CAPITALISM OR SOCIAL DEMOCRACY?

When it comes to creating great societies Capitalism has a dismal track record.

You can't pick your self up by your boot straps if you don't have boots. Something that is conveniently overlooked by those who advocate letting everyone fend for themselves in the supposedly greatest and richest nation in history.

Los Angeles' homelessness crisis is a national disgrace - Los Angeles Times - Discussion on Topix

There are few sights in the world like nighttime in skid row, the teeming Dickensian dystopia in downtown Los Angeles where homeless and destitute people have been concentrated for more than a century. Here, men and women sleep in rows, lined up one after another for block after block in makeshift tents or on cardboard mats on the sidewalks - the mad, the afflicted and the disabled alongside those who are merely down on their luck.

DEMS THUMB THEIR NOSES AT ESTABLISHMENT- FEINSTEIN

It looks like the rank and file Democrats are finally waking up and accepting the reality that the Establishment favorites are not the people's choice.



Feinstein loses California Democratic Party’s endorsement - The Washington Post


California Democrats rebuked Sen. Dianne Feinstein at their annual convention this weekend, denying her the party’s endorsement in this year’s Senate race and giving a majority of their votes to her liberal primary challenger.

Just 37 percent of delegates to the statewide convention, held this year in San Diego, backed Feinstein in her bid for a fifth full term. More than 54 percent backed state Senate leader Kevin de León, who entered the race in October and has run to Feinstein’s left on health care, taxes and immigration. Candidates needed 60 percent of the vote to win the party’s endorsement, making Feinstein the first incumbent senator in recent memory who will run in June’s primary without official backing.

WHAT HAPPENED TO PROTECT AND SERVE?

These warning signs all point to a system that is severely broken and results in innocent people losing their lives.



Armed and trained police officers hiding behind their cars outside a school while the children inside the school were being slaughtered by a mass shooter.



When confronted the officer promptly resigns without even and apology or consequences which was a blatant dereliction of duty and possibly an accessory to murder(s)



Sources: Coral Springs police upset at some Broward deputies for not entering school - CNNPolitics



The FBI chasing Russian trolls in Russia while taking zero action against what they had been advised on numerous occasions was a real threat in the US by a crazed mass shooter.



When confronted the response was "oops" we made a mistake. That's it? No accountability for the poor leadership by the higher ups? No serious consequences for those staff level people who obviously failed to do their jobs? Not even so much as reprimands or apologies to the victims?

FBI says it didn't act on tip about Parkland shooter


Instead let's blame the NRA and criticize POTUS

Is Robert Mueller Chasing Windmills?

Mueller's time might be better spent investigating the FBI and it failure to prevent the recent mass shooting in Florida.

Instead it's all about Russian Trolls and Bots. Now, more totally unrelated to Russia or Trump charges against a couple of shady business types; one of which was associated with Trump for 2 months.

These actions again demonstrate Mueller's desperation in keeping the Witch Hunt in the news

Robert Mueller Brings New Charges Against Paul Manafort, Rick Gates : NPR

The charges Manafort and Gates face, on the other hand, stem from political consulting work they did for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine — and allegedly attempting to shield their earnings from that work from U.S. authorities. They do not include allegations that either man colluded with a foreign attack on the election.

In its court filing, the special counsel's office said it brought the new charges before the grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia because "our current evidence venue for these charges does not exist in the district of Columbia."

PELOSI - LET THEM EAT CRUMBS

It's not surprising coming from a "coastal" elite who probably has no problem coughing up an average Americans hourly wage for a frothing cup of latte'


Nancy Pelosi Tries to Own Her 'Crumbs' Gaffe: 'I’ll Repeat That'   

Since making her initial “crumbs” remark, Republicans have hit back, saying it highlights just how much out of touch some politicians are with the rest of America. The Republican National Committee recently sent crumb cakes to Democratic candidates for Valentine's Day.

Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.) has come up with a bill named the “Creating Relief and Useful Middle-Class Benefits and Savings,” or the “CRUMBS” Act, which would make the bonuses people have received because of tax reform, up to $2,500, tax-free.

