Russian involvement in US election? Nope. it was the FBI

When suspicious Republicans got wind of the fact that Democrat operative and former CNN commentator Donna Brazile was funneling questions to Hillary Clinton in advance of the presidential debate, the topic was stonewalled and termed preposterous — until  Brazile, the onetime chair of the DNC, finally admitted her involvement. Hacked emails from the campaign blew the lid off her previous denials.

And so it is with the now known to be fraudulent claims of Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election. “Collusion” was the Democrat’s repeated byword, used to describe Donald Trump, his friends and even family members.

It turns out the collusion was on the part of the FBI, the agency with the reputation of being squeaky clean. People working for the FBI from former Director James Comey on down, were poised to protect the conniving Hillary Clinton. Judicial Watch has done the research and exposes the incredible deception, including the purposeful words Comey used to exonerate Clinton — replacing “gross negligence” which denotes criminality, with the softer term “extreme carelessness.” Political bias clearly influenced the Clinton email investigations.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe has become “irreparably tainted” after “endless revelations of bias” against President Trump. Laura Ingraham’s “Angle” monologue is enlightening.

 And that damning dossier guaranteed to bring Donald Trump’s political aspirations to a screeching halt? It was a bogus construct, but gleefully hand-carried to then-FBI Director Comey by none other than Trump-hater Arizona’s Senior Senator (ASS), who had previously referred to his liberal friend Hillary Clinton as a “rock star” he could support. In the end, he did — as did Arizona’s junior senator Jeff Flake. Both Republicrats announced they and their families withheld their votes from Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

 Flake, who authored a Trump-bashing 140-page booklet, has opted not to seek reelection due to bottom-dragging polling numbers. He did not  want the embarrassment of a massive primary election loss to Dr. Kelli Ward, a family practice physician and conservative former state senator, who had been crushing him in the polls. Prior to his political career, unprincipled Flake worked as a lobbyist and registered foreign agent for Rossing Uranium — one of the world’s largest suppliers of nuclear fuel —- which operates a mine in the African country of Namibia where Flake did his LDS mission. Flake earned a substantial salary opening doors in D.C. and promoting the firm which had deep financial ties to Iran.

Using The Freedom of Information Act, lawyers at Judicial Watch have sued for access to documents to probe this scandal that has permeated the highest levels of our government.

Fox News headlines its report: “Republicans turn focus to FBI’s McCabe over texts on ‘insurance’ against Trump.” It’s filled with revealing information.

Although the networks and newspapers have given this scant coverage, expect this investigation to explode.

Unseemly sideshow at the Ninth Circus Court of Appeals

Sexual impropriety once again raises its multi-faceted, sordid head. As if members of the U.S. House and Senate, business titans, and celebs aren’t enough, the judiciary now gets its turn at the harassment lynching tree. Ancient claims, often alleged by unidentified women are all that are needed to bring down the powerful in the current climate.

The latest is Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski. We’re no fans of the liberal, frequently overturned U.S. Circuit Court, but Alex Kozinski, a Reagan appointee on the bench since 1985 is decidedly unlike his fellow jurists. His few campaign contributions were not large and made in the early 1990s, but they all went to Republican congressional candidates. He served as chief judge of the appellate court for seven years.

Judge Kozinski’s personal background contributed to his broader view. He was born in Communist Rumania and immigrated to the U.S. with his Holocaust survivor parents when he was 12.  His background made him a supporter of the Second Amendment. Among his many notable quotes is this:

“My excellent colleagues have forgotten these bitter lessons of history. The prospect of tyranny may not grab the headlines the way vivid stories of gun crime usually do. But few saw the Third Reich coming until it was too late. The Second Amendment is a doomsday provision, one designed only for those exceptionally rare circumstances when all other rights have failed. A free people can only afford to make this mistake once.”

Yet, none of this background explains his bizarre predilections. In his case, there is no presumption of innocence. His actions are a repeat performance.

Just days ago, Heidi Bond —- who as a romance novelist uses the pseudonym Courtney Milan —- told The Washington Post that Kozinski showed her pornography three times in his chambers while she was clerking for him over a decade ago. Four other women who previously worked for Kozinski have since followed suit, saying he also acted improperly towards them, lacing his conservation with sexual innuendo. Except for Bond, Judge Kozinski’s accusers remain anonymous saying they feared “retaliation.” Other former Kozinski clerks contacted by the newspaper denied experiencing any harassment.

