Hillary is toast: Scandals finally catch up with Clintons

Imagine: even the New York Times’ Ross Douthat now thinks that Bill Clinton should have stepped down over the Monica Lewinsky affair. Douthat’s mea culpa op-ed in this past weekend’s paper, in which he confesses that he and others may have been wrong to dismiss Bill Clinton’s indefensible behavior, will serve as the official political obituary for Clinton, Inc.

Hillary Clinton is done, finished, kaput. Dogged by scandals old and new, out of step politically, her excess baggage has morphed into an entire baggage train, dragging her towards political oblivion. While it is refreshing to consider the landscape unadorned by Clintons, Republicans will miss her. Only Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have contributed as generously to GOP fund-raising efforts in recent years, or so energized voters.

Mrs. Clinton is finally being held to account, at least in the court of public opinion, where it may matter most. As charges of sexual aggression swirl around prominent figures on the left and right, Bill Clinton’s gross and possibly criminal behavior is getting a second look. New York’s junior Senator Kirsten Gillibrand took the revisionism to a whole new level when she told the New York Times that President Clinton should have stepped down when his sexual relationship with 22-year old staffer Monica Lewinsky came to light.
Though Gillibrand later tried to soften the blow by putting her statement in a modern context, the damage was done. Bill Clinton’s affairs and sexual aggression are now fair game, at a time when the country is outraged over such activities. Many have long considered Hillary’s defense of her husband hypocritical in the extreme. Even as she postured as a champion of women’s rights, she tossed Lewinsky, Juanita Broaddrick (who accused Clinton of rape), Kathleen Willey and Paula Jones under the bus.  These women accused Hillary of trying to intimidate them into silence. As recently as last year, Broaddrick broke down in tears as she recounted her 1978 ordeal. It would be hard to muster that emotion if the story were bogus.

Bill Clinton’s affairs and sexual aggression are now fair game, at a time when the country is outraged over such activities.

It is high time Bill Clinton’s misdeeds and Hillary’s defense of them received bipartisan condemnation. Gillibrand broke that sound barrier. Others have piled on, including Clinton-friendly pundits and apparatchiks like David Rothkopf, MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, and Michelle Goldberg. Liberal screed and former staffer at the Center for American Progress Matthew Iglesias wrote on Vox recently, “I think we got it wrong”, saying that defending Mr. Clinton was a mistake. 
Meanwhile, there are increasing calls for a special counsel to investigate accusations that Hillary sold out the country by green-lighting the sale of Uranium One to a Russian state-linked entity, in return for cash donated to the Clinton Foundation and to Bill directly. Mrs. Clinton is in a precarious position here; as she becomes more assertive in blaming her election loss on Moscow’s intervention, she has called for ever-widening scrutiny of all things Russian. This is a risky gambit for Mrs. Clinton; comparisons between actual payments made to Clinton, Inc. and smoky speculation about “collusion” between the Trump campaign and Russia do not favor the former First Lady.
The Russia probe has also unearthed revelations that Hillary’s campaign shelled out millions of dollars to finance the infamous “Trump dossier,” which fed speculation about the president’s ties to Russia and how Moscow might have influenced the election. In other words, the Clinton team paid for a hit job on Trump that has been widely discredited but that ultimately led to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the ever-expanding investigation that Democrats hope will bring down a duly elected president. It is a shocking chain of events, and one that has been extraordinarily damaging to the country.
Nonetheless, Hillary continues to tour the country, claiming with ever-greater vehemence that Russia undermined her campaign and put Donald Trump in the White House. That’s when she’s not blaming misogyny, the media, the DNC, Bernie Sanders, President Obama, James Comey and a host of others whom she considers responsible. Her tour is an embarrassment, not only for its content, but because it is yet another example of the never-ending Clinton lust for cash. She has been selling “VIP” tickets for nearly $1,200; you would think she might treat her loyal supporters to a freebie, after they doled out billions only to see her lose. The good news: plenty of websites are advertising tickets at 50 percent off.
Those steadfast supporters need some good news. Donna Brazile’s revelations that Hillary effected a clandestine takeover of the Democratic National Committee almost a year before the election, and made sure that the supposedly neutral organization pushed the nomination in her direction was salt in the wound.  Aside from the shocking disclosures, Brazile’s break with Clinton, Inc. is a sure sign that Hillary and Bill’s dominance of Democratic politics, nurtured by an incomparable fundraising behemoth, is coming to an end.
Not that they have yet ceded the floor. Last May Hillary and former DNC Chair Howard Dean launched Onward Together, a PAC established to fund groups dedicated to “encouraging people to organize, get involved and run for office.” Presumably Hillary tapped Dean for credibility in sponsoring the “progressive values” the PAC’s website claims. The Daily Caller has reported that six months in, Onward Together seems mainly intent on fundraising, with scant evidence that its revenues are being distributed to other organizations. 
With the Clintons, it has always been about the money. Onward Together will be a test. If the millions roll in, the Clintons will remain a force to be reckoned with. If not, they will fade into political obscurity. Already, monies flowing into the now-tainted Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation have tumbled – down 42 percent in 2016 on top of a 37 percent drop the year before.
It’s also about the politics. Democrats have moved far to the left of Bill and Hillary. Worse for the Clintons, they are moving on.
Liz Peek is a writer who contributes frequently to FoxNews.com. She is a financial columnist who also writes for The Fiscal Times. For more visit LizPeek.com. Follow her on Twitter@LizPeek.