“Americans are receiving thousands of dollars in bonuses and more money in their paychecks thanks to President Trump's tax reform, but out-of-touch Democratic leaders believe they only amount to crumbs,” Rokita said in a statement.

Pelosi Heckled: 'How Much Are You Worth, | The Daily Caller


“How much are you worth, Nancy?” a woman yelled over Pelosi’s screed.

“No, we’re not talking about that,” Pelosi shot back. “I’m a mother of five, I can speak louder than anybody.”

It should be noted that Pelosi is one of the wealthiest members of Congress and the wealthiest female member. (RELATED: Pelosi Proves She Wants To Pay As Little As Possible In Taxes)

She and her husband have a combined net worth in excess of $100 million.

She has habitually referred to the $1,000 bonuses some American workers have received in response to the tax cuts as “crumbs.”

FBI CHASING RUSSIAN TROLLS INSTEAD OF HOMEGROWN MASS SHOOTERS

Is this really what the FBI should be doing?

Politics P.M.: Russian troll farm, 13 suspects indicted for interference in U.S. election - johannwagener@gmail.com - Gmail



While this is going on?

Florida shooting: FBI admits it missed warning Nikolas Cruz may carry out school massacre

THE KEY WORDS ARE MEDDLE AND RUSSIA

If the question is do other countries; both friends and foes alike, try to influence elections in the US, the answer is a resounding YES!

And it's been a common practice since the first politician walked on this planet.

So, why all the hoopla now?

The answer is simple; the Establishment wants to scare us. Why? Because they are losing control of the electorate and they are desperately looking for ways to get voters back into buying the line that voting for anyone other than their "appointed" cronies is a vote for the enemy; Russia, China, North Korea, you name it. Today's boogeyman is Russia and the key word is "meddling."

The game plan remains the same; de-legitimize Trump, the anti-establishment outsider, who was able to wake up Main Street Americans and gave them the opportunity to take control away from the coastal elites who have ruled like Plutocrats for decades.

So far Trump and Main Street aren't buying it.


George W. Bush believes it, the entire U.S. intelligence community believes it, and even members of Trump’s Cabinet believe it—but, according to reports, Donald Trump is still skeptical that Russia meddled in the 2016 presidential election. Citing three sources who are familiar with Trump’s thoughts on the matter, CNN reported Wednesday that the president is still reluctant to accept that Russia influenced the election. According to CNN’s sources, Trump believes that accepting that the Kremlin interfered would mean admitting that he had help to win the election. The report came hours after U.S. intelligence chiefs unanimously testified about Russian involvement in 2016. Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said: “There should be no doubt that Russia perceives its past efforts as successful and views the 2018 U.S. midterm elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations.”

Trump Doesn’t Think Russia Meddled

THIS IS WHAT POLITICIANS BEGGING FOR MONEY LOOKS LIKE

Establishment politicians devote the majority of their time doing their own business rather than the people's and it's all about money.


Pelosi Raises $49.5 Million in 2017 for House Dems

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) raised nearly $49.5 million for House Democrats in 2017, a Politico report released early Monday said.

Pelosi held 204 fundraising events in 43 cities, according to the publication, with $47.6 million of the funds raised going directly to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

The report also noted that Pelosi raised nearly $10 million more in 2017 than in 2015, when she raised only $40.1 million.

Democrats are expected to use the funds to support midterm election efforts this year.

 

WAS THE OBAMA CIA COLLUDING WITH THE RUSSIANS?

All this talk about collusion and obstruction in the Trump camp seems to have been misplaced since it appears that most of it was being committed by his opponents.


After months of negotiations, American spies handed over $100,000 in cash in a brief case to the Russian during a meeting in Berlin in September.

The operative also offered documents and emails that purported to implicate other Trump associates, including former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. But The Times viewed the documents and reported that they were mostly information that is already in the public domain.

The Russian, who has ties to organized criminals and money launderers, showed the video purported to be Trump to a Berlin-based American businessman who served as his intermediary to the CIA. But according to the Times, the footage and the location of the viewing raised questions about its authenticity.

