02/17/20

Dem Senators Meet in Secret with Zarif/Iran Last Week

By: Denise Simon | Founders Code

Did you hear about Senator(s) Whitehouse and Murphy and their secret meeting and delegation?

*** “Murphy is a frequent speaker at the National Iranian American Council, a lobbying group with alleged links to the Islamic Republic of Iran.” He also criticized the killing of Soleimani, the world’s most notorious terrorist, who also killed more than 600 US soldiers in Iraq.

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut and other Democratic senators had a secret meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during the Munich Security Conference last week, according to a source briefed by the French delegation to the conference. Murphy’s office did not respond to repeated requests for comment by press time.

Such a meeting would mean Murphy had done the type of secret coordination with foreign leaders to potentially undermine the U.S. government that he accused Trump officials of doing as they prepared for Trump’s administration. In February 2017, Murphy demanded investigations of National Security Advisor Mike Flynn because he had a phone call with his counterpart-to-be in Russia.

“Any effort to undermine our nation’s foreign policy – even during a transition period – may be illegal and must be taken seriously,” Murphy said in 2017 after anonymous leaks of Flynn’s phone call with Russian ambassador Sergey Kisylak were published. He also strongly criticized the open letter some Republican senators sent Iranian leaders during the Obama administration’s campaign for a nuclear agreement.

However, Murphy has previously defended rogue meetings if they’re done by Democrats such as former Secretary of State John Kerry.

“Unless it was authorized by the president or secretary of state, conducting independent foreign policy sends mixed signals to our adversaries,” said Christian Whiton, former State Department senior advisor in the Trump and George W. Bush administrations. “It seems very unpalatable. If we want to talk to Iranians, they know how to reach us and they don’t need to go through an intermediary.”

A State Department official who spoke on background said that the State Department was not aware of any side meetings with Iranian officials that Murphy was engaged in.

The Munich Security Conference, an annual forum on international security policy, welcomes hundreds of world leaders each February. This year’s conference featured robust debate on the United States’ maximum pressure policy against Iran, China’s handling of the coronavirus and technology concerns, and the European alliance with the United States. Other Democrat senators at the conference included Sens. Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Former Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts also attended.

Both Murphy and Zarif spoke publicly during a two-hour session on Middle East policy, with Murphy and Zarif both fiercely criticizing U.S. policy.

President Donald Trump has reoriented American policy in the Middle East away from President Barack Obama’s friendly posture toward Iran. He departed from Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a nuclear arrangement with the Republic of Iran that was not ratified by the United States Senate.

Trump has exerted instead a “maximum pressure” campaign against the regime, with 12 demands on Iran before a new deal is reached. Those demands include a full account of its nuclear program, ending its proliferation of ballistic missiles, releasing all U.S. citizens held on spurious charges, ending support to terrorist groups, withdrawal of forces in Syria, and cessation of its threatening behavior against its neighbors.

The “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions has devastated the Iranian economy, which is in recession and faces rising inflation. It has made it difficult for Iran to pay foreign fighters engaged in supported terror operations. Iranians have taken to the streets in protest.

Iran recently killed an American contractor in Iraq and the United States killed Iranian general Qassim Suleimani, a top Iranian leader who was responsible for the killing and maiming of thousands of U.S. soldiers. Iran’s retaliatory strike for that killing resulted in no U.S. deaths, but the country did shoot down a Ukrainian passenger plane then lied about it for days.

At the conference, Zarif said official retaliation for the killing of Suleimani had ended, although he suggested independent attacks from others in the country might follow.

Murphy is a frequent speaker at the National Iranian American Council, a lobbying group with alleged links to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Republican Sens. Mike Braun of Indiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, and Ted Cruz of Texas recently asked the Department of Justice for potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

They wrote that the influential lobbying group “purports to improve understanding between American and Iranian people but in reality seems to spread propaganda and lobby on behalf of the Iranian government.” Evidence indicates that evidence Zarif himself was involved in founding the group. Hat tip/Federalist

02/17/20

Russia Got Crimea, Working on Ukraine, Belarus Next?

By: Denise Simon | Founders Code

Primer: The Minsk Agreement has not led to a peace deal. The agreement was first negotiated by a mere telephone call between Vladimir Putin and Petro Poroshenko in 2014. It has a few newer iterations. It was to stop the warring factions between Russia and Ukraine. The whole matter was and is a continued plot for Putin to consolidate his power.

***

Belarus, Minsk and Schedrin Maps

The president of Belarus said Friday that Russia insisted on merging the two states during last week’s talks on further integrating the countries’ economies.

