James Clapper Wrote to the Other "Intelligence" Heads Demanding They Set Aside Their Evidentiary Standards to Push the ObamaGate Russia Hoax Before Trump Assumed Office

Tulsi Gabbard released this letter.

Former Director of National Intelligence James "Jim" Clapper's letter demands everyone get on the same page in claiming that the Russia Hoax is real in order to give the hoax the veneer of official authority.

It is written to John Brennan, Jim Comey, and Mike Rogers, then head of the NSA.

The reason for the letter? Mike Rogers wrote that he was uncomfortable rushing to conclusions on such feeble evidence -- and on such a rushed schedule.

Because, you see, they cooked this coup up after the December 16, 2016 meeting with Obama, in which Obama ordered them to fast-track the ObamaGate hoax before he was out of office.

Fox News wrote the story up:

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper allegedly directed officials to "compromise" "normal" procedures to rush a politicized 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment -- despite concerns from then-Director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers, who allegedly said his team did not have "enough time" to review the intelligence to be "absolutely confident" that Russia was involved in the 2016 election.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified emails Wednesday. Fox News Digital obtained the declassified records.

...

"I've just returned from a TDY overseas and been updated on the current status of our efforts to produce a joint product related to Russian attribution and intent for the DNC/DCCC hacks," Rogers allegedly wrote in the email. "I know that this activity is on a fast-track and that folks have been working very hard to put together a product that can be provided to the president."

"However, I wanted to reach out to you directly to let you know of some concerns I have with what I am hearing from my folks," the email continued. "Specifically, I asked my team if they'd had sufficient access to the underlying intelligence and sufficient time to review that intelligence."

"On both points my team raised concerns," Rogers reportedly wrote. "They were clear that, at the staff level, folks have been forward-leaning and trying to ensure that we have an opportunity to review and weigh in, but I'm concerned that, given the expedited nature of this activity, my folks aren't fully comfortable saying that they have had enough time to review all of the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments."

So Rogers wasn't willing to rush headlong into accusing the president elect of being a Russian agent.

James Clapper couldn't have that. The artificial deadline was fast approaching. Either this coup would get kicked off with Obama still in office and protecting them, or the coup wouldn't get kicked off at all.

It reads:

Mike John Jim:

I understand your concern.

This is in reply to Mike Rogers expressing his concerns that they have abandoned most of the procedures necessary to assemble an Intelligence Community Assessment, in their mad rush to get this published before Obama left office. Clapper really wanted to fake a paper trail for that special prosecutor he admits he was trying to will into existence, and he's bothered that Mike Rogers is insisting on professional standards of evidence and analysis.

It is essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page, and are all supportive of the report -- in the highest tradition of "that's OUR story, and we're stickin' to it."

Yes, he really says that. He talks like a criminal plotting a conspiracy -- which he is in fact doing.

This makes it clear that all along, there was no evidence supporting the "IC consensus."

There was only the "IC Consensus," and it was assembled precisely because there was no evidence to support it.

This evening, the CIA has provided the NIC (?) the complete draft generated by the ad hoc fusion cell.

I think a "fusion cell" is a group of intelligence hacks assembled to take down an enemy. The "ad hoc" means, I'm pretty sure, that this was done outside of all procedural rules to get it done ASAP.

Remember, this letter was written on December 22, 2016 -- they only had a couple of weeks with Obama in office to set up the frame. That explains the breathless, panicky urgency.

Note, below, Clapper says he will attempt "as much mutual transparency as possible." He says this because Rogers objected that he hadn't made his evidence known to the NSA, so they couldn't evaluate it.

Clapper is saying: You're being told all that I'm willing to tell you and no you can't have my sources because, Surprise, it's Hillary Fucking Clinton's opposition researcher.

We will facilitate as much mutual transparency as possible as we complete the report...

Note the report isn't even finished yet but Clapper is demanding that everyone sign off on it before its completion.

Clapper also stresses that this absolutely must be signed off on before You Know Who becomes president. Emphasis added:

...but more time is non-negotiable.

Because this isn't an intelligence assessment, it's a coup against the elected president of the United States who will take office in 18 days.

And this is the most criminal line: Clapper says we have to "compromise on our 'normal' modalities" -- that is, we have to discard all of our existing methods and standards and safeguards for intelligence collection and assessment -- because we have only 18 days left to set the coup in motion, and, let's face it, we have no evidence that will stand up to any scrutiny at all.

By the way, "modalities" is just corpo-government speak for "ways" or "methods."

We may have to compromise on our "normal" modalities, since we must do this on such a compressed schedule.

Incredible.

Here's where Clapper brow-beats Mike Rogers, telling him there is no "I" in "Intelligence."

This is one project that must be a team sport.

Jim

Clapper's neck is in need of the stretch of a rope.

This is treason. This is a coup.

Below, the emails together. You can see Rogers protesting that "my people" say there's not enough here to even evaluate, and they're uncomfortable "compromising our our 'normal' modalities" of preparing an "ad hoc fusion cell report," as James Clapper would say.

Posted by: Ace at 12:13 PM | Comments (535) | Trackbacks (Suck)

The Morning Rant

[H/T CBD-The Normandy American Cemetery & Memorial. Colleville-sur-Mer, France. August 10, 2025]

Charles Brown WNBA Product is on remote location raiding mustard farms and vineyards.

Posted by: Misanthropic Humanitarian at 11:00 AM | Comments (315) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Mid-Morning Art Thread

Christ's Charge to Peter
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino

This is 11¼ x 17½ feet (or 344cm x 534 cm in sclerotic Eurotrash measure), and there are seven of them. Yeah, that's big. And impressive. The dude could paint!

From the Victoria & Albert Museum website:

The Raphael Cartoons are a set of seven full-scale designs for tapestry painted by Raphael (1483 – 1520), and are considered one of the greatest treasures of the Renaissance. They were commissioned in 1515 by Pope Leo X for the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel and depict the lives of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

Posted by: CBD at 09:30 AM | Comments (237) | Trackbacks (Suck)

The Morning Report — 8/14/25

Good morning kids. God bless President Trump. I'll have to admit it took me a long time to understand why he says what he says when he says it. In any case, he let loose this latest broadside at the Democrats.

