Has Trump Compromised National Security?

Jesus Christ! A Russian spy has been unmasked: Inna Yashchyshyn is the second foreign operative who has had access to Mar-a-Lago. Yujing Zhang made it past a Secret Service checkpoint, so one must ask, how many others?

Remember that top secret documents and those designated even higher were being in kept in a room that did not even have a padlock on the door. Something tells me that this revelation is covered in the affidavit, along with likely several others. Probable cause is a dangerous thing, and these revelations may have irreparable repercussions for national security.

Trump goes on and on about his ability to declassify the lot, but experts agree that that power ended when his term ended. Only Biden can declassify documents as president, and that power is not limitless. Some documents cannot be declassified by a president without first respecting the letter of the law under a variety of pieces of national security legislation.

This thing is getting more and more serious, with damage to national security probably highly likely. God only knows how all of this will ultimately pan out.

Once Again Markets Prove They're Followers, Idiots, And Foolish Disciples Of Recency Bias.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: there's no demonstrable intelligence on Wall Street -- not now, not ever -- and the market's reaction to Powell's speech in Jackson Hole proved that without a doubt. Down went The Dow a thousand points, or three percent, when the fools on Wall Street were left holding the bag as their collective stupidity about The Fed first pausing and then cutting rates next year went straight out the window.

You could hardly call me a Powell fan. Up until now I felt he should have been fired not re-nominated by Biden for directly creating this inflation through money printing by digitization of currency which is always sooner or later massively inflationary. In fact, inflation is always, always, a monetary phenomenon as per The Maverick of Wall Street and of course, he's bang on.

Powell will keep raising rates for two reasons: first off, because it's his natural philosophical bent and secondly because he has to improve the odds of the boss not crashing and burning in 2024. Let's just call that the third mandate albeit unofficial of The Federal Reserve.

In addition, it's not inconceivable that Powell is also looking to his place in The Fed's history books. He knows he can't do a full-spread Volcker because that would destroy the American economy and very likely kill the dollar. 

Now for a bit of spit-balling: I think Powell and The Fed recognize that the United States, Canada and much of Europe are already in recession and he's hoping the effective use of his limited tools will keep that recession short and shallow. But I also think he recognizes that inflation can't be allowed to gallop ahead at double digits for long, especially given the fact that the true inflation rate is not 6% but more like between 15 and 20%.

So...expect Powell to actually walk the walk and do the talk at the same time. In his own words: 

“Restoring price stability will likely require maintaining a restrictive policy stance

for some time,” Powell said.

“The historical record cautions strongly against prematurely loosening

policy,” he added.

The Fed chairman also seemed to endorse “front-loading” rate hikes rather than delaying increases to avoid pain.

“History shows that the employment costs of bringing down inflation are likely to

increase with delay, as high inflation becomes more entrenched in wage and price setting,” Powell said.

So, buckle your seat belts cause it's going to be a bumpy ride. I feel sorry for the retail investor who like in all previous market downturns will be left there holding the bag as markets tank in 2022 anywhere between 20 and 80%. If Powell breaks the back of inflation it will be far less of an eventual market shock than otherwise might have been. That is, IF The Fed's policies ultimately do the trick. Maybe, maybe not.

Two Words: Allen Weisselberg.

All that daily bullshit about Trump top secret and other papers at Mar-a-Lago just doesn't do it. A charge of obstruction of justice doesn't seem likely here unless some docs are directly related to January 6th. You know Trump, who allegedly had burning sessions in The White House coupled with plugged toilets.

But Weisselberg pleading guilty to tax fraud is something else -- the guy would rather not hit the klink for very long at 75 years old. So, that tells me deals were in the making to get the big fish and that above everyone else means Trump himself. Kind of takes you back to Jared's old man and his stretch in the slammer. If my name was Trump I'd already be shitting gold bricks especially if one or all of the TO trio also end up being charged. Can you say save my own bacon and backing up the bus over Daddy? Precisely.

In short, them alleged chickens are finally coming home to roost and it risks being at least memorable for Trump and maybe his family.

This is where the real action is so stay tuned. God only knows what's about to come. It won't be boring that's for sure.

The Trump Dolts.

In short, this thing will inevitably end like Napoleon at Waterloo. Idiot Trump's con job is beyond measure the most "successful" in American history -- those little men and women who positively delight in intimidating and bullying fellow Republicans who refuse to buy or sell the Trump lying bullshit.

So...Plan A is to intimidate Republicans who are anti-Trump so they won't run again.  Had some success with that. And if that didn't do it, there's B: they primaryed them. Had more success with that. But the dolt collective can't see the forest for the trees as "questionable" Mitch pointed out so well. These idiots in so many races will go with candidates that are basically unelectable and no one knows a political wrecking ball when he sees it better than McConnell so hey, yes, these fools will deny Republicans Senate control and even if Mitch spends his 28 million across races, Senate Republicans are already in so many contests practically licked before they even get started...Mitch knows that.

