GOP stands with Trump over Senate challenge regarding Operation Epic Fury

Senate Republicans closed ranks on Wednesday, delivering President Trump a solid victory on his use of force against Iran, This came despite the usual lingering questions about America's role in the Middle East mess.

The Senate decisively shot down a resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) that sought to limit Trump's military actions in Iran. This followed days of speculation about whether any Republicans would break ranks, as some have done in the past, to slap the president on the wrist.

The administration went all-in to rally support for Operation Epic Fury. They held multiple briefings with Congress to lay out the case. It worked, at least for the moment. It convinced some wavering Republicans to stick with continued military action against the regime.

President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, 2026.

Only Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) voted for Kaine's resolution. On the flip side, Sen. Jon Fetterman (D-Pa.) was the lone Democrat to cross over and support the president's position.

Democrats tried to frame Trump's moves as yet another case of him blowing past Congress's authority on military force. They complained about no clear strategy ahead and accused him of breaking another campaign promise.

"It's time for the president to keep promises, not break them," Kaine said ahead of the vote. "That's why I'm so glad that we're going to put everybody on the record … Nobody gets to hide and give the president an easy pass or an end run around the Constitution."

Democrats also hammered the administration for refusing to take ground troops off the table."They refuse to take off the table the insertion of ground troops," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). He warned the conflict could balloon beyond air and naval ops. "This is going to make the operations in Libya look like child’s play."

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced a war powers resolution to rein in President Donald Trump's military action in Iran.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), who once backed a similar resolution to curb Trump's war powers in Venezuela, made it clear he opposed this one.

But like before, he noted that any ground operation would need congressional approval."I’ve always said that committing ground troops would be something I think would require immediate congressional authorization, but that doesn’t appear to be on the immediate horizon," Hawley said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed the administration kept moving the goalposts, which he called proof positive that "a strategy is missing."

Republicans fired back that the president was squarely within his constitutional authority as commander in chief. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) dismissed the War Powers Act as "an unconstitutional shift of authority from the president." He pointed out that Congress can always pull the funding plug if it really disagrees with the action.

"We don’t need 535 commanders in chief," said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), tearing into the legislation.

There was also clear fatigue in GOP circles over Kaine's habit of repeatedly pushing these congressional power plays in every conflict.

Republicans huddled privately on Tuesday to hash out the strikes and the looming war powers vote. This came ahead of their briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan "Raizin" Caine, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a meeting with oil and gas executives in the East Room of the White House, Jan. 9, 2026.

A source familiar with the closed-door session told Fox News Digital that some Republicans who might have been persuadable were fed up with Kaine's nonstop use of the Senate floor to limit Trump's war authorities.

Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) highlighted that this was Kaine’s fifth resolution targeting Trump’s war powers since he returned to office last year. That tally accounts for nearly half of all war powers resolutions in U.S. history.

"These resolutions have been used only 11 times in 50 years," Barrasso said. "The senator from Virginia alone accounts for nearly half of them. Yet Senator Kaine introduced zero war powers resolutions when Barack Obama and Joe Biden were president."

Rubio told reporters after Tuesday's all-senators briefing that the administration had complied with the War Powers Act, even though it views the law as unconstitutional. He added that congressional leaders got notified before the strikes.

Rubio had earlier floated that the U.S. acted in Operation Epic Fury because Israel was set to strike first, though he later dialed that back.

"If you tell the President of the United States that if we don't go first, we're going to have more people killed and more people injured, the president is going to go first," Rubio said. "That's what he did. That's what the president will always do."

Meanwhile, U.S. forces have hammered more than 2,000 targets in Iran so far, zeroing in on the regime’s air defenses and missile stockpiles. Six American service members have been killed in the operation, along with nearly 50 top Iranian leaders.

The Iranian government claims at least 1,045 people have been killed across the country during the campaign.

Thanks for following Brain Flushings, guys. Please consider subscribing, and if you would like to support my work, visit the sponsors on this page, or you can Buy Me A Coffee. 

Tweet

Ex-FBI agent reveals Afghan vetting screwups: "Ticking time bomb"

 Rahmanullah Lakanwal,

Listen, folks, if you ever needed a neon-lit, flaming-red billboard screaming "Biden’s Afghanistan bug-out was an unmitigated disaster," here it is, gift-wrapped with a bow made of National Guard blood.

Two West Virginia Guard members are fighting for their lives after getting ambushed just blocks from the White House by some guy named Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who somehow waltzed into America courtesy of Joe Biden’s "Operation Allies Welcome." You remember that one, the humanitarian clusterfrack where we airlifted tens of thousands of Afghans out of Kabul, slapped a participation trophies on them, and called it "vetting."

Former FBI Special Agent Nicole Parker, who actually worked the mess on the ground, just dropped the mic on Fox News Digital:

'They said it is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode because we've just allowed all of these people into our country… Initially, it was a free-for-all and no one was being vetted… Many times it felt like anyone was allowed to come into the United States from Afghanistan, regardless of who they were… What happened to our National Guard service members is a direct result of their lack of vetting… America is full of people we do not know. We don't know who they are, where they are, or what sleeper cells are here."

Free-for-all. Ticking time bomb. Sleeper cells. Merry freakin’ Christmas, America.

Parker says FBI agents and DoD contractors flagged people who absolutely should not have come here, only to watch the Biden State Department override them like it was a game of diplomatic Red Rover. "There were individuals that were not being recommended to come to the United States, yet they were being overridden by the Biden State Department," she said.

The DHS Inspector General basically wrote a 50-page "We told you so," documenting rushed "lily pad" staging bases, missing records, and vetting so sloppy it makes TSA look like the Mossad. A separate Pentagon IG report found at least 50 evacuees with "potentially serious security concerns" got waved through anyway, and officials lost track of dozens more who pinged the terror watchlist bingo card.

Even U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro (yes, that Jeanine Pirro) unloaded: "This is what happens in this country when people who are not properly vetted are let in."

And newly minted FBI Director Kash Patel said: "This individual is in this country for one reason and one reason alone, because of the disastrous withdrawal from the Biden administration and the failure to vet in any way, shape or form this individual and countless others."

Remember when Alejandro Mayorkas, with a straight face, swore up and down that "well over 99 percent" of evacuees were properly screened? Yeah, about that, when Lindsey Graham reminded him he was under oath and asked if he could guarantee no terrorists slipped through, Mayorkas mumbled, "No. No, I can’t speak to that."