The judge, described as “brilliant and possessing a wry sense of humor,” is decidedly a mixed bag. n 1992 Judge Kozinski authored the foreword to a handbook titled, “Sexual Harassment in Employment Law.”

Constitutional-law professor Josh Blackman writing for National Review provides insight into the legality 0f Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Arizona law. Kozinski dissented. Read his reasoning on this contentious issue.

He may be brilliant and funny, but he has a decided disconnect. Similar allegations against Judge Kozinski emerged in 2008. At the time, his lawyer wife, Marcy J.K. Tiffany, sent this email* attempting to explain the reasons he had pornography on his computer.

The time has come for Judge Kozinski, age 67, to retire from his lifetime appointment. With President Trump naming his replacement, conservatives can breathe easily.

* H/T Patterico’s Pontifications

 

SCOTUS OKs Trump’s sensible travel restrictions — for now

Left-wing media placing political correctness before safety, reconfigure restrictions as a “Muslim ban”

Good news came Monday in the form of a U.S. Supreme Court decision which handed a victory to President Donald Trump by allowing imposition of his travel restrictions affecting people from six terror sponsoring countries to go into effect. Countries on the list are Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, and Yemen. Some Venezuelan government officials are also denied access to the U.S.

But the high court’s order is a waffle.

A federal court in Hawaii blocked the government from implementing the Trump administration’s Sept. 24 order allowing enhanced vetting and blocking entry into the U.S. by potential terrorists or other public safety threats. A federal judge in Maryland barred the government from enforcing the order relating to foreign nationals of affected countries claiming to have relationships with persons or institution in the United States. Lawyers representing the administration took the case to the Supreme Court last month seeking to implement all of the provisions providing security to Americans. 

The Trump administration argued that the September 24 order is different from its predecessors not only because of the “extensive worldwide review process” that led to its creation, but also because it applies to countries where Muslims are not a majority.

Still, the challenges go forward. The far left and frequently overturned San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear oral argument on Wednesday, with oral arguments to follow in the 4th Circuit, based in Richmond, Virginia on Friday.

Liberal Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Clinton appointee) and Sonia Sotomayor (Obama appointee) dissented from Monday’s Supreme Court opinion.

Supreme Court Justices and their bios can be seen here.

Kate Steinle verdict: Calif. condones travesty of justice

illegal acquitted of homicide, receives slap on the wrist

The San Francisco Chronicle struck the right note with the headline that sits atop its editorial “Justice not served in slaying trial of Kate Steinle.” It veers far off base from there, commending the judge for admonishing the jurors not to consider the overriding political implications that made this a national story. The editorialist writes, “President Trump and Fox News commentators have often invoked Kate Steinle’s name as justification for cutting off federal funds to sanctuary cities and building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.”

The editorial concludes, “The judge was absolutely right: The political dynamics had no bearing on Garcia Zarate’s culpability for Steinle’s death.”

In our view the judge was absolutely wrong. Uncontrolled lawlessness breeds more of the same as we’ve seen countless times. The citizens of the United States deserve a secure border and enforcement to protect them from a continued influx of criminal aliens.

The facts of the case are well known.

Kate Steinle, 32, was strolling the San Francisco Pier with her father, when she was struck in the back by a bullet shot from a stolen gun wielded by seven-time felon Jose Garcia Zarate an illegal alien who repeatedly reentered the U.S. after multiple deportations. Kate Steinle died h her father’s arms.

 On Thursday, Garcia Zarate was acquitted of the homicide — or even on a charge of involuntary manslaughter — though the jury convicted him of illegally possessing the gun. He could be released on time served as he awaited trial.

Disbelief at the disgraceful verdict has been followed by outrage.  President Trump was elected in large part on his promise to build a wall along the southern border. Exacerbating the situation is the proliferation of what have become known as “sanctuary cities” which refuse to cooperate with federal authorities on deporting these costly lawbreakers. These lawless cities, such as San Francisco, have given rise to “sanctuary states,” such as California.  The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR} estimates the burden nearing a staggering $135 billion a year.

Public safety is imperiled by increasing criminality. The mindset of the liberal lawmakers in these jurisdictions is incomprehensible.

 There is something the rest of us can do. Stop vacationing in San Francisco.