The 15-second clip showed two women speaking with a man. It is not clear if the man was Trump, and there was no audio. The Russian also showed the video to his American partner at the Russian embassy in Berlin, a sign that the operative had ties to Russian intelligence.

The Russian stonewalled the production of the cyber tools, and U.S. officials eventually cut ties, according to The Times. After the payout in Berlin, the man provided information about Trump and his associates of questionable veracity.

The Americans gave him an ultimatum earlier in 2018 to either play ball, leave Western Europe, or face criminal charges. He left, according to The Times, which interviewed U.S. officials, the American intermediary and the Russian for its article.

CIA Gave $100k To Russian Offering Trump Sex | The Daily Caller

HERE'S HOW FAKE NEWS IS CREATED

These 2 clowns wrote an article for this internet rag using exaggerated headlines that imply that a "crime" was actually committed when in reality all they have are tid bits of other fake news from unreliable sources.




In Watergate, it was the cover-up, not the crime. But in Russiagate, that stands to be turned on its head. We already know a lot—and we can be sure Mueller knows more.

JONATHAN ALTER NICK AKERMAN
02.09.18 10:48 PM ET


Recall the Watergate cliché that the cover-up is worse than the crime. That may have been true then. While it was never established that President Nixon knew in advance about the break-in at the Watergate complex, he was forced to resign after proof emerged that he used the CIA to obstruct the FBI investigation.

In the Russia scandal, special counsel Robert Mueller has credible proof of obstruction of justice—i.e., the cover-up. But in a highly politicized climate, where “memos” and insults are weapons of distraction, that won’t likely be enough. Even if Democrats take control of Congress in November, most Republicans—like most juries in run-of-the-mill criminal cases—will demand significant evidence of an underlying crime as a motive for the obstruction before turning on President Trump, much less voting in the Senate to remove him from office.

While Mueller and his team don’t leak, signs that such evidence exists are clear from news reports, which contain only a tiny portion of what the special counsel’s office possesses. The fragmentary and often disconnected nature of those reports obscures the reasonable supposition that Mueller is well on his way to detailing conspiracy, wire fraud, illegal foreign campaign contributions, or all three. 

During Watergate, the special prosecutor had most of the evidence that doomed Nixon at least nine months before his August 9, 1974 resignation. Mueller, too, likely has the goods already, even without “smoking gun” tapes.

Trump-Russia Isn’t About the Cover-Up. It’s About the Crime.

A CASE OF THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK

Assemblywoman at forefront of #MeToo movement accused of sexual misconduct



Politico reported Thursday that two men said Garcia made improper advances toward them. One, a former legislative staffer, said Garcia groped his back and buttocks and attempted to grab his crotch during a legislative softball game in 2014.


The former staffer, Daniel Fierro, told his former boss, Assemblyman Ian Calderon (D-Montebello) about the incident several weeks ago, his office said. Calderon then reported the incident to the Assembly Rules Committee.READ MORE



#MeToo movement lawmaker investigated for sexual misconduct allegations

IT'S BEGUN

The Establishment is going to wish they never tried to destroy Trump and/or neutralize Bernie. These anti-establishment "outsiders" created a spark that will soon turn into a full blown raging fire storm that will leave nothing but scorched earth under the Establishments foundation and it will eventually collapse onto itself.



Independent to launch bid for Senate in Maryland - POLITICO

WHY IS THE FBI-DOJ NOT OBJECTING TO THE CLASSIFIED DEM MEMO?

Why has the FBI or DOJ not objected to the release of more classified information involving them with the only difference being that the DEMS are releasing this one?



Even though the FBI and DOJ both claim to be non- partisan and unbiased there is not a peep of concern or objection(s) coming from neither of them nor the Main Stream Media.



Why is that?



House Intel Committee Votes To Release Dem Countermemo. Will Trump Go Along? : NPR

WHY IS FBI NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT DEMS MEMO?