Of course he can't. Because the directive straight from the top was "fill the planes, ask questions never." Senator Josh Hawley uncovered an August 2021 email literally telling officials to "err on the side of excess" and let people board even if their paperwork was, shall we say, creatively incomplete.

So here we are: two American heroes in critical condition, a suspected Afghan shooter who drove cross-country with his wife and five kids to allegedly play jihad near 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and a vetting process that was apparently run by the same people who designed Healthcare.gov.

Thank goodness there's a new sheriff in town.

If you like Brain Flushings and want to Buy Me a Coffee, I would appreciate it, as it supports my work. Obviously, there is no pressure but I certainly wouldn't stop you.

Tweet

ISIS terrorists crossed our border and GOPers demand answers

Islamic State terrorist have crossed into the United States through our southern border. Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham (SC) and Rand Paul (KY) are demanding to know why and seek additional information from Homeland Security [an oxymoron] Alejandro Mayorkas after a number of these jihadis came here through our border with Mexico. A number of arrests were made in major cities last week.

The terrorists were processed through the asylum system and paroled into the country rather than being deported back to where they came from.

Sen. Paul serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Sen. Graham is the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“We, as the Ranking Members of committees with jurisdiction over immigration and national security, are writing to request additional information concerning the recent apprehension of several individuals from Tajikistan with suspected ties to the Islamic State. According to media reports, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently arrested multiple individuals with suspected ties to ISIS on immigration violations in various cities across the country, including New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, following their entry into the United States through the southwest land border," Paul and Graham wrote in a letter to Mayorkas Monday.

“The circumstances of these arrests have highlighted significant potential vulnerabilities within our border security and immigration screening processes. Given the serious national security implications of these deficiencies, it is imperative that we receive detailed information to fully understand the scope of these issues and to ensure that our border infrastructure and national security systems are adequately safeguarding against such threats," they continued.

The senators are requesting a series of documents and communications about the situation by June 28. If they do not receive them by this deadline, nothing will happen and the show will go on.

The effeminate Mayorkas was impeached in April by the U.S. House of Representatives over his deliberate failure to secure the border.

Tweet

Republicans attack Graham's attempt to pass resolution to push Ukraine's admission into NATO

Vladimir Putin

It's likely that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is secretly working for the vast military complex or perhaps a weapons manufacturer, which is basically the same thing. The one main bargaining chip Ukraine has with Russia is the NATO issue and if somehow Graham succeeds in getting Ukraine into NATO, that could spell World War Three--and that isn't hyperbole.

Republicans in both the House and Senate are livid that Graham would push such a militaristic scheme of passing such a bipartisan resolution. Putin would have no choice but to go guns-a-blazing and one cannot even blame him.

Graham tweeted that he thinks there is "overwhelming" support for his proposal in the Senate. He claimed that Ukraine's membership in NATO is "vital to the future security of Europe and the world."

"I will be working with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to pass a resolution urging the admission of Ukraine into NATO," Graham said of the effort. "The best way to prevent future wars and promote peace is to create security guarantees that make aggressor nations think twice before starting wars."

On the contrary--Ukraine's membership in NATO, at the very least, is a deal-breaker for peace in the region.

"Ukrainian NATO membership is vital to the future security of Europe and the world. I believe there is an overwhelming majority of Senators supporting this proposition," the hawkish senator added.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) went after Graham's proposal in a Friday evening tweet, insisting that it is "exactly wrong" and warning that it has the potential to lead the United States into a war with Russia. Rand is correct.

"Absolutely not. This is exactly wrong – as usual – and could very well lead us to war with Russia, something no one should want," Paul said in response to a tweet from Graham.

Not Vladimir Putin

Graham also drew backlash from House Republicans.  Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), tweeted: "I'm sure Lindsey Graham knows this, but this would mean American troops on the ground in Ukraine."

"Dangerous rhetoric from warmonger Graham, whose foreign policy track record means you'd be well advised to do the opposite of what he proposes," Mollie Hemingway posted in a tweet.

But Graham's boots stay home while his bank account grows.

An ardent supporter of Ukraine's defensive efforts and a stolen valor liar, Graham traveled with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) to Kyiv last summer.

During the meeting on the 134th day of the war, Zelenskyy,[wearing his favorite John Fetterman-inspired gym attire], "called on senators to back the decision on providing Ukraine with modern air defense systems," according to his office.

So called President Biden read the teleprompter this week saying that he believes now is not the time for Ukraine to join NATO. But everyone knows that Biden couldn't find it on a map. Hell, he probably couldn't find his butt with both hands.

Tweet

Doocy pounds KJP over abortion: she can't give an honest answer or she'll expose what the administration really wants

In the world of incompetence, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre rules. She acts as if the American public consists mainly of fools when she doesn't answer the questions she's asked, but even some of the fools on the Left are beginning to see through the smoke she's trying to blow. Sometimes she avoids answering the question she's asked, sometimes she answers the question that's in the jasmine of her mind. But she's black and a lesbian, so that qualifies her by Democrats' standards.

Nobody is fooled by KJP and her leftist colleagues.

Peter Doocy of Fox News asked her about Sen. Lindsey Graham's abortion restriction proposal that bans killing babies beyond 15 weeks except in cases of rape, incest, and dangers to the life of the mother. This happens to be the restriction that most Americans favor, in spite of the fact that many conservatives, especially religious conservatives, know that life begins at conception and would totally restrict baby-murders altogether.

However, the incompetent KJP characterized Graham's proposal as simply a "nationwide ban" on abortion, which it clearly is not, and she refused to acknowledge the 15 week portion of the proposal.

So Peter Doocy asked her about the proposal:

DOOCY TIME: Does…Biden favor any limits on abortion?
KJP: We've been very…clear here…I was talking specifically about Sen. Lindsey Graham–
Doocy: And your position on his plan is…15 weeks is unacceptable?
KJP: I was speaking to…what Republicans are trying to do. 

Doocy: “A limit at 15 weeks, right?”

KJP: “It’s a national ban, which will take us backwards & will put at risk the health of women…We’re talking…privacy…contraception…marriage. That is what extreme [GOP] officials are trying to do. I’m not going to get into specifics.” 

First of all, how does not killing an unborn baby put a mother's "health" at risk? 

KJP's refusal to get into specifics would tell the public the truth about the proposal and would have to spell out specifics of what the Left is proposing. They say Republicans are being too extreme, but they won't say what it is they believe is their acceptable abortion cut-off time would be. In truth, it would be up to and probably after the birth.

