Flotsam and Jetsam - Supes Nix Trump's Tariffs

The big story of the day was, of course, the 6-3 (with the usual suspects falling where you'd usually suspect) that Trump's tariffs under IEEPA were illegal, that they are a tax and he cannot impose that tax without legislative consent. Liberal's cheered; he was not amused. PJM's Sarah Anderson, Supreme Court Makes a Decision on Tariffs "On Friday morning, the Supreme Court ruled against Donald Trump's broad tariffs, which he imposed through a series of executive orders, under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), declaring that the 1977 law does not authorize the president to unilaterally impose sweeping import duties as a tool for addressing trade deficits, national security, or emergencies like fentanyl flows." Althouse, Trump loses the tariff case. Da Signal, Supreme Court Strikes Down Tariffs Core to Trump Economic Agenda. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, NEW: SCOTUS Kills Trump Tariffs ... For Now. Sundance at CTH, Supreme Court Rule 6-3 Against President Trump’s IEEPA Tariff Authority – The “Regulate” Opinion. By 6-3 Vote, Supreme Court Rules All of Trump's Tariffs Illegal "Of course Roberts and Coney-Barrett joined the left. I don't know why we say "joined the left." They're on the left." 

Amy Curtis at TownHall, Here's What President Trump Had to Say About the Supreme Court's Tariff Ruling "The Supreme Court's ruling on tariffs is deeply disappointing, and I'm ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what's right for our country," President Trump said. "When you read the dissenting opinions, there's no way that anyone can argue against them." Sarah Anderson, Trump Responds to Supreme Court's Decision on Tariffs. Sundance has President Trump Expresses Disappointment and Determination and hosts President Trump Holds a Press Availability on the Issue of Tariffs.

Bruce Mehlman @bpmehlman, "There will be tariffs. Even without IEEPA, the existing tariff toolbox is robust. David Sacks @DavidSacks, "Trump has already maxxmogged by finding multiple alternate bases for the tariffs, thereby reclaiming aura and rugging premature celebration by jestergooning Democrats." Quote Keith @nagy_minaj "BREAKING: Trump brutally lawmogged by SCOTUS for tariffmaxxing, a decision sure to spike White House’s cortisol". Matt Vespa at TownHall observes a Law Professor's Take on the SCOTUS Decision on Tariffs Will Likely Not Please the Libs. Townhall.com @townhallcom, "JONATHAN TURLEY: "There's a lot of runway still for the administration..." "The administration has other tools in its toolbox. It CAN actually impose tariffs under other statutes!"" Dershowitz to Newsmax: Trump Can Recast Tariffs Under Article II Powers. Victory Girls, SCOTUS Tariff Ruling Is Not Quite The Win Democrats Think It is. From Sundance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Outlines “Multiple Tools” Now Deployed in Tariff Policy – Sec. 232, 301 and 122 Explained. In a Larry video at Hat Hair, Trump Activates 'Backup Plan' After Supreme Court Strikes Down Tariffs. From News Wax, Trump Signs Order Imposing 10 Percent Global Tariff.

Capt. Ed, Schumer Shutdown Blues Hits Q4 GDP: 1.4%. Ace, Democrats Shut Down DHS, Attempting to Force Trump to Accept Biden's Open Borders Regime As the Law of the Land. At USA Today, Trump's economy is resilient. So why doesn't he get more credit? A couple leading reasons. First, the "mainstream" press is constantly harping on any perceived negatives and Democrats (about half the population) will never believe it. Second is pure inertia; it takes a while for people to feel better after the economy improves. Driscoll at Insty, has a DISPATCH FROM TRUDEAUPIA: Out of nowhere, Canada became poorer than Alabama. How is that possible? Lucy Hargreaves @lucyhargreaves4, "Alabama's unemployment rate is 2.7%. Canada's is 6.5%. Alabama now manufactures nearly as many cars as Ontario. How did the one of the poorest states in the US start outcompeting us? The Globe went down there to find out. The short version: Alabama spent 30 years treating economic development like a serious strategy... landing investments, making it fast and easy to build, and clawing back incentives from companies that didn't deliver. Canada spent the same 30 years writing reports about competitiveness and then not acting on them." Stacy McCain ascribes it to What Happens When Liberals ‘Succeed’, specifically linking it to immigration of low education, low income, welfare requiring immigrants. William Meijer @williameijer, "“Migrants tend to make the economies they move to a lot like the ones they left.” — @GarettJones."

VodkaPundit at Insty says HMM: Trump Weighs ‘Limited’ Iran Strike to Convince Tehran to Sign a Nuclear Deal. "Other reports claim Trump is considering a weeks-long air campaign. Both could be true, but the idea is probably to keep the mullahs guessing — and worried." At Hat Hair, Capt. Ed cites WSJ: Trump Considers 'Limited' Opening Strike As Iran Stalls but Dave Strom says I Would Bet on Trump Striking Iran Soon, and 'Limited' Will Not Be in the Vocabulary. Bluster loudly and wave an even bigger stick. Ace, Trump: "Bad Things" Will Happen to Iran If They Don't Agree to Stop Producing Uranium, Building Long-Range Missiles, and Funding Hamas; Meanwhile, the USS Ford Closes In on Iran, "Is Trump ready to strike Iran? I don't put a lot of stock in Lindsey Graham's insane, low-T ramblings, but he claims the decision to strike has already been made:" Capt. Ed catches NYT whining Trump Is 'Strangling Cuba.' Stop! I already like him! At OilPrice.com, Why Chevron Is Betting Big on Venezuela’s Heavy Crude.

At the Chronic, Rubio’s Call for Europe to Renew the West Falls on Deaf Ears. At Am Con, The Trump Admin Is Serious About Western Civilization. Sarah Anderson, Firing Rubio? Trump's Got Jokes, and He's Having a Darn Good Time. From Althouse, Why Conan O'Brien says Trump is "bad for comedy. "In other words, Trump is already funny, so it's obtuse to build a joke on top of that." 

Also at Althouse, Trump gets out ahead of Obama on the subject of aliens — extraterrestrial aliens. "Yesterday, Peter Doocy prompted Trump with the same question Obama recently answered: "Barack Obama said that aliens are real. Have you seen any evidence of non-human visitors to Earth?" Trump did not answer the question asked."

From Twitchy, We Feel SHOCKED: Latest Epstein BOMBSHELL Lands Right on Democrat Stacey Plaskett's HEAD.

