Ruminating on Hillary and her escape from prosecution

Think how the President of the United States could be a prime target for blackmail by unfriendly powers such as Putin's Russia. TD

Politico: The Weird Hedge Fund That Prepared James Comey for His Capitol Hill Hot Seat  "House Republicans might want to think twice before taking on the FBI director over Hillary’s emails."

Hillary Clinton emails: Justice Department closes investigation without charges  . . . "“The normal punishment, in this case, would include losing authority to handle classified information,” Mr Trump said, “and that too disqualifies Hillary Clinton from being President.' ” 

Legal Insurrection:  Charade completed: AG Lynch rumber-stamps FBI recommendation not to prosecute Hillary   "She wanted to make sure the gift to Hillary was signed, sealed and delivered before Comey had a chance to backtrack on national TV.

Slate: The email scandal reveals everything that’s wrong with the outdated legislation used to prosecute spies and whistleblowers.
. . . "The better way forward is for Congress to do something it’s refused to do for more than 60 years: carefully and comprehensively modernize the Espionage Act, and clarify exactly when it is, and is not, a crime to mishandle classified national security secrets." . . .

Giuliani: 'President Trump' could prosecute Hillary  . . . "Calling the circumstantial evidence against Clinton “overwhelming,” Giuliani noted that is precisely the kind of evidence prosecutors use to show intent, since direct evidence of intent is usually lacking.

“Here’s the biggest piece of the circumstantial evidence: the destruction of the 34,000 emails,” he said, noting that a prosecutor would have been permitted to instruct the jury that the mass deletion “infers guilty knowledge.”

“I am so disappointed in this,” Giuliani said, but added the case is still not closed." . . .

WATCH: NBC Host Can’t Take It, Unloads After Hillary Escapes Indictment  "A huge political hit indeed, especially considering all that it revealed about Clinton’s true nature — namely her carelessness, her recklessness and her disdain for the truth."

It is revealing that the impartial "journalist" NBC host calls Hillary's escape "good news".

Roger L. Simon: Did Comey Actually Destroy Hillary Clinton by ‘Exonerating’ Her?  . . . "Look at that last paragraph again, because, if the Republicans have any brains at all, they will be quoting it ad infinitum. "To the contrary, those individuals are often subject to security or administrative sanctions." What Comey is clearly saying (and leaving for us to "decide now") is that--whether you agree with his decision not to indict or no (I don't)—in a normal, real-world situation Clinton would face consequences, quite probably be demoted or even fired, certainly not promoted to the presidency of the United States, for what she did.

"Which brings me back to why Comey made this speech." . . .

It's hard to imagine Lynch speaking in public about how Clinton and her aides were "extremely careless" about national security, obvious though that was, or the high probability that the Clinton's server, not to mention her cell phone (!), was hacked by foreign powers. " . . . 

Comey’s game

"So did Director Comey cooperate the way American prisoners of war did, when forced to read statements praising their captors, by in effect blinking Morse code?  He gave exactly what he was supposed to.  But he did it in a way calculated to do political damage to Hillary Clinton."

Thomas Lifson   "Yesterday, the director of the FBI offered 15 of the most puzzling minutes in the history of American law enforcement.  James Comey spent the first 12 minutes or so laying out a devastating case dismantling Hillary Clinton’s email defense.  Then, in a whiplash-inducing change of narrative, he announced that “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring the case he had just outlined, an assertion that was contradicted within hours by luminaries including former U.S. attorney (and mayor) Rudy Giuliani and James Kallstrom, former head of the FBI’s New York office.

"How can we possibly explain the FBI director deliberately inducing mass
cognitive dissonance?" . . .

Lifson then speculates on Comey's possible fear "whether something decidedly unpleasant might happen to him or his loved ones, as has happened to so many people inconvenient to the Clintons, by sheer coincidence, of course."

. . . "So did Director Comey cooperate the way American prisoners of war did, when forced to read statements praising their captors, by in effect blinking Morse code?  He gave exactly what he was supposed to.  But he did it in a way calculated to do political damage to Hillary Clinton." . . .

