Why President Trump needs to pull out of the "non-binding" Paris Environmental "Agreement"

It was an "agreement" made by Barack Hussein Obama  ---  EVERYTHING that went before involving him is problematic, and that means it's quite DISPUTABLE  ---  That includes the so-called "Paris Agreement" on the environment.....

What is not at all in dispute,  is that it's 2017 and Barack Hussein Obama is not now the President of the United States  ---  President Trump needs to show the world over, and over, and over again that there is a new "Sheriff in Town"   ---  and what the prior sheriff might have thought and said and done don't count for sh*t anymore.....

Picture the scene in "Blazing Saddles" when the new sheriff comes into town.....  Only now,  picture Trump as a new "new sheriff" ---  and picture his holding the gun pointed at the head of the old "new sheriff," as played by Barack Hussein Obama.....  The next line from one of the town folk  ---  "He says he's gonna shoot the...  (a bell sounds loudly -- 'BONG')"  ---  takes on a whole new meaning, doesn't it .....

There are many good policy reasons for the President to announce that the USA is not part of the Paris Agreement; and show the world that the Trump Administration wants no part of the contemporary dogma on climate change and how to fix it.....  (See e.g.  "Report: Trump Planning to Exit Paris Agreement" by  Kathryn Blackhurst, 5/28/17,  LifeZette/ PoliZette   [http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/report-trump-planning-exit-paris-agreement/]).  The real reason on this and a lot of other stuff is politics,  local,  national and world-wide.....

Trump needs to show America and the rest of the world that he takes seriously his campaign promises to undo almost everything that Obama put into place.

President Trump will stay on top as long as he keeps undoing the various parts of the "Obama Legacy" in a visibly systematic fashion.....

HEEEEE’S BAAAAACK ! ! ! President Trump is TWEETING AGAIN --- And it’s pretty good stuff too

This morning the weekly Sunday talking heads were saying that Trump had “lawyered-up” and there would be a lot less Tweeting from the President  ---  WRONGO,  MUCHO GRANDE ! ! !

Almost simultaneously,  the President was taking on the mainstream media as a bunch of liars with made up stories about Son-in-Law-Presidential-Adviser Jared Kushner and other White House gossip

A piece on Laura Ingram’s  “LifeZette/ PoliZette…”  tells today’s tale very well   (See  “Return of Trump the Tweeter! -- After a restrained social media presence abroad, the president jumped back into the fray” by  Kathryn Blackhurst,  5/28/17,  LifeZette… / PoliZette  [http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/return-trump-tweeter/]).   The article started-off like this:   “President Donald Trump returned to Twitter in full force on Sunday morning covering a string of contentious topics in a seven-tweet flurry…   ‘Big win in Montana for Republicans!’ Trump began, referencing Republican Greg Gianforte’s special election House victory. He added later, “Does anyone notice how the Montana Congressional race was such a big deal to Dems & Fake News until the Republican won? V was poorly covered.’…Trump also touted his foreign successes, tweeting, ‘Just returned from Europe. Trip was a great success for America. Hard work but big results!’… “   And then a little below  the LifeZette/ PoliZette writer went on to say this:   “[U]pon his return to his own country, the president was greeted with the ongoing Russia narrative and the flood of leaks that has been pouring forth from the White House and government agencies ever since he took office….   ‘It is my opinion that many of the leaks coming out of the White House are fabricated lies made up by the #FakeNews media,’ Trump tweeted.  ‘Whenever you see the words “sources say” in the fake news media, and they don't mention names...  it is very possible that those sources don't exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!’….” 

IN SPITE OF COMMENTARY TO THE CONTRARY,  TRUMPS TWEETS LOOK LIKE THEY ARE A PERMANENT PART OF HIS GOVERNING STYLE  ---  THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

The article’s author dis make note of the following:   “[S]everal White House sources revealed Friday to The Wall Street Journal that they are considering whether a team of lawyers should vet the president's tweets prior to posting. This consideration comes after the fallout from several of the president's tweets concerning the ongoing Russia probe and his firing of former FBI Director James Comey….”;  but also added this:   “Although the president's tweets have complicated his communication team's job, former Trump campaign aide Barry Bennett told The [Wall Street] Journal he "would be shocked" if Trump agreed to the vetting….   Indeed, Trump has credited Twitter with aiding him immensely in his pursuit of the presidency….”

My guess is that the proof of the pudding was the fact that President Trump did his flurry of Sunday morning Tweets  ---  almost at exactly the same time that the MSM was blabbing that it was all about to stop.   AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ! ! ! 

What is left to say about John Quaglione --- after you see his Tweets and hear him talk

THIS IS THE SECOND OF MY SPOTLIGHT POSTS ON THE MANIFEST DEFICITS OF THE CURRENT CROP OF GOP CANDIDATES FOR CITY COUNCIL IN THE 2017 CYCLE  ---  LUCKILY,  FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED, THIS SHOULD BE THE BRIEFEST

Look up the word "VAPID"  ---  in your dictionary  ---  in a thesaurus  ---  or on-line on your favorite internet device.....   Do you see where I'm going here ? ? ?

YES, IT'S JUST A FEW WORDS ABOUT "QUAGS";  "JOHNNY Q";  "JOHNNY CAKES";  AND, YES, ONE OF MY TOP CONTRIBUTOR'S FAVORITE,  "FREDO"  ---  THE INIMITABLE  JOHN QUAGLIONE  (RIGHT,  I DO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING,  "WHO WOULD WANT TO IMITATE HIM ?")