Let the loss of your tourist dollars speak for Kate Steinle as California’s criminal justice system failed to. Arizona has a growing wine industry. Fine restaurants and upscale resorts can be found around the state. We have the renown splendor of the Grand Canyon, the unparalleled beauty of Sedona, along with both water and snow skiing. The White Mountains are mossy underfoot, a  cool and densely green summer getaway and in the winter, white with snow. For dune buggy enthusiasts, Yuma has sand dunes that rival the Sahara. Fishing and boating in our many lakes and rivers is a favorite pastime. Golf can be played in the Valley year round.

San Francisco is a liberal bastion undeserving of our support.

Al Franken not so funny, Judge Moore stands firm

Although this Bloomberg report attempts to link the ongoing and appalling sexcapades of Minnesota Democrat Senator Al Franken with Alabama Senatorial candidate Roy Moore, there are no similarities.

Moore, a twice elected Supreme Court Justice and two-time candidate for governor has never had any charges of sexual impropriety leveled against him in all of his previous campaigns — until he decided to run for the U.S. Senate. Whereas Franken, when faced with overwhelming evidence, including a damning photo, acknowledged his guilt and, according to today’s front page article, “personally” apologized for forcibly attacking the woman who was on a USO tour in Afghanistan  with him. The press account refers to the photo as “joking.”  Crudeness is not new to Franken, who publicly discussed drugging and raping CBS reporter Lesley Stahl.

Moore has steadfastly denied the claims, post dated 40 years, and maintained his innocence.

Prior to being elected, Franken was a comedian. He was elected from the same state that put professional wrestler Jesse “the Body” Ventura in the governor’s office. Those occasional  -60 F winter temperatures obviously mess with clarity of thinking.

An AP report in today‘s Arizona Republic, attempting to deflect from predatory Democrats is headlined, “As sex scandals topple those with power, some ask: Why not Trump?” referring to a private comment he made prior to his election.   A better question would be “How did President Bill Clinton get away with lying and suborning perjury about his affair with a White House intern — which he later admitted?”

The Roy Moore case is simple to follow. It’s deeply rooted in politics. As we previously noted in  “Gunning for Roy Moore: Why now?” within the state of Alabama Roy Moore was insulated and safe from scurrilous accusations to take him out of his previous campaigns. This time is different.  He’s a conservative running for the U.S. Senate. The party apparatus — most notably Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — wants pliable. Roy Moore doesn’t fit that description. The accusatory story broke in the Washington Post, a far left publication solely owned by multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos, who didn’t think it important to cover the ongoing rape allegations against Hollywood insider Harvey Weinstein, but is dedicated to perpetrating politically based allegations against Roy Moore.

Mitch McConnell’s leadership position is riding on this U.S. Senate race. His shaky majority could well be upended by uncompromising conservative Roy Moore.

Curiously, none of Moore’s accusers were heard from when he was elected chief justice in 2000 and 2012 or when he ran for governor in 2006 and 2010, making the timing of the women’s claims even more suspicious.

The Washington syndicate can’t tolerate a man of conscience who won’t robotically fall in line with the D.C. power structure, which is why McConnell is now demanding that Moore, “Step aside.”

To his credit, Judge Moore is digging in his heels. If we were all to cower and run in the face of suspicious and contrived allegations, the wrong people would always win. As a man of faith, Judge Moore knows that and will not concede to evil.

 

Traitor Bergdahl given slap on the wrist for desertion

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl who voluntarily deserted his post in Afghanistan in 2009, has received what amounted to a slap on the wrist for his abominable actions.  Despite the fact that Bergdahl caused serious harm to the lives of his fellow soldiers who went searching for him, military judge, Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance, has only demoted him and given him a dishonorable discharge. Bergdahl could have faced life in prison. The death penalty hasn’t been imposed for desertion since the 1940’s.

Barack Obama, president at the time, arranged a prisoner swap in 2014, to gain the release of deserter Bergdahl from Taliban captivity, approving an exchange of five high ranking Taliban militants being held at Guantanamo Bay. Obama’s decision triggered an intense backlash from soldiers who view Bergdahl as a traitor for abandoning his post.

Who can forget Obama’s meeting with Bergdahl’s parents (video) in the White House Rose Garden, where the traitor’s father, sporting an Islamic beard, spoke an Arabic message to his son and was hugged by Obama?

