Al Franken's Touching Departure

Ann Coulter  "I never thought I'd see it, but Al Franken has finally gotten around to calling a moving van. 

"While it is true that Franken was given virtually no chance to defend himself against multiple groping allegations (your side made those rules, not us), remember, it was never his practice to give that chance to anyone else.

"On CNN and MSNBC, they were thunderstruck by Franken's magnanimous response to the charges: UNLIKE ROY MOORE, HE ADMITTED IT AND APOLOGIZED! 

"Yeah -- there's a photo. So the part they had him dead to rights on he apologized for. What a guy.

"Everything else he denied. Specifically, Franken said of his accusers: "Some of the allegations against me are simply not true. Others I remember very differently."

"Which reminds me: That's exactly what Newt Gingrich said about the charge -- repeated by Franken ceaselessly, endlessly, relentlessly and ubiquitously -- that he'd served divorce papers on his wife when she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery.

"This claim came from Gingrich's ex-wife. It was denied by Gingrich. Now I don't know who's telling the truth, but I note that there's no expression: "As reliable as testimony given by parties in a bitter divorce dispute!"

"Franken didn't care. He flogged the nasty story about Gingrich in books, on radio and in speeches, saying at the National Press Club, "And the thing about this story that you should know is that it's true -- every part of it." 
"In addition to mining divorce records for sleazy, unprovable allegations against people he disagrees with politically, Franken spent years taunting Bill O'Reilly for claiming to have grown up in modest Levittown, New York, rather than -- according to Franken -- glamorous, ultra-posh Westbury, New York, apparently the Malibu of Levittown-adjacent areas.

"It doesn't seem like a big deal to me, but this was Franken's case in chief that O'Reilly was a LYING LIAR. He offered a million dollars to O'Reilly to prove he grew up in Levittown. 

"Disregarding the lawyer's rule about never asking a witness a question you don't know the answer to, Franken invited a Levittown historian onto a live broadcast of his Air America radio show to dramatically ask her if O'Reilly grew up in Levittown.

(Drumroll) Franken: "I consider you the world's foremost authority on Levittown. ... What's the answer here?" 
"Hofstra professor Barbara Kelly: "Yes ... (O'Reilly) is right. It is Levittown. There is no doubt about that." 
"I'm going to go out on a limb and say that O'Reilly never got his million dollars. There was no apology, no retraction, no "I guess I got this one wrong." It was just onto the next one. " . . .

Washington state AG sues Motel 6 over giving ICE info on 9,000 guests

Seattle Times

"Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Motel 6’s “actions are disturbing and they are unlawful,” saying the motel divulged to Immigration and Customs Enforcement information about more than 9,000 guests in Washington."

Washington’s attorney general is suing Motel 6, saying the budget hotel disclosed the personal information of thousands of guests to federal immigration authorities in violation of state law.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Wednesday Motel 6’s “actions are disturbing and they are unlawful.” He said the motel divulged to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the names, dates of birth, license-plate numbers and room numbers of more than 9,000 guests at six sites throughout the state.

He said at least six guests were detained.

Ferguson said the company’s actions violated the state’s consumer-protection law.

North Korea Appears To Have Bombed Itself In Botched Missile Test: Report.

Kim's so aggressive he even attacks himself.

Daily Caller  . . . "Relying on photographs released by North Korea during a concert held in July, Dave Schmerler, a geolocation specialist and research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and Ankit Panda, a foreign affairs expert and the senior editor at The Diplomat, were able to use satellite images to identify both the launch site and the impact point for the April 28 missile test.

"The missile was fired out of Pukchang Airfield, and it landed on what appears to be either an agricultural or industrial complex in the North Korean city of Tokchon. As the liquid-fueled missile did not, according to U.S. government sources, explode in flight, there is reason to believe that the missile exploded when it slammed into the earth, causing considerable damage.

"The full extent of the damage is unknown, but satellite images show clear differences between the immediate before and after pictures of the facility believed to have been hit by the failed missile." . . .