Now that the DEMS are releasing a "memo" that exposes more information about the inner workings of the FBI it is difficult to not see how differently the reaction(s) is.



There is no outrage or "deep concern" from the FBI or DOJ even though this memo addresses the very same issue(s). It's almost as if the FBI and DOJ are in league with the DEMS and once again passively doing their bidding.



House Intelligence Committee Taking up Dems Rebuttal Memo on Monday


Democrats said last week that their 10-page memo will show that the GOP account is an attempt by the White House to “discredit, disable and defeat the Russia investigation” and that they feel the president will be forced to release it.

“This wasn’t about oversight, this is about telling a political story that’s helpful to the president,” ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told reporters. “It’s about telling a political story that’s designed to injure the work of the special counsel and discredit it.”

He continued, “I think the president would be hard-pressed to try to suppress this memo, particularly since they claim they’re releasing the GOP memo in the interest of transparency.”

The Nunes memo details alleged reports of FBI agents abusing government surveillance rights to investigate a former Trump campaign associate. It can be read in full here.

Since its release, President Donald Trump’s approval rating has risen to a near-11-month high to 49 percent.

In a tweet, Trump said the ratings are “higher than certain ‘sacred cows,’” apparently referencing past presidents widely thought of as good leaders.

The president has also taken to Twitter to speak specifically about the Nunes memo, which he says “totally vindicates ‘Trump’” in the Russia investigation.

“This memo totally vindicates “Trump” in probe. But the Russian Witch Hunt goes on and on,” Trump tweeted. “Their was no Collusion and there was no Obstruction (the word now used because, after one year of looking endlessly and finding NOTHING, collusion is dead). This is an American disgrace!”

POTUS ONCE AGAIN TRUMPS THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MSM

Trump once again demonstrates his skill set as a Master Troll as he once again "Trumps" his foes. 

Trump says disputed GOP memo 'totally vindicates' him in 'Russian Witch Hunt'

The infamous Nunez memo? A paper tiger.

Nothing new other than it's coming from Trumpies rather than Trump himself.

It also puts DEMS in no win situation, On the one hand they complain the "memo" is a threat to national security while at the same time demanding that they release one of their own.


House Intelligence Committee Taking Up Dems Rebuttal Memo on Monday

The MSM is also shooting themselves in the foot by shouting that the FBI is unbiased and non partisan while at the same time screaming that the FBI is out to "get even" with the Donald

Trump has picked a fight with the FBI. He’ll be sorry. 

WAPO VERIFIES FBI OUT TO GET TRUMP

The Main Stream Media continues to hammer home that the FBI is unbiased and non-partisan and would never play politics or take sides.



Then, out of the blue the Washington Post; one of the MSM big hitters hammers out an oped that claims just the opposite.



It looks like the Nunez memo is accurate in claiming that the FBI was/is out to get Trump and is being corroborated by none other than the Washington Post as the following oped points out.



Trump has picked a fight with the FBI. He’ll be sorry. - The Washington Post


Presidents don’t win fights with the FBI. Donald Trump apparently wants to learn this lesson the hard way.

Most presidents have had the sense not to bully the FBI by defaming its leaders and — ridiculously — painting its agents as leftist political hacks. Most members of Congress have also understood how unwise it would be to pull such stunts. But Trump and his hapless henchmen on Capitol Hill, led by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), have chosen the wrong enemy. History strongly suggests they will be sorry.

I’m old enough to remember the days when J. Edgar Hoover ran the place like his own private Stasi — wiretapping civil rights leaders such as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., infiltrating anti-Vietnam War groups with informers and provocateurs, seeking or manufacturing damaging “evidence” against those he targeted, keeping copious files on the peccadilloes of the politicians who were theoretically his masters. Presidents from Franklin D. Roosevelt through Richard Nixon coexisted warily with Hoover, afraid to fire him for fear of all the beans he might spill.

Harry S. Truman was an especially bitter opponent. “We want no Gestapo or secret police. The FBI is tending in that direction,” he said. “They are dabbling in sex-life scandals and plain blackmail. . . . J. Edgar Hoover would give his right eye to take over, and all congressmen and senators are afraid of him.”

