From Drudge. I didn’t real the entire post, but this stood out:
In a new book, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) writes that his battle with brain cancer has given him a sense of liberation to vote and speak his mind.
If I were in his condition, I could think of more important things to do than speak my mind.
And the implication that he has held back all these years says something else about him.
Ricky @9:29 Although it’s interesting to speculate about the numbers, I think it’s a mistake for religious leaders to place too much emphasis (or any emphasis really) on such things. Christianity has been politicized since Judas the Zealot. And look how well that turned out: Christianity survived just fine, while the politically minded did not. Leaders need to be true to the Scriptures and their Biblically informed, Holy Spirit-led consciences, and teach others to do the same. Sometimes they will agree on politics and on fashion statements and on financial investments, and sometimes they won’t. Sometimes these agreements will involve hard principles, and sometimes they won’t, but making every agreement or disagreement a matter of principle, when it clearly is not, is manipulation for the sake of power. And that, more than almost anything else, has the ability to unravel church institutions.
Debra, I tend to agree with you. I think the Biblical principle that applies is that we are not to take actions that would cause our brother to stumble. In current times, I think that means that pastors should avoid politics like The Plague.
Trump should tell Mueller where to stick his questions at this point. It’s a joke that this is even still a thing, despite having a year to come up with something, and millions spent,.it’s produced nothing. Time to shut it down.
Meanwhile Mueller and the leadership at the alphabet agencies have let actual crimes slide.
“Last Friday, the GOP on the House Intelligence Committee released a report that found no collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign. That same report found that former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper leaked information about the dossier authored by Christopher Steele, which is also the force behind the Russian investigation, CNN and may have lied to Congress about it.
Clapper told CNN last month he didn’t leak information about the dossier to the media. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said this is not true and Clapper lied to Congress.
Sean Davis at The Federalist mentioned the findings in the report (emphasis mine):
“Clapper flatly denied ‘discussing[ing] the dossier [compiled by Steele] or any other intelligence related to Russia hacking of the 2016 election with journalists,’” the committee found.
When asked directly whether he had ever discussed the dossier with any journalists, Clapper replied that he had not, according to a transcript of the proceedings:
MR. ROONEY: Did you discuss the dossier or any other intelligence related to Russia hacking of the 2016 election with journalists?
MR. CLAPPER: No.
The former DNI later changed his story after he was confronted specifically about his communications with Jake Tapper of CNN.
“Clapper subsequently acknowledged discussing the ‘dossier with CNN journalist Jake Tapper,’ and admitted that he might have spoken with other journalists about the same topic,” the report continued. “Clapper’s discussion with Tapper took place in early January 2017, around the time IC leaders briefed President Obama and President-elect Trump, on ‘the Christopher Steele information,’ a two-page summary of which was ‘enclosed in’ the highly-classified version of the ICA,” or intelligence community assessment.
On March 12, Clapper told CNN’s Don Lemon that he “didn’t have any contact with the media” after he left the government when Trump took office. Lemon then asked, “So you didn’t leak anything about the dossier to the media?” Clapper insisted he did not.
EARLY JANUARY 2017. Trump received briefings on January 6 and had a meeting with former FBI Director James Comey, who told the president-elect that “the Russians allegedly had tapes involving him and prostitutes at the Presidential Suite at the Ritz Carlton in Moscow from about 2013.” You know, the infamous “golden showers” portion of the dossier.
Comey then told Trump that media outlets like CNN and others had the information, but that “it was important that we not give them an excuse to write that the FBI has the material or” something else that is blacked out. He told Trump that the FBI was “keeping it very close-hold.”
CNN reported the meetings with intelligence officials and Comey a few days later and then BuzzFeed published the dossier.
REMEMBER. Clapper LEFT the government on January 20:”
And Ricky, shame on you and Mueller. Him for leaking to the NYT and WaPo yet again, and you for cheering it on.
You both know that releasing that is inappropriate. It’s leaking info about your investigation in order to turn public opinion. It’s improper and unethical, and you know it.
AJ, What makes you think it was Mueller who leaked to the NYT? Mueller’s indictments are never preceded by leaks. Mueller runs a tight ship. The leaks generally come from aides of the one who is called “idiot”, “moron”, “dope” and “dumb as %#*%” by his own Cabinet, top aides and Chief of Staff. Sometimes the leaks come from your man himself.
But, the real AJ, but, Trump had to have done something wrong, something, or else how did he win? He is a despicable sexual predator so he HAS to have done something illegal! Just let the swamp take care of him! Alligators are GOOD! Republicans are BAD!
