Puppet MastersS


Bad Guys

Best of the Web: A new low in campaign hit pieces: Efforts to sandbag Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard are crude repeats of 2016 election tactics

Tulsi Gabbard
© Marco Garcia/AP/REX/ShutterstockU.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) speaks during a campaign rally announcing her candidacy for president in Waikiki.
Last week, the Daily Beast ran this headline: "Tulsi Gabbard's Campaign Is Being Boosted by Putin Apologists"

That was followed by the sub-headline: "The Hawaii congresswoman is quickly becoming the top candidate for Democrats who think the Russian leader is misunderstood."

The Gabbard campaign has received 75,000 individual donations. This crazy Beast article is based on (maybe) three of them.

The three names are professor Stephen Cohen, activist Sharon Tennison and someone using the name "Goofy Grapes," who may or may not have once worked for comedian Lee Camp, currently employed by Russia Today.

This vicious little article might have died a quiet death, except ABC's George Stephanopoulos regurgitated it in an interview with Gabbard days later. The This Week host put up the Beast headline in a question about whether or not Gabbard was "softer" on Putin than other candidates.

Gabbard responded: "It's unfortunate that you're citing that article, George, because it's a whole lot of fake news."

Comment: The Democrats are desperate to make sure the 'right' candidate (of their choosing) gets elected this time - and desperate people are dangerous. We can expect much worse from their media vassals in the coming months.


Handcuffs

Porn lawyer Avenatti charged with stealing $300,000 from 'Stormy Daniels'

michael avenatti stormy daniels
Michael Avenatti
Federal prosecutors are expected to charge Michael Avenatti with additional financial crimes Wednesday, sources briefed on the case told ABC News.

The new charges will accuse Avenatti of misappropriating money that was supposed to be paid to Stormy Daniels when Avenatti was representing the adult film actress in her public battle against President Trump and his former attorney Michael Cohen, the sources said.

The charges are to be filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan who have already accused Avenatti of extortion in a case involving Nike.

On Wednesday, Avenatti told ABC News that "No monies relating to Ms. Daniels were ever misappropriated or mishandled."

Comment: ABC left the figure out, but it's mentioned in foreign reports: Avenatti is accused of extorting $300k from Daniels.

How is Avenatti still walking around? There is a wealth of material with which to put #CreepyPornLawyer behind bars for a long time. And then there was this from September 2018:

Tucker Carlson faces off against 'creepy porn lawyer' Avenatti in 'trainwreck' interview




Attention

Russian lawmaker who was arrested on murder charges stripped of parliament seat

Rauf Arashukov
Rauf Arashukov in court in Moscow in January
A Russian lawmaker from the ruling party who was arrested on murder charges during a parliament session in January has been stripped of his seat in the Federation Council, Russia's upper parliament house.

All 153 Federation Council members present on May 22 voted to deprive Rauf Arashukov of his status as a lawmaker, formally citing his failure to submit a mandatory annual income declaration by the April 1 deadline.

Arashukov, 32, was detained at a dramatic session of the upper house on January 30 after fellow lawmakers voted to strip him of his immunity from prosecution.

Chess

'I don't do coverups': Trump fires back at Pelosi after walking out of WH meeting

Trump
© Reuters / Leah MillisPresident Trump speaks to reporters at the White House
President Donald Trump called a surprise press conference to blast House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who accused him of masterminding a "coverup." Trump then canceled an infrastructure meeting with top Democrats.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump lashed out at Pelosi, who earlier that day declared "we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a coverup," following a meeting with the entire Democratic caucus.

"I don't do coverups," the president said, before declaring the 'Russiagate' investigation a "takedown attempt" against him, and "the greatest hoax in history."

Snakes in Suits

Relentless, Democrats call for Trump impeachment as former WH counsel Don McGahn declines hearing

Don McGahn
© Melina Mara/Pool via ReutersFormer WH Counsel Don McGahn
House Democrats are once again calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump, after he blocked former White House counsel Don McGahn from testifying about the 'Russiagate' probe.

The House Judiciary Committee met on Tuesday morning without Don McGahn, whom they intended to grill about whether the president obstructed justice during special counsel Robert Mueller's 'Russiagate' probe.

Committee chair Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-New York) - one of Trump's most relentless critics - has said that his committee will move to hold McGahn in contempt of Congress, saying "this committee will hear McGahn's testimony even if we have to go to court."

Multiple House Democrats have clamored for Trump's impeachment, arguing the president instructed McGahn to break the law by defying the subpoena to testify.

Comment: See also: Pelosi: The president is 'engaged in a coverup'


Pirates

Baghdadi hides in Libya; Trump eager to hunt him down

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
© AFPAbu Bakr al-Baghdadi
A trusted Libyan source only yesterday had stated that Baghdadi has been hiding in Libya since February after fleeing Syria.