PJM's Matt Margolis says Really? This Is Who Democrats Chose to Deliver Their State of the Union Response? Spamberger. Althouse is intrigued by Gavin Newsom and the 7 Women. The London Times, The seven women who have shaped Gavin Newsom’s life. Meanwhile, WUWT reports California Importing Foreign Fuel After Running Refineries Out Of Town. Dave Strom hears Congressional Democrats Introduce 'Trans Bill of Rights' Protecting Child Mutilation. Ace, Congressional Democrats Will Introduce Law to Assert Some Unknown Federal Power to Regulate State Health Codes, and Insist That Hospitals Must Continue Mutilating Children's Genitals and Breasts, "Such terrific people." Gunther Eagleman™ @GuntherEagleman, "New Yorkers waking up FAST buyer’s remorse is REAL after voting for socialist Zohran Mamdani. He campaigned on “tax the rich, not you” now he’s threatening a 9.5% property tax hike on EVERYONE to cover his massive budget hole. NYC got played." Jason Curtis Anderson @JCAndersonNYC, "NYC employs 364,000 government employees, of which only 31% of are white. What is the point of the office of racial equity? To reduce that number to zero?" Quote Mamdani Watch @MamdaniWatch, "Some parts of Zohran Mamdani’s budget: • $5.6M for Office of Racial equity • $4.6M for Commission on Racial Equity • $835K on the Commission of Gender Equity."

Matt Margolis, Susan Rice Reveals Democrats’ Terrifying Plan for When They Return to Power. Revenge on anyone who helped Trump. She promises to do it legally, like Alvin Bragg, Letitia James and Fani Willis. ""If these corporations think that the Democrats, when they come back in power, are gonna, you know, play by the old rules, and say, 'Oh, never mind, we'll forgive you for all the people you've fired, all the policies and principles you've violated, all, you know, the laws you've skirted,' I think they've got another thing coming," Rice said." Rod Dreher @roddreher, "This is important. It signals the kind of dynamic that gripped Spain in first half of 1930s, as the govt of the Republic lurched btw Left and Right. Eventually, both sides hated each other so much that civil war was inevitable. Watch this for background: https://youtu.be/Lu5f9hp0IP4?si=X3lX2i04Dnsf7VyP" Quote amuse @amuse, "WEAPONIZATION: Susan Rice lays out her vision of a post-Trump America where supporters are rounded up and sent to reeducation camps or prisons." InfantryDort @infantrydort, "The impulse for retribution. There’s a tone you hear right before a civilization ages out. It isn’t the sound of defeat. It’s the sound of score settling. When leaders talk about what they’ll do to their enemies once they “come back,” you’re not listening to governance. You’re listening to something different. Law used to be a wall. Now it’s a blade people argue over who gets to swing. The dangerous part isn’t left or right. It’s the hunger. The need to make someone pay. The belief that power exists to avenge humiliation. That’s not how republics talk in their prime. In their prime, they talk about building, defending, expanding horizons. Pushing the envelope. When they’re tired, they talk about punishing. . . "

From Ace, China Is Sending Pregnant Women to the US to Give Birth, Have Their Children Declared American Citizens, Move Back to China, and Then Have Them Vote in US Elections When They Reach Age 18 "Investigative journalist Peter Schweizer, who previously exposed how much cash congressmen were taking on the sly, reports that China is directing CCP-connected pregnant women to engage in "birth tourism." They "dip a toe" into the US to have a baby, get that baby certified as a citizen, and the bring it to China to be raised under the communist system as a loyal communist stooge."

At Splice Today, Mark Judge claims The Washington Post Has No Swagger and at Hat Hair remembers an NYT Reporter on Kavanaugh Smears: 'I’ve Been Grappling with Colleagues over This for Years Now'. And Another Thing, NPR and PBS didn't need your money "Champagne appetites in a Kool-Aid economy." "of the more than 1,000 television and radio stations that make up the country’s public media system, only one has closed since the CPB was defunded. A second closure is expected later this year. This is odd. They told us the budget cuts would kill us all. No, wait. Sorry. That was net neutrality. "

Stacy McCain, ‘He Was Mr. BLM’, the rise and fall of Wesley Lowery. "Behind all this success, however, it appears that Lowery had a drinking problem and also a woman problem — the two problems were not unrelated — and while womanizing drunks have never been rare in the world of journalism, you can’t do that if you’re a university professor, because Title IX essentially criminalizes male heterosexual behavior. . . Almost like a metaphor or something." From Da College Fix, Police refute claim that black Virginia Tech professor was victim of racist attack.

At NYPo, Karol Markowicz argues The rise in transgender killers proves that we have a major mental health crisis unfolding. John Sexton, Kansas Legislature Overrides Governor's Veto of Trans Bathroom Law. 

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh, " BREAKING: Leftist school faces mass calls for a lawsuit after an 11 YO CHILD with SPECIAL NEEDS got left in the dust, miles from school, during an anti-ICE walkout He called the mother. She didn’t even know it was happening. THIS HAS TO BE STOPPED!" Ace woke to the realization of Educational Excellence: "Honors Student" Who Cannot Read or Write Sues Government School Which Allowed Her to Graduate as a Complete Illitarate "Incredible. But it's not. We all know these failure factors are churning out one illiterate after another and scamming the taxpayer $30,000 per student per year for this "service."" And he spelled illiterate wrong in the title. I hate it when I do that.

Still more at the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 02.20.26 (Morning Edition). Linked at the Pirate's Cove in the weekly Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup and links. 

Flotsam and Jetsam - Biden In, Carlson, Lemon and Rice Out

As expected, Joe Biden announced his re-election campaign today, releasing a video at 6 AM (goodness knows Joes wasn't actually awake.  At Da Caller, Biden Announces 2024 Run. Unknown is how many takes it took to get an acceptable presentation. As it is, Althouse makes light of his garble, "This shouldn't be a redurburdution..." As WaPoo puts it, Democrats reluctant about Biden 2024, but they see no other choice "They are lukewarm about picking Biden as their nominee, but many believe he may be the best hope of preventing a second Trump term and fighting extremism."  Wayne Dupree at PI, Democratic Party Will Support Biden’s Reelection And Will Not Sponsor Any Debates

Of course, the only really shocking news was Tucker Carlson's sudden departure from Fox News, no good byes, no nothing, just guest hosts filling in for the foreseeable future. Stacy McCain calls it Major (and Also Minor) Media News

The Daily Caller (a publication founded by Carlson) offers no clues for the reasons behind his departure from Fox, which leads me to suspect that nobody yet actually knows why he left, but Glenn Reynolds at least offers some informed speculation (as opposed to Oliver Darcy’s bizarre theories). As for me, my best guess is that Tucker had gotten tired of having to put up with the uptight “don’t-be-too-right-wing” concerns of Fox News management, which is no doubt pining for the good old neocon days of Chris Stirewalt, Bill Kristol, Stephen Hayes, et al. However, the Los Angeles Times asserts as a fact that Carlson was “pushed out by Rupert Murdoch,” which may be true, as far as I know.

