theamericanconservative--2020-12-29--The Gospel According to Roger Stone

The Gospel According to Roger Stone

Thousands of people poured into Washington , D.C. for the Jericho March on December 12 , an ecumenical prayer rally to protest the alleged theft of the presidential election .
Emceed by evangelical author Eric Metaxas , the gathering featured Catholic clergy ( including an archbishop ) , Protestant pastors , Messianic Jews , an Orthodox speaker , and a man honking vigorously on a star-spangled shofar created just for Donald J. Trump , who buzzed the crowd in Marine One on his way to Andrews Air Force Base .
( “ That ’ s not the Messiah , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Metaxas clarified . )
Many speakers , including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell , shared prophetic dreams and visions about Trump .
Then Roger Stone showed up on the Jumbotron , speaking via livestream .
“ It was Jesus Christ who gave our president Donald Trump the courage and the compassion to save my life when I was unfairly and illegally targeted in the Mueller witch hunt , ” he said .
The crowd roared their approval .
Perhaps nobody encapsulates the strange fusion of Trumpism and Christianity better than 68-year-old Roger Stone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worked on GOP campaigns since the 1970s .
Stone , whose career was the subject of the 2017 Netflix documentary Get Me Roger Stone , has worked for Nixon , Reagan , Bush , and Trump .
According to Stone , he ’ ll do anything that isn ’ t illegal—but after the Mueller investigation in November 2019 , he was convicted on seven felony counts , including lying to investigators and witness tampering .
On February 20 , he was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison .
Five months later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his sentence and his pardon , Stone claims he decided to embrace Christianity .
I reached him by Zoom to ask him how it all came about .
Stone was raised Catholic by strict parents , but after he headed to Washington and got involved in politics , he promptly abandoned church .
A proud libertine , he was famously busted advertising in swinger magazines with his wife in the 1990s and forced to resign his position with Bob Dole ’ s presidential campaign .
His return to the Church , Stone told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ persecution ” he faced from Mueller ’ s “ dirty cops ” who “ targeted me for explicitly political purposes.
” Stone carefully curates his testimony for a Christian audience , referring to his prosecutors as his “ persecutors , ” stating that their attempts to get him to flip on the president would cause him to “ bear false witness , ” and sprinkling liberal references to “ the Lord ” throughout .
As Stone tells it , his arrest ( a ridiculous spectacle in which 29 FBI agents surrounded his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the street in a nightgown and bare feet as CNN cameras rolled ) and prosecution were the turning point .
“ I became very depressed , very angry , ” he told me , baring his teeth like a cornered possum .
“ I kind of hit rock bottom , and a number of friends told me it was time for me to renew my faith in Christ in this crisis.
” Alice Butler Short , founder of Virginia Women for Trump , gave him a Bible .
At a GOP event , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach out to the Lord ” and became his spiritual advisor .
Coggins would eventually call on the president to pardon Stone : “ Roger has stood tall for President for over 30 years—now I ask President Trump to stand tall for him.
” Coggins arranged for Stone to meet Franklin Graham in January .
When he was 12 , Stone saw Billy Graham preach at a crusade in Bridgeport , Connecticut , and met Graham again in 1971 when he was working for Nixon .
The son , Stone said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me he ’ d put in a good word for me with the president , but the most important thing I could do would be to turn to Jesus.
” At Graham ’ s revival event in Florida , the evangelist called on those in the crowd who wished to be saved to stand up and repeat a prayer .
“ I did , because it felt like the right thing to do , ” Stone explained .
“ I turned the whole thing over to the Big Man .
I prayed every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my persecutors.
” He exited the event in a flurry of selfies and autographs as fans approached him .
It was just like a rally .
I asked Stone what he thought the fruits of his decision had been .
“ I got right with Jesus on a Saturday and on Monday the story about the egregious conduct by the jury forewoman in my case was all over the newspapers , the fact that she had been attacking me and Donald Trump in social media posts.
” Stone is certain that he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his history of asthma .
“ I was days away from reporting to a federal prison that I think was the death penalty , ” he told me .
“ I have no doubt whatsoever that the Lord gave the president the strength , courage , and wisdom to do the right thing and it has upset the American Left ever since .
But for Donald Trump and Jesus Christ , I would not be with you today.
” Stone says he ’ s trying to be a good Catholic—although he hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social issues .
He ’ s now pro-life , but the frequent Pride participant holds the same views on LGBT issues .
“ I ’ ve been in favor of same-sex marriage .
That ’ s still my position .
I think you can be a Christian and be gay , most definitely.
” The main change in his life , Stone says , is that he will not be seeking revenge on his persecutors .
“ The old Roger Stone would be looking for payback , ” he noted with a grimace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works .
That ’ s one of the key tenets of Trumpism : hit me , and I ’ m going to hit you back twice as hard.
” He cites prosecutor Aaron Zelinksy .
“ These people are evil , they ’ re corrupt , and they will get their just desserts—but not from Roger Stone .
From the Lord , ” Stone said , comforting himself .
“ The Lord will take his vengeance on Zelinksy sooner or later.
” When I asked Stone about his view of the prophetic visions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a bizarre answer at the ready .
“ There is a very famous evangelist named Kim Clement , ” he told me .
“ He made a number of prophecies .
He correctly predicted the election of a man named Donald , who would come from the East , from New York .
He correctly predicted the failed impeachment .
He saw all of this .
In his prophecy , he says that just as David was saved by a simple stone which he picked up and flung at Goliath .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he says .
Remember that name , Clement says.
” Some Christians think all of this is “ mumbo-jumbo , ” Stone admitted .
“ They ’ re entitled to be wrong.
” Stone isn ’ t sure if he ’ s the Stone Clement was referring to , but he ’ s clearly leaning heavily in that direction .
“ God will tell me what He wants me to do when He wants me to do it .
I have been a strong supporter of the Stop the Steal movement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ some greater purpose , and maybe I am that Stone .
In an earlier prophecy , Clement sees a man named Clark , who is also involved in this epic struggle to save America .
Clark and Stone are supposed to work together .
I have now recently met a gentleman named Clark .
He ’ s as dedicated to saving this country as I am .
We ’ re not claiming to be special .
We ’ re open to whatever it is God wants us to do.
” When I asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is , Stone wasn ’ t concerned .
“ Perhaps it ’ s a dream .
Perhaps it ’ s an idea that pops in your head as you ’ re walking down the street…if it happens , I ’ ll know.
” In short , Roger Stone is ready to save America .
Has he really swapped dirty tricks for the Catholicism of his parents and the weird prophecies of Trumpian Protestants ?
As many religious figures fold their faith into their politics and merge Christianity into what the Gospel Coalition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian Trumpism , ” Stone doesn ’ t really have to choose .
He can have his cake and eat it too .
Switch the political language with religious language , and the narrative remains the same—accompanied with visions and prophecies that Southern Baptist theologian Al Mohler , who voted for Trump , called “ troubling ” and Rod Dreher more succinctly called “ bonkers.
” Many Christian leaders who have buttressed their support for Trump with alleged messages from God are being faced with the reality that they were mistaken , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theirs—and are responding by refashioning reality to conform to their subjective experiences instead .
Religion is being press-ganged into political service , and Stone is here for it .
I thanked the hard-nosed political operative for taking the time to speak with me .
“ God bless you , ” says Roger Stone .
Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker , writer , and pro-life activist .
His commentary has appeared in National Review , The European Conservative , the National Post , and elsewhere .
Jonathon is the author of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion as well as the co-author with Blaise Alleyne of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide .

Thousands of people poured into Washington, D.C. for the Jericho March on December 12, an ecumenical prayer rally to protest the alleged theft of the presidential election. Emceed by evangelical author Eric Metaxas, the gathering featured Catholic clergy (including an archbishop), Protestant pastors, Messianic Jews, an Orthodox speaker, and a man honking vigorously on a star-spangled shofar created just for Donald J. Trump, who buzzed the crowd in Marine One on his way to Andrews Air Force Base. (“That’s not the Messiah, that’s just the President,” Metaxas clarified.) Many speakers, including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, shared prophetic dreams and visions about Trump.