But when Truman left office, Hoover was still FBI director. He held on to the job from the FBI’s founding in 1935 until his death in 1972 — six weeks beforethe Watergate break-in.

The day after what Nixon’s spokesman would call “a third-rate burglary attempt” took place, the FBI’s major-crimes duty officer, a supervisor named Daniel Bledsoe, opened a federal wiretapping investigation. According to Bledsoe, he received a phone call from Nixon aide John Ehrlichman ordering him to shut down the probe. His simple reply: “No.”

It was another FBI man — Mark Felt, then an assistant director — who became the famous source Deep Throat, secretly meeting Post reporter Bob Woodward in a parking garage to guide the paper’s illumination of the president’s crimes.

In 2004, according to journalist Tim Weiner’s book “Enemies: A History of the FBI,” President George W. Bush was confronted by the man he had appointed to lead the bureau: Robert S. Mueller III. In Weiner’s telling, Mueller threatened to resign unless Bush curtailed some aspects of the domestic electronic surveillance that was taking place in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Bush reportedly agreed to put the program on a more legal footing.

Now comes Trump. His oafish attempts to neutralize the FBI director he inherited, James B. Comey — trying to extract a Godfather-style loyalty pledge, asking him to drop the investigation of Michael Flynn, ultimately firing him — are potential fodder for what may be an obstruction-of-justice case against Trump being assembled by Mueller.


Comey wrote everything down. The FBI always writes everything down.

Do you see a pattern here? The idea that the likes of Trump and Nunes are going to put a scratch on the FBI with ludicrous innuendo — we’re supposed to believe the bureau is a nest of Bolsheviks? — and selectively edited memos would be laughable, if Mueller and his team were the laughing kind. Which they’re not.

The Trumpists were so proud of themselves when they found evidence that Peter Strzok, an FBI agent originally on Mueller’s team, thought Trump would be a bad president. Now, however, someone has leaked to CNN that Strzok drafted the “October surprise” Comey letter that reopened the bureau’s investigation into Clinton’s emails — without which Trump probably would have lost the election.

Trump and his minions seem to think they can out-leak the FBI. Obviously they haven’t been paying attention.

IS ROSE McGOWAN A SHE KNEW TARGET?

Meryl Streep targeted by ‘she knew’ street art | Page Six



Posters of Streep with a red and white “She knew” banner — reminiscent of the style made famous by artist Barbara Kruger — over her eyes went up around Los Angeles on Tuesday near the SAG-AFTRA building, Hollywood and Highland complex and in Pasadena near Streep’s home.



Whoever is responsible for the signage remains unknown.

The posters came after Rose McGowan called out Streep for allegedly knowing what was going on with Weinstein. The Oscar-winning actress addressed McGowan’s allegations directly and unequivocally denied her accusations



Rose doesn't appear to have a problem "calling out" other people for knowing and not saying doesn't include herself as a member of the "don't tell" group; how soon she forgets



In 1997, Mr. Weinstein reached a previously undisclosed settlement with Rose McGowan, then a 23-year-old-actress, after an episode in a hotel room during the Sundance Film Festival. The $100,000 settlement was “not to be construed as an admission” by Mr. Weinstein, but intended to “avoid litigation and buy peace,” according to the legal document, which was reviewed by The Times. Ms. McGowan had just appeared in the slasher film “Scream” and would later star in the television show “Charmed.” She declined to comment.



Rose McGowan Calls Out Justin Timberlake



Rather than lecturing other people about their failures Rose might want to be asking herself how many women she could have saved from the same fate had she spoken up at the time rather than take the check.



Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades

HOLLYWOOD KNEW BUT DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW

The Hollywood studios are teeming with sexual predators and their victims were nicely compensated to act "as if" nothing happened which is another way of saying they collaborated with the perps by allowing them to run around loose stalking more prey without consequences.



NDAs Can’t Silence Everyone: Here’s When You Can Safely Break a Nondisclosure Agreement

So, who knew? Well, first off the perps knew, and you can be sure the locker room buddies they boasted to had all the details.