So, that is the major media news of the day, and as for the minor media, well, Don Lemon finally got fired from CNN:

Althouse, "Tucker Carlson is leaving Fox News." "WaPo reports." Dave Strom at Hat Hair On Tucker Carlson. "Lots of rumors regarding why it happened are floating around, and as with all breaking news stories you should wait for a bit before you trust anything anybody says. “Inside sources” or outright speculations are unreliable. Was it Dominion? Was it Tucker wanting to defend himself? Was it something else?" The LAT asserts Tucker Carlson departs Fox News, pushed out by Rupert Murdoch. Ace, in all red caps with a flaming skull, FOX ANNOUNCES THE DEPARTURE OF TUCKER CARLSON; LAST SHOW WAS THIS PAST FRIDAY DON LeMON FIRED AS WELL!!! Jeff Goldstein at Protein Wisdom (the new substack version), Tucker up, Buttercup! "With Carlson out at Fox, and Matt Walsh pulled from YouTube, is the Uniparty making its move?" PJM's Stephen Kruiser snarks Fox News Has Been Hitting the Bud Light a Little Hard.

Of course, the question is how and why. It doesn't appear to have been voluntary, the lack of notice suggests that almost for sure, but there are several competing (and perhaps complimentary) theories being offered as the precipitating event(s). PJM's Matt Margolis Here’s the Reason Tucker Carlson Is Out at Fox News, offers Tucker's revelations from the J6 tapes. Ace concurs,  RUPERT MURDOCH FIRED TUCKER CARLSON HIMSELF, REPORTEDLY "CONCERNED" ABOUT TUCKER'S REPORTAGE ON JANUARY 6TH HOAX, PLUS: RAY EPPS CLAIMS HE'S NOT A FED ON 60 MINUTES.  Matt Vespa at Town Hall, Is This What Caused Tucker Carlson to Leave Fox News? Justin Hart@justin_hart "My sources are telling me: Tucker was all set to go live tonight. He probably had plans to talk about the lawsuit and clear his name. Producers were prepping guests and slots of Monday's show. Corporate nixed the idea and Tucker up and quit!" At Red State 'Bonchie' offers an odd one, Possible Reasons for Tucker Carlson's Departure From Fox News Start to Come Into View Angelo Carusone@GoAngelo "Note: Tucker was supposed to do a show tonight. He was set to interview Vivek Ramaswamy. Fox had been promoting it this AM. So whatever happened, it was abrupt. My gut is Tucker didn’t want to play ball in this delicate moment for Fox News and it unravelled fast." Twitchy, NEW –> Yashar Ali drops SCOOP about WHY Tucker Carlson and Fox News ‘parted ways’ in thread: Yashar Ali@yashar "NEWS Rupert Murdoch made the decision to fire Tucker Carlson. Murdoch is said to be concerned over Carlson's coverage of January 6 including conspiracy theories about government agents being involved." "We have to wonder what happens to the J6 footage though; Kevin McCarthy didn’t give the footage to Fox News, he gave it to Tucker. The plot THICKENS." Lee Fang@lhfang, "Tucker Carlson last week ripped big pharma spending hundreds of millions of dollars on TV ads and news outlets routinely parroting drug industry talking points. Is there a single example of a CNN, MSNBC or other Fox News host ever discussing TV advertising corruption?"At CTH, sundance has Thoughts on Tucker Carlson’s Firing

Fox Corp, and Murdoch’s stenographers at the Wall Street Journal (SEE HERE), will try to frame the Carlson firing as something of a palate cleansing. Claims of adversarial viewpoints, controversial views and conflicts with other Fox loyalists on the inside, will be used to frame the narrative. However, all of those false frameworks are just that, false. The source of the issue that led to the firing was 100% ideological.

During Tucker’s red pill absorption phase, he changed views on a variety of subjects from the FBI to the Fourth Branch of Government, to vaccination and COVID-19, to his views on Donald Trump as a disruption to an increasingly admitted corrupt political machine.

Context in the Tucker worldview expanded and he began to frame the conflict in a big picture of Good -vs- Evil. Unfortunately for Carlson, this view was from inside a multinational corporate system spreading the darkness. He had to be removed.

We have, of course, not heard the last of Tucker. Reputedly, he will be paid the 20 million annual salary in his contract for the next three years (good work, if you can get it), and there is no NDA or non-compete agreement, so he is free to pursue whatever option seems best, or most lucrative (they may not be the same thing).

 In other news, Susan Rice is either quitting, or being eased out at the Biden White House. Architect of the Benghazi incident, and Biden's disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, we could hope for someone better, but other appointments by the administration do not offer much hope. Given that they are riding themselves of a black woman, they will probably opt to fill the spot with a black transgender. The Peacock, Susan Rice to step down as Biden's domestic policy chief, "Rice's departure next month will bring to a close her prolific, wide-ranging and at times controversial tenure." Ace, Susan Rice Fired -- or, "Stepping Down" -- from Biden Administration. "I'm not sure if the rap sheet here is accurate, but she has, in the past, been the author of many evils, including all the lies about Benghazi . . ." Jim Geraghty at NRO (cited at Hat Hair), Good riddance, Susan Rice. Capt. Ed worries "I suspect she’s heading to the 2024 re-election campaign, so maybe it’s too early to cheer for her exit." Sundance, Only One Question Remains as Susan Rice, Biden’s Shadow President, Leaves the White House "If Susan Rice is departing, the question becomes how the club removes Biden from the 2024 race? There are a multitude of approaches and leverages available for the Lightbringer’s team, which includes Deputy AG Lisa Monaco at Main Justice . . . There are many club-installed insurance policies, political landmines all around Joe Biden.  Which one will they show him? " At Insty, NOBODY’S PERFECT:

Grenell is not wrong… https://t.co/x4arNDnMsc

— @amuse (@amuse) April 24, 2023

At Hat Hair John Sexton calls our attention to Another case of dueling memos, this time over Antony Blinken's call to Mike Morell. Matt Taibbi, says it's Time to Get Spies Out of Politics "The Michael Morell story demonstrates that the intelligence community needs sweeping reform, beginning with getting spies all the way out of domestic political life." Jonathan Turley opines on Antony Blinken and the ‘made men’ of the Biden administration.

This week, Blinken was implicated in a political coverup that could well have made the difference in the 2020 election. According to the sworn testimony of former acting CIA Director Michael Morrell, Blinken – then a high-ranking Biden campaign official – was “the impetus” of the false claim that the Hunter Biden laptop story was really Russian disinformation. Morrell then organized dozens of ex-national security officials to sign the letter claiming that the Hunter laptop story had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.”

Morrell further admitted that the Biden campaign “helped to strategize about the public release of the statement.” Finally, he admitted that one of his goals was not just to warn about Russian influence but “to help then-Vice President Biden in the debate and to assist him in winning the election.”

Help it did. Biden claimed in a presidential debate that the laptop story was “garbage” and part of a “Russian plan.” Biden used the letter to say “nobody believes” that the laptop is real.

In reality, the letter was part of a political plan with the direct involvement of his campaign, but Biden never revealed their involvement. Indeed, over years of controversy surrounding this debunked letter, no one in the Biden campaign or White House (including Blinken) revealed their involvement.