Then Roger Stone showed up on the Jumbotron, speaking via livestream. “It was Jesus Christ who gave our president Donald Trump the courage and the compassion to save my life when I was unfairly and illegally targeted in the Mueller witch hunt,” he said. The crowd roared their approval.
Perhaps nobody encapsulates the strange fusion of Trumpism and Christianity better than 68-year-old Roger Stone, the infamous political dirty trickster who has worked on GOP campaigns since the 1970s. Stone, whose career was the subject of the 2017 Netflix documentary Get Me Roger Stone, has worked for Nixon, Reagan, Bush, and Trump. According to Stone, he’ll do anything that isn’t illegal—but after the Mueller investigation in November 2019, he was convicted on seven felony counts, including lying to investigators and witness tampering. On February 20, he was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison. Five months later, Donald Trump commuted his sentence. Between his sentence and his pardon, Stone claims he decided to embrace Christianity. I reached him by Zoom to ask him how it all came about.
Stone was raised Catholic by strict parents, but after he headed to Washington and got involved in politics, he promptly abandoned church. A proud libertine, he was famously busted advertising in swinger magazines with his wife in the 1990s and forced to resign his position with Bob Dole’s presidential campaign. His return to the Church, Stone told me, was a result of the “persecution” he faced from Mueller’s “dirty cops” who “targeted me for explicitly political purposes.” Stone carefully curates his testimony for a Christian audience, referring to his prosecutors as his “persecutors,” stating that their attempts to get him to flip on the president would cause him to “bear false witness,” and sprinkling liberal references to “the Lord” throughout.
As Stone tells it, his arrest (a ridiculous spectacle in which 29 FBI agents surrounded his house and frogmarched his deaf wife onto the street in a nightgown and bare feet as CNN cameras rolled) and prosecution were the turning point. “I became very depressed, very angry,” he told me, baring his teeth like a cornered possum. “I kind of hit rock bottom, and a number of friends told me it was time for me to renew my faith in Christ in this crisis.” Alice Butler Short, founder of Virginia Women for Trump, gave him a Bible. At a GOP event, Pastor Randy Coggins “began counseling me to reach out to the Lord” and became his spiritual advisor. Coggins would eventually call on the president to pardon Stone: “Roger has stood tall for President for over 30 years—now I ask President Trump to stand tall for him.”
Coggins arranged for Stone to meet Franklin Graham in January. When he was 12, Stone saw Billy Graham preach at a crusade in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and met Graham again in 1971 when he was working for Nixon. The son, Stone said, did not disappoint. “Graham told me he’d put in a good word for me with the president, but the most important thing I could do would be to turn to Jesus.” At Graham’s revival event in Florida, the evangelist called on those in the crowd who wished to be saved to stand up and repeat a prayer. “I did, because it felt like the right thing to do,” Stone explained. “I turned the whole thing over to the Big Man. I prayed every day that he would deliver me from my persecutors.” He exited the event in a flurry of selfies and autographs as fans approached him. It was just like a rally.
I asked Stone what he thought the fruits of his decision had been. “I got right with Jesus on a Saturday and on Monday the story about the egregious conduct by the jury forewoman in my case was all over the newspapers, the fact that she had been attacking me and Donald Trump in social media posts.” Stone is certain that he would have died of COVID-19 in jail due to his history of asthma. “I was days away from reporting to a federal prison that I think was the death penalty,” he told me. “I have no doubt whatsoever that the Lord gave the president the strength, courage, and wisdom to do the right thing and it has upset the American Left ever since. But for Donald Trump and Jesus Christ, I would not be with you today.”
Stone says he’s trying to be a good Catholic—although he hasn’t changed his libertarian stances on social issues. He’s now pro-life, but the frequent Pride participant holds the same views on LGBT issues. “I’ve been in favor of same-sex marriage. That’s still my position. I think you can be a Christian and be gay, most definitely.” The main change in his life, Stone says, is that he will not be seeking revenge on his persecutors. “The old Roger Stone would be looking for payback,” he noted with a grimace. “That’s how politics works. That’s one of the key tenets of Trumpism: hit me, and I’m going to hit you back twice as hard.” He cites prosecutor Aaron Zelinksy. “These people are evil, they’re corrupt, and they will get their just desserts—but not from Roger Stone. From the Lord,” Stone said, comforting himself. “The Lord will take his vengeance on Zelinksy sooner or later.”
When I asked Stone about his view of the prophetic visions cited at the Jericho March, he had a bizarre answer at the ready. “There is a very famous evangelist named Kim Clement,” he told me. “He made a number of prophecies. He correctly predicted the election of a man named Donald, who would come from the East, from New York. He correctly predicted the failed impeachment. He saw all of this. In his prophecy, he says that just as David was saved by a simple stone which he picked up and flung at Goliath. The country will be saved by a Stone, he says. Remember that name, Clement says.” Some Christians think all of this is “mumbo-jumbo,” Stone admitted. “They’re entitled to be wrong.”
Stone isn’t sure if he’s the Stone Clement was referring to, but he’s clearly leaning heavily in that direction. “God will tell me what He wants me to do when He wants me to do it. I have been a strong supporter of the Stop the Steal movement. I think my life was spared for some greater purpose, and maybe I am that Stone. In an earlier prophecy, Clement sees a man named Clark, who is also involved in this epic struggle to save America. Clark and Stone are supposed to work together. I have now recently met a gentleman named Clark. He’s as dedicated to saving this country as I am. We’re not claiming to be special. We’re open to whatever it is God wants us to do.” When I asked him how he’ll know what that is, Stone wasn’t concerned. “Perhaps it’s a dream. Perhaps it’s an idea that pops in your head as you’re walking down the street…if it happens, I’ll know.”
In short, Roger Stone is ready to save America. Has he really swapped dirty tricks for the Catholicism of his parents and the weird prophecies of Trumpian Protestants? As many religious figures fold their faith into their politics and merge Christianity into what the Gospel Coalition referred to as the “Cult of Christian Trumpism,” Stone doesn’t really have to choose. He can have his cake and eat it too. Switch the political language with religious language, and the narrative remains the same—accompanied with visions and prophecies that Southern Baptist theologian Al Mohler, who voted for Trump, called “troubling” and Rod Dreher more succinctly called “bonkers.” Many Christian leaders who have buttressed their support for Trump with alleged messages from God are being faced with the reality that they were mistaken, and that God’s plans differed from theirs—and are responding by refashioning reality to conform to their subjective experiences instead. Religion is being press-ganged into political service, and Stone is here for it.
I thanked the hard-nosed political operative for taking the time to speak with me. “God bless you,” says Roger Stone.
Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. His commentary has appeared in National Review, The European Conservative, the National Post, and elsewhere. Jonathon is the author of The Culture War and Seeing Is Believing: Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion as well as the co-author with Blaise Alleyne of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide.


theamericanconservative--2020-12-31--Lies, Damned Lies, and Insane Statistics

By the same standard of statistical analysis that the left applies to everything , it is easy to prove that the election was stolen from Donald Trump .
The presidential election is all but over now— “ all but ” because it was so obviously stolen that there is still a chance truth and justice will prevail , with Sen. Josh Hawley ( R-MO ) yesterday becoming the first senator to announce plans to object to congressional certification , which will force the House and Senate to vote on whether to uphold Biden ’ s contested victory in the Electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , humming “ Hail to the Chief ” whenever they think of Joe Biden—or even Hunter Biden , China Joe ’ s son , under investigation by the Justice Department since late 2018 .
The woke media—a media too corrupt to print , during the presidential campaign , stories of the Biden family ’ s years of corruption—was oh , so uninterested in the statistical disparities in voting that clearly indicated election fraud .
