John Bolton Admits Last-Minute Impeachment Leak Was A Publicity Stunt: "A soap opera", said Zelensky

The Federalist

Bolton argued that the House botched the process and condemned House Democrats for having committed “impeachment malpractice.”

"Former National Security Advisor John Bolton admitted Wednesday that his testimony in President Donald Trump’s recent impeachment proceedings involving Ukraine would have had no impact on the trial’s outcome even after sections of his upcoming book leaked attempting to convict the president in its final days.

“ 'People can argue about what I should have said and what I should have done,” Bolton said at Vanderbilt University Wednesday night during a forum with his predecessor Susan Rice, according to ABC News. “I will bet you a dollar right here and now my testimony would have made no difference to the ultimate outcome.”

“ 'I sleep at night because I have followed my conscience,” Bolton added.

"Rice challenged Bolton’s decision to remain silent throughout the process despite not ever being subpoenaed by the House or Senate in the proceedings.

“ 'It’s inconceivable to me that if I had firsthand knowledge of a gross abuse of presidential power, that I would withhold my testimony,” Rice said. “I would feel like I was shamefully violating my oath that I took to support and defend the Constitution.' ” . . .  More...

Ukrainian President Zelensky Calls Impeachment A TV Soap Opera  "In a wide-ranging interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky referred to the impeachment of President Donald Trump as a television series, specifically citing the soap operas “Santa Barbara” and “Dallas.” Throwing cold water on what Democrats alleged to be a pressure campaign on Zelensky and his government, the Ukrainian president also said he looks forward to his next conversation with Trump and hopes to visit the White House." . . .

The Most Dangerous Answer at Last Night’s Debate

spectator.org/

Matt Purple  "First of all, Democrats, thank you. I know we’ve had our differences over the years, but last night you did your nation and indeed all of humanity a service when you ritually humiliated Michael Bloomberg. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a debate floor get mopped quite like that. By the end, Bloomberg was like that guy from Airplane, with all the others standing in a line waiting to land a blow.

"That being said, it wasn’t actually Bloomberg who was responsible for the worst soundbite of the night. That would be Bernie Sanders. When asked by Chuck Todd what he would tell the workers who would be displaced by his proposed ban on fracking, he said:

What I tell these workers is that the scientists are telling us that if we don’t act incredibly boldly within the next six, seven years, there will be irreparable damage done not just in Nevada, not just to Vermont or Massachusetts, but to the entire world. Joe said it right: this is an existential threat. You know what that means, Chuck? That means we’re fighting for the future of this planet.

"Even Bloomberg seemed stunned by Sanders’ answer, retorting that “we’re not going to get rid of fracking for a while” and agreeing with Amy Klobuchar that it was a “transition fuel.” Sanders did claim that his Green New Deal would create millions of jobs in renewable energy, some of which could presumably replace those lost in a fracking ban. But that’s government pixie dust, as opposed to real employment in the here and now.
" 'The absolute best you can say about renewables is that it will take many years before they’re in any position to create that level of economic activity—and that’s really a stretch. . . ."   . . .  More...

Picture her as Bloomberg at the debate:

The Truth About ‘Socialism’ as Told by Scandinavian Leaders

But you don’t need to accept American publications’ words on the misconception surrounding the “Nordic model.” You can hear it straight from the Scandinavians themselves. Johan Hassel is a party official for Social Democrats, Sweden’s ruling party. He attended a Sanders rally this year in Iowa and was utterly unimpressed.