Much discussion on events in Iran

John Bolton: “These people are calling for the end of the Islamic Revolution”  Video  . . . “ 'I think the most dramatic change has already occurred. You have President Trump, members of his administration taking the side of the demonstrators; a hundred and eighty degrees the opposite of what Barack Obama did in 2009. We know from former Soviet prisoners that when Ronald Reagan spoke out about their descent from the communist government, it gave them hope. It said the rest of the world was watching and I think the opposition inside Iran and in the vast Iranian diaspora outside of the country can see that this is a very different American Administration.' ”

Iran deploys Revolutionary Guards to quell 'sedition' in protest hotbeds

But, in a sign of official concern about the resilience of the protests, the Revolutionary Guards commander, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said he had dispatched forces to Isfahan, Lorestan and Hamadan provinces to tackle “the new sedition”.
Most of the casualties among protesters have occurred in those regions. The Revolutionary Guards, the sword and shield of Iran’s Shi‘ite theocracy, were instrumental in suppressing the 2009 uprising, killing dozens of protesters then. Pro-government rally in Iran

From Lebanon: Three Iranian intelligence agents killed in western city of Piranshahr 

. . . "But, in a sign of official concern about the resilience of the protests, the Revolutionary Guards commander, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, said he had dispatched forces to Isfahan, Lorestan and Hamadan provinces to tackle "the new sedition".Most of the casualties among protesters have occurred in those regions. The Revolutionary Guards, the sword and shield of Iran's Shi'ite theocracy, were instrumental in suppressing the 2009 uprising, killing dozens of protesters then." . . .

Trump says Iranian protests will see support from US 'at the appropriate time'

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!

6:37 AM - Jan 3, 2018

witter Ads info and privacy

. . . "The president initially posted a tweet that described Iran as a “corrupt and poorly run country,” but then deleted the tweet, changing his statement to “corrupt government,” as opposed to the country as a whole.
"Protests have rocked the Islamic Republic for nearly a week, leaving at least 21 people dead. At least 450 have been arrested in protests that have spread from Tehran to cities throughout the Muslim nation, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported.
"The Iranian regime has moved to squash protests by cutting off communication and moving to block social media platforms, as it did nine years ago during the “Green Movement” of 2009."

Michael Ledeen: The Iranian Regime's Days May Be Numbered

"Is it a revolution? Can it succeed? Should we support it, and if so, how?

"Surely this tumult is very different from the protests of 2009. It’s different in at least two ways, geographical and demographical.

"Geographically, whereas the 2009 protests were mainly limited to Tehran, today’s phenomenon covers the whole country, from major cities to smaller towns and even rural villages. That’s significant, because those who do not believe in the prospects of an Iranian revolution invariably argue that opposition to the regime is restricted to the elites of the big cities, and that rural populations are pro-regime. It’s difficult to judge how many rural residents are protesting, but it’s a significant number. That’s new, and I believe it surprised both the regime and the leaders of the uprising.

"The demographic difference is class: the 2009 demonstrators were Tehrani bourgeoisie (bazaaris, for example). Today’s masses are proletarians: workers, unemployed, failing farmers and the like. Notice that trade unionists are being arrested in Tehran, because the tyrants fear they are the real organizers of the uprising, and because workers and the unemployed are not as easy to intimidate as professors and businessmen." . . .

An Unfond Farewell to Un-statesman Orrin Hatch

Michelle Malkin

"His record is one of a big-government, business-as-usual dealmaker."

"The longest-serving Republican senator in U.S. history announced this week that he will finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally retire. 

"That’s seven “finallys” — one for each of the consecutive six-year terms Senator Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) served. He begin his occupancy in 1976, when all phones were dumb, the 5.25-inch floppy disk was cutting-edge, the very first Apple computer went on sale for $666.66, the Concorde was flying high, O.J. Simpson was a hero, Blake Shelton was a newborn, the first MRI was still a blueprint, and I was a gap-toothed first-grader wearing corduroy bell-bottoms crushing on Davy Jones.

"This encrusted longevity will be marketed by Hatch, 83, and his supporters as proof of his “statesmanship.” Indeed, The Atlantic magazine described him this week as “an elder-statesman figure in the GOP.” Newsweek likewise reported on the farewell announcement of the “elder statesman.” And Hatch’s own press minions have disseminated press releases quoting other entrenched politicians such as Senator Chuck Schumer (D, N.Y.) hailing their boss’s “reputation as a statesman.”

"But that word doesn’t mean what Beltway barnacles think it means." . . .

More on what this politician has wrought in his career: Read more.

. . . "So: Call Hatch a clock-puncher. Time-bider. Log-roller. Deal-cutter. Back-slapper. Call him most anything else now that he’s finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally called it a day.

