wnd--2020-10-01--Catholic cardinal: Joe Biden should not receive Holy Communion

A Roman Catholic cardinal says Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , a self-proclaimed abortion-supporting Catholic , should not receive the church 's Holy Communion .
The Catholic News Agency reported Cardinal Raymond Burke , formerly the prefect of the Catholic church 's highest court , explained Biden `` is not a Catholic in good standing and he should not approach to receive Holy Communion . ''
His comments came in an interview with Thomas McKenna of Catholic Action for Faith and Family .
`` This is not a political statement , I don ’ t intend to get involved in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply to state that a Catholic may not support abortion in any shape or form because it is one of the most grievous sins against human life , and has always been considered to be intrinsically evil and therefore to in any way support the act is a mortal sin , '' Burke said .
TRENDING : The Bidens avoided paying more than $ 500,000 in payroll taxes by exploiting S corporations Asked about Biden , he said the former vice president `` has not only been actively supporting procured abortion in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign that he intends to make the practice of procured abortion available to everyone in the widest possible form and to repeal the restrictions on this practice which have been put in place . ''
Receiving Holy Communion would be `` a danger to the salvation of his own soul , '' Burke said .
Additionally , if he pursues such a request , it falsely `` gives the impression to others that it ’ s acceptable for a Catholic to be in favor of abortion and of course it ’ s absolutely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it never will be , '' he said .
Burke served in Wisconsin and Missouri before being appointed prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura , the church 's highest court .
`` I ca n't imagine that any Catholic wouldn ’ t know that abortion is a grievous sin , '' he said , `` but if they don ’ t , once they ’ ve been told , then they either have to cease to support abortion or accept the fact they are not a Catholic in good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Holy Communion . ''
He said it was his duty to contact pro-abortion politicians who said they were part of the Catholic church when he was a bishop .
He made them aware of the conflict and told them `` you may not present yourselves for Holy Communion . ''
According to Robert Spencer , the director of Jihad Watch and a fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center , said the teaching of the Catholic church is one thing and practice is quite another .
`` Pope Francis has repeatedly made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is concerned , the real sins , the real serious sins that get you a tongue-lashing from the Roman Pontiff and doubtless a date with hellfire in the age to come , are opposing mass Muslim migration into the West and believing that Islam is not a religion of peace .
Abortion ?
Come on , man !
That ’ s child ’ s play , so to speak , compared to the big sins . ''
But what about Christians in Europe `` who are concerned about the spiraling crime rates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nations that have taken in large numbers of migrants ? ''
`` Are they allowed to exercise charity toward their neighbors and friends by opposing mass migration and trying to preserve and defend their own cultural heritage ?
`` Not on your life , '' Spencer wrote .
`` Or at least they can ’ t do that and remain Catholics in good standing .
And Francis ’ Brave New Church has other newly-minted 'grievous sins ' as well .
The pontiff has claimed risibly that 'authentic Islam and the proper reading of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violence . '
As ridiculous and readily disproven as this is , it has become a superdogma in the Catholic church : if you don ’ t believe that Islam is a Religion of Peace , you will be ruthlessly harassed and silenced by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops ( USCCB ) and the hierarchy elsewhere as well . ''
An editorial at Richard Viguerie 's ConservativeHQ.com noted that Biden does n't meet the qualifications of a Catholic .
`` Democrat Joe Biden has built his half-century in politics largely on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic with working class roots .
In reality Biden is neither a faithful Catholic , nor a friend of America 's blue-collar citizens , '' the unsigned editorial said .
One of the primary positions Biden 's campaign holds is that Catholics `` must be forced to be complicit in the sin of abortion by repealing the Hyde Amendment prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion . ''
Secondly , taxpaying Catholics `` must likewise be forced to be complicit in the sin of transgenderism by being forced to subsidize taxpayer funded gender reassignment surgery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catholic leaders for many years .
In 2006 , Wilmington Bishop Michael Saltarelli suggested the high school Biden attended should not name a student center after him .
Saltarelli cited the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops , stating Catholic institutions `` should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles . ''
Biden later was told by then-Archbishop Charles Chaput that abortion `` is always grievously wrong . ''

A Roman Catholic cardinal says Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, a self-proclaimed abortion-supporting Catholic, should not receive the church's Holy Communion.
The Catholic News Agency reported Cardinal Raymond Burke, formerly the prefect of the Catholic church's highest court, explained Biden "is not a Catholic in good standing and he should not approach to receive Holy Communion."
His comments came in an interview with Thomas McKenna of Catholic Action for Faith and Family.
"This is not a political statement, I don’t intend to get involved in recommending any candidate for office, but simply to state that a Catholic may not support abortion in any shape or form because it is one of the most grievous sins against human life, and has always been considered to be intrinsically evil and therefore to in any way support the act is a mortal sin," Burke said.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Asked about Biden, he said the former vice president "has not only been actively supporting procured abortion in our country but has announced publicly in his campaign that he intends to make the practice of procured abortion available to everyone in the widest possible form and to repeal the restrictions on this practice which have been put in place."
Receiving Holy Communion would be "a danger to the salvation of his own soul," Burke said.
Additionally, if he pursues such a request, it falsely "gives the impression to others that it’s acceptable for a Catholic to be in favor of abortion and of course it’s absolutely not acceptable. It never has been, it never will be," he said.
Burke served in Wisconsin and Missouri before being appointed prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the church's highest court.
"I can't imagine that any Catholic wouldn’t know that abortion is a grievous sin," he said, "but if they don’t, once they’ve been told, then they either have to cease to support abortion or accept the fact they are not a Catholic in good standing and therefore should not present themselves for Holy Communion."
He said it was his duty to contact pro-abortion politicians who said they were part of the Catholic church when he was a bishop. He made them aware of the conflict and told them "you may not present yourselves for Holy Communion."
According to Robert Spencer, the director of Jihad Watch and a fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, said the teaching of the Catholic church is one thing and practice is quite another.
"Pope Francis has repeatedly made it clear that as far as he is concerned, the real sins, the real serious sins that get you a tongue-lashing from the Roman Pontiff and doubtless a date with hellfire in the age to come, are opposing mass Muslim migration into the West and believing that Islam is not a religion of peace. Abortion? Come on, man! That’s child’s play, so to speak, compared to the big sins."
He noted Pope Francis praises immigration advocates.
But what about Christians in Europe "who are concerned about the spiraling crime rates and the strain on the welfare systems of nations that have taken in large numbers of migrants?"
"Are they allowed to exercise charity toward their neighbors and friends by opposing mass migration and trying to preserve and defend their own cultural heritage?
"Not on your life," Spencer wrote. "Or at least they can’t do that and remain Catholics in good standing. And Francis’ Brave New Church has other newly-minted 'grievous sins' as well. The pontiff has claimed risibly that 'authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Koran are opposed to every form of violence.' As ridiculous and readily disproven as this is, it has become a superdogma in the Catholic church: if you don’t believe that Islam is a Religion of Peace, you will be ruthlessly harassed and silenced by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the hierarchy elsewhere as well."
An editorial at Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com noted that Biden doesn't meet the qualifications of a Catholic.
"Democrat Joe Biden has built his half-century in politics largely on the myth that he is a faithful Catholic with working class roots. In reality Biden is neither a faithful Catholic, nor a friend of America's blue-collar citizens," the unsigned editorial said.
One of the primary positions Biden's campaign holds is that Catholics "must be forced to be complicit in the sin of abortion by repealing the Hyde Amendment prohibiting taxpayer funding of abortion."
Secondly, taxpaying Catholics "must likewise be forced to be complicit in the sin of transgenderism by being forced to subsidize taxpayer funded gender reassignment surgery."
Biden has faced criticism from Catholic leaders for many years. In 2006, Wilmington Bishop Michael Saltarelli suggested the high school Biden attended should not name a student center after him. Saltarelli cited the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, stating Catholic institutions "should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
Biden later was told by then-Archbishop Charles Chaput that abortion "is always grievously wrong."


wnd--2020-10-01--Murder case prosecutor claims 'presumption of innocence is over'