Fact Checker: Everything You Wanted To Know About Trump And The Six-Pointed Star

Yeshiva World News

"Controversy over Trump’s tweet carrying the image of a six-pointed star similar to the Jewish Star of David became the subject of much scrutiny over the Fourth of July weekend. And Trump continues to face criticism. For readers who may have tuned in sporadically or missed it entirely, here’s a complete timeline of the facts of exactly what happened – starting with the original, now-deleted tweet.

. . . 

"We are not going to issue a rating here, which is another case of Trump retweeting controversial memes without checking the source. Still, some questions remain: Did the campaign initially check at all to see where the image originated? Did the campaign know the potential anti-Semitic message it carried? 

"If the Trump campaign truly believed it was simply endorsing the shape of a sheriff’s star to “fit with the theme of corrupt Hillary,” why delete the initial tweet and replace the star with a circle?

"It’s unclear if we’ll get answers to these remaining questions, but we will update this timeline if there are any new developments."

Comey’s unusual public recommendation in the Clinton email investigation

Volokh Conspiracy . . . " Comey’s announcement takes the path of the least politicalization. Comey is a former career prosecutor who served twice as a political appointee in George W. Bush’s Justice Department. He is now serving a non-renewable 10-year term as FBI director that expires in 2023. It’s hard to come up with a clear argument for why Comey would be beholden to Clinton or why his recommendation would be politically biased.

"It is telling that, at least so far, Trump’s expected Twitter attacks on Comey are just generic. “The system is rigged,” “bad judgment,” etc.

. . . 

No decision on the Clinton email case will please everyone, of course. But Comey’s announcement takes the path of the least amount of politicalization in a uniquely politically charged case.

Obama and Democrats doing what they do best

The Liberal Media - Killing America

We've become the French!

MICHELLE OBAMA'S MIRROR  . . . "With our military beginning to look more like a social experiment every day than a mighty fighting force."

"it is time to raise the perennial question once again: is Obama evil or incompetent? 

"Before you answer, consider the following:

In January of this year the Iranians captured one of our Navy ships; the sailors immediately confessed to wrongdoing, apologized to their captors, responded to questions inappropriately and were released after Iran used their humiliation for propaganda purposes. A Navy investigation following the incident produced disturbing information:

• The report found the crews were poorly prepared, their boats not properly maintained, communication almost entirely lacking, and their conduct after being captured by the Iranians wasn't up to military standards.
• The report details a lax culture for U.S. Navy sailors who routinely patrol the Persian Gulf which ultimately led to a highly embarrassing incident for the U.S. military…
• "The culture ... (was) characterized by informality. They conducted no patrol briefings, and missions were supported by no formal mission analysis, standard planning factors, risk assessment, or overwatch," investigators wrote.

"Then we find out from the Benghazi Report that our military was not so much restrained as they wereunable to respond to the attack on our consulate. From Richard Fernandez, The Enemy Doesn't Coordinate With Your Narrative:" . . .

BENGHAZI: New Email – Spec Forces Spinning Up Were Turned Back: Rescue Interrupted!

Maggie's Notebook

According to the video below [ Sharyl Attkisson at Full Measure], the following Benghazi-related email has become available for the first time in 3three years. A Special Forces Team in the air, on the way to Benghazi was turned back after failing to be granted the Commander in Chief’s [Barack Obama] approval  to cross into Libya.

"STATE COLLEAGUES:

"After consulting with General Dempsey, General Ham and the Joint Staff, we have identifiedthe forces that could move to Benghazi. they are spinning up as we speak. They include a SOF [Special TATE COLLEAGUES:

After consulting with General Dempsey, General Ham and the Joint Staff, we have identifiedthe forces that could move to Benghazi. they are spinning up as we speak. They include a SOF [Special Operaations Forces] element that was in Croatia (which can fly to Suda Bay, Crete), and a Marine FAST team out of Roda, Spain.

Assuming Principals agree to deploy these elements we will ask state to secure the approval from host nation. Please advise how you wish to convey that approval to us. Burni/Nides/Sherman to  Miller/Winnererfeld would be my recommendation.

Jeremy

Eight weeks before election day: White House photos taken on the night of September 11, 2012 are not available to the public. Ret. Army Green Beret Colonel Andrew Wood says the individuals being “spun up” were in the air and on their way, but were not allowed over the Libyan border until higher up [specifically the Commander in Chief Obama] gave the approval. They were not allowed to cross into Libya as no approval was given.

