May 18-20, 2020

May 18 00:54 The unmasking fiasco explained
May 18 04:48 Gretchen 'the Witch' Whitmer, vindictive bitch edition
May 18 08:45 Lara Logan vs. Marie Harf

May 19 08:13 Judgment day on Dem governors?
May 19 14:27 BREAKING: Jeff Johnson files for Stearns County Commissioner

May 20 12:12 Tim Walz administration to seniors: I'm sentencing you to death

Prior Months: Jan Feb Mar Apr

Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

The unmasking fiasco explained

Anyone explaining how the unmasking of Gen. Flynn was routine isn't trustworthy. To believe that the Flynn unmasking was innocent, I'd have to believe that the same people who spent $40,000,000 investigating the fake Trump-Russia collusion, appropriated 40 FBI agents and hired 19 corrupt attorneys just wanted better understanding of who was talking to the then-Russian ambassador to the US. That's spin. This was a vendetta led by Jim Clapper, Jim Comey, Robert Mueller, Peter Strzok, Andrew Weissman et al.

The cabal that didn't hesitate in using the Steele Dossier to obtain a FISA warrant against Carter Page suddenly developed integrity? (Let's remember that they didn't get their warrant the first time when they filed their application without the discredited dossier.) I don't think so. The definition of a cabal is "a small group of secret plotters, as against a government or person in authority." That definition fits Clapper, Comey, Mueller, Strzok and Weissman perfectly.

Again, to the Weissman/Strzok/Clapper/Comey cabal, this was a vendetta. They hated President-Elect Trump. Strzok told Lisa Page that he went to Walmart once and that he could smell the Trump supporters. Suddenly, this cabal of Trump haters are doing things purely out of civic pride? Shame on them for thinking that we're that stupid.

We know the stories. Jim Clapper insisted in public that President Trump was a Russian asset but testified under oath that he "never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting [or] conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election." Susan Rice testified to this :

Susan Rice, who served as Obama's national security adviser, testified in September 2017 that she hadn't seen evidence of Trump-Russia collusion during questioning by former Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina.

Rice certainly didn't tell viewers that when being interviewed on TV. Why should we think that she's a person of integrity? Peter Strzok found out that field officers wanted to shut down Crossfire Razor, the investigation into Gen. Flynn. Immediately, he ordered that Crossfire Razor not be stopped. A day later, there was a meeting in the Oval office about unmasking. Three weeks later, FBI agents entrapped Gen. Flynn.

Why shouldn't people think that these different groups weren't working together? They definitely had common purposes. They definitely weren't people of integrity. They all hated the thought of a Trump administration. This interview is worth watching:
[Video no longer available]
The FBI agent who foolishly asked on paper what the goal was is Bill Priestap. Here's Priestap's 'contribution' to the unmasking fiasco:

Priestap's memo reflected his own thoughts on the FBI'S internal debate about interviewing Flynn. " What's our goal? Truth/admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired ? " Priestap wrote, adding: "Protect our institution by not playing games." His notes also show the FBI "softened its interview strategy" with Flynn, giving him hints to refresh his memory of his conversations, the Times reports. Nevertheless, Flynn "lied repeatedly, and prosecutors have said that agents gave him 'multiple opportunities to correct his false statements by revisiting key questions.'"

This isn't going away anytime soon. That's why it's important to realize that the Democrats' spin will intensify. The simple fix for the Democrats' spin is to ask this simple question: Is it likely that the cabal that wanted to prevent a Trump administration, the cabal that impeached President Trump and tried to remove him from office, suddenly become public servants with integrity? Of course, they didn't.

Posted Monday, May 18, 2020 3:52 AM

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Gretchen 'the Witch' Whitmer, vindictive bitch edition

Gov. Gretchen 'the Witch' Whitmer is a vindictive person. The latest proof of that came this weekend when "state regulators opted to suspend [Karl] Manke's barber and shop licenses ." Manke's offense? Suing Gov. Whitmer for her overly restrictive executive order and winning.

After the state suspended Manke's license, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said "It is paramount that we take action to protect the public and do our part to help save lives." David Kallman, Mr. Manke's attorney, replied "I think it's totally vindictive. It's petty, it's totally in retribution because they didn't like the court order from earlier this week." Here's the good news:

Manke is still able to cut hair until the suspension is served; it had not reached the barber's hands as of Wednesday afternoon, the paper reported. He can ask for an immediate hearing with an administrative law judge at the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to fight the order.

Here's the best news: because Mr. Manke is following the CDC's guidelines on social distancing, wearing face masks, etc., it's likely that he'll win his appeal. It's difficult to picture Mr. Manke's attorney opting for the administrative law judge hearing. It isn't difficult picturing him filing for a TRO in a real court where appeals are allowed.

