James Comey Is Trying To Influence The Election & Barack Obama Should Fire Him

The Hatch Act of 1939, officially An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities, is a United States federal law whose main provision prohibits employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the president, vice-president, and certain designated high-level officials of that branch, from engaging in some forms of political activity. (Source).

That is what I've read, in any case. That FBI Director James Comey is either trying to influence the election, or is so incompetent that he doesn't realize that this "reopening" of the HRC email investigation (not a reopening, although that is how the RW is characterizing it) could influence the election.

In either case some are saying it's a "firing offense" (an assessment I tend to agree with).

In the past 24 hours, two high-profile figures from opposite sides of the political spectrum have accused FBI Director James B. Comey of potentially and illegally influencing the presidential election. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) made the accusation in a letter Sunday night, and Richard Painter, who was an ethics lawyer in the George W. Bush administration, said the same thing in a New York Times op-ed published Sunday. [Painter says] "We don't need to worry ourselves with what actually motivated Comey because we can just look at what the natural result of his behavior is, and whether there is any explanation for his behavior". In other words: If it smells like a Hatch Act violation and it sounds like a Hatch Act violation, it may be a Hatch Act violation. ("It's a firing offense": Why James Comey may have broken the law with Clinton emails By Amber Phillips. 10/30/2016 Washington Post).

As for what the hell is going on (*skip* to my summary immediately following to save time/not have to read the entire article except).

The FBI found the new evidence during an unrelated inquiry into former Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner regarding an allegation that he sent illicit, sexual text messages to an underage girl in NC. In the course of that investigation, agents seized a laptop computer Weiner shared with his wife, Huma Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide who has already been questioned by the FBI during its investigation. The bureau found the emails now being examined on this shared device... Because Clinton preferred to read documents on paper rather than on a screen, emails and other files were often printed out and provided to her either at her office or home, where they were delivered in a diplomatic pouch by a security agent. Abedin, like many State Dept officials, found the government network technology to be cumbersome, and she had great trouble printing documents there... As a result, she sometimes transferred emails from her unclassified State Department account to either her Yahoo account or her account on Clinton's server, and printed the emails from there. ... Abedin would use this procedure for printing documents when she received emails she believed Clinton needed to see and when the Secretary forwarded emails to her for printing. Abedin told the FBI she would often print these emails without reading them. Abedin printed a large number of emails this way... This procedure for printing documents, the government official says, appears to be how the newly discovered emails ended up on the laptop shared by Abedin and her husband. (Hillary Clinton's emails: The Real Reason The FBI Is Reviewing More of Them by Kurt Eichenwald. 10/28/2016 NewsWeek).

So, in summary... what happened was that the FBI, investigating Weiner for sending his pervert texts to an underage girl, grabbed a laptop shared by the pervert Weiner and his wife, Huma Abedin (who is now separating from the pervert), and they found that Huma used the laptop to send emails to herself (from her UNCLASSIFIED State Dept. account to a Yahoo account). Because it was easier to print from Yahoo. Because HRC likes reading hard copy, as opposed to reading from a screen.

As for what is on the laptop, it isn't know yet. Another reason why Comey releasing this statement now is so f*cking stupid. This will very likely be another big nothingburger. Although it could influence the election, which is why it is a violation of the Hatch Act, which is why I say YES, his ass should be fired.

Although, knowing that Trumpers will scream that the firing is politically motivated, Obama should wait until after the election (given that it is mere days away, and the damage is already done). But as soon as HRC is declared the winner? Comey should be handed his walking papers (a "dishonorable" discharge from his position).

BTW, the idiot blogger Luke Spencer's take on this CONFORMS to the Republican narrative. (NOTE: you can stop reading now if you don't care what the blog Troll Luke has to say). According to this MORON, "these Clinton haters are at it again"... by which he means Clinton supporters are "haters". He isn't referring to people who hate Hillary Clinton (a group that includes Luke Spencer).

Luke the Puke says "the Clinton haters are going nuts over Comey's latest statement" because, you know, he likely violated the Hatch Act. But that isn't the reason according to Puke. Puke says Anthony Weiner is "Clinton's pervert buddy". Because HRC served in the Senate while the disgraced Congressman served in the House. No, that isn't it. They are "buddies" because Weiner's (soon to be ex) wife is HRC's top aide.

