Upgrade

Sort of.

I have noted a lot of names of people who are doing a great job of reporting on the political situation.  I was going to put them on my left sidebar, but it looks like a number of these people don't do blogs.  They are the big name reporters, and you can find them on Twitter.

So, my Twitter following list has included some new names, to wit:

Kimberly Strassel
John Solomon
Trish Reagan
Andrew McCarthy ( I may have criticized him )

Dan Bongino

Tucker Carlson,

and some others.

These will be featured more on the blog.  I have noted that they are doing good work, and might as well point you to them in case you weren't going there already.

Andrew McCarthy: Politics is front and center for Russiagate probe

Updated,

5.11.19:

On Dan Bongino's youtube video, Bongino shows these McCarthy's quotes from Fox News.  What it shows is that this is a baseless political stunt.

There was a court decision, just last month, in which now makes it impossible for the Democrats to even sue for the release of the complete, unredacted report.  What's more, it's the Congress' own law.  Or, to put it more succinctly, the Congress could change the rule so that it would allow them to sue for it.  Therefore, they cannot lawfully hold Barr in contempt.

A court could not order disclosure.  It's the Congress' own law, which they could amend if they chose to.

What's going on here?  There's a news item today which says the Democrats want to expand the contempt citations to more members of the administration.  What are they up to with this?

Oh, now I know.  It's buggedy, buggedy, buggedy!

2:00 pm:

Very good summary of what's makes it a political stunt, not an honest attempt at accountability.

Andrew McCarthy: Politics is front and center for Russiagate probe -- and the farce has reached new heights https://t.co/14NyyQHnSx #FoxNews

— Andy McCarthy (@AndrewCMcCarthy) May 11, 2019

What's the story on Comey's legal counsel while Director of FIB

It is going to be necessary to keep all of this at hand, and fresh in the memory.  Since this has played out for over 3 years, possibly more now, people will have plenty of opportunity to forget.  Baker was out on the boob tube denying that there was any spying, and claiming to have done everything by the book.

With that in mind, here's a few articles over at CTH, which came by way of a comment on that post.  People over there are really on top of this, by the way.  No way any of this is going to get by those folks.

First of all, there's this one:

FBI/DOJ Co-Conspirators Just Lost Biggest Asset - FBI Director Wray Kicks Out James Baker.... https://t.co/UOREDIhcQu via @thelastrefuge2

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 11, 2019

If you notice the timeline here- late December 2017.  That's over a year and a half ago.  Notice also, that this is six months after Comey ( his boss ) was fired.  It is also almost a year after Trump was sworn in as POTUS.   The point being that this is being dragged out as long as possible.

The next one is this:

BREAKING: Former FBI Chief Legal Counsel James Baker Resigns from FBI - Granular Detail Indicates "No Immunity"... https://t.co/hHnwUtNC1F via @thelastrefuge2

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 11, 2019

Another six months passed.  This was a year ago.  See how this is dragging out??

Now, Baker comes back out and says that there was no spying, and that they went by the book.

The "by the book" reference drew some comments as well.  Consider these:

and this one, which is a beaut:

The net is wide with all those people on it.  When they are all singing the same tune ( "by the book") , something must have been up.  Especially when it is obvious that it wasn't by the book.

Turley:"Narcissistic Beltway flame war between partisans that has little or nothing to do with actual governance"

another quote from Turley:

"Weak hardly gives justice to the idiocy of this enterprise."

comment:

But it might work for them politically.   Could that be the reason they are doing it?

Turley: Could the House Dem contempt charge on Barr possibly be any weaker? https://t.co/EiL4YwJUJ7

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 10, 2019

"Trumpian" tactics work says NASA female employee

Here's something I'd like to share as I was looking through the comments over at CTH.  It seems that there are complaints about Trump's style, which seems to rub some people the wrong way.  But this woman says that it gets good results....

Woo-hoo!  You go there, girl.

Rep. Schiff: Revive Congressional Power To Imprison People In Contempt, Hold "Mini-Trial"

Updated,

5.10.19 @ 9:26 am:

If you were to read the quote of this House representative, you may note that he doesn't want to go to court.

Why does he not want to go to court?  Because it would be "quicker" to go through Congress than to go through the courts.

So, he says.  What he doesn't say is what will it take to get the Attorney General arrested, and hauled before their "court".  He says that Congress could hold a "mini-trial"  and compel Barr's "production".

Production of what, exactly?  Barr is cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to hand over the full Mueller report, without redactions.  The point of the arrest is to produce Barr, and not the report for which Barr would be presumably arrested, and therefore the grounds for arrest is just a pretense for detaining Barr.

