32 thoughts on “News/Politics 11-1-16

  1. Another blow for the Dems as their efforts to tie Trump to Russia have failed. They’re efforts to deflect the story away from Clinton has failed again as well. And once again Harry Reid is proven to be a bold faced liar. Again, or still.

    http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/us-officials-see-no-direct-link-between-donald-trump-and-russia/ar-AAjFsxR?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U142DHP

    “For much of the summer, the F.B.I. pursued a widening investigation into a Russian role in the American presidential campaign. Agents scrutinized advisers close to Donald J. Trump, looked for financial connections with Russian financial figures, searched for those involved in hacking the computers of Democrats, and even chased a lead — which they ultimately came to doubt — about a possible secret channel of email communication from the Trump Organization to a Russian bank.

    Law enforcement officials say that none of the investigations so far have found any link between Mr. Trump and the Russian government. And even the hacking into Democratic emails, F.B.I. and intelligence officials now believe, was aimed at disrupting the presidential election rather than electing Mr. Trump.

    Democrats supporting Hillary Clinton for president, and angry over what they regarded as a lack of scrutiny of Mr. Trump by law enforcement officials, pushed for these investigations. In recent days they have also demanded that James B. Comey, the director of the F.B.I., discuss them publicly, as he did last week when he announced that a new batch of emails possibly connected to Mrs. Clinton had been discovered.”

    “Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the minority leader, responded angrily on Sunday with a letter accusing the F.B.I. of not being forthcoming about Mr. Trump’s alleged ties with Moscow.

    “It has become clear that you possess explosive information about close ties and coordination between Donald Trump, his top advisers, and the Russian government — a foreign interest openly hostile to the United States, which Trump praises at every opportunity,” Mr. Reid wrote. “The public has a right to know this information.””
    —————————

    Liar, liar, pants on fire.

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  2. Meanwhile….

    https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/new-state-department-documents-reveal-clinton-abedin-email-exchanges-classified-information-unsecure-server/?utm_source=t.co&utm_campaign=Press%20Release&utm_medium=Social

    “Judicial Watch today released 323 pages of new Department of State documents, including previously unreleased email exchanges in which Clinton and top aide Huma Abedin sent classified information over Clinton’s clintonemail.com unsecure email system. According to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exemptions cited in the documents obtained by Judicial Watch, three of the Clinton-Abedin email exchanges contained material “classified to protect national security.”

    Also included in the newly obtained documents is an additional instance of the State Department doing special favors for a high-dollar Clinton Foundation donor. And the documents include instances of the distribution by State Department officials of Clinton’s government schedule to members of the Clinton Foundation staff.

    The documents contain emails not previously turned over to the State Department, bringing the known total to date of such emails uncovered by Judicial Watch to 238 new Clinton emails (not part of the 55,000 pages of emails that Clinton turned over to the State Department). These records further appear to contradict statements by Clinton that, “as far as she knew,” all of her government emails were turned over to the State Department.

    The new records include three separate Clinton-Abedin email exchanges withheld in part from Judicial Watch under the State Department’s “B1” FOIA exemption, applying to “information that is classified to protect national security”:”
    —————————–

    Hillary’s been spending too much time with Reid, and now her pants are on fire too. Again.

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  3. Why early voting is a bad idea.

    http://thefederalist.com/2016/10/31/new-clinton-probe-proves-early-voting-bad-america/

    “Eleven days before the presidential election, the FBI reopened its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of confidential emails. New information has come to light through a probe into former congressman Anthony Weiner’s sexting relationship with a 15-year-old girl.

    The case against Clinton, which the FBI had effectively closed months ago (much to the chagrin of conservative critics), is suddenly alive again. It is sure to sway votes in the upcoming election—except for those votes cast before this new revelation.

    Luckily for Clinton, millions of Americans cast their ballots before the FBI decided that maybe it wasn’t case closed, after all. Those votes are already in the bank. This is not the first time a presidential election has been rocked by an October surprise, but it is the first time in the era of widespread and excessive early voting.

    The supposed value of giving voters several weeks in which to cast their ballot is that otherwise they might not have the chance to vote. But in today’s news media age, three weeks is a lifetime. Since voting began in some places, not only has the FBI relaunched a criminal investigation into the leading candidate but the trailing candidate has also been accused, multiple times, of sexual assault. Can anybody truly claim that those who voted in early October possessed all the facts they needed to make a truly informed decision?”

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  4. And oh look, another Clinton flunky will lead the investigation into Huma’s emails on the DoJ side. Doesn’t really give one the impression this won’t be rigged as well.

