Since Election Day, the stock market has found fresh legs to add to one of the longest bull-market runs in U.S. history
Grab your hats.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average just powered through the 20000 level for the first time ever, setting an all-time intraday high three trading days after the inauguration of Donald Trump. Moments after the open, the Dow shot up to 20033.77.
The new record comes as stocks have been on the rise for much of the past three months, finding fresh legs since Election Day to add to one of the longest bull-market runs in U.S. history. The Dow industrials closed under 18000 as recently as Nov. 4, but have risen 12% since then.
The stock market was to have crashed terribly, worldwide, when the UK voted for Brexit last year. Yes, the stock market went down but it came back up.
Doomsayers — mostly on the Left — also insisted the stock market would tank following the election of Trump. Wrong. In fact, if benefited from the “halo effect.”
Businesses were hearing the right things. Some, who had plans to leave the US decided to stay where they were. American businesses are hearing the right words: lowering of corporate taxes, eliminating some regulations, ObamaKare mandates removed and/or changed, all from a president who wants to grow the country and knows how to build and how to make a payroll.
Caution.
Don’t get cocky.
Much of this number reflects reality. A lot of it doesn’t. Because of that — though the numbers are good and it’s an historic occasion — there will be a “correction” as they say. The correction will hurt. The Dow will go down. But it will all even out in the end.
Don’t think it’s going to continually be like this.
When, in fact, during the inauguration the crowd looked like this.
This is an enlargement of the photo to which CNN referred.
Do you want to know the facts? The photo above, showing fewer people, was taken early in the morning of the inauguration. The photo showing a packed mall was taken during the inauguration itself, a few hours later.
CNN is becoming the American Media Maggot version of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who could not open her mouth without confirming her serial liar status. Honest journalism is dead; CNN insists on hammering that point home roughly every day.
Let’s not stop there. I’d like to show you some of the Tweets sent out on Donald Trump’s inauguration day, starting with Bill Kristol, a Republican.
Bill Kristol finds it “depressing and vulgar” to hear a president say the words “America first”? Are you absolutely kidding me? Actively advocating for your country is now anathema to those who claim to be Republicans?
Until December of last year, Kristol was the Editor-In-Chief at The Weekly Standard, a Republican magazine. A Never Trumper from the outset, Kristol was responsible for convincing Evan McMullan of Utah to run for president as an Independent.
Let’s next look at the Tweet of Kurt Eichenwald, who writes for Vanity Fair, Newsweek and the New York Times.
A ridiculous argument as ISIS needs no further motivation to recruit, other than infidels exist in the world, and that Western countries exist as well. And, uh, Kurt, allow me to please improve your Tweets. I think you meant “smug” instead of “snug.” Of course, I don’t want to be putting words in your mouth. I’d rather you just look as silly as you are already, yes?
Caitlin Moran proves she’s obviously a public school graduate where spelling never counted.
Then there’s the mature, loving, understanding, tolerant and sensitive Tweet of Canadian Leftist Ashley Csanady, who felt compelled to add photographs of Barron Trump to emphasize her point. Hell, he’s a Trump kid so he makes great fodder for insult and ridicule.
But wait, it gets better. There’s nothing finer than accusing Barron Trump of being your next home-schooled mass shooter. Now that’s insightful.
This time our compassionate, understanding, tolerant and sensitive Leftist, Katie Rich, an employee of NBC, believes that libeling Donald Trump’s 10-year-old son is perfectly splendid because, after all, he’s Donald Trump’s son. Fair game.
Ashley and Katie, does that make you feel empowered, like you’re “big women,” by taking shots at Barron Trump, a 5th grader?
There were many, many more examples but I had to draw the line somewhere. Can you imagine what would have occurred had anyone done these same things to Sasha and Malia in their formative years?
This cartoon says it all. I simply could not pass it up because it so aptly underscores the silliness of the 69 whining Democrat crybabies who refused to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump. A respectful transition of power? Not on your life, according to the Demorats.
The Demorats are in the wilderness at this point, still navel-gazing, and still completely unable to understand just why they lost the House, the Senate and the White House.
