Photo Credit: YouTubeThe militia spokesman killed in a confrontation with law enforcement in Oregon said in an interview the day before he died that the government appeared to be ramping up for action.
“They’re doing all the things, they’re doing all the things that shows that they want to take some kinetic action against us,” said Robert “Lavoy” Finicum.
Although the identification of the dead protester has not been formerly released, family members identified Finicum as the one killed Tuesday. One of the group’s leaders, Ryan Bundy, was reportedly wounded after law enforcement initiated arrests at a traffic stop of some of the militia group traveling to a community meeting in the city of John Day. According to reports, Fincum and Ryan Bundy refused to obey orders to surrender . . .
The anti-government group took over an unoccupied outpost in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Ore., in Harney County almost four weeks ago as a protest against government encroachment on private lands. The group said after Tuesday’s incident that they intend to stay and continue to protest.
There have been decades of complaints that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has allegedly taken over private lands and uses unscrupulous methods to do so. The arrest and conviction of rancher Dwight Hammond, 73, and his son Steven Hammond, 46, on terrorism charges for performing a controlled burn on federal land was the catalyst for the refuge takeover, even though the Hammonds’ family is not connected to the militia movement.
Finicum’s death lacks details, and this has prompted questions as well as accusations from his family, friends and those watching the scenario unfold. Finicum told a reporter in his last interview that the group had no plans to disrupt public meetings held nearby and did not want violence. (Read more from “Watch: The Haunting Words Oregon Protester LaVoy Finicum Said the DAY Before He Was Killed” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:22:472016-04-11 10:53:15Watch: The Haunting Words Oregon Protester LaVoy Finicum Said the DAY Before He Was Killed
By Laura Collins. A known Islamic terror suspect was placed in charge of Hillary Clinton’s local security detail during a trip by the US Secretary of State to Libya, Daily Mail Online can reveal.
The shocking security blunder occurred in October 2011 when Clinton made an unannounced visit to Libya following the toppling of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
Ironically the Secretary of State’s trip was shrouded in secrecy due to security concerns.
The trip was intended as a triumphant tour to show Mrs Clinton’s support for the Libyan people and build diplomatic ties at a torrid time. During her visit fierce fighting erupted in Sirte – the last stronghold of the country’s former leader.
Unwittingly flanked by a man known to British security forces as a member of the banned Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) and considered a threat to British and US national security Mrs Clinton held talks with top officials from the National Transitional Council (NTC) and spoke of her ‘pride’ at standing ‘on the soil of a free Tripoli.’ (Read more from “Something Terrifying Was Just Revealed About Hillary Clinton’s Guard on Her Tour of Libya” HERE)
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Official: Some Clinton Emails ‘Too Damaging’ to Release
By Catherine Herridge and Pamela K. Browne. The intelligence community has deemed some of Hillary Clinton’s emails “too damaging” to national security to release under any circumstances, according to a U.S. government official close to the ongoing review. A second source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, backed up the finding.
The determination was first reported by Fox News, hours before the State Department formally announced Friday that seven email chains, found in 22 documents, will be withheld “in full” because they, in fact, contain “Top Secret” information.
The State Department, when first contacted by Fox News about withholding such emails Friday morning, did not dispute the reporting – but did not comment in detail. After a version of this report was first published, the Obama administration confirmed to the Associated Press that the seven email chains would be withheld. The department has since confirmed those details publicly. (Read more from “Official: Some Clinton Emails ‘Too Damaging’ to Release” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:21:132016-04-11 10:53:15Something Terrifying Was Just Revealed About Hillary Clinton’s Guard on Her Tour of Libya
A public high school has been accused of radical Islamic indoctrination by forcing children to profess the Muslim statement of faith, ordering them to memorize the Five Pillars of Islam and teaching that the faith of a Muslim is stronger than the average Christian, according to a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Thomas More Law Center filed the lawsuit on behalf of John and Melissa Wood. They accuse La Plata High School in Maryland of subjecting their teenage daughter to Islamic indoctrination and propaganda. And when Mr. Wood complained – the school banned him from campus.
