What the Flynn Plea Means

Andrew C. McCarthy

"There’s less to the news than meets the eye", in spite of Joy Behar's glee on "The View".

. . . "Obviously, it was wrong of Flynn to give the FBI false information; he could, after all, have simply refused to speak with the agents in the first place. That said, as I argued early this year, it remains unclear why the Obama Justice Department chose to investigate Flynn. There was nothing wrong with the incoming national-security adviser’s having meetings with foreign counterparts or discussing such matters as the sanctions in those meetings. Plus, if the FBI had FISA recordings of Flynn’s conversations with Kislyak, there was no need to ask Flynn what the conversations entailed. 

"Flynn, an early backer of Donald Trump and a fierce critic of Obama’s national-security policies, was generally despised by Obama administration officials. Hence, there has always been cynical suspicion that the decision to interview him was driven by the expectation that he would provide the FBI with an account inconsistent with the recorded conversation — i.e., that Flynn was being set up for prosecution on a process crime." . . . Read more

Ammoland

Thomas Lifson: Flynn pleads guilty in plea deal with Mueller  . . . "Flynn already is a proven liar and was fired for lying to Vice President Pence.  His word is not worth much.  There would have to be corroborative evidence to convict Trump of anything.  But absence of evidence would not stop the demands for impeachment.  Give the Democrats control of the House next year, and impeachment is what we'll get.

"During the transition, then-president Obama famously said, "There's only one president."  This may be what is seized upon to demand Trump's impeachment and indictment for the Logan Act.  Nobody ever has been prosecuted for violating it, much less convicted.  But Mueller conceivably could do so.

"There will also be plenty of calls for indictment for treason."

History shows that special counsels almost inevitably overstep their mandates.

Garrison

Victor Davis Hanson  "Former FBI director Robert Mueller was supposed to run a narrow investigation into accusations of collusion between the Donald Trump campaign and the Russian government. But so far, Mueller’s work has been plagued by almost daily improper leaks (e.g., “sources report,” “it emerged,” “some say”) about investigations that seem to have little to do with his original mandate. 

"Now, there are leaks claiming that Mueller is going after former national-security adviser Michael Flynn for his business practices before he entered the Trump administration. Specifically, Mueller is reportedly investigating Flynn’s security assessment and intelligence work for the Turkish government and other Turkish interests. Yet possible unethical lobbying on behalf of a NATO ally was not the reason Mueller was appointed." . . .   Read more

Al Franken ‘Greatest Groper’ billboard by artist Sabo stuns L.A. commuters

The Washington Times

"Altered ad for Hugh Jackman’s upcoming ‘Greatest Showman’ spotlights sex scandal"

 

"Los Angeles commuters on their way to work Thursday morning were greeting with an unexpected surprise: a giant billboard altered to draw attention to Sen. Al Franken’s sex scandal.

"The California street artist known as Sabo has skewered Hollywood celebrities and liberal politicians for years, but he usually sticks to poster-sized pieces that blanket bus stops and areas of high foot traffic. His latest political commentary involving a billboard for the upcoming film “The Greatest Showman” considerably upped the size and scope of his efforts. 

“ 'This hit cost me about a $1,000 out of pocket,” he wrote tweeted Thursday morning. “I obviously can’t crowd fund these projects so donations via [my main] site at http://www.unsavoryagents.com are much appreciated.”

"The billboard, which immediately captured the attention of The Hollywood Reporter, shows Mr. Franken in a lecherous pose next to a circus performer for actor Hugh Jackman’s movie about P.T. Barnum’s rise to fame." . . .

Sabo

They tower over the 405 freeway near the National Blvd. . . . "When questioned, Sabo mischievously told The Hollywood Reporter: 'Efron wanted to catch her, but Franken got there first, I guess.' 