Let’s look at President-elect Donald Trump’s first press conference. Then let’s discuss the circumstances.
During President-elect Donald Trump’s press conference today, Trump took aim at “fake news” regarding the release of an unverified dossier by Buzzfeed, calling them a “failing piece of garbage.”
Following that, he ended up getting into an argument with a CNN reporter, who he also called out during the presser over their report on a two-page synopsis they claim was presented to Trump. With Trump looking to call on other reporters, Jim Acosta yelled out, “Since you are attacking us, can you give us a question?” “Not you,” Trump said. “Your organization is terrible!” Acosta pressed on, “You are attacking our news organization, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir?” Trump countered by telling him “don’t be rude.” “I’m not going to give you a question,” Trump responded. “I’m not going to give you a question. You are fake news.”
It would appear there is no love lost between CNN and Trump. Let’s begin to explain, from BuzzFeed.com:
These Reports Allege Trump Has Deep Ties To Russia
A dossier, compiled by a person who has claimed to be a former British intelligence official, alleges Russia has compromising information on Trump. The allegations are unverified, and the report contains errors.
by Ken Bensinger, Miriam Elder and Mark Schoofs
A dossier making explosive — but unverified — allegations that the Russian government has been “cultivating, supporting and assisting” President-elect Donald Trump for years and gained compromising information about him has been circulating among elected officials, intelligence agents, and journalists for weeks.
Translation: we don’t much care that anything is verified or corroborated; we’re going to throw it onto the wall in any event because the information can do nothing but assail Donald Trump. CNN, equally despising Trump but perhaps even more clearly craven than Buzzfeed justifies publishing the story and promoting it (yes, I watched CNN do just that) under the guise of “news about news is news.” Damn the facts or corroboration.
In a nutshell, backed by the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, this is what occurred.
A still-unidentified wealthy GOP donor — clearly not a good pal of Donald Trump — hired a firm in 2015 called Fusion GPS to assemble opposition research on Donald Trump. Fusion ended up hiring a former British MI-6 operative named Christopher Steele, in the spring of 2016, who wrote the 35-page report on Trump. Please let me point out that the DC firm Fusion GPS is the same one hired by Planned Parenthood to put a positive spin on videos showing the sale of baby parts. This is “good to know” information.
Because the meme was “in the air,” Steele was to dig up smegma on Trump’s “obvious” ties to Russia. Steele talked to some Russians and the gossip was included in the report later compiled.
The information somehow “found its way” to the FBI. That was not magic, of course. It was purposeful, by way of Arizona Senator John McCain.
Yes, John McCain — clearly not a good pal of Donald Trump — got this hot mess started. He sent one of his own operatives across the Atlantic in order to acquire Trump’s dossier from Steele. McCain discovered the dossier’s existence when he was at a Canadian meeting with Sir Andrew Wood, a former associate of UK’s Tony Blair who is, also, not a good pal of Donald Trump, and subsequently sent an aide to acquire the report, in August of 2016.
An interesting aside. Very few persons have dared to mention the direct involvement of Senator John McCain, even that stalwart “the spin stops here” Fox News guy, Bill O’Reilly, who purposely avoided mentioning the involvement of McCain in his Thursday, January 12th Talking Points Commentary broadcast.
John McCain turned the dossier over to the FBI, saying he did “what any citizen would do.”
The report states that in 2013 Trump hired prostitutes to urinate on the bed of the Presidential Suite at the Moscow Ritz Carlton, where he knew Barack and Michelle Obama had previously stayed.
It says: ‘Trump’s unorthodox behavior in Russia over the years had provided the authorities there with enough embarrassing material on the now Republican presidential candidate to be able to blackmail him if they so wished.’
Trump ridiculed the idea, pointing out that Russian hotel rooms are known to be rigged with cameras and describing himself as a ‘germophobe’.
Property ‘sweeteners’
The document states that Trump had declined ‘sweetener’ real estate deals in Russia that the Kremlin lined up in order to cultivate him.
