Category: Politics

Clinton Aides Fuel Misleading Narrative After Gabbard Attack Backfires

Before my recent Washington Post column ran discussing Hillary Clinton’s attack on presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard as a “Russian asset”, I had to deal with an issue raised be a false narrative being put out by her flacks. While first taunting Gabbard, her spokesperson Nick Merrill and others started to suggest that the story was false and that Clinton spoke of “Republicans” not “Russians.” It was a masterful spin. Clinton flacks focused on the reference to “grooming” and got the New York Times and other media outlets to “correct” the story to say that it was a reference to Republicans. That suggested that people may have misheard the podcast interview. That interpretation is clearly false, but the Internet is now full of references to the “false story,” which is precisely what many wanted in putting out the “correction.” For those who continue to attack the use of “fake news” by the Russians, it seems that some disinformation is considered fair game when it is used for the right purpose.

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The New Censors: The Call For Banning Political Lies Threatens Free Speech

Below is my column on the call by Democratic members for censorship of political ads by Facebook. The overwhelming support for the call by members like Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez shows the erosion in our values of free speech. Democrats and the media were once the defenders of free speech and critics of censorship. They are now demanding that corporations police political ads and remove ads viewed as false or misleading. It is a standard that many of these members would quickly denounce if applied to some of their own past comments.

Here is the column:

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“Sorry About That”: How The Lynching Controversy Offers A Preview For An Impeachment Trial

Below is my column in The Hill newspaper on the recent controversy over President Donald Trump’s use of “lynching” and what it portends for any Senate impeachment trial.

Here is the column:

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Trump Counsel Argues That Trump Could Commit Murder In Public But Not Be Charged Or Prosecuted During His Presidency

President Donald Trump famously bragged that “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?” Now, the judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit have pressed his counsel if that is true from a legal perspective. Trump counsel William Consovoy astonished the court by answering in the affirmative. Trump could commit murder and could not be even charged until after he left office. It is an extreme and in my view unsupportable claim based on a misreading of the Constitution.

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“Is New Mexico Going To Pay For It?”: Colorado Leaders Respond To Trump’s Declaration That He Is Building A Wall In Colorado

Pundits had a field day after President Donald Trump announced at the Shale Insight Conference in Pittsburgh that “We’re building a wall in Colorado” when talking about border wall progress on Wednesday afternoon. The best zinger came from Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette who simply asked “Is NEW Mexico going to pay for it?”

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Are The Democrats Preparing Bolton For A Comey-Like Makeover?

The Ukraine scandal racketed up further with the testimony of Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bill Taylor who testified that President Donald Trump held up military aid until the Ukrainians agreed to investigate election interference and Hunter Biden’s business dealings. While Taylor was the headliner this week, another figure appears to be emerging as the matinee star: John Bolton. When the Ukraine story broke, I stated that the likely key for Congress would be Bolton who had only recently been fired. Taylor reaffirmed earlier reports that Bolton spotted the serious danger of the Ukraine call and worked to prevent it as a “disaster” in the making.

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Russians Warn Greeks That United States Will Abandon Them Like It Abandoned The Kurds

We have been discussing the disastrous decision of President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the Turkish border with virtually no warning to his own agencies and allies. While some of us support the effort to remove troops from these countries, there is overwhelming condemnation from Republicans and Democrats in how this was done. The Turks have been accused of war crimes and ethnic cleansing as Russia occupies former U.S. bases in the area. Worse yet, Vladimir Chizhov, Russia’s Ambassador to the EU, has warned our other allies that the United States cannot be trusted and that they must now look to Moscow for a reliable friend: “We warned the Kurds that the Americans would abandon them. And here in Rhodes, I can personally warn the Greeks to think about whether a similar fate awaits them.”