Intellectual Takeout  "It says a lot about the 2020 Democratic field when Michael Bloomberg’ defense of capitalism became a point of offense during his first presidential debate.
“ 'We’re not going to throw out capitalism,” Bloomberg said. “We’ve already tried that. Other countries tired that. It was called communism and it just didn’t work.”
"Senator Bernie Sanders, the self-described socialist, took umbrage with this historically accurate comment from the former mayor of New York. Calling it a “cheap shot,” Sanders insisted that Bloomberg focus on “democratic socialism, not communism.”
"Never mind that in the 1980s, Sanders publicly praised the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro. Never mind that he honeymooned in the Soviet Union, praised its housing prices, and denigrated America in enemy territory. Never mind that he praised Nicaraguan Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega, a man accused of crimes against humanity not just during the revolution, but as recently as 2018.
"Never mind all that. Let’s honor Sanders’ request, and focus instead on “democratic socialism.”
"The problem is that the Nordic model Sanders points to as the ideal for democratic-socialism has fallen apart. Sweden ranked as one of the top 20 most market-oriented economies in the world in 2019, just behind the United States. This Scandinavian nation may indeed have been a socialist-leaning state in the 1970s and 80s, but the problems kept mounting. Entrepreneurs were taxed into fleeing the country, workers wound up making more money sick than working full healthy days, and there ended up being 151 people deriving their income from the government for every 100 who earned their money from the private sector.
"This changed in the 1990s when a wide-ranging set of taxes were either cut dramatically or eliminated entirely. The welfare system was reduced and Sweden’s top-notch marks for equality fell away. But the Swedes were happy to take that trade off.
"Sanders clearly needs to update his knowledge of Scandinavian economies by a few decades." . . .  Full article.

“I am confident that, liberated from foreign domination and interference, we together will find a way to build an Islamic system in which all Afghans have equal rights...”

Althouse  “... where the rights of women that are granted by Islam — from the right to education to the right to work — are protected, and where merit is the basis for equal opportunity.... We will take all measures in partnership with other Afghans to make sure the new Afghanistan is a bastion of stability and that nobody feels threatened on our soil.... We acknowledge the importance of maintaining friendly relations with all countries and take their concerns seriously.... We will remain committed to all international conventions as long as they are compatible with Islamic principles.... We are about to sign an agreement with the United States and we are fully committed to carrying out its every single provision, in letter and spirit.... Once it is entirely fulfilled, Afghans will see the departure of all foreign troops.... We would then celebrate a new beginning that invites all our compatriots to return from their exile to our country — to our shared home where everybody would have the right to live with dignity, in peace.”

"Writes Sirajuddin Haqqani, the deputy leader of the Taliban, in the NYT."

Doctrine of Taqiyyah  "Taqiyyah, sometimes written as taqiya or taqiyah, is the Islamic doctrine of deception found within the Quran (6:106 & 3:28) and the Hadith."

. . . Taqiyyah also instructs Muslims to be friendly to unbelievers even though they despise them. The Quran instructs Muslims not to take unbelievers as friends unless it is to guard oneself against them," . . .

. . . "Ibn Kathir then quoted Abu Ad-Darda, a companion of Muhammad, who said that “we smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them.' ” . . . 

The Doctrine of Deceit  
 Kitman  A related term is kitmān – the "action of covering, dissimulation".^] While the terms taqiyya and kitman may be used synonymously, kitmān refers specifically to the concealment of one's convictions by silence or omission. Kitman derives from the Arabic word 'katama', which is defined as, 'to conceal, to hide'. The Ibadi Muslims used 'Kitman' to conceal their Muslim beliefs in the face of persecution by their enemies." . . .

Choosing who will lead this nation

Somewhere in this crowd may be the Leader Of The Free World. 

The Democrats' personalities were exposed in Nevada, and it wasn't pretty  "Wednesday night's Democrat debate in Nevada allowed for a sharp focus on the candidates' personalities.  It wasn't pretty.  They were the six unappealing dwarfs — Supercilious, Shrill, Angry, Confused, Smug...and that unpleasant nameless something that is Klobuchar." . . .

At the Debate, Only Losers "Anybody But Trump!' sounds a lot more appealing before you are presented with the menu — or start to think about the bill. To be honest, I’d almost forgotten what they were like." . . .

Nevada Democratic debate was the greatest debate in human history  . . . "Klobuchar wouldn’t do that, of course, because she’s actually disciplined and controlled and rose to the occasion with a second great performance … that may not do anything for her. Biden had his good moments and his bad moments, but just didn’t seem like he was even a serious part of the discussion." . . .

