Update from the Sunland
No.901
8.4.19 – 14.4.19
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
The follow-up news items:
-- The USG formally declared Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a foreign terrorist organization [900], with the objective of squeezing the IRGC’s financial resources and reducing its military presence in the Middle East, as well as helping the USG crack down on businesses in Europe and elsewhere controlled by the organization.
-- A federal judge blocked the BIC’s latest, brain-fart, immigration policy [890] of returning asylum seekers to Mexico, regardless of their nationality. Then, the BIC, not to be out done, publicly pronounced that he was "giving strong considerations" to a proposal to place immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally "in sanctuary cities only." Here is a novel idea, Mr. Know-It-All, how about you propose a comprehensive immigration reform bill for Congress to consider and refine. No . . . wait . . . I don’t trust you with something so important. Here’s a suggestion you can handle. How about you keep your yapper shut, stop calling people silly names, and encourage the professionals to produce a comprehensive immigration reform law to fix all that ails the current system?
-- After all the confusion in Parliament with Brexit [758], European Union leaders agreed to push the Brexit deadline [900] until 31.October. Prime Minister May has another six months to find some other compromise or coalition to achieve the objective established by the British voters.
-- Treasury Secretary Mnuchin stated the IRS would not meet Chairman Neal’s original deadline to turn over the BIC’s tax returns to the Ways and Means Committee [900]. So, the Committee set a new deadline of 23.April. We shall see what happens a week from this coming Tuesday. Anyone want to take a bet the IRS does not meet the new deadline either? Defiance of the law is the new normal.
-- Paul Manafort [761, 766, 815, 896]—the gift that just keeps giving! A federal grand jury in Washington indicted former White House Counsel Gregory Bestor ‘Greg’ Craig (2009-2010) in the Obama administration from was by on charges related to work he performed for Ukraine in collaboration with Manafort. The indictment signals more aggressive enforcement by the Justice Department of laws governing foreign agents against consultants, lawyers and lobbyists who flout them.
-- Wikileaks founder Julian Paul Assange [453] was arrested, shackled and extracted from the Embassy of Ecuador in London by British police on Thursday. Assange sought asylum and was granted sanctuary in the embassy [557] in his flight from the law and numerous criminal accusations in 2012. Apparently, he wore out his welcome with his Ecuadorean hosts with petulant, aggressive and disrespectful conduct. Several supporters publicly cried that the arrest of Assange was an assault on freedom of the Press. I categorically reject the argument. Assange crossed the line when he aided and abetted Chelsea Manning [450] in the hacking of Defense Department computers in Iraq and the theft of classified documents, which made him a non-state hostile intelligence organization, as the USG alleges. Assange’s extradition hearing in London is scheduled for early May.
-- Attorney General Barr [889] testified under oath in open session before the Senate Appropriations Committee. The testimony was supposed to be about the Justice Department budget request for FY2019; however, it was Barr’s public statement associated with the Special Counsel’s investigation [804] that commandeered the headlines, and specifically his use the word “spying” associated with the investigation into Russian campaign intrusion into the 2016 presidential election and the USG counter-intelligence surveillance of the BIC’s campaign staff. Barr stated, “I think there was spying.” He went on to say, “I think spying on a political campaign is a big deal. I think spying did occur.” Barr added, “The question is whether it was adequately predicated. And I’m not suggesting that it wasn’t adequately predicated. But I need to explore that.” The caveats are important, if not essential, but they are lost in the stark brilliance of the headline.
The opinion article directly below is exactly the nonsense that sprouts when the Attorney General of the United States uses inflammatory words.
“Enemies of the Obama State – Attorney General William Barr says the government spied on the Trump campaign in 2016.”
by James Freeman
Wall Street Journal
Published: Updated April 10, 2019; 6:00 p.m. ET
The headline alone implies that Barr presented evidence (facts) that substantiate the spying claim. Barr did nothing of the kind. In fact, later in his statement, Barr acknowledged that he had no evidence—just a personal suspicion. Barr and apparently James Freeman have joined the BIC in their affinity for “truthful hyperbole.”
Of course, the BIC just could not resist vomiting his untruthful words for the whole world to hear.
“This was an illegal witch-hunt, and everybody knew it, and they knew it, too. They got caught, and what they did was treason. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care about the Mueller Report. I’ve been totally exonerated—no collusion, no obstruction.”Barr repeatedly said he would release the redacted Report this coming week, so perhaps we can begin the process of understanding without the BIC’s untruthful commentary.