I don't need to go into all that he has had to say about his  own "credentials" and  "supreme qualifications";  what it comes down to is this  ---  basically, he says something like this:  "...   I've pretty much had the same job my whole life,  I work for Marty Golden,  mostly I hand out proclamations and show up at ribbon cuttings,  but sometimes I also try my hand at other things, like writing statements for my boss  ( If any of you have your own knowledge or experience about  how JQ has handled this particular "duty,"  I'll allow you a few moments to guffaw and laugh out loud.....)

Lately, John has been actively "campaigning."  (Let that seep in,  then think about it,  but not too long or you will go into an irreversible coma.....).

So far, his fund raising has been ahead of his fellow Republicans,  but not to show any prohibitive advantage (in fact, depending on how everything is targeted in the GOP Primary,  there might be more spent tearing down JQ than building him up).  At the same time,  Quag's fund raising is way behind that of several leading Democratic candidates for the same office.

His tweets are a little informative, but mostly they are very, very, very restful.  He brags/ reports/ goes-on-and-on-about (I really can't adequately describe it) the minutia in Bay Ridge (mostly the stuff that the Home Reporter, Courier Life and the Brooklyn Eagle didn't see fit to report on).  Let me give you a taste:  something about a new traffic light "at the a corner of... Narrows Avenue..." (Since his presser about how his boss speeded-up before hitting an old lady,  John loves to talk about slowing down the traffic to a crawl in Bay Ridge);  he tweets that he is doing more door to door and says that he sees that some people hang out flags; oh,  and my favorite,  another Tweet  about a house party (part of an ongoing series about these sparsely attended events), this time he says it was a perfect night for a house party (with a picture of Johnny Q  talking to empty chairs)  ---  that's enough, I am getting sleepy.

Maybe, I was wrong in how I started this post.  Johnny Cakes'  problem is not one of his deficits,  it's his unhealthy surplus of being "VAPID".....

Has the time has come for President Donald Trump to throw Hillary Clinton’s fat pasty white ass into the slammer ? ? ?

The President needs to call in AG Sessions right away, like today; and ask him if he is ready to put a bulldog special prosecutor onto the Clintons ASAP  ---  But with a primary focus on the slam-dunk stuff that they already have on Hillary for the E-mail server and other national security breaches while she was Secretary of State;  and all that needs to be in the form of a quick federal indictment

If you have to ask why, it's this:  Today,  Hillary Clinton’s Wellesley commencement speech went “way across the line”  ---  and even though a speech like this is not technically a reason to imprison anybody  ---  Hillary Clinton long ago  lost her "anybody" status,  especially when she breached so many U.S. security rules, regulations and laws while in government service ---  Nonetheless,  in this instance,  Hillary Clinton's 2017 Wellesley Graduation Address is a good catalyst for the necessary reaction that will blow her up forever  ---   a federal indictment,  a quick trial and almost certain imprisonment

Trump has to make it clear to his loyalists at the White House and elsewhere,  as well as "the enemy within" throughout our nation and society,  and all of the weak and wobbly folk in between that:  With President Trump,  "It's no more 'Mr. Nice Guy' "  ---  Trump has to let everybody know that it's time to make Hillary into the martyr that she always longed to be  ---  Joan of Arc  

With this Wellesley speech by HRC,  don’t let anybody weasel out on any of it  ---  Hillary and some of her sly speechwriters might tell you that the below lines referred to President Nixon  ---  but everybody knows that she was referring to the immediately past presidential election, the one that SHE lost to now-President Trump:   

“....  We questioned if women, people of color and immigrants would ever be treated with respect. We were also furious about the past presidential election, of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace because of impeachment and obstruction....”  ---    and/or this  ---  ".... We were furious about the past presidential election of a man whose presidency would eventually end in disgrace with his impeachment for obstruction of justice, after firing the person running the investigation into him at the Department of Justice...."  

  

That kind of talk by a person like Hillary Clinton, with her sordid and problematic record,  deserves immediate demonstrative persecution, and certain and extreme punishment  ---  but,  since we haven't yet moved into the epoch of the "Third Republic of these United States"  we’ll have to settle for an efficient U.S. Federal prosecution of Hillary’s crimes while in public office, and swift and appropriate sentencing upon her conviction, all under the current Federal statutes  and rules. 

Wuxtree !!! Wuxtree !!! Is a Bay Ridge Dem Getting Ready to Jump Into the Brooklyn DA Race --- To run against Hynes, AGAIN

Perhaps the master of "Earned Media" in Brooklyn is on the verge of announcing his entry into the crowded DA race in Brooklyn in order to run against a bunch of former DA Hynes' surrogates, aspirant successors and supporters

"[Except for Vinny Gentile and John Gangemi, n]obody running for DA in Brooklyn in 2017 would have dared run against Hynes in 2013,  because they were all HIS key people; and Gentile and Gangemi were longtime supporters of Hynes "   ---  Democrat [Soon-to-be] Candidate "X"

"If any of the current crop of candidates were on-board with DA Thompson's reforms since his election in 2013, it was only so they could keep their jobs in the DA's office after their boss Hynes lost to him [Kenneth Thompson]"  ---  Democrat [Soon-to-be] Candidate "X"

"I was much closer to Ken Thompson than people know.  We talked about lots of things after his primary and general election wins, after that he even asked me about some personnel moves and my opinion about several bad convictions that were under review and have since been overturned in the court.  I can run my campaign closer to Ken Thompson's than any of the rest of them"  ---  Democrat [Soon-to-be] Candidate "X"

A while back, one of my main Democrat sources for this blog told me that he was considering running for DA of Kings County. Although he had been instrumental in defeating former DA Hynes in the 2013 Democratic Party Primary and he had recently come into some significant personal resources that he said he might throw into the campaign, which he described as being completely different than all his prior campaigns, I really didn't take him seriously.  