They were willing to bear any burden , pay any price , including the traducing of democracy , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s face it : everyone who pays attention to politics knows the election was stolen .
Here ’ s how you can tell .
A 35-page report issued by Peter Navarro , assistant to the president , director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy , and national Defense Production Act policy coordinator , lists a number of statistical anomalies in the battleground states , including significant changes in absentee ballot rejection rates from previous elections , and excessively high voter turnout ( at times exceeding 100 percent ) .
The Navarro report says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejection rate dropped from 1.6 % in 2016 to 0.58 % in 2020 .
In Pennsylvania , the 2016 rejection rate of 1.0 % dropped to virtually nothing at 0.28 % .
The biggest fall in the overall absentee ballot rejection rate came , however , in Georgia .
Its rejection rate fell from 6.8 % in 2016 to a mere 0.34 % in 2020.
” And the report says , “ In the 2020 race , Georgia election officials received 1,320,154 mail-in and absentee ballots .
If these ballots had been rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of the 2020 rate of 0.34 % , there would have been 81,321 ballots rejected instead of the 4,489 ballots that were actually rejected .
“ Under the conservative assumption that 60 % of these mail-in and absentee ballots went to Joe Biden , this dramatic fall in the rejection rate provided Joe Biden with an additional 16,264 votes .
That ’ s more than the margin of the alleged Biden victory in Georgia.
” The Navarro report also says , “ Cybersecurity executive and former NASA analyst , Russ Ramsland , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where Dominion Voting Systems equipment was used , 46 out of 47 precincts in the county displayed greater than a 96 % voter turnout .
25 out of those precincts showed a 100 % voter turnout.
” Ah , yes , the wokies say , but those are just statistics .
We didn ’ t see any actual evidence of fraud , and man can ’ t live by statistics alone .
But in fact , wokies have been living by statistics for decades .
Look at their claims of racial profiling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice O ’ Connor may have given birth to the statistical disparity business in Richmond v. J .
A. Croson Co. ( 1989 ) when she wrote : “ Where there is a significant statistical disparity between the number of qualified minority contractors willing and able to perform a particular service and the number of such contractors actually engaged by the locality or the locality ’ s prime contractors , an inference of discriminatory exclusion could arise.
” It ’ s been statistics ever since .
A piece in the June 10 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says : “ A New York Times examination after the death of George Floyd found that while black people make up 19 percent of the Minneapolis population and 9 percent of its police , they were on the receiving end of 58 percent of the city ’ s police use-of-force incidents.
” And the point is precisely—what ?
Presumably that we would expect near-precise racial proportionality in use-of-force incidents by police .
Because the percentage of use-of-force incidents against blacks is three times the percentage of blacks in the population , the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are two more items from The Washington Post piece : • A study of criminal cases from 1983 and 1993 found that prosecutors in Philadelphia removed 52 percent of potential black jurors vs. only 23 percent of nonblack jurors .
• Between 2003 and 2012 , prosecutors in Caddo Parish , La.—one of the most aggressive death penalty counties in the country—struck 46 percent of prospective black jurors with preemptory challenges , vs. 15 percent of nonblacks .
In the first example , black jurors were removed 2.6 times as often as whites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurors were struck three times as often as whites .
This , the wokies say , is clear proof of racism .
They live by statistics .
.
Redlining was the practice , common in the 1930s , of drawing lines around certain areas of cities where loans would not be made to applicants .
The practice was directed primarily against blacks and European immigrants , especially Jews .
It was outlawed decades ago .
But in many places , a piece in the Chicago Tribune claims , the law hasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independently reviewed and confirmed by the Associated Press , according to the Chicago Tribune “ showed black applicants were turned away at significantly higher rates than whites in 48 cities , Latinos in 25 , Asians in nine , and Native Americans in three.
” And what are we readers supposed to conclude from that ?
That those figures prove discrimination ?
Maybe they do .
But if they do , the election figures given above and others in the Navarro report prove that Donald Trump was elected president .
And everyone knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Board of the Education and Research Institute and a Director of Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy in San Francisco .
In addition to serving as Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission under President Reagan , Dr. Oliver was Executive Editor and subsequently Chairman of the Board of William F. Buckley Jr. ’ s National Review .
Email him at [ email protected ] .

The presidential election is all but over now—“all but” because it was so obviously stolen that there is still a chance truth and justice will prevail, with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) yesterday becoming the first senator to announce plans to object to congressional certification, which will force the House and Senate to vote on whether to uphold Biden’s contested victory in the Electoral College. The wokies are beyond ecstatic, humming “Hail to the Chief” whenever they think of Joe Biden—or even Hunter Biden, China Joe’s son, under investigation by the Justice Department since late 2018.
The woke media—a media too corrupt to print, during the presidential campaign, stories of the Biden family’s years of corruption—was oh, so uninterested in the statistical disparities in voting that clearly indicated election fraud. They were willing to bear any burden, pay any price, including the traducing of democracy, to get rid of Donald Trump.
Let’s face it: everyone who pays attention to politics knows the election was stolen. Here’s how you can tell.
A 35-page report issued by Peter Navarro, assistant to the president, director of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, and national Defense Production Act policy coordinator, lists a number of statistical anomalies in the battleground states, including significant changes in absentee ballot rejection rates from previous elections, and excessively high voter turnout (at times exceeding 100 percent).
The Navarro report says that “in Nevada, the overall rejection rate dropped from 1.6% in 2016 to 0.58% in 2020. In Pennsylvania, the 2016 rejection rate of 1.0% dropped to virtually nothing at 0.28%. The biggest fall in the overall absentee ballot rejection rate came, however, in Georgia. Its rejection rate fell from 6.8% in 2016 to a mere 0.34% in 2020.”
And the report says, “In the 2020 race, Georgia election officials received 1,320,154 mail-in and absentee ballots. If these ballots had been rejected at the 2016 rate of 6.8% instead of the 2020 rate of 0.34%, there would have been 81,321 ballots rejected instead of the 4,489 ballots that were actually rejected.
“Under the conservative assumption that 60% of these mail-in and absentee ballots went to Joe Biden, this dramatic fall in the rejection rate provided Joe Biden with an additional 16,264 votes. That’s more than the margin of the alleged Biden victory in Georgia.”
The Navarro report also says, “Cybersecurity executive and former NASA analyst, Russ Ramsland, testified that in Wayne County, Michigan, where Dominion Voting Systems equipment was used, 46 out of 47 precincts in the county displayed greater than a 96% voter turnout. 25 out of those precincts showed a 100% voter turnout.”
Ah, yes, the wokies say, but those are just statistics. We didn’t see any actual evidence of fraud, and man can’t live by statistics alone. But in fact, wokies have been living by statistics for decades. Look at their claims of racial profiling by police and by housing lenders.
Justice O’Connor may have given birth to the statistical disparity business in Richmond v. J. A. Croson Co. (1989) when she wrote: “Where there is a significant statistical disparity between the number of qualified minority contractors willing and able to perform a particular service and the number of such contractors actually engaged by the locality or the locality’s prime contractors, an inference of discriminatory exclusion could arise.”
It’s been statistics ever since.
A piece in the June 10, 2020, issue of The Washington Post says: “A New York Times examination after the death of George Floyd found that while black people make up 19 percent of the Minneapolis population and 9 percent of its police, they were on the receiving end of 58 percent of the city’s police use-of-force incidents.”
And the point is precisely—what? Presumably that we would expect near-precise racial proportionality in use-of-force incidents by police. Because the percentage of use-of-force incidents against blacks is three times the percentage of blacks in the population, the police must be discriminating by race.
Here are two more items from The Washington Post piece:
A study of criminal cases from 1983 and 1993 found that prosecutors in Philadelphia removed 52 percent of potential black jurors vs. only 23 percent of nonblack jurors.
Between 2003 and 2012, prosecutors in Caddo Parish, La.—one of the most aggressive death penalty counties in the country—struck 46 percent of prospective black jurors with preemptory challenges, vs. 15 percent of nonblacks.
