Author Archives: Bok
Dossier Doozy
In 1980 Ronald Reagan debated George H W Bush in the New Hampshire primary. The debate was sponsored by the Nashua Telegraph. But the FEC ruled it violated election regulations. So the Reagan Campaign took over sponsorship of the debate.
When the day of the event arrived chairs were only arranged for Reagan, Bush and a moderator. Four other candidates stood awkwardly onstage. Reagan demanded they be included. Editor Jon Breen, the moderator, asked the sound tech to cut off Reagan’s mic. The crowd booed.
The Gipper angrily responded, “I’m paying for this microphone, Mr. Green.” His name was Breen but, whatever. The crowd went nuts.
Dossier
In 2016 Hillary Clinton paid for a dossier on Donald Trump. Among other things, the document claimed Trump paid Russian prostitutes to pee on a bed where Barack and Michelle Obama had slept in Moscow.
Journalists were aware of the dossier but considered it sketchy, unverified and un-newsworthy. At least most did.
The big questions were: Who paid for the dossier and did its allegations contribute to the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate Trump for Russian Collusion?
The Washington Post broke the story Tuesday night that the Clinton Campaign and the DNC paid for it. They used the law firm Perkins Coie to hire the opposition research firm Fusion GPS. That way Fusion GPS could claim attorney client privilege when questions were asked. Fusion GPS then subcontracted with British spook Christopher Steele to compile the Dossier.
A Republican donor initially engaged Fusion GPS but dropped out after Trump won the primary.
Update: The Hill reports The Washington Free Beacon hired Fusion GPS first.
Assignment Niger
Last week most of the media focused on an Empty Barrel in a sequined cowboy hat criticizing President Trump’s call to comfort a war widow. But Reason.com wanted to know why we have troops in Niger. Good question.
Niger
It turns out the U.S.military is stretched all over the place trying to fill vacuums before Islamic extremists do the same. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford says there are about 800 American troops in Niger and 6,000 overall in in Africa.
Sen. Lindsey Graham said on Meet the Press,”I didn’t know there were 1,000 troops in Niger”
Russian Collusion
The Russian Nuclear firm Rosatom bought Canadian mining company Uranium One in 2010. The deal gave Putin control over 20% of the U.S. Uranium supply.
The Hill reported last week that the FBI knew that Russian nuclear officials were involved in racketeering schemes in the U.S. prior to the purchase. The Russians had also directed millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation and paid Bill Clinton hundreds of thousands in speaking fees.
Robert Mueller was FBI Director when the probe of possible Russian collusion on nukes began in 2009 and James Comey was director when it ended in 2015.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of State Clinton both sat on a committee that approved the Uranium One deal in 2010.
Russian Collusion
Mark Steyn’s reaction: “Fancy that! A racketeering scheme centered on the Clintons! Who’da thunk it?”
Unlike the current “Russia investigation”, where details of dawn raids on Paul Manafort are gaily leaked hither and yon, Mueller and Comey managed to keep the lid on this one for the six-plus years it was active. And happily it doesn’t seem to have obstructed either the Clintons’ or the Russians’ mutually beneficial relationship.
Hillary says this is all a bunch of baloney.
Reasons For Kneeling
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press conference on Tuesday that he didn’t order players to stand for the national anthem.
Colin Kaepernick got the ball rolling by sitting for the anthem. He was protesting police brutality. Here’s what he had to say last year:
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
Reasons for Kneeling
He was angered by the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile among others. Research by Heather MacDonald shows that twice as many whites as blacks are killed by cops. But whites make up 62% of the population and blacks 13%. And then it gets complicated.
Now players give all kinds of reasons for kneeling. Protesting Trump being high on the list along with expressions of unity, solidarity and equality.
Insurance Companies’ Very Bad Week
Last week President Trump issued an executive order rolling back President Obama’s executive order to subsidize insurance companies. The subsidies reimburse the companies for reducing certain out-of-pocket expenses to policy holders.
The only problem is Congress refused to appropriate money for the subsidies. So Obama whipped out his pen and phone and and started spending the money anyway. And Trump continued that practice. But a federal district court judge says that’s illegal.
Insurance Companies’ Very Bad Week
This week two Republican senators, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey, introduced a bill to to partially end the individual mandate, no longer requiring some people to buy health insurance.
Yesterday two more Senators, Republican Lamar Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray, made a deal to keep the subsidies alive. Trump said nice things about it last night but withdrew support today.
Time.com tries to explain what’s going here.