NY Times

Pete Buttigieg Slams 'Socialist' Sanders and 'Billionaire' Bloomberg for Not Being Real Democrats

Don Surber: Debate shrank Mini Mike
. . . "This ticked off Breadline Bernie. Some reporters scored it for Mini Mike, but Bernie getting red-faced angry at a billionaire should please the socialist majority in the party, should it not? 
"Before Biden could give his closing argument, a heckler stopped him. The heckler ranted uninterrupted." . . . 
"It was bizarre. Lester Holt lacked the bunions to shut the heckler down. Biden looked old and defeated.
"When this happens to Donald Trump, his supporters drown the heckler out by shouting USA! USA! USA!
"Democrats were silent."

That one missing word at last night's Democratic debate  . . . "What they didn't bring up at all was the economy.  Not one said a thing about it.  A few tried to claim in a roundabout way that it isn't so hot, which is a preposterous thing, given that President Obama is now trying to claim credit for it.  The incandescent U.S. economy just never came up with this bunch, because they were too busy trying to tell us how they'd take away our money and reorder our lives to perfect virtue." . . .

  RCP: Bloomberg Bombs in Vegas Debut  . . . "Even before the debate, Warren promised it would showcase a “live demonstration of how we each take on an egomaniac billionaire.' ” . . . Bernie Sanders Loses It When Bloomberg Calls Him The ‘Best Known Socialist’ Who ‘Happens To Be A Millionaire With Three Houses’

POLL: Vast majority say ripping up Trump’s speech was mistake

Sharyl Attkison

"Over 95% of the respondents say that Nancy Pelosi made a “big mistake” when she ripped up President Trump’s speech on national TV. That’s according to the latest unscientific poll at SharylAttkisson.com.
"Less than 2% of the respondents said it was brilliant.
Read the full results below. Meantime, be sure and vote in our latest poll at SharylAttkisson.com on the home page. Look for the black box in the right sidebar or scroll way down on the mobile site!

"Should Pelosi have ripped up Trump’s speech?

"2% Yes, brilliant!
"95% No, big mistake!
"3% Don’t know/don’t care

PARODY: Still waiting: Alyssa Milano Confirms FBI Investigators Have Not Reached Out To Her To Get A Celebrity's Opinion On Kavanaugh Yet

Milano's publicity shot in 2018

Babylon Bee  "LOS ANGELES, CA—Charmed actress and all-around knowledgeable person about politics Alyssa Milano confirmed Tuesday that FBI investigators still have not reached out to her to get a celebrity's opinion on Kavanaugh.
" 'This investigation is a sham!" she wrote on her Twitter account. "How can FBI investigators possibly get to the bottom of all this stuff Kavanaugh definitely did if they don't talk to a woman who acts in movies and stuff?"
"Milano further stated she did try to contact a local FBI field office to let them know she was available for an interview, but the agents said they liked Buffy The Vampire Slayer a lot more than Charmed back in the day and so would not be talking to her.
"At the end of the 122-tweet long thread, Milano demanded the FBI talk with the entire cast of Dawson's Creek before coming to any kind of conclusion. "It's only fair that the FBI be thorough and take in a bunch of celebrity opinions to unveil the truth."
"At publishing time, Lena Dunham had also come forward to confirm no FBI investigators had asked for her input." . . .

Biden again threatens physical violence against Trump: Crickets from the Left (Feb 15)

Conservative Firing Line   "Desperate to resuscitate his dying candidacy, former Vice Pres. Joe Biden appeared on ABC’s “The View,” where he once again denied that anyone had claimed his son Hunter had “done anything wrong.” Obviously that isn’t true since, as Biden has famously recounted on the campaign trail, as vice president he threatened to withhold funds earmarked for Ukraine unless the prosecutor investigating his son was fired. "Why would that nation or any other investigate Hunter Biden unless they suspected him of wrongdoing?
"But this time the elder Biden didn’t just stop at claiming his son’s innocence. He went on to add, “This is a guy who has done nothing but good things his whole life, my son.”

Photo added by TD

 . . . "At the dropping of Trump’s name, Biden turned bellicose. “I would like to be able to be back in high school and just have he and I in a room,” he uttered.
"This is not the first time Biden has revealed his “tough guy” side. In 2018, he lashed out at Trump saying, “If we were in high school, I’d take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.” He made a similar threat in 2019, telling CNN’s Chris Cuomo in an interview:

"The idea that I’d be intimidated by Donald Trump! He’s the bully that I knew my whole life. He’s the bully that I’ve always stood up to. He’s the bully that used to make fun when I was a kid that I stutter, and I’d smack him in the mouth.

