Political Impeachment: With no “proof” of any wrongdoing, just “not liking” what the President is doing, partisan, left wing Democrats continue this charade and waste of taxpayer dollars.
American voters deserve better. The Democrats are ignoring all the norms of impeachment procedures, coming up with “secret hearing” proposals and no due process for the accused. How long will the voting public put up with this game???
The radical left has politicize its allies in the deep state and mainstream media and have made a mockery of our election system. Do not take this sitting down.
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This Week’s News Summary:
Democrats have abandoned Clinton impeachment’s bipartisan format
House Democrats have abandoned a longstanding tradition of bipartisan cooperation when it comes to launching impeachment inquiries.
Drug importation risks patient health
Supporters of drug importation claim patients can trust the quality of drugs imported from a developed nation like Canada. They’re mistaken.
Impostor calls threaten to cancel Social Security benefits
The ruse begins with an auto dialed call with a voice telling folks their SSA benefits are about to be canceled and to speak with someone, just press one.
Watch Our Weekly News Summary Video Here
-Saul Anuzis
Click Here for Past Commentary from Saul
‘I’m friends with George Bush’: Ellen DeGeneres defends watching football with former GOP president
A few minutes into the second quarter of Sunday’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, TV cameras at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., cut to owner Jerry Jones’s exclusive suite. Many viewers were perplexed by what they saw.
“Is my vision screwed up?” one person asked.
Clinton Yates, a columnist with ESPN’s The Undefeated, tweeted that the sight “definitely qualified as a Sunday shocker.”
Sitting side-by-side in black padded seats with prime views of the cavernous stadium were former Republican president George W. Bush and liberal television host Ellen DeGeneres, an outspoken LGBT activist. The pair was joined by their spouses, former first lady Laura Bush and Australian actress and model Portia de Rossi. At one point, DeGeneres and Bush were caught on camera sharing a laugh.
The Fall Was Supposed to Be All About 2020 Democrats — It’s Now All About Impeachment
This month was supposed to be all about the 2020 Democrats. The third Democratic debate — and the first since Sen. Elizabeth Warren has propelled herself into a tie for ‘frontrunner’ status — is on October 15th. Various campaigns have leaked their third-quarter FEC reports, but the real data (on spending, cash on hand, burn-rate) will be available on the 15th as well. The fall is also a time when the Democratic field should narrow even more significantly. Sen. Cory Booker was able to browbeat/guilt/beg donors for enough cash to sustain his candidacy into October. But without some sort of breakthrough can he, or the other low-polling candidates, find enough cash in the cushions to continue through the end of the year?
Thanks to impeachment drama, however, this month is all about Trump and Congress. Instead of playing a starring political role this fall, the 2020 Democrats are now playing a supporting role.
Well, that’s true for most of the 2020 candidates not named Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden. Both have gotten attention for the wrong reasons: Sanders for his heart attack, and Biden for the Ukraine controversy.
Thus far, Biden’s overall political standing has remained pretty steady. Our friends at NBC’s First Read note: “As for Joe Biden, the NBC/WSJ poll finds that his numbers have barely moved since the Ukraine story became news (and since he and his son have gotten caught up in it — without any evidence of wrongdoing). Thirty-three percent of Americans say they have a positive view of the former vice president, while 34 percent have a negative view (-1). In August’s NBC/WSJ poll, Biden’s fav/unfav rating was 34 percent positive, 38 percent negative (-4).”
Other polling released since the Ukraine call became public have produced similar findings. An early October national Quinnipiac Poll found Biden leading Trump 51-40 (+11). That was a drop from his stronger 54-38 (+16) lead in late August, but not much different from his 53 to 40 percent lead in June (+13). A recent Fox News poll in Wisconsin shows him leading Trump by nine points (48 percent to 39 percent). A poll taken at the end of August by Marquette University Law School also showed Biden with a nine-point lead (51-42) in the state. In other words, despite all the negative attention he’s gotten over the past couple of weeks, Biden hasn’t collapsed — or even lost ground. Few in Washington, however, think this will continue. They expect to see Biden’s numbers and overall political lead drop precipitously.
