Judge Jeanine Rips Michelle Obama: 'Since When Did 'Hope' Rise and Fall With You?'

Saturday on Justice, Judge Jeanine Pirro criticized Michelle Obama's recent comments to Oprah Winfrey that, after President-elect Donald Trump's victory, "we're feeling what not having hope feels like."
"This from a woman who, in 2008 at age 44, said 'for the first time I'm proud of my country' [but] eight years later you're out of hope?" Pirro said.
Pirro said the Obamas failed to bring their promise of "hope" to Americans in several crucial situations, including the beheading of journalist James Foley and the 13 hours that Americans were stranded on a rooftop in Benghazi.
She said Trump's election is proof that Americans "know what hope is", pointing to the tens of thousands of people who have braved cold weather to attend the president-elect's "thank-you tour" stops.
"For you, 'hope' is gone," Pirro addressed Mrs. Obama, noting that as of next month, the family will no longer be able to travel abroad at-will with a full presidential entourage.
Americans rejected the Obama's vision of hope, she said, adding that Mrs. Obama will be able to see firsthand the results of eight years of her husband's leadership once she leaves the White House.

Lynch says tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton was 'regrettable'

Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Sunday said she “regretted” her controversial tarmac meeting with former President Bill Clinton this summer while the FBI was still investigating Hillary Clinton’s use of a secret server for her emails during her tenure as secretary of state.
While Lynch has never portrayed the June 27 Phoenix meeting as anything other than a cordial encounter, the lengthy tete-a-tete onboard Lynch’s plane immediately raised questions about whether she – or the Justice Department – could be impartial in the Hillary Clinton investigation. Just days later, FBI Director James Comey called Hillary Clinton’s actions “extremely careless” but declined to recommend charges.
“I wish I had seen around that corner and not had that discussion with the former president, as innocuous as it was, because it did give people concern,” Lynch said on “State of the Union.” “It did make people wonder, ‘Is it going to affect the investigation that’s going on?’ and that’s not something that was an unreasonable question for anyone to ask.”
TRUMP: LYNCH-CLINTON MEETING 'OPENED UP A PANDORA'S BOX'
Asked why Clinton sought out the meeting with Lynch, the outgoing attorney general declined to speculate.
“Well, I can’t say what President Clinton saw or thought because I wasn’t in communication with him before that,” Lynch said. “I don’t know what was in his mind.”
Lynch played off the length of the conversation – reported to be around 45 minutes – as being a by-product of Clinton’s loquaciousness. She joked with host Jake Tapper that Clinton “is a talker.”
“And our conversation went on a lot longer certainly than I had anticipated, because it was just going to be ‘Hello, how are you?’ and everyone was just going to go on about their evening,” Lynch said.
But Lynch acknowledged the perception created by the private summit was a problem. Republicans frequently brought up the meeting and President-elect Donald Trump made it a staple of his stump speech as the November presidential election approached.
“I do regret sitting down and having a conversation with him because it did give people concern,” Lynch said. “And as I said, my greatest concern has always been making sure people understand the Department of Justice works in a way that’s independent and looks at everybody equally. And when you do something that gives people a reason to think differently, that’s a problem. It’s a problem for me. It was painful for me.”
Three days after the meetings, amid mounting questions, Lynch tried to take herself out of the equation, saying on July 1 that she would accept whatever recommendation career prosecutors and Comey made regarding bringing charges.

Clinton advisers point fingers at Huma Abedin, inner circle for loss

Maybe she's a Russian Spy :-)

While many of Hillary Clinton’s top advisers have focused their post-presidential election fury on blaming alleged Russian interference and FBI Director James Comey for Clinton’s loss, some in the so-called “Hillaryland” orbit are looking inward, including pointing fingers at Clinton’s most-trusted aide: Huma Abedin.
“The real anger is toward Hillary’s inner circle,” a Clinton insider told Vanity Fair for a Wednesday feature on Abedin. “They reinforced all the bad habits.”
One of the most important people in that “inner circle” was Abedin, 40, who has been by Clinton’s side since she was a White House intern during President Bill Clinton’s tenure. The email trove hacked from Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta and posted on WikiLeaks shows Abedin, the estranged wife of disgraced ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner, as an important resource for the campaign. The vice chair of the Clinton campaign, Abedin offered guidance on Clinton’s probable thoughts regarding upcoming events, meetings and calls before the requests ever made it to the Democratic presidential candidate. While her fingerprints don’t often appear on policy issues, she weighed in with authority on most other matters.
ABEDIN CLAIMS SHE NEVER RECEIVED FBI WARRANT
Clinton was known to keep an extremely small and tight-knit group around her, and, indeed, during the 2016 primary and presidential campaign, the core group – including Campaign Manager Robbie Mook, Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri, adviser Cheryl Mills, Podesta and Abedin – never changed.
One Clinton insider, however, said the closeness of that group also created problems, prompting dismissive answers when new ideas that originated outside the circle were suggested, Vanity Fair reported.
“Where in most presidential campaigns the circle grows broader and broader, hers grew smaller and smaller,” a source told Vanity Fair.
A spokesperson for the Clinton campaign disputed that notion to Vanity Fair and said the campaign’s plane seated up to three times as many people during the run-up to the November vote. Abedin declined to be interviewed for the feature.
Abedin’s proximity to Clinton – and in turn the limelight – also created another issue, according to some observers.
“She was enjoying the red carpet and enjoying the photo spreads much too much in my opinion,” one Clinton insider told Vanity Fair. “She enjoyed being a celebrity too much.”
Though Abedin’s next move seems to be in limbo now that Clinton’s political career appears to be over, she was recently spotted at Clinton’s “Thank You” holiday party for top-tier donors on Thursday and then at an after party with fellow attendees Mick Jagger and Reese Witherspoon, The New York Post reported.
“Maybe I’m just p----- off, but I really don’t give a s--- about what happens to Huma to be honest with you,” one close adviser to Clinton told Vanity Fair.