This few minutes from 'youtube' of a total of an 18-minute video from the Al Furqan ISIS network, released by them on Monday 29th April, shows clearly Baghdadi is alive.


By way of background its important to refer to a British newspaper, The Sunday Express, of 9 days ago:

HEADLINE: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: RAF zero in on IS mastermind
BYLINE: BRITISH Forces were at the centre of an international mission to locate Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Libya last night. - (last night being 11th May.)

Comment: See also:


Arrow Down

No evidence: US intel dismisses Pompeo's claim of Iran's links to al-Qaeda

Pompeo
© AP/Susan WalshSecretary of State Mike Pompeo
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed last month that he has no doubt that "there's a connection" between Iran and al-Qaeda, the terrorist group behind the 9/11 attacks.

The US intelligence community has no evidence that al-Qaeda has cooperated with the Iranian government in the recent escalation of tensions in the Gulf, the Daily Beast reported, citing three unnamed sources. The assessment was reportedly delivered by a senior US government official during a classified briefing with members of Congress on Tuesday.

The claim that Iran has ties to the terrorist group was made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing when he was asked whether the 2001 Authorisation for Use of Military Force, issued to allow American troops to fight with entities responsible for the 9/11 attacks and their associated forces included Iran. Pompeo said at the time:
"There is no doubt there is a connection between the Islamic Republic of Iran and al-Qaeda. Period. Full stop. The factual question with respect to Iran's connections to al-Qaeda is very real. They have hosted al-Qaeda. They have permitted al-Qaeda to transit their country."
TIME magazine cited a senior US official as saying that Pompeo's allegation is an exaggeration that is not corroborated by any evidence of "any grand anti-American alliance".

Comment: See also:


Attention

Pelosi: The president is 'engaged in a coverup'

PelosiTrump
© Reuters/Carlos Barria/Telegraph.comHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi • President Donald Trump
By instructing former White House counsel Don McGahn not to testify before Congress, President Donald Trump is "engaged in a coverup," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters after meeting with her fellow Democrats.

Speaking after a "very positive" closed-doors meeting with House Democrats on Wednesday, Pelosi said that "it's important to follow the facts," adding: "we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a coverup."

The meeting came one day after former White House counsel Don McGahn declined to appear before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the findings of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's final report. The White House and President Trump insist that McGahn cannot be compelled to testify before the committee.

Although the Mueller report found that Trump did not collude with Russia in the runup to the 2016 election, and found insufficient evidence of obstruction, Judiciary Committee chair Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-New York) has pressed for the release of an unredacted version of the report, and called on McGahn, as well as former McGahn aide Annie Donaldson and former White House communications director Hope Hicks to testify.

Comment: See also:


Star of David

Netanyahu puppet Zohar refiles bill granting PM Netanyahu immunity from prosecution

Netanyahu/Zohar
© Yonatan Sindel/Flash90Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) with MK Miki Zohar during a Likud faction meeting at the Knesset, December 7, 2015.
Legislation sponsored by Miki Zohar would require that indictments against lawmakers be approved by House Committee, which he chairs, and by Knesset.

A Likud ally of Benjamin Netanyahu has officially submitted legislation aimed at granting the prime minister immunity from prosecution, even as sources close to the premier deny he intends to change the law in order to prevent an indictment being filed against him.

MK Miki Zohar's bill was officially placed on the Knesset's docket late Monday night along with 200 other proposals set to begin the legislative process in the coming weeks.

The bill proposes that Netanyahu and any other MK would by default be granted immunity from prosecution unless the Knesset House Committee - which Zohar himself chaired in the last legislative term and is expected to continue to helm throughout the 21st Knesset - votes to strip the lawmaker of that right. The bill would reverse the current system: Whereas now, MKs must vote in favor of giving a colleague immunity against a coming indictment, under Zohar's proposal they would have the power to block an indictment by refusing to approve the removal of MKs' immunity.

Dollars

Farage to undergo scrutiny over £450,000 payment from Arron Banks

Nigel Farage
© ReutersNigel Farage
The European Parliament's advisory committee will look at whether Mr Farage broke rules by accepting funding from Leave campaigner Arron Banks.

Nigel Farage said he did not declare the £450,000 sum to the European Parliament because he was about to leave politics and had been seeking a new life in the US.

The committee will examine the case before advising the European Parliament President Antonio Tajani. The committee can meet on 4 June. MEPs found to have acted improperly can be reprimanded, their parliamentary allowance can be withheld or they can be banned from some activities.

The payments from Arron Banks to Nigel Farage were revealed by a Channel 4 News investigation.

Mr Farage confirmed that he was not talking to Channel 4 News, describing them as "political activists", and said he would not allow the broadcaster to attend Brexit Party events. The editor of Channel 4 News, Ben de Pear, said on Twitter he hoped "to resolve our access ban... ASAP".