The business proposals were said to be ‘in relation to the ongoing 2018 World Cup soccer tournament’.
Russia ‘cultivated’ Trump for five years
The dossier claimed that the Russian regime had been ‘cultivating, supporting and assisting Trump for at least five years’.
According to the document, one source even claimed that ‘the Trump operation was both supported and directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin’ with the aim being to ‘sow discord’.
A dossier on Hillary Clinton
At one point the memo suggests Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov ‘controlled’ another dossier containing compromising material on Hillary Clinton compiled over ‘many years’.
Elsewhere in the document, it is claimed that Putin was ‘motivated by fear and hatred of Hillary Clinton.’
Peskov poured scorn on the claims today and said they were ‘pulp fiction’.
Clandestine meetings
At one point the memo says there were reports of ‘clandestine meetings’ between Donald Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen and Kremlin representatives in August last year in Prague.
However, Trump’s counsel Michael Cohen today spoke out against allegations that he secretly met with Kremlin officials – saying that he had never been to Prague.
It has now emerged that the dossier was referring to a different person of the same name.
On Halloween, October 31st of last year, Mother Jones magazine — Leftist Paper Central — ran the David Corn story. No one else covered it at that point; not Fox, not NBC, not CBS or ABC.
On January 5th, Obama was briefed on intelligence and in that briefing the dossier was revealed. Even Obama asked why the dossier information, unsubstantiated and unconfirmed, was included in the briefing. On January 6th, Donald Trump received the same intelligence information from four quite senior US intelligence chiefs.
Simultaneously, Paul Ryan, Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Little Chuckie Schumer, Devin Nunes, Adam Schiff, Richard Burr and Mark Warner received the same information. CNN then was the recipient of information from a leaker that Obama and Trump had been briefed on the contents.
Many of the allegations have been completely and utterly discredited whilst none have been confirmed in any fashion whatsoever.
Perhaps now you’re beginning to understand the reason behind Donald Trump’s unhappiness at the press conference.
The bottom line is this: the information — uncorroborated, unconfirmed, unsubstantiated — was released with the sole purpose of smearing Trump even before taking office.
This is markedly different from the Wikileaks information about Hillary Clinton, the DNC, John Podesta and the American Media Maggots, insofar as none of that information has been challenged or refuted. The evidence is as plain as day. Those things occurred. The players are simply pissed because they were caught.
The gloves are off. It’s bare-knuckled brawling now. The American Media Maggots aren’t even making the slightest pretense of being unbiased or even semi-truthful. Any journalistic forms of standards or ethics are predominantly gone. It’s all about innuendo and allegations unsubstantiated.
Even journalist Bob Woodward is angry with the media and US intelligence agencies. From the NYPost.com:
WASHINGTON — Legendary journalist Bob Woodward on Sunday clashed with his former “Watergate” reporting partner over the intelligence briefing of President-elect Donald Trump on the salacious allegations contained in an unverified dossier of opposition research.
“I’ve lived in this world for 45 years where you get things and people make allegations,” Woodward told FOX News Sunday.
“That is a garbage document. It never should have been presented in–- as part of an intelligence briefing.”
Further, Bob Woodward had serious words about US intelligence.
Woodward also said that “Trump’s point of view” was being “under-reported,” noting that outgoing White House Counsel Neil Eggleston could have given the briefing to incoming Counsel Don McGahn.
“So Trump’s right to be upset about that,” Woodward said. “And I think if you look at the real chronology and the nature of the battle here, those intelligence chiefs who were the best we’ve had, who were terrific and have done great work made a mistake here. And when people make mistakes, they should apologize.”
This is the faction that is now engaged in open warfare against the duly elected and already widely disliked president-elect, Donald Trump. They are using classic Cold War dirty tactics and the defining ingredients of what has until recently been denounced as “Fake News.”
Their most valuable instrument is the U.S. media, much of which reflexively reveres, serves, believes, and sides with hidden intelligence officials. And Democrats, still reeling from their unexpected and traumatic election loss, as well as a systemic collapse of their party, seemingly divorced further and further from reason with each passing day, are willing — eager — to embrace any claim, cheer any tactic, align with any villain, regardless of how unsupported, tawdry, and damaging those behaviors might be.