And when they win razor thin in the House or do not get control, well then find your fucking answers by looking in the mirror. What they did to Cheney and so many others will lose them House seats not only in purple states but also in red ones. It'll be Goldwater all over again but much, much, worse.

By all rights, my Democrats should already be toast based on the economy and inflation but these MAGA geniuses are throwing Biden a life-line. Mind you, I'm certainly not complaining. 

So prepare for the 22 earthquake as best you can but don't be surprised if it's ultimately not the kind you were expecting. Either way, the American people will have resoundingly spoken and the country will have to live with the political consequences. Americans have no other choice. After all, the march to civil war must by default absolutely be off the table for all Americans.

Reliable Sources.

Well, it's gone and the search for who actually held the knife will go on for some time. Licht can make all the noise he wants about moving the network back toward the center but is that really the actual goal? After all, CNN is now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and methinks this is more about the bottom line than anything else.

First a look back to the glory days of journalism and the gold standard set by Cronkite and others: many of these journalists were registered independents or de-facto independents and some actually went out of their way not to vote in federal elections to further cement their impartiality.  

Think back to Cronkite's rare editorials that were in part so powerful because they were in fact rare. When LBJ saw Cronkite's commentary on Vietnam he quickly realized that his presidency was on the down swing and likely doomed politically. 

With the advent of the internet, it became impractical to yearn for the good old days. Cable news has largely morphed over the years into reporting, context, explanation but also commentary central. Put another way, there are simply too many anchors editorializing across the board than there should be. Put aside deliberate manufacture or misrepresentation of the news and facts in general by some, the overreliance on commentary is prevalent across the board.

I'm not naive enough to think that Stelter is leaving only because of his political views which admittedly were on the left. WBD like most other media companies likely felt uncomfortable with a program that was not afraid to put CNN and its internal practices under a critical microscope. So, that fits into the departure equation as well. 

I'm all for personal editorializing at the end of shows so long as it meets the gravity of the moment but serial editorializing at the end of each and every show is a bridge too far for me. Frankly, some on-air talent like Wolf, Dana, Erin, Anderson, Jim and ironically Chris were better at holding the line without serially veering toward one party's view while others like Jim, Jake, Don, Brianna and Ana were more prone to representing a particular political agenda on-air. I must say that in Don's case I really get where he's coming from given his individual life experience and that of the black community over the last 70 years or more. 

That brings us to the billion dollar question: how to bring in and allow to flourish the happy medium without giving any party a pass or allowing it to substantially affect either directly or indirectly the reporting that makes its way on-air? Far easier said than done in the real world.

It troubles me to see talent leaving CNN but what concerns me even more is Reliable Sources' cancellation: that smacks of finding a way to get management out from under the microscope  especially from reporters and editors who happen to work for them. That's likely the real elephant in the room and time will tell if that eventually is borne out in media reporting. May the search for the RealDeal be both fruitful and timely.

 

Roe: Women Get Fucked.

Pelosi and Democrats made a fuss when Roe codification passed the House but it was at best a pyrrhic victory -- there's no way in hell that the Democratic bill, or for that matter the grand compromise bill, can make it through the Senate.

Remember the filibuster that dictates that at least ten Republicans must vote in favour for something to get sixty votes and that ain't happening here ever.

So...the one who has egg supremo all over her face is of course the ever naive Collins who foolishly took you know who at their word. And they positively delighted in rolling her. Let's just call it the G & K shuffle! Kinda lucky that she doesn't have to face Maine voters again until 2027. But I digress.

That means codification is destined for the twilight zone never to be heard from again and it also means women will have to take their lumps in states that are either highly restrictive or have an outright ban on abortion services. 

Sort of like ERA, the previous lion that squeaked. Welcome to RepublicanWorld101 in a state near you. That requires taking the battle to each state's chamber(s) and good luck with that.

In the 60s, the main lament was all about this being a man's world. Well, everything that's old is suddenly new again and guess who gets to pay the ultimate price? Here's a self-evident hint: not the men.

Bell Media.

Danielle Graham...Lisa LaFlamme...next?

Bell Media: it's not a good look to say the very least.

Mind you, cases like this are why lawyers were invented.

To the cleaners we go! An expensive lesson ahead on so many fronts. Because it's 2022, guys.

I signed the petition but I have to ask myself if I would want to come back?

From Simon to O'Bonsawin.

If there's one thing that this Prime Minister has never got wrong it's symbolism. The PM knows how to say all the right words sometimes even with apparent and meaningful conviction.