A Couple of Train Cartoons

Gutfeld: Celebrity has-beens' Trump hysteria backfires / What does Canada think about a President Trump? (Not that we care)

Gutfeld

Watters

Obama signs bill boosting spending on cancer research

WASHINGTON –  On a "bittersweet day" that brought back memories of loved ones lost, President Barack Obama signed into law legislation that makes new investments in cancer research and battling drug abuse.
Obama signed the bill Tuesday at a ceremony on the White House campus flanked by Vice President Joe Biden and key lawmakers. The 55-year-old president recounted that his own mother did not even reach his age, dying of cancer in her early 50s.
"It's not always easy to remember, but being able to honor those we've lost in this way and to know that we may be able to prevent other families from feeling that same loss, that makes it a good day," Obama said. "It's a good day to see us doing our jobs."
The 21st Century Cures Act invests $1.8 billion for a cancer research "moonshot" that is strongly supported by Biden. The vice president's son, Beau, died of brain cancer in 2015.
The bill also authorizes giving states $1 billion over two years to prevent and treat the abuse of opioids and other addictive drugs like heroin.
Overall, the measure plans $6.3 billion in new spending over the coming decade. The bill also streamlines the approval process for drugs and medical devices at the Food and Drug Administration.
Biden said he believed the bill would inject new urgency into fighting cancer and would give millions of Americans hope that they will be able to have their lives extended through research that will bring about new cures and treatments.
"Every day, millions of people are praying, praying for hope, praying for time," Biden said.

Biden’s brief, unofficial 2020 White House bid; ‘fake news’ from the left?