So, does this mean that alligators are Democrats? I don’t think so because alligators protect their babies’ lives! Alligators don’t kill their babies but Democrats do.
I understand his grief and agree the truth of the matter should come out, I just don’t know if this is the venue for it. Discovery will be an interesting process.
“On Monday, the family of Parkland shooting victim Meadow Pollack announced they were filing a lawsuit against Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Scot Peterson for failing to confront the gunman.
Meadow’s father, Andrew Pollack, made the announcement on Twitter:”
I filed a wrongful death suit against Deputy Peterson today. I want to expose that coward so bad. Where ever he goes I want people to recognize him and say that's one of the cowards of Broward. The SRO that let those children and teachers die on the 3rd floor!
So disgraceful that the questions concerning the Russian Witch Hunt were “leaked” to the media. No questions on Collusion. Oh, I see…you have a made up, phony crime, Collusion, that never existed, and an investigation begun with illegally leaked classified information. Nice!
Yeah this investigation is getting old with nothing especially juicy to show for it yet, considering all the hype surrounding it. There should be a shot clock on this stuff.
“Sixty-five percent of the eighth graders in American public schools in 2017 were not proficient in reading and 67 percent were not proficient in mathematics, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress test results released by the U.S. Department of Education.
The results are far worse for students enrolled in some urban districts.
Among the 27 large urban districts for which the Department of Education published 2017 NAEP test scores, the Detroit public schools had the lowest percentage of students who scored proficient or better in math and the lowest percentage who scored proficient or better in reading.
Only 5 percent of Detroit public-school eighth graders were proficient or better in math. Only 7 percent were proficient or better in reading.
In the Cleveland public schools, only 11 percent of eight graders were proficient or better in math and only 10 percent were proficient or better in reading.
In the Baltimore public schools, only 11 percent were proficient or better in math and only 13 percent were proficient or better in reading.
In the Fresno public schools, only 11 percent were proficient or better in math and only 14 percent were proficient or better in reading.”
In 1994, Charles Murray wrote a book that explained why the test scores in the schools in those cities will not improve, and he is still getting grief over it.
Some things about Trump are neither appalling or disturbing; they are just funny. For example:
EXCLUSIVE: Dr. Harold Bornstein, who served as Donald Trump's physician for more than three decades, says Trump dictated the glowing health letter in 2015 https://t.co/07RT1T6D4ypic.twitter.com/IQT8OKuQwA
One good feature of the reality show that is "The Trump Presidency" is the way the scriptwriters dramatically reintroduce colorful minor characters we've met earlier at opportune times. Kind of like a Thomas Hardy novel (as I think I recall). https://t.co/wfz9jZORYu
DJ, Speaking of which, people were commenting last night that this Presidential Tweet (written to counter the ‘Kelly called him an idiot’ story) sounded like a Viagra ad:
The White House is running very smoothly despite phony Witch Hunts etc. There is great Energy and unending Stamina, both necessary to get things done. We are accomplishing the unthinkable and setting positive records while doing so! Fake News is going “bonkers!”
AJ, As I predicted @1:03, the “leaked” questions came from a list compiled by Trumper Jay Sekulow, so you can take back all the “shame” you heaped on Mueller and me.
And as usual, what Trump found to be “disgraceful” @ 1:18 came from his own team.
When will Trumpkins ever learn? The sound of guns firing wildly in the air always comes from The Trump Cult. Trumpers never hear the sound of the shot fired by Mueller until it hits home and they are indicted.
I’m always skeptical of proficency test esp when completed by govt agencies.
About 15 years my province went into panic mode over low math scores. Money and time was invested and low behold two years later a miracle; test scores were up as much as 25%. And the govt patted themselves on the back for their excellent work …..or perhaps they simply made the test easier.
PISA is an international test that can’t be manipulated for political reasons (other than selection bias for the so called radom student selection….the reason why I don’t trust the Asian countries results). In those tests, the USA does score below most OECD countrues but is level with Israel and Croatia in math. The US does slightly better in reading and science at the same level as France, Austria and Finland. In other words the US system although slighly below average is fairly competitive with other developed countries.
These results are simillar to how the US scores in other quality of life measurements (life expectancy, infant mortality, etc) and reflects an unwillingness to make public investments.
Wandering Views 
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Kelly’s successor will almost certainly be worse than he is. Lewandowski? Mini-Trump Scaramucci?
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/kelly-thinks-he-s-saving-u-s-disaster-calls-trump-n868961
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With Flynn, Gates and Papadopoulos cooperating, Mueller probably knows a great deal about the truthful answers to these questions.
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A “laudatory tone”? A LAUDATORY TONE??? String him up!!! Why even exist as a country if we allow a laudatory tone?