The presumption of innocence – innocent until proven guilty – is a fundamental principle of American jurisprudence .
So when a prosecutor told members of a jury they could dispense with notions of the presumption of innocence , the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned a first-degree murder conviction .
Keith Ford was charged with first-degree murder and three related firearms charges for the drive-by shooting death of Ruben Martinez in Vallejo , California .
Before Solano County Superior Court Judge Tim Kam , Ford 's lawyer argued contradictions of witnesses and doubt over the identity of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innocence had not been satisfied .
TRENDING : The Bidens avoided paying more than $ 500,000 in payroll taxes by exploiting S corporations That 's when the prosecutor decided to dispense the fundamental legal principle .
“ This idea of this presumption of innocence is over , '' the prosecutor said .
`` Mr. Ford had a fair trial .
We were here for three weeks where ... he gets to cross-examine witnesses ; also an opportunity to present evidence information through his lawyer .
He had a fair trial .
This system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fair opportunity and a fair trial .
He ’ s not presumed innocent anymore . ''
The defense counsel presented evidence that would cast doubt on the defendant 's guilt .
At the time of the shooting there was a `` motorcycle party down the street . ''
Witnesses were never asked to identify Ford 's vehicle , no one reviewed the contents of stolen cell phones recovered from Ford 's car , no gun or shell casings were found , and the only DNA found at the scene belonged to Martinez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no more presumption of innocence , the defense lawyer objected , but the judge overruled the objection .
Ford appealed through the state court system then brought his case to federal court .
`` We hold that the prosecutor 's statements violated due process , '' the appeals court ruling said .
`` Improper prosecutorial statements violate due process if they 'so infect [ ] ' the trial with unfairness as to make the resulting conviction a denial of due process . ''
`` In stating that the presumption of innocence was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal law , '' the ruling said .
`` The presumption of innocence is 'the undoubted law , axiomatic and elementary ' ; the presumption of innocence is 'vital and fundamental , ' '' ' the court wrote .
The U.S. Supreme Court has concluded that criminal defendants lose their presumption of innocence `` only after they have been convicted , '' the 9th Circuit ruled .
The ruling said the state could retry the case if prosecutors `` within a reasonable time not to exceed 180 days . ''
Longtime liberal law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which was held before Judge Tim Kam , `` could offer a real deterrent for such prosecutorial misconduct . ''
`` This reversal could have been avoided if the trial judge had simply upheld the defense objection and issued an instruction to the jury .
Instead , he allowed this statement to go uncontested in a case where the jury would clearly struggle with the evidence for three days of deliberation .
The result was a denial of justice not only for the defendant but the family of the victim , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one who has lost track of that fundamental principle .
In an interview with MSNBC 's `` Morning Joe , '' former CIA Director John Brennan said `` people are innocent , you know , until alleged to be involved in some kind of criminal activity . ''
Zerohedge explained : `` The presumption of innocence , as a foundation of the U.S. judicial system , has seemingly been under attack since November 8th 2016 .
An allegation is made , media runs with the narrative , the seed of possibility of guilt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans , and the accused is maligned forever – no court required .
Simple .
And now , none other than former CIA Director John Brennan clarifies exactly how the deep state sees 'due process . '
''

The presumption of innocence – innocent until proven guilty – is a fundamental principle of American jurisprudence.
So when a prosecutor told members of a jury they could dispense with notions of the presumption of innocence, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned a first-degree murder conviction.
Keith Ford was charged with first-degree murder and three related firearms charges for the drive-by shooting death of Ruben Martinez in Vallejo, California.
Before Solano County Superior Court Judge Tim Kam, Ford's lawyer argued contradictions of witnesses and doubt over the identity of the shooter meant that the presumption of innocence had not been satisfied.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
That's when the prosecutor decided to dispense the fundamental legal principle.
“This idea of this presumption of innocence is over," the prosecutor said. "Mr. Ford had a fair trial. We were here for three weeks where ... he gets to cross-examine witnesses; also an opportunity to present evidence information through his lawyer. He had a fair trial. This system is not perfect, but he had a fair opportunity and a fair trial. He’s not presumed innocent anymore."
The defense counsel presented evidence that would cast doubt on the defendant's guilt. At the time of the shooting there was a "motorcycle party down the street." Witnesses were never asked to identify Ford's vehicle, no one reviewed the contents of stolen cell phones recovered from Ford's car, no gun or shell casings were found, and the only DNA found at the scene belonged to Martinez.
When the prosecutor contended that there was no more presumption of innocence, the defense lawyer objected, but the judge overruled the objection.
Ford appealed through the state court system then brought his case to federal court.
"We hold that the prosecutor's statements violated due process," the appeals court ruling said. "Improper prosecutorial statements violate due process if they 'so infect[]' the trial with unfairness as to make the resulting conviction a denial of due process."
"In stating that the presumption of innocence was now 'over,' the prosecutor misstated federal law," the ruling said. "The presumption of innocence is 'the undoubted law, axiomatic and elementary'; the presumption of innocence is 'vital and fundamental,'"' the court wrote.
The U.S. Supreme Court has concluded that criminal defendants lose their presumption of innocence "only after they have been convicted," the 9th Circuit ruled.
The ruling said the state could retry the case if prosecutors "within a reasonable time not to exceed 180 days."
Longtime liberal law professor Jonathan Turley suggested the case, which was held before Judge Tim Kam, "could offer a real deterrent for such prosecutorial misconduct."
"This reversal could have been avoided if the trial judge had simply upheld the defense objection and issued an instruction to the jury. Instead, he allowed this statement to go uncontested in a case where the jury would clearly struggle with the evidence for three days of deliberation. The result was a denial of justice not only for the defendant but the family of the victim," he said.
Kam isn't the only one who has lost track of that fundamental principle.
In an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe," former CIA Director John Brennan said "people are innocent, you know, until alleged to be involved in some kind of criminal activity."
With sincere apologies in advance to all US liberals who are offended by criticisms of former CIA chiefs, @JohnBrennan's understanding of the presumption of innocence is completely warped, but in the most unsurprising way imaginable: pic.twitter.com/IsE8ulSJMo — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) October 6, 2019
Zerohedge explained: "The presumption of innocence, as a foundation of the U.S. judicial system, has seemingly been under attack since November 8th 2016. An allegation is made, media runs with the narrative, the seed of possibility of guilt is implanted in the minds of zombie Americans, and the accused is maligned forever – no court required. Simple. And now, none other than former CIA Director John Brennan clarifies exactly how the deep state sees 'due process.'"


wnd--2020-10-01--The 'most important ingredient for robust American recovery' identified

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Energy . ]
If we want to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis stronger and fix the damage it has caused , we need to start by securing our future and recovery through energy .
It helps power every imaginable American industry , supports our nation ’ s supply chains and is the most important ingredient for a robust American recovery .
That recovery starts with securing one of our region ’ s most important energy and economic assets , the Gulf of Mexico , to ensure it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-being .
TRENDING : The Bidens avoided paying more than $ 500,000 in payroll taxes by exploiting S corporations One of the fastest ways we can do that is by urging Congress to require annual lease sales in the central and western Gulf that will strengthen our energy independence and security – and provide critical environment and conservation funding .
If there is one thing the U.S. needs to secure right now , it is reliable , affordable and environmentally responsible energy .
To understand the Gulf ’ s importance , consider this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the nation ’ s oil and gas , and holds nearly undiscovered reserves of 45 billion barrels of oil and 130 trillion cubic feet of gas in areas now open for production .
That oil alone , if used to generate electricity , is enough to power all 128.5 million households in the U.S. for more than two years , based on Energy Information Administration data – and do lots more , too .
Contrast this with pledges made by certain political candidates to ban new federal energy leases .
That would eliminate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two years , according to a new analysis – 203,000 of those and at least $ 223 million in revenue would be taken from Alabama , Mississippi , Texas and Louisiana alone .
Offshore natural gas production would be cut 68 % and offshore oil production 44 % by 2030 , increasing our dependence on less reliable , less regulated , and higher-carbon sources of foreign energy by nearly 2 million barrels per day .
That would be devastating to our families , farmers , small businesses and especially those people living in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will also erode our position as the world ’ s top oil and natural gas producer , which has allowed us to shake off the yoke of foreign dependency , which too often became a noose when geopolitically-driven market manipulations or turmoil caused economic shocks .
It will also risk our world-leading environmental stewardship .
With all our energy production , America has still achieved the largest absolute decrease in carbon dioxide emissions of any country since 2000 , according to the International Energy Agency .
Last year , we had the largest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China accounted for most of Asia ’ s 320 megaton emissions increase .
The U.S. is more than two-thirds of the way to its emissions reductions goals under the Paris Climate Accord 2025 targets .
That proves robust energy and environmental leadership go together .
We should embrace this with annual lease sales that can provide another benefit : ready economic activity to spur COVID recovery .
In 2019 , the offshore energy industry supported 289,000 jobs in Alabama , Mississippi , Texas and Louisiana , plus an additional 54,000 in the supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only those wages , but the tax revenue , investment and other jobs they create .
Governments – local , state and even federal – all face lower revenues , and in many cases , budget shortfalls that will have harsh ramifications for schools , emergency services , and other government operations that serve ordinary families .
A thriving offshore energy industry can generate even more money for Alabama , Texas , Louisiana and Mississippi through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act , which in fiscal year 2019 led to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to those states for coastal projects , including hurricane protection , wetlands conservation , and coastal restoration .
Under current law , those states receive 37.5 % of oil and gas revenues produced off their respective coasts , capped at $ 375 million for all four .
Efforts are underway to increase the Gulf States ’ share , which would help them advance important environmental projects and spur economic growth by funding them .
The Gulf ’ s contribution does not stop at the Gulf States , however .
Offshore oil and gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Gulf , contributed more than $ 1 billion to the Land and Water Conservation Fund for environmental protection efforts across the country , and Congress recently passed legislation that gives an additional $ 1.9 billion of federal offshore oil and gas revenue to national parks , forests , wildlife refuges , recreation areas and Tribal schools .
It would also permanently fund the LWCF with $ 900 million a year .
We can not lose these important environmental gains .
We must protect our energy security , increase our investment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery by encouraging our Congressional leaders to pass legislation that directs the Department of the Interior to protect current and future energy development and enhance revenue sharing for the Gulf States .
David Holt is president of Consumer Energy Alliance ( CEA ) , the leading U.S. consumer advocate in support of affordable reliable energy for working families , seniors and businesses across the country .
[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Energy .