Justin Trudeau is all about building a world like us in this country and he'll never get criticism from me on that.

But he also has the scars to show for it, particularly with regard to Simon's appointment -- by pretty much all accounts she's doing at least a good job as GG even with a lack of judgment when it comes to some household and travel expenses.

I just couldn't believe her appointment initially -- it struck me like that of Joly in Foreign Affairs/Global Affairs-- what the hell was he thinking, if thinking at all? But Simon despite her inexcusable lack of French has filled the role well while Joly hasn't screwed it up, at least not yet. So in short, with Simon the symbolism was so-so but with O'Bonsawin, the government hits it out of the park. She's a distinguished lawyer and academic who happens to be a double minority: First Nations person and Ontario francophone. So, her appointment is a big win for reflecting what Canada actually and should look like. And to top it all off, there's some Irish blood there. How can you possibly go wrong with that?

Cheney.

History will not only be kind but more importantly, judge her well. Cheney stands for bedrock principles that somehow are now considered quaint: respect for and an obligation to defend a sacred oath to one's country and its constitution, respect for truth and conducting one self at all times with honor, truthfulness, decorum and bestoying the natural respect inherently owed to others on anyone. And all of the above are just for starters.

You see, what doesn't make America great can commonly be described as the Trump infestation: no regard for truth, no regard for the law, no regard for tradition, no regard for collective and individual respect and I could go on. And worse of all, a traiterous disposition that neither respects American democracy and its ultimate outcome: the fair election of a president of the United States. 

These people are blindly undermining the nation and republic they proportedly claim to serve. And yes, do they ever possess the same negative traits as a collective as seen with dictators past: the highest level of individual and group gullibility known to human kind, an unquestioning loyalty to their version of the so-called truth and a willingness to allow the most prominent shaman to collectively lead them astray and inevitably take them down the path to national ruination and the utter destruction of the American experience. I mourn for a nation that's well on its way to insignificance when so many of its fellow citizens ignore or denounce the very principles that first made it great and an unending beacon of light to the world.

This is indeed the pre-Hitlerian experience of the past and may God help any country and a plurality of its citizenry who foolishly elect to willingly go there. Utter ruination sadly awaits the United States should these people ultimately prevail at the ballot box. Like I said, history will hold Cheney in the highest regard. Not so for the infestation of the national demon seed and his ever willing and compliant accolytes who enthusiastically allow the Trump pestilence to do their thinking for them.

Quelle honte, as we say in French.

Is It Really All About Mar-a-Lago Declassification?

Like most things in life, even presidential declassification is not a black or white matter nor is it an absolute power of an incumbent president. Put another way, Trump claims to have previous declassified all documents ranging from confidential all the way up the chain to top secret that were removed by the FBI during their recent operation, which they claim was not a raid.

Now, before going into the weeds about Trump's powers as then president, let's start with the fun -- trying to nail the informant -- who may or may not be related to the said former president. The internet is buzzing with speculation as to whether Melania, Jared, Ivanka or someone else is the FBI's go-to person.

I have no idea but in my mind it would not be unreasonable for the FBI to have discovered the informant's role in the removal of classified documents and then provided that person with a reality check regarding what possible charges could flow if cooperation and assistance was not provided pronto. In short, reel in the small to medium fish to get the goods on the whale. Will we ever know who did the dirty deed? Probably not.

But back to classification and declassification thereof: it's generally conceded that no president can declassify nuclear secrets unless provisions of various laws are previously followed to the letter. One would also argue that national security matters, particularly related to intelligence services are also off limits. But probably pretty much everything else falls within the presidential declassification power. So, if Trump said it was declassified, other than the two exceptions cited above, it probably was. 

Meanwhile, rumour is rampant that the Justice Department and AG Garland in particular are more interested in January 6th documents classified or otherwise. But did they really hit the mother-load given previous assertions that Trump allegedly burned documents at The White House before leaving office. If that's accurate, would he be stupid enough to burn some and save others? Time will tell.

However, given the treatment of Secret Service texts during phone migration, one could reasonably argue that Trump killed the January 6th mosquito with a sledgehammer. If that's right, the FBI won't be able to add much to the record in that regard.

Legal jeopardy can be a many splendid thing but that's not likely in this instance. If my name is Trump, I would worry one hell of a lot more about pleading The Fifth for four hours in a New York state's AG civil proceeding investigating the Trump Organization. If anything hits pay dirt, this thing shows the most promise and could ultimately lead to the impaneling of a criminal Grand Jury.

So, in the final analysis, the FBI visit to Mar-a-Lago was part raid and informed fishing expedition. Whether it eventually bears fruit against a former president remains anyone's guess. 

