John McCain & George Soros: Decades long nefarious connections

Radical leftist Soros aims to influence elections and public policy with cash infusions

High dollar donations from suspect characters and dubious international players are hallmarks of the McCain Institute for International Leadership, housed at Arizona State University. its shady dealings need not only a bright light but a good dose of disinfectant.

The Daily Caller reports that critics note that the institute’s donors and McCain’s personal leadership in the organization’s exclusive “Sedona Forum” bear an uncanny resemblance to the glitzy Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) that annually co-mingled special interests and powerful political players in alleged pay-to-play schemes.

The McCain Institute has accepted contributions of as much as $100,000 from billionaire liberal activist-funder George Soros and from Teneo, a for-profit company co-founded by Doug Band, former President Bill Clinton’s “bag man.” Teneo has long helped enrich Clinton through lucrative speaking and business deals.

ABC 15 AZ  reported in 2016 on a $1 million Saudi Arabian donation to the institute, a contribution the McCain group has refused to explain publicly.

Even the far-left Washington Post questions the legitimacy of McCain’s claim that he has nothing to do with the institute that bears his name.

Donations at or exceeding $100,000 include monies raised by McCain Presidential Campaign. Also on the list are the McCain Institute Foundation and Cindy Hensley McCain’s Hensley Beverage Company. In the $25,000 – $99,999 category is McCain’s socialist friend, multi-billionaire George Soros, who disdains international borders. The notorious Gregory and Lisa Wendt — San Francisco liberals who have worked with McCain operatives to oust elected precinct committeemen in Arizona precincts — are on the list, as is “The Smith Richardson Foundation’s grant [which] supports the project: From Reset to Containment: In Search of a Better U.S. Policy towards Putin’s Russia.”  This sounds suspiciously akin to the issue  McCain has been manufacturing  to discredit President Donald Trump.

Socialist Soros, one of the most powerful men o the planet, controls a vast network of radical organizations that is nearly unfathomable. Through them, he and his family are able to mobilize street mobs, turning incidents into incendiary hordes of rioters as we’ve seen repeatedly.  Ferguson, Missouri was a single example. The thuggery and violence associated with Black Lives Matter was a direct result of Soros’ influence and money.  Discover the Networks, a guide to the political left, has a wealth of information.

In 2016 Politico reported that George Soros’ latest quest was a “quiet overhaul“ of America’s criminal justice system. Here in Arizona, he funded a losing candidate for Maricopa County Attorney and a winning candidate for sheriff, spending $2 million to topple Sheriff Joe Arpaio and install Democrat Paul Penzone. Liberal Democrats and RINOs are the recipients of his generosity. Check out Open Secrets lists under Recipients and Congressional Committees.

Seeing Red AZ has previously covered the cozy relationship between John McCain, Hillary Clinton and multi-billionaire anti-capitalist, America-hater George Soros.

Here are a few  of those posts:

Jan. 27, 2014: John McCain cavorts with pal George $oros

Feb.1, 2016:    By George! McCain & Hillary have a lot in common

Jan. 7, 2017:  Soros funded losing candidates to defeat Trump and failed

AZ Regents chair gets testy at challenge, hurls personal insults & UPDATE

Mark Finchem, a Republican representing Dist. 11 in Tucson doesn’t meet the high standard of dress established by former state legislator Greg Patterson — who has since gone to law school and is now the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) chairman. Patterson oversees the three state universities he previously sucker punched for their imperial excesses.

It no doubt galls Patterson, who is also a CPA, that the less educated Rep. Finchem is a member of the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee and Vice Chair of two other significant committees.

In a private meeting that Patterson secretly recorded,* he laid into Finchem — who along with East Valley Rep. Jill Norgaard (R-Dist. 18) — had the temerity to co-sponsor a bill to rein in the authority of the board that Patterson chairs.

Apparently, she dresses well enough and is suitably degreed to suit Patterson, but her perch as Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, gives her a level of prominence that rankles the ‘Top Regent’ who takes his title very seriously. Bully Patterson referred to Rep. Finchem’s western attire as a  “costume that doesn’t work.” He advised Finchem to trim his mustache and buy a suit before abruptly leaving the meeting.

Though Patterson has been a registered lobbyist since 1997, he fails miserably in the area of persuasive techniques.

This news article provides background on the unsavory meeting, and includes disapproving comments of Patterson’s actions from Vice Chair Bill Ridenour, who takes over as chairman July 1. Board of Regents President Eileen Klein, also condemned Patterson’s behavior, saying it was not reflective of how the regents do business. 