To his credit, Doocy kept at her and demanded to know what Biden's proposed restriction would be or if he even had any restrictions at all on abortion. She tried blowing more smoke by mentioning Kevin McCarthy, who had nothing to do with Doocy's question.

Doocy: Why not get into specifics? The Republicans are saying we don’t want abortion after 15 wks. Why can’t you say how many weeks [Biden] thinks the limit is?
KJP: As you know, Kevin McCarthy put out the GOP agenda
Doocy: I’m not asking about [him]. I’m asking about Joe Biden 

Jean-Pierre kept deflecting, but Doocy wouldn’t let it go.

Doocy: “How many weeks?”

KJP: “I’m answering your question. What Republicans are trying to do is take us backwards. They’re trying to take away the rights & freedoms of Americans. That’s what we’re calling out…We should really listen to what [they] are trying to tell us.” 

Then she outright lied, insisting she had answered his question when, of course, she hadn’t.

Doocy: We are all covering the Republican plan…[W]hy can’t you say how many weeks for Biden?

KJP [to another reporter]: Okay, go ahead.
Doocy: No.
KJP: No…I answered your question.
Doocy: You did not answer my question.
KJP: I did. I did.
Doocy: Why can’t you say–

And KJP went to another "reporter."

* * *

Hey folks, consider subscribing to Brain Flushings and please check out the ads on these pages. It costs nothing to subscribe and it's worth every penny. And remember, every time you click on an ad, you help in the fight against Communism, ignorance, The New York Times, and the heebie-jeebies. You also help me. Thanks.

* * *

Say what you want about Fox News, but they seem to be the only mainstream media outlet that is standing up for the American public and asking the tough questions with follow-ups. Based on what was said, it seems clear that the Left has no plans to restrict the killing of the unborn at all.

It's amazing how Biden, Pelosi and the rest of these clowns pretend to be religious Christians.

Tweet

Sen. Lindsey Graham caught on audio praising Biden on Jan. 6

The Compromised News Network (CNN) released an audio on Tuesday in which Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is heard singing the praises for Joe Biden on January 6, 2021, the day the Capitol was inundated with Republicans and undercover FBI agents egging them on, if you believe the rumors. Graham was telling an unidentified person that Biden was "the best person to have" at that time in history. “He’ll be maybe the best person to have, right? I mean, how mad can you get at Joe Biden?”

Turns out Graham was referring to a babbling house plant who can't even read a Teleprompter. Oh, how embarrassing that must be for Lindsey.

The audio, aired on “Anderson Cooper 360” Tuesday night, and was viewed by literally hundreds of air travelers. It was obtained by Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, so-called 'reporters' for the New York Times. The pair collaborated on a book entitled "This Shall Not Pass," about the 2020 election and how certain GOPers turned on then-President Trump after the January 6th event, which was as much an insurrection as Biden is in control of the presidency.

Two top congressional Republicans -- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) -- discussed the notion of getting Trump out of the political arena, and McCarthy even asked about invoking the 25th Amendment and evicting Trump from the White House even before his term in office expired.

Meanwhile "Cocaine Mitch" [a sobriquet given to McConnell  by a GOP  businessman Don Blankenship who was running for a US Senate seat for West Virginia and attacked him and his wife Elaine Chau with racial slurs] spoke of being "exhilarated" about Trump's loss to Biden.

* * *

 Consider subscribing to Brain Flushings and please check out the ads on these pages. It costs nothing to subscribe and it's worth every penny. And remember, every time you click on an ad, you help in the fight against Communism, ignorance, and the heebie-jeebies.

* * *

In spite of the attacks on Trump, both McCarthy and McConnell had nothing to say about the guy who drove an 18-wheeler, put Corn Pop in his place, was congratulated by Angelo, a deceased Amtrak conductor, all while holding down a teaching position at a college.

Tweet

Democratic party leader wished she hadn't wished death on Sen. Lindsey Graham from COVID-19

A  horrible top Democratic Party official in Rhode Island faced backlash for wishing Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) die of COVID-19 after he announced Monday that he had contracted COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated. This Democratic leader in the state wished death upon a person with whom she has political differences. 

Graham said that he experienced "mild symptoms" and praised the vaccine, saying he'd probably feel much worse had he not been vaccinated.

"I feel like I have a sinus infection and at present time I have mild symptoms. I will be quarantining for ten days," Graham said. "I am very glad I was vaccinated because without vaccination I am certain I would not feel as well as I do now. My symptoms would be far worse."

But the execrable Kate Coyne-McCoy of the Rhode Island Democratic Party responded to Graham's diagnosis by wishing he would die from the virus. How lovely of her.

"It's wrong to hope he dies from Covid right? Asking for a friend," Coyne-McCoy said, adding the hashtags, "#COVIDISNOTOVER" and "#LINDSEYGRAHAM."

The witch quickly deleted the shameful tweet after she discovered that normal people took offense to it. She caught hell online because while she deleted it, the internet is unforgiving.

Coyne-McCoy is not a normal political strategist, nor is she a normal individual. The Rhode Island Democratic Party said about her in March that she would "develop and implement programs that will modernize the party and position Democrats to win from the top to the bottom of the ballot." Her Twitter bio says she's "leading" the state party, which says a lot about Rhode Island's Democrats.

Coyne-McCoy posted an apology Tuesday morning, saying she regretted exercising "poor judgement."

"I made a mistake. I used poor judgement which I obviously regret," she said.

That isn't poor judgment--it's poor upbringing and a disgusting, dark soul. Her biggest regret is the unexpected backlash she received from the public. She thought she was being clever when, in fact, she was being an a-hole and more than a thousand responses affirmed their belief of the same sentiment.

"It's not a mistake when you think it through enough to type it out. Come on! You've been around long enough to know that you were going to get called out on it. The only regret you have is getting caught," one response said.

It's mind-blowing to think that a person with such a nasty mindset can be put in such a position of power, but let us not sell the Democrats short on nasty.

Why not consider subscribing to Brain Flushings and check out the ads on these pages. It costs nothing to subscribe and it's worth every penny. And remember, every ad you click on, you help in the fight against ignorance and evil.

Tweet

His Holiness Fauci does a Kamala Harris with the border crisis

His Holiness the venerable very Reverend Dr. Anthony Fauci who tells us that washing our hands is an important way to fight the coronavirus, is washing his hands of taking responsibility over the surge of illegal migrants coming across the border bringing along COVID-19 in about 10 percent of the ones who are being tested.