Border Patrol agent appeared to be ambushed by illegal immigrants, bashed with rocks before death

Illegal immigrants appeared to have “ambushed” two U.S. Border Patrol agents near the Texas border with Mexico and bashed their heads with blunt objects -- possibly rocks -- killing one agent and sending another to a hospital in serious condition Sunday, a National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) official told Fox News.

Rogelio Martinez, 36, was killed and another agent, who has not been identified, was injured while they were patrolling the Big Bend Sector, leading authorities to scour West Texas for the attackers, officials said. Although few details about the incident have been released, Brandon Judd, the president of the NBPC, told Fox News on Monday it appeared Martinez and the second agent were “ambushed” by a group of illegal immigrants.

“We don’t know exactly what happened because we weren’t there. However, just from agents that were working in the area, reports are saying it was an attack and it would appear to be an ambush,” Judd said.
He added: “There’s a high likelihood this was an assault on the agents.”

Rogelio Martinez, 36, was killed while patrolling the Big Bend Sector in Texas.  (Facebook)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has offered a reward of up to $20,000 "for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible" for the attack.
Judd said Martinez died of blunt force trauma to the head, indicating the attackers most likely used a rock or rocks during the assault. The second agent also suffered blunt force trauma to the head. The area surrounding where the attack occurred also indicated rocks were likely used as weapons. An FBI official also said that, counter to initial reports, neither agent was shot.
“There were no indications the agents fired their weapons,” Judd said, citing accounts he received from agents who responded to the incident. He also said there were no signs of a stabbing.

“There’s a high likelihood this was an assault on the agents.”

Martinez was notified there was illegal immigrant traffic in the area while the agents were patrolling near Interstate 10, in the Van Horn Station area, according to Judd. He began following “footprints” on a trail when the attack occurred. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release that Martinez's partner made the initial call for help and reported they were injured and needed assistance.
Judd said details remained foggy on what led to the ambush and the FBI was investigating the incident.
Judd did not further comment on the second agent’s condition.
Martinez was from El Paso and had worked as a border agent since August 2013, assigned to the Big Bend Sector. He was also a father and brother, KFOX14 reported.
Border Patrol records showed the agency's Big Bend sector, which includes the area where Sunday's attack took place, accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions its agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017. The region's mountains make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.
The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents, not including Martinez, who have died since late 2003 — some attacked while working along the border and others killed in traffic accidents. Martinez is the second agent to have died this year.
President Trump tweeted Sunday night: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"

Trump crackdown on sanctuary cities permanently blocked by federal judge

U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick

A federal judge in California on Monday permanently blocked President Trump’s executive order to withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with U.S. immigration authorities.