According to the Articles of the Military Code of Justice (UCMJ) unauthorized absence from the military falls under three articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ): Article 85, Desertion; Article 86, AWOL; and Article 87, Missing Movement. Of the three, desertion is the most serious offense.

 UCMJ is a federal law enacted by Congress that governs the military justice system. Its provisions are contained in United States Code, Title 10, Chapter 47.

Dems’ connections to anti-Trump Russia dossier

Analyzing the “Russia probe”

House Intelligence Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) joined conservative radio talk show host Laura Ingraham Monday as she debuted her new Fox News program, “The Ingraham Angle.”  Nunes called on the Department of Justice to “do its job” regarding leaks from major U.S. intelligence services.

Ingraham opened the inaugural edition of the show with a powerful monologue about what “America means to her and to regular Americans.”

Arizonans who attended the impressive kickoff of Dr. Kelli Ward‘s U.S. Senate campaign gave Laura Ingraham a sizzling Phoenix welcome as she endorsed Ward — sharing the stage with Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon and former Arizona Congressman, now NewsMax host, JD Hayworth. Fox News’ Sean Hannity has also endorsed Ward.

This is Ingraham’s take on Jeff Flake’s anti-Trump swan song speech.

The Guardian, a British news source, reported in early January that it was none other than bitter presidential loser John McCain, a virulent Trump-hater, who personally passed what turned out to be a fake dossier alleging secret Trump-Russia contacts to then-FBI director James Comey. It’s difficult to forget Comey.  He’s the one who gave an undeserved legal break to corrupt Hillary Clinton— despite damning evidence against her.

AZ Republic editorial previews McCain obit

No, we are not being insensitive to the fact that John McCain has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer by his Mayo Scottsdale doctors.  Such a sentence is dreadful. In many cases, receiving a dire diagnosis provides patients time to reflect and even make amends.

Not so with AZ Sen. John McCain.  Or his apologists.

It’s clear there is nothing John McCain can do or say that warrants a reprimand or even a raised eyebrow from his slavishly adoring fans at the Hillary-endorsing Arizona Republic newspaper.

 The editorial carrying the title: “Our View: Trump answers McCain’s call for patriotism — with narcissism,” reeks of pomposity run amok. The less confrontational hardcopy version was titled, “McCain’s call for patriotism.”

Seeing Red AZ covered the petty McCain’s scathing remarks in America First “unpatriotic, half-baked nationalism,” says McCain —– just two days ago as he received the Liberty Medal from the left-of-center organization with a winning name: The National Constitution Center. Even while being honored, he was unable to contain his hostility, using the occasion to jealously hammer President Trump.

 John McCain is an exceptionally flawed man, as evidenced by his renown temper tantrums, flagrant lies and underhanded trickery. He has pilloried people of integrity and publicly used the foulest language toward his wife. As chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee he permanently classified  the facts concerning American Vietnam era POWs and MIAs. Family members who have spent decades pleading with him at senate committee hearings for answers received insults from McCain. This video exposes why.

The bitterness McCain, now 81, carries against President Donald Trump, who attained that which will forever be out of his grasp is nothing short of despicable.  McCain even contrived a now exposed as fallacious, Russian collusion fable, and hand carried the dossier falsely implicating Trump to the FBI director. Though they despise him for trouncing Hillary Clinton, there is likely no Democrat as eager to bring down the Trump presidency as Republicrat John McCain.

Taking the newspaper’s preposterous praise for McCain and unwarranted condemnation of President Trump apart sentence by sentence is a task unworthy of taking on.

The fingerprints of editorial page director Phil Boas are all over this undeserved paean to McCain. Boas relentlessly hammered his own father-in-law, popular Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, ensuring his defeat after six-four year terms. It didn’t bother the newspaper that the incoming sheriff was funded by globalist Socialist George Soros, a billionaire whose aims include funding a takeover of the U.S.  justice system and ultimately, borderless nations. The Republic gave a wink and a nod when liberal Sheriff Paul Penzone referred to illegal invaders as “guests.”

It’s no surprise, Soros has financed John McCain for years.

Fed. Judge dismisses charges against former sheriff Joe Arpaio

Following the presidential pardon of former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Bolton has dismissed a guilty verdict against him.