Besides, if "Congress" is to hold Barr in contempt, shouldn't all of Congress vote on the matter?  So far, we have only a committee in Congress, not the full House, not to mention the Senate.  The matter would require a resolution, since this is an act in the name of the full Congress.

Furthermore, if production of the report is the reason for the citation for contempt, their only remedy is to go after anybody else that doesn't comply, not just Barr.

What did all this story come from?  It is a realclearpolitics post that has a video of Schiff with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.  Here is a tweet of that below:

https://t.co/9zvgkMSESN

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 10, 2019

The reason I include this is that Schiff says they are looking for counter-intel documents.  He said that they were getting these before Comey was fired, but since then, they have not.  Then, if that is the trouble, why isn't his beef with the new Director, Wray?

Maddow doesn't ask that question.  Why not?


11:39 am:

It seems that a question needs to be asked.  The question is why is this being considered now, at this point in US history?  Also, why was it abandoned?  When was it abandoned?  When was it ongoing?

The answer to the two last question is that it was ongoing while the GOP ran the Congress for the most part starting in the 1850's, and continued until the New Deal started in the 1930's.

Why is it being considered now, and why was it abandoned in the 1930's?  Those are what you can call "good questions".

Napoleon Hill on Accurate Thinking

Perhaps there are many who do not know who Napoleon Hill was.

Who he is may not be all that important.  It is more important to think rightly and correctly.

I found this video on a search.  It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it is worth watching.  The thing that I was looking for was a story about Al Capone.  Hill interviewed Capone while he was in prison. He asked Capone why he lived the life of crime that he did.  Capone answered "I had to".

Hill's response to that was a gem of wisdom that I will never forget.  He said that necessity never forces you to become dishonest.  A light went off in my head.  It is a choice!  You choose to become dishonest or honest, if that is what you really want.  Necessity cannot force you to do anything at all.  Necessity is the mother of invention, or the father of crime.  It is what you choose to do in the time of necessity that makes you who you are.

Well, anyway, here's the video.  Perhaps it may be helpful somehow.

FISA Warrant on Carter Page Was Based Upon False Info

Comment:

Mr. Integrity signed off on the FISA warrant.  But this article shows that Mr. Integrity should have known what was going on with Steele.  Since Steele's intel was questionable and unverified, by Comey's own admission, then why was the FISA warrant sought?

It may have been McCabe who said that without the Steele Dossier, there could not have been a FISA warrant.   Without a FISA warrant, there probably isn't any Mueller.

Mueller didn't find collusion, but they needed an excuse to investigate, and this politically motivated, false intel gave them that opportunity.

The link below doesn't say all of this.  It is my take.  But it does show that the FBI, at the very least, was grossly negligent.  They didn't vet their sources, and ignored red flags.  Comey was the head of the FBI, and had to sign off on that FISA warrant app.

FBI's Steele story falls apart: False intel and media contacts were flagged before FISA https://t.co/oU42cI1qsf

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 9, 2019

What did Obama know, and when did he know it?

Mr. Integrity says that the FBI doesn't spy.  Maybe not.  It may be possible that he is as dumb as he looks, and got suckered into something illegal.  On the other hand, the CIA does spy, or is supposed to.  However, there are not supposed to spy on Americans.  Certainly not for political motives.  That would be doubly illegal.  Even Mr. Integrity, as dumb as he is playing, should be able to figure that out.

Jim Hoft, at Gateway Pundit, says that Obama knew about the spying, and was in on it.

Pretty serious charges.  Maybe not as serious as calling the president a traitor ( Pres Trump  that is.)

Within the link is a video showing James Clapper giving Obama the credit for starting the investigation of alleged Russian interference ( his words ).

He tries to sidestep the "collusion" angle, but why investigate this at all if it wasn't collusion?  He is being too clever by half.

The he segues into the Barr summary of the Mueller report, and repeats the Democrat talking points about the four page report not "cutting it".  Sorry, but I have the redacted copy.  It exists.  The less redacted version of the report was available until the Democrats charged Barr with contempt for not releasing the fully unredacted copy, which would be illegal.  So, his denial of the collusion angle rings a bit hollow.

There is plenty more being insinuated here in this short video.  There was a two year investigation.  Mueller found no collusion.  He claimed to have found "interference".  However, it is a bit absurd to consider that to be something that could have held up in a court.  That is probably why Mueller didn't prosecute for collusion/conspiracy.  There wasn't any.

A full investigation of the predicate for the Mueller appointment is definitely justified.  The business with Barr is just a distraction from that, in my opinion.