In the first example, black jurors were removed 2.6 times as often as whites. In the second example, black jurors were struck three times as often as whites. This, the wokies say, is clear proof of racism. They live by statistics. .
Redlining was the practice, common in the 1930s, of drawing lines around certain areas of cities where loans would not be made to applicants. The practice was directed primarily against blacks and European immigrants, especially Jews. It was outlawed decades ago. But in many places, a piece in the Chicago Tribune claims, the law hasn’t made much difference. An analysis, independently reviewed and confirmed by the Associated Press, according to the Chicago Tribune “showed black applicants were turned away at significantly higher rates than whites in 48 cities, Latinos in 25, Asians in nine, and Native Americans in three.”
And what are we readers supposed to conclude from that? That those figures prove discrimination? Maybe they do.
But if they do, the election figures given above and others in the Navarro report prove that Donald Trump was elected president. And everyone knows it.
Hail to the Chief.
Daniel Oliver is Chairman of the Board of the Education and Research Institute and a Director of Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy in San Francisco. In addition to serving as Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission under President Reagan, Dr. Oliver was Executive Editor and subsequently Chairman of the Board of William F. Buckley Jr.’s National Review. Email him at Daniel.Oliver@TheCandidAmerican.com.


theamericanconservative--2020-12-31--Hunter Biden’s Guilty Laptop

Hunter Biden’s Guilty Laptop

The most charitable reading of the sleazy saga is that Joe Biden , one of the most powerful men in the world , is an incredibly gullible idiot .
I read the files on Hunter Biden ’ s laptop .
They paint a sleazy picture of multi-million dollar wire transfers , potential money laundering , and possible tax evasion .
They raise serious questions about the judgment and propriety of Jim Biden , the president-elect ’ s brother , and Joe himself .
Call it smoke not fire , but smoke that should not be ignored .
The files were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously established to have access .
Joe Biden is lucky a coordinated media effort kept Hunter out of the campaign .
The FBI has had the laptop since 2019 , when they subpoenaed the files in connection with a money laundering investigation .
Federal investigators also served a round of subpoenas on December 8 , a month after the election , including one for Hunter Biden himself .
While the legal thrust of the investigation by the federal prosecutor in Delaware is taxes , the real focus seems to be on Hunter ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the FBI has had over a year to examine some of the same files TAC looked at .
In the final weeks before the election , Hunter ’ s laptop fell into Republican hands .
The story went public in the New York Post , revealing that Hunter Biden introduced his father , then vice president , to a top executive at Ukrainian energy firm Burisma less than a year before the elder Biden pressured government officials in Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating the company .
The meeting is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vadym Pozharskyi , an adviser to the board of Burisma , sent Hunter Biden about a year after Hunter himself joined the Burisma board at a salary of $ 83,000 a month with no obvious work duties past making such introductions .
Nice work if you can get it , and to get it your dad better be vice president .
If all that alone does not meet the test of impropriety , we need a new test .
Hunter Biden ’ s value to clients was his perceived access to the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least a passive participant in the scheme , maybe more than that .
The problem was many Americans never heard this story .
Twitter led a social media charge to not allow the information online .
After years of salivating over every bit of Trump family gossip , the mainstream media claimed the Biden story did not matter , or was Russian disinfo .
Surveys suggest the information could have swung the election if voters had known about it .
One survey showed that enough people in battleground states would have changed their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reelection .
No mind , really .
As soon as it became clear Joe Biden was going to win , the media on all sides lost interest in the laptop .
The story became about the story .
It devolved into think pieces about the Orwellian role of social media and some online giggling about the sex tapes on the laptop .
But our short attention spans have consequences .
The laptop still has a lot to tell us .
Hunter ’ s laptop was chock-a-block with video that appears to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sex act with a woman , as well as numerous other sexually explicit images .
There ’ s evidence there that Hunter spent money on escorts , some $ 21,000 on cam sites , big plays on all sorts of depravities .
There is also Joe ’ s car insurance information , Hunter ’ s SSN , pages of call logs , and lots of email addresses , bank account numbers , and personal information of prominent people .
None of the material is encrypted , just dumped on a standard MacBook Pro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machine was regularly connected to the internet and might as well have had an electronic sign on it saying “ My dad is important , here ’ s what you ’ ll need to blackmail me and others to get to him.
” But there is more .
The laptop shows Hunter , through a number of front companies , accepted money from Chinese and Ukrainian entities and moved that money to the U.S. where it was parceled out to other entities , including Joe Biden ’ s brother .
Some of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is no way a simple read-through can tell if the money was legal consulting fees or illegal money laundering and tax fraud .
But it all smells bad : multi-million dollar transfers to LLCs without employees , residences used as multiple business addresses , legal tricks from Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands , and even a minor CIA connection .
Ask yourself if this demands more investigation .
Ask yourself if voters might not have benefited from knowing more about Joe Biden ’ s side of all this .
The majority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jumbled record of Hunter ’ s international business ventures and financial records .
Outstanding in the haystack are a large number of wire transfers .
Those with traceable addresses appear to be mostly anonymous shell companies run out of lawyers ’ offices , with no employees and fuzzy public paper trails .
One off the top involved $ 259,845 traveling on April 2 , 2018 , from the Hudson West III in New York to a numbered account held by Cathay Bank .
Hudson West was created by Hunter Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several Chinese nationals , including a Ye Jianming associate , Gong Wendong .
Ye Jianming is chairman of CEFC China Energy , who reportedly had close ties to both the Chinese government and the People ’ s Liberation Army .
He ’ s been arrested in China on corruption charges and has conveniently disappeared .
Biden in August 2018 also returned $ 100,000 back to CEFC in China via its own New York subsidiary LLC , Hudson West V , whose listed address is 12 Foxwood Road , Great Neck , NY 11024 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office but instead a single family home worth over $ 6 million .
Phone records suggest two people live there , including Gong Wendong .
Money appears to move from physical China to virtual Hunter back to virtual China in the U.S. , starting and ending in accounts tied to Gong Wendong after touching base with Hunter , a potential indicator of laundering .
Chinese money in China changed into Chinese money in America .
Caution is needed ; while what looks like money laundering at first glance may indeed be so , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cash from the Chinese government while staying inside American law , a quasi-legal service Hunter possibly supplied .
That 12 Foxwood address shows up again on Biden ’ s laptop as the mailing address for another Gong Wendong venture , ColdHarbour Capital , which sent and received money to Biden .
It is also listed as the residence of Shan Gao , who appears to control accounts in Beijing tied to Hudson , CEFC , and 12 Foxwood .
The most significant appearance of 12 Foxwood was as the mailing address for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s company , Hudson West III .
The card is funded by someone unnamed through Cathay Bank for $ 99,000 and guaranteed by someone ’ s checking account held by Cathay worth $ 450,000 .
Shared users of the card are Hunter and Gong Wendong .
The card was opened as CEFC secured a stake in a Russian state-owned energy company .
Biden and others subsequently used the credit card to purchase $ 101,291.46 worth of extravagant items , including airline tickets and multiple items at Apple stores , pharmacies , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report characterized these transactions as “ potential financial criminal activity.
” Putting money on a secured VISA card in lieu of a direct wire transfer to Biden may be seen by some as an attempt to hide the source of the money and thus allow Biden not to claim it as income .
James Biden and Sara Biden were also authorized users of the credit card , though their business connection to Hunter and Gong Wendong is unclear .
Jim is Joe ’ s brother , Sara his wife .
Jim over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance broker , political consultant , and investor .
When he ran into financial trouble having triple mortgaged his home , he was bailed out via loans from Joe and Hunter and by a series of Joe ’ s donors .
Jim also received a loan of $ 500,000 from John Hynansky , a Ukrainian-American businessman and longtime donor to Joe Biden ’ s campaigns .
This all was in 2015 , at the same time the then-vice president oversaw U.S. policy toward the country .
As a senator , Joe Biden made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hynansky ’ s son .
