Expert: Cash Transferred by Obama Admin to Tehran Led to Expansion of Iranian Military Budget by 39 Percent | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com

Expert: Cash Transferred by Obama Admin to Tehran Led to Expansion of Iranian Military Budget by 39 Percent | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com
"The controversial transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to Tehran by the Obama administration a few months ago is likely being used to expand Iran’s defense budget, according to an analysis by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

According to former senior MEMRI analyst Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli, though “money is fungible,” and it cannot be established that the $1.7 billion (originally reported as $400 million) delivered in two tranches to the Islamic Republic in exchange for the release of American hostages has gone directly to Iran’s various military branches and operations...

..the government submitted a draft budget that sees a sharp increase of 39 percent – amounting to a total of $10.3 billion – for defense, including a big increase in the budget of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)..."

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Maxine Waters: I Have No Proof -- But I Believe Putin and Trump Had a Secret Sanctions Deal | Breitbart

Maxine Waters: I Have No Proof -- But I Believe Putin and Trump Had a Secret Sanctions Deal | Breitbart:

On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said she believed Russian President Vladimir Putin made a secret deal with Donald Trump to get him elected in exchange for Trump lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia.
Waters pointed out she has no facts to back up her belief.

‘The Far Side’ Is Returning… But Can the PC Crowd Handle It? | Intellectual Takeout

‘The Far Side’ Is Returning… But Can the PC Crowd Handle It? | Intellectual Takeout:
"Remember “The Far Side” cartoons? 
They were at their peak when I was in grade school, plastering calendars and t-shirts with an offbeat humor that left fans clutching their sides with laughter.
Given their popularity, there was palpable disappointment when their creator, Gary Larson, put down his pen in 1995.
But there’s good news. “The Far Side” is on its way to a revival..."
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90% of Virginia’s Counties Are Gun Sanctuaries | Power Line

90% of Virginia’s Counties Are Gun Sanctuaries | Power Line
"...Uprising: 90% of Virginia counties become gun ‘sanctuaries,’ expanding movement to nine states.

Virginia has been trending blue, especially after last month’s election, and the Democrats have gotten cocky. 
Recently they have talked about conducting house-to-house searches to confiscate gun owners’ legally purchased firearms. 
The reaction, while predictable, is encouraging:

Stirred awake by Democratic proposals to take, register, and possibly seize their legally obtained weapons, Virginia gun owners in just 43 days have pushed 90% of the state’s counties to become gun “sanctuaries,” the latest three on Monday night..."

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Lunch video-----Sit-Skier Trevor Kennison Launches Corbet’s Couloir

Noon-toon

DOJ Refuses To Release Records On Imran Awan, Citing ‘Technical Difficulties’ And A Secret Case, Court Docs Show | The Daily Caller

DOJ Refuses To Release Records On Imran Awan, Citing ‘Technical Difficulties’ And A Secret Case, Court Docs Show | The Daily Caller:

The Department of Justice is withholding documents about the Imran Awan cybersecurity scandal by saying there is an ongoing, secret case related to matter, according to court papers.
Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit Nov. 7, 2018, for 7,000 pages of Capitol Police records related to the cybersecurity investigation, and Aug. 2, the DOJ agreed to begin producing records by Nov. 5.

The Bee Explains: Impeachment | The Babylon Bee

The Bee Explains: Impeachment | The Babylon Bee
"Impeachment can be confusing. 
But The Babylon Bee is here with an explainer so you will know how the process works and what it takes for Dems to snap their fingers together and make Trump disappear in a cloud of dust.

• What is impeachment?

It's the official, constitutional method for screaming at the sky because Trump is president.

• Why is Trump being impeached?

Trump has committed some very serious offenses, from not being a Democrat to being a Republican. He also won the 2016 election, which rises to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors. He also restored the celebration of Christmas after eight years of winter with no Christmas under Obama. This drove Dems up a wall so they drummed up some charges against him.

Why didn't Democrats include any criminal offenses in the articles of impeachment?...

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No media bias...right?

These Michigan swing voters are just Trump voters now -Axios

These Michigan swing voters are just Trump voters now -Axios
SAGINAW, Mich. — Some swing voters here who voted for Barack Obama and then Donald Trump are firmly in Trump’s camp now — and they're sick of impeachment.

Why it matters: The two-plus hour conversation revealed major warning signs for the Democratic Party in a crucial swing county that will be a pivotal area to win in 2020.

...Why Saginaw matters: Trump won Saginaw County by just over 1% in 2016, and Obama won by nearly 12% in 2012.

The big picture:

• These voters hate the fact that House Democrats are moving toward impeaching the president. They call it a distraction from the issues that would actually improve their lives, like preserving Social Security, cracking down on illegal immigration, and keeping jobs in the U.S...

Between the lines: These voters aren’t sick of Trump's antics like other swing voters we've talked with, and they don’t feel a sense that things need to get back to "normal" — because Trump is their new normal.