"Col Woods says he has a high degree of confidence that Spec Forces were on their way but did not receive approval. Forces] element that was in Croatia (which can fly to Suda Bay, Crete), and a Marine FAST team out of Roda, Spain.

Assuming Principals agree to deploy these elements we will ask state to secure the approval from host nation. Please advise how you wish to convey that approval to us. Burni/Nides/Sherman to  Miller/Winnererfeld would be my recommendation.

 FROM JEREMY BASH, CIV SK

"Eight weeks before election day: White House photos taken on the night of September 11, 2012 are not available to the public. Ret. Army Green Beret Colonel Andrew Wood says the individuals being “spun up” were in the air and on their way, but were not allowed over the Libyan border until higher up [specifically the Commander in Chief Obama] gave the approval. They were not allowed to cross into Libya as no approval was given.

"Col Woods says he has a high degree of confidence that Spec Forces were on their way but did not receive approval.

Why the Left Loathes Western Civilization

"I am referring to the Left, not to liberals. The latter generally venerated Western civilization. President Franklin Roosevelt, for example, frequently spoke of defending “Christian civilization.” Today, the Left would revile any Westerner who used such language as xenophobic, racist, and Fascist."

Dennis Prager at NRO  This month Stanford University students voted on a campus resolution that would have had their college require a course on Western civilization — as it did until the 1980s. Stanford students rejected the proposal 1,992 to 347. A columnist in the Stanford Daily explained why: Teaching Western civilization means “upholding white supremacy, capitalism, and colonialism, and all other oppressive systems that flow from Western civilizations.” The vote and the column encapsulated the Left’s view of Western civilization: In Europe, Latin America, and America, the Left loathes Western civilization." . . .

"If the Left actually cared about human rights, women’s rights, gay rights, or freedom of speech, religion, and the press, it would be wildly pro-Israel. But Israel, in the Left’s view, is white, European, and colonialist; in other words, Western. And the Palestinians are non-Western."

 "Bible-based religions affirm a morally judging God. For the Left, that is anathema. For the Left, the only judging allowed is Leftist judging of others. No one judges the Left. Neither man nor God."

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His latest book, The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code, was published by Regnery. He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com.

FBI Rewrites Federal Law to Let Hillary Off the Hook

comicallyincorrect.

ANDREW C. MCCARTHY  "There is no way of getting around this: According to Director James Comey (disclosure: a former colleague and longtime friend of mine), Hillary Clinton checked every box required for a felony violation of Section 793(f) of the federal penal code (Title 18): With lawful access to highly classified information she acted with gross negligence in removing and causing it to be removed it from its proper place of custody, and she transmitted it and caused it to be transmitted to others not authorized to have it, in patent violation of her trust. Director Comey even conceded that former Secretary Clinton was “extremely careless” and strongly suggested that her recklessness very likely led to communications (her own and those she corresponded with) being intercepted by foreign intelligence services.

"Yet, Director Comey recommended against prosecution of the law violations he clearly found on the ground that there was no intent to harm the United States." . . .

The FBI releases the free-range Hillary back into the wild

Image by The Slammer

Comey speaks: Hillary skates! [further updated]  . . . "This is shocking!  Comey’s job is not to decide what a reasonable prosecutor would do.  That is the prosecutor’s job.  He is openly providing protective cover for Loretta Lynch, sparing her from the backlash that would come her way if the FBI recommended prosecution and he demurred.

"The outrage mounts." Thomas Lifson.

Numerous corroborative sources included in this article.

Funny that there is little said in the news about this: Wikileaks releases 1,200 Clinton emails from Iraq war  . . . "Will emails showing Clinton to be a liar damage her campaign?  Even her supporters don't think she's trustworthy, so it's not likely that any revelation from the emails will kill her chances.  But the emails will, if nothing else, serve as more proof of Clinton corruption."  Rick Moran

"Complete whitewash."

. . . Somewhere, David Petreaus and dozens of others prosecuted in the past are crying.

