Trump's guy Guiliani blows whistle on Obama, Brennan & Clapper on THE BIG CAT'S ROUNDTABLE PROGRAM

Is it time to call it the NEW WATERGATE and unleash a new pro-republic, pro-constitutional special prosecutor on  >>> FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA <<<  ---  ?????

Rudy didn't pull his punches earlier today while being interviewed by John Catsimatidis on the radio  ---  he said that President Obama, his CIA Director and National Security Advisor all knew about the spying on the Trump election team during the 2016 campaign

This is an interview by the Big Cat that should drive the next few news cycles.....   Here's how it was reported in "The Hill":   
"....   President Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani suggested on Sunday that former President Obama and his top intelligence officials 'knew' the FBI had used a top-secret informant to allegedly spy on Trump's 2016 campaign....   In an interview with radio host John Catsimatidis, Giuliani insisted that former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper were aware of the informant....   Giuliani also suggested that Brennan likely briefed Obama himself on the matter....   'Brennan and Clapper knew about it. Brennan briefed him every day, Obama — well to the extent that he got briefed every day,' Giuliani said. 'You would have to have brought this up, wouldn't you? Gosh, I can't see how you would escape it.'..."  
(See "Giuliani suggests Obama, top intelligence officials knew of 'spygate'" by Max Breenwood,  5/27/18, The Hill  [http://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/389518-giuliani-suggests-obama-clapper-knew-of-spygate]).

For the Dems: Jakey is gone and Ralphie's back

Neither Jake nor Ralph are sweet young things anymore  ---  but as we approach the midpoint of 2018,  it looks like Jake is out and Ralph is in

Jake Gold went from being the youngest member of the Democratic State Committee from Brooklyn to the oldest,  being against CBID before he was for them,  and vice-versa;  Ralph,  well there's almost too much to talk about,  but he remembers when Jim McCarthy was a reform Democrat lined up with Nan Shea  ---   lots of water has passed under the Verrazano since then

Perfetto's first job in 2018 ---  working hard on Ross Barkan to pull out.  Frank S. and Ralph P. have had a chin-wag,  and it looks like they are on the same page AGAINST SSMG.

I'll have more "background" on all of this next week,  since I've been invited as somebody's "Plus-One" to a couple of DEM events.....   After all, with the prospects of a Democrat clean sweep in 2018,  "Independent Republicans" have to do what independent Republicans do best  ---  offer to chair "Republicans for....."

As Charles Dickens once wrote: 
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only...."
(From "Tale of Two Cities";  at least for once in your miserable lives you've seen the whole quote  ---  you can thank me later.....)

Democrat Presidents spying on Republican presidential candidates is nothing new

President Obama's apparent abuse of the office of the President in the lead-up to the 2016 Presidential election involving his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Republican billionaire Donald Trump (and possibly others) is the perfect "medium" to expose  the unlawful practices used  ---  that's because it was neither "rare" nor "well-done"  (Credit radio legend Fred Allen for that one)

The fact that it is not  >>> rare <<<  came out anew in an excellent retrospective article in Politico
 

According to the author of a recent piece in the on-line edition of the political magazine,  "Politico"  ---  "President Donald Trump seems to believe that FBI agents infiltrated his presidential campaign for political purposes, and has tweeted that the bureau’s actions could amount to a scandal 'bigger than Watergate.'...   Trump hasn’t provided evidence to support these allegations, but regardless of their veracity, there is precedent for an American intelligence agency spying on a presidential campaign. It happened in the summer of 1964; the target was Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, and the perpetrator was the CIA, not the FBI...."  (See "When the CIA Infiltrated a Presidential Campaign”  by Steve Usdin,  5/22/18,  Politico/  History Dept.  [https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/05/22/cia-fbi-spy-presidential-campaign-trump-goldwater-218415]).

The article goes on to say that  ---  “….   LBJ  [President Lyndon Baines Johnson] wasn’t squeamish about using the inside information, and he did so in a blunt fashion that must have made CIA officers cringe. Goldwater campaign staff noticed that the Johnson campaign had the unnerving habit of responding to points in their candidate’s speeches before he had delivered them. Johnson didn’t seem to care that his actions made clear to Goldwater that he was being spied on….”

The article in  “Politico”  is followed by this note:   “….   Steve Usdin is the author of the forthcoming  [[[ 'Bureau of Spies: The Secret Connections between Espionage and Journalism in Washington']]] from which this piece was adapted.”

