Is Trump Regretful?

Jonathan F. Keiler  "During the presidential campaign last year, it seemed at times that Donald Trump was as surprised as the governing and chattering classes when he surged to the lead in the Republican primaries and secured the nomination.  During and after the convention, it also appeared to some that Trump was not intent on winningthe election, given some of his actions and comments and the disarray of his election team, until Kellyanne Conway took over.  This even led to speculation by some that Trump was an agent of the Clintons, convinced to run in a devious plot hatched by Bill to destroy the Republican Party and throw the election to Hillary.

"Obviously, if there was such a plot, it failed hilariously and spectacularly, and only a conspiracy nut or a fool would hold to it today.  But there may be a kernel of truth behind the idea that Trump did not really want or expect the presidency, as opposed to launching another fun (for him), ego-stoking, and publicity-garnering, if quixotic, executive run.  Correspondingly, he might now regret the decision.

"Compared with most other candidates, or anybody else, for that matter, Trump had little to gain by becoming president.  He was already extremely famous, wealthy, and powerful.  In terms of day-to-day comfort and luxury, the White House was a come-down, and let's not even discuss Camp David.  Trump's preference for his Florida estate as opposed to the venerable presidential retreat is understandable, considering his circumstances. " . . .

This morning's Comey report

Comey speaks!  A live blog by Thomas Lifson
"Senator Warner’s welcome to Comey was more like a prosecutor’s opening statement than a greeting.  Pure propaganda exploiting the big TV audience."

Andrew McCarthy demolishes the argument that Trump obstructed justice, or even did anything wrong in dinner talk with Comey
"In his trademark well-informed and lucid style, former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy took just over 4 minutes to explain to Tucker Carlson’s viewers why President Trump’s dinner conversation with James Comey, bandied about as “obstruction of justice” by many on the left, was not improper." . . .

Opening remarks pretty much about himself   . . . "Comey continued: “I was also confused by the initial explanation that was offered publicly: that I was fired because of the decisions I had made during the election year.” He had assumed that was “water … under the bridge,” he said." . . .

Comey said Loretta Lynch told him not to call the Clinton email probe an 'investigation'  . . . "Under questioning by panel chairman Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Comey said that he was uncomfortable with the unexpected meeting Lynch had with former President Bill Clinton on an airport tarmac last year. 

"Comey said that meeting convinced him that the independence of the investigation was tainted with regard to the Justice Department and led him to go public with the bureau's findings on Clinton." . . . 

Burning Down the House: the Threat and Strategic Incomprehension in the War on Terror

Vlad Tepes Blog

Emaze

Burning Down the House: A Strategic Overview of the Threat, the CVE, and Strategic Incomprehension in the War on Terror;  

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. -Hosea 4:6

" This strategic overview argues for how the War on Terror should be visualized alongside the processes that seek to obscure it and reflects analyses undertaken over the years to explain the nature of the threat in light of emerging Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) protocols, how the enemy envisions the war, and how he understands victory. The metaphor is a house engulfed in a crucible of flames. Where the people burning in the house see three players, it is long overdue to understand them as one. Where people see civilization jihad disassociated from assaults from the left, it is time to recognize alliance. The enemy believes he has enjoyed success in the war and, indeed, believes he is winning. This view has merit.

"The strategic picture painted by this overview is based on the enemy’s self-identified threat doctrine when mapped against the authorities he relies on to legitimize his activities and guide his operations. For this analysis, a decision was made to exclude all bureaucratic programmatics and academic models. It is based on who the enemy in the War on Terror says he is, not on how others define him. The enemy states repeatedly that he fights jihad to impose Islamic law (shariah) and to re-establish the Caliphate. He does not say he fights jihad to force conversion of non-Muslims to Islam. He never states that he fights in furtherance of “root” or “underlying” causes." . . .

Sessions Drama Grows as Comey Hearing Nears

Weekly Standard  "Is Jeff Sessions on his way out? That would be a reasonable interpretation of White House press secretary Sean Spicer's cautious response to a question during Tuesday's press briefing. Asked whether President Donald Trump still has "confidence" in his attorney general, Spicer said, "I have not had that discussion with him."

"Then there's a report Tuesday evening from ABC News claiming that Sessions spoke with the president about offering his resignation in "recent weeks— which the New York Times confirmed. (Trump, Maggie Haberman reports, declined to accept Sessions's resignation.) That offer reportedly came as tensions have grown between Trump and Sessions. The Times previously reported a growing discontent between the two men stemming from the attorney general's decision to recuse himself from the FBI's investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. That investigation has since been taken up by a special counsel, Robert Mueller, at the request of Sessions's deputy, Rod Rosenstein. 