ICIG Admission Of Whistleblower Changes Raises Explosive New Questions
On Monday, the intelligence community inspector general (ICIG) admitted that it did alter its forms and policies governing whistleblower complaints, and that it did so in response to the anti-Trump complaint filed on Aug. 12, 2019. The Federalist first reported the sudden changes last Friday. While many in the media falsely claimed the ICIG’s stunning admission debunked
The Federalist’s report, the admission from the ICIG completely affirmed the reporting on the secretive change to whistleblower rules following the filing of an anti-Trump complaint in August.
The ICIG also disclosed for the first time that the anti-Trump complainant filed his complaint using the previously authorized form, the guidance for which explicitly stated the ICIG’s previous requirement for firsthand evidence for credible complaints. The Federalist reported last week that it was not known which form, if any, the complainant used, as the complaint that was declassified and released to the public last week was written as a letter to the two chairmen of the congressional intelligence committees.
Under the law governing whistleblower complaints for members of the intelligence community, the inspector general has near-total authority to determine whether a complaint is credible or not. The law is silent on what type of evidence is required and leaves that decision entirely to the discretion of the inspector general. As a result, the internal policies set by the ICIG’s office are the regulatory rules governing the examination of whistleblower complaints. Because of this wide discretion granted under the law, the ICIG’s internal changes to its own policies and guidance regarding firsthand evidence — which the ICIG admitted to in its press release on Monday — directly impacted its treatment of the anti-Trump complaint filed in August.
In its press release, the ICIG also explicitly admitted it changed its policies because of the anti-Trump complaint, raising significant questions about whether the watchdog cooked its own books to justify its treatment of the anti-Trump complaint:
Turkey and the Kurds: It’s More Complicated Than You Think
We are grateful for the Kurds’ help, and we should try to help them in return. But no one wants to risk war with Turkey.
On Monday, President Trump announced that a contingent of fewer than 100 U.S. troops in Syria was being moved away from Kurdish-held territory on the border of Turkey. The move effectively green-lighted military operations by Turkey against the Kurds, which have now commenced.
Some U.S. military officials went public with complaints about being “blindsided.” The policy cannot have been a surprise, though. The president has made no secret that he wants out of Syria, where we now have about 1,000 troops (down from over 2,000 last year). More broadly, he wants our forces out of the Middle East. He ran on that position. I’ve argued against his “endless wars” tropes, but his stance is popular. As for Syria specifically, many of the president’s advisers think we should stay, but he has not been persuaded.
The president’s announcement of the redeployment of the Syrian troops came on the heels of a phone conversation with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This, obviously, was a mistake, giving the appearance (and not for the first time) that Trump is taking cues from Ankara’s Islamist strongman. As has become rote, the inevitable criticism was followed by head-scratching tweets: The president vows to “totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey,” which “I’ve done before” (huh?), if Turkey takes any actions “that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits.” We can only sigh and say it will be interesting to see how the president backs up these haughty threats now that Erdogan has begun his invasion.
All that said, the president at least has a cogent position that is consistent with the Constitution and public opinion. He wants U.S. forces out of a conflict in which America’s interests have never been clear, and for which Congress has never approved military intervention. I find that sensible — no surprise, given that I have opposed intervention in Syria from the start (see, e.g., here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). The stridency of the counterarguments is matched only by their selectiveness in reciting relevant facts.
Who’s Who in Northern Syria?
With Turkey’s latest military offensive, here’s a rundown of the different forces in the region.
In a new escalation in Syria’s civil war, Turkey has launched a military operation aimed at removing Kurdish fighters from areas in northern Syria near the Turkish border. Here’s what you need to know about the many actors in the region:
Kurdish Forces –
The People’s Protection Units (YPG) is the main Kurdish armed group in Syria. It has long sought to create an independent state for the Kurds within Syria. In 2015, the YPG formed an alliance with Arab and ethnic Turkmen militias in the region, creating the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). It is estimated to have around forty thousand fighters, about half of whom are from the YPG. The SDF has been backed by the United States, and the two sides defeated forces from the self-proclaimed Islamic State in northern Syria. The YPG has links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting Turkey for decades and is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara and Washington.