"The jibe is the latest in a string of unsavory moments for Franken who, in recent weeks, has been plagued with accusations of sexual misconduct from five different women.". . .   
. . . Sabo is a well known political street artist. His previous subjects have included Hillary Clinton, Lena Dunham, Donald Trump and Barack Obama. 

"After vowing to back Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2016 election, even though he was not a candidate, the artist finally switched his allegiance to Trump before the votes were cast. " . . .  More here.

"Previous works include this mock Rolling Stone cover depicting Lena Denham next to the headline Rape Fantasies "

There Is Still Time to Develop a Solution to the North Korea Crisis

The National Interest

"North Korea conducted its highest missile test yet. So much for the Trump administration’s forlorn hope that Pyongyang’s two-month pause of missile tests indicated that the Kim regime was prepared to negotiate terms of surrender with Washington. Western nations responded with the usual meaningless denunciations of the North. President Donald Trump announced: “We will take care of it.”

"How?

"No one outside of Kim Jong-un’s leadership wants the North to possess a capability to target the United States. Nevertheless, even normally sober Defense Secretary James Mattis repeated Washington’s meaningless litany of scary claims—that the launch threatens America and “everywhere in the world.” This misstates North Korea’s likely intentions for—and the actual impact of—its missile and nuclear programs. Pyongyang cares little about the world and everything about America.

"This isn’t the first time an unpleasant, hostile, and threatening government acquired weapons of mass destruction and the means to attack the United States. Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union and Mao Zedong’s China presented Washington with a similarly difficult conundrum when they developed nuclear weapons. Mao even dismissed America’s retaliatory potential because of his nation’s abundant population. The United States considered and rejected preventive war in both cases.

"The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea offers a similar threat, only far weaker. The DPRK is no superpower. Its economy is minuscule, population is small, and security situation is bleak." . . .

More from this source: North Korea's Latest ICBM Test Highlights America's Flawed Strategy
Nothing many can see would stop this mad little man Kim from putting his weapons into the hands of Islamic terrorists. TD

Mike Flynn's about to be center stage

Obama Admin Approved General Flynn Calls with Russian Ambassador
"On Friday, Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about making contact with Russian Ambassador Kislyak during the transition period. In a stunning twist, the Trump White House revealed to CNN that the calls were approved by the Obama administration." . . . 

Does Mike Flynn’s Guilty Plea And Testimony Really Make Any Difference?  
. . . "If the direction took place before the election then we still don’t know if it is significant. If Flynn was sent off to the Russians to tell them to hack Hillary’s email and send Facebook spam to 50 million white nationalists to motivate them to vote for Trump then it is significant. If Trump told Flynn to open a communications channel to the Russians he’d be doing what basically every candidate does." . . .

The Conservative Hammer

Just In! Flynn Will Testify Against Trump, Trump’s Family 

 . . . "The other problem is it could be setting the stage for an obstruction of justice charge.
"The way the Feds who are on a witch hunt get to obstruction of justice is this: Comey suggested Trump obstructed justice and was fired soon after. If Trump indeed prompted Flynn to engage in talks with Russia, it might mean he was aware that Flynn lied to the FBI about his discussions with the Russian ambassador. Flynn’s cooperation could very well provide Mueller with the evidence he needs to nail Trump on an obstruction charge, which is an impeachable offense. "There is no proof or even evidence so far." . . .

Rush Limbaugh Brilliantly Explains Why Flynn’s Guilty Plea Shows Mueller Has NOTHING on Trump (AUDIO)

The Gateway Pundit   “Speculation of Flynn now cooperating with Mueller’s investigation stirred in recent days due to reports that Flynn had pulled out of a join defense agreement or common interest arrangement to share information with other subjects of the investigation,” said Limbaugh

“ 'But there is nothing unusual about that. Once again, the lack of understanding by the drive-by media reporters — oh — Flynn’s pulling out of the joint agreement to share information, that means he’s getting ready to flip.”