Clearly a moronic assertion... that the husband of her aide is her "buddy". But such idiocy is to be expected from a moron like Puke. An idiot who says he is a Liberal, but spouts Republican talking points.

For example, Puke says Comey asserted that HRC would "normally would be disciplined for such action" (using a private server) but in reality Comey said "the decision to not recommend charges against the now-Democratic nominee wasn't a close call".

Puke also claims "the FBI investigated all his emails and what do you know, Clinton appears on those emails". But the truth is all Comey has said is that the emails on Huma's laptop "appear to be pertinent to the investigation" and that the FBI still needs to "determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation" (source).

But that does not stop the lying Clinton-hating Puke. He also refers to HRC using the Trump-created nickname, "Crooked Hillary". This, I think, points to the possibility of Puke being an undercover Trump voter. Trump attempted to tie Hillary Clinton to Bill Clinton's affairs. Puke makes an even bigger and more absurd leap, and attempts to link her to Anthony Weiner's sexting.

Also remember that Puke wrote (on his blog Words And Music) "I'm rooting for Trump". But ONLY to "to shove it down the throats of these mean, hate filled, crazy liberals" (he SAYS). Hate directed at him because (he says) "I won't join in their hate fest". And because (he says) "I dare to voice negative comments about Clinton".

But Puke lies. I don't care (that much) about his ill-informed Clinton criticisms. HRC is most definitely not without faults (another false assertion he makes... that HRC supporters "claim their candidate Hillary is without any faults"). He is entitled to his wrong opinion. I do take exception to his lies, both about HRC and those who support her. People such as myself (although I voted for B-S in the primary, I have early-voted for HRC in the General).

But even then I'd be willing to have a rational discussion with Puke about HRC and her faults. But this is an idiot who has trolled my blog for YEARS. As TOM and as Steve (100% proven that he was Steve, given the FACT that he changed the name on the "Steve" account to "Luke").

But even if he was not TOM (more on my proof that Luke is also behind the "TOM" account in my next post), and even if he was not Steve (which he proveably is, given that the account # are a match)... he still trolled my blog... as "Luke" (see SWTD #346). I refer to his absurd accusations of "plagiarism" against myself and others. And his sending of his commentaries (submitted as comments) to the blogs of others "so they don't have to steal them". Now with the addition of a "scumbag" (absurdity Flying Junior is aware of).

Something I asked him to stop doing... which prompted the following response.

Luke: Sorry, King Shithead PSYCHO KILLER TRUMP!!! You will continue to get my posts marked, "Here is my post for today so you don't have to steal it FUCKHEAD!" Because you and your asshole buddies deserve it. I simply won't respond. So enjoy my last comment to you KING SHITHEAD PSYCH KILLER TRUMP!!! If I have anything to say about you King Shithead Psycho Killer Trump, it will be posted on my sidebar where I have listed your retarded behavior. (10/2/2016, unpublished comment).

Sorry, Luke, but you sending me (and others) your posts "so I don't have to steal it" makes YOU the troll. I mean, even though I'd never heard of "Luke" before... one of his accusations of "stealing" his posts was the very first comment he submitted to my blog. HOW could I have stolen anything he'd written when I'd never heard of him and never been to his blog?

Anyway, 7/27/2016 was the first time he commented on my blog as "Luke". As I previously mentioned, he had already been trolling my blog (using the SAME account) as "Steve" for YEARS (although I didn't notice the matching account #s until later).

The point being that Puke is a lying troll. I don't believe he is "Liberal". Maybe he THINKS he is. Puke's latest post does not sound like it was written by a "Liberal" to me. Given his use of many Republican talking points. And use of the Trump-generated nickname "Crooked Hillary". And bashing (with lies) of his "fellow" Liberals.

Maybe he WAS a Liberal. His commentaries as TOM on his old blog Stay A While (inactive for years now) sound as if they were written from a Liberal perspective. But now? Who knows. The only one SURE thing is that he is a troll.