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this second video, DiGenova says Obama knew what was going, and we know it from the Susan Rice emails.

Hmm.  Well, okay.  But I think you are on definitely firm ground with a violation of the Hatch Act with respect to the CIA and the NSA.  If Obama knew this, and ordered this, as Clapper seems to be saying in the above video, then you just might have something.

Trump is eating their hearts out

Back in 2017, Dana Milbank of the Washington Post, said that Trump was killing him.  Also, that Trump is driving them crazy.

Well, they're still alive, but they're plenty crazy.  They're getting the Archie Bunker treatment.  You're eating my heart out, cries the Meathead,  Archie says, "I don't care".

Milbank cannot accept Mueller's findings.  He's really has gone crazy.  Regardless of whether he accepts Mueller's findings or not, Mueller himself is finished.  Kaputski, comrade.

It really is eating his heart out.  Buggedy, buggedy, buggedy!

American Greatness: "Democrats’ Collapse Could Happen Quickly"

Comment:

It is over a year before the election, and here it is already.  Too much politics today.

Why join in the discussion?

Well, the "collapse" may be related to the last election, of which the Democrats won't accept their defeat.  It doesn't seem to occur to them that they truly lost the election.  If there is a collapse, perhaps it is because of that.  Maybe it will teach them something, but I doubt it.

Democrats’ Collapse Could Happen Quickly https://t.co/EoLyUWTK3s

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 9, 2019

FBI hiding predicate for Russian collusion investigation

Updated,

5.9.19:

After listening to this again, and relating what is happening lately with the obstruction allegations, it is clear that the intelligence community worked with the FBI to make this a criminal matter, when it was, at best, an intelligence matter.  As Bongino points out, the CIA cannot enforce the law.  They can only discuss what they find.

Don't get the idea that this is legit.  We already know that the NSA intercepts were being abused.  This is a proven fact.

They were planning to use the obstruction angle all along.  There was no collusion.  They knew it well before the election.   This was premeditated.  A plan.

5.8.19:

Dan Bongino has an hour long program, and it gets pretty thick with detail.  You have to watch it all the way through to get all of it.  Even then, you may get lost in the weeds with this thing.  Here's a sound bite, if you will, that encapsulates an important point.

We were told that the PapaD disclosure, of the Russians having dirt on Clinton, was the predicate for the investigation.  Bongino states it emphatically that this is not so.  This requires study, and I don't know that I have the inclination for that.

The main reason that I don't think I need to verify this, is that it is so manifestly evident to me that all along, this entire thing was bogus.

Anyway, he has an entire hour of stuff here.  He also cites a John Solomon piece at the Hill.  I include an embedded tweet to that article if you wish to read it.

Memos detail FBI's 'Hurry the F up pressure' to probe Trump campaign https://t.co/3W8Cg8NsYj

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 8, 2019

Scooter Libbey Redux

Updated,

5.8.19:

History is a beautiful thing.  As long as you have documented evidence of it, that is.  Henry Ford called it bunk.  Well, the victors write the history books, it has been said.

Well, I keep all of my posts handy so that I can bring them up again for a re-post.  Yes, I said that this Mueller Investigation was a Scotter Libbey redux.  I said it on DAY ONE,  That is the history of it on this blog.

Not that I am in a war with anyone.  If I am in a war, it is only with those who will not recognize the truth.

So, people are talking about this again.  Note the date.  It is a year and a half ago.  In itself, it is an update on something that happened ( Mueller appointment) six months previously.  Again, I ask:  Why are we talking about this today?  This isn't news. 

They are saying today obstruction was Mueller's goal from day one.  Of course it was.  Why is this news?

12.4.17:

Ever since Rosenstein appointed Mueller, it should be obvious what their intentions are.  If they cannot get Trump on anything, then it will be a process crime--- just like Scooter Libbey.

Therefore, what Rush says is what I was saying the minute Rosenstein appointed Mueller.

If they cannot get Trump on obstruction of justice either, then they will do all the damage that they can in order to discredit Trump.  It is history repeating itself.  Just like Scooter Libbey.

What to do about it?  Since many in the GOP are nothing but Dems in disguise anyway, they may actually try to remove Trump.

If that happens, then what?

Well, speaking only for myself, it will be the last time I vote Republican.  Either the so-called conservatives leave the party and start a new one, or I stay home for now on.  It is pointless to vote if the vote is going to be ignored.

Beato and Bootygigger, take two

Hey, if this is anything like the Bootygigger, this will be a resume enhancer.  Bootygigger has some competition.

You can believe this, or not believe this.  However, at this point, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this report.  But there has been stories....