The Arizona Board of Regents voted on Jan. 20 to oppose SB 1061, a bill proposing to cap tuition and fee increases at two percent per year at the state’s public universities. The bill was co-sponsored by nine Republican state senators and one Republican state representative and would have significantly restricted the power of the regents and the universities to impose ever escalating tuition and fees on students. Readers have to plow through ten paragraphs of self-congratulatory hogwash to get to ABOR’s opposition to restrictions to rein in student costs. 

Universities do not have market forces and shareholders to enforce spending discipline, so foisting the trickery of “a $1 billion/30-year plan to fund new capital and rebuild aging infrastructure without raising taxes,” sounds reasonable to the elites who won’t be around in 2047 to answer for its ruinous impact.

One burning question remains: Were they dressed appropriately enough to meet Greg Patterson’s exacting standards as they implemented the epic con job?

ABOR Chair Greg Patterson has resigned after hurling an insult-laden spew at state legislator Mark Finchem.

As of his resignation Monday June 19, the pretentious Board of Regents chairman is now officially a goner, though he still had three years on his term. According to this report in the Arizona Republic, he laid off his obtuse insults — which he secretly recorded and then disseminated to shocked regent staffers — on being “overzealous.” He also declared he was in a “caffeine-induced rage.”  If those foolish excuses weren’t enough, he had one more up what we assume was his perfectly starched and ironed sleeve.  He didn’t want to be a “distraction.”

Patterson won’t distract anyone. But as he toils at his lobbyist day job, will he be able to attract clients who don’t want to risk having their grooming insulted?

AZ Republic buffs candidate Jeff Flake to hero status in ballpark shooting

Like most Americans you probably credit the Capitol Police security detail assigned to provide protection to GOP Whip Steve Scalise for the rapid response in the wake of the assassination attempt on the lives of Republican congressmen. They were staked out by a radical left-wing hater as they practiced for an annual bipartisan charity baseball game. The shooter inquired to determine the player’s party affiliation prior to opening fire early Wednesday. He was a Bernie Sanders’ Socialist.

But if you read the newspaper account of the horrific event, you’d think Sen. Jeff Flake, up for reelection in 2018, was the hero of the day. 

U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise remains in critical condition following multiple surgeries. Five others were wounded. The shooter, who traveled from Illinois to surveil the congressmen had been living in his van since March. He was shot by police and later died of his injuries.

“Prior to entering surgery, the Whip was in good spirits and spoke to his wife by phone,” Scalise’s office said in this statement. “He is grateful for the brave actions of U.S. Capitol Police, first responders, and colleagues.”

Jeff Flake took Scalise’s phone and called the wife of the seriously wounded congressman, so she wouldn’t hear the news from media sources.

Rep. Mo Brooks who was at the practice, told CNN (transcript) that the gunman was holding what he described as a semi-automatic rifle in the area behind third base and that Scalise had been near second base. Brooks said he tried to help Scalise, saying, “We used my belt to help put a tourniquet around his leg.”

Brooks said, “Brad Wenstrup of Ohio was someplace; I don’t know where but I know he was there because after the shooter was down and we ran out to see Steve Scalise at second base, Brad Wenstrup is a physician and we deferred to his judgment on what to do. As I said, I held a cloth over the wound to stop the bleeding as Brad was getting some kind of scissors device to cut through the pants to try to have better access to Steve Scalise’s wound in his hip.”

Senator Rand Paul, another physician, was also on the scene.

 Jeff Flake received a call  from former Pres. Barack Obama, with whom he has forged a deep friendship, asking about the attempted massacre of Republicans. With a revealing lack of basic manners, Obama asked Flake to relay his good wishes to Scalise‘s wife. He must have been running late for tee time.

Although the FBI has confirmed that Arizona Republican Congressman Trent Franks (CD 8) was on the shooter’s hit list, this was the Arizona Republic’s “all about Flake” front page the day following the shooting: 

 

 

US Rep. Steve Scalise shot at congressional baseball practice & UpDate

Gunman intended to shoot Republican Congressmen

A would-be assassin opened fire on Republican members of the U.S. Congress during a baseball practice near Washington. DC this morning, wounding several people including  U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, House of Representatives Majority Whip,—  the third-highest ranking member of the House Republican leadership.

Rep. Mel Brooks, who represents Alabama, estimated 50 to 100 shots were fired in the spree that lasted about 10 minutes. Those at the practice were “sitting ducks,” with no place to hide in the open field.