Finally (file this under "interesting/bewildering"), Luke the Puke (posting as Steve on 9/05/2013) told me "I'm planing a surprise for you". But no "surprise" ever materialized. Now I'm thinking that Steve returning as "Luke" might be the surprise he was referring to. I mean, yeah, it is (at least a little) surprising that someone would be dumb enough to think they could accuse many bloggers of plagiarizing them... with ZERO proof.

Video: James Comey's actions influence 2016 elections. Excerpted from CNBC's Squawk Box (4:44).

PE: Harry Reid: FBI director should face criminal charges, 10/31/2016. SZ: October Ambush, 10/31/2016.

SWTD #356

Donald Trump Is Right: The Election Is Rigged

Of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day. Why do Republican leaders deny what is going on? So naive! ~ Donald Trump Tweet, 10/17/2016.

What he isn't saying is that the election will be rigged IN HIS FAVOR. IMO he knows this. Or he may not. Either he's delusional and really thinks he can win, or he's pre-explaining his upcoming loss. He didn't really lose, the election was "stolen".

I mention this because I heard this narrative being played up on the news tonight. Although I do live in TN, where Trump is projected to win. They played clips of Trump saying the election was being rigged, then cut to TN election officials saying what they were doing to stop "voter fraud" (when I voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary I had to show my driver's license).

As if voter fraud occurs in significant enough numbers to sway an election. It doesn't. Trump's claims of "large scale voter fraud" are total bullshit. I was watching Thom Hartmann today, and he brought up the fact that "a comprehensive investigation of voter impersonation finds 31 credible incidents out of one billion ballots cast". (That's according to "Justin Levitt, a professor at the Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and an expert in constitutional law and the law of democracy". 8/6/2014 WP Wonkblog article).

It is rare because "pretending to be somebody else in order to each cast one incremental fake ballot... is a slow, clunky way to steal an election". The better way to steal an election is, instead of individual voters cheating (voter fraud), is for those in charge of running the election to cheat (election fraud).

Which is the purpose of all these "voter ID" laws being pushed by Republicans. The goal is to reduce the number of people voting. Poor people, African Americans, students, and old people are more likely to vote Democrat, and more likely to not have an ID. Some Republicans are surely prevented from voting, but more Democrats are disenfranchised than Republicans.

So, YES, the election will be rigged, but the rigging is being done by Republicans with the goal of preventing Democrats from voting. Previously this strategy got gwb elected. Twice. Although I think that hacking (changing the vote totals electronically) played a part as well (in Ohio). This explains why Karl Rove was so sure Romney had won in 2012.

He knew the fix was in. But Obama prevailed by pure numbers. Turnout was especially high that year. People stood in line for hours and hours (because Republican election officials closed polling stations/saw to it that there was an inadequate number of voting machines). Some gave up. Either because they someplace to be (job, family obligations) or because they'd simply had it. Others got mad and continued to stand in line because they KNEW those in charge didn't want them to vote.

This time around I think Trump, being the terrible candidate that he is, will lose despite the rigging. Rigging that will benefit him! It wasn't enough for McCain to defeat Obama. It wasn't enough for Romney to defeat Obama. And they were much better candidates than Trump.

BTW, Republican leaders are denying the rigging because they know it benefits Republicans. They LAST thing they want is for anyone to take such claims seriously. Democrats have, so far, gone along with the rigging (even though it benefits Republicans) because they think making an issue of the FACT that it's occurring will depress the vote.

People will think, "it's rigged. my vote doesn't count. why bother voting". And they'll stay home. Me, I think you can't fix a problem unless you acknowledge it exists. But the problem that Trump says might/will result in him losing? It's not happening. If/when Trump loses, it will be IN SPITE of the rigging. Because he is a terrible candidate.

A misogynist who's admitted to sexually assaulting women. BTW, I did think that Bill Clinton was DONE when Gennifer Flowers came forward during his 1992 Presidential election campaign. I was surprised when he stayed in the race and was elected (yes, I voted for him). But Bill Clinton never admitted anything. Unlike Trump, who BRAGGED about sexually assaulting women (on the Access Hollywood "hot mic" tape).