"It makes you wonder why the Left, which invented the ludicrous notion of toxic masculinity has never taken Biden to task for his many public offenses. Maybe if his target was someone other than the president, they’d feel differently."  . . . 

UC Santa Cruz – ‘Protesters’ Wreck College Republican Table, Spit on Flag

Faye Higbee

Leftist attacks College Republicans tabling for free speech @ucsc!

SPITS on American flag and calls it a symbol of “white supremacy”!

UC Santa Cruz still silent about this incident of political violence. Updates as story develops. pic.twitter.com/0sELEnKOQe

— Hayden Williams (@HaydenTWilliams) February 13, 2020

"The Post Millennial reported,

“This is a flag of white supremacy,” Martin says in the video, which has since gone viral after being uploaded this week. As the two tussle over the flag, chairs and items are knocked over before Martin shoves Williams to the ground. Martin then tears down the booth’s banner and spits on the Betsy Ross flag before fleeing from the scene with the accomplice, who had torn up a sign.The video does not show what happened before the vandalism began but Dylan Temple, president of College Republicans at UCSC, says the incident started when Martin tried to steal a flag. He says the incident was immediately reported to campus police……On Wednesday, Martin took to social media to claim credit for the vandalism. Responding to Williams on Twitter, Martin wrote: “I had three dudes on me at once and nobody could stop me lol.” Martin’s social media history shows a long commitment to radical left-wing views, including attending anti-Trump protests. It is unclear if Martin is currently an active student at UCSC.

Violent Leftist Who Was Caught On Tape Destroying And Spitting On UCSC GOP Display Booth Is Identified As Queer Activist  . . . "The Post Millennial identified the violent leftist as Martina Martin.
"Martin attacked the students, destroyed their booth, ripped up their signs, spit on the US flag and verbally abused the students.
"Martin, who goes by they, later bragged about it on Twitter." . . .

Democrats on display in Nevada

Not a single person on the stage is a leader or a statesman.  Without exception, they are small people, and that's true with or without standing on boxes.  There's something almost tragic about the fact that the essence of the Democrat Party — the oldest continuously existing political party in the world — has been reduced to these six uninspiring, unqualified people.  Andrea Widburg

 Maybe those candidates who trashed Bloomberg should count on his money helping them out after Mike quits the race.

The Bloom Is Off  "Money can’t buy Bloomberg an effective debate performance."

The Democrats' personalities were exposed in Nevada, and it wasn't pretty

"Wednesday night's Democrat debate in Nevada allowed for a sharp focus on the candidates' personalities.  It wasn't pretty.  They were the six unappealing dwarfs — Supercilious, Shrill, Angry, Confused, Smug...and that unpleasant nameless something that is Klobuchar.
"This was Elizabeth Warren's debate, for she aggressively dominated the available airtime.  As the debate progressed, the other candidates fell silent when she spoke out of instinctive deference.  With her hoarse voice and scolding manner, she was every mean old lady that children learn to fear.
" 'Given that Bloomberg was the biggest threat to the "old-timers," Warren stood out for landing the sharpest blows against him.  The debate had barely started when she said one candidate is a "billionaire who calls women fat broads and horse-faced lesbians and, no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump, I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg.' " . . .

The Democrat debate, a bonfire of their vanities

Trump's rallies are joyous events attended by thousands and thousands of happy people.  These Democrat candidates have all campaigned as if the end were near.  They are mad that Obama's "managed decline" has been upended by this president.

 Why do they think Canadians and Brits come here for medical care if they can afford it?  Because American doctors are finding all sorts of ways to circumvent the disaster that was Obamacare.