Mr Greenwald is not a lover of Donald Trump, but he realizes the danger that is occurring in the US now.
But cheering for the CIA and its shadowy allies to unilaterally subvert the U.S. election and impose its own policy dictates on the elected president is both warped and self-destructive. Empowering the very entities that have produced the most shameful atrocities and systemic deceit over the last six decades is desperation of the worst kind. Demanding that evidence-free, anonymous assertions be instantly venerated as Truth — despite emanating from the very precincts designed to propagandize and lie — is an assault on journalism, democracy, and basic human rationality. And casually branding domestic adversaries who refuse to go along as traitors and disloyal foreign operatives is morally bankrupt and certain to backfire on those doing it.
All of these toxic ingredients were on full display yesterday as the Deep State unleashed its tawdriest and most aggressive assault yet on Trump: vesting credibility in and then causing the public disclosure of a completely unvetted and unverified document, compiled by a paid, anonymous operative while he was working for both GOP and Democratic opponents of Trump, accusing Trump of a wide range of crimes, corrupt acts, and salacious private conduct. The reaction to all of this illustrates that while the Trump presidency poses grave dangers, so, too, do those who are increasingly unhinged in their flailing, slapdash, and destructive attempts to undermine it.
The gloves are indeed off, ladies and gentlemen. It’s a bare-knuckled battle from here on out.
Because, after all, what do we have here? We have baseless allegations gathered by well-paid mercenaries for political assassins — on both sides of the aisle, make no mistake — to use against Conservatives, Republicans and Donald Trump.
That is what really occurred between Buzzfeed and Donald Trump.
As with many things in politics, you have to possess the ability to read between the lines. A new story from the WaPo made me conduct such an examination.
Intelligence chiefs briefed Trump and Obama on unconfirmed claims Russia has compromising information on president-elect
by Greg Miller
A classified report delivered to President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump last week included a section summarizing allegations that Russian intelligence services have compromising material and information on Trump’s personal life and finances, U.S. officials said.
The officials said that U.S. intelligence agencies have not corroborated those allegations, but believed that the sources involved in the reporting were credible enough to warrant inclusion of their claims in the highly classified report on Russian interference in the presidential campaign.
If true, the information suggests that Moscow has assembled damaging information — known in espionage circles by the Russian term “kompromat” — that conceivably could be used to coerce the next occupant of the White House. The claims were presented in a two-page summary attached to the full report, an addendum that also included allegations of ongoing contact between members of Trump’s inner circle and representatives of Moscow.
I recommend you read the rest of the article. The information being revealed between the lines of the story indicates, to me, a rocky road coming for President-elect Trump.
Some history, then a conclusion.
It’s no surprise that I remain skeptical concerning the “Russian hacking” of the American election, resulting in the defeat of Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The Demorats tried throwing every excuse imaginable onto the political wall in order to see what would stick, to include recounts for Hillary Clinton under the pretext of their being for Jill Stein, talk radio and Fox News, the Electoral College, FBI Director James Comey, misogyny on the part of females (of all things), and fake news — to encompass the Drudge Report, which is nothing more than an aggregator of news and frequently features sites such as CNN, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Baltimore Sun, Boston Globe, LA Times and more. If Drudge is “fake” then most certainly those other outlets are as well. They have also been saying “Russia Russia Russia” every day since November 8th.
The corollary glory of it all is that, particularly with regard to fake news, much of it has blossomed in the other direction. Time and again the true purveyors of fake news have been proven to be the American Media Maggots and not alternative news sources. The AMM have lost their “gatekeeper” status and desperately seek to lock it back up. They are quaking and frightened to their very core because they are losing control and cash.
That said, the theme that somehow Russia hacked the election and not only favored but enabled Donald Trump to win has its proponents and its detractors. Proponents would obviously include Hillary Clinton, Demorats and the American Media Maggots because, in their minds, it certainly had nothing to do with the quality of the candidate herself or the way the campaign was managed.