President Donald Trump said it is a “waste of time” to work with Democrats on Capitol Hill and that the Democrat Party is “led by insane people,” while speaking with reporters on Wednesday. Trump blasted Democrat lawmakers when a reporter asked if he intends to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to discuss the government funding deadline. “Well, I will, I guess, but it’s almost a waste of time to meet because they never approve anything,” Trump said. “If we want money to fight crime, if we want money to do–only good things, just good things, let’s not even talk about controversial–they don’t want to meet about anything.”

In purely tactical terms, Trump rightly perceives that he has the Democrats over a barrel on a broad range of issues, as a wide spectrum of polls of late indicates that that accursed party's approval and favorability ratings cratering to record low levels. So I imagine he's attempting to get them to cry uncle. And given everything going on, with the ascendancy of open bust-out insane Maoism in the Democrat Party, the base and leadership must try to appeal to or otherwise appease the Better A-Holes of their nature. Assuming of course the base can deprogram themselves long enough from their Trump derangement to salvage whatever vestige of a fig leaf of reasonableness that yet exists with the public at large lest they face a wipeout next year and in the '28 election, their historic go-to insurance policy of election thievery notwithstanding.

But Psaki-psircling back to this notion of being insane, I would argue that it's less insanity than it is being amoral and evil. To have such a generational lust for power and the hubris to anoint yourself as elite and superior to those who oppose you, is not purely a question of sanity. I'll leave it to the psychologists amongst us to argue about that.

Then again . . .

What do you get when you marry victimhood and narcissistic self-worship? Today’s woke ideologue journalist. For it is left-wing journalists resting upon their precarious perch in corporate legacy media who, despite (admittedly declining) wealth and influence, believe they are actually victims worthy of America’s sympathy and support.

They are the oppressed, beleaguered heroes keeping the fires of truth burning in these dark days of reinvigorated conservative cultural and political dominance, waging a fearless battle against patriarchy and racism. They also happen to have sufficient wealth and free time to indulge in some of the priciest and most self-absorbed activities that define our digital age. One need look no further than a recent column by The Washington Post’s Karen Attiah to observe the paradox.

Attiah presents the perfect example of how the contemporary obsession with victimhood and self-absorption are actually one and the same thing. Her op-ed begins by talking about how much she hated being skinny. As a teenager, she claims she was subject to stereotypes about “underfed Africans.” She yearned to be strong so she could be “a threat to the gender system.”

Perhaps it’s not all that surprising that narratives of both alleged victimhood and narcissism go together. If you believe you are a victim, even when things are going well for you, in the wealthiest and most successful country in the world, then you are obviously spending too much time thinking about yourself. The person who interprets everything through a lens of victimhood is already focused on the self and thus more prone to self-celebratory thoughts and behaviors. The more such people cycle down the drain of this narcissism, the more impervious they are to reality, lacking the self-awareness to see themselves for what they often actually are: entitled.

The media and academia especially have been concocting the witch's brew of victimhood to create a whole class of oppressed groups that can be united under the flag of Democrat Leftism as an army of freedom fighters ready to break the chains of an evil white supreamcist Judeo-Christian America and create paradise on earth.

This poison has destroyed the lives of millions of people and is on the verge of tearing this country and our society apart.

Case in point is this latest horrific example from the Democrat controlled paradise on earth of Cincinnati Ohio. A city ironically that derives its name from an ancient Roman dictator who was long admired for relinquishing his power and privileges to return to his life as a farmer. Okay, stop laughing.

Multiple black community leaders, one of them a pastor with a previous felony conviction, called for the arrest of an alleged victim of the Cincinnati beatdown Monday. This follows a video appearing to show the victim slapping another man before the brawl allegedly ensues.

Terrific, Emmit Till has become Emmett Kelly, but no one's laughing. Let us assume for a second that someone called someone a name. Even the unmentionable "N-word" that for anyone other than black to dare utter is a crime against humanity. Does that give said melanin-possessor and his/her compatriots the right to nearly stomp into unconsciousness and death a complete stranger because she's white? The answer of course, if you are a devotee of mirror universe Mein Kampf or Ibram X. Krement's "Jive Kampf" is Jawoll which in barbara Billingsley's Jive pocket dictionary is hell yes!

Meanwhile, in another part of the jungle . . .

An anti-Trump agitator is accused of shooting a wheelchair-bound man in the chest in Seattle, Washington, over an allegation of “stolen valor.” Gregory William Timm, 32, claimed the victim was pretending to be a veteran and confronted the 68-year-old wheelchair bound man on the busy Alaskan Way boardwalk on July 31.Prosecutors allege Timm proceeded to rip a military patch off the victim, resulting in the victim producing a knife and an airsoft gun to defend himself. Subsequently, stepping back several feet, Timm pulled out a handgun and fired a shot into the victim’s chest while demanding to see his ID. The 68-year-old man, who survived the gunshot, says he was reaching to retrieve his military ID when Timm fired on him. Local media reports indicate he is indeed a veteran.

The wind has indeed been sown. It's going to be a hell of a whirlwind when, or even if it gets reaped.

And lastly, a quick shout-out and thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.

Have a great day!

ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
• Victor Davis Hanson: Democrats decry “destroying democracy” while dismantling long-standing institutions, weaponizing agencies, and undermining the very systems they claim to defend.
  Who Has Been Busy Destroying Democracy?
  
• Democrats scream about lofty values being violated. The truth is much more typical.
  What’s Really Behind Opposition to Trump’s Move in DC?
  
• Naomi Wolf: Zohran Mamdani's Silicon Valley sellout plans for New York.
  Why Don’t I Like Him?

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at 07:20 AM | Comments (439) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Daily Tech News 14 August 2025

Top Story

• TeaOnHer is an app just like Tea but gender-swapped, that is, it's for spilling the beans on women in dating rather than men. (Tech Crunch)
  
  With all the same security problems, in that it doesn't seem to have any.
  