Barr holds the position of the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of this Grand Republic. We had every reason to believe he would be meticulous and cautious with his words; he failed! There is a monumental difference between a court-warranted surveillance and spying. By using the word spying, he is implicitly indicting the entire law enforcement and Judiciary review/oversight process involved in the counter-intelligence investigation. What Barr did this week was unconscionable, especially given the BIC’s well-known, consistent, persistent and relentless use of “truthful hyperbole”—which is neither—never was, never will be.
The current and on-going measles outbreak in various locales in the United States, and more specifically the government reaction to the outbreak, has re-ignited the public debate regarding vaccinations. New York City officials declared a public health emergency in Brooklyn with respect to a measles outbreak among the Orthodox Jewish community, calling for mandatory measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations in certain ZIP Codes and imposing fines for non-compliance.
I have difficulty with mandatory vaccinations in general cases. I believe it is a private, personal decision, for whatever reasons, for each individual and family with children. However, a non-vaccinated citizen, especially children, can be and should be viewed as a public health hazard. Communicable diseases can and do spread very fast among school children. This is a classic question of when does the safety and well-being of all citizens in the public domain outweigh another citizen’s individual rights?
It is truly sad that we are left with a president who is patently incapable of speaking truthfully. At least, the BIC is consistent—the truth lies in the opposite direction of his words. Even worse, his sycophant talking heads chant at us, don’t pay attention to his words; sometimes (all the time) he misspeaks; says things off-the-cuff without thinking. I could believe Jimmy Carter. I cannot believe a single word that spews forth from the BIC’s mouth. He did exactly the same thing as a private citizen, and We, the People, still elected him and gave him extraordinary power that he is misusing at virtually every turn. He is a snake-oil salesman, who tells us anything and says anything to sell us his “products,” and to promote his self-image and self-aggrandizement. Selflessness is a word that will never be a descriptor for the BIC.
His loyalist sycophants tell us don’t listen to what he says, just watch what he does. They tell us to just trust him. Really? We’re supposed to trust a fellow who does not recognize the truth, set aside tell us the truth. We’re supposed to respect the BIC because of the office he holds, when he respects nothing—absolutely nothing—about the office he currently occupies . . . well, beyond those aspects that make him appear to be the first dictator of the United States.
Comments and contributions from Update no.900:
Comment to the Blog:
“The House Judiciary Committee's subpoena of the Mueller report will surely bring about an interesting legal battle. It will be necessary if we want to know what Mueller found, though. I read a New York Times article on what the Attorney General could/might redact from his submission. That article led me to expect AG Barr's submission to me more of an omission.
“Your aircraft crash analysis goes far beyond the reach of my background.
“The Ways and Means Committee's request for Chump's tax returns sets up a battle as fascinating to lawyers as the Max 8 crashes are to you. That battle may or may not continue at length. Should we see the returns, important facts will be revealed. In addition to the potential for conflicts of interest and criminal behavior that might be shown by those returns, Chump's tax avoidance strategies, legal or not, ought to draw wide interest.
“Stand by for further developments on the economy. Everything Chump touches turns to garbage. He's sort of a reverse King Midas.
“I have begun to wonder which temporary service is providing White House officials. I want to avoid hiring on with that one.”
. . . to which the contributor added:
“Relevant statute for the tax return request and text of the paragraph (note the ‘executive session’
stipulation):
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6103
(f) Disclosure to Committees of Congress
(1) Committee on Ways and Means, Committee on Finance, and Joint Committee on Taxation
Upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate, or the chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, theSecretary shall furnish such committee with any returnorreturn information specified in such request, except that any returnorreturn information which can be associated with, or otherwise identify, directly or indirectly, a particulartaxpayer shall be furnished to such committee only when sitting in closed executive session unless such taxpayer otherwise consents in writing to such disclosure.
My response to the Blog:
Re: Mueller Report. I share the same concern. As much as I want to read the whole, un-redacted report, I recognize, understand and acknowledge the requirement for redaction . . . too many among us would abuse the unfiltered information. Rules are rules for a reason. However, the Executive cannot have unilateral authority in such matters, especially when POTUS is a principal object of potential criminal conduct. Congress, even if necessary restricted access to the Gang of Eight, must read the un-redacted version, and the Special Counsel must testify before Congress. I believe Mueller passed on judgment regarding obstruction of justice, expecting Congress to decide that task, not the Attorney General. We do not know (yet) whether he found criminal obstruction of justice due to the Attorney General’s public position of “the King can do no wrong.”