Of course, the letter was all the media needed. Discussion of the laptop was blocked on social media, and virtually every major media outlet dismissed the story before the election.

That was also all Biden needed to win a close election. The allegations that the Biden family had cashed in millions through influence peddling could have made the difference. It never happened, in part because of Blinken’s work.

Ace wakes up to Reports: Hunter Biden Is Hiding Out at the White House to Avoid Baby-Mama's Subpoenas for Financial Records "Hm, why do you think Hunter wants to avoid disclosing financial documents? Why do you think Joe Biden would do something so ghetto like hide his disgraceful crack addict son in the White House to help him dodge subpoenas for financial documents?" From the Free Bacon, 'Let’s Clear That Issue Up Right Now': Arkansas Judge Orders Hunter Biden to Court To Answer Laptop Questions, "I want both of your clients at every hearing that I conduct," Meyer told the attorneys for Biden and Roberts during a virtual hearing on Monday. "I will no longer allow us to dismiss clients from these hearings, because it is interfering with the progress of this litigation which is taking way too long to get over simple points." At NYPo, Michael Goodwin sees Bidens’ corrupt web unraveling before our eyes. Optimist. 

Never-DeSantis sundance, Payback For Backstabbing – Lee Zeldin Endorses President Donald Trump

At a key moment in the New York governor race, in late August of 2022, shortly after the Mar-a-Lago raid, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was scheduled to be keynote speaker at a New York City Zeldin dinner/fundraiser. Before the fundraiser, DeSantis went to pick up a six-figure donor check from Billionaire developer Joseph Cayre of Midtown Equities.

Cayre told DeSantis that he supported Zeldin’s Democrat opponent Kathy Hochul. The contingency for the contribution appeared to be that DeSantis would cancel attendance of the dinner for Zeldin. DeSantis took the Cayre donor check and at the last minute cancelled his attendance at the Zeldin dinner.

Ed Driscoll at Insty,  DISPATCHES FROM THE ICE FLOE: Dianne Feinstein and the Cult of Indispensability.

Dan Chaitin at Da Wire reports, Jordan Subpoenas FBI Executive In Conservative ‘Purge’ Inquiry “Today, Chairman Jordan issued a subpoena to Jennifer Leigh Moore, Executive Assistant Director of Human Resources at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, after she refused to answer questions during her transcribed interview about the FBI’s retaliation against brave whistleblowers who have come forward to raise concerns about abuses they have seen at the Bureau,”  At Splice Today Mark Judge has A Hard-Boiled Take on Jim Comey’s Crime Novel “Just another D.C. hack looking for a quick score.”

Via Insty, a FLASHBACK: CORRUPTION AT THE TOP:  Mike Benz@MikeBenzCyber "That's not a typo. Seven living CIA directors - Michael Hayden, James Woolsey, Leon Panetta, David Petraeus, Michael Morrell, William Webster & Robert Gates - on the board of the group deputized by DHS to censor your opinions about mail-in ballots during the 2020 election cycle." Chris Caldwell at Compact on Dominion’s Blow to Free Speech "Burrowing underneath the law, the judge laid down a set of courtroom rules that made Fox culpable by definition. Those disgusted with Fox may thrill to this approach. Celebration is premature. No newspaper is so anti-Trumpian, no network so woke, that its in-house counsel would not shudder to contemplate the implications of the roadmap Dominion has charted for plaintiffs and Davis for judges."

VodkaPundit at PJM, Trans Rights Means No Rights at All "There’s nothing in “trans rights” that addresses the sad fact that nothing we’re doing is helping, and seemingly everything we’re doing hurts someone — particularly those who don’t even suffer from gender dysphoria." At Twitchy, The Black Women’s Caucus Statement Against Gender Ideology is pure fire 

We, the members of the Black Women’s Caucus of Women’s Declaration International USA, believe that it is crucial for Black Women to denounce gender identity ideology. This ideology promotes the idea that sex is nothing more than a social construct and that an individual can choose to *be* a man or a woman regardless of her or his sex. Gender ideologues employ the “forced-teaming” tactic against Black women in order to shame us into being work mules for their campaign of male sexual privileges that they call “transgender rights.” While these efforts are masked as progressive and inclusive concepts, gender identity ideology is actually intrusive and harmful to women, and uniquely so to Black women. . . .

At PM, Pennsylvania school board closes ALL locker rooms amid controversy over trans student "In an 8 to 1 vote on Monday, the Eastern Lebanon County School District board of directors decided to close the locker rooms for the duration of the school year." When you can't make anyone happy, you can still piss everybody off.

Insty has A REMINDER FROM DON SURBER: You Can’t Win if You Don’t Fight. “The firing of the elitist woman marketer behind the Dylan Mulvaney can of Bud Light came on Friday night, a week too late to save the brand. Bud then fired the fellow who hired her. Get woke, go broke struck again. . . . The departure of the marketer comes after a week of liberals assuring us that those silly conservatives won’t hurt Bud Light.”

Flotsam and Jetsam - IRS Whistleblower Claims DOJ Interfered in Biden Probe

The only thing shocking about this, at least to me, is that someone at the IRS balked. At NYPo, IRS whistleblower alleges cover-up of Hunter Biden tax evasion in bombshell letter to Congress. John Solomon at JTN has more Whistleblower bombshell: IRS agent alleges DOJ thwarting criminal prosecution of Hunter Biden. "Whistleblower account to inspector general, notification to Congress calls into question AG Merrick Garland testimony." Herr Professor Jacobsen at LI, Hunter Biden Reportedly Getting Preferential IRS Treatment, Per IRS Whistleblower, "Prepared to detail to Congress instances of “preferential treatment and politics improperly infecting decisions and protocols.” At Da Caller, IRS Whistleblower Alleges ‘Conflicts Of Interest’ In Biden DOJ’s Investigation Of Hunter. Ace, IRS Whistleblower: The "Investigation" of Hunter Biden Is Being Deliberately Tanked Due to "Preferential Treatment and Politics" Update: Letter Added. "I know, I know -- you're all stunned, you're all baffled, you're all walking around mumbling and hugging yourselves because life just doesn't make sense any longer." At JTN, a video, Sen. Ron Johnson weighs in on Hunter Biden case: 'God bless the whistleblower.' Dan Chaitin at Da Wire, Republicans Raise Alarm About Biden Family After Treasury Visit “The Biden family enterprise is centered on Joe Biden’s political career and connections, and it has generated an exorbitant amount of money for the Biden family,” he added. “We’ve identified six additional members of Joe Biden’s family who may have benefited from the Biden family’s businesses that we are investigating, bringing the total number of those involved or benefiting to nine.” From Fox, Biden business is down (or the profits are being well hidden), Bidens report adjusted gross income of $579,514. Grabien, hosted at Hat Hair, SIGAR IG: Biden admin cooperation worst I've seen in 12 years.