I dismissed it all, because he had lacked the "typical" experience with criminal justice matters that other former ADAs, Criminal Defense Attorneys and Criminal Court Judges might show in their candidates' resumes for something like DA or an elected judgeship.  He insisted that his personal experiences and successes would go over better with the public all that "experienced prosecutor jazz."

"I hear the train a comin' rollin' round the bendI ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when..."

Some recent events lead me to think things are about to change and soon-to-be Democrat candidate "X" will be making a public entry onto the political stage as a candidate.  

The most recent such event happened earlier today.   This future Democrat Candidate "X" gave me a heads-up call that he was going to announce his campaign very soon (he even provided me with some confidential details as to how it would be done and how it would be covered in the press).   Second,  recently, this soon-to-be Dem Candidate "X" has taken on some of the other 2017 DA candidates directly for supporting a fund-raising event for former DA Hynes and other matters (with news about how the roof was ready to fall in on at least one of them). Perhaps most important, soon-to-be Dem Candidate "X" has been going out to many of his former supporters and allies, and it looks like he is in the process of putting together a complete county-wide judicial slate,  with his name on the ticket as the DA candidate.

Also, when I told the person, whom this article is about, that I was going to write this as a feature post,  but that I was going to veil his identity, he answered, "Great, let's see who can figure it out.  Ha, ha, ha, ha !!!"

Capano tries to show that he is defending Donald Trump by quoting and applauding Michael Grimm

A few days ago,  I wrote that the Republican candidates for the City Council from the 43^rd District were way behind in fund raising  ---  now,  it looks like these campaigns are suffering from many,  many practical deficits, including moral ones  ---  which deficits will be as much a drag on their campaigns as their relative lack of $$$$$

CASE STUDY #1:   BOB CAPANO BLUNDERS BY TOUTING CONVICTED FORMER CONGRESSMAN GRIMM’S DEFENSE OF TRUMP

In my opinion,  Bob Capano has just made a major blunder by suddenly carrying water for an infamous Michael Grimm  ---  to quote Capano’s own press release:   “Capano Applauds Former Congressman Michael Grimm Call for President Trump to Exercise ‘Bold Leadership’ In Face Of Media Creating ‘Scandal After Scandal’”

Make no mistake about it, for some reason Bob Capano has come down foursquare behind the disgraced former Congressman and convicted felon Michael Grimm and Grimm’s latest pronouncement supporting President Trump;  and  Bob  Capano’s most up to date press release clearly shows that. 

CAPANO'S RELEASE PUTS IT RIGHT UP FRONT IN THE FIRST TWO PARAGRAPHS

“Bob Capano, the leading Republican candidate for Brooklyn's 43rd Council District (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bath Beach, Bensonhurst) today applauded a recent statement sent to media outlets by former Brooklyn Republican Congressman Michael Grimm defending President Trump and calling on him to ‘fight fire with fire’ in the face of ‘every element of opposition power against him, and from every angle: the media, the Democrats, Hollywood, the Establishment and the deeply rooted bureaucrats in every agency that actually regulates the entire country’….   Bob Capano, who manages a business in the private sector, said ‘Congressman Grimm once again demonstrates his political outsider bona fides that Republicans respect. We need leaders at all levels of government who will not be part of the status quo political establishment that exists among Democrats and Republicans. President Trump proved last November that voters want change. Congressman Grimm upset the status quo during his time in office and President Obama's administration made him pay for it. I am pleased that Michael Grimm is still standing up and being vocal in our community. Republicans need to step up and fight for their President instead of playing it safe.’…”  (See Capano’s Press Release [contact Vito Palmieri],  5/21/17   [http://bobcapano.com/capano-says-republicans-need-to-step-up-fight-for-president-instead-of-playing-it-safe/]).

Somebody should have told Bob C that quoting a disgraced politician,  who was removed from his elective office because of a criminal conviction,  is not the way to go when speaking out about a current scandal involving a possible criminal investigation.

DON’T GET ME WRONG ABOUT THIS

I think that Bob’s strong support of President Trump is a good thing.   In fact, making it a part of his campaign by way of a press release is a ballsy move.   However, Capano’s  quoting Grimm and “applauding” him in even the slightest was such a big mistake that I do have to characterize it as a >>> BLUNDER ! ! ! <<<

On this Sunday, May 21st 2017 >>> Trump is triumphant

Today, even Trump critics in the MSM have been forced to say good things about him  ---  like ---  even if you disagree with what he says and proposes to the Islamic leadership,  Trump is looking Presidential

Some MSM commentators even verbally pooh-poohed questioning by colleagues that they are "NORMALIZING" Donald Trump

One recognized dean of the TV media elite even suggested that President Trump might be able to return home from this foreign trip  ---  AND  ---  pivot from a possible Nixonian future to one much closer to Ronald Reagan's

That's all for now.....