Fauci says he has "nothing to do" with the situation at the border after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) challenged him to visit the border to see the "super-spreader event" that's going on there.

"Lindsey Graham, who I like -- he's a good person, I've dealt with him very, very well over the years -- [is] equating me with things that have to do with the border. I have nothing to do with the border," Fauci told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto on "Your World" Friday. But of course, when you consider how Fauci has self-described as the go-to guy for all coronavirus revelations and the man who will protect the nation against the dreaded scourge, going to the border and assessing what's going on there is sure as hell his business.

"Obviously, it is a very difficult situation at the border. We all know that. The administration is trying as best as they can to alleviate that situation," the White House chief medical adviser said. "Having me down at the border. That's really not what I do."

But why isn't it what he does? 

Surely the problem with the massive surge of unvaccinated migrants with a significantly high percentage of COVID-19 should be relevant to his task at hand.

"Paging Dr. Fauci: You need to go to the southern border and witness in person the biggest super spreader event in the nation – President [Biden's] immigration policies," Graham tweeted Friday.

Fauci is obviously too busy blowing his own horn on national TV and humble-bragging about his work with the coronavirus.

Please consider subscribing to Brain Flushings and check out the ads on these pages. It costs nothing to subscribe and it's worth every penny. And remember, every ad you click on, you help in the fight against the China virus.

Tweet

DNC chair Jaime Harrison who lost to Graham in November calls him out over his gun rights

DNC chair Jaime Harrison on Monday accused Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) of "embarrassing" himself and South Carolina after the senator said that he would use his constitutional right as described in the Second Amendment to defend him home with his AR-15 if necessary.

Harrison lost soundly to Graham for his Senate seat by 10 points even though he raised a record amount of money to lose. Graham raised $108 million and Harrison $130 million according to his campaign, which would never tell a lie.

Mehdi Hasan guest hosted MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes." 

On Monday, Mehdi Hasan, the guest host of MSNBC's "All In with Chris Hayes," played the clip of Graham's appearance on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace.

"I own an AR-15. If there is a natural disaster in South Carolina where the cops can't protect my neighborhood, my house will be the last one that the gang will come to because I can defend myself," Graham told Wallace.

"At the end of the day if you think an assault weapons ban is what the country needs, bring it to the floor of the United States Senate and vote on it. I welcome that debate," Graham said.

His comments come amid renewed debate of owning assault weapons following last week's supermarket shooting in Boulder that left 10 people without weapons dead.

"Lindsey Graham lives in central South Carolina. You have a population probably less than the block that you live on. The only gang that Lindsey Graham's gonna see in central is probably at the Walmart standing in the one line that is open," Harrison ignorantly said.

"It's ridiculous, Lindsey is ridiculous. And he just needs to be quiet and his folks just need to tell him to stay off-camera because he's embarrassing himself and the state of South Carolina," the sore loser whined.

Harrison, who is Black, seems to be ignorant of the fact that Black folks were historically not allowed to have guns until after the Civil War in which roughly 620,000 people died. He is oblivious to the notion that people have the right, not only to defend themselves against a criminal element, but against a criminal government that would seek to make the masses impotent to stop them.

Our rights are not given to us by government megalomaniacs on the left who want the power to control the people--our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable. We have these rights at birth and the government has no right to take them away. 

But they continue to try, and try, and wear away at our rights one little piece at a time. And we give in, one little piece at a time.

Please consider subscribing to Brain Flushings and check out the ads on these pages. It costs nothing to subscribe and it's worth every penny. And remember, every ad you click on, you help in the fight against the China virus.

Tweet

Lou Dobbs wants you to vote for Democrat challenger to Lindsey Graham

Fox Business' Lou Dobbs does not want South Carolinians to vote for the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Election Day. He would rather the GOP give up a senate seat than reelect Graham because he believes the senator "... has betrayed the American people."

“Well, just to be clear, I don’t know why anyone in the great state of South Carolina would ever vote for Lindsey Graham,” Dobbs said. “It’s just outrageous. This is the guy who keeps saying, ‘Stay tuned.’ He said he was going to get to the bottom of Obamagate with the Judiciary Committee, which has been a year-and-a-half—actually longer—of absolute inert, inert response to these pressing issues of our day.”

“And this is what, by the way, Donald Trump said of Senator Lindsey Graham back in 2016, while he was campaigning for the presidency in South Carolina,” Dobbs continued. “I believe the president’s words about the senator then apply today.”

The Fox Business News host referenced a Trump quote the president made while competing as a candidate in the SC primary against Graham:

"I think Lindsey Graham is a disgrace, and I think you have one of the worst representatives of any representative in the United States. I don’t think he could run for dog catcher in this state and win again. I really don’t. Other than that, I think he’s wonderful. He’s one of the dumbest human beings I’ve ever seen … The guy is a nut job."

Does anyone really believe that Trump believes his own words about Graham? President Trump goes for the jugular on his opposition all the time and does so with hyperbole.

Dobbs accused Graham of betraying President Trump and the country. "Graham has betrayed President Trump at almost every turn. He has betrayed the American people and his oath of office. He’s done absolutely nothing to investigate Obamagate, except to tell everyone, ‘Stay tuned.’ Time and time again: ‘Stay tuned.'”

“Senator Graham needs to be tuned out in South Carolina,” Dobbs said.

The senate race in question is against Jaime Harrison (D).

“A political action committee founded by national Democratic operatives to help Harrison’s campaign—Lindsey Must Go PAC—recently spent more than $133,000 on mailers highlighting former Constitution Party candidate Bill Bledsoe, who has dropped out of the race and thrown his support behind Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. The mailers say Bledsoe is ‘the only true conservative on the ballot,’” the outlet reported.

Bledsoe dropped out of the race weeks ago when his campaign failed to raise so much as a dime.

Harrison's campaign launched ads supporting Bledsoe, a tactic he used before.

“The ads call Bledsoe ‘the only Senate candidate who stood with President Trump on day one’ and note that he ‘opposes all abortions’ and ‘believes that any gun-control law infringes upon the Second Amendment.’ The ads also link to a website paid for by the South Carolina Democratic Party, which calls Bledsoe ‘pro-Trump,’ ‘pro-gun,’ and ‘anti-abortion,’” the Free Beacon reported. 