At Am Think Andrea Widburg thinks If Marjorie Taylor Greene is accurate, what she says about Biden is mind-blowing. That's at least a medium sized "if." Accusations of sex trafficking. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene@RepMTG, "The Biden crime family participated in human trafficking by soliciting prostitutes from the United States and abroad in countries like Russia and Ukraine. There is an entire crime enterprise wrapped around Joe Biden and his family. @GOPOversight has a much bigger investigation to do than ever thought possible." Across da pond at Da Mail, EXCLUSIVE: 'No yellow!' Hunter Biden used slur to refer to Asians in 2019 texts with his cousin Caroline who asked if he preferred 'foreign or domestic' women - as he's already been blasted as racist for using the n-word. Steve McCann at Am Think thinks Biden’s Susceptibility to Blackmail has Unleashed Domestic and International Chaos.

From the Free Bacon, WATCH: Why Does Sleepy Joe Biden Always Wander Off Like a Nursing Home Patient on the Loose? "His feeble mind screams for ice cream." That's because he is a nursing home patient on the loose. Also, Biden's Approval Rating Falls to Near Record Low, Poll Shows, and Biden's Hardline Debt Ceiling Stance Unpopular in Swing Districts, Poll Finds, "McCarthy-aligned PAC finds half of swing voters oppose debt ceiling raise without spending cuts." Paul Bedard at WaEx claims Biden country backs McCarthy spending cuts, debt plan. 

Thomas Lifson at Am Think wonders Will the Dems dump Kamala for Susan Rice? Susan Rice is at least a serious person. Corrupt and evil, but serious. Hat Hair cites a Yougov Poll: Two-thirds of Dems want Feinstein to resign. At Town Hall, Matt Vespa sees John Fetterman's First Hearing Gets Off to a Very Rocky Start. From PJM Stephen Kruiser thinks Even the Lying Democrats Can't Play Make-Believe Forever About Fetterman, but they'll pretend as long as it's helpful, and Rick Moran shocked, shocked Ex-Biden 'Non-Binary' Official Looking to Dodge Jail Time for Theft by Claiming Mental Illness. A fair claim, but they won't be looking at his underlying problem.

Hat Hair's KT notes a Texas congressman is the latest lawmaker to endorse Trump despite "positive" meeting with DeSantis. OTH, at WaEx Selena Zito says Republican voters across Pennsylvania are much less wedded to Trump than you think. At Star News, Numbers and Methodology Questions Surround Polls Showing DeSantis More Competitive Against Biden Than Trump. Animal guts are needed for accurate scrying. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair hears Chip Roy: "It's time to have someone who's not a baby boomer" meaning DeSantis. "How long will the GOP keep doubling down on a shrinking generation of candidates and voters?" At the Free Bacon, USA Today Affiliate Sends Cease-and-Desist to DeSantis Critic Who Cribbed Articles for Fake News Site. "Pensacola News Journal alleges Rebekah Jones stole articles for website attacking DeSantis." She's nuts. 

PJM's Lincoln Brown details how Monitoring an Election Could Get You Into Trouble.

Nick Arama at Red State sees Pure Gold when Judge Delivers Bragg a Serious Smackdown in Denying His Order. At SLAY, Federal Judge Denies Alvin Bragg’s Attempt to Block Jim Jordan’s Subpoena of Key Witness: ‘No One Is Above the Law’. Twitchy, Trump-indicting D.A. Alvin Bragg has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day in federal court. FoiaFan@15poundstogo, "So it looks like DA Bragg can't stop @Jim_Jordan's subpoena. There is a legitimate legislative interest under the liberal standards that apply (remember Trump's tax returns?). h/t .@big_cases" Hat Hair's Jazz Shaw, NYC bodega clerk calls out Alvin Bragg in classic fashion. Michael Goodwin at NYPo is impressed by Just how callous can these clueless, heartless Democrats be! "My big takeaway was that they ­really don’t give a damn."

At Da Caller, DC Attorney Sued Over Alleged Stonewalling Of Jan. 6 Footage Release.PJM's Linc Brown watches Tim Kaine Run Cover for Feds Spying on Catholics.

This is an absolutely remarkable - and chilling - indictment. Several American black leftist groups and activists are being charged with felonies for posting memes and other political content against the war in Ukraine, protesting racial injustice: allegedly on behalf of Russia: https://t.co/SQ1K1VZG1v

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2023

From Breitbart, DeSantis Draws Mob of ‘We Say Gay’ Protesters During D.C. Meeting with Congress Members, boosting his campaign. VodkaPundit at Insty, EXCUSES, EXCUSES: Illinois State Senator Says Flash Mob in Chicago Last Weekend Was a ‘Mass Protest’ and a ‘Political Act.’

Ace, Margot Cleveland: The State Department Funded a Private Group to Draw Up Lists of Conservative Outlets Who Should Be Censored, Then Used This List to Pressure Advertisers Not to Do Business With Them. "Do you remember this story? In 2018, a leftwing group was faking "Russian bot" support of the Republican candidate Roy Moore. They then took the fake Russian bot story, that they had created out of whole cloth, to the media, to help the Democrat win the election. It was all fake. The only "Russians" in the story were the ones created by this leftwing group."

Linc Brown again, What Are They Hiding About the Nashville Shooter’s Manifesto? Glenn Greenwald (and Others) Want To Know. We know what they're hiding, we just want to see it in black and white and crazy. Not all trans are crazy, but it's certainly a major step in the right direction.

From Da Caller, ‘My Question Is Very Simple’: Biden Education Secretary Refuses To Define What A Woman Is. Dave Strom at Hat Hair finds Undercover video: puberty blockers at 8, surgery as young as 10 in New York. From Project Veritas, literally sickening. "These doctors are ghouls, laughing, joking, admitting that kids might regret their decisions but doing it nonetheless. Admitting that 14 may be too young for truly informed consent, but they are informed “enough.”" At HE, Christian Oregon mom fights back after being prevented from adopting child due to her beliefs, won't promise to support transing if child expresses interest. I hope this fad is over by the time it would matter to her. 

Matt Margolis, Undercover Video Reveals Indiana Schools Hiding Critical Race Theory Curriculum From Parents. We should be hiding our money from them. Dave Strom finds Minnesota baking antiracism into school curriculum. Ace, The Free Beacon: Walmart Crusaded for Woke DEI Indoctrination in Arkansas' Schools, "Wonderful, wonderful "conservative-leaning" corporations -- what would we do without them?"

Election 2020: The Little Steal Stopped

Hey, looky who the Harris/ Biden administration put in charge of their efforts to distort America's voting system to the point of failure? Serial liar and Benghazi apologist Susan Rise. Wa Free Bee, Biden Puts Susan Rice in Charge of Effort to Expand Vote by Mail "Executive order requires agencies to boost registration efforts", PM, Biden appoints Susan Rice to lead charge on mail-in-voting expansion. I feel pretty good now; the effort is almost sure to fail.