  Just like Tea, users need to upload government-issued photo ID to use the platform.
  
  Just like Tea, it's all stored publicly.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:30 AM | Comments (136) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Wednesday Overnight Open Thread - August 13, 2025 [DJ Rex]

Good evening Horde. The time has come for mid-week shenanigans of the overnight variety.

Welcome to the Wednesday night ONT. Pull up a chair and sit a spell. Be nice to your fellow commenters and AoS contributors.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 09:59 PM | Comments (767) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Singing Belugas Cafe

Badlands National Park, SD

Raising an orphaned baby anteater. This is the weirdest animal you guys.

Pretty beluga plays with her foam frisbee.

Belugas at the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.

Beluga enjoys Jingle Bell Rock.

Dancing beaver.

Malingering mutt fakes a paw injury until it's time to go for a walk.

Baby lions "roaring."

Family band rocks.

Compilation of adorable sky puppies.

The Sheep-Baby War began, like so many wars before it, with a misunderstanding.

Otterly lovely.

Progressivism, explained in one video.

This bear is out of control -- with seduction.

Cats always want to sleep where other animals are sleeping.

You could not possibly pay me enough money to be a giant cobra disposal agent.

Can this horse be real? It looks real, but AI is getting better. Maybe they just extended its legs. Its legs look wonky.

Ever see a gorilla cock back and wind up for a punch?

Posted by: Ace at 07:36 PM | Comments (171) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Quick Hits

The Justice Department has struck a deal compelling West Point and Air Force Academy to stop racial discrimination against whites.

Weird, you'd think that institutions charged with training the officers who will defend the Constitution from all foes foreign and domestic would'd've already been defending the Constitution, but no, it took a lawsuit.

The US Department of Justice has announced a settlement with Students for Fair Admissions Inc. (SFFA), ending race-based admissions practices at the United States Military Academy at West Point and the Air Force Academy. The agreement resolves two lawsuits brought by SFFA, which alleged the policies violated the Fifth Amendment, and results in the dismissal of both cases.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi praised the resolution as part of a broader effort to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices from federal institutions. "This Department is committed to eliminating DEI practices throughout the federal government," Bondi said. "We are proud to partner with the Department of Defense to permanently end race-based admissions at West Point and the Air Force Academy - admission to these prestigious military institutions should be based exclusively on merit."

...

The settlement avoids the need for prolonged litigation and establishes agreed-upon terms to ensure that admission to these service academies will be determined solely by merit, not race or ethnicity. It follows a similar agreement reached earlier this year in the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit regarding the US Naval Academy's former race-conscious admissions policies.

AOL Dial-Up will shut down in September. I would say it's the "end of an era" but of course no one even knew AOL Dial-Up was still available. So the era ended around, what, 2010?

Surprise! The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is "winding down," now that they're out of the taxpayer's pocket, but they still have money (for some reason) and will use that money to... propagandize for the government to fund "public" TV and radio again.

That's not the surprise. The surprise is that they've been doing this all along.

APTS [the Association of "Public" Television Stations] received $25,000 from CPB in 2022, and it charges public television stations a membership service fee. For an added fee, members can buy access to a grant-seeking database.

In 2023 APTS earned $3.8 million in "program service revenue," which includes fees from public TV stations, and spent most of it on employee compensation ($3.3 million).

The path of money -- from taxpayers to the federal government to CPB to public television stations to APTS, (or direct from CPB to APTS) -- shows that ultimately taxpayers fund APTS, which appears to be primarily a fat salary and lobbying machine.

That would be like a parent (Congress) giving his kid (CPB) an allowance and the kid pocketing some of the money (salaries), giving the rest to some other kids (public television stations) who each pocket some of the money (salaries and operations) and pass along the rest to another kid (APTS) who pockets most of the money (salaries) and comes back to the parent (Congress) to ask for more money.

Once again, the left is compelling taxpayers to hand over their money to the left so the left can use taxpayer funds for political operations against the taxpayer.

In Washington DC, peaceful protesters are organically assembling in support of uncontrolled crime and being hunted on the streets by packs of feral "youths," who know they are immune to prosecution.

Just kiddin', the Rent-A-Mob company that provides bodies for these fake protests has increased their job listings for paid agitation by 400%.

A prominent crowd rental company is reporting a dramatic spike in inquiries for protesters in Washington, DC, following President Donald Trump's announcement that he will federalize the capital's police force.

Adam Swart, CEO of Crowds on Demand, told Fox News that requests for services in DC from May to July 2024 jumped roughly 400 percent compared to the same period last year. The company, which supplies participants for political rallies, protests, and advocacy events, says such surges typically occur during "high-stakes political moments."

Why do we allow this? This is not "political speech," it's paid commercial advertising. And commercials can be regulated -- I'm thinking, they should be forced to disclose their presence at every "protest."

An antifa terrorist let free with the lightest slap on the wrist has gone on to live a peaceful and productive life.

Just joshin' wit ya, he fired a .45 caliber pistol round into the chest of a wheelchair-bound veteran.

Gregory William Timm, now 32, first gained notoriety in 2020 when he plowed his vehicle into a Republican voter registration tent in Jacksonville, Florida. No one was injured, but the attack rattled volunteers and drew a sharp rebuke from then-President Donald Trump, who warned on social media: "Be careful tough guys who you play with!"

Timm was convicted of criminal mischief in that case, later telling the court he felt it was his "duty" to take action against the Trump administration.

Now, prosecutors in King County, Washington, say Timm is behind a July 31 shooting that left Harold James Powell, an elderly man in a wheelchair wearing a military patch, hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the chest.

According to charging documents obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, Timm confronted Powell outside a Starbucks on Alaskan Way, accusing him of "stolen valor" and demanding proof of his veteran status. Witnesses told police that Powell, seated in a wheelchair and wearing a military patch, had been asking passersby for money. Timm allegedly ripped a military patch from Powell's belongings, prompting Powell to produce a knife and later a holstered airsoft gun that the court filing says Powell never removed from its holster.