Fifty years have passed,  Watergate came and went,  but  Democrats keep showing that they aren’t just bad Americans,  they are bad people.   LBJ  ---  Barack Obama,   there isn’t any real difference.   That’s why bad people like Chuck Schumer and Mark Warner don’t want any Republican congressional oversight into these Obama era abuses of the FBI and Justice Department involving spying on candidate and President-elect Trump  (and others).

Buzz ! Buzz !! Buzz !!! Maybe, there are too many vowels interfering with their owners' attempts at generating a deep low register BUZZ

There's more real "BUZZ" in a Frankie Valli falsetto   ---  than what's been coming out of some people fast and furious these days

Quaglione & Capano I understand  ---  they are small-fry trying to make a little noise.....    But what about Giuliani and Scaramucci ???

Too many folks are trying altogether too hard at getting themselves into the news talking about somebody else  ---  it's too bad,  actually,  because this time they all probably have something important to say about the somebody else, who is currently running for something and truly could use the boost

These guys with lots of vowels in their names are just lighting up the switchboards (that's an ironic use of an anachronism) for their good guys,  all of whom are running for something  ---  or in one instance,  one of them is saying that another is not doing that,  like it's a bad thing  (Yes,  that's the classic double-switheroo of trying to get a buzz by saying that the other guy isn't,  but should be  ---  do you follow ???)

It doesn't matter whether it a tweet or a toot or a poop, or something else on social media;  or whether it comes via E-mail,  or over a hot open mike, before or after a press conference;  or even in off the cuff remarks during a speech at an over-publicized event on Staten Island.  All of these folks are really stepping all over their own stories about their guys,  who are actually the candidates,  who aren't making enough news for/by themselves.

In case you didn't notice,  I didn't mention a single name of the people who are now running and need the boost of a good buzz kind of late in the game.  But, then again,  why would I mention any one of THEM ?????   This comment is about the buzzers not the buzzees.....

My favorite of the bunch is Giuliani  ---  can anybody guess why ?????   [Look for my reason later on in a comment below.]

Marty Golden is not a "FRIEND" of anybody important whose name has "CAT" in it --- AND --- Golden really isn't mentoring ANYBODY: cats, dogs, sons or daughters

Stop with all the nonsense about Marty Golden and John Catsimatidis  ---  they aren't an item and they never swapped spit or other bodily fluids  ---  and THAT had nothing to do with AIDS or HIV

John Catsimatidis remains very close to Craig Eaton on lots of Brooklyn Republican political matters.  When anything public involves the Big Cat and Marty Golden,  there is a courtesy call to at least one former Brooklyn GOP Chairman,  and it is done as much out of love as respect.

If anybody tells you that Marty Golden is "MENTORING" their daughter about anything, other than maybe serving rubber chicken to hundreds of people,  rest  assured you are being FED some rubber chicken laced with a heavy dose of irony  ---  a bit of subtlety that Marty Golden's folks still don't seem to get, yet.

John Catsimatidis is a lot closer to a Democrat State Senator of Greek descent,  who won his seat from a long-time GOP stalwart, than he is to State Senator Marty Golden....   BTW,  that Greek-American Democrat State Senator has his prestige on the line for getting a Democrat majority in the NYS Senate.   (Here's a hint and a heads-up:  I'm pretty sure that John Catsimatidis also thinks that the Michael Gianaris model can work again in Brooklyn very soon.....)

Let me close with this  >>>  just how many times has Marty Golden been on the Cat's Roundtable program ?????

When will the Brooklyn GOP stop being only the Bay Ridge GOP ??? --- OR --- Where is Fred Pantaleone now that his party needs him ?????

In business and life,  Marty Golden's personal bailiwick always has been Bay Ridge,  Brooklyn*  ---  Marty Golden's politics completely reflects that,  even now that Bay Ridge has completely changed from what it was when he was first elected to the City Council almost a whole generation ago

  

The State Senator's version of the Kings County Republican Party Organization  (you know, the one that calls Ted Ghorra its "Chairman") reflects this Golden-Bay Ridge-centric view of Brooklyn and the world 

  

Now,  and for what almost seems like forever, Republicans all around New York State and the nation have looked at Kings County as the insurmountable sheer front face of an inaccessible Democrat promentory fortress called New York State  ---  that is because of a local GOP "establishment" that has not succeeded in establishing itself county-wide since Ronald Reagan was President   

After several Brooklyn GOP leaders had made some attempt to plant the Republican flag throughout several other neighborhoods in the Borough of Brooklyn,  Marty Golden's personal go-fer and now-figurehead County Leader,  Ted Ghorra (a Bay Ridgeite himself**),  has returned the Chairmanship to some- body/thing looking like the second coming of Fred Pantaleone in all his glory

Maybe, somebody out there might want to disagree.   Please,  FEEL FREE.....