“They understand integration as swallowing up Belarus. This isn’t integration. It’s incorporation. I will never go for this,” President Alexander Lukashenko said during a visit to a paper plant in southeastern Belarus.

“I will always fight for our land to remain sovereign and independent. Your first president that you once elected will never be the last,” he added.

Tensions have been running high between the neighboring ex-Soviet states for several months now. As negotiations on closer ties stalled, Russia halted oil supplies to Belarus and Lukashenko repeatedly accused the Kremlin of pushing for a merger of the two countries.

Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down last Friday for yet another round of talks in Sochi but failed to reach an agreement.

Merging with Belarus is seen by many as a strategy for Putin to stay in power well past the legally mandated end of his presidential term in 2024 by becoming the head of a new state.

As Lukashenko has resisted the integration effort, the Kremlin has increased pressure by halting oil supplies to Belarus, which relies on Russia for more than 80% of its energy needs.

Lukashenko has since vowed to find alternative oil suppliers and boasted about warming ties with the West in an apparent bid to win concessions from Russia. So far Belarus has been able to secure a shipment of oil from Norway and is negotiating supplies from Kazakhstan.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for more than two decades and is up for re-election this year. He doesn’t want to become a governor in a single state with Russia, Minsk-based political analyst Alexander Klaskovsky told The Associated Press.

“The Kremlin has so far failed to scare Minsk by cutting subsidies ahead of the presidential race in Belarus,” Klaskovsky said.

Lukashenko said Friday that talks on closer ties between Russia and Belarus would continue, but only “the questions of integrating economies” would be on the table.

***

This effort by Moscow has been going on at least since 2014. Trade and oil are at the core of the issues and Russia is strong-arming the leadership of Belarus.

02/17/20

This Red Flag Should Be a Campaign Coffin Nail

By: Frank Salvato

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

There are a plethora of reasons why Michael Bloomberg shouldn’t be considered for the Democrat nomination to be president, but two stick out with significance: His wealth and the hint that he would restore the Clinton influence in American politics.

The comedy show that is the field of candidates for the Democrat presidential nomination is Emmy worthy. They exist as a mismatch of Marxists and Trotskyites, oligarchic millionaires and billionaires, globalists and anarchists on the main stage talking about how the rest of us should live our lives so as to be benevolent. They preach about how we must sacrifice for the environment as the fly around the country in private jets (but for Sanders who only flies first class). And they thunder on how the Second Amendment is antiquated, even as they pontificate behind walls of armed bodyguards and spend tens of millions for armed security for their upcoming convention.

The entirety of the Democrat slate expects the sheep among their subjects to jettison the things they have come to know (read: reality) so as to embrace their elitist Nuevo-definitions of words, phrases, and events, allowing for the cobbling of a narrative that appears to legitimize their tapestries of bovine feces.

Whether you see their line-up as comedic or macabre, it is a dangerous line-up. One of them will survive the media labyrinth to exist one election away from the ability to make their vision for our country a reality.

Remember, in November of 2008 everyone stood slack-jawed that a nobody from Chicago exploded into the presidency. The eight years of Barack Obama’s Progressive and Marxist policies not only damaged the economy and security of the United States, but it also divided the people in a way not seen since before the Civil Rights Movement.

Bloomberg, 77, isn’t a nobody. He’s a billionaire fifty-times over who controls a significant media apparatus to advance his narrative. This means he can spin fiction that softens, manipulates, and distorts – to his advantage – his anti-Second Amendment, pro-abortion, open borders, tax-happy agenda in an effort to dupe the people into abdicating their freedoms; as he seeks to make the US Constitution irrelevant and the United States a socialist democracy. This is exactly how he was able to politically reinvent himself so many times.

A lifelong Democrat before registering as a Republican in 2001 to ingratiate himself to New York City voters on the heels of the wildly successful tenure of Rudy Giuliani (R), Bloomberg dropped his Republican designation while in office, registering as an Independent in 2007, and again executed a metamorphic change in re-registering as a Democrat in 2018 in preparation for a presidential run. To say that he is a political opportunist would be a grotesque understatement.

If that isn’t enough to expunge Bloomberg from consideration for any public office, there is credible buzz that he is seriously considering allowing the poison of Hillary Clinton’s politics and influence to resurface on the world stage in a vice-presidential bid on his ticket (I guess that would put her one suicide away from the presidency).

For the record, Bloomberg’s spokesperson issued a non-denial denial when asked about a Clinton number-two spot. Non-denial denials are the things of manipulating despots and tyrants, by the by.