Prosecutors allege that Timm then drew a .45 caliber handgun, took several steps back, and shot Powell in the chest at point-blank range. "This was a completely unnecessary act of violence committed by the defendant to a vulnerable victim who was confined to his wheelchair," Senior Deputy Prosecutor Elaine S. Lee wrote in the bail request.

Posted by: Ace at 06:47 PM | Comments (159) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Nine Months After the Election, the New York Times Realizes That Blue Collar Voters Are Sick of Regime Neoliberalism

You don't say.

Someone's gonna rock a Pulitzer for this!

Five years ago, Raymond Teachey voted, as usual, for the Democratic presidential nominee.

But by last fall, Mr. Teachey, an aircraft mechanic from Bucks County, Pa., was rethinking his political allegiances. To him, the Democratic Party seemed increasingly focused on issues of identity at the expense of more tangible day-to-day concerns, such as public safety or the economy.

"Some of them turned their back on their base," Mr. Teachey, 54, said.

...

Now, Democrats hope to bring these voters back into the fold for the midterm elections in 2026, betting on a backlash to Mr. Trump and his party's far-reaching moves to slash the social safety net.

"Slash the social safety net" = "require able-bodied adults to at least pretend to look for work to qualify for Medicaid" + "kick illegal aliens off of social services set up for Americans"

But in interviews with nearly 30 predominantly working-class voters who supported Mr. Biden in 2020 before defecting or struggling deeply with their choices last year, many had a stinging message for the Democratic Party.

Just because we have misgivings about Mr. Trump, they say, it doesn't mean we like you.

"I think I'm done with the Democrats," said Desmond Smith, 24, a deli worker from Smithdale, Miss., and a Black man who said he backed Mr. Biden in 2020 at the height of the racial justice protests. But last year, disillusioned by what he saw as the party's overemphasis on identity politics and concerned about illegal immigration, he voted for Mr. Trump.

Asked how Democrats could win him back, he said, "Fight for Americans instead of fighting for everybody else."

Sounds kind of Racist, White African-American.

An in-depth post-election study from Pew Research Center suggests that about 5 percent of Mr. Biden's voters in 2020 switched to Mr. Trump in 2024, while roughly 15 percent of those voters stayed home last year. Mr. Trump retained more of his 2020 voters than Democrats did, a crucial factor in winning the election.

...

"They're doing nothing to move their own numbers because they don't have an economic message," said John Anzalone, a veteran Democratic pollster who worked on that survey.

"They think that this is about Trump's numbers getting worse," he added. "They need to worry about their numbers."

Here are five takeaways from those conversations.

Biden's disastrous re-election bid fueled a trust issue. It hasn't gone away.

Kyle Bielski, 35, an executive chef at a private club, said he had typically voted for Democrats until last year's presidential election, when he backed Mr. Trump.

Democratic leaders had insisted that the plainly frail Mr. Biden was vigorous enough to run, and they had encouraged skeptical voters to fall in line. Instantly after he dropped out, they urged Democrats to unite behind the candidacy of Kamala Harris, who was then the vice president.

"It almost seemed wrong," continued Mr. Bielski, who lives in Phoenix. "It was kind of like, OK, the same people that were just running the country are now telling us that this is the person that we should vote for."

...

Worried about paying the bills, they saw Democrats as too focused on cultural issues.

Many in this multiracial group of voters said they thought Democrats had gone too far in promoting transgender rights or in emphasizing matters of racial identity.

But often, they were more bothered by their perception that those discussions had come at the expense of addressing economic anxieties.

"It seemed like they were more concerned with D.E.I. and L.G.B.T.Q. issues and really just things that didn't pertain to me or concern me at all," said Kendall Wood, 32, a truck driver from Henrico County, Va. He said he voted for Mr. Trump last year after backing Mr. Biden in 2020. "They weren't concerned with, really, kitchen-table issues."

...

They worry about illegal immigration. But some think Trump's crackdowns are going too far.

Sarah Smarty, a home health aide and an author from McClure, Pa., said she voted for Mr. Biden in 2020 and Mr. Trump in 2024.Credit...Hannah Yoon for The New York Times

These voters often said they agreed with Mr. Trump on the need to stem the flow of illegal immigration and strengthen border security.

But some worried about the administration's crackdown, which has resulted in sweeping raids, children being separated from their parents, the deportation of American citizens and a growing sense of fear in immigrant communities.

What?

Meanwhile, New Jersey voters are seeing their electricity bills triple due to the state's "global warming" mitigation laws, which may make the state ripe for a takeover.

Remember, Trump lost NJ by less than five points.

When my friend Rebecca in Highland Park, NJ, opened her PSE&G gas and electric bill last month, she almost fell out of her seat: It had tripled.

It's now costing her more than $1,000 a month to keep her modest home running.

"It's been creeping up for months, in spite of the fact that nothing about our house has changed," she told me. "In years past, it was averaging about $300 a month."

"I don't know how we're expected to absorb these new bills," she posted on Facebook.

Her neighbor Felix Urman wondered the same as he ticked off his household costs for me.

"Property taxes are up 6.3%," he said -- on top of what had already been the nation's highest.

"Car insurance up 15%. Home insurance up 17%. Health insurance up 19%.

"I don't know how non-dermatologists are living in New Jersey," he concluded.

That question -- how are we expected to live here? -- is why the solidly blue Garden State is rapidly turning purple.

Affordability and taxes, at 54% and 43% respectively, have become the defining issues in New Jersey's tightening governor's race.

The latest survey, released this week, showed Democratic Party nominee Mikie Sherrill leading Republican Jack Ciattarelli by just 6 percentage points.

Those who ranked affordability as their primary issue were split over which candidate is better equipped to handle it: 36% of them named Sherrill, while 34% chose Ciattarelli.