My Walk on the Wild Side – Attending a Bernie Sanders Rally  . . . "Trump is a racist, sexist, homophobe. (So is Michael Bloomberg based on recent revelations, but Bernie hasn’t gone there, yet.) America is a racist country through and through, he told the raucous throngs. The solutions are the Green New Deal and Medicare for All. As predictable as sunrise and sunset." . . .
So very much more on this subject in the Feb 20 American Thinker

In Nevada Debate, Bloomberg Flops as Bernie Skates Through  . . . "Less than 30 minutes into the Democratic debate in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, it was more reasonable to ask why Bloomberg doesn’t drop out and endorse one of the three relative moderates in the race. The billionaire and former New York mayor emerged from his first presidential-primary debate badly wounded. He did not appear at all to be the man who could beat Sanders in a head-to-head race." . . .

Knives Out: A Glorious Wrestlemania of a Democratic Debate

"Early on, political consultant Mike Murphy labeled the debate “a six way tornado of long-repressed rage, fear and desperation.” For Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and maybe even Joe Biden, the end is near. A lot of these candidates, who would be allies under different circumstances, now can barely stand to be on the same stage with one another."

“It’s Called Communism!” – BOOM! – Bloomberg Calls Out Bernie Sanders the Communist at Dem Debate (Video)
"Their plan for America is to destroy the economy and open the borders."

Life in California

Taking Property for Fun and Profit

Even better, the Times noted that “private property rights are a bedrock American value, and eminent domain has long been deeply unpopular.” If a newspaper editorial board with a liberal editorial slant thinks this policy goes too far, you can be sure that it goes much too far.

 Speak Out Against The Latest Ninth Circuit Activist Judge.

. . . "In the Ninth Circuit federal court, aka the “Abuse of Discretion” bench, almighty Jon Steven Tigar (an Obama appointee *SHOCK!*) shot down the Trump Admin’s Third Country Rule. Your highness did this In overwhelming deference to Central American illegal immigrants over and above American citizens (who pay Tigar’s salary, btw)." . . .

Trump speaks to farmers and rural stakeholders on water issues in Bakersfield, CA

From the Caliphate to California, doing what Democrats won't do. But this all won't sit well with Joy Behar and, well, the people on the coast from LA to the Bay. The Tunnel Dweller

Tony Branco

Trump brings battered, belittled American farmers to the front of the stage
President Trump brings razor sharp instincts to the political picture, and nowhere was it more obvious than in his appearance in Bakersfield, California, signing a bill to clean up the junk-science federal "research" on water for the parched Central Valley, and better still, ordering the feds to give California's Central Valley farmers the water for their farms that they already paid for. 

According to Politico:

“What they're doing to your state is a disgrace," Trump said. "After decades of failure and delays in ensuring critical water rights for the people of the state, we are determined to finally get your problems solved."

The official water "record of decision" was signed Wednesday, outlining endangered species rules for California's main water hub. Central Valley politicians have railed for years against water restrictions intended to help salmon and smelt that inhabit the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and Delta further north.

"It came at a time when a tape came out of Democratic standard-bearer Michael Bloomberg belittling American farmers as not having much "grey matter" and along with a smarmy claim that "I could teach everyone in this room how to farm." Really, Mike?

"The video of Trump's retort, honoring the farmers, and getting the farmers' roaring support in return, was a thing of beauty: watch the video to see why Trump had a signing table onstsge.

. . . 

"Same people Mike Bloomberg wrote off as hopeless simpletons. And all real, authentic as possible, not the fake characters planted in audiences at Democratic rallies.

"Their presence not only added some serious thrust to Trump's argument for being fair to farmers -- which California hasn't been - it also elevates Trump, who now stands as a champion of working class America, stealing the left's thunder.

"If there's any question as to whether Trump would win reelection, this appearance put such a notion out of its misery. This was exactly why Trump always wins." . . . 

"Listen: first you poke a hole in the ground, then you stick in a seed, see...It's easy!"

The Farm Belt and the Borsch Belt relate to President Trump.  "If you don’t understand the Borscht Belt, you’ll never understand Donald Trump." In the Celebrity Belt, not so much.

As is manifest from Trump’s yuuuuge crowds from Alabama to Iowa to everywhere else he goes, one does not have to be from 1950s Borscht Belt New York or of Orthodox Jewish orientation to “get” him. All it takes is an open mind and a sense of humor from a time in the not-so-distant past when people could joke about things and could say ridiculous and absurd things without being taken so literally and without being hunted down by the PC police.