Pete Buttigieg Thinks God Is a Democrat Because God Doesn't Pick Sides

Comment:

The Democrats may be attracted to this guy not because of identity politics, but the mind bending mendacity of the guy.

He's like Nancy Pelosi.  He cannot believe what he says.  Either he is crazy, or he is a liar.

My opinion is that they are liars.  If they were crazy, they wouldn't be responsible.  But these people know exactly what they are doing.

The title shows the mind bending mendacity.  If God doesn't pick sides, then why run for President???????? Isn't that picking sides?????????

The author, named Treacher, gives the guy more credit than he deserves by saying he is just delusional.  But even if he isn't lying, and is delusional, he doesn't belong in a leadership position.

A personal wish, or shall we say ---- PRAYER.  I pray that this guy is nominated so that America can make the tree good or make the tree evil, for the tree is known by its fruit- thus said the Christ.  If he is the choice of America, then the country is judged out of it own choice.

Pete Buttigieg Thinks God Is a Democrat Because God Doesn't Pick Sides https://t.co/8GogtRVPHX #Trending via @pjmedia_com

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 8, 2019

Poll: Majority say socialism is incompatible with American values

A brief comment:

It looks like a substantial proportion of those polled did not have a definite view one way or another.

Why would that be?

Could it be because of corporations?  Big corporations are what people identify with capitalism, but is it really capitalism?

It only highlights why there needs to be iron clad definitions of what a word means.  The language gets hijacked, and the truth gets left behind.

It's why I am a stickler for definitions.  If "words mean things", then why not live that as a rule?

Poll: Majority say socialism is incompatible with American values https://t.co/clzWOW5mhc via @upi

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 8, 2019

Sharyl Attkisson: How Attorney General Barr could change the federal culture of corruption in 60 days

Summary:

It would be an amnesty for whistleblowers.  Question:  Why should whistleblowers need amnesty?

Think about it. 

Attkisson doesn't think this proposed amnesty will happen, though.

Some of the comments on Free Republic are interesting. 

How Attorney General Barr could change the federal culture of corruption in 60 days https://t.co/nyIlbvGewm

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 8, 2019

Powerline blog: A letter to William Barr

Comment:

I will summarize:  it says stay strong, Mr. Barr.

A letter to William Barr https://t.co/vcw4vUx2dz via @powerlineUS

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 8, 2019

Time out

Updated,

5.6.19:

12:04 pm:

Here's another thought for youse people to consider---a hypothetical.  If I believed that Trump colluded with the Russians, and the Mueller report said that they couldn't find anything, then I would be PISSED.  Not at Barr, but at Mueller for failing to find the evidence.  Here they are, spending 30 million buckos, and they cannot find anything?  After putting up evidence that anybody in pajamas could refute in a few hours while sitting at their laptops?  I would be definitely PISSED--- at Mueller.  I'd be asking questions, like, what the hell is wrong with you????!!!!  Are you effing blind?
Were you born stupid, or did it take a lot of practice?

Here's yet another thought.  Those who say they believed Trump colluded are lying.  For if they really believed Trump colluded, they would be pissed, but they are NOT.  They aren't even saying much about collusion at all.  It is all about obstruction.

But there wasn't any obstruction either, because if there were, Trump would be GONE.  GOP RINOS are so eager to abandon Trump that if they really did find something, they would be headed so fast towards the exits that people would get trampled.

Maybe the lefties should consider the truth for once.  After you lie so much, people stop believing you.

7:09am:

A quick post to note something that I've been thinking about.

For two years this Russian collusion thing has been kept alive.  It was already in existence when Mueller was hired nearly two years to this day.

What does this mean?  It means that this process is moving way too damned slow.  Before you know it, we will be in an election year.  Yet, this thing is still alive.  It should have been dead two years ago.

I am realizing that all of this is all ground that was previously covered.  For instance, the forensics of the alleged hack was uncovered two years ago.  The business about setting PapaD up was over two years ago.  Even James Comey admitted that the Steele Dossier was unverified and salacious.  But without it, there is no FISA warrant on Carter Page.  This information had been out there more than two years as well.

Why is this still alive????

We are now getting into territory that we should have been traversing two years ago.  But two years ago, the GOP controlled the House and the Senate.  Why wasn't anything done then?

I'm not sure that the GOP wants to win any more today than they did two years ago.  That's why nothing is happening.  Or one of the reasons.  The other is that DC is hopelessly corrupt.

The FBI’s Trump-Russia Investigation Was Formally Opened on False Pretenses

The FBI’s Trump-Russia Investigation Was Formally Opened on False Pretenses


comment:

The devil, you say.