But on taxes, Ciattarelli holds a commanding lead. When asked which candidate would do a better job lowering them, 50% picked the Republican, compared to just 15% who went for the Democrat.

California trended twelve points more Republican between 2020 and 2024.

California has historically been a heavily Democratic state, selecting a Democrat in every presidential election since 1992. But recent polls have indicated the tide could be turning on the Democrats in the Golden State. It comes after the state shifted toward the GOP by 12 points in 2024 compared to 2020, with Donald Trump increasing his vote share in nearly every county in the state. The Republicans also flipped three seats in the state Legislature last year.

If the Democratic Party loses ground in California, it could reshape the state's leadership as early as 2026, when the next governor will be elected and most of California's state Legislature will be up for election.

A pollster -- I think -- named Karen George discussed the "red blooms" growing in California.

Working class voters and Hispanics are abandoning the Democrat Cult:

Posted by: Ace at 05:38 PM | Comments (275) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Hamas Claims Copyright on Its Own Video Documenting Its Terrorist Atrocities of 10/7;
The Cowardly Toronto Film Festival Rejects a Documentary Using This Video

So much. Cultural. Enrichment.

Hen Mazzig
@HenMazzig

BREAKING: The Toronto International Film Festival has pulled an October 7 documentary over alleged "Hamas copyright" claims.

TIFF removed The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, which tells the story of Noam Tibon, who saved his two granddaughters while surrounded by Hamas terrorists at the Nova music festival.

The festival claimed the film used Nir Oz massacre footage "owned" by Hamas and that the filmmakers lacked "legal clearance" to use images Hamas itself posted on October 7.

The real reason, however, may not have been legal risk at all, but rather a desire to avoid "Free Palestine" protests.

By granting Hamas legal legitimacy and silencing the truth of October 7, TIFF chose cowardice.

Despicable.

Tamari
@tammydiamonds

The Toronto International Film Festival @TIFF_NET is blocking a film about October 7 "The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue" because it includes footage Hamas filmed themselves, proudly livestreaming their own massacre.

The festival demanded the filmmakers get "legal clearance" from Hamas for that footage before it could be shown.

Yes, you read that right: footage of their own atrocities can’t be shown unless the terrorists give permission.

This is how far gone the West is protecting the "IP rights" of mass murderers while silencing the truth of their crimes and their victims.

David Strom notes that even Canada still proclaims Hamas to be a terror organization, so Hamas' access to Canadian courts to vindicate its copyright on rape and murder would be limited.

So that's not the real reason. The real reason is that they're afraid of being blown up or machine-gunned, just as all the media refrained from posting cartoons of Mohammad after the Charlie Hebdo massacre. (And the often-forgotten Hyper Market massacre of Jews that took place at the same time.)

Is our culture enriching?

At Real Clear World, J.T. Young writes of the never-ending terrorism of Hamas.

Hamas' Terror Has Expanded

While it seems impossible for Hamas' terror to worsen, it has. Having unleashed a genocidal terrorist attack on Israel two years ago, and still holding Israeli hostages, Hamas is now doing the same to Gaza. For Hamas, death has gone from being its perverted means to being its only end. Yet grotesque as Hamas' terror has become, civilized nations are pushing to implicitly validate it.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas perpetrated an unquestionably genocidal attack on Israel, killing every Jew--man, woman, or child--it could; it committed atrocities; it took hostages; approaching two years later, it still holds those hostages.

Israel responded as would any nation whose citizens had been so attacked. In WWII, the Allies--such as Britain, France, and Canada--demanded nothing less than unconditional surrender and held trials for Axis war criminals. Israel is justified to demand nothing less from Hamas.

Over the almost two years, Hamas has not slackened its zeal for killing Israelis; only its means for doing so have been diminished. It still embeds its terrorists among civilians; it still fires rockets indiscriminately into civilian populations--both Israel's (intentionally, as it has long done) and Gaza's (presumably unintentionally); when it releases hostages, it only does so on terms heavily favorable to it; it steadfastly refuses to release all the hostages it holds.

For nearly two years, Hamas has shown an utter disregard for human life. Now, its terror has expanded to include the Gazan people on a mass scale. Not that Hamas has not already caused enough carnage in Gaza. Roughly 60,000 have died in the war that Hamas brought on Gaza; Hamas is also careful to never divulge how much of that number is due to its own rockets or embedding among the civilian populations. Hamas has deliberately killed and tortured Gazans who oppose its leadership.

Dramatically higher Gazan casualties now loom. Starvation's specter stretches over Gaza as Hamas is accused of stealing aid to the civilian population to resell on the black market.

Of course, Hamas could stop the threat of starvation at a moment's notice by simply releasing all remaining hostages and surrendering--something it could have done at any point over the last two years. That it would still refuse to do so, even with the threat of starvation looming in Gaza, is no surprise. Such disregard for human life has always been at the heart of Hamas' methods.

Dating back to the second intifada, during which Hamas emerged, suicide bombings were a prominent element, the most deadly being Hamas' 2002 killing of 30 Israelis in Netanya. Following Hamas taking control of Gaza's government, it systematically purged its opponents and constructed tunnels throughout the territory, including under schools and hospitals. Into these, Hamas sent its terrorists and then hostages, knowingly guaranteeing civilian casualties when Israel struck back.

Civilian deaths in Gaza was not a byproduct of Hamas' strategy of waging terrorist war on Israel; they were integral to it: a callous propaganda tool. Now starvation's threat takes Hamas' unconscionable strategy to another level of human destruction.

It is clear to anyone objectively viewing the current situation: Hamas bears full responsibility for the carnage since October 7, 2023, not only in Israel but in Gaza too. Hamas also bears full responsibility for that now looming over the people it cynically declares to be its primary concern.

Posted by: Ace at 04:36 PM | Comments (279) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Trump, Pentagon Plan for Rapid-Deployment National Guard Force to Stop Democrat Rioting

Well they didn't say "Democrat rioting" but is there any other kind?

Oh right, there was four hours of people milling about amiably in the Capitol. Just like Germany in 1953. Or whenever. I don't know history good.