Everyone likes a good story. And that’s precisely why the “fake news” parade catapulted to the fore in this year’s election cycle.
So, let’s get in on some “fake news” about the next election cycle, as well.
The fake news phenomenon recently visited the U.S. Capitol. And not quite in the way you might think.
Vice President Joe Biden came to the Capitol recently to preside over a key procedural vote on the “21st Century Cures Act.” The legislation beefs up medical research for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and helps combat the opioid epidemic.
The measure enjoyed wide, bipartisan support. Biden’s vote wasn’t necessary (in his capacity as president of the Senate) to break ties or anything like that. He was simply there to observe the bill vaulting an important procedural hurdle on its way to passage.
The vice president had a couple of stakes in this legislation. A year ago, President Obama charged his vice president with heading the cancer “moonshot” efforts. Obama thought that Biden was the perfect person to lead the initiative since he lost his son Beau to brain cancer last year at age 46.
“He’s known the cruel toll this disease can take,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., of Biden. “He hasn't let it defeat him. He's chosen to fight back.”
McConnell then asked his fellow senators to rename the National Institutes of Health cancer section of the bill after Beau Biden.
Tears pooled in the vice president’s reddening eyes as he presided over the Senate from the dais.
“Without objection,” Biden managed to cough, his voice phlegmatic with emotion.
Senators from both sides of the aisle rose to face the vicepPresident. The body erupted in bipartisan applause.
Biden clasped his hands together and looked at the desk before him, lost in the moment and thinking about Beau.
A senator for 36 years, Biden loves the Capitol. He’ll soon miss his periodic visits to preside over the Senate and pal around with his old colleagues. Once he recomposed himself, Biden was back to being “Ol’ Joe.”
He flashed his electric smile. He glad-handed and backslapped with senators from both parties. He talked to the interns and posed for pictures with pages and junior aides.
And then when he was just about to zip down an ornate staircase near the Senate floor and leave the building, a small contingent of patient reporters summoned the vice president over for a word about McConnell moving to rename the cancer section of the bill after his son.
“For a colleague to do that ... out of a gesture of friendship and affection, it means a lot,” Biden said. “It matters. It validates what we do here.”
Elated by the Senate taking action on something important to him personally, Biden spoke about his passion for the body, wistful that his time in the game may be coming to a close.
“Every time I come up here, I feel invigorated,” he said.
A reporter then half-jokingly asked if the vice president might run for President in four years.
“I'm going to run in 2020. For President. So, what the hell, man,” replied Biden with a smile.
Reporters then pressed Biden on if he was serious, informing the vice president they’d print and broadcast the story if he was wasn’t screwing around.
“That’s OK. That’s OK,” said Biden.
This was one of those moments when a reporter goes with his or her gut. Was he serious or being silly? Here’s the vice president of the United States -- emotion spilling over him as the Senate renames part of a major medical research bill after his son -- saying, indeed, yes, he’s going to run for President.
That’s a big deal -- especially after Biden took a pass on challenging Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, this cycle. Maybe there’s Monday morning quarterbacking going on as Biden considers who the voters did elect.
Lesser things have compelled people to run for office in an effort to make an impact. Do something good. Right the ship.
So better follow up. Again.
Was Biden “kidding?” a reporter asked, “just to be clear.”
Biden paused.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Four seconds.
Biden sighed.
“I’m not committing not to run. I’m not committing to anything. I learned a long time ago, fate has a strange way of intervening,” Biden said.
The loss of Beau was hardly the vice president’s first tragedy. Just after winning his Senate seat from Delaware in 1972, Biden’s first wife and 1-year-old daughter died in a car crash.
“I’ve got to get better and I will. Sometimes the second year is tougher than the first,” said Biden about the loss of his son.
But was Biden in?
The best way to find out would be to inquire of the vice president after he slept on it for the night. Biden returned to the Capitol the next morning to huddle with House Democrats.
“I’m going to start my campaign tomorrow,” Biden replied when asked about 2020 as he walked to the session with House Democrats.
Once inside the conclave, an unnamed Democratic House member hollered “2020!” at Biden. But the Vice President didn’t take the bait.
When he  left the meeting, a squadron of reporters pursued him down the hall, barking questions about 2020.
“I’m focused on 2018,” said Biden, a reference to the midterm elections.
Reporters continued to hector the vice president.
“I don’t make decisions that far in advance,” Biden said. “It’s never worked for me.”
But, but … what you said last night was … .
Biden returned to the Capitol for a third-consecutive day, the next day. On this occasion, the Senate was poised to honor the exiting vice president in a series of tributes on the floor.
“Joe Biden has spent his entire adult life working across the aisle in Washington to get things done for the American people and representing our country proudly on the world stage, but he’s also cherished by his colleagues past and present as a good man, a loyal friend, and a true patriot,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who now holds Biden’s Senate seat. “I look forward to seeing what Joe and his family accomplish in their next chapter in public service.”
And that’s precisely why reporters waited in a Senate corridor for the vice president to arrive on the third day to find more clarity about his future plans.
What about this 2020 talk?
“20/20,” said Biden as he breezed through en route to the Senate floor. “That’s my vision.”
When he finally departed the Capitol following all of the tributes, reporters pestered Biden again.
“I have no intention of running,” Biden replied.
Biden backed off during an appearance on CNN.
“Age could be very much an issue, and it may not be. It depends on the state of my health and the health of whomever is running,” he said.
The vice president then dropped away from his initial statement when pressed about 2020 by Stephen Colbert on the “Late Show.”
“I don’t plan on running again,” said Biden, but noted the age of the president-elect should he seek a second term.
“Hell, Donald Trump’s going to be 74. I’ll be in 77. In better shape,” said the vice president. “I mean, what the hell?”
So were Biden’s initial comments about 2020 authentic? Even when given multiple chances to walk it back?
Or was this just a momentary jest? Was his response a byproduct of the outpouring of sympathy from his colleagues over Beau Biden and the 21st Century Cures Act? What about his joking the next day? No one truly knows.
This was the bind for reporters. Was a potential Biden 2020 bid real or was it fake? Who knows.
Or to quote the Vice President, “What the hell, man.”

Trump: U.S. should let China keep seized drone

President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter on Saturday to say that the United States should let China keep the U.S. Navy's unmanned underwater glider that it seized in the South China Sea.
"We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!" Trump tweeted shortly after the U.S. military announced an understanding had been reached with China for the Navy glider’s return.
Officials at the Pentagon said the drone was seized Thursday while collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety.
China said the reason its military seized the glider was because they wanted to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships. China has said they would give the glider back to the U.S.
The U.S. has called the incident an "unlawful seizure" in international waters.
The evening tweet was the second time the President-elect injected himself into the controversy through Twitter on Saturday.
On Saturday morning, Trump took to twitter saying, "China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act." He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling of "unprecedented.”
Relations have been tense with the U.S. and China following Trump's phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in early December. He said he did not feel "bound by a one-China policy" regarding the status of Taiwan, unless the U.S. could gain trade or other benefits from China.