Even Bloomberg’s supporters have to question both his political metamorphosis and his questionable judgment in contemplating adding such a divisive in Hillary Clinton to his ticket given her disapproval ratings. His metamorphosis proves his opportunism and his Clinton inclusion proves his willingness to associate with the criminal class to pander to a voter demographic. These are demonstrations of political infidelity and poor decision-making.

There is an old adage that goes, and I paraphrase: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. We have intellectually lumbered into an era where disingenuous opportunists routinely seek elected office, this happening from local to national. Bloomberg and his ilk are a byproduct of this reality. And because of the short-attention-span narrative-mongers of social media and the soundbite Pharisees of the mainstream media, they are getting elected. Our country and the government our Framers bequeathed to us lays mortally wounded because of it.

And truth be told, we have no one to blame for the demise of our country but ourselves. Opportunists only take advantage of opportunities. We the People are guilty of affording those opportunities.

Frank Salvato is a managing partner at TR² Consulting Group, LLC. He is the host of The Underground podcast as heard on iHeart Radio, Pandora, Spotify, and anywhere podcasts are heard. His writing has been recognized by the US House International Relations Committee and the Japan Center for Conflict Prevention. His analysis has been published by The American Enterprise Institute, The Washington Times, and Accuracy in Media, and is nationally syndicated. Mr. Salvato appeared on The O’Reilly Factor on FOX News Channel and is the author of six books examining internal and external threats facing our country. He can be heard twice weekly on “The Captain’s America: Third Watch” radio program syndicated nationally on the Salem Broadcasting Network and Genesis Communications affiliate stations.

02/17/20

Meet the Group Behind Letter Demanding AG Barr Resign

By: Denise Simon | Founders Code

Sanctimony at its peak…

AG Barr

Let us go back several years shall we? Does anyone remember Sandy Berger? He was the cat that went to the National Archives and stole classified documents. At the time he was a national security advisor to President Clinton. He was found guilty and the recommended sentence was no jail time, a $10,000 fine and he would lose his security clearance for three years. His actual sentence was a $50,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and two years probation and no loss of his bar license.

We also have so many others like James Comey, James Clapper, illegal criminal immigrants, Bradley Manning, Bowe Bergdahl among so many others, including those that were given clemency, like Marc Rich.

*** The letter signed by so many former Department of Justice officials demanding AG Barr resign reads as follows: (the list of signatures are found at the end of the link)

We for sure now have confirmed activist media –> Eight legal analysts for CNN and MSNBC are among the signatories of the letter. This letter/action is coming from the left that does not want people sentenced for misdemeanors nor a whole host of felonies. Which is it, people?

DOJ Alumni Statement

We, the undersigned, are alumni of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) who have collectively served both Republican and Democratic administrations. Each of us strongly condemns President Trump’s and Attorney General Barr’s interference in the fair administration of justice.

As former DOJ officials, we each proudly took an oath to support and defend our Constitution and faithfully execute the duties of our offices. The very first of these duties is to apply the law equally to all Americans. This obligation flows directly from the Constitution, and it is embedded in countless rules and laws governing the conduct of DOJ lawyers. The Justice Manual — the DOJ’s rulebook for its lawyers — states that “the rule of law depends on the evenhanded administration of justice”; that the Department’s legal decisions “must be impartial and insulated from political influence”; and that the Department’s prosecutorial powers, in particular, must be “exercised free from partisan consideration.”

All DOJ lawyers are well-versed in these rules, regulations, and constitutional commands. They stand for the proposition that political interference in the conduct of a criminal prosecution is anathema to the Department’s core mission and to its sacred obligation to ensure equal justice under the law.

And yet, President Trump and Attorney General Barr have openly and repeatedly flouted this fundamental principle, most recently in connection with the sentencing of President Trump’s close associate, Roger Stone, who was convicted of serious crimes. The Department has a long-standing practice in which political appointees set broad policies that line prosecutors apply to individual cases. That practice exists to animate the constitutional principles regarding the even-handed application of the law. Although there are times when political leadership appropriately weighs in on individual prosecutions, it is unheard of for the Department’s top leaders to overrule line prosecutors, who are following established policies, in order to give preferential treatment to a close associate of the President, as Attorney General Barr did in the Stone case. It is even more outrageous for the Attorney General to intervene as he did here — after the President publicly condemned the sentencing recommendation that line prosecutors had already filed in court.

Such behavior is a grave threat to the fair administration of justice. In this nation, we are all equal before the law. A person should not be given special treatment in a criminal prosecution because they are a close political ally of the President. Governments that use the enormous power of law enforcement to punish their enemies and reward their allies are not constitutional republics; they are autocracies.

