Tunnel Wall

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

As the Dossier Scandal Looms, the New York Times Struggles to Save Its Collusion Tale

Andrew C. McCarthy

"The totality of the evidence undermines the Times’ collusion narrative."

"Trump Adviser’s Visit to Moscow Got the F.B.I.’s Attention.” That was the page-one headline the New York Times ran on April 20, 2017, above its breathless report that “a catalyst for the F.B.I. investigation into connections between Russia and President Trump’s campaign” was a June 2016 visit to Moscow by Carter Page.

"It was due to the Moscow trip by Page, dubbed a “foreign policy adviser” to the campaign, that “the F.B.I. obtained a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court” in September — i.e., during the stretch run of the presidential campaign.

"You’re to be forgiven if you’re feeling dizzy. It may not be too much New Year’s reverie; it may be that you’re reeling over the Times’ holiday-weekend volte-face: “How the Russia Inquiry Began: A Campaign Aide, Drinks and Talk of Political Dirt.”

"Seven months after throwing Carter Page as fuel on the collusion fire lit by then-FBI director James Comey’s stunning public disclosure that the Bureau was investigating possible Trump campaign “coordination” in Russia’s election meddling, the Gray Lady now says: Never mind. We’re onto Collusion 2.0, in which it is George Papadopoulos — then a 28-year-old whose idea of résumé enhancement was to feign participation in the Model U.N. — who triggered the FBI’s massive probe by . . . wait for it . . . a night of boozy blather in London." . . . Read more

Iran will see that Trump is not Obama

Report: US gives green light to Israeli assassination of Iranian general "A report in a Kuwaiti newspaper says U.S. intelligence has given a green light to Israel to assassinate a top Iranian Revolutionary Guards general.

"Qassem Soleimani has commanded the notorious Revolutionary Guards unit known as the Quds Force for 20 years. The Quds Force is responsible for projecting military power outside the borders of Iran. Soleimani has been in command of Iranian and Hezb'allah units in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq and has overseen several assassinations of Iranian dissidents in Europe and elsewhere.

"Israel wanted to kill Soleimani three years ago, but the Obama administration tipped off the Iranians, and the effort failed.

"Times of Israel:

Three years ago, Israel came close to assassinating Soleimani near Damascus, al-Jarida quoted unnamed source as saying, but the Americans tipped off the Iranians against the background of intense disagreement between Washington and Jerusalem.

That was during the Obama administration, which, according to reports at the time, was so focused on securing the 2015 Iran nuclear accord that it chose to overlook and even obstruct efforts to clamp down on Iranian-backed terror organizations.

It's not clear if the reported tip-off was related to efforts to secure the Iran deal.

Today, the Trump and Netanyahu administrations see eye to eye on Iran. " . . .

Intel Committee will now investigate how dossier was used to ensnare Trump

Next on the list if Democrats take back the congress

"With the Russian collusion investigation going nowhere, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has now expanded its investigation to determine how law enforcement was able to use the infamous Trump dossier to ensnare the president.

"Chairman Devin Nunes is accusing the FBI and Justice Department of misleading the committee on the dossier, which has been used to raise questions about the Trump campaign's connection to Russia." . . .

Monday, January 1, 2018

7 Things You Need To Know About The Iran Protests.

. . . Unlike Mr. Obama, Mr. Trump does not deliver his message with such mellifluousness, and unlike the elitists of left and right, we "deplorables" are most thankful for that. He is bold, honest, and direct. Perhaps, with the help of social media and the internet, his message of freedom through strength is permeating the walls of censorship and reaching the Iranian people. Their rumblings and discontent are heard loud and clear by this president. Already, he is tweeting his message of support to the people. . .Elizabeth Nahas

Daily Wire

“We will die but we will take Iran back.”

1. How did the protests start? "Protests started on Thursday in the city of Mashhad as demonstrators took to the street to protest rising prices, high unemployment rates, and corruption in Iran’s Islamic government. The protests, comprised of adults mostly under 40, are believed to have started on social media, which led to the Iranian government shutting down the internet to stop the protests from escalating. By the weekend, the protests had spread across Iran, including to areas that are considered strongholds for the government.

2. What do the protestors want? "Demonstrators are demanding the removal of the current regime, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as evidenced by chants from the crowds which include calls for the death of the Islamic Republic, Hezbollah, and Khamenei.

3. What are the crowds chanting? "The following quotes were pulled from Iranian protestors before Iran shut the internet down and translated by The Wall Street Journal:" . . .

4. How has the Iranian government responded? "Reports vary on the response from the government; some indicate that the protests are more peaceful than riots in previous years, while new reports indicate that approximately a dozen protestors have died, according to two separate reports from the Associated Press."

5. What is expected to happen next? "At this point it’s tough to know, considering the limited information coming out of Iran, however Al Jazeera notes that experts have indicated that the “demonstrations have escalated much faster than anticipated.”