The 12 Foxwood address also appears on millions of dollars worth of bank transfers among Cathay Bank , CEFC , and multiple semi-anonymous LLCs and hedge funds .
One single transfer to Hudson West III on August 8 , 2017 , represented the movement of $ 5 million from Northern Capital International , which appears to be a Chinese government-owned import-export front company .
Switch over to the CDB Bank folder and you see a wire transfer from Burisma for 36,000 euros , run through a bank in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ account on that island .
Burisma is the one company from the laptop that made the news .
Hunter ’ s role , what he actually did besides introduce his father to other people , is still unclear .
Burisma must be an interesting place .
Hunter ’ s laptop partially exposes a complex web of sub-companies in Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands such that figuring out who owns who is near impossible .
Hunter , speaking to his business partner , speculates about buying a Lithuanian bank to receive the Ukrainian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joseph Cofer Black , former director of the CIA ’ s Counterterrorism Center , sits on Burisma ’ s board .
Black previously served as vice chairman at mercenary provider Blackwater Worldwide ( now Academi ) .
All just business , right ?
Not everyone saw it that way .
An email from Wells Fargo ’ s corporate compliance team ( Wells Fargo handled many of the international wire transfers ) asks on September 20 , 2018 , what the actual business of Hudson West is , who its owners are , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what the purpose of all the incoming wires is .
It notes some business accounts appear to be for personal expenses .
It also questions numerous outgoing wires to the Lion Hall Group ( for example , on September 28 , 2018 , Hunter ordered $ 95,000 transferred without explanation ) , a “ business ” run by Jim Biden out of a residential address .
Jim regularly invoiced Hunter for office expenses and employee costs , as well as a monthly retainer cost of some $ 68,000 , plus other fees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is no record of these questions being answered .
It is possible to see the disbursal of funds via credit card to Jim Biden as a way to diffuse the amounts away from Hunter , and via Jim ’ s invoices , a way to convert income from China into deductible business expenses for Hunter in America , reducing his tax burden .
The involvement of Lion Hall and Jim Biden also spreads the money around , lowering its profile .
If the invoices were shown to be fraudulent ( i.e.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hunter ) , the potential for tax fraud exists .
Besides Wells Fargo , others also had questions .
Hunter ’ s own CPA , preparing to file 2018 federal taxes , wrote to Hunter asking , “ As far as Owasco [ Hunter ’ s law firm ] is concerned there were some receipts we classified as loans .
Owasco received approximately $ 550,000 from Burisma and paid about one half this amount to , I believe , someone named ‘ Devon.
’ I am not sure of the payee… The one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not recorded as income.
” Devon is likely Devon Archer , co-founder and managing partner of Rosemont Capital alongside Hunter .
Who else was part of Rosemont ?
Christopher Heinz , John Kerry ’ s son .
And , small world , Devon Archer sat on the board of Burisma alongside Hunter Biden .
The CPA ’ s concern is that the IRS is sensitive to the fact that some try to conceal income as loans to be written off as expenses later , especially if the amounts are large .
This can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are “ forgiven , ” then they are income .
If not declared , that is potential fraud .
The same note from the CPA indicates Hunter owes $ 600,000 in personal taxes and another $ 204,000 for Owasco and urges him to file a return even if he is not going to pay the taxes .
Besides taxes , things did not always go well for Hunter .
On March 6 , 2019 , he sent an email to a friend saying , “ Buddy do you have a cash app to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I have no money for gas and I ’ m literally stuck at a rest stop on 95.
” He earlier had sought a $ 35,000 advance from his regular “ draw ” out of Owasco .
And keep an eye on Hunter ’ s health—he pays close to $ 9,000 a quarter for life insurance .
Joe Biden is one lucky S.O.B .
When the powers that be decided Barack Obama needed someone a little more , you know , establishment , as his VP to calm voters , there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he represented , vaulted into the White House that had otherwise eluded him .
His only controversial points came from having supported the status quo for so many years that it had changed underneath him .
Are we tough on crime , or do Black Lives Matter ?
Didn ’ t matter to Joe , just point him in the right direction so he knows what to agree with .
And so in 2020 , when the Democrats realized exactly what kind of man they needed to wipe away the sins of two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there was Joe again .
Joe was fortunate that the mainstream media memory-holed Hunter ’ s story and conservative media lost focus looking for a tweetable smoking gun when the truth was a bit too complicated to parse out in a sentence or two .
But there is still a story here .
The short version is there ’ s a lot to suggest money laundering and tax fraud on Hunter ’ s part .
The purpose of the money in and out was always unclear , with invoices for vague expenses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One could invent a legal explanation for everything .
One could imagine many illegal explanations .
There is no way anyone could know the difference without seeing Hunter ’ s taxes , asking him questions , and doing some serious forensic accounting .
It is unlikely any of that will happen now that the election is over .
Even to Guiliani et al.
, it really doesn ’ t matter any more .
They took one shot , missed , and walked away .
That will leave undigested the bigger tale of president-elect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an anti-corruption platform following the Trump family escapades .
While Joe Biden no doubt regrets what appears to have been a one-off meeting with the Burisma official , he did indeed take the meeting as VP .
It ’ s always easier to apologize when caught than seek permission in advance in Joe ’ s world .
A 2017 email chain involving Hunter brokering an ultimately failed deal for a new venture with old friend CEFC , the Chinese energy company , described a 10 percent set-aside for the “ big guy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bobulinski publicly identified as Joe Biden .
Joe also took Hunter to China with him on Air Force Two and met with Chinese leaders while Hunter tried to make deals on his own .
Joe also had Hunter and partner Devon Archer to the White House only two days before they joined Burisma .
It was Joe ’ s donors and pals who bailed out brother Jim over the years with sweetheart loans .
A lot of appearance of improprietous malarkey from a senior statesman who knows better .
In places like China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endemic , it is assumed the sons of rich and powerful men have access to their father and that access is for sale .
Hunter Biden traded on those assumptions for millions of dollars , and Joe stood by understanding what was happening .
Every father wants to help his son , and Hunter , one can imagine , went to his dad time after time pleading for just one more little favor to get him clear of his sordid past .
Joe , a decent man at heart , likely nodded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ An office visit , a posed photo , whatever would help but was still plausibly deniable .
Until the next time .
Just one more , Dad .
Please ?
Joe ’ s larger role in all things Hunter needs to be questioned .
Joe , as well as the Obama State Department , knew about Hunter ’ s antics .
Joe pretended Hunter ’ s financial windfalls had nothing to do with their relationship and were simply a constant series of coincidental lucky breaks for a ne ’ er-do-well son who happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ VP .
Joe says he and his son never talked about business .
Maybe Joe assumed Hunter ’ s Porsche was just a lucky find ( his car payments are on the laptop ) .
While , of course , Hunter is an adult with his own mind , his father was one of the most powerful men in the world and yet apparently did nothing to stop what was going on among Hunter , his brother Jim , the Chinese , the Ukrainians , and himself—at minimum , the gross appearance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s defense has always been sweeping : “ My son did nothing wrong.
” That alone raises questions of judgment on the part of Joe Biden .
Not least because in a few weeks he becomes president of the United States .
And if the president does it , it ’ s not illegal , right ?
Peter Van Burenis the author of We Meant Well : How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People , Hooper ’ s War : A Novel of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joad : A Story of the 99 Percent .

I read the files on Hunter Biden’s laptop. They paint a sleazy picture of multi-million dollar wire transfers, potential money laundering, and possible tax evasion. They raise serious questions about the judgment and propriety of Jim Biden, the president-elect’s brother, and Joe himself. Call it smoke not fire, but smoke that should not be ignored. The files were supplied to TAC by a known source previously established to have access.
Joe Biden is lucky a coordinated media effort kept Hunter out of the campaign. The FBI has had the laptop since 2019, when they subpoenaed the files in connection with a money laundering investigation. Federal investigators also served a round of subpoenas on December 8, a month after the election, including one for Hunter Biden himself. While the legal thrust of the investigation by the federal prosecutor in Delaware is taxes, the real focus seems to be on Hunter’s Chinese connections. This all comes after the FBI has had over a year to examine some of the same files TAC looked at.