Human Events, H.R. 1 IS FOR THE DEMOCRATS—NOT THE PEOPLE. "The House Democrats' 800-page election reform bill would turn voter fraud into a way of life." Amony Mee at Am Think, H.R. 1: It’s Worse Than You Think. Most legislation is. I'm also sure much of it is unconstitutional, but do I trust the Roberts Court? No.

Capt. Ed at Hot Hair read the NYT, NYT: Say, It Sure Looks Like Democrats Are Starting To “Quietly” Splinter On “Voting Rights” Bill

Manchin has taken most of the heat, although some has also been directed toward Kyrsten Sinema over her opposition to changing the filibuster. Without eliminating the filibuster, the bill would have no chance of passage while Republicans control half of the Senate. However, it now looks like the filibuster is a secondary problem, as Democrats can’t even get to 49, let alone 50 votes in the Senate:

Wa Free Bee again, NH Dem Blasts Pelosi Voting Reform Bill "Secretary of State Bill Gardner: Pelosi is 'attacking our state'" To Democrat's there is only one state that counts. Jordan Lancaster at Da Caller, Some Democrats Are Reportedly Afraid To Voice Concerns About Nationwide Voting Overhaul

Joseph Klein at Front Page explains how Georgia’s New Election Law Suppresses Fraud, Not Voter Access, which is why Democrats hate it so much. Karen Townsend at Hot Hair informs us that Delta Airlines Caves To The Angry Mob – Calls Georgia’s New Voting Law “Unacceptable”. I'd boycott Delta, except that I can't remember the last time we flew it. Coca-Cola don't weaken! Breitbart, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Lashes Out After Georgia Enacts Election Integrity Law. Get woke, go broke, I hope. 

At Da Caller, Florida GOP Follows Georgia, Considers Sweeping Election Bill

H.B. 7041, which is advancing through Florida’s Republican state legislature along party lines, would amend the vote-by-mail process and limit who is allowed to drop off a ballot on a voter’s behalf. The legislation would also make it a crime to give voters food or water within 150 feet of polling places.

The bill would implement voter ID requirements for mail-in voting and limit who can drop off a ballot at a drop box to an immediate family member or somebody living at the same residence as the elector.

Dov Fischer at Am Spec, It Would Have Been Enough for Us "If only these new voting laws had been in place before the 2020 election ..."

Jordan Davidson at Da Fed reminds us that Democrats Oppose Requiring IDs For Voting But Want You To Carry A Vaccine Passport

The Biden administration is reportedly working with undisclosed private tech companies to create vaccine passes for Americans to use as proof that they are immunized against COVID-19 in order to gain access to certain services that require vaccination. Some elected officials such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have already taken swift action to denounce the proposed passports, citing privacy concerns and the risk that Americans will be forced to do something they oppose in exchange for participation in “normal society.”

Via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 03.31.21, Mary Chastain at LI, Democrats Abandon Attempt To Steal Iowa Seat "Rita Hart lost Iowa’s 2nd District seat by six votes to Rep. Miller-Meeks.". John Sexton at Hot Hair, Democrat Rita Hart Withdraws Challenge In Iowa-2 Race. Henry Rodgers at Da Caller, Democrat Rita Hart Drops Challenge To Results Of Iowa Congressional Race, Concedes To Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks. Sister Toldja at Red State, Pelosi-Backed Push to Steal Iowa House Seat Fails, and the Reason Why Should Be Heeded by the GOP

The reality of the situation can be viewed once one reads between the lines of Hart’s statement. Once you dig beyond her hilarious spin about “disinformation” and “democracy,” what she’s really saying here is that the sustained efforts by Republicans to publicly point out the terrible optics of Democrats essentially trying to steal a House seat just two months after they impeached Trump, in part, over not accepting the results of the presidential election were too much for her to overcome.

Well, I was looking forward to using it as an excuse to boot Nancy from her seat once Republicans reclaim the house. We could do it anyway; could the press really treat us any worse? 

Wombat-socho makes a lame attempt at an April Fools joke.

Russiagate: Let the Sunshine In

The news du jour is that John Brennan was appraised of the Russian intelligence that claimed Hillary Clinton's campaign had conceived a plan to raise the issue of Russian interference as a counter to her email scandal, and that he, in turn, briefed President Obama, James Comey and Susan Rice. 'Shipwreckedcrew' at Red State, BREAKING: Brennan Notes Show Obama WH Briefed on Clinton Plan to Link Russian Interference to Trump Campaign to Distract

Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe declassified and released two documents today which reveal that the Obama Administration possessed information in the summer of 2016 suggesting the alleged relationship between Russian election interference and members of the Trump Campaign was a plan devised by a foreign policy advisor to Hillary Clinton.

The first document contains handwritten notes of CIA Director John Brennan taken during a White House briefing. Notations indicate that persons who spoke during the briefing were “POTUS”, “JC” (presumably FBI Dir. Jim Comey), “Denis” (presumably White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonogh), and “Susan” (presumably National Security Advisor Susan Rice).

The comments reflecting the existence of a Clinton “plan” are attributed to someone whose name is redacted in the margin on the left side of the notes. That is likely a CIA or NSA official who is reporting the intelligence information.

Brennan’s notes regarding that person’s comments read:

We’re gaining additional insight into Russian activities from [REDACTED]
CITE alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on 28 July of a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service.
POTUS — Any evidence of collaboration between Trump campaign and Russia?

The comments of JC, Denis, and Susan reflected in the notes are all redacted.

A second document released by DNI Ratcliffe is a Referral from the CIA to the FBI with regard to this information. The Memorandum was directed to “Director” and to Peter Strzok, identified as “Deputy Assistant Director for Operations Branch 1, Counterintelligence Division.”

The Memorandum is heavily redacted, but the following passage is disclosed:

“Per FBI verbal request, CIA provides the below examples of information the CROSSFIRE HURRICANE fusion cell has gleaned to date.”
“An exchange [REDACTED] discussing US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s approval of a plan concerning US presidential candidate Donald Trump and Russian hackers hampering US elections as a means of distracting the public form her use of a private email server.”

Last week DNI Ratcliffe disclosed the existence of these two documents, and their contents, to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Democrats and media began immediately trying to kill the story by claiming that the information DNI Ratcliffe was passing on was actually Russian “disinformation” that was part of the campaign by the Russians in the summer of 2016 to discredit Clinton as a candidate in order to benefit Pres. Trump in the contest against her.

Thanks to Theo's

Crossfire Hurricane fusion cell? Hmm. Is this the FBI and CIA working together to take out Trump? 'Shipwreckedcrew' also discusses why the document is probably not Russian disinformation as the Democrats and media (but I redund), like to claim. 

The inescapable consequence of these facts are that the senior most intelligence and law enforcement officials — while supposedly “chasing” evidence of a collaborative relationship between Russian intelligence services and members of the Trump campaign to gain an electoral advantage over Clinton, were at the same time ignoring information gleaned from intelligence operations that the “chatter” about such a relationship was actually the product of a “disinformation” campaign spawned and carried out by the Clinton campaign to gain an electoral advantage.