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Energy.]
By David Holt
Real Clear Energy
If we want to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis stronger and fix the damage it has caused, we need to start by securing our future and recovery through energy. It helps power every imaginable American industry, supports our nation’s supply chains and is the most important ingredient for a robust American recovery.
That recovery starts with securing one of our region’s most important energy and economic assets, the Gulf of Mexico, to ensure it can continue making its contribution to our well-being.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
One of the fastest ways we can do that is by urging Congress to require annual lease sales in the central and western Gulf that will strengthen our energy independence and security – and provide critical environment and conservation funding. If there is one thing the U.S. needs to secure right now, it is reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible energy.
To understand the Gulf’s importance, consider this: It provides roughly 20% of the nation’s oil and gas, and holds nearly undiscovered reserves of 45 billion barrels of oil and 130 trillion cubic feet of gas in areas now open for production. That oil alone, if used to generate electricity, is enough to power all 128.5 million households in the U.S. for more than two years, based on Energy Information Administration data – and do lots more, too.
Contrast this with pledges made by certain political candidates to ban new federal energy leases. That would eliminate nearly 1 million jobs in less than two years, according to a new analysis – 203,000 of those and at least $223 million in revenue would be taken from Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana alone.
Offshore natural gas production would be cut 68% and offshore oil production 44% by 2030, increasing our dependence on less reliable, less regulated, and higher-carbon sources of foreign energy by nearly 2 million barrels per day. That would be devastating to our families, farmers, small businesses and especially those people living in poverty or on fixed incomes.
It will also erode our position as the world’s top oil and natural gas producer, which has allowed us to shake off the yoke of foreign dependency, which too often became a noose when geopolitically-driven market manipulations or turmoil caused economic shocks. It will also risk our world-leading environmental stewardship.
With all our energy production, America has still achieved the largest absolute decrease in carbon dioxide emissions of any country since 2000, according to the International Energy Agency. Last year, we had the largest absolute reduction, 140 megatons, while China accounted for most of Asia’s 320 megaton emissions increase. The U.S. is more than two-thirds of the way to its emissions reductions goals under the Paris Climate Accord 2025 targets.
That proves robust energy and environmental leadership go together. We should embrace this with annual lease sales that can provide another benefit: ready economic activity to spur COVID recovery. In 2019, the offshore energy industry supported 289,000 jobs in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana, plus an additional 54,000 in the supply chain in other states. We need not only those wages, but the tax revenue, investment and other jobs they create.
Governments – local, state and even federal – all face lower revenues, and in many cases, budget shortfalls that will have harsh ramifications for schools, emergency services, and other government operations that serve ordinary families.
A thriving offshore energy industry can generate even more money for Alabama, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi through the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, which in fiscal year 2019 led to the federal government disbursing over $353 million to those states for coastal projects, including hurricane protection, wetlands conservation, and coastal restoration.
Under current law, those states receive 37.5% of oil and gas revenues produced off their respective coasts, capped at $375 million for all four. Efforts are underway to increase the Gulf States’ share, which would help them advance important environmental projects and spur economic growth by funding them. The Gulf’s contribution does not stop at the Gulf States, however.
Offshore oil and gas production, almost all of which is in the Gulf, contributed more than $1 billion to the Land and Water Conservation Fund for environmental protection efforts across the country, and Congress recently passed legislation that gives an additional $1.9 billion of federal offshore oil and gas revenue to national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas and Tribal schools. It would also permanently fund the LWCF with $900 million a year.
We cannot lose these important environmental gains. We must protect our energy security, increase our investment in the environment and boost our post-COVID economic recovery by encouraging our Congressional leaders to pass legislation that directs the Department of the Interior to protect current and future energy development and enhance revenue sharing for the Gulf States.
David Holt is president of Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading U.S. consumer advocate in support of affordable reliable energy for working families, seniors and businesses across the country.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Energy.


wnd--2020-10-01--Comey's claim of ignorance of Russia hoax refuted by his previous testimony

Under oath before a Senate committee , former FBI Director James Comey claimed ignorance of key aspects of the infamous Steele dossier that was funded by the Democratic Party and used by the FBI to obtain warrants to surveil the Trump campaign in 2016 .
But in the third day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing , called `` Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation , '' Comey was confronted with his previous testimony .
Sen. Josh Hawley , R-Mo.
, pointed out to Comey that the FISA applications to surveil Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page that he signed off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FISA court '' that `` called into question the reliability of the information proffered in other FBI applications .
`` Are you responsible for this misleading evidence given to the FISA court .
Yes or no , '' Hawley asked repeatedly until Comey finally answered .
TRENDING : The Bidens avoided paying more than $ 500,000 in payroll taxes by exploiting S corporations '' Yes , in the sense of command responsibility .
No , in that I did n't have personal knowledge that would have led me to understand that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comey said .
But Hawley pointed out that when Comey signed the first Carter Page FISA application , he believed Christopher Steele was working for the Democratic Party .
`` I do n't know that I remember he was working for the Democratic Party .
I knew that he was working for opponents of Trump , '' Comey said .
However , Hawley reminded Comey of his testimony on Dec. 7 , 2018 , before the House Oversight Committee in which he said , `` Steele was retained by Republicans adverse to Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his work was underwritten after that by Democrats opposed to Mr. Trump during the general election season . ''
The senator continued : `` Now , surely you recognized at the time that relying so heavily on a biased source would undermine public confidence in the FBI 's activities , did n't you ? ''
`` No , I did not , '' Comey replied .
But Hawley noted DOJ lawyer Stuart Evans , the deputy assistant attorney general for intelligence in the Department of Justice , raised concerns about the partisan nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those concerns before you signed off on the FISA application , did n't you ? ''
Hawley said .
`` I do n't think I knew before .
I think I remember reading the footnote that attempted to inform the court of potential bias , '' Comey replied .
`` No , actually , '' the senator said , `` the inspector general ( Michael Horowitz ) found on page 31 of the report , `` On Oct. 12 , 2016 , Evans ' concerns about Steele were briefed to Comey .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI probe of the Trump campaign found 17 `` significant omissions or errors '' in the FBI 's applications for warrants to the FISA court .
Former special counsel Robert Mueller concluded after nearly two years he could not `` establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government . ''
Hawley also asked Comey if he knew that the allegations in the Steele dossier came from `` subsources , '' not from Steele 's own knowledge .
Comey said he never asked who the primary subsource @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to `` try to replicate Steele 's source network so we could figure out what to make of Steele 's reporting . ''
But the IG , Hawley pointed out , said Comey `` told us that the application seemed factually and legally sufficient when he read it and he had no questions or concerns before he signed it . ''
Last Thursday , a recently declassified footnote im Horowitz 's report was released stating Steele 's primary subsource `` was the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation from 2009 to 2011 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence officers . ''
The Crossfire Hurricane team knew as early as December 2016 of the FBI 's assessment in 2009 that the sub-source `` may be a threat to national security . ''
Hawley asked Comey : `` Surely you realize the source 's identity and his motives , this subsource , who we now know may well have been a Russian agent , that would affect his credibility , correct ? ''
`` I thought it was important that we were informing the court of any potential bias from any source @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you personally authorized an unprecedented surveillance on an individual associated with a presidential campaign during that campaign 's ongoing time period , '' the senator said .
Hawley asked Comey how the American people can trust him or the FBI .
`` I disagree extensively with your predicate , '' Comey said .
`` I think the FBI is an organization that is honest , competent and independent , and also flawed because it 's made up of human beings . ''
`` Well , I have to say , '' Hawley replied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the FBI as a whole , I 'm worried about you , and I 'm worried about what you certified to a court that led the FISA court to conclude that it had been misled repeatedly and that due to the nature of the repeated misrepresentations it could no longer trust what the Federal Bureau of Investigation agency you led , what it said in subsequent cases .
`` That I suggest to you is an incredible dereliction of duty , indeed a betrayal of your responsibility as director of the FBI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a letter from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , regarding an investigative referral from the Intelligence Community to Comey in 2016 .
The letter , disclosed last week , asked the FBI to look into a Russian intelligence finding that then-candidate Hillary Clinton planned to accuse Republican rival Donald Trump of using Russians to hack DNC servers as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server .
Hawley asked Comey if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not ring any bells with me when I read that , '' he said .
`` I do n't remember receiving anything that 's described in that letter . ''
`` I find it extraordinary that a referral from the IC to the FBI regarding HIllary Clinton 's campaign and potential illicit activity received no , no attention from the FBI , '' the senator said .
`` So little attention that the director does n't even recall it .
`` And yet the director and others had plenty of time to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential campaign .
Warrants so flawed that the FISA court has now said it ca n't trust what the FBI says in future cases , '' said Hawley .
`` This is an extraordinary abuse of power , and it 's time we held people responsible for it . ''
Late Wednesday , President Trump weighed in on the hearing via Twitter .
`` So when will something significant happen to James Comey ?
Got caught cold , '' the president wrote .
`` He is either very dumb , or one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TOO LONG .
EMBARRASSING ! ''
Sen. Mike Lee , R-Utah , chastised Comey for dodging questions during the hearing Wednesday .
He said Comey 's promise when the Senate voted to confirm him as FBI director to act in `` good faith '' had been broken .
`` I 'm very disappointed to see that those promises now , to me , seem to be very insincere , '' Lee said .
`` Now , Mr. Comey , with all due respect , you do n't seem to know anything about an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lit into Comey for claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have secret ties to Trump .
`` How can you now as a private citizen and former FBI director show up and then speculate freely regarding any alleged ties between President Putin and President Trump ... when you do n't seem to know anything about this investigation that you ran ? ''
Lee asked .
Comey said he can speculate because he has `` eyes and ears . ''
The chairman , Graham , said he found it `` pretty stunning '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community 's referral regarding Clinton .
`` Let 's just end with this : You get this inquiry from the intelligence community to look at the Clinton campaign , basically trying to create a distraction accusing Trump of being a Russian agent or a Russian stooge or whatever to distract from her email server problems , '' Graham said .
`` And how far-fetched is that , Mr. Comey , when we now know that the Democratic Party through Fusion GPS hired Christopher Steele , a foreign agent who had a very strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sub-source who the FBI believed to be a Russian spy , to compile a dossier that was a bunch of crap to be used an American citizen working for the Trump campaign ? ''
`` You already knew that — seems to me you 'd want to investigate other allegations .
… You do n't recall this inquiry ? ''
Graham continued : `` You said you had a duty to look at allegations about the Trump campaign being involved with the Russians .
You 've got a letter now from Ratcliffe saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in July where Hillary Clinton approved an effort to link Trump to Russia .
… Did you have an investigation to look and see if that was true ? ''
Comey replied : `` I ca n't answer that .
I 've read Mr. Ratcliffe 's letter , which frankly I have trouble understanding . ''