I am also fascinated with the law . . . not just aircraft accidents. I am fascinated by a lot of things: history, science, physics, economics, photography, space, ad infinitum. You noted 26 USC §6103(f)(1), which is the current, specific, applicable law in this instance. The genesis of that law was the Revenue Act of 1924, with the current language growing from the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 [PL 83-591; 68 Stat. 730; 16.8.1954], i.e., there is a long history in the law. Yet, the law gives Congress access to tax returns . . . not We, the People. The BIC is not a private citizen; he is a public employee at the highest level, and therein lies the salient difference.
Oh, I do agree; all of the BIC’s chest-beating has been for the short term, make-me-look-good-now objective, and certainly and emphatically not for the long term good, e.g., the grotesque inflation of the national debt. Reverse King Midas indeed
Good point. Chaos may work in the BIC’s biz of marketing and labeling, but it most definitely does NOT work in government or commerce. I was convinced long ago that the BIC has no understanding or appreciation for stability; he probably does not know what the word means.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
5 comments:
Declaring a foreign government (or unit of one) a “terrorist organization” carries a resemblance to a declaration of war. We really ought to have thoughtful, knowledgeable people considering whether to do that, not Chumps.
I support placing immigrants in sanctuary places provided the government units get resources to accommodate them. Such places as Detroit and Cleveland would thrive on those immigrants, but most arrive without the resources to find housing and jobs. Many places have plenty of both, but someone needs to pay a few months’ rent and utilities. Teaching English (ESL) would also help.
Setting a later deadline for the IRS to turn over Chump’s tax returns wastes time. We all knew this would go to the courts. Get on with it.
The indictment of Obama’s advisor, Gregory Craig, for the same corruption as Manafort means that the corruption predates Chump’s campaign. That’s important. It makes Chump a dupe (duh!) or co-conspirator rather than a central player (Putin/Manafort).
We shall see what effect the arrest of Julian Assange has on national affairs. Probably none. Whether Assange violated actual law and whether the Constitution protects that behavior if he did it, remains to be discussed.
Attorney General Barr knew he misused language when he spoke of “spying” on Chump’s campaign. Criminal investigations often use surveillance to learn whether crimes are committed and what they are. That is not “spying,” and Barr’s explanation proves he knows it.
The Wall Street Journal is the voice of Wall Street.
Chump has a family history of alcoholism. His tweets always remind me of that.
I have no difficulty resolving the conflict you describe over vaccination. There are people who, for medical reasons, cannot be vaccinated. I would not risk their lives or well-being to accommodate the opinions of those who are misled. That group resembles and mostly overlaps with Chump supporters. Their approach to life endangers us all.
The rules on redacting the Mueller report are neither clearly defined nor intractable. Such redacting ought not to be AG Barr’s prerogative.
Good morning to you, Calvin,
Oh, I think the designation is more like a sanction than a declaration of war. That said, it can be argued that Roosevelt’s oil embargo of Japan in July 1941, made the decision for Japan to seek war. My point was, the IRGC has been a state-sponsor of terrorism for nearly 40 years. It should have been so designated decades ago.
I have been somewhat surprised by the acceptance of the BIC’s pronouncement by some of the sanctuary cities. I see sanctuary cities as a symptom of how deficient the immigration law is; yet, I am not a fan or supporter of the process. I cannot imagine that Detroit and Cleveland would be high on the list of target cities, just because I see this initiative as so typically BIC-ish—vindictive. I imagine no.1 on the target list is San Francisco—this congressional district of the Speaker of the House. This is a petulant move, not a carefully considered and coordinated effort. The BIC is thinking punishment, not solution. Beyond the BIC’s foolish scheme, you must know there will be no federal resources to support such an effort, thus the punishment. Like so many aspects of the migration/immigration problem, the law has NOT kept up with reality. We cannot support or sustain limitless migration and asylum—full stop! Comprehensive immigration reform belongs squarely with Congress.
I agree precisely regarding the BIC’s tax returns—get on with it. He is not going to budge; he has far too much to hide. He seeks to delay and stonewall until it is no longer relevant.
Prior involvement of others does not absolve the BIC.
The Assange situation will eventually make it to the courtroom with rules of evidence.