U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick ruled that the White House does not have the authority to impose new conditions on spending already approved by Congress.

“The Counties have demonstrated that the Executive Order has caused and will cause them constitutional injuries by violating the separation of powers doctrine and depriving them of their Tenth and Fifth Amendment rights,” the judge wrote in his order.
The latest decision is in line with the argument Orrick made in April that temporarily halted the administration’s attempt to crack down on sanctuary cities, prompting an appeal.
Trump has campaigned on ending sanctuary cities. He issued an executive order that called on cutting federal funds from cities as a penalty for shielding illegal immigrants.
"The District Court exceeded its authority today when it barred the President from instructing his cabinet members to enforce existing law," a  Department of Justice spokesman said in a statement. "The Justice Department will vindicate the President's lawful authority to direct the executive branch."
The judge’s ruling on Monday came after two California counties, San Francisco and Santa Clara, filed lawsuits against the Trump administration.
"President Trump might be able to tweet whatever comes to mind, but he can't grant himself new authority because he feels like it," San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera said in a statement, adding that the ruling was “a victory for the American people and the rule of law.”
A DOJ lawyer argued in April that the initiative would only apply to a few federal grants, barely affecting the funding in the two counties that filed the lawsuits.
But the judge disagreed, saying the order was written vaguely and could “reach all federal grants” – potentially leading to cutbacks of millions of dollars to Santa Clara and San Francisco.

George Soros not funny Cartoons

Soros-tied donor network to ramp up efforts to elect left-wing prosecutors

Enemy of America.

The Democracy Alliance, a secretive leftwing dark money donor network whose members each direct hundreds of thousands in funding to progressive groups, are set to ramp up efforts to elect far-left prosecutors across the nation, according to documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
The documents, which were gathered from the Democracy Alliance's three-day fall investment conference last week at the posh La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, Calif., show that electing ultra-progressive prosecutors in cities across the country is of high importance to the deep-pocketed donors as part of their "resistance" efforts and 2018 strategy.
Closed events were held at the summit on issues ranging from using the state of California as a progressive template to expand elsewhere, to the "importance of prosecutor races."
"Progressive prosecutors are winning—from Florida to Pennsylvania, Texas to Illinois," a flier for a session reads. "Bold reform candidates have been propelled by movement players and driven record voter turnout of African Americans, Latinos, and Millennials—and are shifting the political narrative."
Liberal billionaire George Soros, a cofounder of the Democracy Alliance, was listed as a host for the event which shared an "early peek at more than 30 hot races" that overlap in key 2018 battlegrounds.

Herschel Walker takes stand against national anthem protests

Herschel Walker

 

Herschel Walker, the ex-NFL luminary, is firing on all cylinders for America’s military heroes and first responders — hot on the heels of his recent criticism of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for not quelling the national anthem protests.
Walker’s latest patriotic fervor comes with a super prize for a hero of the US uniformed and emergency services: a free customized, hand-painted, American-made 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, worth $80,000.
“I absolutely think the protests are so upsetting, and I blame the commissioner,” he said.
“I know people are going to be angry when I say it, but he should have stopped the protests at the very beginning.”
The Heisman Trophy winner doesn’t beat around the bush. “Guys, let me tell you this,” he said. “Our flag is very special, and black lives matter, but what we should do is go to Washington after the season and protest there instead. We have young men and women fighting for the flag. And we have to respect the White House.”