OR

More sinisterly, a few senior intelligence and law enforcement officials helped create such an investigation and imbued it with a sense of paramount urgency FOR THE PURPOSE of lending credence to, and providing cover for the ongoing effort of the Clinton campaign to vilify Donald Trump as a Russian stooge.

That is an outlandish charge, but one that is getting harder and harder to dismiss as fantastical.

Sean Davis, da Fed,  BREAKING: DNI Declassifies Handwritten Notes From John Brennan, 2016 CIA Referral On Clinton Campaign’s Collusion Operation

There is no evidence the FBI ever took any action to ensure that Russian knowledge of Clinton’s plans did not lead to infiltration of that campaign’s operation by Russian intelligence agents. The CIA referral, specifically its reference to a “CROSSFIRE HURRICANE fusion cell,” suggests that the Obama administration’s anti-Trump investigation may not have been limited to the FBI, but may have included the use of CIA assets and surveillance capabilities, raising troubling questions about whether the nation’s top spy service was weaponized against a U.S. political campaign.

Much more. Katie Pavlich at Town Hall,  Caught Red Handed: Brennan's Handwritten Notes Prove Obama Was Briefed on Scheme to Set Up Trump. John Solomon at JTN, Declassified memos: CIA feared Clinton was 'stirring up' false Russia collusion narrative. Chuck Ross at Da Caller, Intel Chief Declassifies CIA Documents Regarding Alleged Clinton Plan To Link Trump To Russia’s Hacking. Twitchy, Newly declassified documents reveal John Brennan briefed President Obama on Hillary Clinton’s plan to tie Trump to Russia and Ace, John Ratcliffe Declassifies Brennan's Notes Regarding Hillary Clinton Plan to Plant "Russia Collusion" Conspiracy Theory -- to Distract from Hillary Clinton's Server/Email Scandal

Note that this isn't confirmation that Hillary Clinton created this fiction in order to distract from her own very real feeding of US intelligence to Russia, through her illegal, unsecured Toilet Server.

But it's very, very close to that.

This story is about the head of the CIA personally briefing the president of Russian intelligence reporting that Hillary Clinton was preparing to smear Trump with the Russia Collusion conspiracy theory to distract from her own real national security scandal.

The fact that Russian intelligence is reporting this doesn't make the claim true.

But here's something that maybe does:

Why would the head of the CIA personally brief President Obama about this upcoming planned smear if the intelligence were known to not be credible?

That is, you don't go in to personally brief the president about any intelligence, both the jewels and the garbage.

Sophie Mann at JTN, 'Deliberate coverup.' Nunes says CIA withheld information from Russia collusion probe. Well, yes, and they're still trying to keep it well buried, thanks to Gina Haspel. Jordan Davidson at Da Fed, Senators Press FBI To Stop Stonewalling Crossfire Hurricane Investigation Subpoenas, and from Jerry Dunleavy at WaEx, Ron Johnson issues subpoenas for testimony and documents from 'Spygate' figure Stefan Halper Chris Farrel from Judicial Watch at Da Caller,   It’s Time To Have All Of The Facts About Russiagate

And as if on that cue, Trump authorizes declassification of all Russia collusion, Hillary Clinton email probe documents (Fox).

I have fully authorized the total Declassification of any & all documents pertaining to the single greatest political CRIME in American History, the Russia Hoax. Likewise, the Hillary Clinton Email Scandal. No redactions! https://t.co/GgnHh9GOiq

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020

Breitbart, Trump Authorizes ‘Total Declassification’ of ‘Any’ and ‘All Documents’ Pertaining to Russia Hoax, and Clinton Email and Capt. Ed at Hot Air, Trump: I’m Declassifying Everything On “The Single Greatest Political CRIME In American History” 

However, one has to ask — why now? Why didn’t Trump order this declassification at the end of the Mueller probe? It will take weeks, perhaps months, to sift through all of the material and attempt to recreate what actually took place. Had Trump done this even after the Senate impeachment trial on other grounds (but still clearly driven by Russia-gate passions), it might have proven salutary in his re-election bid. Had Trump declassified it even in July on the four-year anniversary of the launch of Crossfire Hurricane, it still would have left plenty of time to discover what Obama and Joe Biden knew and whether they helped perpetrate “the single greatest political CRIME in American History.”

At this point, however, it’s probably too late. Even if everything came out in a rush and it proves Trump right about the “crime,” it will be colored by the obvious electoral implications — and ignored by the mainstream media for just long enough that it won’t matter. Trump had the authority to act on this for the last four years, and the political room for it since Mueller testified in the middle of last year. His hesitation may prove very costly.

Alas, possibly true. But it doesn't seem like many minds are being changed one way or the the. Democrats seemed to accept the crimes, and just think Trump had it coming. Is this something worthwhile? From the Capital Research Center, Introducing the Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax Archive

Today, we began posting the “bios” of more than 200 figures involved in the hoax—enough characters for a Russian novel. The first batch is “Obama/Comey-Era Officials” with last names beginning A–C. The rest of the 200+ will follow in the coming days and weeks. This is intended to be an archive of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which we will continue to update and expand as circumstances dictate.

 

 Linked as blog of the day at Pirate's Cove in his daily If All You See. . . post.

Russiagate on a Fine Sunday Morning

At NR Andy McCarthy is seriously reconsidering his position on whether Judge Sullivan should be removed from the Michael Flynn case (his previous position was no, work it out), Should Judge Sullivan Be Disqualified from Flynn Case? An Appeals Court Is Asking

More to the point, by seeking full-court reconsideration of the mandamus matter when both the Justice Department and Flynn are seeking dismissal of the case, Sullivan is both causing prejudice to the defendant and stoking suspicion about the executive branch’s motives. How, then, could Sullivan continue to be considered a fair and impartial judge, fit to rule on the Justice Department’s dismissal motion?

That question may signal something about the wisdom of the D.C. Circuit judges that I previously failed to appreciate. The Justice Department’s contention that Sullivan lacks standing seemed compelling to me. I was surprised when the Circuit appeared to ignore it in granting Sullivan’s request for full-court review; I thought they’d deny it and let the panel’s ruling stand. But is it possible that the Circuit saw this as a graceful off-ramp? When none of the Circuit’s judges asked for full-court reconsideration, that signaled to Sullivan that if he wanted it, he would have to ask for it himself. The Circuit judges probably calculated that if the irascible Sullivan made a formal application for rehearing en banc, it would be manifest that he had transformed himself into a party in the Flynn case. Then the Circuit could use the disqualification rule to nudge him aside for the sake of maintaining the judiciary’s reputation for objectivity. That would avoid all the downsides of issuing a mandamus writ while gently reminding lower court judges that they are supposed to remain umpires in these contests, not become one of the players.

