The End Game for Mr Hur

For John, BLUF:  DOJ Special Prosecuter Robert K Hur concluded that the Federal Government should not prosecute President Joe Biden for the mishandling of classified information.  He did it in a way to protect Special Prosecutor Jack Smith's case againt Donald J Trump for a similar activity.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

‘No, No, No, No, No’:  Rep. Byron Donalds, NBC Host Kristen Welker Clash Over Hur Report’s Conclusion

From The Daily Caller, by Reporter Hailey Gomez, 25 February 2024, 2:42 PM ET.

Here is the lede plus one:

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds and NBC host Kristen Welker clashed Sunday over the conclusion from special counsel Robert Hur’s report which investigated President Biden’s handling of classified documents.

Donalds appeared on “Meet the Press” to discuss his support of former President Donald Trump for the upcoming general election.  During the interview, Welker questioned the congressman on a claim from Biden campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond calling a recent comment from Trump over his criminal charges “plain racist.”

My interest is further down, where Host Kristen Welker tried to say that Special Council Robert K Hur didn't have enough evidence:

“Hold on, I have to hit the pause button for one minute, Congressman, because the Hur report was very clear that there was not enough evidence to bring charges against President Biden and that ultimately there was not —,” Welker stated before Donalds cut in.

It would seem Ms Welker missed this sentence in Mr Hur's report:

Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen.

That seems pretty straight forward.  As someone who has handled classified information I would take that as saying Mr Biden broke the rules.  If that sentence had been written about one of my Brothers i would recommend they hire a lawyer immnediately.  Handling classified information is serious business.

Perhaps Ms Welker was mislead by the first paragraph of Mr Hur's Report Executive Summary:

We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter.  We would reach the same conclusion even if Department of Justice policy did not foreclose criminal charges against a sitting president.

Yes, and the Report goes on:

However, for the reasons summarized below, we conclude that the evidence does not establish Mr. Biden's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecution of Mr. Biden is also unwarranted based on our consideration of the aggravating and mitigating factors set forth in the Department of Justice's Principles of Federal Prosecution. For these reasons, we decline prosecution of Mr. Biden.

This is where the "diminished faculties and faulty memory" came in:

Mr. Biden's memory was significantly limited, both during his recorded interviews with the ghostwriter in 2017, and in his interview with our office in 2023.

The more expanded version is:

We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,  Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt.  It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.

I would suggesst that in order to prevent long term libility for the President, Mr Hur had to fuzz up the ability to obtain a guilty verdict.  If he did not, then his efforts to exonerate President Biden would then be turned against DoJ in terms of its efforts to prosecute President Trump.

I suggest that a conclusion was drawn that the easiest way to protect President Biden from prosecution, while not getting in the way of the prosecution of Mr Trump for similiar activites, was to suggest a jury would view Mr Biden sympathetically, due to his age and faulty memory.  He would remind them of a beloved Grandparent.

At the same time the President would need to be able to show his strength, so as to avoid removal from office under the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.  Or be removed from the Democratic Party 2024 ticket.

Meanwhile, the prosecution of Mr Trump could proceed.

It worked.  The report came out.  Mr Biden held a Press Conference where he did pretty well, showing himself fit to be President.  And, Mr Trump is still under indictment.

The down side is that this will increase the cynicism of a portion of our Citizens and lead to even more distrust of the Department of Justice.  If this group is merely from the Basket of Deplorables, then it may be an acceptable outcome for Democrats.

Regards  —  Cliff

Farewell NYC

For John, BLUF:  Did the Empire State shoot itself in the foot by going after Mr Donald Trump?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Kevin O’Leary says he will no longer invest in ‘loser’ New York after Trump verdict

From The Hill, by Reporter Miranda Nazzaro, 19 February 2024, 8:17 PM ET.

Here is the lede plus one:

“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary ripped into what he called “loser” New York and vowed to no longer invest in the state, when asked about a New York court’s $355 million verdict against former President Trump last week.

Trump, his business and his top executives — including the former president’s sons — were dealt a major blow last Friday when Judge Arthur Engoron ordered him to pay more than $355 million for conspiring to alter his net worth to receive tax and insurance benefits.  The order also blocks Trump from participating in New York business for three years.

“This award, I mean, just leaving the whole Trump thing out of it and seeing what occurred here … And I’m no different than any other investor, I’m shocked at this,” O’Leary said in an interview Monday with Fox Business.  “I can’t even understand or fathom the decision at all.  There’s no rationale for it.”

The award was part of New York Attorney General Letitia James’s (D) lawsuit against the former president, the Trump organization and his executives based on more than a decade of fraud and capped off a months-long civil fraud trial in the state.