Does your gas and electricity cost too much? You can thank liberals for that

Every year, Americans spend about $750 billion dollars for gasoline and electricity—about 4 percent of the economy—with roughly equal amounts spent to fuel vehicles vs. keeping the lights on and running our factories.
Where you live significantly affects how much you pay for these basic energy commodities.
Excepting Alaska and Hawaii due to their unique supply challenges, the highest gasoline prices in the nation this week were found in California—$3.23 per gallon. California also has the nation’s highest gas tax at $0.53 per gallon. The least expensive gasoline in the nation is found in Alabama at $2.27 per gallon. Alabama’s gas tax ranks 38^th in the nation at $0.21 per gallon.
However, gasoline prices are more than the sum of supply and demand and fuel taxes. Regulations and corporate taxes also play a big role in determining refinery operating costs as well as expenses throughout the entire supply chain. This manifests itself in the final price to consumers.

Retail electricity prices also vary significantly from state-to-state. For instance, Louisiana had the lowest overall electric rates from 2015 to 2016, powered by inexpensive and abundant natural gas, at 7.53 cents per kilowatt-hour. At 7.55 cents per kilowatt-hour, Washington State was close behind with its large production of low cost hydropower. At the other end of the scale was Connecticut, with an overall retail electric price of 17.52 cents per kilowatt-hour, more than double the price in Louisiana.
Looking at both gasoline and electric prices for the 48-contiguous states and weighting each the same shows that Louisiana and Oklahoma have the nation’s lowest prices for these two essential energy staples. Louisiana’s combined gasoline and electricity prices were 37 percent below the national average while Oklahoma enjoyed a discount of 33 percent below the national average.
Paying the most for electricity and gasoline were Connecticut and California, at 76 percent and 75 percent above the national average, respectively.
With retail electric sales of $381 billion in 2016 and some 143 billion gallons of gasoline sold the same year, the additional costs or savings adds up to tens of billions of dollars, depending on the state and its tax and regulatory policies.
The American Conservative Union (ACU) analyzes the votes of state legislatures across the nation and compiles a useful state ranking, showing the adherence to conservative principles in each statehouse annually.
The decisive test for policy is how it benefits people. Conservatives believe that lower taxes, less regulation and more liberty leads to human flourishing. Liberals believe that bureaucrats and lawmakers should make many basic decisions, instead of responsible individuals.
Since electric and gasoline prices are easily measured, it is possible to compare these energy costs to state policy. The connection between political principles and energy costs is readily apparent.
Excluding Alaska and Hawaii, the ACU rated 30 state legislatures as casting conservative leaning votes in the legislative sessions from 2014 to 2017. Of these 30 states, with elected state representatives committed to liberty, lower taxes and less regulation, 26 enjoyed combined gasoline and electricity prices below the national average.
Of the remaining 18 liberal-leaning states, 10 of them had above average costs at the gas pump and on the electric bill.
The correlation between these two measures, public policy and energy costs, was high with a coefficient of determination or “R squared” of 0.51, meaning that the philosophy of elected state representatives has a strong predictive link to energy prices in a state.
The next time somebody tries to tell you that “There’s not a dime’s worth of difference” between the parties, ask them how much they paid to fill their gas tank and keep the lights on.

Border agent killed, another injured during ‘attack’ near Texas southern border

Agent Rogelio Martinez, 36

Murky details surround the apparent ambush attack that killed one U.S. Border Patrol agent and injured another, as initial reports the agents were shot were denied by the FBI, which had taken over the hunt for the killers.

Agent Rogelio Martinez, 36, was killed in the line of duty Sunday while patrolling the Big Bend Sector of Texas along the southern border with Mexico, and his partner, who was not identified, sustained serious injuries.