“Defendants forced Wood’s daughter to disparage her Christian faith by reciting the Shahada, and acknowledging Mohammed as her spiritual leader,” Thomas More president Richard Thompson said.
The Shahada is the Islamic Creed, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” . . .
If La Plata High School wanted to teach children about jihad, they should’ve replayed the video footage of what happened on September 11, 2001 – or the Boston Marathon bombing – or the San Bernardino massacre or the Chattanooga attacks. (Read more from “Parents Say Public School Forced Their Child to Convert to Islam” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00kathleenhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngkathleen2016-01-30 00:20:182016-04-11 10:53:16Parents Say Public School Forced Their Child to Convert to Islam
As Iowans prepare to cast the first votes in the 2016 nomination process, we owe you our thoughts. While we are not officially endorsing a candidate at this time, we believe it is important to share some critical thoughts on the race, or at least on one candidate in particular.
As Catholics, we are called to participate in the democratic process. The Church does not endorse candidates for public office. That job rests with us, the laity. No candidate is perfect, and no simple checklist is sufficient. Prudence is a necessity. Some candidates ought to be disqualified from receiving the support of a Catholic voter. Others must be weighed in light of the moral principles given to us by our Church.
We have asked for your feedback on multiple occasions. Thousands of CV members have written. We’ve read them all. In addition we follow the daily news, analysis, polling, and have crafted our strategy for 2016.
And so today we begin with the elephant in the room.
Should Catholics support Donald Trump? No.
We have sifted through the most popular arguments in defense of Trump and listed them below along with our own take. Here they are:
1. “Trump is a leader we can trust”
While we share much of the frustration over the failure of the GOP to make significant progress, we are reminded of Republicans’ once oft-quoted criticism of President Bill Clinton: character matters.
Donald J. Trump left his first wife and married his mistress, only to leave her a few years later for another mistress. Reportedly he left his second wife by leaking the news to a NY newspaper and left the headline on the bed for his wife to find. In his book, The Art of the Deal, Trump bragged about having sex with many women, including some who were married. He has appeared on the cover of Playboy Magazine with a model wearing only his tuxedo jacket. He has mocked the disability of a NY Times reporter. He belittled John McCain for being a prisoner of war. His casino in Atlantic City was the first in the country to open up a strip club. His Twitter account is a running barrage of insults, lies, and personal attacks on anyone who disagrees with him. And did we mention he famously cheats at golf? Now who does that remind you of?
Now ask yourself: does this man have the character becoming of the President of the United States?
2. “Trump can’t be bought because he is rich!”
Trump is a salesmen, and salesmen don’t buy, they sell. So he won’t be “bought.” Instead he will sell out everyone and anyone when it benefits him, as he has his entire career. He was a liberal democrat, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-universal health care, pro-government bailouts, and a financial backer and friend of Hillary Clinton until he decided to run as a Republican last summer. He is the definition of an opportunist with no guiding principles.
3. “Trump is a leader who will get things done”
Trump markets himself as an effective leader who will get things done simply by making “smart deals.” He refuses to explain precisely how he intends to deliver results, and more often than not, promises to use force or work around or outside the law. Such a leader mirrors what we currently see in the White House. It would be incredibly harmful to our system of government, which is limited by our Constitution — even if we like the policy outcome. We must be a nation of laws. For Trump, it is all about power. For a Christian, the presidency should be about service.
4. “Trump is a successful businessman who will make great deals”
If you believe the headlines, you would assume everything Donald Trump touches turns to gold. Not so. Trump has only demonstrated an ability to make deals that benefit him personally. Four times he bailed on his own casinos to shield himself from their impending bankruptcies. And then there is Trump Magazine, Trump Airlines, Trump Steaks/Steakhouse, Trump Vodka, and most famously Trump University, to name only a few — all bankrupt or closed, and massive failures. “Losers” as Trump is fond of saying.
He has constantly cozied up to big government to trample the little guy, either by abusing private property rights, or selling out small contractors and vendors, many of whom lost their life savings. Just ask elderly widow Vera Coking, whom Trump attempted to displace via eminent domain laws to make way for a limousine parking lot for his New Jersey casino — the same casino he put into bankruptcy. Vera stood tall against the politically-connected billionaire Trump for years in court, enduring his practice of belittling personal attacks. She eventually won and called Trump a “maggot, a cockroach, and a crumb.”