O’Leary, the chairman of O’Leary Ventures, argued New York was “already a loser state,” citing policy, high taxes and uncompetitive regulation as primary reasons.

“It was already on the top of the list of being a loser state.  I would never invest in New York now,” O’Leary said.  “And I’m not the only person saying that.”

Here is the Epoch Times report on the same srory.  And, Not he Bee.

Remember Mr Trump's signature catch phrase.  "Thet're not after me.  They are after you?  I am just in the way."  I think for a lot of voters that rings true.

Time will tell if Mr O'Leary's prediction comes true.  In the mean time, I don't see how the levied fines can not have an impact on Mr Trump's businesses.  In the mean time, where does Mayor Eric Adams turn the next time he needs an ice skating rink rehabilitated.

Regards  —  Cliff

Faux Pas While Telling the Truth

For John, BLUF:  Beneth the talk of Candidate Trump trash talking some of our allies is the question of if alliances like NATO are still worth the effort.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Whether it’s Donald Trump or Joe Biden, Nato’s in trouble

Here is the sub-headline:

Alliance cannot count on a Trump-led America to join it in repelling Putin or a Biden-led America to free up social funds for the nation’s military

From The Sunday Times, by Dr Iarwin Stelzer, Sunday 18 February 2024, 12.04am GMT.

Here is the lede plus four:

Donald Trump did it again. The 450 senior decision-makers gathered at the Munich Security Conference this weekend had Trump and more Trump on their minds. Which is what Trump, for whom attention is the oxygen he breathes, had in mind when he invited Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to any Nato member that has not met its informal commitment to spend 2 per cent of its GDP on its military.

Embarrassing Germany was undoubtedly an added attraction to the man who never forgets a slight, which Angela Merkel dished out more than once when she was chancellor.

Eighteen of the 31 European alliance members will hit the 2 per cent target this year. So will the alliance taken as a whole. Germany will not. Relatively rich, with a GDP per capita of more than $50,000, Germany spends a mere 1.4 per cent of its GDP on defence.

In 2022, the head of the Bundeswehr admitted: “The army that I am allowed to lead is more or less empty.” Experts reckon it would take four-to-ten years of enhanced spending to create a military that would be able to defend the nation from a Russian attack.

Poland, with a GDP per capita of only slightly more than $18,000, devotes 3.9 per cent of its GDP to its defence, and has about twice the number of active-duty personnel as Germany. History and proximity to Putin does that to a nation’s priorities.

From The Washington Examiner we have a similar view, but from The Wall Street Journal we have a voice saying "As Trump sows doubt about U.S. commitment to NATO, allies warn deterrence is fraying."  .

we have two questions to ask ourselves:

1. Does having allies enhance our national security?
2. Is the cost of any particular alliance more than the cost of providing equivient capabilities ourselves?

Given our own limitations in terms of available personnel and the value of forward basing,♠, I would say allies are a benefit.  However, allies who increase our risk of involvement in a regional war, but bring little to nothing to the fight ♥ are of dubious value.

Mt Trump's problem is he has a tendency to say the silent part out loud.  It makes him a poor diplomat.  But, perhaps, it makes him a good negotiator.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  And the risks.
♥  Perhaps increasing the risk of such a fight.

Disappointed Shopper

For John, BLUF:  I was disappointed by the merchandise selection at Staples this afternoon.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

I went to the Staples in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, today, to buy a package of printer paper (a ream).

Along the way I picked up a fountain pen, to replace my Lamy Safari, which is not working, even after I put in a new cartridege and ran the tip under the fauct.  However, when i looked around, i could find no replacement cartridges in the aisle.  I asked a clerk and he said they did not carry spare cartridges.  Does it make sense to sell a pen without additional cartridges.  Is the Lamy, at $24.99 (as I recall), a disposable pen?  Or does Staples want me to buy ink cartridges from Amazon?  I find that poor customer support.

Then I asked about clam clips.  I am looking for a clam clip dispenser.  "Never heard of it," I was told.  Shouldn't an office supply store know about clam clips and other such items?  Apparently not.

When I went to check out I entered my phone number, as I always do, to receive some sort of a discount.  It failed.  It worked a couple of weeks ago.  What happened?  According to the checkout clerk they are moving to a telephone App, and some of us are not being grndfathered until we get the App installed.

In addition, the snack selection, at checkout, is beyond the cash register, and it is not a very broad selection.

If Staples is looking for a part-time hire to help them manage what they stock, I am available [crkrieger@icloud,com].  Having a good office supply store in the neighborhood is important to me, and should be to you.