"They were not fired upon," said Jeanette Harper of the FBI's El Paso office. "There are so many different agencies working together that we need to come together and develop a timeline."
Martinez, 36, died of injuries sustained while responding to “activity” near Interstate 10 in the Van Horn Station area, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Martinez, who was from El Paso, had worked as a border agent since August 2013.
Martinez was on Interstate 10 near Mile Marker 151 when the incident occurred, KFOX14 reported. At some point, Martinez's partner called for help, saying he and Martinez had both been injured, investigators told KFOX14.
TRUMP'S BORDER WALL: A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
President Trump pushed the need for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall Sunday night following the incident, tweeting: "Border Patrol Officer killed at Southern Border, another badly hurt. We will seek out and bring to justice those responsible. We will, and must, build the Wall!"
Elaine Duke, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, released a statement Sunday calling Martinez’s death a “tragic event.”
“Earlier this morning, I was notified that Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez died as a result of serious injuries suffered while on patrol in the Big Bend Sector of our southern border in Texas. Agent Martinez was responding to activity while on patrol with another agent, who was also seriously injured,” the statement read.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also released a statement calling the attack a “stark reminder of the ongoing threat that an unsecure border poses to the safety of our communities and those charged with defending them.”
“Our condolences and prayers go out to the family and friends of Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, who was killed this morning in the line of duty. We are also praying for the full recovery of his partner, who was also attacked,” Cruz said.
FIRST FEMALE BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS AGENTS ARE EMPOWERED TO 'ENFORCE THE LAWS' UNDER TRUMP
Border Patrol records show that Big Bend accounted for about 1 percent of the more than 61,000 apprehensions agents made along the Southwest border between October 2016 and May 2017.
The region's mountains and the Rio Grande make it a difficult area for people to cross illegally into the U.S. from Mexico.
The Border Patrol website lists 38 agents who have died since late 2003, some attacked while working along the border, and other fatalities in traffic accidents. It lists one other agent death in the line of duty this year.

Sleep Cartoons

Moore, Franken, creepy Biden and other horrendous media fiascos

Man's Man, NO?

Senator Al Franken (D., Minn.) apologizes to radio broadcaster Leann Tweeden who claims that he forcefully kissed her while rehearsing a skit and groped her while she was asleep on a plane during a U.S.O. trip in 2006 before he took public office. Here are the shocking allegations.

The Roy Moore story was going exactly the way the left and the media wanted. Every day brought new allegations against the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Alabama, followed by new controversy and further division within the GOP on a key election. Then something happened to flip the script – Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.

Franken, a longtime comedian and “Saturday Night Live” regular before entering politics, had his former life come back to haunt him. KABC radio anchor Leeann Tweeden said Franken had assaulted her, kissing her aggressively during a USO Tour in 2006, and then groping her for a humiliating photo while she was asleep on a plane.