Scalise, 51, represents Louisiana. He was shot in the hip and is undergoing surgery. Five people were transported to local hospitals. Two of the wounded were Capitol Hill police who responded to the scene. Also shot was Zack Barth, a congressional aide to Roger Williams. Williams was injured trying to escape by jumping into the dugout

The attempted assassin, who was shot by Capitol Police, was identified as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson, of Illinois has died of his injuries. As he entered the Alexandria, Virginia ballpark, he specifically asked if the players were Republicans, since the site was known as a congressional practice field.

“Without the Capitol Hill police it would have been a massacre,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)  said, describing the scene as “sort of a killing field.”

SRAZ’s post yesterday titled, Celebration of assassination betrays leftist hypocrisy, deals with an acclaimed New York theatrical production of Julius Caesar, featuring the stabbing assassination of a President Trump look-alike Caesar. 

Recently comedian Kathy Griffin thought it was appropriate to do a routine including a mock,  bloody severed head representing President Trump. When she met with derision she whined at a press conference — accompanied by her lawyer — that she felt her career was over and that Trump “broke” her.

Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake never let an opportunity pass to disparage President Donald Trump. Civil discourse has taken a back seat to reviling the president. They are just as guilty of stirring up hatred as Kathy Griffin.

It all has to stop. This shooting stands as stark evidence.

This update on the condition of Rep. Steve Scalise is from MedStar Washington Hospital Center:

June 14, 2017, 8:15 pm

“”Congressman Steve Scalise sustained a single rifle shot to the left hip. The bullet travelled across his pelvis, fracturing bones, injuring internal organs, and causing severe bleeding. He was transported in shock to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, a Level I Trauma Center.  He underwent immediate surgery, and an additional procedure to stop bleeding.  He has received multiple units of blood transfusion. His condition is critical, and he will require additional operations.  We will provide periodic updates.

In other news, Breitbart News reports President and First Lady Melania Trump went to the hospital where he sat at Steve Scalise’s bedside and they spoke with members of his family.

One tough job: Making excuses for John McCain

“Lapses in acuity” is putting it mildly.  McCain embarrassed himself and each of the hoodwinked Arizonans who voted this octogenarian another 6-year term

It was a rare sight, to be sure. But there is was. The Sunday editorial in the Arizona Republic was actually dripping nervous sweat. The editorial board is clearly terrified.

And the cause of this angst? None other than the left leaning newspaper’s favorite anti-Republican Republican and recalcitrant self-styled “maverick,” John McCain.

Those who watched McCain’s mortifying interview with former FBI director James Comey, wondered what the disconnect was. Twitter erupted with chatter diagnosing a mini stroke. The newspaper, though striving to be generous, still used these brutal words:

“…one of the world’s leading statesmen, speaking in words completely unmoored from reality,” adding, “the gibberish of U.S. Sen. John McCain blew up social media and raised fresh doubts about his fitness to hold office.”

Is the editorial board admitting it had doubts about his fitness to hold office when it gifted him with an endorsement over exceptionally well qualified Dr. Kelli Ward just last fall? If so, why did the newspaper work so diligently to marginalize her? Even the newspaper knows that calling McCain “one of the world’s leading statesmen,” is a laughable stretch. 

It’s a given they use any occasion to hammer President Trump and this editorial was no exception. But for a brief moment, they actually dole out some truth:

“As for McCain, his mental lapse in the biggest Senate hearing of the year cannot be taken lightly. McCain made no sense as he confused the former FBI director with a question about inconsistent approaches to investigations of Trump and Hillary Clinton.

McCain will be under intense scrutiny from here out, as the national media puts him under the microscope. His office needs to take this seriously and make sure steps are taken to understand exactly what happen.

If this was caused by momentary fatigue and not something more serious, the McCain office needs to make this clear to the public with evidence.”

Then comes this foolishness:

“In the meantime, McCain deserves our patience and respect. He is a genuine war hero, who has been for years a tireless public servant. Age can produce lapses in acuity that are temporary and out of character. We can only hope this is the case with John McCain and that he continues to serve this state well for years to come.”

“Hero” McCain is a construct as this video featuring senators, military brass and those who served with him in Vietnam clearly shows. It would be interesting to know exactly how many more “years to come”  they hope to get out of a man who will celebrate his 81^st birthday in August?