“ 'No, it meant he was getting ready to make a deal with the prosecutor, as such, it becomes unethical for the two lawyers or teams to communicate with each other when one of the people involved is going to cop a plea,” Limbaugh said.

“ 'There was nothing unusual about this, and didn’t mean anything other than Flynn was getting close to make a deal,”

"Limbaugh then expertly explains why Flynn’s guilty plea is nowhere near are damaging as the mainstream media would like people to believe." . . .

Audio credit: DailyRushbo

NO DOUBT That Timing Of Mueller Charges Was To 'Sweep Tax Cut Deal Off The Table'

American Silliness: Dec 1, 2017

NFL Donating $89M to Social Justice Causes  Reader comment to this story: 

"It’s the new Neville Chamberlain Success Model for businesses, just virtue-signal and pander your way to the top. No actual substance or results required."

University Event Highlights 14 Ways “Whiteness” Oppresses Society…

Clinton Suggests Lauer Sex Scandal Is ‘Karma’ for His Tough Questioning of Her During 2016 Campaign   . . ."She went on to describe how "men who shaped the narrative" of the campaign harmed her but are now under fire for sexual harassment, echoing how her supporters have tied Lauer's alleged misconduct to his treatment of Clinton. She also repeated her past arguments about the election, primarily blaming a host of outside factors for her defeat. "'She didn't take a lot of the blame herself," Philly Voice contributor Stephen Silver wrote of Clinton at the book event." . . .

University of Oklahoma ‘Gender Ally Program’ instructs trainees in eight different sets of pronouns  "An LGBT “ally” program at the University of Oklahoma offers students eight possible pronouns to use while interacting with peers, presenting the options in a chart that includes words such as “persself” and “eir.”
"The university’s LGBT Ally Program Resource Guide, a 40-page handbook offered through the school’s Gender + Equality Center, gives students nearly ten options to use when addressing their schoolmates.
"In addition to the standard “he” and “she” pronouns, students can choose from “ze,” “sie/zie,” “zie,” “ey” and “per.” “They,” a traditionally plural pronoun that has been repurposed as a gender-neutral singular pronoun in recent years, is also listed." . . .

Oh, foolish nation! Have we lost our right to be greatly blessed? TD

Flynn Ready To Testify That Candidate Trump Told Him To Reach Out To Russians. Wait! This came in...

UPDATE: Obama Admin Approved General Flynn Calls with Russian Ambassador  "On Friday, Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about making contact with Russian Ambassador Kislyak during the transition period. In a stunning twist, the Trump White House revealed to CNN that the calls were approved by the Obama administration." . . . Seeking corroboration, TD

Just In! Flynn Will Testify Against Trump, Trump’s Family  . . . "He will testify that President Trump ordered him to make contact with the Russians. Flynn will also reportedly testify against Trump’s family.

"That isn’t a problem in of itself but Trump has said all along he did not tell him to contact Russians but would have done so if he had known.

"Trump said he didn’t ask Flynn to discuss sanctions with Russia. Trump’s son, Donald Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner are also implicated in Russia’s interference efforts though, so far, there’s no proof.

Obama Admin Approved General Flynn Calls with Russian Ambassador
"On Friday, Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about making contact with Russian Ambassador Kislyak during the transition period. In a stunning twist, the Trump White House revealed to CNN that the calls were approved by the Obama administration." . . . 

Does Mike Flynn’s Guilty Plea And Testimony Really Make Any Difference?  

. . . "If the direction took place before the election then we still don’t know if it is significant. If Flynn was sent off to the Russians to tell them to hack Hillary’s email and send Facebook spam to 50 million white nationalists to motivate them to vote for Trump then it is significant. If Trump told Flynn to open a communications channel to the Russians he’d be doing what basically every candidate does." . . .