Whatever clued him in on that???

Anyway, he still claims a Russian hack, when it almost certainly wasn't.

He did manage to say that Mueller fabricated a few things.  Well, dog my cats if that ain't a surprise to me.

I thought the Russians were coming, but they aren't, or so it seems.

Well, the sarcasm is a bit much, but NRO is a bit never Trumpy.  If they can see the fraud in this Mueller investigation, then maybe they won't stay blind forever.  It is progress.  Sort of.

Listen to "Joseph diGenova"

I've heard of this guy, but this is the first time I have listened to him at length.

I came across this video through the comments section of this post at CTH.  That website is chock full of interesting info, I guaran-frickin'-tee you.  But what surprised me is that Robert Ringer is in on this.  Why does this surprise me?  I kinda figured Ringer was a bit soft.

There's a lot of hope for Barr out there.  People are counting on him, I suspect.  Maybe a little too much.

Listen to "Joseph diGenova" by https://t.co/eWDE97Vswz via #spreaker https://t.co/l8T5DTVjb4

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) May 6, 2019

Is there a problem with the timeline with respect to the alleged Russian hack of the DNC servers?

You got Mifsud telling PappaD about the hacked emails on or about 4/26/16.  However, Julian Assange does not mention the impending leak until JUNE.  It was after this date that the DNC claimed that they were hacked.

In addition, the forensic evidence shows the data was on a mass storage device in LATE MAY.

If there was a hack, how did Mifsud know about it so soon?  Or even before the DNC knew about it?

Julian Assange hadn't even published it yet in the Wikileaks.  Nobody seems to know about it except for Mifsud.  Or have I gotten it wrong?  Here's a video showing the timeline.

Mifsud goes to Russia just prior to telling PapaD about the emails.  If Mifsud was British Intel, then the DNC was supposedly hacked prior to that date.  These dates don't match up.  Something's wrong here, boss.

Baltimore Sun ( 2017 ) : "Emails were leaked, not hacked"

Updated,

5.5.19:

Confirmation that the NSA could have evidence of a leak, if there was one.  In fact, if the NSA had this information, it would be proof positive of a Russian hack.  There was no such proof, meaning that there was no hack.

In addition, there is other evidence that shows that it was copied on to a storage device.  All of that in this linked article.


4.30.19:

6:30 am:

Of course, tech experts said that the emails weren't hacked for the past year and a half at least.  This can potentially be documented in more ways than one.  The speed of the transfer was too high for a hack, for one thing.  The evidence could be stronger for a leak than a hack, which raises the question of Seth Rich's murder.

Why?  Well, if there was a "collusion" amongst the Democrats to murder Rich and to keep the hack claim alive, then Rich had to die, and this had to be kept a secret.

I mean, if you can sell conspiracy as "collusion", then why can't the shoe go on the other foot?

5:30 am:

An additional comment here:

If the NSA picks up everything,  and the hack's existence would leave a trace without a doubt,  then somebody at the NSA knows that the email hack claim is true or false without much of a doubt.

In other words, somebody at the NSA knows if the DNC claims are a fraud, or if they are truthful.

Likewise, somebody could contradict the Mueller Report if the emails really were hacked.  That means that the NSA is in a position to undermine the report and the entire Mueller probe could be exposed as a fraud providing that the hack wasn't a hack.


4.29.19:

An angle that I haven't heard before.  This two year old ( more than two years actually ) article says that the NSA would have the evidence of a hack, if there was one.  Since the Mueller Report didn't refer to any NSA evidence, then it must be a leak, not a hack.  Yet, the Mueller crew insists that the emails were hacked.

Furthermore, the report of the alleged hack was in July 2016.  The investigation into "conspiracy sold through the media as collusion" had been ongoing long before that.

What was the predicate for the investigation?  Seems like I read something about the time of Horowitz's report last year what it was, but I don't recall.

Anyway, here's the link to the editorial in the Baltimore Sun, of all places.  That is, it is from Baltimore, a city in a deep blue state.

Emails were leaked, not hacked https://t.co/16Nm9Onyjw

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) April 29, 2019

3:44 pm:

It looks like the investigation began before Trump got the nomination.

Trump clinched nomination late May 2016, so it had to be earlier than this.

4:04 pm:

McCabe said last year that it was the PapaD affair that started the investigation.  That would have been in March 2016 at the earliest.  But there may have been an abuse of the NSA intercepts that started the whole thing.  This would have definitely been a no-no.  The rest is supposedly a cover for doing what they were supposed to be doing in the first place.

Admiral Rogers got the NSA abuses stopped during the transition.