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-10-31/doj-tells-congress-it-will-work-expeditiously-review-abedin-emails-there-just-one-pr

    “Now that the FBI has obtained the needed warrant to start poring over the 650,000 or so emails uncovered in Anthony Weiner’s notebook, among which thousands of emails sent from Huma Abedin using Hillary Clinton’s personal server, moments ago the US Justice Department announced it is also joining the probe, and as AP reported moments ago, vowed to dedicate all needed resources to quickly review the over half a million emails in the Clinton case.”

    “In the letter to Congress, the DOJ writes that it “will continue to work closely with the FBI and together, dedicate all necessary resources and take appropriate steps as expeditiously as possible,” assistant attorney General Peter J. Kadzik writes in letters to House and Senate lawmakers.”

    “So far so good, even if one wonders just how active the DOJ will be in a case that has shown an unprecedented schism between the politically influenced Department of Justice and the FBI.

    And yet, something felt odd about this. Kadzik… Kadzik… where have we heard that name?”

    “Oh yes. Recall our post from last week, “Clinton Campaign Chair Had Dinner With Top DOJ Official One Day After Hillary’s Benghazi Hearing” in which we reported that John Podesta had dinner with one of the highest ranked DOJ officials the very day after Hillary Clinton’s Benghazi testimony?

    It was Peter Kadzik.”

    “In other words, the best friend of John Podesta, Clinton’s Campaign chair, at the DOJ will be in charge of a probe that could potentially sink Hillary Clinton.”
    ——————————

    The fix is already in.

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  5. A vote that won’t count, or is counted as “other” is a wasted vote. Why even bother?

    http://hotair.com/archives/2016/11/01/report-write-vote-president-meaningless-literally-wont-count-anything/

    “John Kasich announced yesterday that he had written-in John McCain for president in the critically important state of Ohio in this year’s presidential election.

    You may cynically consider this to be a selfish, preening, meaningless move designed to draw attention to the Governor-turned failed presidential candidate, and according to a new report, you’d be pretty spot-on.

    The Associated Press reports that if you decide to join Kasich and write-in the name of John McCain (or, just as meaningfully “Mickey Mouse”) your ballot, literally, won’t count.

    The names of write-in candidates often end up being lumped into a single category, unless a write-in hopeful has alerted state election officials or has filled out needed paperwork ahead of time to ensure their ballots are tabulated separately.

    In Massachusetts and 33 other states, write-in presidential candidate must fill out paperwork before an election to ensure their ballots are tallied. In a handful of states, write-in voting for presidential candidates is simply not allowed. The remaining states do not require presidential write-in candidates to file special paperwork before the election.

    “We generally encourage write-in candidates to notify us they are going to run a write-in campaign because then we’ll notify the clerks to specifically count them,” said Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin. “If people randomly choose to write in a name, it’ll be counted, but it could be counted as ‘other.’”
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  6. There are worse things than a “wasted vote”. Gerson persuasively listed the reasons not to vote for Trump. I think most of us are in agreement that there are plenty of reasons not to vote for Hillary.

    So Kasich voted for McCain and I will vote for Arnold. Neither are sexual predators or accomplices to sexual predators. Neither are insane or paranoid. Neither have taken bribes or paid bribes.

    Residents of Utah are the only ones with an opportunity to make a difference for good. If McMullin carries Utah there is that tiny chance that the election would go to the House of Representatives and who knows what might happen. Gerson is right. McMullin is not particularly qualified. However, Hillary and Trump are obviously and completely unfit for office.

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  7. I’m starting to think many people will, in disgust, simply not vote. That’s unfortunate because it means only the zealots will get their positions passed.

    The CA ballot book explaining the initiatives is over 200 pages long. Two of the smartest people I know spent 2-2.5 hours on it. Even I am tempted to look at their answers and copy . . .

    Yes on Y. Maybe the library is the only thing I’ll vote for . . .

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  8. I’ll probably vote against legalizing marijuana for recreational use (not that it matters, the passage of cough-cough “medical” marijuana already has accomplished all that anyway).

    I tend to vote against new taxes or bond measures, no matter how good the cause “sounds.” But there are sometimes exceptions. Mainly, I’m simply wary of government or school districts actually using this money in a good or promised way.

    I’ll leave the line for president blank (I still think she’s likely worse, unless the GOP can hang onto the House & Senate and be a reliable block to nonsense), but I will try to vote for any other decent Republican I can find on the ballot (there aren’t many Republicans at all on our ballots anymore, decent or otherwise).