Maybe more in "UPDATE" and/or  "BACKFILL" comments later.....

Democrat City Council Candidates massively ahead of GOP candidates' pygmy-style fund raising efforts

An Asian woman >>> IN ALL WAYS FROM OUTSIDE THE 43RD COUNCIL DISTRICT <<< is most likely to be a Democrat also-ran in the 2017 Democratic Primary.     Nonetheless, overall she has raised almost as much money as leading GOP candidate John Quaglione;  and in the most recent FCB reporting cycle,  she has raised much more than all the Republican candidates in the 43rd Council District combined

THIS ARTICLE WILL MAKE ME VERY FEW FRIENDS AMONG ANY REPUBLICANS AND/OR CONSERVATIVES  ---  BUT SOMETIMES ONE HAS TO SPEAK TRUTH TO PATHETIC WEAKNESS 

The Brooklyn Eagle’s Paula Katinas  ---  who generally sugar coats things for many Bay Ridge Republican candidates  ---  has written the first definitive article in this election cycle demonstrating that  >>> NO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE HAS MUCH OF A CHANCE <<<  to become the NYC Council Member from the 43^rd  Council District.   Ms. Katinas doesn’t say it that way in as many words,  but it’s all there in black and white and plain as day anyway.

The Eagle article by Paula Katinas begins like this:  "In one fell swoop, Democrat Nancy Tong has propelled herself into the top ranks of candidates running for outgoing Councilmember Vincent Gentile’s seat, according to figures from New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) that showed that she raised an impressive $53,650 in campaign donations during the most recent filing period...."   (See “Tong fundraising kicks into high gear”  by Paula Katinas,  5/18/17,  Brooklyn Daily Eagle   [https://www.brooklyneagle.com/articles/2017/5/18/tong-fundraising-kicks-high-gear]).   And, mainly,  the local journalist’s focus is on Ms. Tong and the Democrats;  however,  the real bombshell in Paula’s piece about fund raising is what shows about  >>> ALL THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES AND THEIR SUPPORTERS….. 

THE BURIED LEAD VIS A VIS  >>>  THE 2017 REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES   

As far as I’m concerned,  Paula Katinas buried her lead in the ultimate, penultimate and antepenultimate paragraphs of this article…..

Those last three paragraphs all deal with the Republican candidates in the 43^rd Counc. Dist.  ---  and it ain’t pretty;  in fact, it’s more than pretty grim.

Here it is (quoting myself from above,  but with more emphasis)  “IN BLACK AND WHITE”  and  “AS PLAIN AS DAY”:   “….   On the Republican side of the aisle, John Quaglione, deputy chief of staff to state Sen. Marty Golden, raised $25,947 in the latest filing period and now has a total of $48,858 in overall campaign contributions, according to the CFB….   Liam McCabe, a former aide to U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan, raised $4,857 during the filing period and has $25,203 for his campaign overall….   Bob Capano raised $11,755 in the most recent filing period. Capano, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, has a total of $18,905 at his disposal.”

For those of you that still don’t get it,  let me do the math for you…..   The Republican haul in the last cycle for ALL the 43rd district candidates was this:   $25,947  plus  $4,857 plus  $11,755,  for a total of  $42,559;   or to say it another way,  and also to put it into context,  over  eleven thousand dollars ($11,000)  less than the amount raised by Democrat Nancy Tong  ALONE….

.

Another very big number is the total cash advantage of the 43^rd Council District Democrat candidates over their piss-poor Republican co-contenders.   I won’t do the math on that one because I’m sure your heads will all explode if and when you see the actual number. 

WHAT DOES IS ALL MEAN ? ? ?

Well,  for 2017 for the Republicans and Conservatives in Bay Ridge,  Dyker Heights,  Bath Beach  and some of Bensonhurst;  as Frank Sinatra once sang  ---  “Put your dreams away for another day….”

It's OK if President Trump watches "Patton" over and over; but, he really needs to follow the wisdom of "The Godfather"

After former FBI Director Robert Mueller was named DOJ Special Counsel to oversee the investigation into questions of Russian collusion and "related matters,"  President of the United States Donald Trump made the following statement:

"As I have stated many times, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know – there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity.  I look forward to this matter concluding quickly.  In the meantime, I will never stop fighting for the people and the issues that matter most to the future of our country."

Yeah, yeah, yeah,  that's all well and good;  but President Trump needs to get serious;  and more important than that,  he needs to look and sound like he's really, really, really serious  ---  in an avuncular  god-fatherly sort of way.   No, make that "in 'The Godfather'-ly way,"  and there can't be any "sort of" about it.

So far much of the commentary about Robert Mueller sounds a lot like Sollazzo's talking to Tom Hagen in the back seat of the car about an hour after Don Vito Corleone was shot in front of the fruit stand.

THE PRESIDENT'S NEW TO-DO LIST

Given all that's happened so far,  here is the long and short of what President Trump needs to do:
1.  Make it very clear, very fast that  ---  "There's a lot of trouble with this [investigating the Russian's] business.  It's very unfortunate for Democrats....  [and] a little misfortune... [will come] down on [some disloyal Republican] heads....  [And,  well] that's life.... Everyone's got their own circle of sorrow...." 