Under oath before a Senate committee, former FBI Director James Comey claimed ignorance of key aspects of the infamous Steele dossier that was funded by the Democratic Party and used by the FBI to obtain warrants to surveil the Trump campaign in 2016.
But in the third day of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, called "Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation," Comey was confronted with his previous testimony.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., pointed out to Comey that the FISA applications to surveil Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page that he signed off on "drew an unprecedented rebuke from the FISA court" that "called into question the reliability of the information proffered in other FBI applications.
"Are you responsible for this misleading evidence given to the FISA court. Yes or no," Hawley asked repeatedly until Comey finally answered.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"Yes, in the sense of command responsibility. No, in that I didn't have personal knowledge that would have led me to understand that we weren't supplying complete information," Comey said.
But Hawley pointed out that when Comey signed the first Carter Page FISA application, he believed Christopher Steele was working for the Democratic Party.
"I don't know that I remember he was working for the Democratic Party. I knew that he was working for opponents of Trump," Comey said.
However, Hawley reminded Comey of his testimony on Dec. 7, 2018, before the House Oversight Committee in which he said, "Steele was retained by Republicans adverse to Mr. Trump during the primary season and then his work was underwritten after that by Democrats opposed to Mr. Trump during the general election season."
The senator continued: "Now, surely you recognized at the time that relying so heavily on a biased source would undermine public confidence in the FBI's activities, didn't you?"
"No, I did not," Comey replied.
But Hawley noted DOJ lawyer Stuart Evans, the deputy assistant attorney general for intelligence in the Department of Justice, raised concerns about the partisan nature of the source.
"You knew of those concerns before you signed off on the FISA application, didn't you?" Hawley said.
"I don't think I knew before. I think I remember reading the footnote that attempted to inform the court of potential bias," Comey replied.
"No, actually," the senator said, "the inspector general (Michael Horowitz) found on page 31 of the report, "On Oct. 12, 2016, Evans' concerns about Steele were briefed to Comey."
The inspector general's review of the FBI probe of the Trump campaign found 17 "significant omissions or errors" in the FBI's applications for warrants to the FISA court. Former special counsel Robert Mueller concluded after nearly two years he could not "establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government."
Hawley also asked Comey if he knew that the allegations in the Steele dossier came from "subsources," not from Steele's own knowledge.
Comey said he never asked who the primary subsource was but said there was some effort to "try to replicate Steele's source network so we could figure out what to make of Steele's reporting."
But the IG, Hawley pointed out, said Comey "told us that the application seemed factually and legally sufficient when he read it and he had no questions or concerns before he signed it."
Last Thursday, a recently declassified footnote im Horowitz's report was released stating Steele's primary subsource "was the subject of an FBI counterintelligence investigation from 2009 to 2011 that assessed his/her documented contacts with suspected Russian intelligence officers." The Crossfire Hurricane team knew as early as December 2016 of the FBI's assessment in 2009 that the sub-source "may be a threat to national security."
Hawley asked Comey: "Surely you realize the source's identity and his motives, this subsource, who we now know may well have been a Russian agent, that would affect his credibility, correct?"
"I thought it was important that we were informing the court of any potential bias from any source," Comey said.
"So you personally authorized an unprecedented surveillance on an individual associated with a presidential campaign during that campaign's ongoing time period," the senator said.
Hawley asked Comey how the American people can trust him or the FBI.
"I disagree extensively with your predicate," Comey said. "I think the FBI is an organization that is honest, competent and independent, and also flawed because it's made up of human beings."
"Well, I have to say," Hawley replied, "I'm not necessarily worried about the FBI as a whole, I'm worried about you, and I'm worried about what you certified to a court that led the FISA court to conclude that it had been misled repeatedly and that due to the nature of the repeated misrepresentations it could no longer trust what the Federal Bureau of Investigation agency you led, what it said in subsequent cases.
"That I suggest to you is an incredible dereliction of duty, indeed a betrayal of your responsibility as director of the FBI."
Hawley also asked Comey about a letter from Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., regarding an investigative referral from the Intelligence Community to Comey in 2016. The letter, disclosed last week, asked the FBI to look into a Russian intelligence finding that then-candidate Hillary Clinton planned to accuse Republican rival Donald Trump of using Russians to hack DNC servers as a means of distracting the public from her use of a private email server.
Hawley asked Comey if he opened an investigation.
"That does not ring any bells with me when I read that," he said. "I don't remember receiving anything that's described in that letter."
"I find it extraordinary that a referral from the IC to the FBI regarding HIllary Clinton's campaign and potential illicit activity received no, no attention from the FBI," the senator said. "So little attention that the director doesn't even recall it.
"And yet the director and others had plenty of time to go and seek surveillance warrants during an ongoing presidential campaign. Warrants so flawed that the FISA court has now said it can't trust what the FBI says in future cases," said Hawley.
"This is an extraordinary abuse of power, and it's time we held people responsible for it."
Late Wednesday, President Trump weighed in on the hearing via Twitter.
"So when will something significant happen to James Comey? Got caught cold," the president wrote. "He is either very dumb, or one of the worst liars in political history. TOO LONG. EMBARRASSING!"
See the hearing:
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, chastised Comey for dodging questions during the hearing Wednesday.
He said Comey's promise when the Senate voted to confirm him as FBI director to act in "good faith" had been broken.
"I'm very disappointed to see that those promises now, to me, seem to be very insincere," Lee said. "Now, Mr. Comey, with all due respect, you don't seem to know anything about an investigation that you ran."
Lee lit into Comey for claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have secret ties to Trump.
"How can you now as a private citizen and former FBI director show up and then speculate freely regarding any alleged ties between President Putin and President Trump ... when you don't seem to know anything about this investigation that you ran?" Lee asked.
Comey said he can speculate because he has "eyes and ears."
See Carter Page's reaction to Comey's testimony:
The chairman, Graham, said he found it "pretty stunning" that Comey didn't remember the intelligence community's referral regarding Clinton.
"Let's just end with this: You get this inquiry from the intelligence community to look at the Clinton campaign, basically trying to create a distraction accusing Trump of being a Russian agent or a Russian stooge or whatever to distract from her email server problems," Graham said. "And how far-fetched is that, Mr. Comey, when we now know that the Democratic Party through Fusion GPS hired Christopher Steele, a foreign agent who had a very strong bias against Trump, who hired Russian sub-source who the FBI believed to be a Russian spy, to compile a dossier that was a bunch of crap to be used an American citizen working for the Trump campaign?"
"You already knew that — seems to me you'd want to investigate other allegations. … You don't recall this inquiry?"
Comey said "it doesn't sound familiar."
Graham continued: "You said you had a duty to look at allegations about the Trump campaign being involved with the Russians. You've got a letter now from Ratcliffe saying that they intercepted information about an effort in July where Hillary Clinton approved an effort to link Trump to Russia. … Did you have an investigation to look and see if that was true?"
Comey replied: "I can't answer that. I've read Mr. Ratcliffe's letter, which frankly I have trouble understanding."
SUPERCUT!@Comey "can't recall" anything about the Russia probe he oversaw pic.twitter.com/WxYdih8KCE — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 30, 2020
https://youtu.be/vWziZRkMhfM


wnd--2020-09-30--Biden claims Antifa isn’t real. WND’s FREE 22,000-word e-book proves he’s lying

`` Antifa 's an idea , not an organization . ''
That 's what Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told millions of Americans Tuesday night during the first presidential debate , essentially defending the long-established , worldwide , communist-anarchist organization that 's been burning down U.S. cities and assaulting Americans for months .
Claiming `` white supremacists '' pose a greater danger to the country than the violent , far-left revolutionary Antifa mobs currently ravaging and terrorizing America , Biden also repeated what has become known as `` the Charlottesville lie '' – the fabricated claim that President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the so-called `` Unite the Right '' event in 2017 .
Trump prompted Biden 's bizarre denial of the existence of the Antifa organization when the president said someone should `` do something '' about Antifa , in response to moderator Chris Wallace 's questioning whether Trump would publicly condemn white supremacists – something he has repeatedly done , but which Democrats cling to as a means of painting the president as a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer .
TRENDING : The Bidens avoided paying more than $ 500,000 in payroll taxes by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's debate comments on Antifa and white supremacists below : In reality , as WND has documented in an original , comprehensive and authoritative 22,000-word e-book – FREE to all WND readers – Antifa is not only a very real organization with roots going back decades , it is , as President Trump has repeatedly said , a genuine domestic terror group .
To get the WND 's exclusive 22,000-word investigative report in e-book form – delivered immediately to your inbox – simply click on the link below .
FREE SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ANTIFA and what are its real goals ?
Why does it viciously attack America at every opportunity , prompting President Trump to label it a `` domestic terror group '' ?
WND is offering an original , in-depth investigative report on ANTIFA – absolutely FREE !
Sign-up here for your copy of this powerful 22,000-word e-book exposing ANTIFA , which will be delivered to you immediately !