"A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the ABC report, referring to it as a "palace intrigue story." But the issues are more serious than office gossip, particularly if another Tuesday Times scoop—that former FBI director James Comey told Sessions in February he did not want to be left alone with the president—is true. A Sessions resignation, just weeks after Trump fired Comey, would raise more questions about whether the president tried to quell any investigation into Russian meddling.

"All of which suggests that Sessions possibly won't be leaving after all." . . .

All We Need Is Love… And Deportations

If the Clinton administration had merely enforced laws on the books against an Afghani immigrant, Mir Seddique Mateen, and excluded him based on his arm-length list of terrorist affiliations, his son Omar wouldn't have been around to slaughter 49 people at an Orlando nightclub last year. 
If Secretary of State John Kerry, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson or anyone else in our vaunted immigration vetting system had done his job, Pakistani Tashfeen Malik never would have been admitted to this country to commit mass murder in San Bernardino a year after she arrived. Before being warmly welcomed by the U.S., Malik's social media posts were bristling with hatred of America and enthusiasm for jihad

 Ann Coulter  "In Britain, as in the U.S., when an Islamic terrorist is said to be, “known to law enforcement,” the translation is: “He is being actively ignored by law enforcement.” 

"After the latest terrorist attack in Britain -- at least as of this writing -- Prime Minister Theresa May bravely announced, "Enough is enough!" 

"What is the point of these macho proclamations after every terrorist attack? Nothing will be done to stop the next attack. Political correctness prohibits us from doing anything that might stop it. 

"Poland doesn't admit Muslims: It has no terrorism. Japan doesn't admit Muslims: It has no terrorism. The United Kingdom and the United States used to have very few Muslims: They used to have almost no terrorism. (One notable exception was chosen as the National Freedom Hero in this year's Puerto Rican parade in New York!) 

"Notwithstanding the lovely Muslim shopkeeper who wouldn't hurt a fly, everyone knows that with every tranche of peace-loving Muslims we bring in, we're also getting some number of stone-cold killers. 
. . . 
"Now we can't get rid of them. Under the rules of political correctness, Western countries are prohibited from even pausing our breakneck importation of Muslims, much less sending the recent arrivals home. 

"In defense of the poor saps responding to every terrorist attack with flowers, candles and hashtags, these are people who have no ability to do anything else. Western leaders are in full possession of the tools to end Islamic terrorism in their own countries, just as their forebears once ended Nazi Stormtroopers." . . .

The Liberal Response To Terror: Run, Hide, Blame Trump The twits tweet.

Bette Midler‏:Verified account More sorrow and grief at the hands of madmen in London. Men and religion are worthless.

  Sally Kohn: Political correctness is simple idea everyone should be treated

with equal dignity & respect. It's not cause of terrorism. It's antidote.

Trump nominates new slate of federal judges

Washington Times

"President Trump announced a new round of 11 judicial nominations Wednesday, including three nominees for high-profile federal appeals courts.

"One of the nominees, Colorado Supreme Court Justice Allison H. Eid, is being tapped by the president to fill a vacancy on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals created when Justice Neil M. Gorsuch was confirmed for the Supreme Court in April.

"Judge Eid was on Mr. Trump’s list of conservative potential Supreme Court nominees that he presented to voters during the presidential campaign last year. She has served on Colorado’s high court since 2006, and previously was the state’s solicitor general.

“ 'These nominations follow the successful nomination and confirmation of associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court, the successful nomination and confirmation of Judge Amul R. Thapar of Kentucky to serve as a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the nomination of numerous candidates to other judgeships,” the White House said in a statement.

"Mr. Trump also nominated U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Erickson of North Dakota to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and said he intends to nominate University of Pennsylvania Law School professor Stephanos Bibas to serve on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Erickson has served on the district court since 2003.

"The White House called Mr. Bibas, director of the university’s Supreme Court Clinic, “one of the nation”s leading experts in criminal law and procedure.” He has argued six cases before the Supreme Court, taught at the University of Chicago Law School and served from 1998 to 2000 as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York." . . .