2.  Be sure to get the right "Wartime Consigliere" in place as White House Chief of Staff;

3.  Get enough of the best "button men" specialists available on retainer for immediate unspecified  duty, and bring in a bunch of mattresses for them to sleep on in the White House basement;

4.  Very important,  Trump needs somebody to show him how to make a good basic spaghetti sauce;  

5.  Arrange for a Trump grandchild to be baptized in a Catholic Church by a Franciscan Priest with the President and the whole family around for the ceremony,  meanwhile the specialists need to go around the country, as necessary, to  clean up ALL the messes far and wide; and 

6.  After President Trump clears up all of his problems in Washington and wherever,  he shouldn't retire to the country; and he absolutely should never, ever try to scare any young boy out among the tomato plants  using orange rinds as make-believe monster teeth.

Is John Quaglione showing everybody that he’s the Brooklyn GOP’s “800 Pound Gorilla” in the race for the Republican nomination for City Council from the 43rd District

John Q has now twice shown that he can be the leader among the Republican candidates when it comes to fund raising  ---  AND  ---  That he has the political muscle to be  “The Man”  to head something like the Norwegian Day Parade in Bay Ridge

Latest NYCCFB filings show John Quaglione ahead in the $$$$ race;  but Liam McCabe is still competitive; and although Bob Capano continues to lag, he has enough $$$$ on hand to keep his campaign going into petitioning and a new round of fundraising

According to the latest campaign filing summaries:   John Quaglione leads the GOP pack,  by raising at least  $68, 974,  having spent at least $20,116,  leaving about $48,858 available;   Liam McCabe has raised a total of  $49,784,  having spent $24,581,  and that leaves an estimated $25,203 on hand;   leaving Bob Capano somewhat behind in all categories,  with  $38,021 raised up to the latest filing,  $19,075  spent,  and only  about $18, 946 cash on hand.

Even though it looks like Johnnie Q has virtually lapped Bob Capano already in the fund raising sweepstakes,  Bobby C should have enough cash in the bank to insure an effective petitioning operation.  Then he can do at least a little more fundraising to go along with matching funds to complete a substantive primary campaign. 

The picture is much the same for Liam McCabe,  but he goes into the next phase,  petitioning with a somewhat healthier balance than Capano.

Another declared candidate for the Republican spot in the 43rd Counc. Dist., Lucetia Regina-Potter did not appear in the NYCCFB's financial summaries

Again,  it cannot be gainsaid that John Quaglione has a substantial lead in the financial department…..   Usually,  that also bespeaks other organizational advantages,   which it now look like the Quaglione campaign is beginning to demonstrate.

 
CASE IN POINT:   THE 2017 NORWEGIAN PARADE

Showing an ability to garner his share of earned media,  John Quaglione also demonstrated a genuine ability  to reach out into the community and get a really nice show of support from the remnant of the once dominant Norwegian community in Bay Ridge,  by being made the “Civic Honorary Marshall of the Norwegian Day Parade”  ( See   May 4^th Facebook posting by Arlene Bakke Rutuelo   [https://www.facebook.com/groups/461593467308325/permalink/996990347101965/]).

Let me head-off at least one of my irate contributors,  who was very quick to point out to me that John Quaglione’s selection to have any place in this year’s Norwegian Parade was arranged by JQ’s fellow employee and subordinate on State Senator Martin Golden’s staff,  Arlene Bakke Rutuelo.   From what I can pick up from interested parties both inside the Brooklyn GOP and outside of it,  Johnny Cakes has not heard the last of how his selection to be a Parade Marshall for the Norwegian Day Parade was a blatant act of politicizing the parade and other Norwegian connections. 

Like I said in my headline to this piece,  as far as I'm concerned, all this shows is that John Quaglione is beginning to look like the Republican Party’s  “800 Pound Gorilla” in this 2017 race for the same City Council seat that JQ pursued so gingerly in 2013.

The Democrats are igniting a “Train of Powder” with all their talk about “TREASON” by President Trump

To accuse a sitting President of the United States of being guilty of “treason” almost in any context intended to diminish that President’s authority and ability to govern might itself be one of the "predicate acts” for counter-charges of “Treason”

A few leading Democrats have loosely thrown around the  “T”  word in connection with Trump's Comey firing and some other matters.  ---  That is treading pretty darn close to other indicia of a treasonous conspiracy resounding, perhaps even abounding, throughout the land  

Maybe, the latest carping about Trump's treason is even close enough to illegality, that the FBI needs to launch a criminal investigation of some of the usual suspects on the left, perhaps even among some of the leading Democrats

Many years ago,  a writer,  political historian and social critic,  Rebecca West,  wrote a series of articles for the  “New Yorker”  about pro-Nazi sympathizers and under-cover agents in Britain.  Those article were then published in book form as “A Train of Powder”;  and some of that material was re-published in a later Rebecca West work,  “The Meaning of Treason”;  and all of that was reworked and/or cross-referenced in a final interation,  “The New Meaning of Treason.”   Almost all of West’s focus was on old-school villains,  like pro-Nazis  and pro-Commies  ---  finishing up with a post-script about Kim Philby in her last work.

Covering the tracking-down, trials and condemnation of several traitors in many different contexts,  Ms. West shows us that, even though treason itself is not subtle once exposed as such,  the constituent predicate acts often times can be.   And,  even if not subtle,  often-times they are vague, and/or ambiguous.