That's reinforced by the fact that:

• They have virtually zero trust in the media's coverage of him...

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#1 This day 1988-----Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn (Official Video)

France on strike: Power cuts, schools shut, no Eiffel Tower

France on strike: Power cuts, schools shut, no Eiffel Tower
"PARIS (AP) — French union activists cut electricity to nearly 100,000 homes or offices. Eiffel Tower staff walked off the job.
Even Paris opera workers joined in Tuesday’s nationwide protests across France, singing an aria of anger as workers rallied against the government’s plan to raise the retirement age to 64.
Despite 13 days of crippling train and subway strikes, French President Emmanuel Macron and his government stayed firm.
The prime minister declared his “total” determination to reshape a pension system that unions celebrate as a model for the rest of the world but that he calls unfair and destined to collapse into debt.
...Workers from the hard-left CGT union on Tuesday carried out what they called “targeted” blackouts on electricity networks around Lyon and Bordeaux to call attention to their grievances, and their power..."
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Hmmm....

Pollak: House Democrats Violated the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments in Impeachment Inquiry | Breitbart

Pollak: House Democrats Violated the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments in Impeachment Inquiry | Breitbart:

House Democrats violated the Bill of Rights in pursuing their impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Republicans have pointed out that Democrats’ articles of impeachment, especially the second article charging “obstruction of Congress,” punish the president for obeying the Constitution’s checks-and-balances.
Yet Democrats have also violated the basic liberties protected by the Bill of Rights, in the following four ways:

Virginia Activates Official Militia After Gun Confiscation Threats. Lawmakers Want To Make This A Felony | Zero Hedge

..Virginia Activates Official Militia After Gun Confiscation Threats. Lawmakers Want To Make This A Felony | Zero Hedge
"As Virginia lawmakers prepare to pass a draconian gun control bill that would make most guns in the state illegal, Tazewell County has formed an official active militia as per the Second Amendment to the Constitution...

• A Quick Recap of What’s Happened So Far

Here’s a little bit of background on the proposed weapons ban from my last article.

...The so-called “assault weapon ban” is SB16 and has that perilously vague wording we all know to be incredibly dangerous. In some interpretations, this law, if it passes, could make illegal the ownership or transportation of any semi-automatic gun because extendable magazines are available for it – and you don’t even have to have the extendable mags. (source)

Unsurprisingly, a lot of Virginians are outraged by the idea of this and discussion of a “grandfather clause” that allows you to keep your semi-autos as long as you register them has done nothing to assuage the ire of gun owners.

Counties across the state quickly organized into Second Amendment sanctuaries – as of Dec. 16, 89 counties, cities, or municipalities have passed “sanctuary” resolutions and 6 have passed resolutions to protect the Second Amendment rights of citizens, but refuse to use the word “sanctuary.”..

Map from Gun Rights Watch

Then to really stir the pot, State Representative Donald MacEachin had the bright idea of calling up the National Guard to squelch the rebellion.

McEachin also noted that Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam could call the National Guard, if necessary.

“And ultimately, I’m not the governor, but the governor may have to nationalize the National Guard to enforce the law,” he said. “That’s his call, because I don’t know how serious these counties are and how severe the violations of law will be. But that’s obviously an option he has.” (source)

As you can imagine, that didn’t go over well..."
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AM Fruitcake

History for December 19

History for December 19 - On-This-Day.com
Leonid Brezhnev (Russia) 1906, Edith Piaf 1915, David Susskind 1920
 

Cicely Tyson 1933, Al Kaline 1934, Richard Leakey 1944


1973 - Johnny Carson started a fake toilet-paper scare on the "Tonight Show."


1996 - The school board of Oakland, CA, voted to recognize Black English, also known as "ebonics." The board later reversed its stance.

Gallup Poll: Trump Approval up 6 Points Since Impeachment Began

Gallup Poll: Trump Approval up 6 Points Since Impeachment Began:

President Donald Trump’s job approval rating is up six percentage points since the House Democrats launched their impeachment inquiry, according to a Gallup poll released early Wednesday.
The survey found the president’s approval rating climbed to 45 percent from 39 percent, from when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) formally launched the probe to remove him in late September. The findings mark the third consecutive rise in his approval rating and the fifth time his approval has hit 45 percent in his presidency, according to Gallup.

The Danger of the Attacks on the Electoral College - Imprimis

The Danger of the Attacks on the Electoral College - Imprimis:

Once upon a time, the Electoral College was not controversial. During the debates over ratifying the Constitution, Anti-Federalist opponents of ratification barely mentioned it. But by the mid-twentieth century, opponents of the Electoral College nearly convinced Congress to propose an amendment to scrap it. And today, more than a dozen states have joined in an attempt to hijack the Electoral College as a way to force a national popular vote for president.