Not that he had a high probability of winning previously. But now I'd say he's going to go down in flames with Hillary defeating him in a blowout. Even with the rigging in Trump's favor. Or so I hope. I mean, I was sure that bush would lose in 2004. Given his starting of 2 unnecessary and illegal wars. Proof the electorate is pretty stupid. Despite the rigging that benefited bush, enough dumb people voted for him. Because you "don't change a horse midstream" (change presidents while at war).

Are the voters stupid enough to elect Trump? It doesn't look like it, but we won't know for certain until the actual voting is done... and NOT every vote is counted (why provisional ballots are referred to as "placebo ballots").

Image: A false internet meme debunked by Snopes. But, even though Trump didn't say it, it doesn't mean it's not true. Trump HAS lied and his idiot followers ARE eating it up.

SWTD #355

Film Music Composer Danny Elfman Writes Horror Score For Trump's Stalking Of Hillary

They're coming to get you, Barbra ~ Johnny Blair to his sister upon spotting a zombie (although he is unaware of the creature's undead state) while visiting their father's grave. Quote from the opening scene of George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead, 1962

During the 2nd 2016 potus "town hall" format debate (10/9/2016), Donald Trump, when Hillary Clinton was speaking, loomed behind her. Was he trying to intimidate her? He denies it, of course. Just as he denies the sniffing. Hillary Clinton told Ellen DeGeneres that she could sense his anger and feel him stalking her.

His anger concerned the Access Hollywood hot mic tape of Trump and Billy Bush "having a conversation about chicks 11 years ago" (as characterized by a misogynist Libertarian).

Trump, IMO, instead of being contrite and genuinely remorseful for his "locker room talk", is actually seething with anger at people having the gall to question that he, as a rich and powerful man, can't grab women by their crotches. Of course he thinks he can sexually assault women (or "chicks"), which is why he bragged about doing so.

Why in the world is Trump standing so close to Hillary? Is he thinking that he'd like to reach out and strangle her? Composer Danny Elfman said it was like watching a zombie movie, and that he could imagine that "at any moment [Trump] was going to attack her, rip off her head, and eat her brains".

Here is the clip with the music Elfman wrote (2:07).

Danny Elfman, in addition to being a well known (to those who follow film music) and in-demand composer of music for film, is a Democrat. He is also married to the (now retired) actress Bridget Fonda (with whom he has 3 children). Although that factoid has nothing to do with this post. I just threw that out there because, while you might never have heard of Danny Elfman, you've probably heard of Bridget Fonda.

Danny Elfman's brother Richard Elfman has a son named Bodhi. Bodhi's wife is the actress Jenna Elfman. Jenna Elfman is best known for her role in Dharma and Greg (a sitcom that ran from 1997 to 2002). Thomas Gibson, who played "Greg", was (until recently) a regular on the long running series Criminal Minds.

As for Danny Elfman, he used to be (along with his brother Richard) a member of the rock band Oingo Boingo (1972-1995). Danny was the songwriter and lead singer of the band. During his Oingo Boingo years Elfman contributed songs to a number of films, including Weird Science. This would be the "1985 American teen comic science fiction film written and directed by John Hughes and starring Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Kelly Le Brock" (via Wikipedia).

Elfman became a film score composer when he, having been asked by Tim Burton and Paul Rubens, wrote the music for the 1985 comedy Pee-wee's Big Adventure (although he had previously written the score for the 1982 film The Forbidden Zone, which was directed by his brother). The Forbidden Zone was Elfman's first film score.

His 2nd film score gig, Pee-wee's Big Adventure, was the start of a long relationship with Tim Burton (for whom he scored many movies). In addition to writing the music for the 1989 Burton version of Batman (the one starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson), he is known for composing the theme for The Simpsons (although JUST the theme. The series itself has been scored since 1990 by Alf Clausen).

Regarding Danny Elfman being a Democrat, he wrote a piece for the Huffington Post back in 2008 supporting Barack Obama. The article, titled Battling Our Greatest Fear, concerned the fact that "Sarah Palin was my worst nightmare".

Trump, in my opinion, is an even worse nightmare, which must be why Elfman was inspired to write horror music for Trump's stalking of Hillary. Entertainment Weekly says "Elfman's creepy score gives the video a slasher movie vibe".