U.S. Department of Justice lawyers and Arpaio’s defense team requested the dismissal. Arpaio had been found guilty in July of misdemeanor criminal contempt for “flagrant disregard” of a judge’s order. He faced up to 6-month’s incarceration.

Bolton had denied Arpaio the jury trial he requested, opting to sit as both judge and jury herself. Joe Arpaio was an immensely popular sheriff, having been elected to an unprecedented 6-four-year terms.

Relentless, in-tandem, daily attacks by the local newspaper’s editorial board, columnists, reporters and cartoonist, coupled with the infusion of $ 2 million pumped into the campaign of Arpaio’s Democrat challenger Paul Penzone by Socialist billionaire George Soros, proved too much for the respected sheriff to overcome. Politico reports Soros is on a mission to overhaul the U.S. criminal justice system to fit his radically left-wing ideal. In a display of gratitude to his benefactor, Penzone entered office by referring to illegal invaders as “guests.”

The charges against Arpaio, which many viewed as the culmination of a witch hunt, stemmed from his office’s enforcement of the law relating to illegal immigration. Arpaio had not yet been sentenced when the president issued the pardon in August.

Denied the perp walk and mug shot that was always the newspaper’s end game, it greeted the news of the dismissal with a small two sentence front page report, continuing with a jump to a page 10. The Diamondbacks victory over the Rockies dominated Page One, complete with an oversize photo of the game’s relief pitcher. The Arizona Republic’s despair is palpable.

Arpaio is quoted as saying, “I’m happy the conviction was dismissed, especially since I am not guilty.” He also praised President Trump, saying, “It took me 85 years to find my hero and it’s the president of the United States.”

Classic Joe.

We join Arizona’s law-abiding citizens in wishing him well.

AZ AG Brnovich sues Board of Regents over tuition hikes

On Friday Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Regents (“ABOR”) for dramatically and unconstitutionally increasing the price of base tuition and mandatory fees at Arizona’s public universities by more than 300 percent since 2003. The Arizona Constitution requires that “the university and all other state educational institutions shall be open to students of both sexes, and the instruction furnished shall be as nearly free as possible.”

“Every Arizonan dreams of being able to send their kids to college,” Brnovich stated. “Within the last 15 years, Arizona went from having some of the most affordable public universities to having some of the most expensive. We believe the Board of Regents needs to be held accountable and answer tough questions for Arizona’s skyrocketing tuition rates.”

The State alleges that ABOR has adopted unconstitutional tuition-setting policies, has abandoned its duty to serve as a check on the university presidents, and has ceased deriving tuition rates from the actual cost of instruction. According to the lawsuit, ABOR has misinterpreted its “nearly free” mandate to mean whatever the market rate is for peer institutions and made itself as the arbiter of “affordability” for Arizona’s students and families.

Intertwined with these price hikes, ABOR has also refused to comply with Arizona law prohibiting state subsidies for students “without lawful immigration status.” ABOR is causing the illegal expenditure of public monies and the failure to collect tuition in direct contravention of clear and established Arizona law

The 20-page lawsuit can be read here.

Seeing Red AZ has been writing about the ongoing tuition and fee hikes for years, as well as the excessive salaries, bonuses and perks ASU President Michael Crow and his wife Sybil Francis receive. These are just a few of the posts going back to 2007 — the year of the launching of this blog.

Sept. 30, 2014: Gifting ASU’s Prez with $95K raise+benies = one helluva deal

Apr. 22, 2014:  AZ higher education: As nearly free as possible? & Update

March 7, 2013: ASU’s Crow backs lower tuition for illegals — again

Feb. 8, 2013:   Michael Crow, Sybil Francis: A$U’s pricey duo

May 7, 2011:   ASU’s Crow tackles budget reductions by raising tuition – again

Feb. 2, 2011:   ASU’s overpaid Crow warns of tuition increase as stimulus ebbs

Apr. 11, 2009: “Economic recovery surcharges” hit AZ university students

March 6, 2008: Disputed scholarships for illegals revived

Nov. 23, 2008: AZ universities feel students’ pain as tuition spirals and money dries up

Apr. 26, 2008:  ASU’s overpaid King Crow issues threats

Nov. 17, 2008: ASU’s Crow in cash glut while economy tanks and tuition rises

Sept. 8, 2007:  ASU’s Michael Crow subverts intent of law