Daily Wire

"On Friday, former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn pled guilty to lying to the FBI about speaking with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak in order to convince Kislyak to lay off of backlash against new sanctions on Russia in the waning days of the Obama administration. He apparently escaped charges with regard to financial payments from foreign sources, including the Turkish government, which led people to believe that he would flip on other members of the Trump administration.
"And that appears to be the case. Flynn says he will now testify against other members of the administration.
"Flynn had resisted doing so for months, given his close ties with the Trump administration. But he apparently felt abandoned by the administration in recent weeks, thanks to “mounting legal debts and plans to sell his house to help defray costs,” according to ABC News." . . .
"That isn’t grounds for a collusion charge – having contact with the Russian government does not mean that actual information exchanged hands with the goal of influencing the election. Campaigns regularly have outreach with other nations’ leadership.
"However, the fact that Flynn’s charges are so light suggests that he may in fact have dirt to spill. Otherwise, we’re looking at special counsel Robert Mueller charging Flynn in a Scooter Libby scenario – charging him for the lies rather than any underlying crime, in an attempt to rope others into charges for lying to the FBI rather than any underlying crime." . . .

The White House responds  . . . “ 'The false statements involved mirror the false statements to White House officials which resulted in his resignation in February of this year,” Cobb said in a statement released to reporters. “Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn. The conclusion of this phase of the Special Counsel’s work demonstrates again that the Special Counsel is moving with all deliberate speed and clears the way for a prompt and reasonable conclusion.' ” . . . .

How about Matt Lauer rape-button helmets for the next Women's March?

Ethel C. Fenig

. . . "Ashley Judd, daughter of and sister of entertainers and sometime entertainer herself, opened the proceedings, chirping, "I'm a nasty woman," based on a poemwritten by a 19-year-old angry at Donald Trump (R).  Ooooh, scary.  But several months later, the very same Ashley Judd revealed serious accusations of rape and other severe sexually predatory behavior against supporter of liberal causes Harvey Weinstein, opening up a torrent of up 'til now secret and private horror incidents of sexual abuse by prominent entertainment, journalism, and  business personalities – overwhelmingly liberal males who publicly professed the utmost respect for women.  Was this part of a devious plan to deceive Weinstein?  

"Madonna followed these little girl mumblings by  swearing and sharing her "thoughts of blowing up the White House," which she later complained "weretaken out of context."  Yeah.  

"And as, er, icons are toppled, with new ones added even as we read that other, um, icons such as Gloria Steinem and several feminists are re-evaluating (kinda-sorta) the pass they gave Bill Clinton (D) nearly 20 years ago after numerous non-elite Southern women credibly accused him of rape and other sexual deviancies, the open secrets of other "icons" such as the Kennedy brothers, Ted(D) and John (D) (may they both rest in peace), are resurfacing. " . . .

More from this source:

• Thomas Lifson: Leftists ensnared in scandals over sexual behavior
•  Monica Showalter: The clock is ticking for Jerry Rivers
• Rick Moran: Secret $100,000 congressional fund paid off males who accused staffers of harassment  
• Thomas Lifson: Matt Lauer and the credibility crisis at NBC News

Twitter users unleash #BoycottSanFrancisco as payback for Kate Steinle verdict

Washington Examiner

Sgt---USMC tweeted:

"Time to #BoycottSanFrancisco #BoycottSF & make sure they #RememberKate! Why boycott?

1) Outrageous Taxes (to support illegals)

2) Liberal Cesspool

3) Overrun by illegals (who can do no wrong)

4) Might get murdered by illegals

5) if murdered by illegals, no one will be punished

Weasel Zippers reports:

Thousands of Twitter users on Friday were urging people to #BoycottSanFrancisco after a jury there decided Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, a five-time deported Mexican man charged with shooting and killing Kate Steinle, was not guilty.
The Boycott San Francisco hashtag began trending on Twitter Friday morning as people vowed not to travel there or buy goods or services produced in the city.
San Francisco is a sanctuary city, which means local law enforcement ignores federal laws that would otherwise mandate cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, on issues such as telling federal authorities when illegal immigrants are being held.
The city’s sanctuary policy came under scrutiny during the trial because it allowed Zarate to be released from jail without federal agents learning of his release, which left them unable to detain him so he could be deported for a sixth time for illegally entering the U.S.
Keep reading…