"Legal Insurrection readers called it:

The most breathtaking and frightening fix in American history.  . . . "Doubly frightening because of what it augurs for all our futures if Hillary Clinton should prevail in the November elections. At the center of this corruption – but hardly alone - are the criminal Clintons – the Bonnie and Clyde of American politics - and their Democratic Party allies; but we should not fail to mention also the Republican enablers who would rather fight each other and appease their adversaries than win the political wars. "   Doug Ross Journal

Trump Just BLASTED The FBI & Hillary In This DAMNING Video
"The rigged system may have helped Hillary Clinton escape criminal charges, but the FBI Director did indict her today for her incredible lack of judgment and honesty. Watch her LIE over and over again. Unbelievable! ‪#‎CrookedHillary‬ ‪#‎RiggedSystem‬"
More Clinton parsing? Notice the use of the phrase "marked classified". Could this mean she sent and received classified material that was cut and pasted into emails, leaving out the markings?

CAN HILLARY SURVIVE?  "I agree with Roger Simon, who writes: “Did Comey Actually Destroy Hillary Clinton by ‘Exonerating’ Her?”

He may have let her off the hook legally, but personally he has left the putative Democratic candidate scarred almost beyond recognition.

By getting out in front of the Justice Department, the FBI director, speaking publicly in an admittedly unusual fashion, was able to frame the case in a manner that Attorney General Loretta Lynch in all probability never would have." . . .   John Hinderaker 

RESTRAINING OUR WAY TO UNRESTRAINED GOVERNMENT  "My point, though, is that this may be another case of a non-leftist making a strained decision that favors the left out of respect for the democratic process — i.e., a strong reluctance to disturb its outcomes. In other words, the decision seems like the product of restraint."

Hillary’s Banana Republic  " Tuesday morning, FBI Director James Comey stepped up to a podium and calmly and methodically demolished every single Hillary Clinton lie, spin, and evasion regarding her misuse of classified information. Months of deception blew up in her face. And then Comey decided to make her president of the United States." . . .

Not this time:

Liberal darling Palestinian boy stabs 13 year old sleeping girl.

"We reported recently on the murder of 13-year old Hallel Yaffa Ariel while she slept in her bed, 13-year old Israeli girl stabbed to death in bed by 17-year old Arab terrorist."
. . . "She was alone in the house and still sleeping when 17-year-old Muhammad Tarayrah sneaked into her bedroom and stabbed her to death.

"At the funeral, Ariel called out to Tarayrah’s mother.

“ 'I am standing here with a heart filled with pain and I am turning to you, the Arab mother, the Muslim who sent your son out to stab,” Ariel said as she raised her arm and pointed her finger in the air. raised my daughter with love, but you and the Arab Muslim educators, you taught him to hate. Go, put your house in order,” she said as she shook with anger." . . .

Mother of Palestinian who murdered 13-year-old girl: “My son is a hero. He made me proud.”

"I have written extensively about Palestinian incitement, and how it is a root cause of the conflict, in which even the youngest Palestinian children are raised to hate and kill, Peace Problem – Palestinians teach young children to hate and kill"

OBAMA'S FINAL-YEAR FOREIGN-POLICY PRIORITY: 'GAY' RIGHTS

"President building legacy of forcing others to accept LGBT agenda"

WND

. . . “ 'For eight years everyone’s tried to figure out Obama: Why did he pull our troops out of Iraq, creating ISIS, and why does he release top terrorists from Guantanamo during wartime?” Kupelian asked. “Why, with our economy in shambles and terrorism in the homeland an increasingly gruesome reality, does Obama ignore reality and obsess over phantom menaces like global warming and transgender discrimination?

“ 'And now – with the world on fire, fueled largely by his disastrous presidency – why is he making global gay rights his final-year foreign policy priority?”

"Some chalk it up to Obama’s extreme left-wing ideology while others say he’s sympathetic to radical Islam. Some psychiatrists, according to Kupelian, even suggest the president suffers from a mental illness such as Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

“ 'But, while these and other explanations are by no means mutually exclusive, they miss the point,” Kupelian said. “Obama, whose values were shaped during his formative years by communists, Muslims, anti-American racists and criminals, has a spiritual problem: He is secretly attracted to everything wrong, and repelled by genuine goodness.”

"Here’s how Kupelian explains the phenomenon in “The Snapping of the American Mind”:" . . .