We welcome Attorney General Barr’s belated acknowledgment that the DOJ’s law enforcement decisions must be independent of politics; that it is wrong for the President to interfere in specific enforcement matters, either to punish his opponents or to help his friends; and that the President’s public comments on DOJ matters have gravely damaged the Department’s credibility. But Mr. Barr’s actions in doing the President’s personal bidding unfortunately speak louder than his words. Those actions, and the damage they have done to the Department of Justice’s reputation for integrity and the rule of law, require Mr. Barr to resign. But because we have little expectation he will do so, it falls to the Department’s career officials to take appropriate action to uphold their oaths of office and defend nonpartisan, apolitical justice.

For these reasons, we support and commend the four career prosecutors who upheld their oaths and stood up for the Department’s independence by withdrawing from the Stone case and/or resigning from the Department. Our simple message to them is that we — and millions of other Americans — stand with them. And we call on every DOJ employee to follow their heroic example and be prepared to report future abuses to the Inspector General, the Office of Professional Responsibility, and Congress; to refuse to carry out directives that are inconsistent with their oaths of office; to withdraw from cases that involve such directives or other misconduct; and, if necessary, to resign and report publicly — in a manner consistent with professional ethics — to the American people the reasons for their resignation. We likewise call on the other branches of government to protect from retaliation those employees who uphold their oaths in the face of unlawful directives. The rule of law and the survival of our Republic demand nothing less.

If you are a former DOJ employee and would like to add your name below, click here. Protect Democracy will update this list daily with new signatories.

02/17/20

This Too Shall Pass

By: T.F. STERN | Self-Educated American

My remarks are tied in with a talk given during last October’s General Conference, “Thru Cloud and Sunshine, Lord, Abide with Me! ” as given by Reyna I. Aburto. She described being on an airplane high above the clouds with the light bouncing off those clouds; but as the plane descended and they were surrounded by these very same clouds, darkness surrounded them and took over.

(Image: There is no timeline for healing courtesy of tinybuddha.com)

“Some of those clouds are of depression, anxiety, and other forms of mental and emotional affliction. They can distort the way we perceive ourselves, others, and even God. They affect women and men of all ages in all corners of the world.”

I was on my way home from Florida many years ago, flying into a storm system that had delayed our take-off and delayed my arrival in Houston. The closer we got to Houston the worse the storm got; lightning flashing off the interior of the plane as we sped through the night, the plane being bounced like a toy with each passing air mile.

It came as no surprise when the Captain got on the intercom and explained that our flight was being diverted to New Orleans because the weather in Houston was not suitable for landing. As we made our approach prior to landing, the flight attendant gave the customary instructions, “Please place your seats in the upright position and secure your tray tables. We’ll be landing in New Orleans momentarily.”

About that time a woman near the front of the plane jumped up, having slept through the nasty storm and unaware of our having been diverted, yelled out, “Oh my god, I’m on the wrong plane!” Most everyone let out a huge belly laugh, a much-needed relief from the sheer panic of having ridden out the storm. It took the airline janitorial crew about two hours to clean up the inside of the airplane and deodorize it before we could re-board and resume our flight.

Sister Aburto then related an experience, “A friend described it this way: “Since my early childhood, I have faced a constant battle with feelings of hopelessness, darkness, loneliness, and fear and the sense that I am broken or defective. I did everything to hide my pain and to never give the impression that I was anything but thriving and strong.”

“My dear friends, it can happen to any of us—especially when, as believers in the plan of happiness, we place unnecessary burdens on ourselves by thinking we need to be perfect now. Such thoughts can be overwhelming. Achieving perfection is a process that will take place throughout our mortal life and beyond—and only through the grace of Jesus Christ.”

There is so much wisdom included in that last statement, one that we all need to take into our minds and hearts. Whether we’re looking into the mirror, wondering how we’ll survive the challenges that seemly have taken control of our lives, leaving us with doubt and minimizing our joy; or, perhaps we experience these challenges through the lives of family or friends, it’s important to be aware of the ever-changing mental environment which we all must pass through while on our way back to our Heavenly Father’s presence.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland had this to say, “Broken minds can be healed just the way broken bones and broken hearts are healed. While God is at work making those repairs, the rest of us can help by being Merciful, Nonjudgmental and Kind.”

He also admonished, “For caregivers, in your devoted effort to assist with another’s health, do not destroy your own. In all these things be wise. Do not run faster than you have strength.⁷ Whatever else you may or may not be able to provide, you can offer your prayers and you can give “love unfeigned.’”

I’m reminded of the soberness of thought contained in 2 Nephi 4, starting in verse 16.

“Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.”