In the final weeks before the election, Hunter’s laptop fell into Republican hands. The story went public in the New York Post, revealing that Hunter Biden introduced his father, then vice president, to a top executive at Ukrainian energy firm Burisma less than a year before the elder Biden pressured government officials in Ukraine into firing a prosecutor who was investigating the company. The meeting is mentioned in a message of appreciation that Vadym Pozharskyi, an adviser to the board of Burisma, sent Hunter Biden about a year after Hunter himself joined the Burisma board at a salary of $83,000 a month with no obvious work duties past making such introductions.
Nice work if you can get it, and to get it your dad better be vice president. If all that alone does not meet the test of impropriety, we need a new test. Hunter Biden’s value to clients was his perceived access to the White House. His father Joe was at least a passive participant in the scheme, maybe more than that.
The problem was many Americans never heard this story. Twitter led a social media charge to not allow the information online. After years of salivating over every bit of Trump family gossip, the mainstream media claimed the Biden story did not matter, or was Russian disinfo. Surveys suggest the information could have swung the election if voters had known about it. One survey showed that enough people in battleground states would have changed their votes to give Trump 311 electoral votes and reelection.
No mind, really. As soon as it became clear Joe Biden was going to win, the media on all sides lost interest in the laptop. The story became about the story. It devolved into think pieces about the Orwellian role of social media and some online giggling about the sex tapes on the laptop. But our short attention spans have consequences. The laptop still has a lot to tell us.
Hunter’s laptop was chock-a-block with video that appears to show Hunter smoking crack while engaged in a sex act with a woman, as well as numerous other sexually explicit images. There’s evidence there that Hunter spent money on escorts, some $21,000 on cam sites, big plays on all sorts of depravities. There is also Joe’s car insurance information, Hunter’s SSN, pages of call logs, and lots of email addresses, bank account numbers, and personal information of prominent people. None of the material is encrypted, just dumped on a standard MacBook Pro using the password “Hunter02.” The machine was regularly connected to the internet and might as well have had an electronic sign on it saying “My dad is important, here’s what you’ll need to blackmail me and others to get to him.”
But there is more. The laptop shows Hunter, through a number of front companies, accepted money from Chinese and Ukrainian entities and moved that money to the U.S. where it was parceled out to other entities, including Joe Biden’s brother. Some of it then went back to Chinese hands. There is no way a simple read-through can tell if the money was legal consulting fees or illegal money laundering and tax fraud. But it all smells bad: multi-million dollar transfers to LLCs without employees, residences used as multiple business addresses, legal tricks from Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands, and even a minor CIA connection.
Ask yourself if this demands more investigation. Ask yourself if voters might not have benefited from knowing more about Joe Biden’s side of all this.
The majority of the contents of the laptop are a jumbled record of Hunter’s international business ventures and financial records. Outstanding in the haystack are a large number of wire transfers. Those with traceable addresses appear to be mostly anonymous shell companies run out of lawyers’ offices, with no employees and fuzzy public paper trails. One off the top involved $259,845 traveling on April 2, 2018, from the Hudson West III in New York to a numbered account held by Cathay Bank. Hudson West was created by Hunter Biden’s own law firm, Owasco, with several Chinese nationals, including a Ye Jianming associate, Gong Wendong. Ye Jianming is chairman of CEFC China Energy, who reportedly had close ties to both the Chinese government and the People’s Liberation Army. He’s been arrested in China on corruption charges and has conveniently disappeared.
Biden in August 2018 also returned $100,000 back to CEFC in China via its own New York subsidiary LLC, Hudson West V, whose listed address is 12 Foxwood Road, Great Neck, NY 11024. That address is not a business office but instead a single family home worth over $6 million. Phone records suggest two people live there, including Gong Wendong. Money appears to move from physical China to virtual Hunter back to virtual China in the U.S., starting and ending in accounts tied to Gong Wendong after touching base with Hunter, a potential indicator of laundering. Chinese money in China changed into Chinese money in America. Caution is needed; while what looks like money laundering at first glance may indeed be so, it may be designed to hide the cash from the Chinese government while staying inside American law, a quasi-legal service Hunter possibly supplied.
That 12 Foxwood address shows up again on Biden’s laptop as the mailing address for another Gong Wendong venture, ColdHarbour Capital, which sent and received money to Biden. It is also listed as the residence of Shan Gao, who appears to control accounts in Beijing tied to Hudson, CEFC, and 12 Foxwood.
The most significant appearance of 12 Foxwood was as the mailing address for a secured VISA card in the name of Biden’s company, Hudson West III. The card is funded by someone unnamed through Cathay Bank for $99,000 and guaranteed by someone’s checking account held by Cathay worth $450,000. Shared users of the card are Hunter and Gong Wendong. The card was opened as CEFC secured a stake in a Russian state-owned energy company. Biden and others subsequently used the credit card to purchase $101,291.46 worth of extravagant items, including airline tickets and multiple items at Apple stores, pharmacies, hotels, and restaurants. A Senate report characterized these transactions as “potential financial criminal activity.” Putting money on a secured VISA card in lieu of a direct wire transfer to Biden may be seen by some as an attempt to hide the source of the money and thus allow Biden not to claim it as income.
James Biden and Sara Biden were also authorized users of the credit card, though their business connection to Hunter and Gong Wendong is unclear. Jim is Joe’s brother, Sara his wife. Jim over the years has been a nightclub owner, insurance broker, political consultant, and investor. When he ran into financial trouble having triple mortgaged his home, he was bailed out via loans from Joe and Hunter and by a series of Joe’s donors. Jim also received a loan of $500,000 from John Hynansky, a Ukrainian-American businessman and longtime donor to Joe Biden’s campaigns. This all was in 2015, at the same time the then-vice president oversaw U.S. policy toward the country. As a senator, Joe Biden made use of a private jet owned by Hynansky’s son.
The 12 Foxwood address also appears on millions of dollars worth of bank transfers among Cathay Bank, CEFC, and multiple semi-anonymous LLCs and hedge funds. One single transfer to Hudson West III on August 8, 2017, represented the movement of $5 million from Northern Capital International, which appears to be a Chinese government-owned import-export front company.
Switch over to the CDB Bank folder and you see a wire transfer from Burisma for 36,000 euros, run through a bank in Cyprus, to Biden’s own account on that island. Burisma is the one company from the laptop that made the news. Hunter’s role, what he actually did besides introduce his father to other people, is still unclear.
Burisma must be an interesting place. Hunter’s laptop partially exposes a complex web of sub-companies in Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands such that figuring out who owns who is near impossible. Hunter, speaking to his business partner, speculates about buying a Lithuanian bank to receive the Ukrainian money, and he also notes that Joseph Cofer Black, former director of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center, sits on Burisma’s board. Black previously served as vice chairman at mercenary provider Blackwater Worldwide (now Academi).
All just business, right? Not everyone saw it that way. An email from Wells Fargo’s corporate compliance team (Wells Fargo handled many of the international wire transfers) asks on September 20, 2018, what the actual business of Hudson West is, who its owners are, and where it is located. Also asked is what the purpose of all the incoming wires is. It notes some business accounts appear to be for personal expenses. It also questions numerous outgoing wires to the Lion Hall Group (for example, on September 28, 2018, Hunter ordered $95,000 transferred without explanation), a “business” run by Jim Biden out of a residential address. Jim regularly invoiced Hunter for office expenses and employee costs, as well as a monthly retainer cost of some $68,000, plus other fees in the tens of thousands of dollars.
There is no record of these questions being answered. It is possible to see the disbursal of funds via credit card to Jim Biden as a way to diffuse the amounts away from Hunter, and via Jim’s invoices, a way to convert income from China into deductible business expenses for Hunter in America, reducing his tax burden. The involvement of Lion Hall and Jim Biden also spreads the money around, lowering its profile. If the invoices were shown to be fraudulent (i.e., Jim did not actually consult for Hunter), the potential for tax fraud exists.