Mike Flynn in the news: first report

"It’s so unjust, in fact, that I sincerely doubt that’s “all there is.” The New York Times and other outlets are reporting that Flynn is expected to plead guilty to this single charge. A plea deal would broadcast to the world that Flynn is now likely cooperating with prosecutors"

The Michael Flynn Charge: Monstrous Injustice or Prelude to Bigger Things?   "There’s not much middle ground here. In reading the single-count criminal information against Michael Flynn, I was struck by an immediate thought. If this is all there is, then Flynn is the victim of a monstrous injustice. If not, then brace yourselves. We’re still only seeing the tip of the Mueller investigation iceberg. First, read the information here:

"The sharp-eyed reader will note that Flynn is being charged with lying to the FBI about activity that isn’t criminal. While it’s not uncommon for defendants to be charged with lying to the FBI during investigations of underlying crimes (rather than being charged with the crime itself), here Flynn is charged with lying to the FBI about contacts with the Russian ambassador during the transition period between the Obama and Trump administrations. While some zealots may scream about the Logan Act, only the most strained (and likely unconstitutional) reading of the law would bar a member of incoming administration from conferring with a foreign power about matters that directly relate to the conduct of that administration’s foreign policy. In other words, it looks like Flynn lied about contacts that, at worst, were mildly politically embarrassing. Now he faces imprisonment and disgrace. If that’s all there is, then it’s terribly unjust." . . .
Full article

National scold Elizabeth Warren “never was Native American except … where it would advance her versus other people”

Legal Insurrection  . . . "With Warren back in the news because of Trump calling her Pocahontas, Dan invited me back on the show to explain to listeners the story of Elizabeth Warren’s Native American problem. So many people now only know soundbites about it they hear from the mainstream media.

"I spend an “hour” with Dan on Tuesday night, November 28, 2017. The first few minutes dealt with whether calling Warren Pocahontas is a racial slur (it’s not, but it’s also not a term I use), and then my mini-lecture on the Warren Native American story starts at the 9:00 mark. The listener calls start at the 23:00 mark.

The audio is here, and also embedded below.

"I mention the first post I ever wrote about Warren supposedly being Native American, and how the title of the post expressed my shock, Elizabeth Warren is what?

"I also mentioned how Warren’s campaign admitted to me that she filled out her law school directory forms as Native American, Confirmed – Elizabeth Warren knowingly self-identified as Native American on law association forms. and Elizabeth Warren claims listed herself as minority to meet people, but story doesn’t hold up.

"It’s too long for me to transcript the entire show, so here are some excerpts:

“That’s the key thing, she improved her chances [of being hired at a top law school]. In order to know whether it made a difference, we would have to see her hiring file, and she has never authorized, and Harvard and Penn have never released her hiring file, because that’s where you would find the information.”

* * *

“The fact that she went to Rutgers [Law School] to me is neither here nor there. Because if she were sufficiently accomplished, if she had the publications history, if she had all the other credentials, that wouldn’t necessarily hold her back. But that didn’t give her the right to juice her resume by calling herself a minority when she wasn’t a minority. That’s the offensive thing ….”

 . . .  "Here’s the full audio. Can you handle a full hour of me?"

If Warren loses the late-night hosts, she is in deep do-do. Watch her reaction here:

. . . "At least Maher’s comment, as cutting as it was, was cryptic.

"Trevor Noah, however, just explained to his audience what the real issue is as to the Pocahontas controversy, and it wasn’t in Warren’s favor. While there was plenty of Trump bashing by Noah, he exhibited an understanding of Warren’s Native American deception that rarely is seen in the popular media." . . .