Each step of the way, Gov. Whitmer, a Democrat campaigning to be VP Biden's running mate, has overstepped her constitutional limits:

Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Manke said: "Obviously she [Whitmer] has no concept at all, the damage that she's doing to our state and to families." His defiance attracted the attention of Michiganders from across the state who drove hours to support Manke at his shop, some even getting haircuts.

It isn't like Gov. Whitmer cares about people. She's destroying Blue Collar Michigan's jobs. Gov. Whitmer's EOs have been draconian. The evidence is piling up against Gov. Whitmer:
[Video no longer available]
Thus far, the states that've been most aggressive in reopening their economies haven't seen the spikes that were predicted. Those smaller states that've seen hotspots develop quickly implemented plans that will limit the spread of COVID. It isn't a matter of whether there will be outbreaks. It's a matter of whether those societies can mitigate the spread and limit the damage. The answer to that is yes. The spread can be quickly stopped as long as you don't send COVID patients into nursing homes :

Nursing homes are also required to readmit residents with COVID-19 , which has been a source of contention between the state and nursing homes. Stephen Hanse, president and CEO of the New York State Health Facilities Association, told The Citizen last week that there have been concerns since the March 25 advisory from the state Department of Health.

These Democrat governors have been downright stupid. That applies to Gov. Whitmer and Gov. Cuomo.

Posted Monday, May 18, 2020 4:48 AM

No comments.

Lara Logan vs. Marie Harf

Last week, Marie Harf, whom I've nicknamed 'Baghdad Barbara' because she's as trustworthy as Baghdad Bob, tried peddling some Democrat spin while appearing on Outnumbered. Saying that Lara Logan demolished Harf and the Democrats' talking points is understatement. Harf didn't wave her little white flag but that's mostly because isn't a person of integrity.

Harf started by saying "Yesterday, Barr basically made a statement that said, 'You can lie to the FBI, and that's okay.' And there is still a ton of evidence that the investigation was absolutely an appropriate one, that Flynn was absolutely someone who should have been investigated, and he comes at the end of the day, chose to lie about his contact with foreign countries. If Bill Barr wants to say that's not a crime, that is a precedent I'm not sure either party wants to set."

Actually, the law says that it isn't automatically a crime to lie to law enforcement. For it to be a crime, the lie has to be material to an investigation that's properly predicated. Thanks to the transcripts that Ric Grenell forced Adam Schiff to release, we now know that the Flynn investigation wasn't properly predicated. That means that the investigation was bogus, which meant that Gen. Flynn's statements weren't material to a legitimate investigation. Here's how Logan replied to Ms. Harf:
[Video no longer available]

Oh my God. Wow. I feel like I'm in some kind of fantasy sci-fi alternative reality movie. That couldn't be further from the truth. I'm not sure there's a word that came out of your mouth that's actually true.

Look at the transcripts of the conversations. There's a big difference between talking to people and colluding. If that's a standard for collusion, how come you not screaming for accountability for Fusion GPS and the DNC and the Clinton campaign for literally meeting with agents from Vladimir Putin, for taking disinformation and using that against a political rival in the presidential election in this country.

I mean, the message was not -- the message was exactly the opposite to millions of people in this country. Now that you can just lie to the FBI and get away with it. The message was that accountability, that so many people in this country have been asking for, for so long, it's finally actually going to happen.

Bill Barr has never said that his mission is about defending president trump. He said it in the CBS interview and he said it from the beginning, that his duty is to protect the rule of law in this country. To protect the Justice Department and law enforcement. He's doing that holding them to the standard to which they have sworn to uphold. And holding them to the same standard that every single person in this country would be held to if they were facing similar charges. So, what about lying to Congress? Because all of these people, McCabe and Comey, and all of them, they have all lied and lied and lied. And there is more information to come, hear, that is going to show exactly what really happened with Michael Flynn.

The FBI's actions in the Flynn interview were reprehensible. According to this tweet, the Flynn investigation was crumbling:




In other words, the people who violated Gen. Flynn's civil rights ("FBI leadership") didn't want to stop harassing Gen. Flynn. To steal a line from Ms. Harf, "I'm not sure" that's a good look for Democrats to adopt.

Finally, Bill Barr determined that there wasn't proper predication for the Flynn investigation. That's why he later determined dropping the case against Gen. Flynn was the right decision. That's why Judge Sullivan is trying his best to keep the case alive.

Posted Monday, May 18, 2020 8:45 AM

Comment 1 by eric z at 19-May-20 03:19 PM
Lara Logan? There are better sources. Lift any rock.

Response 1.1 by Gary Gross at 19-May-20 05:33 PM
I can verify everything she said. Go crawl under that rock.

Judgment day on Dem governors?

