors, the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, for the admitted purpose of preventing them from telling him not to make the statement, and to instruct his subordinates in the FBI to do the same," Horowitz’s report says.


Comey responded to the report on Thursday by tweeting that he believes the “conclusions are reasonable, even though I disagree with some.”



I respect the DOJ IG office, which is why I urged them to do this review. The conclusions are reasonable, even though I disagree with some. People of good faith can see an unprecedented situation differently. I pray no Director faces it again. Thanks to IG’s people for hard work.— James Comey (@Comey) 2:28 PM - Jun 14, 2018



“People of good faith can see an unprecedented situation differently,” Comey said.

During Thursday’s press briefing, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump was briefed on the report and “it reaffirmed the president’s suspicions of Comey’s conduct.” Trump fired Comey in May 2017, citing the Clinton email probe.

The report also faults the FBI – and specifically Strzok – for not acting quickly enough after the discovery of Clinton emails on the laptop of ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner in the fall of 2016. The report says Strzok and others argued that the Russia investigation was a “higher priority” at the time than reviewing the laptop. 

“We found this explanation unpersuasive and concerning,” the report said, noting the FBI could have gotten a search warrant in late September but waited more than a month to do so -- ultimately revisiting the case days before the election. Clinton has long said that announcement contributed to her defeat. But the report also suggested that Strzok, ironically, may have acted out of bias for Clinton in slow-walking the laptop review. 

Based on the Strzok text messages, the report said, “We concluded that we did not have confidence that this decision by Strzok was free from bias.”


In the report, Horowitz also criticized then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s infamous meeting on an Arizona tarmac with former President Bill Clinton just days before the FBI decided it would not recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton.

The report said investigators "found no evidence" of an "inappropriate discussion." But it found that Lynch’s "failure to recognize the appearance problem created by former President Clinton’s visit and to take action to cut the visit short was an error in judgment."

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said in a statement the report shows “an alarming and destructive level of animus displayed by top officials at the FBI.”

Other Republican lawmakers pounced on the newly revealed Strzok text.

“In Louisiana, we call that bias, we don't call that objective,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said on Fox News’ “Outnumbered Overtime” on Thursday.

Strzok had been assigned to Robert Mueller’s special counsel probe, but has since been reassigned. Page later resigned.

An attorney for Strzok, Aitan Goelman, denied the agent’s personal political views influenced his work. “His dedication to unbiased service is a fact that would be universally echoed by the thousands of people who have worked with Pete during his 26 years of service in the FBI and U.S. Army,” Goelman said.


The final report could lead to repercussions for some in the DOJ and FBI.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement that the report “reveals a number of significant errors by the senior leadership of the Department of Justice and the FBI during the previous administration.”


In an interview with The Hill’s new web show “Rising” on Wednesday, Sessions said the option of “termination” is on the table for those accused of serious wrongdoing. Some of the key figures, though, have already been fired or left the government.

The release of the report itself has been delayed for weeks, as the department and FBI have carefully reviewed a draft copy to identify information they want protected from disclosure.

A related review already has put former top FBI official Andrew McCabe in legal jeopardy. The Justice Department’s internal watchdog sent a criminal referral for McCabe in April to the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington.

That was in response to Horowitz’s finding that McCabe leaked information to the press and later lied about it to Comey and federal investigators, prompting Sessions to fire him in March. The Washington Post reported that Comey has since been questioned by the U.S. attorney’s office as part of a McCabe investigation.

In his report Thursday, Horowitz also reviewed the circumstances of whether McCabe should have recused himself earlier from the Clinton probe because of his family’s ties to the Democratic Party. McCabe’s wife is a doctor with ties to then-Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe who unsuccessfully ran for office in Virginia in 2015 as a Democrat. McCabe did not recuse himself until a week before the 2016 election.

Horowitz said McCabe “did not fully comply with his recusal in a few instances” related to the Clinton Foundation investigation. He also said the FBI’s ethics officials and attorneys “did not fully appreciate the potential significant implications” to McCabe and the FBI from campaign contributions to his wife’s campaign.

An attorney for McCabe, Michael Bromwich, said in a Thursday statement that “any and all claims that political bias or political influence affected Mr. McCabe’s actions” are “entirely baseless.”

In a New York Times op-ed on Thursday, Comey defended his decision not to recommend prosecuting Clinton over her emails while secretary of state.

“The report also resoundingly demonstrates that there was no prosecutable case against Mrs. Clinton, as we had concluded,” Comey said. “Although that probably will not stop some from continuing to claim the opposite is true, this independent assessment will be useful to thoughtful people and an important contribution to the historical record.”

Fox News’ Catherine Herridge, Judson Berger, Bill Mears, Jake Gibson and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.






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Thursday, June 14, 2018

Trump forecasted his own summit with 'wacko' North Korea on TV in 1999













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Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Can you spell eucalyptus?






This is a classic.

Video 408











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