Regards  —  Cliff

First in the Hearts of His Countrymen

For John, BLUF:  If we are to become a better nation, it needs to be based on something—I recommend the efforts of the founding fathers.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

It's George Washington's Birthday

Here is the sub-headline:

He was the greatest American. Don't settle for less.

From Don surber Substack, by Reporter Don Surber, 19 February 2024.

Here is the lede plus three:

“First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.  He was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life; pious, just, humane, temperate and sincere; uniform, dignified and commanding, his example was as edifying to all around him, as were the effects of that example lasting.

“To his equals he was condescending; to his inferiors kind; and to the dear object of his affections exemplarily tender:  Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence, and virtue always felt his fostering hand; the purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues.”

— Henry “Light Horse” Lee.

In that first sentence, Lee summed up the the life of the man who transformed America from a collection of British colonies to independent states that formed what is now called the United States.  I saw a meme on Twitter the other day.  It showed Trump:  Make America Great Again.  Above him was Lincoln:  Make America Great.  Above him was Washington:  Make America.  Only the Lord stood above him with the simple word:  Make.  How true.

Yes, he is.

We are a nation of humans, and thus a nation with flaws,  Yet, George Washington stands out in striving to form a more perfect union, to bring all of us together.  Not that it was perfect.  Nor is it yet perfect, but he lead those who put us on the path.

Stay on the Path.

Regards  —  Cliff

Desiring a Polite Society

For John, BLUF:  we are no longer a polite society, but one where everyone is a possible enemy.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Diversity and the death of polite society

From The Conservative Woman (UK), by Commentor Frederick Edward, 16 February 2024.

Here is the lede plus four:

TRYING to enter a Boots the other afternoon I had to wait to be buzzed in. According to a sign on the door this was because of a recent spate of aggressive behaviour towards its employees:  as such, after 5pm, entry into the shop was controlled.

This was not, may I add, in some inner-city slum, but in an average retail park in an average town.

Similar trends are visible elsewhere.  Petrol stations near me – though it tends to be the nicer ones with an M&S or Little Waitrose bolted on – have started employing security guards.  These shops, which previously had no bouncers, have for the last few years had two on duty at any time.

Obviously this is necessary owing to a rapid increase in both scummy behaviour towards its employees and an increase in theft (or, as it is euphemistically called in retail, ‘shrink’).

It is a sad token of society’s general direction, and one borne out by statistics. Reported recently was that violence and abuse against shop workers had risen 50 per cent year-on-year, and that the total lost to shoplifting has reached an all-time high of £1.8billion.  Such are the records that are broken in 21st century Britain.

When I was youbg we were taught it was an honor to live in these United States.  Yes, you could assert that it was that wy for Caucasians, but I would suggest World War Two showed that it was so for other folks also.♠  All being happy to be here♥  we treated each otherr with rewpect.

Today, with the division of the natoin into oppressors and the oppressed, and with gradations therein, we are not one people, but a swrl of bickeering sub-nations.  I had hopes that President Obama would begin the healing process, but it didn't advance past his Attorney General Eric Holder saying "We need to have a conversation,"  Surprisingly, President Trump seemed to make some small progress.,  Candidate Biden promised to bring us together, but there has been no follow-through.

The person who will lead us out of this morass is the one who will show respect to all and build trust between groups, offering the American Dream to all.  someone who will build a concensus on what we owe to help marginalized groups their own opportunities and fair share.  Someone who will support the idea that respect goes in all directions and that the sins of the past are for historic review and lesson learning and not a way of creating new groups to be eschewed.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Just for example, the Navajo Code Talkers, the 442nd Regimentsl Combat Team (Go For Broke) and the Tuskeegee Airmen (thank you Mrs Roosevelt).
♥  Not everyone who immigrated to the United States was happy to be here.  A surprisingly large number returned to their home countries, and that is fine.

New York Finds Donald Trump Guilty

For John, BLUF:  This kind of thing makes us look like a banana republic, or Russia.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Trump and associates ordered to pay $364 million in civil business fraud case

From The Washington Examiner, by Reporter Kaelan Deese, 16 February 2024, 3:18 pm.

Here is the lede plus one:

Former President Donald Trump and his associates were found liable by a New York court on Friday for committing decades of business fraud through his real estate empire, the Trump Organization, and a court ordered them to pay roughly $364 million in penalties.

New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron’s ruling ordered Trump and his companies to pay millions of dollars to the state, while his adult children and other associates under the Trump Organization were ordered to pay additional fees in the millions.  Engoron barred Trump from “serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in New York” for three years, according to the ruling.

Of course it wil be appealed.