Back in November 2020 when the peaceful "Million MAGA March" of Trump supporters in Washington, D.C., was viciously attacked by Antifa – or as Trump called them, "ANTIFA SCUM" and "Human Radical Left garbage" – Joe Biden insisted the ultra-violent organization doesn't even exist!
"Antifa's an idea, not an organization." That's how, during the first presidential debate, Biden described the long-established, worldwide, communist-anarchist organization that's been burning down U.S. cities and assaulting Americans for months.
Claiming "white supremacists" pose a greater danger to the country than the violent, far-left revolutionary Antifa mobs ravaging and terrorizing America throughout 2020 – and re-emerging today in 2023 for even more terror – Biden has frequently repeated what has become known as "the Charlottesville lie", the fabricated claim that Donald Trump praised "very fine" neo-Nazis at the so-called "Unite the Right" event back in 2017.
Back then, Trump had prompted Biden's bizarre denial of the very existence of the Antifa terror organization when he said someone should "do something" about Antifa, in response to moderator Chris Wallace's questioning whether Trump would publicly condemn white supremacists – something he repeatedly did as president, but which Democrats continually fabricated as a means of painting the 45th president as a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
See video of Joe Biden's debate comments on Antifa and white supremacists below:
In reality, as WND has documented in an original, comprehensive and authoritative 22,000-word e-book – FREE to all WND readers – Antifa is not only a very real organization with roots going back decades, it is also, as Trump repeatedly said throughout his presidency, a genuine domestic terror group.
To get WND's exclusive 22,000-word investigative report in e-book form – delivered immediately to your inbox – simply click on the link below.
FREE SPECIAL INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ON ANTIFA! What exactly is ANTIFA and what are its real goals? Why does it viciously attack America at every opportunity, prompting then-President Donald Trump to label it a "domestic terror group"? WND is offering an original, in-depth investigative report on ANTIFA – absolutely FREE! Sign-up here for your copy of this powerful 22,000-word e-book exposing ANTIFA, which will be delivered to you immediately!


wnd--2020-09-30--Analyst: Biden survives President Trump's debate steamroller

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
Donald Trump drove a steamroller to a knife fight , and Joe Biden managed to survive simply because the overkill was so unseemly to so many observers .
It also helped that the former vice president remained standing until the bitter end despite the overwhelming onslaught of invective .
Once again , Biden remains a serious contender to win the Oval Office not so much because of his own strength as a candidate but because of the lack of mainstream support for his opponent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- the president ’ s inability to operate in anything but bellicose overdrive .
TRENDING : The Bidens avoided paying more than $ 500,000 in payroll taxes by exploiting S corporations Going into Tuesday night ’ s debate , the bar for Biden was exceedingly low , especially after President Trump labeled him “ Sleepy Joe ” and for months relentlessly depicted him as a hollow shell of his former scrappy self .
Team Trump tried to raise those expectations days before the debate , but the narrative had been set .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic nominee , Hidin ’ Biden , was all that far-fetched amid months of the Democratic nominee remaining cloistered in his Delaware basement , failing to take questions from the media while calling early- morning “ lids , ” journalism-speak for no additional events for the day .
But as the debate showed , Trump remains his own worst enemy and steps on his own success , leaving Biden looking more presidential simply by not responding to every insult with equal vitriol .
Amid the onslaughts , Biden ’ s best debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insults , looked directly into the camera , and spoke to the American people .
“ Do you believe for a moment what [ Trump ’ s ] telling you in light of all the lies he ’ s told you about the whole issue relating to COVID ?
” Biden asked viewers .
“ He still hasn ’ t even acknowledged he knew this was happening – knew how dangerous it would be back in February – and he didn ’ t even tell you.
” Many of Biden ’ s best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but still effective .
At one point , he referenced Trump saying about the COVID death toll , “ It is what it is.
” “ It is what it is because you are who you are , ” Biden added .
Trump came back with a substantive rejoinder that Biden labeled his decision to stop flights from China because of the coronavirus as “ xenophobic ” – arguing that the Democratic nominee would have continued the flights , allowing infected travelers to arrive in the United States and spread the pathogen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listened to you , the country would have been left wide open .
Millions of people would have died , not 200,000 , ” Trump retorted .
It ’ s nothing the president hasn ’ t said before , but it came off as on point compared to the rest of the 98-minute chaotic brawl full of interruptions and insults in response to serious questions on the pandemic , the Supreme Court , the economy , and months of violent racial unrest .
Even though Biden didn ’ t let Trump completely throw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stellar performance from the veteran Washington pol who has occupied the presidential debate stage 38 times since his arrival on the national scene in 1972 , a dozen of them sparring with his fellow Democratic primary contenders in this campaign cycle .
At times , Biden got so caught up in defending himself from attacks , he turned to name-calling .
Early on , he labeled Trump a “ liar ” and “ a clown , ” and was so exasperated he resorted to the school-yard command to “ shut up.
” After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undecided voters in key battleground states tended to agree with the challenger .
In a virtual gathering live-streamed on the Los Angeles Times ’ YouTube channel , they all blamed Trump for setting the gutter-level tone for the face-off , and none of them -- even the few who said the debate left them more inclined to vote for Trump -- were pleased by the president ’ s constant interruptions or combative personal attacks .
They also were left unsettled by the choppy , mean-spirited exchanges , feeling completely dissatisfied by the lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upswing in coronavirus cases and unify the country after months of racial unrest .
Instead of having their minds changed by the first candidate tete-a-tete , these voters appeared to fall back on previously held beliefs about each man .
“ Biden being center left and Trump being unhinged and , frankly , a poor leader , is what has directed my decision , ” a voter identified as “ Luke in Wisconsin ” told the focus group panel after the debate .
Luke was impressed by Biden ’ s blanket claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party , ” when Trump argued that the “ radical left ” had taken control and would push him to support the far-left policies such as the Green New Deal and defunding the police .
Yet , others in the focus group organized by pollster Frank Luntz faulted the former vice president for failing to say whether he would pack the Supreme Court if he wins the White House and Democrats regain the Senate .
Some Democrats have pushed to expand the number of seats on the court in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in response to Republicans moving to place Amy Coney Barrett in Ruth Bader Ginsberg ’ s seat before the November election .
“ Whatever position I take in that , that ’ ll become the issue , ” Biden told debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News .
“ The issue is the American people should speak .
You ’ re voting now .
Vote , and let your senators know how you feel.
” Undecided voters in the group expressed concern that Biden tried to duck a question about whether he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Guard to quell riots , looting and arson taking place in Democratic-run cities across the country in response to the death of George Floyd and several other black Americans who died at the hands of police this year .
Biden also stressed that he has made it clear in his public statement that violence stemming from protests should be prosecuted , but the undecided voters weren ’ t impressed .
“ When he was challenged about the riots in Portland , and was asked , ‘ You ’ re the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them ?
’ he said , ‘ Well , I ’ m not an elected official.
’ I thought that was a really poor answer from a former vice president , a lifelong Democrat with incredible influence , ’ ” remarked one member of Luntz ’ focus group .
Another unprompted moment of weakness for Biden occurred when he inexplicably defended the violent anarchist antifa movement as “ an idea , not an organization , ” quoting FBI Director Chris Wray ’ s recent testimony to Congress , which has resurrected calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also argued that antifa activists are a serious concern for the FBI and the group is a “ real thing.
” “ ‘ Antifa is an idea ’ coming to a Trump campaign ad near you in 24-48 hours , ” tweeted Joe Concha , a media reporter for The Hill newspaper , after Biden ’ s statement .
The focus group participants almost unanimously were outraged by Trump ’ s refusal to clearly condemn white supremacists , but some participants also said they were deeply dissatisfied with both candidates ’ failure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and address racial strife .
“ As a black woman who is very active in my black community , neither of them told me how they would actually come and talk with us about what we want to see happen and how things would actually get better under their administrations , their leadership , ” said an undecided voter identified as Kimberly .
With polls showing Trump still lagging in several key battlegrounds he won in 2016 , the president had more to gain from the debates than Biden did .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failing to rein in his penchant to come out swinging and never stop , alienating a large swath of voters in the process .
Biden also missed several opportunities to shine and often seemed to lose his train of thought amid the incessant cross-talk and his own exasperation .
Those moments may have been far more awkward and telling if Trump hadn ’ t come across as an aggressive bully who would make any opponent , and the moderator himself , lose his cool .
For the first time in the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of coronavirus concerns .
It ’ s a sad but apt metaphor for the 2020 pandemic as well as the year ’ s brutal politics , but in the end it prevented the nasty exchanges from becoming physical between the two septuagenarian men .
“ They were both bickering at each other like two men in a nursing home bickering over the last pudding cup , ” one focus group participant remarked .
If polling proves accurate , all Biden had to do was not implode on stage .
Based on that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the debate will be remembered most for striking a new campaign low in nasty exchanges that likely did little to move the needle for either side .