Oh yes, I agree; Barr knew exactly what he was doing when he chose and used the word “spying.” I agree with you; court-warranted surveillance is NOT spying. Further, based on what we know at present, I do not believe the basis of the originating and subsequent renewal warrant requests were fraudulent, as the BIC’s talking heads like to claim. To my knowledge, the Steele dossier was NOT the sole source for the FISA warrants. Further, I suspect much of the Steele dossier has been validated regardless of who paid for it. Republicans love to point at the Clinton campaign, when the origins of the Steele dossier were anti-BIC Republican operatives. I still hope the Special Counsel’s investigation and report examined the Steele dossier to the greatest extent possible.
I have not and do not see “Wall Street” as a monolith. I have seen The Wall Street Journal as a conservative news source, just as I have seen the New York Times as a liberal news source. I have historically filtered them accordingly. However, recent reporting and opinions have now led me to question that assessment in the case of the WSJ.
Go to Part 2:
Part 2:
Family, yes; but, the BIC has no such history to my knowledge.
I’m not sure I understand your meaning regarding the anti-vaxxers. As I previously tried to say, I hold considerable reticence regarding mandatory vaccinations. Yet, this is one area where the public domain and the common good outweigh a citizen’s fundamental right to privacy. To me, the anti-vaxxers are responsible and culpable for the current measles outbreak. We face the same threat from other communicable diseases we virtually eradicated in the last century—smallpox, polio, mumps, rubella, et al. The anti-vaxxers have threatened resurgence of any one or all of those diseases. While there are valid personal safety and religious reasons for resisting vaccinations, the vast preponderance of anti-vaxxers are basing their decisions on fraudulent, pseudo-science nonsense, e.g, autism, mercury poisoning, government conspiracy, et al. The anti-vaxxers are not appreciable different from the anti-fluoride crowd of 60 years ago. Yes, I agree with what I think you are saying, the anti-vaxxers endanger us all.
As I understand the rules of redaction applicable to the Special Counsel’s report, they are reasonable, logical and supportable. The four articulated items for redaction:
1. grand jury testimony,
2. classified material to protect intelligence sources & methods,
3. matters that could affect on-going investigations, and
4. evidence regarding un-indicted, peripheral, third parties.
Those all make sense to me. However, as they say, the devil is in the details. The interpretation of those reasons for redaction will become the salient of our debate. I found it reassuring that Barr publicly stated that privacy does not apply to public employees, e.g., the BIC. We may not see the un-redacted, full report for 20-50 years, and for that reason, the congressional opposition absolutely must review the full, un-redacted report and supporting evidence under appropriate controls. It will and must fall to the congressional opposition to challenge the redactions. As a footnote, I eagerly await reading the investigation team’s summary statements, which should tells us a lot about what the report contains. Barr is compromised, as are congressional Republicans. Thursday is the day, so they say.
“That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”
Cheers,
Cap
Interesting to read! This is just putting my toe in-for now. It would be too easy to just expound on al #45’s faults. I am extremely curious to see how the IRS subpoena will end. Also, curious to see what Congress will see in the entire full version of The Mueller Report. How will Congress handle the ten obstruction events?
frannieb223,
My apologies for this tardy response.
Thank you for your interest in my Blog. Your comments and contributions are always welcome.
Yeah, the BIC (#45) is a very easy target. He is not a good man.
I think you are not alone. Many of us are quite interested. I’ve always seen him as the consummate snake-oil salesman—worthless product sold with vigor to innocent people who cannot see beyond his carnival barker claims of a universal cure-all. The reason I believe he has gone to mat now is he desperately does not want the curtain pulled back to expose him for what he is—a charlatan, fraud and snake-oil salesman.
Congress has seen more of the Special Counsel’s Report than we have, with only the grand jury information redacted in their version. We have yet to hear an assessment from Congress on that additional information. The House Judiciary Committee ultimately will see the whole document (un-redacted) and the underlying evidence, but it will take time, and potentially a lot of time, as it will take a court decision. I suspect, the BIC being the BIC, he may attempt to resist the court order, which would put us deep into a constitutional crisis. Mueller’s testimony under oath in open session is vital. Whether the House decides to impeach the BIC for what I see as clear obstruction is a whole larger question. My current opinion is, unless they have a reasonable shot at convincing 67+ senators to convict and remove (18 or 19+ Republicans must join that decision), they should not attempt impeachment. [I would love history to record the BIC as the ONLY POTUS to be removed from office by impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors, but that is a very tenuous path.] Impeachment without conviction is more injurious than beneficial, IMHO.
“That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”
Cheers,
Cap
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