Turkish Forces –
Turkey’s main goals are to prevent the Syrian Kurds from creating an autonomous state and to fend off attacks on its citizens. In 2016, Turkish forces crossed the border into northwestern Syria in a largely successful effort to restrict the Kurds from bridging the two main areas under their control. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sought to push the YPG farther back from the border, claiming it could use the areas as a base of operations to stage attacks against Turkey. He also hopes to use territory where Kurdish fighters have been ousted to create a so-called safe zone for returned Syrian refugees. It is unclear how many Turkish military forces are currently deployed, but U.S. military officials have estimated that up to one thousand troops crossed the border.
Syrian Rebels –
Turkish forces have been bolstered by several mainly Arab militias. The Free Syrian Army (now named the National Army), the main opposition group since the start of the civil war, has offered to dedicate fourteen thousand rebels to assist in the Turkish operation. It claims to have eighty thousand fighters throughout Syria. Smaller rebel groups also support Turkey.
U.S. Forces –
There are about one thousand U.S. service members throughout Syria. About fifty troops in northern Syria were pulled back from the Turkish border under an order from President Donald J. Trump, paving the way for the Turkish incursion.
Syrian Government Forces –
Troops supporting President Bashar al-Assad’s regime control much of Syria, though they hold minimal territory along the country’s border with Turkey. Iran and Russia have supported the Assad regime through air strikes, ground forces, and logistical assistance.
Islamic State –
Several thousand militants are estimated to be fighting against SDF and U.S. forces [PDF] in northern Syria. The Kurds oversee several prisons in the area holding an estimated eleven thousand Islamic State fighters. Some detainees have foreign citizenship, but their home countries, primarily in Western Europe, have mostly refused to repatriate them. CFR’s Steven A. Cook warns that the U.S. withdrawal from the region could force the Kurds to focus on fighting Turkish troops, and give the Islamic State an opportunity to reemerge as a major threat.
Civilians –
Human rights groups estimate that there are nearly two million civilians in northern Syria, including thousands of displaced people living in temporary camps. Al-Hol, the largest of the camps, has more than sixty-eight thousand residents, some of whom are the families of suspected Islamic State members. Experts say radicalization in the camp is rampant and they express concern that family members would join the Islamic State if released. Humanitarian aid organizations warn that the Turkish incursion is causing more displacement and further restricting access to basic services.
China shows off world’s 1st STEALTH drone and it can beat US defenses
CHINA has developed a world-first stealth drone capable of flying for extended periods of time and hitting targets with extreme precision completely undetected.
The craft, named Sharp Sword, is part of a new generation of unmanned combat air vehicles, and is thought to be capable of evading current US defence systems.
It was unveiled at China National Day parade on October 1, when president Xi Jinping declared that “no force can stop the Chinese people and the Chinese nation forging ahead”.
The craft is similar in appearance to the Predator drone used by the US since 1995, but its wing design and the concealment of components like its exhaust gives it enhanced stealth capabilities.
The fact it is unmanned also means it can circle a target’s airspace for hours or days without having to account for pilot fatigue.
China reportedly had a flying prototype of the drone as early as 2013.
NATO Has a Secret Plan to Destroy Russia’s Kaliningrad Base
Key point: Moscow’s Kaliningrad territory is bristling with missiles and would need to be dealt with during any conflict.
The Pentagon has a plan for destroying the defenses of Russia’s most heavily-armed European outpost, a top U.S. commander said in September 2019.
The Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which lies between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea and is geographically separate from the rest of Russia, practically bristles with S-300 and S-400 air-defense missiles, Oniks anti-ship missiles and Iskander surface-to-surface missiles. From Kaliningrad, Russia can threaten NATO aircraft, ships and ground forces for hundreds of miles in all directions.
But U.S. forces believe they know how to crack Kaliningrad, Gen Jeff Harrigan, commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, told reporters including Breaking Defense’s Sydney Freedberg, Jr. “We train to that,” Harrigian said. “We think through those plans all the time, and… if that would ever come to fruition, we’d be ready to execute.”