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Susan Crabtree
Real Clear Politics
Donald Trump drove a steamroller to a knife fight, and Joe Biden managed to survive simply because the overkill was so unseemly to so many observers. It also helped that the former vice president remained standing until the bitter end despite the overwhelming onslaught of invective.
Once again, Biden remains a serious contender to win the Oval Office not so much because of his own strength as a candidate but because of the lack of mainstream support for his opponent – or more precisely in this case -- the president’s inability to operate in anything but bellicose overdrive.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Going into Tuesday night’s debate, the bar for Biden was exceedingly low, especially after President Trump labeled him “Sleepy Joe” and for months relentlessly depicted him as a hollow shell of his former scrappy self. Team Trump tried to raise those expectations days before the debate, but the narrative had been set.
Not that Trump’s latest nickname for the Democratic nominee, Hidin’ Biden, was all that far-fetched amid months of the Democratic nominee remaining cloistered in his Delaware basement, failing to take questions from the media while calling early- morning “lids,” journalism-speak for no additional events for the day.
But as the debate showed, Trump remains his own worst enemy and steps on his own success, leaving Biden looking more presidential simply by not responding to every insult with equal vitriol. Amid the onslaughts, Biden’s best debate responses came when he simply ignored the insults, looked directly into the camera, and spoke to the American people.
“Do you believe for a moment what [Trump’s] telling you in light of all the lies he’s told you about the whole issue relating to COVID?” Biden asked viewers. “He still hasn’t even acknowledged he knew this was happening – knew how dangerous it would be back in February – and he didn’t even tell you.”
Many of Biden’s best lines of the night were clearly rehearsed, but still effective. At one point, he referenced Trump saying about the COVID death toll, “It is what it is.”
“It is what it is because you are who you are,” Biden added.
Trump came back with a substantive rejoinder that Biden labeled his decision to stop flights from China because of the coronavirus as “xenophobic” – arguing that the Democratic nominee would have continued the flights, allowing infected travelers to arrive in the United States and spread the pathogen.
“If we would’ve listened to you, the country would have been left wide open. Millions of people would have died, not 200,000,” Trump retorted.
It’s nothing the president hasn’t said before, but it came off as on point compared to the rest of the 98-minute chaotic brawl full of interruptions and insults in response to serious questions on the pandemic, the Supreme Court, the economy, and months of violent racial unrest.
Even though Biden didn’t let Trump completely throw him off, it was hardly a stellar performance from the veteran Washington pol who has occupied the presidential debate stage 38 times since his arrival on the national scene in 1972, a dozen of them sparring with his fellow Democratic primary contenders in this campaign cycle. At times, Biden got so caught up in defending himself from attacks, he turned to name-calling.
Early on, he labeled Trump a “liar” and “a clown,” and was so exasperated he resorted to the school-yard command to “shut up.”
After the debate, a focus group of undecided voters in key battleground states tended to agree with the challenger. In a virtual gathering live-streamed on the Los Angeles Times’ YouTube channel, they all blamed Trump for setting the gutter-level tone for the face-off, and none of them -- even the few who said the debate left them more inclined to vote for Trump -- were pleased by the president’s constant interruptions or combative personal attacks.
They also were left unsettled by the choppy, mean-spirited exchanges, feeling completely dissatisfied by the lack of substantive answers on plans to stop the upswing in coronavirus cases and unify the country after months of racial unrest.
Instead of having their minds changed by the first candidate tete-a-tete, these voters appeared to fall back on previously held beliefs about each man.
“Biden being center left and Trump being unhinged and, frankly, a poor leader, is what has directed my decision,” a voter identified as “Luke in Wisconsin” told the focus group panel after the debate.
Luke was impressed by Biden’s blanket claim during the debate that “I am the Democratic Party,” when Trump argued that the “radical left” had taken control and would push him to support the far-left policies such as the Green New Deal and defunding the police.
Yet, others in the focus group organized by pollster Frank Luntz faulted the former vice president for failing to say whether he would pack the Supreme Court if he wins the White House and Democrats regain the Senate. Some Democrats have pushed to expand the number of seats on the court in order to confirm additional liberal justices to the bench in response to Republicans moving to place Amy Coney Barrett in Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s seat before the November election.
“Whatever position I take in that, that’ll become the issue,” Biden told debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News. “The issue is the American people should speak. You’re voting now. Vote, and let your senators know how you feel.”
Undecided voters in the group expressed concern that Biden tried to duck a question about whether he would have urged local officials to call up the National Guard to quell riots, looting and arson taking place in Democratic-run cities across the country in response to the death of George Floyd and several other black Americans who died at the hands of police this year.
“I don’t hold public office,” Biden responded. “I am a former vice president.”
Biden also stressed that he has made it clear in his public statement that violence stemming from protests should be prosecuted, but the undecided voters weren’t impressed.
“When he was challenged about the riots in Portland, and was asked, ‘You’re the Democratic Party; have you reached out to them?’ he said, ‘Well, I’m not an elected official.’ I thought that was a really poor answer from a former vice president, a lifelong Democrat with incredible influence,’” remarked one member of Luntz’ focus group.
Another unprompted moment of weakness for Biden occurred when he inexplicably defended the violent anarchist antifa movement as “an idea, not an organization,” quoting FBI Director Chris Wray’s recent testimony to Congress, which has resurrected calls for his ouster among some conservatives. Wray also argued that antifa activists are a serious concern for the FBI and the group is a “real thing.”
“ ‘Antifa is an idea’ coming to a Trump campaign ad near you in 24-48 hours,” tweeted Joe Concha, a media reporter for The Hill newspaper, after Biden’s statement.
The focus group participants almost unanimously were outraged by Trump’s refusal to clearly condemn white supremacists, but some participants also said they were deeply dissatisfied with both candidates’ failure to lay out a plan to unify the country and address racial strife.
“As a black woman who is very active in my black community, neither of them told me how they would actually come and talk with us about what we want to see happen and how things would actually get better under their administrations, their leadership,” said an undecided voter identified as Kimberly.
With polls showing Trump still lagging in several key battlegrounds he won in 2016, the president had more to gain from the debates than Biden did. But he stepped on his own message by failing to rein in his penchant to come out swinging and never stop, alienating a large swath of voters in the process.
Biden also missed several opportunities to shine and often seemed to lose his train of thought amid the incessant cross-talk and his own exasperation. Those moments may have been far more awkward and telling if Trump hadn’t come across as an aggressive bully who would make any opponent, and the moderator himself, lose his cool.
For the first time in the history of televised presidential debates, organizers barred handshakes out of coronavirus concerns. It’s a sad but apt metaphor for the 2020 pandemic as well as the year’s brutal politics, but in the end it prevented the nasty exchanges from becoming physical between the two septuagenarian men.
“They were both bickering at each other like two men in a nursing home bickering over the last pudding cup,” one focus group participant remarked.
If polling proves accurate, all Biden had to do was not implode on stage. Based on that low bar, he succeeded. But the debate will be remembered most for striking a new campaign low in nasty exchanges that likely did little to move the needle for either side.