Harrison is anti-Trump, pro-gun confiscation and pro-baby killing. 

If Harrison wins, the Senate will have one less Republican vote and somehow that's okay with Lou Dobbs. 

Fox News and Fox Business ain't what they used to be.

C'mon, man, gimme a break. You know you want to follow Brain Flushings--it's free and worth every penny. And remember, every time you click on an ad, an angel gets its wings and a liberal sheds a tear. C'mon.

Tweet

Biden scared over Graham's document request

Joe Biden has come out of his coma to fume at Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over his request for Hunter Biden documents.

The former Vice President said Friday that he's "embarrassed" for Graham over the documents regarding Hunter's involvement with Ukraine. But more likely, he's scared as hell that his scumcrumpet of a son is going to be revealed to be a worthless, talentless piece of human shoe goo and Joe will be exposed as well as helping him make millions from the Ukrainian company for which he "consulted."

Biden also criticized President Trump during an interview with CNN's execrable Don Lemon, claiming Graham cannot break with the president for fear of losing his Senate seat in 2020.

Or maybe Graham simply wants to get to the bottom of the corruption allegations lodged against Hunter. It turns out that Joe's son got a 26-year-old Alabama woman pregnant last year and is the father of a baby girl. He denied paternity but DNA results proved conclusively that he is the father, making Joe Biden the proud grandfather.

Hunter was also having an affair with his dead brother's wife while still married to his own wife,

Lemon told Biden that Graham once called him the "nicest person" and recalled how the two worked together for many years.

Joe probably is a nice person, but even nice people can be corrupt and break the law.

After a pause, Biden turned to Lemon and said, "They're asking Lindsey Graham. They have him under their thumb right now. They know he knows if he comes out against Trump he’s got a real tough road for reelection."

So it's Graham who's the fraud, not Joe and Hunter. See how that works?

Graham, who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting the release of all documents related to contacts between Joe Biden, his son and former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. 

The letter was released on the final day of public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry. It asked Pompeo to release a number of documents and transcripts of conversations between Biden and Poroshenko in 2016 regarding an investigation into Burisma Holdings, the Ukrainian natural gas company, and specifically, Hunter Biden's role on its board of directors.

In an interview with the Compromised News Network (CNN), Biden said he is "quite frankly... angered" by Graham's move. But it's likely he's more scared than angry if truth be told.

"He knows me. He knows my son. He knows there's nothing to this," Sleepy Joe said.

He claimed Trump is "essentially holding power over him [Graham] that even the Ukrainians wouldn't yield to."

"Lindsey is about to go down in a way that I think he's going to regret his whole life," he said threateningly. Then he addressed Graham directly: "Lindsey... I'm just embarrassed by what you're doing -- for you -- I mean, my Lord."

In other words, Biden was like yo.

Please consider following this blog and visit the ads on this page.   You can also see my other blog on the Times of Israel.

Tweet

Former Dem staffer pleads guilty to doxxing Republicans during Kavanaugh hearing

Jackson Cosko
Photo: Tennessee Star

Jackson Cosko, the former Democrat House staffer accused of posting private information of GOP senators during then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh hearings for uncorroborated sexual assault that was alleged to have taken place over 30 years ago, has pleaded guilty to his crimes.

Cosko, at that time, was a fellow in Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s (D-TX) office. He pleaded guilty on Friday to doxxing the senators and threatening a senate staffer with whom he previously worked after the staffer witnessed him using one of the office’s computers to post the information.

The Washington Post reports that Cosko pleaded guilty to “two counts of making public restricted personal information and one count each of computer fraud, witness tampering and obstruction of justice.” 

Jackson Pollock
Photo: Brain Pickings

Cosko, a veritable bottom-feeder, admitted to his crimes as part of a plea deal he reached with prosecutors a week earlier.

Cosko admitted in his plea agreement, according to the Post, to posting the private information of Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). In October, Cosko contested the charges against him and faced up to 20 years in the slammer for his crimes.

In a statement to the Post, Cosko’s attorney Brian Stolarz blamed his client's actions on drugs rather than the fact that Cosko sucks.

“Mr. Cosko takes full responsibility for his actions [as if he has a choice] and is sincerely remorseful [due to the fact that he got caught.] Sadly, Mr. Cosko’s ongoing struggle with drugs contributed to a regrettable course of conduct. He is committed to rehabilitating his life, his reputation, and addressing his addiction,” Stolarz said. 

Interesting that Cosko could work in government and get away with his alleged addiction.

As the Daily Wire previously reported, Cosko entered the office of his former boss, Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) in order to use a computer to publish the private information. A staffer in Hassan’s office recognized him and reported him. Cosko then sent that staffer a threatening email saying that if they told anyone he would “leak it all.”

But that wasn't him--it was the drugs talking.

“Emails signal conversations gmails. Senators children’s health information and socials,” Cosko wrote while stoned out on drugs.

Cosko reportedly had terabytes of information stolen from the senate while he was stoned, some of which was sensitive. When investigators searched his home they found cocaine, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. They also found several computers, phones, tablets and senate letterhead he had taken from Hassan’s office. He had previously been dismissed by Hassan for unspecified reasons, but it's a good chance that it was for coming to work stoned and being mistaken for a socialist.

The Post reported that Cosko was “angry” for being fired from Hassan’s office last May, so he “engaged in an extraordinarily extensive data theft scheme.” He copied network drives, including sensitive information, to use in the future.

Jackson Browne
Photo: Billboard

But it wasn't like it was planned because it was really the fault of the drugs.

For admitting his guilt, Cosko will face only 46 to 57 months in prison, instead of the 20 years he was facing. Sentencing will take place on June 13. The Post reported Cosko has already served four months in jail.

Missing from the Post article is information regarding Cosko’s family connections. 

Cosko’s daddy is the CEO of the hugely successful construction company, Hathaway Dinwiddie. His father also has ties to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), whose office was contacted by Christine Blasey Ford when she made the allegations against Kavanaugh. 

It is not known whether Jackson Cosko tried to have intimate relations with Ms. Ford while on drugs, but if we wait 30 years, it's sure to come out in the wash.

Follow Brain Flushings and have a few laughs while you get a conservative viewpoint. Politics is the new NFL without the mindless kneeling and this blog will both inform you and will hopefully entertain you bigly.

