Category Archives: Media
Tarmac Talk Could Influence Election Outcome
Jane Mayer, in the New Yorker, points out that FBI Director Comey broke with Justice Department tradition:
Attorney General Loretta Lynch expressed her preference that Comey follow the department’s longstanding practice of not commenting on ongoing investigations, and not taking any action that could influence the outcome of an election, but he said that he felt compelled to do otherwise.
Tarmac Talk
He might have felt compelled to do otherwise because the AG turned her authority in the case over to him:
Comey’s supporters argue that he had to act independently, and publicly, because Lynch had compromised herself by having an impromptu visit with Bill Clinton late in the investigation.”
Here’s Andrew McCarthy in NR on Comey’s tradition breaking behavior:
In effect, it became The Decision because Attorney General Loretta Lynch had disgraced herself by furtively meeting with Mrs. Clinton’s husband a few days before Comey announced his recommendation. Comey, therefore, gave Mrs. Clinton a twofer: an unheard-of public proclamation that she should not be indicted by the head of the investigative agency; and a means of taking Lynch off the hook, which allowed the decision against prosecution to be portrayed as a careful weighing of evidence rather than a corrupt deal cooked up in the back of a plane parked on a remote tarmac.
Taking Action
McCarthy says not taking action would also have influenced the election:
But of course, not taking action one would take but for the political timing is as political as it gets. To my mind, it is more political because the negatively affected candidate is denied any opportunity to rebut the law-enforcement action publicly.
Anyway Hillary created the mess so it’s her fault. At least that’s the way Rich Lowry, A. B. Stoddard, Trey Gowdy, Andrew McCarthy, and Piers Morgan’s see it.
Obama’s Fake Name and Hillary’s Secret Email Server
President Obama told CBS News that he learned about Hillary’s secret email server at “the same time everybody else learned it through news reports.”
That was before the FBI showed Huma Abedin an email the president had sent to Hillary – using a pseudonym. “Why is this not classified?” exclaimed Huma.
Did Obama share classified information on Hillary’s unsecured secret server? Maybe the Russians will let us know.
All About Obama
Fox’s Judge Napolitano and National Review’s Andrew McCarthy (a former federal prosecutor) speculate that the FBI went easy on Hillary because Obama would have been a defense witness in her case.
Update 10/31/16: Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey joined the all about Obama theme writing in today’s WSJ, “If Mrs. Clintgon was at criminal risk for communicating on her nonsecure system, so was he.” “He” being the president.
Hillary’s Secret Email Server
Here’s Neera Tanden, an informal Clinton advisor and president of the progressive think tank Center for American Progress :
“Do we actually know who told Hillary she could use a private email? And has that person been drawn and quartered?” Tanden added the next day. “Like whole thing is fucking insane.”
Dead Voters
Walking Dead
Some critics say The Walking Dead went too far in its season opener. The episode featured violence with a baseball bat rigged with barbed wire.
Critics also say Donald Trump has gone too far as his reality show campaign season closes. The final episodes feature claims the election is rigged.
Dead Voters
Liberals say voter fraud is a myth. Trump cites a 2012 Pew research report that says there are 1.8 million dead voters on the rolls.
Rudi Giuliani says, “Dead people generally vote for Democrats rather than Republicans.”
Not to worry. The Russians have offered to monitor the election.
Trump Accepts Rigged Election If He Wins
Joe Scarborough dinged the media for freaking out over Trump’s refusal to accept the results of the election. But after spending the week saying the election is rigged what else would you expect him say?
Rigged Election
Trump later joked that he’ll definitely accept the rigged election results if he wins:
“I will accept a clear election result,” Trump allowed. “But I would also reserve my right to contest or file a legal challenge in the case of a questionable result.” He cited the landmark 2000 Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore as precedent for needing to contest an election.
Here’s to hanging chads.
Thrill Of Victory, Agony of Debate
The thrill of victory was followed by the agony of debate last night.
Thrill of Victory
The Cleveland Indians won the American league pennant, shutting out the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0. Rookie Ryan Merritt went 4 1/3 scoreless innings in his second major league start.
Merritt got the nod because starting pitcher Trevor Bauer was the victim of a drone strike. A strike of his own drone. Bauer has always done things his own way, and this came as no surprise to anyone around here. So they sewed up his finger and sent him out to the mound for game three.
Bauer’s a gamer, but his sutured pinkie opened up like the elevator doors in The Shining. He never made it out of the first inning. No problem. Mad Manager Tito Franco stitched together a bullpen game and the Tribe won 4-2.
Back to Ryan Merritt, hero of Northeast Ohio. Someone found out he’s getting married, so fans bought everything on his wedding registry. But you could still get him a pillow last I checked.
Agony of Debate
Unfortunately all good things come to an an end and the final presidential debate was about to begin.
Moderator Mike Wallace asked about Supreme Court nominees. Hillary Clinton said the court should stand up for women and transgender bathrooms but not late term babies about to be aborted. She also said the court should overturn Citizen’s United (a Supreme Court case that said it’s okay for a company to make a movie critical of Hillary).
Trump said, “The Supreme Court – it’s what it’s all about.”
The clear winner … Chris Wallace.