The Trump administration is reportedly weighing plans to create a "reaction force" of National Guard troops that would be deployed to cities across the country during times of civil unrest.

Reaction force more like Reactionary Farce am i rite

According to the Washington Post, which reviewed internal documents from the Pentagon, the "Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force" would see 600 troops placed on standby at all times so that they could be deployed to areas across the country in as little as an hour.

The troops would be split into two groups of 300 soldiers and would be stationed at bases in Arizona and Alabama. Cost projections included in the documents reportedly suggested that the proposal could cost upwards of hundreds of millions of dollars, if military aircraft and aircrews are also needed to be placed on standby. The documents noted, however, that transporting troops via commercial airlines would be cheaper. Fiscal year 2027, would be the earliest the program is created and funded, if approved.

It's going to cost "hundreds of millions of dollars" to train people we're already paying to serve as a rapid response force?

Sounds like liberal commie bullshit gobbedlygook to me.

...

Of the 300 troops stationed in one location, the first 100 would be outfitted with weapons and riot gear and be ready to move within an hour, while the next two waves of 100 each would be ready to move within two and 12 hours' notice, or all would be deployed at once.

The freak-outs will be incredible.

Posted by: Ace at 03:43 PM | Comments (242) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Confirmed: Democrat Runaways to Return to Capital Now That Beto's Bribe Money Has Been Cut Off

I mentioned this as an update to a post last night but now it's confirmed.

Now that they have to pay for hotel and travel out of their own pockets, these Selfless Servants of Socialism have decided that all they really wanted to do was to "raise awareness about gerrymandering."

Well you did. Now the entire country knows that Democrats have gerrymandered all the states they control to the absolute limit and it's time for Republicans to do likewise.

ABC13 has confirmed with multiple sources that House Democrats will return to Texas.

Eyewitness News has not confirmed the date, but we do know that Democrats believe they've accomplished their mission by killing the first special session and by raising national awareness about the mid-decade redistricting effort.

It is unclear which day they will be in Austin at the Capitol, but they stress that they will push for Hill Country flooding relief to be the priority.

...

This comes as the House went another session without a quorum on Tuesday, with just 95 members present for the second day in a row. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said that assuming there is no quorum on Friday, the session will end, and a new one will begin.

Hours later, the Senate actually passed a new map that benefits Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. It's the same map that passed out of committee in the House and precipitated more than 50 House Democrats to break quorum.

Democrats in the Senate walked out in protest, but a quorum remained. Sources told ABC13 that Senate Democrats will not break quorum.

Posted by: Ace at 02:30 PM | Comments (299) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Member of Pro-Palestinian (Pro-Hamas Terrorist) Group Arrested for "Vandalism"

Vandalism, huh?

Well I object to vandalism, but it's not that serious a crime. No big deal I guess. I guess I can see why the governments of Boston and Massachusetts, and the despicable Traitor Media, are downplaying this story. No harm, no foul.

Member of pro-Palestinian group arrested after Massachusetts State House gate, steps vandalized with paint

Investigators found footprints, improvised explosive devices, complaint says

Excuse me, what? Your main headline talks about "vandalism" but then your sub-hed mentioned IEDs.

I don't mean to be cynical but if feels like you just snuck that in like a sham life insurance contract mentions an exclusion for "any death whatsoever" in the fine print.

A man associated with a pro-Palestinian group suspected in a series of vandalism acts targeting "prominent public institutions" faced charges Monday after the Massachusetts State House in Boston was vandalized with paint last month.

Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, 25, of Everett, was arrested Thursday and appeared in Boston Municipal Court.

Ah, Jeremaiah Yusuf Sawaged. Sounds like a White Hispanic.

On July 23, white paint was poured on the State House gate, and concrete columns were spray-painted. Video from the scene showed paint splattered on a concrete pillar and the State House steps. The suspect also appeared to attempt to write the words "Divest" or "Divert" on a concrete pillar.

So we're back to this just being about vandalism. Okay. No big deal.

...

A trooper observed "white paint footprints" believed to have been left by Sawaqed as he fled and two suspicious objects, which were believed to be homemade improvised explosive devices, according to a criminal complaint.

There are the homemade IEDs again.

Why is this not a national story?

Oh, right: Because our media are vile traitors and filthy vermin.

And because the terrorist isn't white.

Sawaqed is associated with a group known as the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), which has taken credit for a number of acts of vandalism in Massachusetts, according to the complaint. The group is described as an extreme anti-Zionist organization.

Well as long as they say they're not antisemitic, just anti-Zionist, NBD.

Federal officials said they became aware of Sawaqed in May after he appeared in a video in urging followers to target government buildings and corporate logistics networks, officials said.

...
When he was taken into custody last week, officials searched a vehicle belonging to the suspect's mother that Sawaqed used and found traces of white paint and a device consistent with those discovered on the Boston Common. Several DAMPL fliers and two empty gasoline cans were also found.

You mean gasoline which you can use in fertilizer and fuel bomb?

"Sawaqed's actions have been deliberate, calculated and in furtherance of an ideology that advocates disruption through violence and criminal activity," the complaint states. "He has shown a clear disregard for public safety and government property and has demonstrated the capability and willingness to escalate these acts through his association with DAMPL."

...

His bail was set at $30,000 and he is due back in court next week.

$30,000. That means the actual bond he was required to post was... $3,000.

Here comes the Pallywood Production:

Sawaqed's mother, Naila Dahabrah, said her son is innocent and is being punished for his views on Gaza.

"He does not belong to any group. They have no evidence," she said.

She's a law-abiding citizen so I guess we have to take her claims seriously.

According to court documents, Dahabrah was arrested for assault and battery on a police officer after she spat in the face of a detective who was serving a search warrant last week.

Maybe not.

Hey, let's let more vile terrorist immigrants in from the middle east. They're enriching our culture mightily.

