The Long Arm of the Clintons

Ecuador's government acknowledged on Tuesday that it cut off WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's internet access at its embassy in London after the whistleblowing site published a trove of damaging emails from Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

The recognition of the reprimand comes less than 24 hours after WikiLeaks tweeted that Ecuador had cut off Assange's access to the Internet on Saturday after the publication of Clinton's speeches to Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs.

In follow-up messages posted Tuesday, the group claimed U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had personally intervened to ask Ecuador to stop Assange from publishing documents about Clinton.  

Associated Press

Debate or Debacle?

Did you watch it?  What did you think?

My honest opinion?  Between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, no matter who wins, we lose. 

What was the outcome? I think The Onion captured it best in their headline:

Open-Minded Voter Waits Almost 5 Minutes Into Debate To Decide Who Won 

I think Clinton stuck to her script and it was noticeable, her performance seemed well-rehearsed which I don't necessarily think is a good thing.  I think Trump also missed a lot of wide open opportunities to score points, but I also think he stayed on message and think he has more of a chance of changing peoples minds about him than Clinton does, whether he accomplished that for the better, I don't know.

Listening to Trump's law and order speech shortly into the debate made me think of Pappy O'Daniel in O Brother Where Art Thou.

Hillary Clinton was exactly as I expected her to be... I think I'll go take a shower now. 

 

The More Things Change

The more they remain the same

The former secretary of state's agency appointed 194 donors who had given either to her family's foundation, her political campaigns, or both, or were affiliated with groups that had.  Those donors represented nearly 40 percent of the 511 advisory appointments the State Department made during Clinton's tenure.

Washington Examiner

The Deplorables

You decide which is which

San Jose Mercury News

CNN

In one photo you have people exercising their constitutional rights in the political process, in the other you have violence and mayhem

So you have 

The Deplorables

vs.

The Untouchables

Western Hero, the management thereof, Blogger, the internet, and your computer manufacturer not responsible for any overwhelming desire to gouge your eyes out with a spoon resulting from the following video.  Remember, you chose to watch it of your own free will.

CNN

Photo: Michael Vadon

TRUMP +2 according to CNN

RCP Election Map: Clinton 229 - Trump 154, 155 up for grabs
 

One of these things is just like the other

Photo: Agencia Brasil

The Senate today voted overwhelmingly to impeach the leftist President in a vote of 61-20.  Senators broke into cheers and applause after the voting was announced and sang the National Anthem.

"Coup-Mongers" she shouted afterwards, "History won't forgive you"

Corruption thy name is Clinton

Corrupt Legislation - E Vedder, Library of Congress

At least 85 of 154 people from private interests who met or had phone conversations scheduled with Clinton while she led the State Department donated to her family charity or pledged commitments to its international programs, according to a review of State Department calendars released so far to The Associated Press. Combined, the 85 donors contributed as much as $156 million. At least 40 donated more than $100,000 each, and 20 gave more than $1 million.

Among those granted time with Clinton included an internationally known economist who asked for her help as the Bangladesh government pressured him to resign from a nonprofit bank he ran; a Wall Street executive who sought Clinton's help with a visa problem; and Estee Lauder executives who were listed as meeting with Clinton while her department worked with the firm's corporate charity to counter gender-based violence in South Africa. MSN

 

Putin's Cabana Girl

Skolkovo Foundation

Vavilov, the chairman of SuperOx, which is part of Skolkovo’s nuclear-research cluster, donated between $10,000 and $25,000 (donations are reported in ranges, not exact amounts) to the Clinton’s family charity. Skolkovo Foundation chief and billionaire Putin confidant Viktor Vekselberg also gave to the Clinton Foundation through his company, Renova Group.  Of the 28 “partners,” 17, or 60%, have made financial commitments to the Clinton Foundation, totaling tens of millions of dollars, or sponsored speeches by Bill Clinton.  WSJ

Uranium One

Canadian records show, a flow of cash made its way to the Clinton Foundation. Uranium One’s chairman used his family foundation to make four donations totaling $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the Obama White House to publicly identify all donors. Other people with ties to the company made donations as well.  And shortly after the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Mr. Clinton received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank with links to the Kremlin that was promoting Uranium One stock.  NYT 