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From Drudge. I didn’t real the entire post, but this stood out:
In a new book, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) writes that his battle with brain cancer has given him a sense of liberation to vote and speak his mind.
If I were in his condition, I could think of more important things to do than speak my mind.
And the implication that he has held back all these years says something else about him.
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I think he has a hatred for Trump because of the stupid statement Trump made during the presidential primary.
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2018/april/clinton-trump-voters-evangelical-identity-2016-election.html
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Tychicus, What is happening at UT can’t be good for the football team.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/texans-vs-restrictive-masculinity/
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Mr. Trump praised the release of hacked Democratic emails and called on Russia to find others.
No he didn’t. This remains one of the stupidest takes out there about the Russia thing.
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Ricky @9:29 Although it’s interesting to speculate about the numbers, I think it’s a mistake for religious leaders to place too much emphasis (or any emphasis really) on such things. Christianity has been politicized since Judas the Zealot. And look how well that turned out: Christianity survived just fine, while the politically minded did not. Leaders need to be true to the Scriptures and their Biblically informed, Holy Spirit-led consciences, and teach others to do the same. Sometimes they will agree on politics and on fashion statements and on financial investments, and sometimes they won’t. Sometimes these agreements will involve hard principles, and sometimes they won’t, but making every agreement or disagreement a matter of principle, when it clearly is not, is manipulation for the sake of power. And that, more than almost anything else, has the ability to unravel church institutions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Debra, I tend to agree with you. I think the Biblical principle that applies is that we are not to take actions that would cause our brother to stumble. In current times, I think that means that pastors should avoid politics like The Plague.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trump should tell Mueller where to stick his questions at this point. It’s a joke that this is even still a thing, despite having a year to come up with something, and millions spent,.it’s produced nothing. Time to shut it down.
Meanwhile Mueller and the leadership at the alphabet agencies have let actual crimes slide.
https://legalinsurrection.com/2018/04/law-professor-turley-claims-clapper-lied-to-congress-about-trump-dossier/
“Last Friday, the GOP on the House Intelligence Committee released a report that found no collusion between Russia and President Donald Trump’s campaign. That same report found that former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper leaked information about the dossier authored by Christopher Steele, which is also the force behind the Russian investigation, CNN and may have lied to Congress about it.
Clapper told CNN last month he didn’t leak information about the dossier to the media. George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said this is not true and Clapper lied to Congress.
Sean Davis at The Federalist mentioned the findings in the report (emphasis mine):
“Clapper flatly denied ‘discussing[ing] the dossier [compiled by Steele] or any other intelligence related to Russia hacking of the 2016 election with journalists,’” the committee found.
When asked directly whether he had ever discussed the dossier with any journalists, Clapper replied that he had not, according to a transcript of the proceedings:
MR. ROONEY: Did you discuss the dossier or any other intelligence related to Russia hacking of the 2016 election with journalists?
MR. CLAPPER: No.
The former DNI later changed his story after he was confronted specifically about his communications with Jake Tapper of CNN.
“Clapper subsequently acknowledged discussing the ‘dossier with CNN journalist Jake Tapper,’ and admitted that he might have spoken with other journalists about the same topic,” the report continued. “Clapper’s discussion with Tapper took place in early January 2017, around the time IC leaders briefed President Obama and President-elect Trump, on ‘the Christopher Steele information,’ a two-page summary of which was ‘enclosed in’ the highly-classified version of the ICA,” or intelligence community assessment.
On March 12, Clapper told CNN’s Don Lemon that he “didn’t have any contact with the media” after he left the government when Trump took office. Lemon then asked, “So you didn’t leak anything about the dossier to the media?” Clapper insisted he did not.
EARLY JANUARY 2017. Trump received briefings on January 6 and had a meeting with former FBI Director James Comey, who told the president-elect that “the Russians allegedly had tapes involving him and prostitutes at the Presidential Suite at the Ritz Carlton in Moscow from about 2013.” You know, the infamous “golden showers” portion of the dossier.
Comey then told Trump that media outlets like CNN and others had the information, but that “it was important that we not give them an excuse to write that the FBI has the material or” something else that is blacked out. He told Trump that the FBI was “keeping it very close-hold.”
CNN reported the meetings with intelligence officials and Comey a few days later and then BuzzFeed published the dossier.
REMEMBER. Clapper LEFT the government on January 20:”
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And Ricky, shame on you and Mueller. Him for leaking to the NYT and WaPo yet again, and you for cheering it on.
You both know that releasing that is inappropriate. It’s leaking info about your investigation in order to turn public opinion. It’s improper and unethical, and you know it.