Via Beege Wellborn at Hot Air, who adds this "news" clip highlighting the vandalism, downplaying the IEDs:

Posted by: Ace at 01:20 PM | Comments (350) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Just the News: James Comey Got His "Friend" Hired by the Government and Given a Top Secret Clearance So That Comey Could Leak to Him and Have Him Leak to Reporters

Actually, that much, I think, was already known. But it's hard to write a headline about the new stuff.

John Solomon and Jerry Dunleavy:

Comey's media mole told FBI he shaped Russia narrative, needed 'discount' to deny leaking intel

The FBI confirmed illegal intel leaks but rounded up no offenders. Declassified memos have unmasked Comey's secret media conduit, a law professor whom Comey put on the government payroll.

Let me explain the "discount:" he told federal investigators that he could not recall leaking top secret/SCI intelligence to reporters, but said he needed a "discount" for that assertion.

In other words, with one breath he denies that he's a traitor who illegally passed US top secret intelligence for partisan political purposes, and then, with the last of that same breath, says "Oh but actually I might have, so you can't prosecute me for perjury."

See? Try writing a headline for that.

The FBI concluded numerous legacy news media stories that crafted the false Russia collusion narrative contained illegally leaked classified intelligence but failed to definitively identify the leakers. But agents did force a stunning admission that ex-FBI Director James Comey used a special conduit to the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times in his bid to polish his image and push for a special prosecutor to take down President Donald Trump.

Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman admitted to agents in interviews he routinely communicated on behalf of Comey, his longtime friend, with Times reporter Michael Schmidt, whose work was among the newspaper's 2018 Pulitzer-winning stories on Russian election interference. The goal, Richman told the FBI, was "to correct stories critical of Comey, the FBI and to shape future press coverage" outside of the bureau's official press office, according to internal FBI memos that current Director Kash Patel delivered to Congress this week.

While Richman was known to have been publicly quoted in news stories as an advocate for Comey, he admitted to agents -- who were part of the FBI's Arctic Haze classified leaks inquiry -- that he was given access by Comey to what turned out to be highly classified information up to the SCI level and sometimes provided information to reporters on an anonymous basis.

SCI stands for sensitive compartmentalized information. This is called "codeword" intelligence, where there's a codeword that is itself top secret for the category of information, and only a small number of people are "read into" the list of people authorized to receive it.

In other words, this is real secret information, not stuff categorized generally as "secret" or "top secret" which is often stuff thousands of people know. Like, for example, an Army manual on repairing a Humvee might be "secret" even though thousands and thousands of soldiers have access to it.

But Top Secret/SCI is stuff that's actually highly secret and restricted to only a small circle of people.

Richman insisted he did not believe he had confirmed or provided classified intelligence to reporters but said he could not be 100 percent, the memos state, noting he could only make his leak denial "with a discount."

He leaked this information, he then denied he leaked it, but tossed in a "caveat: I might just have leaked it despite what I just swore to" as a defense in a future pejury case.

Which, fortunately for him, Biden never brought.

"Richman was pretty sure he did not confirm the Classified Information. However, Richman told the interviewing agents he was sure 'with a discount' that he did not tell Schmidt about the Classified Information," one FBI memo recounted.

I'm pretty sure I didn't commit the capital offense of Espionage but I can't be totally sure. Who remembers these things? It's like asking what I had for breakfast on June 2, 2012.

In the end, the Justice Department decided not to pursue any criminal charges against Comey or any of his lieutenants or now-Sen. Adam Schiff despite potential evidence of leaks, saying it could not be certain of who leaked what and when.

Deep State Convenience Status: Highly convenient.

But its interrogation of Richman and his admissions of significant contact with the Times' Schmidt provide the most detailed account to date of how Trump critics like Comey -- who was fired by the president -- used the media to craft narratives that ultimately turned out to be untrue or misleadingly overstated, the memos show.

Much more at the link. This is just the overview of the article.

The Democrat Media Party is a filthy pit of self-dealing and incest:

Posted by: Ace at 12:10 PM | Comments (397) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Wednesday Morning Rant

Baffling

Based on reports yesterday, it looks like this chapter in the Texas "flee-bagger" saga is coming to an end. The Senate passed the gerrymander, the House session is going to expire, and Abbott will start a new one. And then another. And then another for as long as it takes and so on if needed. The Democrats fleeing will sock away whatever lucre they got and eventually, the gerrymander will probably pass. Maybe there will be an expulsion or arrest or prosecution, but I wouldn't bet on it.

But I think the most interesting side show happened last week. Abbott offered his assurances that the gerrymander will be completed, and added an escalation that proved popular:

You know, what I'm thinking now, is if they don't start showing up, I may start expanding it. We may make it six or seven or eight new seats we're going to be adding to the Republican side.

(transcription mine, please forgive any errors)

Posted by: Joe Mannix at 11:00 AM | Comments (316) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Mid-Morning Art Thread

Uncle Gullens
Frank Stanley Herring

Posted by: CBD at 09:30 AM | Comments (363) | Trackbacks (Suck)

The Morning Report — 8/13/25

As the Democrat Left goes out of its for lack of a better word "mind" in reaction to President Trump calling out the National Guard to help remove the scum and criminals from Washington DC's streets, maybe they should deploy some troops to the USPS?

A California postal worker allegedly stole credit, debit cards and checks to fuel a lavish lifestyle that included luxurious tropical vacations and Rolex watches she flaunted on social media Mary Ann Magdamit, 31, a former letter carrier at the Torrance Main Post Office, admitted Monday to stealing mail containing checks, personal identifying information, and debit and credit cards from her job between 2022 and July 2025, according to the US Attorney’s Office. She would then activate the cards online and use them to make costly purchases. . . In December 2024, law enforcement seized 133 stolen credit and debit cards and 16 US Department of the Treasury checks from her apartment. Police also found an unserialized Glock clone pistol, known as a “ghost gun,” which had an extended 27-round magazine.

Despite the raid, the former postal worker remained free until July, when federal agents discovered she was still making purchases with victims’ stolen cards, according to the Justice Department.