Podesta Group

The Podesta Group is one of the most influential Democratic Party-linked lobbyists in the U.S. And it is headed by a top Hillary Clinton fundraiser who has been referred to as the “Hillary moneyman.”  In March, the Podesta Group registered with the U.S. government as a lobbyist for Sberbank.  The bank plays an enormous role in the Russian economy. It controls almost 30 percent of Russia’s aggregate banking assets, employs a quarter-million people and “is functionally an arm of the Kremlin, although it’s ostensibly a private institution,” Salon

Why Clinton gets a Pass

Photo: Mariomassone

There once was a politician who was bored as he sat on the Hill watching the village sheep. To amuse himself he took a great breath and sang out, "Scandal! Scandal! The President is sexually harassing the interns!" The village sheep came running up the Hill to help the politician impeach the President but when they arrived at the Hill, they found no scandal. The politician laughed at the sight of their angry faces.  "Don't cry 'Scandal', politician," said the village sheep, "when there's no Scandal!" They went grumbling back down the Hill. 

Later, the politician sang out again, "Corruption! Corruption! The Congressman is taking illegal campaign contributions!" To his naughty delight, he watched the village sheep run up the Hill to help him drive the corruption away.  When the village sheep saw no corruption they sternly said, "Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don't cry 'Corruption' when there is NO corruption!" But the politician just grinned and watched them go grumbling down the Hill once more. 


Later, he saw an embassy overrun by protesters. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, "Mismanagement! Mismanagement!" But the village sheep thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn't come.  At sunset, everyone wondered why the politician hadn't returned to the village with their benefit checks. They went up the Hill to find the politician. They found him weeping. "There really was Mismanagement here! The embassy was overrun and four were killed! I cried out, "Mismanagement!" Why didn't you come?" 

An old Supreme Court Justice tried to comfort the politician as they walked back to the village. "We'll help you find out what went wrong," he said, putting his arm around the politician, 

"Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!"

Going to Hill in a Handbag

but at least its a Ferragamo bag!

Well if you ask me anyone who will pay $800-3000 for a bag, or not to be sexist, a briefcase, is preeminently unqualified to be president, and did I mention stupid?

Hillary Clinton in an interview in Harper's Bazaar said:

My view was that I would carry it around only in spring, but it makes me so happy, I'm even now lugging it around in January. I mean, how can you be unhappy if you pick up a big pink bag? 

Out of touch with the American people I think, but that's me, the Democratic Party debate is over... did you watch it?  What did you think? 


Nothing surprising, overall I think O'Malley had the most, shall we call it "presidential" presence.

The most astonishing answer of the night was when Hillary Clinton was asked how her presidency wouldn't just be an Obama third term and replied,  and I'm paraphrasing here...

I have a vagina!

Seriously, her answer was "I'm a woman".

For those of you that missed the debate the following videos provide a concise musical summary of the two top democrat performances:

Hillary Clinton

Bernie Sanders

A quick review of poll data after the debate had Bernie Sanders the clear winner by 60 - 76%, scary, eh?

Time - Sanders 74%

Poll Daddy - Sanders 70%

Slate - Sanders 63%

The Street - Sanders  76%

Drudge - Even Drudge had Sanders emerging as the nights winner at 60%

These numbers were those within the first hour after the debate ended, and were simple who do you think won questions, it'll be curious to see what more rigorously scientific polling reveals.

Who do you think won?

Don't Do Stupid Stuff

"Great nations need organizing principles, and 'Don't do stupid stuff' is not an organizing principle."

 Hillary Clinton has taken her furthest, most public step away yet from President Barack Obama, rejecting the core of his self-described foreign policy doctrine and describing his decision against backing Syrian rebels early on as a “failure.” Politico

“The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad—there were Islamists, there were secularists, there was everything in the middle—the failure to do that left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled,” Clinton said. The Atlantic 

Well you knew it was going to happen

 

Can I take a Mulligan?

Photo: Gage Skidmore

That raging bastion of conservative thought, CNN released a poll on Saturday showing that if Americans had to do it all over again they would overwhelmingly elect Mitt Romney by a nine-point spread: 53% - 44%

 
Of course, the same poll showed Hillary would kick Romney to the curb if the election were held today in an overwhelming 13 point trouncing: 55% - 42%.


Better get your act together Republicans.