Besides Wells Fargo, others also had questions. Hunter’s own CPA, preparing to file 2018 federal taxes, wrote to Hunter asking, “As far as Owasco [Hunter’s law firm] is concerned there were some receipts we classified as loans. Owasco received approximately $550,000 from Burisma and paid about one half this amount to, I believe, someone named ‘Devon.’ I am not sure of the payee… The one half payment to ‘Devon’ was not recorded as income.”
Devon is likely Devon Archer, co-founder and managing partner of Rosemont Capital alongside Hunter. Who else was part of Rosemont? Christopher Heinz, John Kerry’s son. And, small world, Devon Archer sat on the board of Burisma alongside Hunter Biden. The CPA’s concern is that the IRS is sensitive to the fact that some try to conceal income as loans to be written off as expenses later, especially if the amounts are large. This can trigger an audit. If the loans are “forgiven,” then they are income. If not declared, that is potential fraud.
The same note from the CPA indicates Hunter owes $600,000 in personal taxes and another $204,000 for Owasco and urges him to file a return even if he is not going to pay the taxes. Besides taxes, things did not always go well for Hunter. On March 6, 2019, he sent an email to a friend saying, “Buddy do you have a cash app to send me $100 until wire goes. I have no money for gas and I’m literally stuck at a rest stop on 95.” He earlier had sought a $35,000 advance from his regular “draw” out of Owasco. And keep an eye on Hunter’s health—he pays close to $9,000 a quarter for life insurance.
Joe Biden is one lucky S.O.B. When the powers that be decided Barack Obama needed someone a little more, you know, establishment, as his VP to calm voters, there was Joe, as white-bread as the state he represented, vaulted into the White House that had otherwise eluded him. His only controversial points came from having supported the status quo for so many years that it had changed underneath him. Are we tough on crime, or do Black Lives Matter? Didn’t matter to Joe, just point him in the right direction so he knows what to agree with. And so in 2020, when the Democrats realized exactly what kind of man they needed to wipe away the sins of two dishonest and chaotic primaries, well, there was Joe again.
Joe was fortunate that the mainstream media memory-holed Hunter’s story and conservative media lost focus looking for a tweetable smoking gun when the truth was a bit too complicated to parse out in a sentence or two. But there is still a story here.
The short version is there’s a lot to suggest money laundering and tax fraud on Hunter’s part. The purpose of the money in and out was always unclear, with invoices for vague expenses and lots and lots of “consulting.” One could invent a legal explanation for everything. One could imagine many illegal explanations. There is no way anyone could know the difference without seeing Hunter’s taxes, asking him questions, and doing some serious forensic accounting. It is unlikely any of that will happen now that the election is over. Even to Guiliani et al., it really doesn’t matter any more. They took one shot, missed, and walked away.
That will leave undigested the bigger tale of president-elect Biden, who ran in part on an anti-corruption platform following the Trump family escapades. While Joe Biden no doubt regrets what appears to have been a one-off meeting with the Burisma official, he did indeed take the meeting as VP. It’s always easier to apologize when caught than seek permission in advance in Joe’s world.
A 2017 email chain involving Hunter brokering an ultimately failed deal for a new venture with old friend CEFC, the Chinese energy company, described a 10 percent set-aside for the “big guy,” whom former Hunter Biden partner Tony Bobulinski publicly identified as Joe Biden. Joe also took Hunter to China with him on Air Force Two and met with Chinese leaders while Hunter tried to make deals on his own. Joe also had Hunter and partner Devon Archer to the White House only two days before they joined Burisma. It was Joe’s donors and pals who bailed out brother Jim over the years with sweetheart loans.
A lot of appearance of improprietous malarkey from a senior statesman who knows better. In places like China and the Ukraine, where corruption is endemic, it is assumed the sons of rich and powerful men have access to their father and that access is for sale. Hunter Biden traded on those assumptions for millions of dollars, and Joe stood by understanding what was happening. Every father wants to help his son, and Hunter, one can imagine, went to his dad time after time pleading for just one more little favor to get him clear of his sordid past. Joe, a decent man at heart, likely nodded. So a meeting. A handshake. An office visit, a posed photo, whatever would help but was still plausibly deniable. Until the next time. Just one more, Dad. Please?
Joe’s larger role in all things Hunter needs to be questioned. Joe, as well as the Obama State Department, knew about Hunter’s antics. Joe pretended Hunter’s financial windfalls had nothing to do with their relationship and were simply a constant series of coincidental lucky breaks for a ne’er-do-well son who happened to fail upward while his dad was VP. Joe says he and his son never talked about business. Maybe Joe assumed Hunter’s Porsche was just a lucky find (his car payments are on the laptop).
While, of course, Hunter is an adult with his own mind, his father was one of the most powerful men in the world and yet apparently did nothing to stop what was going on among Hunter, his brother Jim, the Chinese, the Ukrainians, and himself—at minimum, the gross appearance of impropriety over a period of years. Biden’s defense has always been sweeping: “My son did nothing wrong.” That alone raises questions of judgment on the part of Joe Biden. Not least because in a few weeks he becomes president of the United States. And if the president does it, it’s not illegal, right?
Peter Van Buren is the author of We Meant Well: How I Helped Lose the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of the Iraqi People, Hooper’s War: A Novel of WWII Japan, and Ghosts of Tom Joad: A Story of the 99 Percent.


theamericanconservative--2020-01-31--The Pennsylvania Valley That Became a Bellwether for Trump

A small group of United Steel Workers march in a Labor Day parade through downtown Bethlehem , Pennsylvania .
( Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images ) It ’ s tempting to think that Pennsylvania ’ s political map is settled in this presidential election year .
And it ’ s true that the state ’ s northeastern and southwestern coal regions , once Democratic , are set to reward Donald Trump again .
Philadelphia ’ s “ collar ” counties , meantime , will continue their Republican purge .
But the outcome of this battle of the voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Lehigh Valley , the most populous region between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh , will prove the bellwether in this fight .
Its cities and towns have already had an understated yet immeasurable impact on America ’ s economy and history .
Come November , its voters could determine Trump ’ s fate in Pennsylvania—and his reelection .
Centered in Lehigh , Northampton , and southern Carbon counties , the Lehigh Valley lies between the endless Blue Mountain range—gateway to the Poconos—and the lower South Mountain range .
Driving eastward on the truck-congested Interstate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distribution centers and chain hotels , Allentown sprawls across the landscape , its low-density scale betraying its distinction as Pennsylvania ’ s third largest city .
Downtown , the art deco PPL Building—reminiscent of the Rockefeller Center—stands as the valley ’ s tallest structure , overlooking row homes that transition to retail strips , small boroughs , and then the bucolic farmland that once made this region the breadbasket of colonial America .
The Lehigh Valley has experienced a demographic transformation since that time , when Pennsylvania Dutch farmers sold wheat and rye @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the 19th century onward , a diverse geology—iron , limestone , zinc , and slate—turned the Lehigh Valley into an industrial and transportation behemoth that swelled its population .
Today , the region continues to grow even as Pennsylvania ’ s population stagnates .
This unremitting demographic change makes the Lehigh Valley a perpetual toss-up in presidential elections .
But its shifting voting patterns—driven in part by blue-collar families , affluent transplants , and Latino neighborhoods—often predict statewide outcomes .
Northampton County , for example , has voted for the winning presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Northampton is a great microcosm of the state , and to a slightly lesser degree , the country , ” said Christopher Borick , director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion .
“ I think Northampton is the bellwether county.
” In 2016 , Trump enjoyed a surprisingly strong performance in the Lehigh Valley .
Northampton County , despite a Democratic advantage among registered voters , supported the GOP nominee for the first time since 1988 .