You have to wonder, first of all, and in all likelihood this despicable piece of shit can't be a one-off of this kind of criminality. Now look back on all the untold millions if not billions of dollars that flowed from the treasury through the entire Federal Bureaucracy year after year, decade after decade and into the pockets of not mere sleazy crooks but from hardcore leftist apparatchiks and into the coffers of traitorous, dangerous anti-American leftist organizations that sowed the division and dissolution we have been suffering through in all that time.

Second, substitute the stacks of cash in the accompanying photos from the article, with stacks of ballots from the last several elections and presto change-o, Joey Sponge-Brain Shits-Pants miraculously amasses 82 million votes in 2020! Remember, if a Genie gives you one wish, what's the one thing you should wish for? Easy, an infinite number of wishes! When Democrats can "win" election after election, that's what they get. And in 2016 and 2024, Trump swiped the bottle from the Democrats!

And with that, I gave you the latest news from the Texas Democrat FLEE Circus:

Democrats in the Texas state Senate walked off the floor Tuesday without preventing passage of new congressional districts in that body.

Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives fled to Democratic-controlled states like New York and Illinois in order to thwart a special session of the body to consider redistricting that could net Republicans multiple seats in the United States House of Representatives. The new congressional map passed by a 19-2 vote after nine Democratic state senators walked out, the Texas Tribune reported. (RELATED: Greg Abbott Tells Jake Tapper What Texas Is Prepared To Do If California ‘Tries To Gerrymander Five More Districts) . . The new map would place Democrat Reps. Henry Cuellar, Greg Cesar, Al Green and Julie Johnson into districts that President Donald Trump won by at least 10.4% in the 2024 presidential election, according to an interactive map on the Texas Tribune’s website. Republicans currently have 219 members of the House of Representatives, compared to 212 Democrats with four vacancies.

Too bad Jasmine Crockett, Frederica Wilson and Barbara Lee couldn't have been excised/exorcised along with the rest of that vile coven.

Then again, I guess we can expect more of this kind of mostly peaceful action:

An anti-Israel radical who allegedly placed homemade explosive devices in the Boston Common is a member of a new extremist group that has pledged support for Hamas, according to a police report. . . Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, 25, was arrested Thursday after an investigation by several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Massachusetts State Police, identified him as the vandal who painted anti-Israel messages on the Massachusetts State House, a George Washington statue, and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology research lab. After Sawaqed defaced the State House in July, investigators believe he left the two homemade explosive devices behind in the Boston Common, a major hub for tourists and pedestrians in the city. A bomb squad was called in at the time to investigate them.

The idea of doing violence to one’s political opponents has become mainstream on the left. Don’t believe me? Consider the case of one Iman Abdul, a 27-year-old woman who has worked on the campaigns of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Swizzle Stick) and New York state Sen. Julia Salazar (D-Of Course). Abdul has just been arrested for calling for an attack on a high school because a large number of Jewish students go to it.

My one quibble with the estimable Robert Spencer is that violence has not become mainstream on the left.

It Always Was mainstream. But yes, as President Trump and his team find ways to dismantle and discombobulate the Democrat Left's hold on power and their ability to obstruct the MAGA movement, and worse, draw more and more people away from the Democrat Left, Violence will be their only recourse. Well, they've been itching to seize absolute power for 200 years or more and with the toxic interbreeding of Communism and Islam birthing a demonic political Cerberus that is drooling rabies-laced nitric acid while baring its fangs at Civilization's jugular, and primed to strike.

Elsewhere, I admire Mike Huckabee's optimism that the Abraham Accords will spread and bring more of Israel's regional enemies to the table to bury the hatchet, and not in its head. The notion that Syria, which now has a bust-out Al Qaeda/ISIS freak as its president will be a party to any peace with Israel is frankly delusional.

And lastly, a quick shout-out and thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.

Have a great day!

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at 07:35 AM | Comments (318) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Daily Tech News 13 August 2025

Top Story

• Perplexity AI has offered to buy Chrome from Google for $34.5 billion. (Tech Crunch)
  
  Perplexity doesn't have $34.5 billion.
  
  Minor detail.
  
  
  
• In a world of vibe-coding startups, Uno Platform is one. (Tech Crunch)
  
  Good for them I guess.
  
  
  
• Anthropic has offered all branches and agencies of the federal government unlimited use of its services for $1. (Tech Crunch)
  
  For one year.
  
  First year is (almost) free.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 04:40 AM | Comments (172) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Tuesday Overnight Open Thread - August 12, 2025 [scampydog]

Sheep Creek Overlook

Eleven miles south of Manila, Utah on UT Hwy 44 is the Sheep Creek Bay Interpretive Overlook. This paved pullout sits nearly 500 feet above the surface of the reservoir and rewards visitors with sweeping views of Sheep Creek Bay, a great launching point for water activities. During his historic Green River and Colorado River expedition in 1869, John Wesley Powell and crew named the area after witnessing the sun reflecting off the brilliant red hues of the sandstone cliffs towering above the Green River. Today visitors can witness the same spectacle by making a stop to the overlook during sunrise or sunset year-round.

You made it! Welcome to the Tuesday ONT. Join the comment section with your own brand of brilliance and sarcasm.

Lurkers, consider the comment below your signal.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 10:00 PM | Comments (577) | Trackbacks (Suck)

Barkour Cafe

Lynx and kitten

I linked a video of various animals bouncing on a trampoline. I noted it was probably AI but I just liked it so much I wanted it to be true. It wasn't, it was all AI slop.

Guitar and parrot perform "Stairway to Heaven."

Man and dog team up to make worst racket possible.

You thought you were buying your cat a fun toy. WRONG. You were buying him something to destroy and take all of the fun out of.

Monkey and cat are Explorer Pals.

Everybody in bed!

Shepherd flips out.

ICYMI: Seagull trolls cat.

Dog sees a treat and dances as payment.

Sheep working out at the sheep gym.

Dog's instincts to protect humans are strong.

Permission to lick myself, Captain?

Posted by: Ace at 07:44 PM | Comments (408) | Trackbacks (Suck)