. . .The WSJ adds,"Uprisings in Iran tend to die out because of a lack of leadership, clear organization and goals. If the protests persist, the regime may crack down harder on them, with mass arrests and military lockdowns." . . .

6. How has the Trump administration responded? "President Donald Trump expressed his support for the protests over Twitter. Saying the world is watching, he condemned the country for shutting down the internet and also tweeted out videos from his speech at the U.N. over the summer in which he talked about the growing issues inside Iran.

7. How has the American media reacted? "The media initially ignored what was going on in Iran, likely because it reflected negatively on former President Barack Obama, whose Iran nuclear deal was supposed to help Iran's economy, and because the Trump administration's response was night-and-day better than Obama'sresponse in 2009.

"CNN and The New York Times did a terrible job of covering the protests, while ABC News' Matthew Dowd declared that the U.S. did not have the moral authority to talk about Iran because "we" don't talk about Russia:" . . .

The New Iranian Revolution: Is It Possible?

Those of us who see Mr. Obama for who he is were disturbed but not surprised about the events surrounding the 2009 Iranian uprising. The Green Revolution took hold, and all they asked from our globalist president was rhetorical support. The response from our commander-in-chief was a deafening silence. The Iranian people understood the message loud and clear: not "no can do," but "no will do." Soon their spirits deflated, their will withered, and their oppressors crushed what was left. Would it have made a difference if Mr. Obama had used his silver tongue and given some support? We will never know, but being the interloper he has been with so many other countries, it is ironic – or maybe not – that the most powerful leader of the free world could not wish the same for others.

GUTLESS AND DESPICABLE: Obama's Minions Attack Trump For Standing Tall On Iran . . . " Example 7: Last but not least, Hillary Clinton, who gave her usual mush-mouthed answer, saying she "hoped" the Iranian regime would respond peacefully to the protests." . . .

Happy New Year

More And More Conservative Leaders Are Voicing Their Support For The Iranian People

Daily Wire

"As the protests continue in Iran, conservative politicians are offering their support to the Iranian people. On Thursday, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) issued the following statement:

"On Friday, the State Department issued a statement declaring:

Iran’s leaders have turned a wealthy country with a rich history and culture into an economically depleted rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos. As President Trump has said, the longest-suffering victim's of Iran's leaders are Iran's own people. The United States strongly condemns the arrest of peaceful protesters. We urge all nations to publicly support the Iranian people and their demands for basic rights and an end to corruption.

"Also on Friday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted:

Waffle House waitress fired after shooting gun during robbery

WSB-TV

"Coweta County authorities are looking for three robbery suspects who threatened to shoot everyone inside of a Waffle House.

"The robbery happened around 2:30 a.m. Thursday at the restaurant on Highway 29 in Newnan.

"Deputies said the robbers gave a note to a waitress that threatened to shoot everyone unless she gave them money.

"A different waitress, Heather Stanley, went to her car to get a gun and fired one shot into the air while the robbers ran to their cars. She said she fired in the air because she didn’t want to hit a nearby gas tank.

“ 'She made it known she was ready to defend herself,” customer Ben McCoy said.

"Stanley said she has since been fired from her job.

“ 'I didn’t know if they had guns. I didn’t know if they were going to their vehicle to get another one and could come back and try to get to the safe, so my instinct was to go to my car and get the gun,” she said.

"Stanley said she was only trying to protect the store and her co-workers and didn’t expect to be let go.

“ 'For trying to protect their Waffle House and trying to protect their money and to get their money back, they let me go,” she said.

"A Waffle House spokesperson told Channel 2’s Matt Johnson that they are aware of the situation, but cannot comment on personnel matters.

"Stanley said she was just following her instinct and would do the same thing again." . . .

To gay advocates, acting on your sincerely held religious beliefs is bigotry.

In this case, as Jordan Lawrence writes in National Review, the line between providing a service and expressing a view is being deliberately blurred by liberals to destroy both free speech and religious liberty:

Daniel John Sobieski "One wonders what would have happened if the Sweet Cakes by Melissa case involved not the owners refusing to be coerced to violate their religious conscience by providing a cake not to two same-sex people celebrating their union and calling it a marriage, but rather a Muslim bakery being forced to bake a cake decorated with a cartoon picture of the prophet Muhammad covered with bacon sprinkles.

"Would the bakery in that scenario be forced to pay a heavy business-killing fine for actually believing that the Founding Fathers meant freedom of religion when they enshrined it in the First Amendment? Probably not, even if the ruling was made by a liberal Oregon judge who forget that this country was founded by people fleeing religious persecution and governmental war on their religious conscience:" . . .

. . . On Thursday, however, the appeals court upheld the decision by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries to fine the Kleins $135,000. The hefty financial penalty ultimately forced the couple to close their bakery[.] ..."Freedom of expression for ourselves should require freedom of expression for others. Today, the Oregon Court of Appeals decided that Aaron and Melissa Klein are not entitled to the Constitution's promises of religious liberty and free speech," First Liberty CEO Kelly Shackelford stated.