And then there's politics: the theory goes that all of the above is designed to try and find a way to declare Trump as legally ineligible for future public office. I have my doubts that anyone can successfully pin this type of tail on the Trump donkey. But hey, as Trump would say, we'll see what happens.

 

 

Why Being Biden Ain't No Fun.

Biden just said that positive inflation and negative inflation across sectors canceled each other out in July with the end result of less than zero inflation for that month. Technically correct but geez Louise, that's not how it feels on mainstreet or in the malls. 

The real inflation number right now is somewhere between 15 and 20 percent when you factor in food, energy, housing and other vital costs -- core inflation is bullshit and does not in any way reflect what Joe and Jane are paying every day.

So...Biden still gets to wear it as President because the buck stops there as Chief Executive -- after all, it's Biden's Fed who put in monetary policy that accelerated the rise in inflation and ultimately contracted the economy, period. All of that happened on his watch, so wear it he will along with the Democrats in November.

Hey, there simply is no miracle out there for fellow Dems. Too bad that but thems the breaks. 

It's like the recession debate: who the fuck really cares whether we're technically in one. Point is, it sure as hell feels like one and that ain't good, democratically-speaking.

So, the Democratic rout is coming both in the Senate and House but hey, better days are inevitably ahead: you know Republicans what with their endless and serial capacity to overreach when in the majority. They view every two year mandate as an edict from God. Just think back to Newt. Point taken.

But hey, at least the big job is out of reach for that ever lying simpleton in '24. Polls on top of polls have already proven that with more than 50% of Americans at least sick of Trump's face, not to mention the rest of him. Trump Repubs think the general is just another Republican primary knocking off "name-only" Republicans. To that I say, be my guest.

So sure, the POS will almost inevitably get the nomination not that it'll do him any good in the ballot box. You see, Americans are awake and next time, they won't be staying home rather than voting. That means for a plurality of Americans, 24 will still be all about keeping Trump out à la TR Bull Moose.

So, Dems get the last and best laugh provided that the pain in 22 doesn't make most of them go insane in the interim. But like I said, no one destroys Republican gains better than Republicans so for Dems, hey, keep hope alive and weather the up and coming stomach churn in November.

Harper Dims His Own Star.

I've been running it around in my own mind for quite some time and frankly, I can't believe what Harper did. 

I'm from the old school where former leaders are supposed to bask in their glory days and gently erase their self-inflicted disasters from the body politic. Most of 'em end up looking one hell of a lot better in the rear view mirror than they actually were in the harsh cold reality of the political arena.

So, before I tear a strip off Harper, I'll deal first with my own blinders and biases: didn't like Harper from Day One, thought he was not temperamentally suited to be Alliance leader, much less ours and yours truly foolishly looked to the long game rather than the expediency of the short. Of course, they gave as good as they got with emphasis on me not being a team player which was so true given that I didn't care for the last three coaches. But thems the breaks in politics.

Harper brought us wins but ultimately and perhaps inevitably our vicious slapdown from power.

But back to the big announcement: I mean, this simply, supposedly, isn't done in federal politics. The co-founder of the party is supposed to be all about unity after leaving office. He's supposed to be healer-in-chief, the guy we logically turn to to get the party back on its feet after we hit the canvas. The ExTM is supposed to show the way forward for the next leader.

But this thing stinks to high heaven. First off, it damns the unexpectedly anointed with at best faint praise. In other words, it doesn't do for Pierre what the Red Sea did for Moses. Hardly, to be polite.

Now, moving from bad to worse, it positively reeks of revenge and settling old scores against Charest in particular, Mulroney and the rest of the PCs in general.

Surprise, surprise, there was no love, to put it mildly, between Harper and Charest when they were first ministers. Charest goes on and on about his creation, the Council of the Federation but Harper allowed the premiers' instrument to be born without balls. So, there's bad blood there and it goes way way back. But the topper for Harper seems to have been when the premiers positively screamed bloody murder for an increased health transfer only to have Charest use a chunk of it to cut taxes right before an election. One side will say that one's word was allegedly broken while the other will argue that the CPC is all about lowering people's taxes. So it cuts both ways, but in the end it diminishes Harper. It comes off as a low blow and a rather petty one at that.

They say that an elephant never forgets. One wonders if that means that's the direction Harper is heading in next time right after reincarnation.

Apropos of Nothing.

It just hit me. Trump made himself a one-term president while Biden's Federal Reserve did the exact same thing to him.

The delicious irony of it all as Newsom trailblazes and DeSantis builds up a head of steam.

al-Zawahri: They Got Him!

Won't be missed by anyone.

That's the thing about the Yanks and what makes the United States of America great: they're relentless, they never, ever, give up until they reach their objective.

He ran, he hid but he still ended up dead. So much for that so-called safehouse.