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AJ, What makes you think it was Mueller who leaked to the NYT? Mueller’s indictments are never preceded by leaks. Mueller runs a tight ship. The leaks generally come from aides of the one who is called “idiot”, “moron”, “dope” and “dumb as %#*%” by his own Cabinet, top aides and Chief of Staff. Sometimes the leaks come from your man himself.
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But, the real AJ, but, Trump had to have done something wrong, something, or else how did he win? He is a despicable sexual predator so he HAS to have done something illegal! Just let the swamp take care of him! Alligators are GOOD! Republicans are BAD!
So, does this mean that alligators are Democrats? I don’t think so because alligators protect their babies’ lives! Alligators don’t kill their babies but Democrats do.
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I do agree with Democrats about one thing. A woman does have the right to control her own body! So, “Just say NO!” before she gets pregnant! BEFORE!!!
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I understand his grief and agree the truth of the matter should come out, I just don’t know if this is the venue for it. Discovery will be an interesting process.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/30063/family-parkland-victim-files-lawsuit-against-ryan-saavedra
“On Monday, the family of Parkland shooting victim Meadow Pollack announced they were filing a lawsuit against Broward County Sheriff’s Deputy Scot Peterson for failing to confront the gunman.
Meadow’s father, Andrew Pollack, made the announcement on Twitter:”
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Good to hear from you, Bob.
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Well Ricky, Trump summed it up best…..
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Most of Mueller’s leaked questions have nothing to do with Russia or collusion. He’s fishing for crimes outside his scope.
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Yeah this investigation is getting old with nothing especially juicy to show for it yet, considering all the hype surrounding it. There should be a shot clock on this stuff.
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This is not working anymore. This is a joke.
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/65-public-school-8th-graders-not-proficient-reading-67-not-proficient
“Sixty-five percent of the eighth graders in American public schools in 2017 were not proficient in reading and 67 percent were not proficient in mathematics, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress test results released by the U.S. Department of Education.
The results are far worse for students enrolled in some urban districts.
Among the 27 large urban districts for which the Department of Education published 2017 NAEP test scores, the Detroit public schools had the lowest percentage of students who scored proficient or better in math and the lowest percentage who scored proficient or better in reading.
Only 5 percent of Detroit public-school eighth graders were proficient or better in math. Only 7 percent were proficient or better in reading.
In the Cleveland public schools, only 11 percent of eight graders were proficient or better in math and only 10 percent were proficient or better in reading.
In the Baltimore public schools, only 11 percent were proficient or better in math and only 13 percent were proficient or better in reading.
In the Fresno public schools, only 11 percent were proficient or better in math and only 14 percent were proficient or better in reading.”
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In 1994, Charles Murray wrote a book that explained why the test scores in the schools in those cities will not improve, and he is still getting grief over it.
Some things about Trump are neither appalling or disturbing; they are just funny. For example:
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“His physical strength and stamina are extraordinary.”
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DJ, Speaking of which, people were commenting last night that this Presidential Tweet (written to counter the ‘Kelly called him an idiot’ story) sounded like a Viagra ad:
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AJ, As I predicted @1:03, the “leaked” questions came from a list compiled by Trumper Jay Sekulow, so you can take back all the “shame” you heaped on Mueller and me.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mueller-raised-possibility-of-presidential-subpoena-in-meeting-with-trumps-legal-team/2018/05/01/2bdec08e-4d51-11e8-af46-b1d6dc0d9bfe_story.html?utm_term=.2ea151459128
And as usual, what Trump found to be “disgraceful” @ 1:18 came from his own team.
When will Trumpkins ever learn? The sound of guns firing wildly in the air always comes from The Trump Cult. Trumpers never hear the sound of the shot fired by Mueller until it hits home and they are indicted.
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I’m always skeptical of proficency test esp when completed by govt agencies.
About 15 years my province went into panic mode over low math scores. Money and time was invested and low behold two years later a miracle; test scores were up as much as 25%. And the govt patted themselves on the back for their excellent work …..or perhaps they simply made the test easier.
PISA is an international test that can’t be manipulated for political reasons (other than selection bias for the so called radom student selection….the reason why I don’t trust the Asian countries results). In those tests, the USA does score below most OECD countrues but is level with Israel and Croatia in math. The US does slightly better in reading and science at the same level as France, Austria and Finland. In other words the US system although slighly below average is fairly competitive with other developed countries.
These results are simillar to how the US scores in other quality of life measurements (life expectancy, infant mortality, etc) and reflects an unwillingness to make public investments.
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Ricky,
That proves nothing.
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AJ, It proves that you and Trump, as usual, were wrong.
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