Tweet

Trump goes after Lindsey Graham over Syria pullout

President Trump went after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Thursday after he criticized the president's decision to pull U.S. troops from Syria. And while Graham has been an ardent supporter of the president, this wasn't an issue Trump was going to let slide. In fact, there are basically no issues President Trump lets slide when it comes to any criticism of his actions.

Trump tweeted on Thursday:

“So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$. Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing for them, Russia, Iran & other locals? Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!” 

The military should not be referred to as "our youth," because it makes them sound like poor, defenseless kids who don't want to be there. On the contrary, this is why patriotic Americans enlist in the armed forces and why our nation has the most lethal military in the history of the world.

Another point:  ". . . our youth back home where they belong" is not where they signed up to be. They belong defending our country wherever in the world they are needed.

The president’s comments come after Graham slammed his decision to remove 2,000 troops from Syria, calling the move “Obama-like.” And where Graham is clearly correct is the fact that Trump, like Obama, announced the withdrawal publicly, and for which he criticized Obama.

“My theory is that by pulling 2,200 out in Northeastern Syria, that’s going to boost ISIS’ ability to come back,” Graham told Fox News on Wednesday. “But even more than that, the Kurds in Syria, who came forward when nobody else would to help us fight ISIS, fought bravely and died in large numbers, they’re going to feel abandoned.”

That's because we are abandoning them!

Hello fellow conservatives. At this time of year when everyone has a hand out for a hand-out, I don't. I simply want you to follow Brain Flushings and check out the ads on this page. It's free, I'm free and you're free to follow me or not. I hope you do. 

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

Tweet

Saudis explanation of Khashoggi's death pathetic

Jamal Khashoggi is officially dead.

The Saudi government is trying to get the U.S. to believe that Khashoggi, a columnist for the Washington Post living in the United States, was accidentally strangled in a kerfuffle with 15 Saudi henchmen from the national security services and military on October 2nd in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul [which was once called Constantinople]. I guess Khashoggi thought he could kick the stuffings out of those 15 guys.

The deputy director of Saudi intelligence [apparently that has become an oxymoron] and his top communications adviser said they arrested the entire hit squad and three others for Khashoggi's death. [They didn't actually call the crew a "hit squad" but you don't "accidentally" choke someone to death if you're a professional bad guy for the king.]

The kingdom [to which former President Obama deeply bowed to the former Saudi king] appointed that same crown prince to head up a committee to review the incident and restructure the country's intelligence agency, all to keep their Saudi-U.S. ties intact--for no other reason.

President Trump said the arrests are "a great first step" and wants to talk more to the Saudis about the incident. The White House issued a statement of condolences to the Khashoggi family over the "tragic" incident.

The Saudi announcement came over the weekend, in the dead of night, when even the camel milkmen were still asleep. Many people not mentally disabled, see the announcement as a pathetic attempt to salvage the U.S.-Saudi relationship and exonerate the guy directly or tacitly responsible for the murder--Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Bin Salman [aka: MBS or "Mr. Bone Saw"] claimed Khashoggi was drugged and dismembered at the consulate in a very horrible fashion. Supposedly he was cut up into fifteen pieces, but that is just speculation.

The Saudis have been killing people for decades and we have not said anything about it. However, they may succeed in fixing their relationship with the Trump administration and save the young crown prince from his screw up. The president doesn't want to lose the weapons deal he just made with the Saudis and to a large degree, that is understandable because Iran may step in and do their own deal.

However, the Saudi's explanation of how Khashoggi was killed, after 18 days of insisting he left the consulate alive and in one piece, is as believable as Stormy Daniels having an orgasm, or Michael Avenatti claiming he never had an intimate moment with her.

Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted: "To say that I am skeptical of the new Saudi narrative about Mr. Khashoggi is an understatement." He is also threatening to go over to Saudi Arabia and "kick some Arab butt."

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) called Khashoggi's disappearance "not credible," because he hadn't yet learned the word "incredible."

What do you think? Please feel free to leave a comment and give us your opinion.


Please click the "Follow" button in the margin and be sure to get the latest Brain Flushings at a computer near you. Also, please visit the ads on this page because it helps the economy and me.




Tweet

Sen. Gardner's wife sent beheading video in wake of Kavanaugh vote

The country is in a lot of trouble. It has gotten to the point where the left and the right have so much animosity, there's no talking other than shouting and it has gotten to the point of physical violence, or threats of it, by the left.

Now that Brett Kavanaugh is Justice Kavanaugh, after being sworn in on the Supreme Court Sunday, Republicans are having to deal with leftist hatred in liberal doses.

Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) told Fox News on Sunday that his wife received a graphic text message along with a video depicting a beheading, and that someone had doxxed him, posting the names and addresses of his family members.

Not only is that sick; it's criminal.

Gardner had announced his support for Kavanaugh in July and reaffirmed it when his accuser and the FBI could produce no corroborating evidence of any of the allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh.

In late September, Gardner received a letter from a cowardly anonymous individual, apparently in Denver who alleged that Kavanaugh "shoved" someone up against a wall "very aggressively and sexually" during a 1998 outing in front of four witnesses. Of course, none of the alleged witnesses came forward and the allegation was later deemed not to be credible.

Prior to receiving the letter, Gardner had made a statement regarding the allegations against Kavanaugh: "Every victim of abuse, assault, and violence has been through an unspeakable tragedy and we need to do a better job listening to them, ensuring support is available, and fighting to end abuse of any kind. I hope that the partisan divide we all feel today does not hinder the people that have bravely come forward."

The accused and the accuser, Christine Blasey Ford have also received many death threats recently. Both sides are going crazy.

Jackson Cosko, a Democratic aide who most recently worked for Rep. Shiela Jackson Lee (D-TX) was arrested for doxxing private information on Wikipedia of at least three Republican lawmakers last month--Sens. Mike Lee, (R-UT), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Cosko allegedly threatened to leak senators' children's health information if a witness told anyone about his activities.

He has since been arrested.

According to a sworn statement by Capitol Police Captain Jason Bell, a witness saw Cosko at a computer in a senator's office, where he used to work, one or two days after two other unnamed senators' information had been put on Wikipedia. Sources told Fox News that Cosko was in Sen. Hassan's office without authorization and was caught using a login he was not authorized to use.  Cosko was earlier let go by Sen. Hassan's office but a spokesman for Hassan said she "strongly denounces the alleged actions."

Cosko was alleged to have been confronted by the staffer and then left the office. The staffer call the police and hours later the witness received an email from "livefreeorpwn@gmail.com" stating: "If you tell anyone I will leak it all. Emails signal conversations gmails. Senators children's health information and socials."