National Review comments on Trump-Comey

Jim Comey Backs Up Trump’s Story, But It’s Not All Good News for Trump

[T]he FBI’s leadership and I were concerned that the briefing might create a situation where a new President came into office uncertain about whether the FBI was conducting a counter-intelligence investigation of his personal conduct…In that context, prior to the January 6 meeting, I discussed with the FBI’s leadership team whether I should be prepared to assure President-Elect Trump that we were not investigating him personally. That was true; we did not have an open counter-intelligence case on him. We agreed I should do so if circumstances warranted. During our one-on-one meeting at Trump Tower, based on PresidentElect Trump’s reaction to the briefing and without him directly asking the question, I offered that assurance.

Comey for the Record  "In short, this isn’t much of a bombshell and is going to be a very thin reed to try to build an obstruction case on."

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: James Comey’s Prepared Testimony, Explained

There’s evidence Donald Trump abused his power, but it’s not yet clear that he obstructed justice.

"Comey was right to be concerned, but he was also correct not to interpret the president’s request as an unlawful act. Obstruction of justice is a legal term with a legal meaning, and Trump’s request on its face and by itself simply doesn’t satisfy the elements of the crime. Rather than comply with the president’s request, Comey consulted with his senior leadership team and decided to keep the information closely held to avoid tainting the investigation. This strikes me as a defensible and prudent act."
. . .
"There’s no serious argument that this is appropriate behavior from an American president. Imagine for a moment testimony that President Barack Obama or a hypothetical President Hillary Clinton had a similar conversation with an FBI director. The entire conservative-media world would erupt in outrage, and rightly so. The FBI director is a law-enforcement officer, loyal to the Constitution, not the president’s consigliere. 
"Second, while the request to drop the Flynn investigation is not by itself obstruction of justice, by providing sworn testimony of the request, Comey is putting in place a piece of a larger puzzle that’s getting much closer to obstruction." . . .

Trump has to better understand not just the separation of powers but also the constitutional and legal obligations of governance, or the turmoil surrounding Comey’s termination will be but the first of a series of controversies that could well shake his presidency to its foundation.

"If this is all Comey has, it’s not what Democrats had been hoping for", Legal Insurrection

*"Here’s a link to the full prepared remarks."

Comey to testify that Trump sought 'loyalty,' asked to lift Russia 'cloud'
"James Comey plans to testify Thursday that in the months before he was fired as FBI director, President Trump sought his “loyalty” while also pressing him to “lift the cloud” of the Russia investigation and lay off Michael Flynn, according to written testimony released ahead of his Senate committee appearance.
"The prepared remarks for his opening statement, released by the Senate Intelligence Committee, also make clear that Comey repeatedly assured Trump he was not personally under investigation.
"Comey's statement detailed several meetings he had with Trump dating back to January. He extensively described a Jan. 27 dinner where he said Trump told him: “I need loyalty. I expect loyalty.”
" . . . Comey plans to say as well that Trump sought help ending any probe of former national security adviser Flynn, reiterating previously published reports about such claims.

"Comey's testimony will mark his first Capitol Hill appearance since his firing a month ago. Lawmakers are eager to hear his side, amid a raft of reports suggesting Trump had pressured Comey over investigations of Russian meddling in the election and coordination with his associates.
"Trump has denied pressuring Comey as well as any collusion with Russia.
"If Comey's opening statement is any gauge, Thursday's testimony will be explosive.
"The seven ­page document, however, began with a piece of good news for the president ­­ confirming his past claims that Comey assured Trump "we were not investigating him personally." Comey first gave the assurance during their first meeting at Trump Tower on Jan. 6, during a discussion about a salacious and widely contested anti­Trump dossier, and reiterated the statement in subsequent conversations.
"Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel highlighted those passages, tweeting Wednesday, “Comey’s testimony reconfirmed what @POTUS has been saying all along: The President was never under investigation.' ” . . .

Comey Says He Did Tell Trump He Wasn’t Under Investigation, Trump Didn’t Try To Interfere In Russia Investigation…

*"Here’s a link to the full prepared remarks."

The self-adoring One enjoys island life.

http://terrellaftermath.com/

Why Barack Obama Chose Marlon Brando’s Island Hideaway

He seems to have a thing for private islands, especially after being spotted on Richard Branson’s private escape, Necker Island, earlier this year. And, true to form, Obama’s getaway style is very much on trend in the realm of luxury jetsetter-dom.

. . . " At 3000 euros a night, The Brando includes all meals, some alcohol, one massage per day, all non-motorized sports, and one guided activity per day (like a worthwhile visit to the nearby bird sanctuary). During the quieter months (or for longer staying guests like Obama) the property also absorbs the cost of the inter-island flight from Papeete." . . .