CNN Reporter Holds Joints, Lights Bong for Pot Smoker on Live New Year’s Eve Broadcast

If CNN can't fake news, they will create news.

The Gateway Pundit "CNN reporter Randi Kaye, sporting large marijuana leaf styled earrings, lit a bong for a pot smoker during a live report from Denver broadcast on CNN’s New Year’s Eve show Sunday night that was hosted from Times Square by Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. Kaye was also seen several times holding lit joints on air."

"Video posted online shows Kaye placing an unlit ‘gas mask’ bong to her face while she is reporting from Denver, where pot is legal on the state level, on a party Cannibus headed to a ‘puff, pass and paint’ party. Kaye then hands the bong to a man who tells Kaye the bong is “stuffed” with cannabis. Kaye is then seen on air lighting the bong for the man."

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Video: A.F. Branco’s 2017 Legal Insurrection Cartoons

Legal Insurrection via Weasel Zippers
"This has been another year of great cartoons from A.F. Branco.

"We celebrated Tony’s 5th Anniversary at Legal Insurrection back in August. "That post has lots of details on the mystery man behind the legend, including a video in which you can hear him talk!

"Each year Tony produces a video compilation of his cartoons for that year. You can see prior years here:

2012
2013
2014
2015
2016

"On New Year’s Day we will continue the relatively new tradition of having a Reader Poll to select the Best cartoon of the year from a list of 10 I have selected. Here are prior year votes:

"Here is Tony’s 2017 Video:

How Can We Miss You, Senator Franken, If You Won't Go Away?

Paul Jacob "Where have you gone, Al Franken?

" A nation turns its Pervnado eyes to you

"The answer? " Nowhere. As we welcome in 2018, Minnesota’s discredited junior U.S. senator is still ensconced in the U.S. Capitol like a wet hair clump in a shower drain, employed by the people of Minnesota and paid in full by American taxpayers.

"That is until this coming Tuesday, January 2, 2018. That’s when the comedian turned cad turned politician turned pervert has pledged to resign his seat . . . and hopefully keep his mitts off other people’s seats to boot.

"Yet, Mr. Franken’s pending resignation, announced nearly four weeks ago, now appears to be the longest ongoing adios in modern history.

"I’m reminded of the Huntingtons’ smash hit, “How Can I Miss You If You Won’t Go Away?”

"All the while, there are concerns the senator may have contracted a case of resigner’s remorse. And polls show half of Land of 10,000 Lakes voters prefer Franken stay in the Senate.

"There is the small timing issue. According to CNN’s Chris Cizzilla, “Two things were clear after Al Franken finished his speech on the Senate floor . . . 1. He was resigning his seat by the end of the year.” Now it’s been pushed to the New Year, but what are a few days among scoundrels?

"There’s the other thing, too: “2. He didn’t believe he had done anything for which he should have been forced to resign.”

" Of course, no one “forced” Senator Franken to step down. He did so voluntarily. Why?

"Simply put, because three-quarters of Democratic Party senators demanded he resign, clearing the way for an attack on Republican sexual sleaze-balls without partisan distraction. Then, many of these same senators reportedly hugged Franken after his announcement.

" 'Made me sick,” remarked Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), calling the behavior of his fellow Democrats: “hypocrisy at the highest level I’ve ever seen in my life.' ” . . .

Why ‘Dunkirk’ is the Best Film of 2017

American Greatness

"Let us begin at the end of the beginning: “Dunkirk” is the best film of 2017. It is an epic war movie, where names are neither memorable nor necessary because the scenes are unforgettable. And the suspense is almost unbearable, as the story is more about psychological terror than physical turmoil. The terror of aloneness. The terror of bombardment from air, land, and sea. The terror of abject failure, as the enemy attempts to destroy Europe’s only hope for freedom and drown England’s only chance to remain free. The terror of watching this epic unfold in record time (106 minutes), without having to hear the voice of Hitler or the shouting of the Nazi Hun.

“ 'Dunkirk” uses minimalism to maximum effect. It shows us how inconsequential man is in the face of nature, while it proves how consequential men can be when they face—and overcome—the worst of human nature.

"It shows us the actor Cillian Murphy as a shell-shocked soldier clinging to the propeller of a torpedoed ship, where each blade is as brown—and dead—as the petals of the biggest flower. He is a speck in the flotsam of the English Channel, impotent before the laws of physics and immobile before this unlawful attack of Nazi aggression. He is inseparable from that flower, which symbolizes his all-but-inevitable burial at sea. The terror of the sea is not its turbulence, but its totality: a seemingly endless expanse of water, unfit to drink and unrelenting in its drive to down whatever touches the surface.

"Murphy is a tragic figure, as much a sign of God’s wrath as he is a reminder of what happens when men violate—and mock—the warnings of a prophet. That prophet is Winston Churchill. He speaks to us through Tommy, the everyman’s name of the British soldier from the Great War, when the boy reads the words of England’s greatest leader.

"He reads them aloud, hearing for the first time what the audience listens to as the film’s final words; that “we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.' ” . . .