Another day, another judge has ruled against another Democrat governor. This time, " Circuit Judge Matthew B. Shirtcliff granted a preliminary injunction to 10 churches that had sued the governor." Unfortunately, Gov. Kate Brown's office "appealed to the state Supreme Court to keep her emergency orders in effect."

Gov. Brown, another iron-fisted Democrat, issued a statement after appealing. The statement said "This will ensure we can continue to safeguard the health of all Oregonians, including frontline health care workers, those living in nursing homes, workers in agriculture and food processing plants, and Oregonians with underlying health conditions, while the legal process moves forward."

In his opinion, Judge Shirtcliff struck a different position. Here's what Judge Shirtcliff said:

The governor's orders are not required for public safety when plaintiffs can continue to utilize social distancing and safety protocols at larger gatherings involving spiritual worship. Plaintiffs have shown that they will be harmed by deprivation of the constitutional right to freely exercise their religion. Other plaintiffs have also shown great economic harm to their businesses and their ability to seek livelihood.

First, Brown will lose the fight with churches. If churches utilize social distancing, then Gov. Brown, or any other iron-fisted Democrat governor for that matter, can't prohibit the free practice of religion. Overcoming the Bill of Rights is the legal equivalent of fighting uphill with a weight tied to your waist.

The legal position on other restrictions is that they have to be the least intrusive restrictions that accomplish the government's legitimate goal. If these store owners show that they're following the same rules that big box stores are using, then this fight is finished.
[Video no longer available]
This isn't the only instance of a Democrat governor overreaching. J.B. Pritzker, Illinois's iron-fisted Democrat governor, is attempting an end-run around the legislature . Pritzker "filed an emergency rule that would penalize owners of restaurants, bars, gyms, barbershops and other businesses for reopening before coronavirus restrictions are lifted." That's unconstitutional because governors don't write laws. They enforce them. State Sen. Dan McConchie replied through Twitter:


This says it all:

This is a clear breach of the separation of powers. It is the role of the legislature to make the law, and the role of the Governor to enforce it. He has assumed both roles and shut out the legislative branch. It is beyond time for the Governor to stop ruling by fiat.

Sen. McConchie better file a lawsuit on this because a judge's ruling will take this out of Pritzker's hands.

UPDATE: The Oregon Supreme Court intervened in the case, essentially throwing out the Shirtcliff ruling. This is, in my opinion, proof of why they should've filed this in federal court. State courts can get packed with partisan political operatives, which appears to have happened here.

Posted Tuesday, May 19, 2020 8:13 AM

Comment 1 by eric z at 20-May-20 04:15 PM
Gary, have you seen figures on which states have the most virus cases and/or virus deaths per 100,000 population? It is enlightening. Google it. Useful info about pandemic geographics is not getting the attention it deserves. Other than noting old folks being warehoused are croaking at an alarming rate, what are the demographics, reasonably and impartially presented?

There is a dearth of info that way being made public. In part it is because of the failure to have testing worth a good goddamn.

BREAKING: Jeff Johnson files for Stearns County Commissioner

Jeff Johnson Announces Bid for Stearns County Commissioner

St. Cloud, MN - St. Cloud resident Jeff Johnson has announced that he will run for the 4th district Stearns County commissioner seat. Johnson, 54, is an airline pilot and a former small business owner. He was elected to the St. Cloud City Council in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. He previously served on the Stearns County Board of Adjustment and made an unsuccessful bid for the Minnesota state senate in 2006.

'I have thoroughly enjoyed a reprieve from politics since I left the City Council in January 2019,' Johnson said. 'It's time to get back on the front lines of the battle once again.' Johnson's priorities include public safety, county transportation infrastructure, and increasing human services efficiencies. 'It was mind numbing to see the county human services budget go from the black to deep red in a matter of a few years. I am also deeply concerned about small businesses throughout the county who are struggling from unfair decisions made by Governor Waltz.'

Johnson has a vocational diploma in aircraft maintenance, a bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Studies, a master's degree in aeronautical science, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration. He is married to Julie Johnson, a family practice physician with Simplicity Health in St. Cloud.

Posted Tuesday, May 19, 2020 3:02 PM

Comment 1 by Karen Ament at 19-May-20 05:42 PM
Such good news Jeff Johnson.

You truly care about the people being represented as public servants have always promised but seldom deliver.

Your education and experience make you an exceptional candidate willing to take on a Big job.

I wish you a successful campaign.



My best,



Karen Ament

Comment 2 by Dave Steckling at 19-May-20 06:05 PM
Great news Jeff! I followed you on the city council and will continue to back your efforts as a

commissioner.

Comment 3 by Mike Conway at 19-May-20 06:40 PM
Congrats Jeff. I commend you for getting back in the fight. Good luck and God Bless.