"Socials" are probably social security numbers, while Signal is a secure messaging application. Bell said there is probably cause to believe that Cosko published the information of senators and then threatened the witness "with the intent to hinder, delay, or prevent" the witness from reporting the crime to authorities.

Cosko's defense lawyer, Brian Stolarz, told Fox News that his client acted alone.

It is still unknown who sent the violent beheading video to Cory Gardner's wife.


Click the "Follow Posts" button in the margin and be sure to get the latest Brain Flushings at a computer near you. Also, please visit the ads on this page because it helps the economy and me.




Tweet

Cops arrest pretty boy Dem for GOP doxxing and more

A Democratic congressional intern was arrested this week for allegedly publishing the private information of three [possibly four] Republican lawmakers. Other incidents are also under police investigation and shows us the levels the left will stoop to in order to undermine the Trump administration.

Jackson Cosko had worked as an unpaid intern for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) was arrested for posting the personal information on Wikipedia of Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT). It included their home addresses and Capitol Hill police are investigating more doxxing incidents involving at least two senators, including Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). It isn't clear if Cosko was involved in the latter doxxing incidents.

In addition to working with Jackson Lee, Cosko also worked with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and former Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). He also worked in many other House and Senate roles including press assistant and legislative correspondent, according to his now unavailable LinkedIn page.

Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" Thursday that based on the wide range of charges against young Cosko, including witness tampering and burglary, it's quite likely that there's more to this story than meets the eye.

"With seven different charges out there, it really does make it sound like it's more sophisticated and widespread because now you see Sen. Rand Paul is also having issues," Chaffetz said, admitting that it wasn't known if Cosko was connected to the Paul case.

The exact motivation behind the doxxing (posting of personal information) of the senators came on Thursday just moments after Lindsey Graham made his flame-throwing speech attacking Democrats for what he termed "an unethical sham" in how they treated Brett Kavanaugh.

A day after the doxxing, two activists with female genitalia [not sure how they identify themselves and I don't want to insult them or whatever happens when you say 'she' but were supposed to say 'zah'?] began screaming at Sen. Jeff Flake (Rino--AZ) in an elevator on Friday. Somehow, one of the Soros backed women believed that by him not believing Ford's testimony, Flake believes her sexual assault "doesn't matter."

Flake, who could have pointed out how women, such as Tawana Brawley, and so many others, have lied about being raped or assaulted, but instead he cowered and looked like his big sister was berating him [if she was, indeed identifying as a woman], and just moments later, demanded the FBI take another week to investigate the case.


Click the "Follow Posts" button in the margin and be sure to get the latest Brain Flushings at a computer near you. Also, please visit the ads on this page because it helps the economy and me.


Tweet

Crunch time for Kavanaugh

The testimony from Christine Blasey Ford had some credibility but her inability to keep parts of her testimony straight leaves questions. She feared flying and couldn't testify on Monday, but she flew to Washington, D.C. anyway, and flies every year to see her family.

Her claim that she didn't know how to go about contacting her local congressional representative also makes one question her actual intelligence, while her inability to remember certain details, like who paid for the polygraph, when and where did this all take place, and who was in the room--just Judge and Kavanaugh or was it our people, makes one wonder her veracity.

The heartfelt opening by Judge Kavanaugh was very moving.

But the fact of this entire political embarrassment is the idea that while Ford's testimony may have been credible to many, especially those on the left, there was not a shred of corroboration to her claims by people she cited were there, and even her close longtime friend said she didn't know Brett Kavanaugh or remember the party where he was alleged to have raped her.

After the hearing, Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.), and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) got together to discuss the nomination.

Jeff Flake isn't running for another term so his vote is anyone's guess. Joe Manchin is a Democrat in a heavily red district. Lisa Murkowski is a moderate and may have allegiances to her gender over the lack of evidence or corroboration. And Susan Collins just talks funny--kind of like a lady in a flower store.

The group huddled together for about a half hour before a GOP conference meeting Thursday evening ahead of Friday's Judiciary Committee vote on whether to move forward on Kavanaugh's confirmation to the full Senate.

After Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) gave a powerful speech admonishing the tactics the Democrats used to get the committee to this point, while destroying the reputation of Kavanaugh, and even hurting Ford, his accuser, it seems that any Republican voting against the nominee will be kissing their political career adieu.

The feeling seems to be that if Kavanaugh is somehow not confirmed, the GOP will be destroyed in the November mid-term elections.

It's possible that Ford is telling the truth. It's possible she is mistaken that it was Kavanaugh who was sexually inappropriate. It's even possible she's lying, but it seems as if she believes her story, which would explain why she passed the polygraph test.

But we cannot ruin a person's life and career based on allegations, because if we do, nobody in their right mind would agree to go through this horrible process.

The Senate embarrassed itself today.


Click the "Follow Posts" button in the margin and be sure to get the latest Brain Flushings at a computer near you. Also, please visit the ads on this page.


Tweet

Senators shine a light on 'unusual' Susan Rice email on Russia probe

Former national security adviser Susan Rice sent an "unusual email" to herself on January 20, 2017--the day President Trump was sworn into office. What made it 'unusual' was that it documented President Obama's guidance at a high-level covert meeting about how law enforcement ought to investigate Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, a pair of GOP senators said Monday.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Lindsey Graham said the partially unclassified email was sent by Rice the day of Trump's inauguration and it seems to document a meeting with Obama, then-FBI Director James Comey, then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, then-Vice President and Chief Gaffer Joe Biden and Rice herself.

In the email, Rice wrote: "President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities 'by the book.' The president stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book."

And true to Obama form, the email reflects his guidance on sharing sensitive information with both the Russians and the incoming Trump administration.

So rather than sharing information with the incoming administration, Rice revealed that Obama said "he wants to be sure that, as we engage with the incoming team, we are mindful to ascertain if there is any reason that we cannot share information fully as it relates to Russia."

"The President asked Comey to inform him if anything changes in the next few weeks that should affect how we share classified information with the incoming team. Comey said he would."

Grassley (R-Iowa), and Graham (R-SC), upon releasing the email Monday said that they uncovered it as part of their oversight of the FBI and the DOJ, and said it raises new questions.

"It strikes us as odd that, among your activities in the final moments on the final day of the Obama administration, you would feel the need to send yourself such an unusual email purporting to document a conversation involving President Obama and his interactions with the FBI regarding the Trump/Russia investigation," they said in a letter to Rice.