Image: Danny Elfman and Bridget Fonda attend the world premiere of the movie The Hulk (which Elfman wrote the music for) at Universal Studios on 6/17/2003 in Universal City CA.

See Also [1] Re A Misogynist Moron's Post On Hypothetical Hypocrisy. OST #181 10/11/2016. [2] Tweet concerning DJT humping chair at debate.

SWTD #354

Donald Trump Probably Paid Zero Taxes For 18 Years Because He Lost $916 Million In 1995 (As A Business Genius Does)

He did have to pay taxes in New Jersey. ...New Jersey, at the time... did not allow passive losses to be deducted from ordinary income ~ NYT columnist James B. Stewart in a CNBC interview (see video below).

As we all now know, or are pretty damn sure concerning, Donald Trump's tax returns would show he has not federal income taxes in many years past. This came up during the first POTUS debate, and Trump said, in response to a remark by Hillary Clinton, that he didn't pay because he's smart.

Servile Trump toady #2 Rudy Giuliani agrees, saying that Trump (because he pays no taxes) is a "business genius".

Donald J. Trump declared a $916 million loss on his 1995 income tax returns [and] Tax experts hired by The Times to analyze Mr. Trump's [leaked] 1995 records said that tax rules especially advantageous to wealthy filers would have allowed Mr. Trump to use his $916 million loss to cancel out an equivalent amount of taxable income over an 18-year period. (Donald Trump Tax Records Show He Could Have Avoided Taxes for Nearly Two Decades, The Times Found by David Barstow, Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner and Megan Twoheyoct. NYT 10/1/2016).

Really? Losing $916 million due to mismanagement and bad business decisions means you're GOOD at business? Or did he only lose money on paper? By which I mean were these fake "loses" cooked up by a crooked accountant so Trump could avoid paying what he owed? Maybe technically legal, maybe not. But certainly morally dubious.

BTW, according to the NYT "the tax documents arrived in a manila envelope... at the Times with a return address of the Trump Organization". I've heard that the person responsible for leaking the documents is Marla Maples, Trump's 2nd wife (and the one who was married to him at the time).

Ha ha.

BTW, as for Trump's servile toadies (of which he has two three*) the other one would be the governor who lied and said he didn't know some lanes on the George Washington Bridge were closed as an act of political payback against "Fort Lee's Mayor Mark Sokolich (a Democrat) for failing to endorse Christie in the 2013 gubernatorial election" (Wikipedia excerpt).

Lefty Talker Stephanie Miller refers to the toadies as "leather slaves", and, when servile toady #2 made the absurd comment re Trump being a "genius" for losing a boatload of money running casinos, it was after the ball gag was removed from his mouth and he was let out of the basement.

Video1: Rudy Giuliani calls Trump an "absolute genius" for losing a LOT of money and taking advantage of the tax code to not pay federal taxes, 10/2/2016 (0:04).

Video2: NYT columnist James B Stewart on CNBC says that Trump must explain his nearly billion-dollar loss and what breaks in the tax code contributed to it (4:13).

Something else that caught my eye (this was in the James B. Stewart article to which the CNBC video was attached), was the following.

"If it wasn't clear before, it is now: The tax code is tilted toward the rich in its statutory framework, its exceptions, and in how it is enforced and administered", said Steven M. Rosenthal, a real estate tax specialist and senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

Yet more proof that, when the Libertarian blogger Willis Hart said that the "economy is rigged and that only certain people can benefit from it [is a] myth", he was wrong. Dead wrong. But that a wealth-worshipping stooge such as Hart thinks the economy ISN'T rigged is really NOT a surprise. Yet he frequently rails against crony capitalism (as does Lying Gary Johnson). And, yes, the Hartster thinks he can have it both ways.

* I don't know how I could have forgotten Newt Gingrich. Although he hasn't been out there a lot. And he doesn't come across (to me) quite as servile and desperate as Christie and Giuliani.

Democracy Now: Trump May Have Paid No Taxes for 18 Years, 1995 Tax Returns Show, 10/3/2016. Progressive Eruptions: Trump 10/3/2016 Headlines.

SWTD #353