wnd--2020-09-30--And the morons march on …

And the morons march on …

`` The Marching Morons '' is a science fiction story by Cyril M. Kornbluth that was published in 1951 .
It involves a man who is accidentally put into suspended animation and awakens hundreds of years later to a society in which the average IQ is around 45 .
I 'm not sure whether the writers for the 2006 film `` Idiocracy '' had this in mind when they penned their screenplay , but the two themes are quite similar , save that the film was a comedy , and the 1951 novella definitely was not .
I imagine it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the title that led to my making a mental connection between the shambling idiot masses in the story and the shambling idiot masses who continue to engage in violent demonstrations across the country .
Like many deluded and dangerous individuals and groups throughout history , however , they really do believe they 're in the right .
It 's actually quite sad when you 're aware of the history : The Western republics that emerged from the Age of Enlightenment wrested power from Old World oligarchs and installed it with the governed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many centuries ( through monarchies , though not exclusively so ) , the notion of self-governance was truly novel and unique for that time .
Over the next 300 years , nations in the West enjoyed an unprecedented level of intellectual , technological and cultural growth , as well as unprecedented prosperity .
A little over two centuries later , however , and the governed are apparently prepared to hand that power back – willingly – to the oligarchs .
Obviously , this is n't something that came about as the result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West have become willing to surrender their power because they 've been systematically deceived through socialist propaganda and social engineering .
TRENDING : The Bidens avoided paying more than $ 500,000 in payroll taxes by exploiting S corporations I 've said for many years that if we want to know where America is going in terms of where leftists would like to take us , we need just look to Europe , because socialists gained a foothold there many decades before the same occurred here .
As early as the late 1800s , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Civil War and reestablishing a national identity , socialists and communists had already been recognized as legitimate political interests in places like the United Kingdom .
Thus , from the end of World War II on , socialists have had almost unfettered influence on public policy in Europe , and we can readily see how this has led to the speedy decline on that continent by every conceivable metric .
Unfortunately , American school children are n't taught much if anything about the Enlightenment era any longer .
Nor are they taught about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of rights that was the forerunner of later guarantors of civil liberties , such as our Constitution .
Over the last several decades , of course , teaching this history has been deemed too Eurocentric , and thus racist .
How convenient .
Socialists – and here , I mean those who self-identify as socialist , communist , liberal or progressive – have had a great deal of success crying racism in order to intimidate us into acceding to their demands .
Now , Americans are essentially being told that they 're racists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communist revolution being orchestrated by the Deep State interests that mobilized Black Lives Matter and Antifa rioters .
Those familiar with how leftists operate are aware that there 's always an imperative for identifying some enemy upon which they can hang the pain of the downtrodden `` masses . ''
In the Old World monarchies and oligarchies of Europe , it was often fairly easy to find such an enemy , since the self-serving autocracy of these governments typically left huge swaths of citizens completely disenfranchised .
In the modern , Western republics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposition due to the significantly higher level of prosperity in these nations .
Enemies had to be invented , economies sabotaged , and factions of various persuasions had to be set against each other .
Gaining control of educational systems was paramount in this sense , as it facilitated the indoctrination of future generations into socialist orthodoxy .
Which pretty much brings us to where we are today .
These days , it 's a foregone conclusion that the younger a person is , the more likely it is that they 've been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young fools engaging in rioting and mayhem in our cities are indeed morons , but they 're not morons because they were born with bad brains .
They 're morons because their intellectual processes have been effectively hobbled by a poisonous doctrine , absolutism and a proclivity for engaging their emotions rather than reason .
At this point , many are no more able to engage critical thinking than I am able to safely land a fighter jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier in choppy seas .
Bereft of an objective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent history – these young revolutionaries are also blissfully unaware of what socialist leaders typically do once they 've coalesced their power and neutralized all internal opposition .
Those who 've been fortunate enough to enjoy a real education ( or who 've read George Orwell 's `` 1984 '' ) will be well-aware of this machination .
When socialist leaders have coalesced their power and neutralized all internal opposition , they turn their attention toward external enemies , real or ( more frequently ) imagined .
This is the only way they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attention away from socialism 's failure and keep from getting strung up like Mussolini .
We saw this in spades while the Soviet Union was in existence : The squalor and poverty in which most Russians and the citizens of Soviet bloc nations existed was never the fault of communism – it was the fault of Western capitalists .
This still goes on in nations like Cuba , North Korea , Venezuela and to a somewhat lesser extent , China .
Also quite often , the revolutionaries who were so instrumental in bringing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by this I mean killed en masse – because they 're considered too dangerous to have hanging around .
President Donald Trump recently announced the formation of his 1776 Commission on Patriotic Education .
To some extent , this in response to The New York Times ' racialist 1619 Project and colleges that have institutionalized radical thought and the demonization of everything traditionally American .
Such a measure is definitely long overdue , but it 's going to take a great deal more than that to repair the 60 years of damage that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four years have taught us anything , it 's that leftist rot has permeated our society to such a degree that it may take truly unpleasant measures to excise same .
And despite the gravity of our situation , I still harbor great concern that we do not possess the collective will to take the requisite action .

"The Marching Morons" is a science fiction story by Cyril M. Kornbluth that was published in 1951. It involves a man who is accidentally put into suspended animation and awakens hundreds of years later to a society in which the average IQ is around 45. I'm not sure whether the writers for the 2006 film "Idiocracy" had this in mind when they penned their screenplay, but the two themes are quite similar, save that the film was a comedy, and the 1951 novella definitely was not.
I imagine it was the "marching" part of the title that led to my making a mental connection between the shambling idiot masses in the story and the shambling idiot masses who continue to engage in violent demonstrations across the country. Like many deluded and dangerous individuals and groups throughout history, however, they really do believe they're in the right.
It's actually quite sad when you're aware of the history: The Western republics that emerged from the Age of Enlightenment wrested power from Old World oligarchs and installed it with the governed. Inasmuch as these agencies had held power for many centuries (through monarchies, though not exclusively so), the notion of self-governance was truly novel and unique for that time. Over the next 300 years, nations in the West enjoyed an unprecedented level of intellectual, technological and cultural growth, as well as unprecedented prosperity.
A little over two centuries later, however, and the governed are apparently prepared to hand that power back – willingly – to the oligarchs.
Obviously, this isn't something that came about as the result of careful deliberation. Populations in the West have become willing to surrender their power because they've been systematically deceived through socialist propaganda and social engineering.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
I've said for many years that if we want to know where America is going in terms of where leftists would like to take us, we need just look to Europe, because socialists gained a foothold there many decades before the same occurred here. As early as the late 1800s, when America was still rebuilding after the Civil War and reestablishing a national identity, socialists and communists had already been recognized as legitimate political interests in places like the United Kingdom.
Thus, from the end of World War II on, socialists have had almost unfettered influence on public policy in Europe, and we can readily see how this has led to the speedy decline on that continent by every conceivable metric.
Unfortunately, American school children aren't taught much if anything about the Enlightenment era any longer. Nor are they taught about the Magna Carta, the 1215 charter of rights that was the forerunner of later guarantors of civil liberties, such as our Constitution.
Over the last several decades, of course, teaching this history has been deemed too Eurocentric, and thus racist. How convenient. Socialists – and here, I mean those who self-identify as socialist, communist, liberal or progressive – have had a great deal of success crying racism in order to intimidate us into acceding to their demands. Now, Americans are essentially being told that they're racists if they don't support the emergent communist revolution being orchestrated by the Deep State interests that mobilized Black Lives Matter and Antifa rioters.
Those familiar with how leftists operate are aware that there's always an imperative for identifying some enemy upon which they can hang the pain of the downtrodden "masses." In the Old World monarchies and oligarchies of Europe, it was often fairly easy to find such an enemy, since the self-serving autocracy of these governments typically left huge swaths of citizens completely disenfranchised.
In the modern, Western republics however, this was a more difficult proposition due to the significantly higher level of prosperity in these nations. Enemies had to be invented, economies sabotaged, and factions of various persuasions had to be set against each other. Gaining control of educational systems was paramount in this sense, as it facilitated the indoctrination of future generations into socialist orthodoxy.
Which pretty much brings us to where we are today. These days, it's a foregone conclusion that the younger a person is, the more likely it is that they've been thoroughly indoctrinated by the left. The young fools engaging in rioting and mayhem in our cities are indeed morons, but they're not morons because they were born with bad brains. They're morons because their intellectual processes have been effectively hobbled by a poisonous doctrine, absolutism and a proclivity for engaging their emotions rather than reason. At this point, many are no more able to engage critical thinking than I am able to safely land a fighter jet on the deck of an aircraft carrier in choppy seas.
Bereft of an objective, foundational basis for history – even recent history – these young revolutionaries are also blissfully unaware of what socialist leaders typically do once they've coalesced their power and neutralized all internal opposition. Those who've been fortunate enough to enjoy a real education (or who've read George Orwell's "1984") will be well-aware of this machination.
When socialist leaders have coalesced their power and neutralized all internal opposition, they turn their attention toward external enemies, real or (more frequently) imagined. This is the only way they're able to distract the citizenry's attention away from socialism's failure and keep from getting strung up like Mussolini. We saw this in spades while the Soviet Union was in existence: The squalor and poverty in which most Russians and the citizens of Soviet bloc nations existed was never the fault of communism – it was the fault of Western capitalists. This still goes on in nations like Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela and to a somewhat lesser extent, China.
Also quite often, the revolutionaries who were so instrumental in bringing about the revolution are purged – and by this I mean killed en masse – because they're considered too dangerous to have hanging around.
President Donald Trump recently announced the formation of his 1776 Commission on Patriotic Education. To some extent, this in response to The New York Times' racialist 1619 Project and colleges that have institutionalized radical thought and the demonization of everything traditionally American.
Such a measure is definitely long overdue, but it's going to take a great deal more than that to repair the 60 years of damage that's been done. If the last four years have taught us anything, it's that leftist rot has permeated our society to such a degree that it may take truly unpleasant measures to excise same. And despite the gravity of our situation, I still harbor great concern that we do not possess the collective will to take the requisite action.