Detractors or skeptics would include myself and, well, a few other tens of thousands of persons.
First, I developed information from one source (corroborated by a similar intelligence source on the opposite coast) that the NSA was responsible (read here please) for the hacks, and this was supported by Judge Andrew Napolitano — from HRC’s mishandling of GAMMA class intelligence. Read this.
Then Julian Assange (he of Wikileaks creation) came out and straight-up stated that Russia was not connected to the hacking of the DNC and Podesta’s emails at all. Assange, being the recipient of the trove of materials should, one may conclude, know. The release of the information appealed to Assange because, after all, Hillary Rodham Clinton stated she would like to have had him killed with a drone strike. That would certainly seem sufficient to take HRC off Assange’s Christmas card list.
Now they are responsible. The party line is that “17 intelligence agencies say Russia was the source.” With, again, little or no clear evidence to back up the claims.
There was another person along the way with a healthy skepticism about the Russians being involved in the DNC hack and the hacking of the US presidential election. Donald Trump.
The meme is that the CIA, the DNI and the rest of the US Intelligence Community would not politicize intelligence except that, well, yes they would. And have. All the time. This is not finger-pointing at the line-level agents, processors or analysts. This is finger-pointing at the upper echelons of the Intelligence Community. As in: they decide what information to release to those who base policy and decisions upon intelligence take.
It’s no secret that Donald Trump has angered the lofty halls of the US Intelligence Community. They don’t care to have their character or their veracity questioned or second-guessed.
So Tuesday’s WaPo article — which contained, they admit, much speculation and little fact, could be a cautionary tale, a little sub-frequency IC message to President-elect Donald Trump: you’re in our gunsights.
One has to think that the source of whatever information “Russia may possess” about Trump personally could be the USIC itself.
Charles Krauthammer said on Tuesday:
“When you get these spy-vs-spy leaks, you can’t believe anybody because they’re all lying and that’s what they do for a living, so you never know which side is lying. But I think that the very fact this story has surfaced, is a way for the CIA to be telling Trump: you mess with us, we have a lot of information we can mess with you.”
From the WSJ.com:
Nancy Sinatra replied with this Tweet.
Second, CNN misled people with this story:
When, in fact, during the inauguration the crowd looked like this.
This is an enlargement of the photo to which CNN referred.
Do you want to know the facts? The photo above, showing fewer people, was taken early in the morning of the inauguration. The photo showing a packed mall was taken during the inauguration itself, a few hours later.
Bill Kristol finds it “depressing and vulgar” to hear a president say the words “America first”? Are you absolutely kidding me? Actively advocating for your country is now anathema to those who claim to be Republicans?
A ridiculous argument as ISIS needs no further motivation to recruit, other than infidels exist in the world, and that Western countries exist as well. And, uh, Kurt, allow me to please improve your Tweets. I think you meant “smug” instead of “snug.” Of course, I don’t want to be putting words in your mouth. I’d rather you just look as silly as you are already, yes?
Then there’s the mature, loving, understanding, tolerant and sensitive Tweet of Canadian Leftist Ashley Csanady, who felt compelled to add photographs of Barron Trump to emphasize her point. Hell, he’s a Trump kid so he makes great fodder for insult and ridicule.
But wait, it gets better. There’s nothing finer than accusing Barron Trump of being your next home-schooled mass shooter. Now that’s insightful.
This time our compassionate, understanding, tolerant and sensitive Leftist, Katie Rich, an employee of NBC, believes that libeling Donald Trump’s 10-year-old son is perfectly splendid because, after all, he’s Donald Trump’s son. Fair game.
This cartoon says it all. I simply could not pass it up because it so aptly underscores the silliness of the 69 whining Democrat crybabies who refused to attend the inauguration of Donald Trump. A respectful transition of power? Not on your life, according to the Demorats.
As with many things in politics, you have to possess the ability to read between the lines. A new story from the WaPo made me conduct such an examination.