A recent reviewer/ contemporary critic of West’s and some other works by others said this:   “The questions [raised by Rebecca West] lose none of their relevance when transposed to an age in which the degree of state surveillance is matched only by the leakiness of information channels. As we take the moral measure of organisations such as Wikileaks, and of the activities of Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, West’s considered reflections on the need to ‘unite care for security with the determination to preserve our liberties’ seem increasingly pressing. ‘It is our duty,’ she observes, ‘to readjust constantly the balance between public and private liberties. Men must be capable of and executing and insisting on social change, if they are to reform or even maintain civilization, and capable too of furnishing the rebellion which is sometimes necessary if society is not to perish of immobility.  Therefore all men should have a drop of treason in their veins, if the nations are not to go soft like so many sleepy pears.’...” (See  “The Alphabet Library: M is for The Meaning of Treason, 'simply superb storytelling' ”  by  Tim Martin,  5/20/14,  The Telegraph   [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/10840548/The-Alphabet-Library-M-is-for-The-Meaning-of-Treason-simply-superb-storytelling.html]).

 

All of that was a rather long prologue for what will be an even longer main section.  

WHO IS CLOSER TO BEING GUILTY OF ACTS COVERED BY THE TERM "TREASON" ? ? ? 

Lately, certain people in what is being called  a "Resistance  Movement" here in America have been playing fast and loose using the term “treason” when referring to President of the United States Donald Trump.   It might be easier to be merely dismissive of these clattering, clashing cymbals;  however, thanks to a compliant and even cooperative mainstream press,  these sour notes have been writ large.  In fact, their reach and repetition strongly suggest that somebody is trying to gin up  a rebellious spirit throughout the land;  and, as such, that cannot readily or properly be ignored.

THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND ITS STATUTORY ECHO

It has been well-said that “treason” is the only criminal act defined in the U.S. Constitution. 

According to that constitutional definition,   “…  Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court….”  (See U.S. Constitution, Art III, Sec. 3).  There is also a similar-appearing codified statutory definition of “treason”:   “… Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States…." (See  18 U.S. Code § 2381 - Treason; [(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 807; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(2)(J), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2148]).

NOTHING DONE BY DONALD TRUMP  ---  AS PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT-ELECT, CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT  OR PRIVATE CITIZEN REMOTELY APPROACHED THE LEGAL STANDARDS OF "TREASON" APPLICABLE IN THESE UNITED STATES  

None of those Constitutional and  statutory definitions and proscriptions apparently applies to Donald Trump under any of the scenarios and theories advanced by the Democrats, the mainstream media and/or anybody else running around with their hair on fire screaming things like "treason" over some of what Donald Trump has done since becoming president, or even leading up to becoming president.

DEMOCRATS AND OTHERS WHO ENGAGE IN MAKING CHARGES OF "TREASON" AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP IN ORDER TO DIMINISH HIS AUTHORITY AND/OR HIS ABILITY TO EXERCISE HIS DUTIES AS PRESIDENT RISK INVESTIGATION(S) FOR-  AND CHARGES OF-  "TREASON" 

Ever since the U.S. Constitution was enacted, there have been fewer than forty prosecutions for treason and many fewer convictions.  Nonetheless, from very early in the history of the United States, "levying war" has been interpreted as including internal insurrections and seditious acts.  

In one of the early instances, not long after  the U.S. Constitution was ratified, several men were convicted of treason in connection with the Whiskey Rebellion: however, they were pardoned by President George Washington.  

Not long after that, the very famous treason trial of Aaron Burr occurred.  However, Burr's prosecution resulted in acquittal on the charge of treason. Burr's case was brought to trial after a grand jury was presented with a purported letter from Burr that by its contents proposed the notion of stealing certain lands from the Louisiana Purchase.  At trial no witnesses testified; and as a result, Burr was acquitted, even though the Jefferson administration threw its full influence against Burr. Burr was later acquitted again when lesser charges were brought against him.

THE CURRENT SCENE MIGHT NEED SOME "TREASON" SHOW TRIALS FOR SOME TOP DEMOCRATS AND THEIR ALLIES IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA

Remember, it is those that are trying to negate the election of Trump as President, and/or diminish the effectiveness of his presidency, who have engaged in concerted and apparently coordinated activity under the banner and rubric of "The Resistance" or "Resistance."  The current use of those terms has made specific references and comparisons to the World War II armed resistance against the Germans in Occupied France. Furthermore, some of the concerted and apparently coordinated activities against Trump and his administration's policies have included instances of mob violence. The presence of elements of an armed insurrection have been found to be a sufficient predicate to prosecutions for treason against those "giving aid and comfort" but not actively involved in the insurrection.

Some of today's Democrats and the disloyal mainstream press need a wake call and a lesson  --- maybe some treason charges and trials will help refocus their professed loyalties, if not their minds.

No need to hang 'em high yet;  for now, just show them the noose. 

Council Candidates on verge of important NYCCFB report

The May 2017 report to the New York City Campaign Finance Board will be point to the directions all the City Council campaigns in the 43rd Council District will be headed going into petitioning

I was at Bob Capano's Casa Calamari event last night  --- it appeared to be a modest success  ---  several Republican State Committee members (GOP District Leaders) were in the house  ---  John Catsimatidis was a late scratch  ---  Craig Eaton laid out the path ahead,  which included Bob Capano's Campaign for City Council and so much more.....

Last week, I laid out a few necessary benchmarks for Bob Capano's campaign going forward.....  

