What’s interesting in the news this weekend?
Open Thread, you tell me…. 🙂
Here’s what I’d like to talk about……
Dirty Democrats, and there seem to be a bunch. Especially troubling is that all 3 of these are in leadership positions and sit on influential committees.
1. I told you about these accusations against Senator Bob Menendez and his doctor friend before. Looks like he may finally have to answer to them.
From NationalJournal “The Department of Justice is preparing to charge Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the ranking member of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, with corruption, CNN reported Friday.
According to the news outlet, Menendez is facing allegations that he traded his political influence for perks and favors from a top donor, Dr. Salmon Melgen—an eye doctor and political backer.
While a formal announcement could still be weeks from now, CNN reported that Attorney General Eric Holder has given the green light to move forward with the case before time runs out to pursue some of the charges.”
_____________________________________
2. Next up, Elijah Cummings. We knew he was involved in the IRS targeting of conservative groups, and now we have some proof of his colluding.
From GatewayPundit “Last April House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) released a report implicating Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) in colluding with the IRS and Lois Lerner against the nonpartisan voters rights group “True the Vote.”
Catherine Engelbrecht, the founder of “True the Vote,” testified before Congress in February. She was targeted by FBI, IRS, ATF, and OSHA after she filed for tax exempt status for her voters rights group.
Engelbrecht said this during her testimony before Congress and Cummings, “Frankly, to sit before my accuser and be silent in the face of what he did was unconscionable.”
“This week the House Oversight Committee released more emails that prove the IRS was feeding Rep. Cummings with confidential tax information on the voter fraud prevention group True the Vote.
Townhall reported:
New IRS emails released by the House Oversight Committee show staff working for Democratic Ranking Member Elijah Cummings communicated with the IRS multiple times between 2012 and 2013 about voter fraud prevention group True the Vote. True the Vote was targeted by the IRS after applying for tax exempt status more than two years ago. Further, information shows the IRS and Cummings’ staff asked for nearly identical information from True the Vote President Catherine Engelbrecht about her organization, indicating coordination and improper sharing of confidential taxpayer information.”
_____________________________________
3. Next up, Harry Reid, the influence peddler. Harry’s been steering taxpayer money to his friends, lackeys, and donors.
From TheFreeBeacon “Corporate donors to a green energy nonprofit operated by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid’s (D., Nev.) former staffers and a current campaign operative have received billions of dollars in federal loan guarantees and grant money as a result of Reid’s advocacy.
Fulcrum Bioenergy began contributing to the Clean Energy Project (CEP) in 2013. One year later, the Nevada Democrat steered tens of millions of dollars in federal grant money to the California biofuel company.
Fulcrum is one of at least nine corporate donors to the Clean Energy Project (CEP) that have secured federal financing for themselves or a client due in part to Reid’s behind-the-scenes advocacy—activity that watchdogs warn could be construed as unethical.
Rebecca Lambe, Reid’s top political strategist who has been directed by Reid to take the lead in hiring for his 2016 reelection campaign, founded CEP in 2008 and served as its executive director. Reid’s former chief of staff Susan McCue served as CEP’s president at that time. Lambe is now an adviser to CEP, according to her official bio. McCue is a member of its board.
McCue and Lambe also run Senate Majority PAC, a powerhouse Super Pac with close ties to Reid that spent $67 million to elect Senate Democrats last year.
Far from denying a role in steering subsidies to donors to aides’ group, Reid’s office brags about it.”
_____________________________________
Wandering Views 
I am reading a book called Rise of ISIS. A small paperback, cost $8.00 on Amazon. It tells of many of the terrorist atrocities committed by ISIS and other Muslim terrorists.
What I can’t understand is the purpose of terrorism. It does cause considerable anguish among the people, but it has no, that is zero, strategic or tactical value. It doesn’t weaken war fighting capability. Nor the determination of the people. Israel has suffered it since 1948 and will in the foreseeable future. They are still determined.
Wars must be won on the battlefield.
We are guilty of terrorist bombing during WW II. They say there were military targets, but the firebombs on cities only burned down cities. This was especially true in Japan.
The BOMB, though ended the war. Truman made the right decision.
LikeLike
From Rise of ISIS, p. 61.
”The mission if ISIS was to kill anyone it could. … The terrorists group was in the habit of launching mortar shells in the general vicinity of American soldiers, but instead of hitting our bases, the shells kept hitting in and around local villages. Our soldiers had been hunting for the mortar crew for days, but without success. The mortar was kept in the back of a pickup truck. The terrorists would race out to a firing point, fire two or three deadly shells, then race back under cover before anyone could see them”
There is a system called “Firefinder”. It locates the point of origin for any incoming missile. Once located, they can destroy it. The enemy knows about it. Hence the “back of a pickup truck”. It also accounts for the lack of accuracy of the mortar rounds. They don’t have a chance to home in on the target.
Some time ago, there was a Youtube video going around. Some bad guys were firing a mortar. They got off a round, ran for another missile, fired it and ran for another. Suddenly, there was a big blast, and they were no more.
LikeLike
I suspect your question really is, why does Satan plague us? Why doesn’t he just leave us alone?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Michelle. Because that’s what he does.
Tolkien tells, in The Silmarillion about Melkior (Morgoth) “the Dark Enemy of the World”. ‘Who was utterly evil. Great might was given him by Iluvatar, …but he turned them to evil purposes, and squandered his strength in violence and tyranny. ..From splendor, he fell through arrogance to contempt for all things save himself, a spirit wasteful and pitiless.” He goes on to say that he is incapable of good. He is very capable of deception, but every good thing he touches turns out bad.
To me, the fall of Melkior is a good analogy of Satan. He makes it seem good at first, but eventually everything he touches turns corrupt.
I might re-read ”The Silmarillion”. Lots of applicable analogies there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
About those e-mail gaps…
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6826536?1425833177
“If you think to that iconic picture of her on a C-17 flying to Libya, she has sunglasses on and she has her hand-held device in her hand,” Gowdy said, referring to a photo of Clinton that became a popular meme. “We have no emails from that day. In fact, we have no emails from that trip. So it strains credibility to believe that if you’re on your way to Libya to discuss Libyan policy, that there’s not a single document that’s been turned over to Congress.”
LikeLike