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Clinton Fuels New ‘Red Scare’ With Political Attacks Against Gabbard

Below is my column the Hill newspaper on the recent accusation of Hillary Clinton that presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard is a “Russian asset.” What is most astonishing is the silence of virtually all of the other presidential candidates. Only Yang and Williamson came out quickly to support Gabbard. For presidential candidates denouncing Donald Trump for his personal attacks and reckless hyperbole, it is the height of hypocrisy to remain silent unless they believe that Gabbard is indeed a Russian asset. If so, they should have the courage to say so, particularly front runner Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.

Here is the column:

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Rick Perry Accused Of Role In Pushing Ukrainian Gas Company To Appoint A Donor To Its Board

I have been writing on the deepening questions concerning the business deals of Hunter Biden during the Obama Administration — and the failure of media to fully pursue the story. At the same time, I have also supported the investigation into President Donald Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president as a possible impeachable offense. The fact is that corruption is rampant in this city and neither party can credibly claim to be against such corruption. This weekend, a new controversy has arisen over Ukrainian dealings by figures tied to the GOP. At issue are efforts to push for the appointment of Republican allies to the controlling board of Ukraine’s state gas company, Naftogaz, including former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry who allegedly pressured the country to appoint one of his political donors.

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Not-So-Funny Girl: Streisand Retweets Image Of Pelosi Impaling Trump On Her Heels

As apparel company Dhvani displays huge images of Trump being assaulted in Times Square, Barbra Streisand has added her own violent commentary with an image showing Trump impaled on the heel of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Streisand considered the violent bloody image to be worth sharing. For those who have long objected to Trump’s rhetoric as violent or inciteful, there seems a tolerance for violent imagery targeting Trump or conservatives.

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Dhvani Runs Ads Showing Model Assaulting Trump

YouTube Screenshot

There has been legitimate criticism (including on this blog) of President Donald Trump retweeting images of his killing or beating media figures. However, there is often less coverage of such violent images from the left. One shocking example appeared this week in advertisements in New York for the athletic apparel company Dhvani showing a model assaulting Trump. The company did not back down from its violent display, though Planned Parenthood denounced the ads after Dhvani named it as a collaborating partner in the campaign design. The campaign titled #StandForSomething seems to mean stand for something tasteless and brutal.

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“You Just Ran Into Two People From New York, Kiddo”: Rand Paul Becomes Latest Victim Of Restaurant Abuse

I have previously written about my dismay over verbal and even physical attacks on politicians, particularly conservatives, in restaurants. Liberal couples and activists believe that they have license to scream and disrupt meals of those with whom they disagree politically. The latest such abuse occurred when Sen. Rand Paul was trying to have lunch at a California restaurant with his staff when a couple began to shout profanities at them.

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“Say It Nicer”: Why Many Questions Remain After The Hunter Biden Interview

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Below is my column on the ABC interview with Hunter Biden. The interview preceded his father’s debate that day, but former Vice President Joe Biden awkwardly declined to address the issue. As I discussed in another column, there remains a media mantra that there is “no evidence of wrongdoing by Joe or Hunter Biden.” That dismisses the long objections by many of us that these lucrative jobs and contracts for spouses and children are part of an unethical and corrupt practice. Most of us view what Hunter did as clearly “wrong” but the media has adopted a narrow focus on whether criminal charges have been brought as opposed to whether the Ukraine deal was a raw and obvious form of influence peddling.

Here is the column:

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Mattis: “I Earned My Spurs On The Battlefield … Donald Trump Earned His Spurs In A Letter From A Doctor”

Ouch. Many of us were surprised when President Donald Trump launched into former US defense secretary James Mattis at his controversial meeting with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Trump referred to him as “the world’s most overrated general” and claimed “I captured ISIS.” Mattis, who has been largely silent after his departure, delivered a body blow of a response as part of the annual Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation dinner. Using the tradition roast format, Mattis found the perfect venue to hit Trump under the guise of humor. True to his training, the well-delivered lines aimed for critical organs. It could be worse: David Cameron just labeled Boris Johnson the “greased piglet” and meant it as a compliment in getting Brexit through Parliament.

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