So far, so good.  Last night's political get-together for Bob Capano showed that he could fill the rather small venue with what looked like a nice little crowd in the 40-to-50 range;  and that Capano could pick a place and have a generous proprietor who personally helped pass out the tasty food and appropriate drink in comfortable surroundings that worked well with the event format.  One of the funny moments of the evening happened when Justin Brannan walked by on Third Avenue  with some friends  ---  Brannan waved in at the Capano folks and several of us waved back.

From here on in, it gets very technical very fast.   

The May disclosures to the finance board are a key barometer of what to expect going forward;  and all of the campaigns will be judged on the numbers that are reflected in the May NYCCFB reports.

Campaign structures and organization will need to run effective petitioning campaigns.  At least two GOP district leaders told Bob Capano and Craig Eaton that they needed to have Bob Capano's name on a single petition with all of the other county- and city-wide candidates included, with the names of State Committee candidates for  each AD, along with spaces for County Committee in each ED.

Boy Donald and Trump Culture Club sing Karma Comey Chameleon

Karma Comey Chameleon

"Is there loving in his eyes all the way?
If I listen to his lies, would you say?

He's a man without conviction
He's a man who doesn't know
How to sell a contradiction
He comes and goes
He came and went

Karma Comey, Comey chameleon

He comes and goes

He came and went

His good will spent...."

"Hmmmm,  not a bad looking corpse...."  ---  a friend of mine quoted at his own wake  ---  apropos of James Comey and  today's events.....

It must be witchcraft…..

…..   That’s what the Democrats in their tin-foil-hats will be turning to next after their dry hole drilling into their own fanciful theory about Trump's Russia collusion implodes completely

 It’s four months into things;  and yesterday’s Senate Hearing showed that the Democrats have NOTHING  ---   Not a theory based on any facts  ---  And not a clue where to go or what to do next

If nothing else,  Candidate Donald Trump, President-elect Donald Trump and now President Donald Trump has had the Democrat office holders, the Democrat Party and the Democrat acolytes in the main stream media chasing their tales  and trying to peddle some real tin-foil-hat conspiracy theories

 

If the prior administration  (that dissembling guy Obama and his rogue regime of miscast, low-caste misfits) were serious about Russian interference in the 2016 elections,  on a scale described by many Democrats as  “An Act of War”  ---  Why has no top Russian diplomat and scads staff been sent packing as  “PNGs”;   why was it only a brief flap about one long-known-about  “safe house” and  a few long-known-about intelligence operatives  

   

Today’s  NY Post Editorial said,  “….  Monday’s Senate hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 election revealed only one thing: Democrats are still determined to use the investigation as a partisan club against President Trump….   Ranking Member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and others kept intimating dark doings, but uncovered no sign of them….   Both former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former acting Attorney General Sally Yates declined to answer many of the most critical questions….   Clapper did say that the Russians have been trying to interfere with US elections since the ’60s and now “must be congratulating themselves for having exceeded their wildest expectations.” But he offered zero evidence that Russian meddling had actually shifted any votes….   And he admitted that Moscow launched cyber attacks ‘against both political parties.’ Yes, he claimed that no ‘Republican-related data’ was released, but in fact the leaks of Democratic e-mails included the party’s ‘opposition research’ file on Trump….   Neither Yates nor Clapper would comment on actual Team Trump collusion with Russia, saying they couldn’t discuss classified info. Then Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) noted that Clapper said months ago in a TV interview that there was no evidence of collusion….   And the pre-election contacts between Gen. Michael Flynn and the Russian ambassador, which cost Flynn his White House job, had nothing to do with influencing the vote….   Nothing in the public record shows that Moscow affected the election returns, nor is there any sign of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia….   Yes, Russian attempts to interfere with our elections are a worrisome threat. But those efforts’ overall goal is to undermine faith in democracy itself. Sadly, Democrats’ posturing is doing plenty to help out with that….”  ( See  “Democrats’ witch hunt aids Russia’s anti-democracy efforts”  (In print edition as “Democrats’ Witch Hunt”)  by NY Post Editorial Board, 5/8/17   [http://nypost.com/2017/05/08/democrats-witch-hunt-aids-russias-anti-democracy-efforts/]).

THE POST EDITORIAL WAS TOO KIND TO THE DEMOCRATS  ---  YESTERDAY THE DEMOCRATS SENATORS LOOKED LIKE A BUNCH OF ILL-INFORMED FOOLS  ---  AND THE WITNESSES SAID OVER AND OVER  ---  “SORRY, I CAN’T HELP YOU OUT  ---  I CAN’T SAY THAT..."

The Post is being too kind to this pack of clowns posing as U.S. Senators;  after a while,  it began to seem  like each one was worse than the one before.   And the poster displays were the worst in the U.S. Senate since Republican Al D’Amato did his “Ole MacDonald” song with the little pig on the poster back in the early Bill Clinton days.

There was a protracted period around 5:00 PM yesterday when  Al Franken of Minnesota and Dick Blumenthal of Connecticut were doing their best trying to look and sound like  “Democrat Senator Dumb” and  “Democrat Senator Dumber”…..   The questions [and the jokes] were just one clunker after another…..   The only thing missing was Franken shouting out,  “I’m dyin’ up here ! ! !”

And the witnesses,   former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former acting Attorney General Sally Yates repeatedly sounded like they were channeling Jeff Probst,  the host of “Survivor” giving the bad news to the losers of the rewards challenges to Democrat questioner after Democrat questioner  ---  “Sorry,  I have nothing for you….”   And THAT was to almost each and every leading and accusatory question posed by the Democrats.