"Just please don’t call him “statesman.' ”

In stark contrast to Obama, Trump looks to foment revolution in Iran

Rick Moran  "In 2009, when millions took to the streets in Iran to protest a rigged election, President Obama remained relatively silent, refusing to encourage the protesters and giving tacit approval to the subsequent brutal crackdown by Iranian authorities.  Many on the left applauded this policy of non-interference, claiming that because Iranians hated the U.S. so much, any support to the protests given by an American president would be counterproductive.

"Donald Trump is receiving some of the same advice today.  The underlying assumption of American policy for more than 30 years has been that the Iranian revolution and the theocratic regime are permanent and the U.S. must accept the extremist Islamists currently in power.

"Trump has rejected that longstanding policy, and in addition to his strong support for the demonstrators being cut down in the streets, his administration is keeping a close eye on the progress of protesters, looking to take advantage of any opportunity to support revolution." . . .

Photo added by TD

. . . "There is something important to be said for giving all the moral support we can to the Iranian protesters.  Even if the protests fail this time, you can pretty much guarantee that the next round of demonstrations won't take nine years to percolate.  If we look at an Iranian revolution as a long-term project, the regime will eventually hang itself with its own oppression of the people. 

"To those who think there is no chance ever for protesters to overthrow the powerful mullahs, one need only look at the 1979 revolution, where the Shah had the backing of the army and secret police, but demonstrators were able to lever him out of power."

Sick: New York Times offers readers $8K luxury visit to Iran

This is What the Navy Sailor Trump Tweeted About to Show Hillary Double Standard is Doing Now

Western Journalism

"President Donald Trump tweeted on Tuesday that there is a double-standard in play regarding the government’s treatment of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her former top aide Huma Abedin versus those guilty of far lesser offenses in the military, including a Navy sailor.

"Trump wrote that Abedin should go to “jail” for forwarding classified information, including emails that contained passwords to government systems to her private Yahoo email account, The Washington Timesreported.

“Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols,” the president tweeted.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others

"Former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier “pleaded guilty to unlawfully retaining national defense information by taking the six photos inside the USS Alexandria with his cellphone in 2009, when he was 22 years old and working as a machinist mate in Connecticut,” The Washington Examiner reported.

"The sailor, who served 11 years in the military, said the pictures were an innocent keepsake. One of the pictures was of the submarine’s nuclear reactor.

"The photos were deemed “confidential” after they surfaced, when someone found Saucier’s phone in the trash.

"Prosecutors argued Saucier’s conduct could have harmed the country, though offered no evidence it actually did, according to The Examiner.

"The sailor was convicted of mishandling classified information and served a one year sentence in jail. Additionally, Saucier was dishonorably discharged from the Navy, meaning he is ineligible for veterans’ benefits and making it far more difficult to obtain gainful employment as a civilian.

"He now works as a trash collector in Vermont." . . .

Bigotry Backfires in Montana

Mike Adams

"Larry Abramson, Dean of the University of Montana (UM) School of Journalism, has irreparably harmed the reputation of his school. With its 93% acceptance rate, UM has never been a selective university with a stellar reputation. Nonetheless, Abramson’s decision to reject my selection as the keynote for 10 th annual Jeff Cole Distinguished Lecture Series has backfired and badly embarrassed the institution. To make matters worse, UM President Sheila Stearns has missed a golden opportunity to mitigate the damage by responding with an unequivocal defense of free speech. 

"Those needing additional background information on the controversy can read my column “Grizzly Bigotry at the University of Montana” published here on Townhall.com back in October. The letter/column, which was actually sent to President Stearns, provoked a response. Fortunately, that response has produced a dialogue, which has culminated in a rescheduling of my speech. It will now occur on February 13 th at 6 p.m. in UM’s Dennison Theater, a venue seating 1100 people. 

"As much as I appreciate President Stearns for answering my letter and for assuring me I will be allowed to speak on campus, there are four specific problems with her response to the controversy. Two take the form of affirmative misstatements. Two take the form of omissions. I’ll start with the two misstatements: " 

The outline of the rest of this column:

1. Does the J-school really have unlimited authority to decline to sponsor controversial speakers? . . .

2. Did a speaker ban ever really occur in the current controversy? . . .

"In a similar vein, there are two crucial elements missing from Stearns’ response to the controversy at UM:" . . .

1. Is Larry Abramson guilty of sexism (if not hate speech)? . . . 

2. Is Mr. Abramson even fit to be a Dean? . . .

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." . . .

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." . . .