February:  Barack Obama enjoys a laid-back holiday on Richard Branson’s private island with wife Michelle

"BARACK and Michelle Obama are a picture of relaxation as they stroll through Moskito Island — the private paradise owned by Virgin boss Richard Branson.

"The couple were snapped after arriving on the British Virgin island, near the famous Necker resort, on billionaire Branson’s private jet as they enjoy their second week since leaving the White House." . . .

Point and counterpoint: Poland: Refusing to Import Muslims is Only Proven Counter-Terror Method

Rutgers forums

Virginia Hale  "The only way to protect Poland from Islamic terror attacks is to not allow Muslims to migrate en masse, a British-born, senior MEP for the nation’s ruling party said on Monday.

“ 'When it comes to reducing the chances of Poland being hit by [Islamist] terror attacks, the only proven method is to not allow in Muslim migrants,” Ryszard Czarnecki told local radio after an attack in London on Saturday killed seven and injured at least 48 others.

"Noting the children of Islamic immigrants have been responsible for a large number of ISIS-inspired attacks on European soil, the London-born Law and Justice (PiS) MEP said Poland is “learning from the mistakes” of other nations in the West, and so refuses to “open [its] doors to Islamic migrants.”

"Asked whether he thinks the politicians running Poland have any good advice on how to avoid terrorism for Britain, which has experienced three Jihadist attacks in three months, and other countries in Western Europe, Czarnecki said the country has “a very specific concept  — no Islamic immigrants.

“ 'With regards to Britain, we have already told them on several occasions they need to deport, not tolerate, radical migrants.

“ 'If a radical Muslim cleric in a mosque calls on his brothers in the faith … to fight the infidels, well, I think that there are grounds to expel such an imam." . . .Read more.

CATO: Terrorism and Immigration: A Risk Analysis  "Terrorism is a hazard to human life and material prosperity that should be addressed in a sensible manner whereby the benefits of actions to contain it outweigh the costs. Foreign-born terrorists who entered the country, either as immigrants or tourists, were responsible for 88 percent (or 3,024) of the 3,432 murders caused by terrorists on U.S. soil from 1975 through the end of 2015. This paper presents the first terrorism risk analysis of the visa categories those foreign-born terrorists used to enter the United States.

. . . "The federal government has an important role to play in screening foreigners who enter the United States, and to exclude those who pose a threat to the national security, safety, or health of Americans. This terrorism risk analysis of individual visa categories can aid in the efficient allocation of scarce government security resources to those categories that are most exploitable by terrorists. The hazards posed by foreign-born terrorists are not large enough to warrant extreme actions like a moratorium on all immigration or tourism." . . .

How Democrats Permanently Stole Your Vote

Michael Bargo, Jr.  "Every election cycle we hear about how every vote must count, how every voter must have equal access to the ballot box, and how no one can be denied the opportunity to express their voice to how the government is run. This concern has been seized upon as the primary interest of the Democratic Party who have made it their party's crusade to ensure fairness in every election, by the careful, fair supervision of the voting process in every voting precinct.

"But while this is the public rhetoric, the private reality is much different. The fact is, while Democrats are preaching fairness and equity among voters, in Congress they have seized control through a scheme that has taken over the legislative branch of the Federal government, and done so in a manner that permanently denies all of us the full value of our vote.

"How this has been done has, until now, never been explained. At first glance this observation seems to be another unfounded conspiracy, but no observation on how government has managed to steal the value of our vote can be more solidly founded on the principles of our republican form of government and the realities of the national budget.

"In order to understand how this vote theft has been perpetrated it’s necessary to briefly review the nature of the American form of national government. " . . .

TV Client Sues Celebrity Attorney Gloria Allred for Fraud, Legal Malpractice

LawNewz

A former client of Gloria Allred has filed a lawsuit against the celebrity attorney for legal malpractice and fraud, claiming she negligently represented him during a case. Kyle Hunter, a local television weatherman, hired Allred to go after CBS for allegedly discriminating against him in favor of younger, attractive female meteorologists. His lawsuit filed on Tuesday contends Allred botched his legal case, and didn’t properly notify him that she was working with CBS to produce a legal drama inspired by her life — an obvious conflict of interest, he claims.

“As Allred negotiated in secret a TV deal for herself with CBS during the Hunter lawsuit, the malpractice in her handling of the case led to a near- seven-figure legal bill for Hunter, a sunk suit against CBS, and an impaired reputation for Hunter,” the lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior County, reads." . . .