Jeff Flake: The face of hypocrisy lies through his capped teeth

Jeff Flake’s ongoing sabotage of President Trump’s agenda takes a back seat to campaign trickery

Did you get the latest missive from Sen. Jeff Flake? It’s titled,“More work to be done.” Showing no loyalty, he immediately attacks Barack Obama, his former traveling chum whom he accompanied on trips to Kenya and  Cuba and his frequent basketball playing buddy saying: 

“After eight years of government expansion through President Obama’s use of executive orders, we are working around the clock to make the government smaller.”

What a transformation. Of course his change of heart like others we’ve exposed, are election driven. That’s who Flake is. Our readers will remember that Jeff Flake’s mantra is “the beauty of a six-year term” is that voters have short memories.

Next, using the royal “we,” he compliments President Trump — the same man he said “can’t win and shouldn’t win” the presidency —  and he would not vote for. Flake says:

“These first six months of a Republican government have been a good start: we’re slashing federal regulations, we confirmed a conservative Justice, and we passed legislation to reform the VA and provide better care for our vets.”

Utterly amazing! Deceiver Flake takes credit for “confirming a conservative justice” when he actively promoted Democrat Merrick Garland, Obama’s lame duck nominee to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Flake also claims to have been integral to “reforming the VA and providing better care for our vets.” This claim is infuriating. Jeff Flake and John McCain allegedly represent Arizona, the heart of the disgraceful VA hospital scandal that left veterans dying as they waited months and years for care that never came or came too late, while administrators received hefty raises.

Then comes the astonishing closer as he asks for campaign donations:

“There’s more to be done, but while my focus is on getting America back on track, I’m engaged in one of the top Senate races in the country. I’m committed to a second term because our state needs a conservative vote—not a liberal one.” He adds, “Help lay the campaign’s grassroots foundation by donating whatever you can right now.”

This donation plea for a second 6-year term after spending 5 terms in the U.S. House, reneging on his 2000 promise to term limit himself to three two-year terms. When called out on his pretense, he smirked and said, “I lied.”

Donate so he can give us more of this?

Jeff Flake doesn’t mention his longstanding commitment to amnesty for illegal invaders since that issue is more incendiary than he wants to take on during a sure to be tough campaign cycle. If he’s reelected, count on him to do what he previously did the day after the votes were counted — he and McCain unveiled their ‘Gang of Eight’ amnesty scheme with the most liberal Democrats and two other Republicrats.

Flake inadvertently shows some integrity when he states, “We need change.” He‘s right. We need to vote for the proven conservative, Dr. Kelli Ward for U.S. Senate.

This is Jeff Flake. He’s number four in this infamous lineup.

Mitt, McCain, other RINOs openly conspire with Biden at summit

What might appear to be the strangest of bedfellows are actually quite compatible

For those who have wondered about the warm affinity between John McCain, Jeff Flake and Mitt Romney, wonder no more. It extends beyond the obvious fact that they are all iffy Republicans

All three — McCain and Romney are previous GOP presidential losers—are known to be Republicrats masquerading as conservatives, as it suits their political aspirations. Pulling the wool over the eyes of constituents is a practice skillfully honed by these politicos bereft of principles.

This past week, Romney was featured at two back-to-back Arizona-based events for troubled candidate Jeff Flake. Like McCain, Flake made it clear he would not vote for Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee. Trump’s victory creates a hurdle for candidate Flake who is already widely distrusted for his wildly vacillating positions and his steadfast support for amnesty for illegal invaders.

The Salt Lake Tribune exposes the strange familial associations in this article, Former VP Joe Biden to headline Mitt Romney summit in Park City. As you read about Biden’s American Possibilities PAC questions concerning the attendees and their motives will no doubt swirl.

Many of the usual suspects will be on hand at the three-day, invitation only conference in the Utah resort area. House Speaker Paul Ryan, Romney’s former VP running mate and Sens. John McCain and his devoted shadow, Lindsey Graham will be in attendance.  Jeff Flake can’t risk attending since he’s up for reelection and the timing of this soiree doesn’t play well for him.

SRAZ recently posted Mitt Romney endorsements? The ties that bind RINOs, which includes Hillary Clinton’s campaign ad “Agree,” featuring Jeff Flake and Mitt Romney along with other Republicans In Name Only. Oddly, the AZ GOP and its leadership remained silent in the face of Flake’s transgression. But Republican voters still have a voice. Use it to put Flake out of his political misery of contorting to rein in his leftward bent whenever he campaigns.

Dr. Kelli Ward is the conservative choice.

 

H/T Commenter Doc for the Salt Lake Tribune tip