"In addition, despite your claim that President Obama repeatedly told Mr. Comey to proceed 'by the book,' substantial questions have arisen about whether officials at the FBI, as well as at the Justice Department and the State Department, actually did proceed 'by the book.'"

Perhaps Rice was told to 'cover their butts' by telling the FBI to go 'by the book.'

Certainly the Trump "dossier" wasn't 'by the book' nor was Fast and Furious, the Clinton private email server and the way Benghazi was mishandled. 

I believe they were writing the book as they plowed along.


Tweet

Comey pressured to return to Capitol Hill

The Trump administration accused former FBI director James Comey of giving "false testimony" at suggested the DoJ look into the possibility he perjured himself. Republican lawmakers have increased the pressure on him to clarify discrepancies in the public statements he made to Congress.

Not only did Comey go beyond his role as FBI director, acting as judge and jury regarding the Hillary Clinton illegal secret email server, but he exonerated her before he even finished interviewing 17 people including Clinton, in his investigation in the case.

"Since the director's firing, we've learned new information about his conduct that only provided further justification for that firing," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, and cited "false testimony" among the examples she gave.

Fox News' John Roberts asked Sanders if she believed Comey perjured himself or at least misled Congress. She replied: "I think that's something probably for DoJ to look at, not me. I'm not an attorney."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News' Catherine Herridge that he wants to bring back Comey to Capitol Hill, to deal with the statements Comey made on his conclusion of the Hillary Clinton email case.

"This doesn't add up, and I smell a rat here," Graham said.

Sen. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) agreed, saying that Comey "absolutely" should be brought back to testify and said in a written statement that "The American people rightfully have enormous concerns about the manner in which the Clinton email investigation was conducted. Recent reports suggesting the outcome of the investigation was predetermined only heighten these concerns."

Both senators were responding to the latest allegations that Comey drafted an "exoneration statement" weeks before he even interviewed the worst presidential candidate in history.

During the September 2016 hearing, Ratcliffe asked Comey whether he made the decision not to recommend criminal charges against Clinton before or after she was interviewed by the FBI and Comey responded, "After."

But when you're dealing with people like Comey and Clinton, "after" may mean 'before the after to which you're referring and I'm responding'.

It was Graham and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) who revealed claims of an "exoneration statement," and that may put Comey in hot water.

But if history can tell us anything, it seems probable that neither Hillary Clinton nor James Comey will spend even a day in prison.


Tweet

Tillerson wants Israel to give back some military aid

The Trump administration may force Israel to return $75 million in U.S. aid that was awarded to them by Congress after a hotly contested effort by the Obama administration to financially limit our U.S.-Israel military alliance.

You remember Obama--he was the former president who favored Islamic nations over Israel and was obviously anti-Zionist with the same fervor as Muslims across the globe. 

Taking back the money would be an incredibly stupid move on Trump's part because it would show our other allies we aren't trustworthy.  And the fact that Israel is the only civilized country in all the Middle East and one of our greatest allies would weaken our military influence in the region.

Congress allocated the additional $75 million last year, making the total aid package about $38 billion, despite Obama trying to restrict Israel from lobbying Congress for more funding for several key military undertakings.

Obama's last minute Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Israel didn't sit well with Congress. The MOU capped U.S. aid to Israel and included a provision barring Israel from requesting more financial assistance from Congress.

Now Trump is thinking about another pivot away from what he told his ardent supporters. He is considering forcing Israel to return the extra $75 million and be Obama-like by going along with the MOU.

Congress will, thankfully, fight him on this if he tries to "do an Obama."

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is said to be leading the effort to have Israel return the money. The anti-Zionist Tillerson argues that Israel must stick to the letter of Obama's MOU, despite objections by Congress.

Suddenly Trump has changed his tune about undoing the damage Obama did.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R- Ark.) had "strongly warned the State Department" earlier in the week "that such action would be unwise and invite unwanted conflict with Israel," a senior Congressional aide told the Washington Free Beacon.

If Congress allows Trump to get away with the Obama MOU, it would seriously limit their constitutional right to allocate U.S. aid dollars in whatever way they see fit in the future. In other words, the MOU is unconstitutional, like much of what Obama used his pen and phone to get passed.

Tillerson's State Department is engaged in a lobbying effort to convince the National Security Council (NSC) to allow it to request that Israel return the additional $75 million and remain in line with the Obama MOU.

And you thought Trump et al were Republicans.

Sen. Cotton and other lawmakers see this as reckless and unnecessary and would only increase tensions with Israel at a time of mutual cooperation on a range of key issues, such as the war against Islamic State, Iran and other terrorism in the Middle East.

Israel is surrounded by Islamic nations that want to see them destroyed. Obama wanted the Jewish State to return to their 1967 borders, which would have been suicidal, and besides, their present borders came from the spoils of war, a conflict they didn't start.

If the State Department chooses to demand Israel return the money, Congress is prepared to fight Tillerson on that issue.

Insiders told the Free Beacon that the State Department-led effort is an attempt to undermine Congress and derail the White House's strong working relationship with Israel.

According to multiple sources, Tillerson's State Department has become a sore spot in the administration an that Foggy Bottom is perceived as being in "open war" with the White House on a range of major issues, including the U.S.-Israel relationship, Iran and other matters.

If Trump keeps Tillerson on as Secretary of State, things will only get worse in the Middle East, especially for the Jews.

"This is a transparent attempt by career staffers in the State Department to f**k with the Israelis and derail the efforts of Congressional Republicans and President Trump to rebuild the U.S.-Israel relationship," a veteran congressional advisor who works extensively on Israel said. "There's no reason to push for the Israelis to return the money, unless you're trying to drive a wedge between Israel and Congress, which is exactly what this is--it won't work."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) held up passage of the 2016 MOU over disagreements with Obama's restriction of Israel lobbying Congress for increased funding. He said in a statement that "Congress is not a party to this agreement nor is this agreement binding on future congresses." He added, "Congress has an independent duty to make a decision about the proper level of support for Israel or our other allies. To suggest this (agreement) will bind future presidents and congresses for the next decade is constitutionally flawed and impractical."

It was Graham who saw this as an effort to trample on Congress' right to allocate taxpayer funds and he worked to ensure Israel received the additional $75 million. 

So now you know where Tillerson stands on Israel-- the same place where his Middle East buddies from back in his ExxonMobil days stand.



Tweet