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  9. Wow, Michelle! That is why we should not have lawmakers working full time.

    This is the first year one can vote ahead of time in MN. I have read that one can change one’s vote up to a week before the election. You just have to bring to the attention of the election judge or whatever that you want to change your vote and they will throw out your ballot and you can vote at the precinct I think. Not sure how that all works.

    We have only voted absentee once and one of the people running died. It does not make me want to vote too far ahead, if at all. There are reasons people need to do so. We also never know what may come up on election day for any one of us.

    We also have a situation with a Secretary of State that wants anyone who is a felon (and a couple of other categories) to “self-certify” their right to vote. There is a petition to try to stop this from happening. We know that 1200 voters were felons and ineligible during one very important election where one man won by 500 votes. Things like this are what make one question the election outcomes.

    I live where I know most of the election judges, but in areas with lots of turnover of citizens, I wonder how they keep it all straight. The first time I voted I had to have my registration in at least 30 days before. I needed a photo ID and a couple of other ID’s with my name and address or electric bills etc. to show residence. Now it is same day. I believe this is a system rife with possible fraud. Any attempt to make anything change for the better is met with fierce resistance, though.

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  10. The judges are always tough, hard to research.

    Lowry has this right:

    Dems should blame Hillary, not Comey, for the ‘October surprise’

    http://nypost.com/2016/10/31/dems-should-blame-hillary-not-comey-for-the-october-surprise/

    _____________________________

    Before Democrats burn James Comey in effigy, they should think about how the FBI director came to have an outsized influence in the election in the first place.

    It’s not something Comey sought or welcomed. A law enforcement official who prizes his reputation, he didn’t relish becoming a hate figure for half the country or more. No, the only reason that Comey figures in the election at all is that Democrats knowingly nominated someone under FBI investigation. …

    … Just how vulnerable is she? If it weren’t for the new trove of Huma Abedin emails, the blockbuster news this week would come via a Wall Street Journal report that the FBI is investigating the Clinton Foundation — although Fox News reported the same thing at the beginning of the year, and Hillary, of course, dismissed it as an “unsourced and irresponsible claim that has no basis.”

    The email scandal and Clinton Foundation will dog Hillary until Election Day and, should she win, into her presidency. For this, she has no one to blame but herself — and her irresponsible enablers.
    ___________________________

    Liked by 2 people

  11. I don’t like early voting, either, because things might change before the election. That said, my husband has reasons he cannot vote on election day this year, and he and I voted yesterday. I left the top slot blank, and I’d have left the top slot blank if I’d have voted a week from now. It felt weird to do that, but there were no good options, so that is that.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Cheryl, Arnold Weaver respects your Non-vote of Conscience. He would have appreciated your vote, but since his support is limited to family members and close friends (all of whom are Texans), he probably wasn’t going to win your state even with your vote. The good news is: No matter what horrific thing happens, you didn’t vote for it.

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  13. Those who vote early are more often hard core in their positions, I think — changing events or news probably would not matter.

    Those less certain are more likely to wait until Election Day itself, or close to it. They are the ones to watch as things shift.

    At least that’s my take on it but I may be wrong

    Liked by 1 person

  14. DJ, I’m not generally a big one on political correctness, but the first line of the last paragraph of your 11:46 post could be construed as a slur on Arnold and his canine brethren.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Arnold Weaver isn’t the only animal running for president. Sixth Arrow just informed me that there are 17 (plastic) animals on the ballot here. 🙂 They don’t have to be age 35 or older, and the youngest candidate is 2. The oldest is a 75-year-old mother dinosaur, and two of her sons are also on the ballot.

    There are 13 dinosaurs, 2 dogs, 1 cat and 1 horse running. (Or was it 2 cats and 1 dog? I forget. I must be one of those low-information voters.) 🙂

    And there are no term limits. Sixth Arrow says so, so it’s for sure.

    Oh, and 6 of the 17 candidates seem to be missing right now. I asked her what would happen if one of the missing ones got elected president?

    Well, they would just Skype the president then, of course.

    😀

    Liked by 4 people

  16. From Twitter:

    NEW: Updated @FoxNews Electoral Scorecard moves Florida and Nevada to Toss Up States, Moves North Carolina from Toss Up to Leaning Dem.

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  17. Wow, panel discussion on CNN tonight had Clinton supporters in a tizzy, they seem beside themselves. Lots of tension unleashed.

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