Then the victims; both those who took the hush money and those too frightened to ask or tell all knew.



Then their, friends, families, and associates plus other partners in crime who all knew.



Let's not forget the lawyers and studios that paid out the hush money.



So, the correct question to ask is, "who didn't know?"



Meryl Streep targeted by ‘she knew’ street art | Page Six



Posters of Streep with a red and white “She knew” banner — reminiscent of the style made famous by artist Barbara Kruger — over her eyes went up around Los Angeles on Tuesday near the SAG-AFTRA building, Hollywood and Highland complex and in Pasadena near Streep’s home.

Whoever is responsible for the signage remains unknown.

The posters came after Rose McGowan called out Streep for allegedly knowing what was going on with Weinstein. The Oscar-winning actress addressed McGowan’s allegations directly and unequivocally denied her accusations

Rose doesn't appear to have a problem "calling out" other people for knowing and not saying doesn't include herself as a member of the "don't tell" group; how soon she forgets

In 1997, Mr. Weinstein reached a previously undisclosed settlement with Rose McGowan, then a 23-year-old-actress, after an episode in a hotel room during the Sundance Film Festival. The $100,000 settlement was “not to be construed as an admission” by Mr. Weinstein, but intended to “avoid litigation and buy peace,” according to the legal document, which was reviewed by The Times. Ms. McGowan had just appeared in the slasher film “Scream” and would later star in the television show “Charmed.” She declined to comment.

Rather than lecturing other people about their failures Rose might want to be asking herself how many women she could have saved from the same fate had she spoken up at the time rather than take the check.

Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades

IS J. EDGAR STILL HAUNTING THE FBI?

There are those who want us to believe that the FBI is beyond reproach and that their integrity is dependent on the public trust that they are squeaky clean of corrupt players.



Then there are also those who still believe in Santa Claus.



As it turns out, neither are true.



FBI Director Must Be Prepared to Resign Over Nunes Memo, Ex-Agents Warn


Mueller’s probe is an outgrowth of an FBI investigation that Nunes’ still-secret memo purportedly claims was tainted from the start. In batting back the FBI’s attack on his memo, Nunes confirmed that one of its claims concerns another right-wing bete noire: the salacious dossier, compiled by ex-British spy Christopher Steele, financed at first by Trump’s GOP rivals and then Democrats last year, alleging that Trump allies had been compromised by or complicit with the Kremlin.

“Top officials used unverified information in a court document to fuel a counterintelligence investigation during an American political campaign,” Nunes charged Wednesday, calling the FBI and Justice Department objections “spurious” and self-interested.

That’s a reference to a surveillance application submitted last year for Carter Page, a Trump campaign foreign policy aide with a history of proximity to Russian spies.

But according to ex-Justice Department attorneys who have been involved in the so-called Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process, information from the Steele dossier could have played little more than a marginal role.

To obtain a surveillance warrant on a specific person under what is known as Title I FISA, a judge on a secret court must find the Justice Department and FBI have probable cause to believe their intended target is an agent of a foreign power. Showing that involves affiants describing the evidence underlying each of their arguments.

But Steele’s dossier cited proprietary and unnamed sources for his claims. While Justice Department lawyers are permitted to cite the FBI’s confidential sources before a FISA Court judge, they would not be in a position to explain why Steele’s unknown sources merit confidence. At most, attorneys say, Steele’s information could bolster submissions for which the FBI and Justice Department already had evidence.

TROLLMASTER AND CHIEF HAS DEMOCRATS WAILING

It's amazing that the Establishment and Main Stream Media have not yet realized that their Trump bashing tactics are doomed to fail from the start.



Why? Trump is a master troll and thrives on baiting his opponents into reacting to his every tweet.



Donald Trump’s State of the Union Was Designed to Troll Democrats. It Worked.



Democrats boxed themselves in on this,’ a White House official said after the speech, giddy over the optics, however fleeting, of ‘grumpy, out of touch’ Democrats.