TRUMP DOES A VICTORY LAP ON TWITTER

Trump knows his enemy well;  and he knows how to push their buttons.  Yesterday was no exception.  His Twitter feed about yesterday’s Senate Hearing freaked out the MSM…..

Here’s what Trump tweeted: 

Donald J. Trump 

@realDonaldTrump

Director Clapper reiterated what everybody, including the fake media already knows- there is "no evidence" of collusion w/ Russia and Trump.

6:41 PM - 8 May 2017….

Donald J. Trump 

@realDonaldTrump

Sally Yates made the fake media extremely unhappy today --- she said nothing but old news!

6:43 PM - 8 May 2017….

Donald J. Trump 

@realDonaldTrump

The Russia-Trump collusion story is a total hoax, when will this taxpayer funded charade end?

6:46 PM - 8 May 2017….

Donald J. Trump 

@realDonaldTrump

Biggest story today between Clapper & Yates is on surveillance. Why doesn't the media report on this? #FakeNews!

6:50 PM - 8 May 2017….

AFTER YESTERDAY,  ONE THING SHOULD BE VERY CLEAR TO ALL TRUMP SUPPORTERS AND INDEPENDENTS:   TRUMP IS STILL WINNING ON THIS RUSSIA COLLUSION STUFF AND THE DEMOCRATS AND THE MSM ARE STILL LOSING ON IT  ---  VERY,  VERY BADLY

Faulkner helps to shuffle the deckchairs on the GOP's 2017 City-wide ticket

Faulker announces that he dropped his sights from the GOP line for Mayor to the GOP line for Controller  

According to a report in the papers, "Republican Michel Faulkner is dropping out of the race for mayor — but will run for city controller instead, he said Sunday....   Faulkner, a former New York Jet and now a Harlem minister, launched a long-shot bid to defeat Mayor de Blasio more than two years before the 2017 election. He now says he’s abandoning that bid, which has raised little money, and will take on Controller Scott Stringer...."  (See "Ex-Jet Republican Michael Faulkner drops out of NYC mayor race to challenge Controller Scott Stringer" by  Erin Durkin, 5/7/17,  NY Daily News   [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ex-jet-michael-faulkner-drops-nyc-mayor-race-article-1.3146094]).

Somebody at the Daily News thinks that this is important.....  

All I know is that this guy has said that he was running for Mayor of New York City for a very long time and nobody took notice except a few groups locally.  Those political powerhouses actually needed anybody they could find to be a speaker.....

I think it's nearing time for me to go on a special mission.....  (They DO always give you a cyanide pill if you go on a special mission, don't they?)

Bob Capano needs to have a >>> H-U-U-U-U-G-E <<< “Run for [All] the Roses…” event on Tuesday evening

In just a few days after the 2017 Kentucky Derby  ---  this Capano thing at Casa Calamari should be for  >>> all the roses, all the chips, all the dip and all the marbles <<<  at least as far as his City Council ambitions are concerned…..

We have a Derby winner called  “Always Dreaming” and the Capano Campaign needs some real  >>> DERBY-WINNER-LEVEL CRED <<<  going into the heart of this year’s Triple Crown season  

Capano needs to show that he’s a winner and  “Always Dreaming” can’t do it for him ( Three-year-old AD is just too busy for the next bunch of weeks  ---  right now,  as a legit Triple Crown threat)

They’re  calling it a  “Reception to Support Brooklyn’s own Bob Capano for City Council” (it should be called “THE RECEPTION TO  >>> SHOW SUPPORT <<<  for Brooklyn’s own Bob Capano for City Council”)…..   It’s from  6 PM to  8 PM  on Tuesday at  .>>> Leo’s Casa Calamari <<<  8602  Third Avenue in Bay Ridge…..   It’s got the Craig Eaton, Johnny Cats’  and  “Kings County GOP Coalition”  seal of approval.....

It’s a little pricey,  but I plan to be there to show my long-ago-promised support…..   Plus,  now my hair is so nice and lustrous from all the brush strokes I did last Thursday night,  I want the world to see and be dazzled…..

Ah !!!   Here’s the rub  ---  the stop watch is running on Bob Capano’s own latest run for his roses here in early May 2017  ---  he’s been at this for well over a year and some months.   He now  >>> NEEDS TO MAKE HIS MOVE ON THE PACK <<<  and establish a clear lead in some key campaign categories.   One of those is a lead in fund raising over his Republican opponents, as reflected in his report to the NYC Campaign Finances Board with his next filing  (at Thursday’s debate, Liam clearly stated that he had the lead, and neither Bob nor Johnnie Q rebutted that or even said,  “Tut-tut,  not so fast, Liam…”)…..   Another stride forward that Bob has to show  is open and public support by key members of the Brooklyn Republican establishment  ---  that means Republican State and County Committee Members and other recognizable GOP activists.   Bob also needs to make some kind of fresh move to the outside by adding a more visible, recognizable consultant or operative to actually run a real winning-level campaign,  someone who has some real cred in successful GOP races,  preferably in Brooklyn  (it doesn’t have to be Obi Wan,  Mr. O’Brien-Murray,  but it was BC himself that once dropped his name).

I hope my friend  ---  Democrat Candidate “X”  ---  understands that this is something that I have to do, for now…..

Everybody else,  including Bob,  needs to understand that too…..   This is my personal "all in" moment  ---   but it also might be my last  >>> play <<<  until  primary day.