______________
* Except for those few years when Marty was an NYPD vice cop somewhere else.....

______________
** For the record,  Brooklyn GOP First Vice Chairman Brian Doherty is also from Bay Ridge

Jeopardy --- "...Male, Pale and Stale..." !!! --- "Alex, what is the Brooklyn GOP ???"

Trish James caused a little brouhaha recently when she happened on a phrase that  >>> SHE <<<  liked so much that she is reported to have used it at least twice.....

Some folks finally got around to reacting,  and they reacted somewhat negatively to what they saw as an objectionable comment by a possible NYS Attorney General

In a somewhat different context,  I think that Ms. James gave us Republicans a "gift of great price"   ---   a catch phrase that quickly and 100% accurately bespeaks what is wrong with the Brooklyn GOP,  here and now

WHAT TISH JAMES SAID  ---  AND WHEN, WHERE AND HOW SHE SAID IT

Steve Witt on his blog  “Kings County Politics” (KCP) got into his not-very-far-back machine to report on this tid-bit,  just this way:   “If the state legislature names city Public Advocate Letitia James as the interim state attorney general then elderly white male state prosecutors currently working in that office might consider dusting off their resume to look for a new job….   That after James has stated on several occasions that she is tired of male, pale and stale people – a seemingly presumption of prejudice against elderly white males….   James made the statement repeatedly and too much applause at the New York State Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus weekend in February. Specifically, she made the statements at the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Breakfast on Feb. 17 in Albany….   James reiterated the startling trifecta of stereotyping, including age, gender and race, on a recent episode of the online media site, The Wrap. In both known instances of James using this phrase she did so in context of advocating for more female empowerment….   The public advocate’s preconceived notions comes as sources say a worker in James office lobbied several state lawmakers from Brooklyn asking for their support in getting her the interim AG job….”  (See  “James’ “Male, Pale & Stale” Comments Could Affect AG Plans”  by Stephen Witt,  5/9/18,  Kings County Politics/  Attorney General   [https://www.kingscountypolitics.com/james-male-pale-stale-comments-could-affect-her-ag-plans/]).  

What’s the big deal ?   After all,  she didn’t refer to New York City as  “Hymie Town”  or anything really offensive like that…..   So  ---  she sort of looks down on older white men staying on board as Deputy AGs   ---  what’s wrong with that ???   Besides,  before the Eric Schneiderman kerfuffle nobody cared one wit  (see what I did there ?).

It’s America;  isn’t everybody entitled to an opinion ?????    But enough about Trish James’ opinion;   let’s look at  >>> MY OPINION <<<  

GALEWYN MASSEY SAYS:  “HOORAY !!  TRISH JAMES HAS SHOWN US THE WAY !!!  SHOUT:   “ALLELUIA,  ALLELUIA,  ALLELUIA !!!!!”  

I don’t know nuffin bout birthin NYS Deputy AGs,   but I do know that the Kings County Republican Organization as it has been set up by and under Marty Golden and Ted Ghorra is  >>> WAY TOO MALE  ---  WAY TOO PALE  ---  WAY TO STALE  ---  AND  ---  MOST IMPORTANT  ---  WAY TOO FRAIL <<<  

The current Brooklyn GOP is an infamous thing that needs to be completely crushed in 2018.  Why do I Brooklyn’s independent Republican voice say that ???   It’s because the Kings County Republican Organization set up by and under Marty Golden and Ted Ghorra  is manifestly  >>> anti-women (sexist) <<<;  >>> anti-minority  (racist) <<<;  and  >>> anti-young people (age-ist) <<<

  

    -----    AND THERE AIN’T NOBODY OUT THERE WITH ANY HONESTY AND INTEGRITY,  WHO CAN SAY ANY OF THAT AIN’T THE TRUTH    -----    

Sheldon Silver is found guilty... Guilty... GUilty... GUIlty... GUILty... GUILTy... GUILTY --- AGAIN !!!

FORMER ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER IS  FOUND "GUILTY" ON ALL SEVEN COUNTS 

Sentencing set for Friday the 13th in June.....  

More when we get it.....