5. “Trump will end illegal immigration”
Trump has pledged to build a massive wall on our southern border and to make Mexico pay for it. Meanwhile he has promised to deport 11 million+ illegals, without explaining how, then plans to allow them all back in legally according to criteria he has yet to fully explain.
We agree illegal immigration is a problem that must be solved. Trump’s solution is delusional, strikes us as xenophobic — and truthfully, will never happen. If anything, Trump’s demagoguery on immigration showcases the emptiness of many of his promises. As President Obama has learned, American presidents don’t dictate laws. The Senate and House would have to pass any change of this magnitude, and such a solution has little to no chance of being approved. Border security and immigration enforcement are realistic fixes. Rounding up 11 million+ people and sending them back to Mexico is not practical or realistic, let alone humane. Those who rightfully want to solve the problem of illegal immigration deserve more than crowd pleasing platitudes. And it’s certainly worth noting that Donald Trump criticized Mitt Romney for being too harsh on immigration back in 2012. This is just another issue where Donald Trump had a very recent and rather convenient conversion.
Several other presidential candidates have outlined more realistic policies to deal with problem. And that’s what real leaders do. They outline solutions and build consensus. Hyperbole and demagoguery are tools of salesmen (see above) out for your money or your vote. Trump’s lack of detail reminds us of another famous politician who proclaimed: “we have to pass the bill before you can see what’s in it.”
6. “Trump will fight the Establishment!”
This defense of Trump is somewhat rich, given the irony that Trump himself has boasted of playing the game, paying off politicians and enriching himself from the very system he now purports to reform. Case in point: in the past week a growing number of so-called “establishment Republicans” have warmed to supporting Trump, people like Bob Dole and Trent Lott — including establishment Republicans in Iowa like Gov. Terry Branstad. Why? Because they believe, rightly in our view, that Trump doesn’t have any principles at the end of the day. He’s someone who will wheel and deal — and you and I will be stuck with the bill.
Electing Donald Trump would send the pro-life movement back to the 1990s, when the Republican Party wanted to run away from defending the unborn. In fact, Trump recommended his own sister, Maryanne Trump Berry, for the Supreme Court. She’s the federal judge who overturned New Jersey’s ban on grisly partial-birth abortions. The next President may choose as many as three or more new justices. Trump’s suggestion of his pro-abortion sister as an example ought to worry anyone who cares about the Court. And let’s not forget he once said Oprah would make a great Vice President. Enough said.
7. “Trump is one of us”
Trump’s political conversions have all happened at very convenient times. As recently as 2000, Trump was firmly “pro-choice,” even refusing to oppose partial birth abortion! He was in favor of gay civil unions. He is open, even now, to subsidizing abortion giant Planned Parenthood with our tax dollars. He considers gay marriage a settled issue and has offered no plan to protect religious freedom. He is pro-universal health care, supported the stimulus package and government bailouts, supported gun control and a host of radical positions. Trump is like many Democrats we know. He is a political opportunist.
Conclusion
Trump is right about something — it is time for a change. We do need to shake things up and make America great again. And his awakening of working class voters who are often sidelined by terrible policy and poor leadership is a lesson every Republican must take seriously or they will lose in November.
But the power to change does not require a fear mongering business mogul, appealing to our worst fears instead of our best hopes.
With other good candidates in the race, we encourage our members to look beyond Trump.
This is an historic opportunity to win back the White House with someone we can be proud to have as President.
Iowa, New Hampshire… we’re looking to you to lead the way. (For more from the author of “Truth on Trump” please click HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:19:552016-04-11 10:53:16What Should A Catholic Do With Trump?
By Daniel Halper. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said today that “based on what we know” it does not look like Hillary Clinton will be indicted. Earnest made the remarks the White House podium.