To sum up, whatever one may have thought about the gravity of Sullivan’s irregular behavior back in May, he has now clearly crossed the Rubicon. It is incumbent on him to recuse himself. If he can’t bring himself to do that — a failure that would further demonstrate a lack of judicial detachment — the D.C. Circuit should disqualify him. Either way, the case should be reassigned to a new judge, who should promptly grant the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss.

As you might remember from yesterday events are suggesting that John Brennan is not a target of prosecutors in John Durham investigation: (Dan Chaitin, WaEx). Capt Ed at Hot Air has some thoughts.

Bear in mind that this is a term of art, something we learned again during the special-counsel probe, and not a fixed label. In any investigation, a person can start off as a witness, turn into a subject, and then become a target. The process can work in the opposite direction, too; this site gives a pretty good overview of the official Department of Justice definitions, while warning at the same time that they’re essentially meaningless. At one time, Donald Trump was told he wasn’t a target in Operation Crossfire Hurricane, but he was at least a subject, and eventually became a target whether the FBI admitted it or not.

At this late date, however, Brennan’s status as a non-target is presumably more static, assuming this report is accurate, of course. Brennan could always leap onto a table and yell, “OF COURSE IT WAS ME ALL ALONG, YOU FOOLS!!”, which could tend to change one’s status in a federal investigation. Short of that, and again assuming NPR’s source is correct, Durham’s not going after Brennan. Attorney General William Barr has already said publicly that Durham’s not going after Barack Obama or Joe Biden, and NBC reported at the link above that James Clapper has been told that Durham’s not interested in interviewing him as part of this investigation.

Who does that leave, if this is true? Probably no one outside the FBI, but perhaps the top man in charge at that time might have reason to sweat. Sally Yates accused James Comey of “going rogue” in his pursuit of Michael Flynn, although she defended the decision to investigate Flynn. She also went after lower-echelon FBI figures for submitting false information on the Carter Page FISA warrants
. . .
If so, that will disappoint many who suspected this went all the way to the Oval Office. Even a Comey indictment wouldn’t be enough to prove a wide-ranging political conspiracy against Trump in the Obama administration, and that seems like a long shot in the Durham probe anyway. However, if Durham feels compelled to write a report laying out a larger narrative, that may indeed have more impact — but Barr has all but committed to sticking to indictments as the only public statements from the Durham probe. Will he stick to that?

Margot Cleveland at Da Fed details how Sally Yates’ Testimony Showed She’s Either Ignorant Or Lying About Russiagate. Why limit yourself when "both" is the better than "either". I'll bet all she reads is the NYT and WaPoo; of course she's ignorant. And an appearance by the still missing Mysterious Mr. Mifsud.

The FBI learned, Yates testified, “that someone affiliated with the Russians had actually approached a foreign policy advisor of the Trump campaign and had told them that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousand of emails, that could be released anonymously and wanted to know if the campaign was interested in this.”

Later, Sen. Lindsey Graham pushed Yates on this testimony to see if she understood that the individual who had approached Papadopoulos, Joseph Mifsud, was not acting on behalf of Putin. Was that individual “a Russian agent?” Graham queried. “He was connected with Russian intelligence,” Yates responded.

Graham’s guffaw said it all. While Joseph Mifsud’s role in SpyGate may not yet be clear, Yates’ belief that Mifsud was “connected with Russian intelligence” shows she hasn’t a clue about even the most fundamental facts underlying the investigation into the Trump campaign.

There were many other facts Yates did not seem to know, or if she did know them, there is a more troubling implication: the former acting attorney general attempted to mislead the Judiciary Committee and the public. For instance, in discussing the intel the FBI had received concerning Mifsud’s conversation with Papadopoulos about the “thousands of emails,” Yates claimed the FBI received this information in May and then “it actually happened—the emails were then dumped in July.”

But the emails “dumped” in July were those hacked from the Democratic National Committee and released by WikiLeaks, which was an entirely different set of emails than the “thousands of emails” Papadopoulos said Mifsud had claimed the Russians had: According to the special counsel’s office, Papadopoulos “admit” that Mifsud told him “the Russians had emails of Clinton.”

Whether Yates understood this distinction is unclear. It is also unclear which is worse—that she was ignorant on this basic fact or understood the fact but sought to conflate the two distinct categories of emails to justify the investigation.

Althouse on the case of Susan Rice, presumptive VP candidate Susan Rice talks about doing Sunday show appearances after the Benghazi attack — She was "a team player." From an interview in The Atlantic with Edward-Isaac Dovere Demonstrates how she'll lie to the people at the behest of the party.

Jerry Dunleavy, WaEx, Appeals court rules Democrats can sue to enforce Don McGahn subpoena. He already testified to the Mueller team for days, what more do they expect to find, except opportunities to try and smear Trump? I expect it will be appealed. Ask for the en banc, like Sullivan did. Then the Supreme Court if necessary.

At Newsweek, Congresscritters Jim Jordan and Doug Collins are Looking Back at the Democrats' Failed Partisan Impeachment. I think you can figure they weren't fans.

Sundance looks at the big picture in The Truth Doesn’t Care About Your Feelings – The Big Ugly…

What some have called “Spygate” is not a frozen moment in time or a set of dates on a calendar with a beginning and an end. Spygate was the originating process to ensure the DC system did not experience the disruption carried by Donald John Trump; but it was only the originating process….

….The process of opposition against Donald Trump is a continuum.

Those who use DC for influence and affluence control the mechanisms within the self-actuating system. This includes both Democrats and Republicans as they both feed from the same trough. In the effort to remove Donald Trump, both wings of the uniparty bird were aligned with an identical purpose; Democrats carrying out their effort openly, and the republican elements operating covertly as to retain the DC premise.

Specifically, one of the common flaws that many make is thinking the Mueller special counsel was an outcome of an action by President Trump when he fired former FBI Director James Comey. This is false. The special counsel process was a continuum in the effort to remove the threat that Donald Trump represented back in the early primary days of 2016. The system, writ large, was aligned with this purpose. . . .

WaFreeBee, For Biden Family, a History of Tax Problems  Da Wire reports Hunter Biden Hit With $450K Tax Lien, Is Resolved Despite ‘No Discernible Income,’ Biden Campaign Silent: Report

“Harvey Bezozi, a tax expert who specializes in large-scale tax debt negotiations, said the only way to get a lien released is to pay the settlement in full—often through a payment plan, penalty abatement, or other compromise with the government—or to prove the lien was filed in error,” the report added. “He said liens can take months or years to resolve.”

Bezozi said that for the issue to be resolved in just six days indicates that there “had to be some kind of expeditious kind of process for this.” Bezozi also told the Free Beacon that the government rarely files a lien in error.

“The Biden campaign did not respond to questions about how Hunter Biden settled the debt in less than a week and whether he has found gainful employment,” the report added. “The Biden family has been hit with several tax liens over the past few decades.”

Now, in your mind, replace Hunter with Donald Trump Jr, and imagine the spectacle.