The two were in a skit together, written by Franken, where they were supposed to kiss. Tweeden said that Franken repeatedly insisted that they had to rehearse the kiss.
“We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth,” Tweeden said.
The photo was worse, showing a sleeping Tweeden with Franken appearing to grope her breasts.
Franken issued a lame apology and then another more-detailed one. Suddenly, the tidal wave of sexual misconduct claims once more shifted toward the left.
Early in the day Thursday, some journalists downplayed Franken’s situation. CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger put a PR spin on the scandal saying: “This is scratching the surface. He was not a member of the Congress at the time this occurred. He was just a comedian.”
MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt tried to rationalize Franken’s behavior.  She said that Franken “took a picture, which his office now says was of a joke, that showed him potentially – not actually groping – but mock-groping her while she was asleep.”
ABC’s schlock-fest “The View” tried to move the story away from Franken and onto President Trump. “What about Trump, his people are saying that those women who accused him are liars!” Co-host Joy Behar told the audience. Interestingly, a photo of Franken allegedly grabbing Behar’s breast also surfaced, according to USA Today.
The story forced Roy Moore’s troubles off the lead spot on the evening news for all three broadcast networks. Two of them even discussed whether congressional investigations will cost Franken his job. As NBC anchor Lester Holt asked: “Will he be forced from the Senate?”
The result of all the sexual misconduct discussions may have undermined the dam holding back stories about sexual harassment and assault allegations against Bill Clinton. The New York Times ran a column from Michelle Goldberg stating clearly: “I Believe Juanita,” meaning Juanita Broderick, who accused Bill Clinton of raping her. And CNN host Jake Tapper noted the real issue with Bill Clinton’s accusers was how the “media treated those women poorly.”
2. Creepy Joe Biden: Former Vice President Joe Biden had some of the worst timing possible this week. The creepy-grabby Biden dropped promotion of his new book, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose” to push his presidential hopes right in the midst of the sex harassment allegations. It highlighted how journalism has downplayed or completely ignored Biden’s creepy side for many years.
It didn’t take long for conservatives to float images and a video around showing all sorts of nausea-inducing Biden scenes. Even the HuffPost declared his candidacy bad news: “Joe Biden 2020 Is A Terrible Idea In A Post-Weinstein America.”
HuffPost Washington Bureau Chief Amanda Terkel said simply: “Biden is the wrong guy to bear the standard of any party purporting to speak for the victims of unaccountable power.” The lefty Daily Beast dropped a similar piece within minutes of the HuffPost, complete with a compilation of Biden’s creepier moments.
Strangely, New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth defended Biden and called the allegations part of “a new alt-right fake news meme” depicting Biden as a “predator.”
3. Trump Hitting the Bottle … of Water: Donald Trump held a press conference this week to celebrate his foreign tour and the media obsessed about him drinking out of a bottle of water. This wasn’t just reminiscent of the media feeding frenzy over Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., it was further spurred by the senator.
NBC called it: “Trump’s ‘Water’-Gate” on screen. At least the network hasn’t called President Trump “Nixon” … yet. White House Correspondent Kristen Welker depicted it as “this awkward moment that lit up social media, the President pausing to take a sip of water.” MSNBC went gaga over the bottle. “Trump takes two water breaks in one speech,” it headlined a video.
The “CBS Evening News” spent 44 seconds on the story, mocking Trump’s speech, “that appeared for a time might run as long as the 12-day journey itself.”
4. Lefty Protest Gets Kaepernick “Citizen of the Year”: Name country singer Blake Shelton People’s Sexiest Man of 2017 and left-wing media go in an uproar. Pick out-of-work quarterback Colin Kaepernick as GQ’s “Citizen of the Year” and sane people look at you stupefied.
Kaepernick worked with the magazine to “reclaim the narrative of his protest.” So they photographed him in Harlem “intending to evoke the spirit of Muhammad Ali’s anti-Vietnam War protests.”
Former ESPN reporter Britt McHenry dared criticize the choice and suggest Houston Texans star J.J. Watt was a better pick for raising $37 million for hurricane relief. At the New York Daily News, Linda Stasi mocked McHenry as “the whitest woman on the planet” to defend “a true heroic modern-day civil rights fighter.”
Rolling Stone tried to depict the entire league’s current treatment of black quarterbacks as “problematic.” The magazine claimed the benching of Buffalo Bills starter Tyrod Taylor was handled unfairly. The article said that “if the NFL were completely fair, he'd also be making more than (Ravens quarterback Joe) Flacco.” Except prior to his injury, Flacco had an excellent playoff record and also won a Super Bowl. Taylor not so much.
5. Hurray For Hollywood: Even without the Franken allegations tarring a former favorite son, it was still a tough week for Tinseltown. “The Old Vic Theater in London has received a total of 20 allegations against Kevin Spacey since his first accuser came forward, all of them from men,” wrote The Daily Caller. Allegations also surfaced that star Sylvester Stallone had forced a then-16-year-old girl into a threesome, which he denies.
A new truTV documentary is attacking one of the most beloved shows on television – “The SImpsons.” The documentary, “The Problem with Apu,” debuts Nov. 19 and goes after the show for its portrayal of the Indian convenience store owner Apu. The character is even voiced by non-Indian actor Hank Azaria.
Former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart told The New York Times that people who long for a more conservative culture “live in a nostalgic world.” His response to them? “Here’s what I would say: Tough s***.”