In the mean time, to whom does the New York City Mayor turn when he needs the next ice skating rink, or like facility, rehabilitated?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

President Cranky is Wrong

For John, BLUF:  President Joseph Biden, a forgetful, cranky old man, is failing to lead the nation to fix the border wall and also help friends currently engaged in war.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Biden urges House to take up Ukraine and Israel aid package:  "Pass this bill immediately"

From CBS News, by Reporter Kaia Hubbard, Updated on 13 February 2024, 2:52 PM EST.

Here is the lede plus one:

Washington — President Biden urged House Republicans to "immediately" take up a $95 billion foreign aid bill that includes assistance to Ukraine and Israel after the Senate passed the measure early Tuesday, saying that "there's no question" that it would pass if brought to the House floor.

"I call on the speaker to let the full House speak its mind and not allow a minority of the most extreme voices in the House to block this bill even from being voted on," the president said in remarks at the White House, which came hours after the Senate's 70-29 vote to approve the measure.  "This is a critical act for the House to move."

Later in his talk the President said:

"History is watching.  Failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten."

As is his wont, the President repreated himself with regard to that sentence, for emphasis.

I fully support our efforts to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.  I believe the United States must support the Budapest Memorandum.  I am even willing to talk about restoring nuclear weapons to Ukraine, in light of Russia's violation of the Budapest Memorandum.

President Biden, in his talk, seems to be ignoring two considerations.

1. A large portion of the American Public thinks illegal immigration should be our first priority.  A prioity ahead of Ukraine.  The Republican (thin) majority in the House of Reprsentatives thinks it should use its political power to fix the US Southern Border.  In this belief it believes it is reflecting the will of the American People.
2. Given the way the US Government works, a party that commands only one House of Congress may use that power to force a President of another party to move in their direction, thus forcing a compromise.  The President is deeming this normal, contitutional, interaction as unpatriotic,  It is not and he is wrong.
3. As an aside, today, on his WRKO Afternoon Program, Reporter Howie Carr suggested that a bill such as the Ukraine funding bill should originate in the House of Representatives, per the Constitution.

The President is not only wrong on this issue, he is also being irascible.  And, he is further failing to keep his campaign promise to bring us all together.

Fix the border and then aid, Ukraine, Israil, Taiwan, and other allies and friends in trouble.

Regards  —  Cliff

Reading the Room

For John, BLUF:  If you didn't think this Bill was DOA, you didn't realize President Biden wants his cake and to eat it too.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Here’s Why the Senate Border Security Bill Was ‘Dead on Arrival’

Here is the sub-headline:

Illegal immigrants by the millions are entering the United States, as Congress is unable to fix loopholes, and President Joe Biden refuses to do so.

From The Epoch Times, by Investigative Reporter Mark Tapscott, 8 February 2024, Updated 9 February 2024.

Here is the lede plus four:

On Feb. 6, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) said that a border security bill created by a bipartisan group of senators was “dead on arrival.”

When Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) announced on Feb. 4 that he and two colleagues had agreed on a comprehensive border security bill, he lauded it as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to stop the flood of illegal immigrants entering the United States that began in 2021 at the beginning of President Joe Biden’s term.

Mr. Lankford said he thought that he, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.)—after four months of arduous closed-door negotiations—had done something that recalled the great compromises that once defined the Senate, pleasing conservatives and liberals alike.

But two days later, Mr. Johnson said the bill was even “worse than expected.”

Going by their comments, it was as if the Sooner State’s senior senator and Mr. Johnson were reading two entirely different bills.

The US Southern Border is like a seive, and has been since January 2020.  In Fiscal Year 2023♠ we had 2.8 million illegal immigrants.  In December of 2023 it was 302,392 illegal immigrants (or 3,628704 over a year, not counting the "got aways").

The reform bill has issues.  Here is a list, from Senator Mike Lee of Utah.  Taking an example, the proposed bill would provide emergency action if we logged 5,000 illegal immigrants for seven days in a row.  One person short of 5,000 would provide 1,824,635 illegal immigrants a year.  That is almost 2 million that we don't have a plan to house, education, and assimilate.  We can tell there is pain by listening to the Mayors and Citizens of major Cities in the Northern part of the nation.

Regarding the building of a wall, this proposed bill would put that building off until 2028.  Why?  We need a wall now, not in four years.

President Biden and the Democrats on Capitol Hill do not want to fix the illegal immigrant problem.  They want a cloak to hide their goal of free and open immigration for all.  It is a sad commentary that they think this cloak will hide their abandonment of our national borders.

Some, like our Senior Senator from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, claim opposition to the Bill is just President Trump playing politics.  She must not be reading the polls.  The American Voters are not happy with the nation's immigration policies.  President Trump is just doing a better job of reading the room.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  A Fiscal Year runs from 1 October to 30 September.