(Read more from “White House: Clinton Won’t Be Indicted” HERE)
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Former House Oversight Chairman: ‘FBI Director Would Like to Indict Clinton and Abedin’
By Gabby Morrongiello. California Congressman Darrell Issa, who previously led an investigation into Benghazi as former chairman of the House Oversight Committee, says the FBI “would like to indict both Huma [Abedin] and Hillary Clinton” for conducting sensitive government business on an unsecure, private email server.
“I think the FBI director would like to indict both Huma and Hillary as we speak,” the Republican heavyweight told the Washington Examiner Thursday, during a debate watch-party at Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s New Hampshire campaign headquarters.
“I think he’s in a position where he’s being forced to triple-time make a case of what would otherwise be, what they call, a slam dunk,” Issa said, referring to FBI Director James Comey, who previously told the Senate Judiciary Committee he would conduct a “competent,” “honest” and “independent” probe into Clinton’s handling of classified information during her tenure as secretary of state.
Still, Issa suggested Clinton’s wrongdoing is obvious. (Read more from “Former House Oversight Chairman: ‘FBI Director Would Like to Indict Clinton and Abedin'” HERE)
By Jason Sickles. The FBI’s aggressive move to release video evidence which they say shows anti-government protester LaVoy Finicum reaching for a gun before being shot and killed by police apparently did little to persuade the dead man’s family.
“LaVoy was not ‘charging’ anyone,’” his survivors said Friday afternoon in a statement released through their attorney. “He appears to have been shot in the back, with his hands in the air.”
Their comments, first reported by Reuters, come a day after the FBI took the unusual step of making a 26-minute surveillance video public two days after Finicum was killed. The aerial video, which the bureau published to its YouTube page, had more than 1.5 million views in less than 24 hours.
A state trooper shot Finicum, 54, Tuesday when a team of law enforcement officers set up a traffic stop to arrest several leaders of the month-long protest over federal control of ranch lands. (Read more from “LaVoy Finicum’s Family Questions Shooting Despite FBI Video” HERE)
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FBI Releases Video Footage of LaVoy Finicum Shooting
By Kelly House. As state troopers trained their guns on Robert “LaVoy” Finicum along a secluded eastern Oregon highway, he reached twice for a pocket that police say contained a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun.
That’s when they fatally shot Finicum, a video released Thursday by the FBI appears to show.
(Editor’s note: As you watch the video, keep in mind that LaVoy Finicum wore his pistol on his right hip, as depicted here)
The federal agency played the video in an attempt to dispel rumors about the circumstances of Finicum’s death two days earlier as he and other leaders of the armed standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge were driving to a meeting.
Conflicting accounts of his shooting fueled outrage among supporters of the refuge occupiers and prompted the leader of a Northwest militia group to issue a call for members to report to Burns.
Greg Bretzing, a special agent with the FBI, said the footage provides an “honest and unfiltered view” of what happened. (Read more from “FBI Releases Video Footage of LaVoy Finicum Shooting” HERE)
Donald Trump’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski announced that Trump would be happy to debate Senator Ted Cruz — once Cruz is determined to be eligible for the presidency by a federal judge.
“Once you’ve gotten that ruling from the federal judge and you’re the last man standing in this presidential contest next to Donald Trump, we’ll be happy to have a debate with you one-on-one, anywhere you want, because that’s the way the system works,” Lewandowski said. “But, as it stands right now, we don’t even know if Ted Cruz is legally eligible to run for president of the United States” . . .
Cruz had challenged Trump to a one-on-one debate after Trump refused to participate in the Fox News debate on Thursday night. Trump wanted the network to remove host Megyn Kelly as a moderator for the event. (Read more from “According to Trump, This Is the Only Way He’ll Debate Cruz” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:17:242016-04-11 10:53:16According to Trump, This Is the Only Way He’ll Debate Cruz
By Paul Bedard. Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, a leading voice on trade, immigration and executive powers, is urging Americans to choose their next president carefully because 2016 “is the last chance for the American people to take back control of their government.”
In a sober interview with Secrets, the Republican warned that liberal special interests, Wall Street moguls, and international media conglomerates are fast turning the United States into just another member of the European Union and that the effort is being led by a Democratic president eager to go his own way with executive orders.