Republican bigs say that they need Ghorra[-rhea] about as much as a case of the clap

Enough said.....

Now is the time for all good people in the Brooklyn GOP to tell the emperor (Ted Ghorra) that "...  he b' necked as a jaybird !!!"

Lately, the biggest news in Brooklyn Republican politics is Bob Capano and the Reform Party

Capano is prominently mentioned in a very recent NY Post  >>> EDITORIAL <<<   saying that Republican candidate Michael Grimm is a habitual and serial lawbreaker


This story is percolating  ---   AND  ---  among other front-line players,  it pits Bob Capano against one of his 2017  City Council rivals,  Liam McCabe

Some people have a dog in this fight,  like Capano and the Reform Party,  and Grimm and even Liam  ---  I don't.....   

However, I do have to say,  it's already looking more and more like the BOE brouhaha is ready to blow-up in Grimm's face big time (See "Michael Grimm's bid to head back to prison"  by New York Post Editorial Board,  5/7/18,  New York Post/ Opinion/ Editorial [https://nypost.com/2018/05/07/michael-grimms-bid-to-head-back-to-prison/?utm_campaign=iosapp&utm_source=mail_app]).

FLASH UPDATE: It looks like the Reform Party will be going with >>> INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT TOM DI NAPOLI FOR NYS CONTROLLER

A very big name joins THE TOP OF THE TICKET of the fledgling party

Reform Party's interview and endorsement of top NYS official shows both growing power and extreme independence of Sliwa, Capano and the rest of the Reform Party's executive committee

That's enough for now.....

Curtis Sliwa --- The Reform Party --- AND --- “The Good…. and the Ugly” in less than a day

Curtis Sliwa got close to a hero’s welcome by the organizers of a Bay Ridge racket held at The Salty Dog yesterday   ---   Well,  let’s go so far as to say he got close to a “Local Hero’s” welcome…..

Almost as if to keep Sliwa and his Reform Party from gaining any momentum early in its 2018 campaigning,  or even any traction whatsoever,  for that matter,  the editors at the Daily News came out with a savage attack on the Reform Party on the same day as Sliwa’s unveiling in Bay Ridge

It was like night and day…..

In what some are describing as “Curtis [Sliwa’s] first public appearance as a possible gubernatorial candidate” at  the pro-veterans  Memorial Day Parade Benefit event held at the Salty Dog on Sunday,  many,, many people came up to Mr. Sliwa, in his iconic red beret just to get selfies and other pictures with him in frame.   In addition,   several other folks walked up to him,  talked about his conjectural run for the governorship and urged him to commit to entering  the NYS Governor’s race.   Oh,  and Curtis Sliwa was introduced by the Memorial Day Parade Benefit organizers and thanked for his participation in the event.

During the rather lengthy time that Curtis Sliwa was at the Salty Dog,  there was only one other pol In the house   ---   Max Rose,  the Democrat running for congress against GOP incumbent Congressman Dan Donovan.  However,  my sourceS have told me that several recognizable “unfriendlies” were in the house,  just inside the large garage-type door in the big area between the Salty Dog’s  bar and the old fire engine.   They were trying hard to look invisible and probably they were waiting around for one of their own local stalking horses to show up;  they were also obviously rattled about the fanfare for Mr. Sliwa.

But alas for the leadership of the Reform Party, there is no joy in Mudville…..

On the very same day, the Daily News Editorial Board launched an extremely harsh attack on the Reform Party as a whole  (See “Vote down this waste of the empty Reform Party primaries”  Daily News Editorial Board,  4/30/18,  Daily News/ Opinion/ Editorial   [http://beta.nydailynews.com/opinion/vote-waste-empty-reform-party-primary-article-1.3959753]).  

Here’s a taste of what the News’ editors had to say about  Curtis Sliwa’s Reform Party:   “Like locusts, the pests of the Reform Party, with only 360 registered voters out of 4,420,737 in the city, are once again causing the city Board of Elections to waste money, over a million dollars, to conduct essentially empty primary elections….They did this two years ago in four districts; the Board responded by only opening a few polling places to handle the tiny number of Reform voters….   The Reform Party then changed its rules to let both Reform and unaffiliated voters participate. So it's not just the 59 Reform voters who can cast ballots but 113,518. Which means now the board will need 230 polling places and 5,000 workers paid at least $200 each….   Reform this, right now.”

Reform Party supporters were quick to see and describe this as an attempted preemptive attack by insiders and their friends, who are afraid of the Reform Party’s prospects in 2018.