Comment 4 by Ed at 19-May-20 09:08 PM
Will help any way I can

Comment 5 by Andy Stephans at 20-May-20 05:58 PM
Glad I do not live in Stearns County. Last thing anyone needs is another ' us vs them' political hack mindset as a commissioner. All Johnson proved on the city council is that he listened and fought for an out of touch vocal minority.

Tim Walz administration to seniors: I'm sentencing you to death

The thing that's inescapable from this article is that the Tim Walz administration doesn't give a damn about residents of long-term care facilities, aka LTC facilities. It isn't often that I'd utilize such over-the-top language but this time, it's found in the Star Tribune article itself. Check it out if you don't trust me.

The article opens by saying "Despite the devastating death toll, Minnesota nursing homes are still being allowed by state regulators to admit coronavirus patients who have been discharged from hospitals. Early in the pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Health turned to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities to relieve the burden on hospitals that were at risk of being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. Minnesota hospitals have since discharged dozens of infected patients to nursing homes, including facilities that have undergone large and deadly outbreaks of the disease, state records show."

This is almost as frightening:

Now that practice is drawing strong opposition from some lawmakers, residents' families and health watchdogs, who warn that such transfers endanger residents of senior homes that are understaffed and ill-equipped to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Why just some lawmakers ? Why aren't all lawmakers upset with this stupidity? Further, Minnesota's hospitals never got overwhelmed. Why did the Walz administration turn to "nursing homes and other long-term care facilities"? My annual physical was scheduled for late-January. That got postponed because the clinic was converted to overflow for the St. Cloud Hospital at the start of COVID. The appointment was rescheduled again to March 31. Again, I was told that it was related to COVID. The entire clinic was emptied out to create extra bed space.

The point is that hospitals and clinics prepared for a spike in COVID cases. There never was a threat to hospitals running out of space in Minnesota. There might've been a chance we wouldn't have had enough staffing but that's a different contingency to plan for. LTCs certainly weren't better staffed than hospitals. This is the closest video I found in an hour of searching dealing with the topic of nursing homes in the past week:
[Video no longer available]
The number of COVID-related deaths are increasing as a direct result of sending COVID-infected seniors into LTCs. This doesn't require medical school training to figure out. It requires a memory of what Andrew Cuomo did in New York. This proposal should be immediately rejected:

They are calling for more state scrutiny over transfers, including stricter standards over which nursing homes should be allowed to accept COVID-19 patients from hospitals.

Wrong! They shouldn't be allowed into nursing homes. Period. If nothing else, the state should set up a facility that could hold those elderly COVID-19 patients. Why set things up so that an entire facility gets infected? Karin Housley positively nailed it:

"It makes no sense to bring more COVID-19 patients into facilities that have already failed to protect them," said Sen. Karin Housley, the Republican chairwoman of the Senate Family Care and Aging Committee. "If it were my mom or dad in one of these facilities, I would be really worried."

This is frightening:

State health officials and long-term care industry representatives have defended the practice of discharging some COVID-19 patients to nursing homes, saying it is part of a broader strategy to conserve critical hospital beds during the pandemic. Long-term care facilities can provide treatment for coronavirus patients who still need care, but have stabilized enough that they no longer require hospitalization, officials said.

How's that worked thus far? Thus far, 80% of COVID deaths have happened at nursing homes. That indicates that these 'experts' have been wrong.

Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2020 12:12 PM

Comment 1 by eric z at 20-May-20 04:08 PM
What about all those closed Walmart stores that some said were to be FEMA detention centers during Obama's terms? Are they not available in emergency situations? Rent 'em and use 'em. Why not? While perhaps less ideal for the infected; what's good sense and what's bad when an entire population is at risk?

Then, rethink the warehousing of the elderly under so-called "care?" If there's seven-figure money the Lakers got - and gave back when it hit the fan, there's money for sane stuff too.

It is almost as if the Trump policy is to make room for the boomers to enjoy the same "care."

Comment 2 by Gretchen L Leisen at 21-May-20 08:52 AM
This is what is wrong with assuming government is the answer to problems. After the disaster that happened in New York and New Jersey with the nursing homes, we now have an idiotic governor who makes the same stupid decision and releases recovering Covid-19 patients back into nursing homes.

The failure to learn from past mistakes is a sign of incompetence. The first bad example of such behavior was in Washington state. Neither Cuomo or Murphy paid attention to it. Now we have Tim Walz who also ignores history. This is insanity.

On the other hand, perhaps it is the citizens of our state who are crazy, They continue to vote for DFL candidates. I have spoken with several DFL voters. They think they are being loyal to their family traditions, and have no idea that today's DFL is 180 degrees apart from the DFL party of their parents and grandparents.

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