“This election is different because we have pall-mall erosion of law, the constitutional order, where President Obama has pushed an agenda that eviscerates the immigration legal system, and pushed this trade agreement that will commence decades of transferring American economic power to an ever-expanding international commission. It’s just not going to stop” unless voters take action, he warned . . .
Highlighting immigration and trade, Sessions urged voters to choose a candidate who will commit to killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal with nearly a dozen Asian nations which is slated to cost 448,000 U.S. jobs, and finally make good on 30 years of promises to put an end to illegal immigration, which is costing the nation billions in welfare and undermining U.S. wages. (Read more from “Sessions: Choose Carefully America, 2016 Is ‘the LAST CHANCE'” HERE)
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America 2016: We’re Mad as Hell and Not Going to Take It Anymore
By Lesley Clark, Anita Kumar and Maria Recio. Craig Ziemke has voted for Democrats all his life, including twice for President Barack Obama. Not this year.
“The whole country is going to hell,” the 66-year-old retired factory worker said, standing against the bleachers at a high school gymnasium while waiting for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to arrive. Ziemke’s fury is deep: Roads and bridges in the U.S. are falling apart, jobs are scarce and the U.S. border is wide open, he says.
“We’re letting all these people into the country. No one even knows who the hell they are,” he said. “We don’t need any more Arabs. The United States, anymore, is just a dumping ground for everyone.”
Ziemke plans to caucus for a Republican on Monday – and likely for Trump, “the only one with brains,” he said.
If Obama’s 2008 campaign in Iowa and beyond defined the election as one of “hope and change,” this year may well be described as the politics of rage. (Read more from “America 2016: We’re Mad as Hell and Not Going to Take It Anymore” HERE)
By Brian Stelter. Donald Trump’s counter-programming stunt succeeded in stealing viewers from Fox News’ Republican presidential debate.
Thursday night marked the second lowest rated GOP debate of the season. And Trump was the most-talked-about candidate without even being there.
Trump, who had refused to attend the debate, showed off his ratings magnetism by depriving Fox of it . . .
But Trump’s rivals, like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, still reached a big audience by debating, which suggests that there are some limits to Trump’s power.
Practically speaking, there is no way Trump’s event could have out-rated the debate. But ratings experts said Trump did appear to take a chunk out of Fox’s audience. (Read more from “Who Won the Ratings Race: Fox News or Donald Trump?” HERE)
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Debate Without Trump Gets Better Ratings Than Last Debate With Trump
By John McCormack. Donald Trump’s campaign manager predicted that Thursday night’s GOP presidential debate on Fox News would only get “about 2 million” viewers because Trump refused to show up. In fact, “Fox News likely had 11 million to 13 million viewers for the debate,” CNN’s Brian Stelter reports.
Thursday’s debate ended up getting higher ratings than the the last debate in which Trump participated. “Fox’s Trump-less debate had an 8.4 household rating, according to early Nielsen data from so-called metered markets,” reports CNN’s Stelter. (Read more from “Debate Without Trump Gets Better Ratings Than Last Debate With Trump” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:12:422016-04-11 10:53:17Who Won the Ratings Race: Fox News or Donald Trump?
As befits all the best practitioners of his shadowy trade, no-one is quite sure whether he is one man or many, or even simply an urban legend.
But after a string of assassinations of its local henchmen, the Islamic State’s new “Caliphate” in the Libyan city of Sirte is abuzz with talk that an anti-Isil sniper is at work.
In recent weeks, no fewer than three Isil commanders in Sirte have been shot dead from long range, according to local media.
The killings – reported to be the work of a sniper who honed his skills in Libya’s uprising against Colonel Gaddafi – are said to have sowed panic among Isil’s forces in the city, who have carried a string of arrests and executions in a bid to track down the culprit.
The Sirte assassin’s most recent casualty, according to social media reports from Sirte, was Abdullah Hamad Al-Ansari, an Isil commander from southern Libyan city of Obari, who was shot dead on January 23 as he left a city centre mosque. (Read more from “Is a Secret Sniper Killing off ISIS’s High Command in Libya?” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2016-01-30 00:12:192016-04-11 10:53:17Is a Secret Sniper Killing off ISIS’s High Command in Libya?