If you’re paying attention, this is a man who loves the Lord and has been following the path as almost perfectly as can be done. But then he looks into his own soul…

“Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.” (extra spaces included to permit breathing)

He goes on pleading with the Lord to strengthen him, to keep him on the path of righteousness and to avoid sin; being aware that at any time he might fall into transgression should he forget to include the Lord in all his doings.

If you would, make an effort later on to read the entirety of 2 Nephi 4; especially since it’s part of the lesson included in this month’s Come Follow Me home study manual.

I’ve marked this in my scriptures as a “must-read regularly” and have since joined the Church back in 1978. I am, as yet, unable to read it aloud without forming a lump in my throat and sniffling away as moisture gets in the way.

Quoting Sister Aburto, “Sadly, many who suffer from severe depression distance themselves from their fellow Saints because they feel they do not fit some imaginary mold. We can help them know and feel that they do indeed belong with us. It is important to recognize that depression is not the result of weakness, nor is it usually the result of sin. It “thrives in secrecy but shrinks in empathy.” Together, we can break through the clouds of isolation and stigma so the burden of shame is lifted and miracles of healing can occur.”

While contemplating how to approach sharing this difficult topic, at first I couldn’t place myself as having ever been in a state of depression, ignoring a one week period of time when I’d been ‘Indefinitely Suspended’ from the police department, which for all practical purposes was the same as being fired since up until that time no officer had ever gotten his/her job back from the Houston Police Department after such a ruling. My infraction was summed up in one word, Insubordination, followed by a list of untruths intended to make a solid case against me.

I’d been placed in the awkward situation of performing my duties fairly, while at the same time having supervisors who wanted me to ignore a member of the ‘Good Old Boys Club’, someone I’d been issuing parking tickets to for having parked his limo in the fire zone in front of his hotel. Ever hear the term, “You can’t beat City Hall”? That’s what I was up against.

Long story short, I no doubt exhibited a lack of respect for my superiors and after my appeal was completed, did end up with a 40-day suspension; but during that time I had no gainful employment and the odds were slim on getting back on as a police officer. The first couple of days I must have been in a fog, similar to the black clouds described by Sister Aburto.

It took a couple of more days to snap out of it, mostly with the help of my loving wife who encouraged me to use the skills I’d learned as an apprentice locksmith, to simply move forward with the idea that I could provide for my family, just in a different setting.

I began in earnest the task of looking for locksmith customers and being in business, going out and obtaining small used car dealerships that were not being properly serviced by other locksmiths and not worrying about how my Civil Service Hearing would turn out.

I put aside my depression in favor of life, not the one I’d planned; but the one which the Lord had prepared me for. I did get reinstated as a police officer and decided to work night shift because my fulltime locksmith business had become the real breadwinner and my priorities had been made clear as a result of this challenge.

This all happened in the early 80’s and I completed the requirements for a 20-year retirement from the Houston Police Department in 1992, all the while working my locksmith business in the daytime. I joked that I got my four hours of sleep every day whether I needed it or not. I went on to complete roughly 40 years being a self-employed locksmith specializing in restoring lost automobile and truck keys; putting myself out to pasture a couple of years ago and moving up to our property in Buffalo, Texas.

Returning to the wisdom found in that wonderful Conference talk, “If you are constantly surrounded by a “mist of darkness,” turn to Heavenly Father. Nothing that you have experienced can change the eternal truth that you are His child and that He loves you. Remember that Christ is your Savior and Redeemer, and God is your Father. They understand. Picture Them close by you, listening and offering support. “[They] will console you in your afflictions.” Do all you can, and trust in the Lord’s atoning grace.”

“Your struggles do not define you, but they can refine you. Because of a “thorn in the flesh,” you may have the ability to feel more compassion toward others. As guided by the Holy Ghost, share your story in order to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” (emphasis added)

I’ve opened an old wound and shared it with you all, one that kept me awake many nights when I should have been sleeping peacefully. I’ve often wondered how I might have handled it differently; should I have bitten my tongue when confronted about writing a silly parking ticket, certainly. Would that have ever happened, not likely; I know myself too well. Perhaps my having shared this will help someone; but even if it’s only one, how great in the eyes of the Lord is the saving of one soul?

In Matthew 11:28-30, this sentiment is recorded for all of us.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

“I testify to you that “thru cloud and sunshine” the Lord will abide with us, our “afflictions [can be] swallowed up in the joy of Christ,” and “it is by grace that we are saved after all we can do.” I testify that Jesus Christ will return to the earth “with healing in his wings.” Ultimately, He “shall wipe away all tears from [our] eyes, and there shall be no more … sorrow.” For all who will “come unto Christ, and be perfected in him,” the “sun shall no more go down; … for the Lord shall be [our] everlasting light, and the days of [our] mourning shall be ended.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”