wnd--2020-09-30--Not the first tag-team debate, nor the worst

A friend texted me right after Tuesday 's debate , `` Chris Wallace was way too noticeable tonight . ''
I should add that my friend Greg is blind .
If even the blind could see how deep in Biden 's corner was Wallace , the alleged ref made his role as Biden 's tag-team partner much too obvious .
If , however , an award were given to the most obvious tag-team partner in a presidential debate , that award would have to go to Candy Crowley , then with CNN .
Crowley earned the prize `` moderating '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2012 between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney .
When an audience member asked what each candidate would do to keep `` assault weapons '' away from criminals , Obama gave a banal , evasive answer straight out of the Democratic playbook .
Romney , by contrast , ripped his answer right from the news , and it had everything to do with putting `` assault weapons '' in criminal hands .
He introduced the subject of Fast and Furious .
TRENDING : The Bidens avoided paying more than $ 500,000 in payroll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'd like to understand who it was that did this , '' said Romney , `` what the idea was behind it , why it led to the violence – thousands of guns going to Mexican drug lords . ''
Obama then looked pleadingly to his partner .
`` Candy ! ''
he said .
`` Governor , Governor , '' Crowley interjected , `` if I could , the question was about these assault weapons that once were banned and are no longer banned . ''
In fact , the questioner never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was totally on point .
Hoping to score points for the home team , Crowley shoved the whole subject of Fast and Furious out of the ring and hit Romney over the head with a chair .
`` Now , I know that you signed an assault weapons ban when you were in Massachusetts , '' Crowley continued .
`` Obviously with this question , you no longer do support that .
Why is that ?
Given the kind of violence that we see sometimes with these mass killings , why is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Obama took it all in stride .
He had spent the first four years with the referee in his corner .
Had Crowley played fair on a more critical question , namely Benghazi , he would not have had four more .
When an audience member asked , `` Who denied enhanced security and why ? ''
Obama gave a long-winded answer on how he was the very model of a modern major president .
For his part , Romney criticized Obama for his squirrelly response to the attack and chastised him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day for a fundraiser .
Here , Crowley intervened once again .
Following Romney 's hard-hitting response , Crowley lobbed a softball to Obama , who was then walking toward her , `` Does the buck stop with the secretary of state ? ''
Obama had his well-rehearsed answer at the ready .
He delivered it flawlessly .
`` Secretary Clinton has done an extraordinary job , but she works for me , '' he said .
`` I 'm the president , and I 'm always responsible . ''
Obama then boldly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2012 : `` The day after the attack , governor , I stood in the Rose Garden , and I told the American people and the world that we were going to find out exactly what happened , that this was an act of terror , and I also said we are going to hunt down those who committed this crime . ''
Without a hiccup , Obama expressed seeming outrage at any insinuation that his team would `` play politics or mislead when we have lost four of our own . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his team had been playing politics for the five weeks before the debate .
In his Rose Garden speech of Sept. 12 , Obama blamed the notorious anti-Muslim video .
`` Since our founding , '' said Obama , `` the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths .
We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others . ''
It was not until five minutes into the six-minute speech that Obama added , `` No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eclipse the light of the values that we stand for . ''
As the plural `` acts '' suggest , Obama was speaking generically , and this was his only mention of `` terror '' in any form .
There was no mention of `` hunting '' anyone .
Looking quizzically at Obama , Romney asked , `` You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack it was an act of terror ?
It was not a spontaneous demonstration , is that what you are saying ? ''
Obama answered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proceed , Governor . ''
Romney did , saying to Crowley he just wanted to get Obama 's response on record .
In the background Obama could be heard saying , `` Get the transcript . ''
The camera then showed Crowley waving a piece of paper that could easily have been mistaken for the transcript .
Said Crowley to Romney , `` He did in fact , sir , call , so let me call it an act of terror . ''
`` Can you say that a little louder , Candy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidently into Romney 's space .
`` He did call it an act of terror , '' repeated Crowley .
Caught off guard , a stuttering Romney cited Ambassador Rice 's appearance on five Sunday talk shows blaming the video , but by now Crowley and Obama were both talking over him .
Concluded Crowley , `` I want to move you on and people can go to the transcripts . ''
The election may well have been lost at that very moment .
In re-watching this sequence , and seeing how smoothly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he knew the `` Hillary '' question was coming and maybe knew more than that .
In 2012 , I would not have suggested a planned tag-teaming , but after then CNN contributor Donna Brazile was busted in 2016 for providing the Clinton campaign with actual debate questions , I have had to reconsider .
Like Wallace , Brazile is now with Fox News .
Hmm .
In 2012 , Romney resigned himself to his treachery like a gentleman .
In 2020 , Trump fought like a man .
That is why Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be .
Jack Cashill 's new book , `` Unmasking Obama : The Fight to Tell the True Story of a Failed Presidency , '' is widely available .
See www.cashill.com .

A friend texted me right after Tuesday's debate, "Chris Wallace was way too noticeable tonight." I should add that my friend Greg is blind. If even the blind could see how deep in Biden's corner was Wallace, the alleged ref made his role as Biden's tag-team partner much too obvious.
If, however, an award were given to the most obvious tag-team partner in a presidential debate, that award would have to go to Candy Crowley, then with CNN.
Crowley earned the prize "moderating" the second of the three presidential debates in 2012 between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
When an audience member asked what each candidate would do to keep "assault weapons" away from criminals, Obama gave a banal, evasive answer straight out of the Democratic playbook.
Romney, by contrast, ripped his answer right from the news, and it had everything to do with putting "assault weapons" in criminal hands. He introduced the subject of Fast and Furious.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"I'd like to understand who it was that did this," said Romney, "what the idea was behind it, why it led to the violence – thousands of guns going to Mexican drug lords."
Obama then looked pleadingly to his partner. "Candy!" he said.
"Governor, Governor," Crowley interjected, "if I could, the question was about these assault weapons that once were banned and are no longer banned."
In fact, the questioner never mentioned a ban. Romney's answer was totally on point. Hoping to score points for the home team, Crowley shoved the whole subject of Fast and Furious out of the ring and hit Romney over the head with a chair.
"Now, I know that you signed an assault weapons ban when you were in Massachusetts," Crowley continued. "Obviously with this question, you no longer do support that. Why is that? Given the kind of violence that we see sometimes with these mass killings, why is it that you've changed your mind?"
Obama took it all in stride. He had spent the first four years with the referee in his corner. Had Crowley played fair on a more critical question, namely Benghazi, he would not have had four more.
When an audience member asked, "Who denied enhanced security and why?" Obama gave a long-winded answer on how he was the very model of a modern major president.
For his part, Romney criticized Obama for his squirrelly response to the attack and chastised him for flying to Las Vegas the next day for a fundraiser.
Here, Crowley intervened once again. Following Romney's hard-hitting response, Crowley lobbed a softball to Obama, who was then walking toward her, "Does the buck stop with the secretary of state?"
Obama had his well-rehearsed answer at the ready. He delivered it flawlessly. "Secretary Clinton has done an extraordinary job, but she works for me," he said. "I'm the president, and I'm always responsible."
Obama then boldly rewrote the history of Sept. 12, 2012: "The day after the attack, governor, I stood in the Rose Garden, and I told the American people and the world that we were going to find out exactly what happened, that this was an act of terror, and I also said we are going to hunt down those who committed this crime."
Without a hiccup, Obama expressed seeming outrage at any insinuation that his team would "play politics or mislead when we have lost four of our own."
As half of America knew, Obama and his team had been playing politics for the five weeks before the debate. In his Rose Garden speech of Sept. 12, Obama blamed the notorious anti-Muslim video.
"Since our founding," said Obama, "the United States has been a nation that respects all faiths. We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others."
It was not until five minutes into the six-minute speech that Obama added, "No acts of terror will ever shake the resolve of this great nation, alter that character, or eclipse the light of the values that we stand for."
As the plural "acts" suggest, Obama was speaking generically, and this was his only mention of "terror" in any form. There was no mention of "hunting" anyone.
Looking quizzically at Obama, Romney asked, "You said in the Rose Garden the day after the attack it was an act of terror? It was not a spontaneous demonstration, is that what you are saying?"
Obama answered uncomfortably, "Please proceed. Please proceed, Governor." Romney did, saying to Crowley he just wanted to get Obama's response on record.
In the background Obama could be heard saying, "Get the transcript." The camera then showed Crowley waving a piece of paper that could easily have been mistaken for the transcript. Said Crowley to Romney, "He did in fact, sir, call, so let me call it an act of terror."
"Can you say that a little louder, Candy," said Obama, now moving confidently into Romney's space.
"He did call it an act of terror," repeated Crowley.
Caught off guard, a stuttering Romney cited Ambassador Rice's appearance on five Sunday talk shows blaming the video, but by now Crowley and Obama were both talking over him.
Concluded Crowley, "I want to move you on and people can go to the transcripts." The election may well have been lost at that very moment.
In re-watching this sequence, and seeing how smoothly Obama handled it, I am convinced he knew the "Hillary" question was coming and maybe knew more than that.
In 2012, I would not have suggested a planned tag-teaming, but after then CNN contributor Donna Brazile was busted in 2016 for providing the Clinton campaign with actual debate questions, I have had to reconsider. Like Wallace, Brazile is now with Fox News. Hmm.
In 2012, Romney resigned himself to his treachery like a gentleman. In 2020, Trump fought like a man. That is why Trump is president, and Romney never will be.
Jack Cashill's new book, "Unmasking Obama: The Fight to Tell the True Story of a Failed Presidency," is widely available. See www.cashill.com.