Though Clinton won Lehigh County , home to Allentown , her winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s in 2008 and 2012—another factor in Trump ’ s winning the state by just 44,000 votes .
It was Northampton ’ s preference for Trump , however , that played a crucial role .
Northampton was just one of three counties—joined by Luzerne and Erie—that went for Obama twice before flocking to Trump .
Yet it didn ’ t easily fit Trump ’ s message of American carnage .
“ It isn ’ t as perfectly molded to the Trump model as a place like Luzerne or Erie because its economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ And so , it ’ s not the safest place for Trump to retain the results of 2016.
” Since the Great Recession , Northampton County has reaped the benefits of the Lehigh Valley ’ s economic transformation , marked by its greatest period of growth since the early 20th century .
It ’ s now among the nation ’ s fastest growing regions , with a $ 41.2 billion GDP—more than Vermont and Wyoming .
Due to its advantageous location , not far from metro New York , the Lehigh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s largest logistics hubs , ranking second globally for growth in industrial rents .
Its highway network is packed with trucks at all hours , which serve 40 percent of U.S. consumers along the eastern seaboard .
These trucks drive to and from multi-million square foot distribution centers—such as FedEx , Walmart , Amazon , and QVC—sprouting off highway exits and employing thousands .
The Lehigh Valley is also home to top universities , massive health care systems , advanced manufacturing , and Fortune 500 companies , including chemicals giant Air Products , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new global headquarters .
In addition , the region ’ s cities—Allentown , Bethlehem , and Easton—are enjoying an urban renaissance .
Since 2010 , Allentown , long associated with decline , has undergone about $ 1 billion in new and planned downtown development , thanks to a state-created special taxing district .
Center City Allentown , once blighted and empty , now features a sports arena , restaurants , apartment buildings , high rises , and a new office for ADP , the global payroll company , that employs over 1,000 associates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend , as well as its own recent past .
After all , a quarter century ago , the Lehigh Valley seemed ready for an obituary .
Billy Joel even wrote a hit song about it .
In 1995 , Bethlehem Steel , the nation ’ s second largest steelmaker , closed after 130 years of operation .
Seventy years earlier , its chief engineer had declared that “ Bethlehem Steel owned New York.
” For decades , its steel helped build the nation ’ s landmark skyscrapers and bridges , from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bridge .
Over time , cheaper foreign steel , particularly from China , extinguished an industry that once contributed , directly and indirectly , to the wages of 40 percent of Americans .
The Lehigh Valley became a region that thought in the past tense .
At one time , its steel , slate , and cement industries shaped industrial America , while its rivers and railroads transported anthracite coal that fueled big cities .
Through the late 20th century , however , it was beset by industrial decline .
By 2008 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Allentown , had moved its headquarters to North Carolina .
When Bethlehem Steel closed , one furnace operator advised evacuation .
“ There ’ s nothing here for them anymore , ” he told the New York Times .
“ Just a town looking over a graveyard.
” Today , that graveyard is home to SteelStacks , an arts and events venue that ’ s also the nation ’ s largest revitalized brownfield .
Though prosperous days are here again , regional discontent has intensified with economic and demographic change .
In particular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lehigh Valley ’ s formerly agricultural character , now accounting for less than a quarter of the region ’ s 726 square miles .
Massive distribution centers , the size of several football fields , are built seemingly overnight on farmland .
The structures house new employers , but their presence—compounded by increasing traffic—divides the region .
The working class , for example , questions the quality of jobs .
“ There ’ s a lot of job opportunities , ” one maintenance worker recently told the Times , “ but it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Newer residents , meantime , express dismay over the proliferation of warehouses near suburban developments .
In response , several townships have approved income tax increases to preserve open space .
These newer residents ensure the Lehigh Valley ’ s toss-up status in presidential races .
Northampton County ’ s cultural foundation remains traditionally working-class , but scores of younger professionals continue to relocate—or stay—for the region ’ s employment opportunities , affordable housing , and excellent schools .
The Lehigh Valley has become a refuge for people fleeing metro New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transplants are hardly loyal to Republicans , as reflected in post-Trump election cycles .
In 2018 , Democrat Susan Wild won the Lehigh Valley-based congressional district , succeeding Republican Charlie Dent , who retired .
And in 2019 , Democrats took control of Lehigh County ’ s board of commissioners for the first time in 40 years .
Trump prevailed in 2016 , but subsequent local voting patterns are more reflective of suburban Philadelphia than western Pennsylvania .
In 2016 , Trump ’ s message of economic decline resonated with the Lehigh Valley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ironically , the region could deny him an encore performance this year despite its resounding comeback .
The election will prove a cultural clash , pitting the conservative blue-collar worker—with regional roots dating back generations—against the liberal well-to-do suburbanite who just relocated from New York .
As part of Philadelphia ’ s media market , the region will require big campaign dollars from Trump and the Democratic candidate to reach its voters .
And if Trump holds a rally in Allentown ’ s downtown arena , he ’ d better keep Joel ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region never looked better , and if enough of its newer residents stand in line , he could lose Pennsylvania ’ s invaluable electoral votes—and the election .
Charles F. McElwee is assistant editor of City Journal .
Follow him on Twitter @ CFMcElwee .

It’s tempting to think that Pennsylvania’s political map is settled in this presidential election year. And it’s true that the state’s northeastern and southwestern coal regions, once Democratic, are set to reward Donald Trump again. Philadelphia’s “collar” counties, meantime, will continue their Republican purge. But the outcome of this battle of the voting margins—working class versus suburbanite—still remains unpredictable.
The Lehigh Valley, the most populous region between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, will prove the bellwether in this fight. Its cities and towns have already had an understated yet immeasurable impact on America’s economy and history. Come November, its voters could determine Trump’s fate in Pennsylvania—and his reelection.
Centered in Lehigh, Northampton, and southern Carbon counties, the Lehigh Valley lies between the endless Blue Mountain range—gateway to the Poconos—and the lower South Mountain range. Driving eastward on the truck-congested Interstate 78 or Route 22, past the distribution centers and chain hotels, Allentown sprawls across the landscape, its low-density scale betraying its distinction as Pennsylvania’s third largest city. Downtown, the art deco PPL Building—reminiscent of the Rockefeller Center—stands as the valley’s tallest structure, overlooking row homes that transition to retail strips, small boroughs, and then the bucolic farmland that once made this region the breadbasket of colonial America.
The Lehigh Valley has experienced a demographic transformation since that time, when Pennsylvania Dutch farmers sold wheat and rye on credit to the Continental Army. From the 19th century onward, a diverse geology—iron, limestone, zinc, and slate—turned the Lehigh Valley into an industrial and transportation behemoth that swelled its population. Today, the region continues to grow even as Pennsylvania’s population stagnates.
This unremitting demographic change makes the Lehigh Valley a perpetual toss-up in presidential elections. But its shifting voting patterns—driven in part by blue-collar families, affluent transplants, and Latino neighborhoods—often predict statewide outcomes. Northampton County, for example, has voted for the winning presidential candidate in nearly every election since 1932. “Northampton is a great microcosm of the state, and to a slightly lesser degree, the country,” said Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. “I think Northampton is the bellwether county.”
In 2016, Trump enjoyed a surprisingly strong performance in the Lehigh Valley. Northampton County, despite a Democratic advantage among registered voters, supported the GOP nominee for the first time since 1988. Though Clinton won Lehigh County, home to Allentown, her winning margin was comparatively smaller than Barack Obama’s in 2008 and 2012—another factor in Trump’s winning the state by just 44,000 votes. It was Northampton’s preference for Trump, however, that played a crucial role. Northampton was just one of three counties—joined by Luzerne and Erie—that went for Obama twice before flocking to Trump. Yet it didn’t easily fit Trump’s message of American carnage. “It isn’t as perfectly molded to the Trump model as a place like Luzerne or Erie because its economic status is better,” said Borick. “And so, it’s not the safest place for Trump to retain the results of 2016.”
Since the Great Recession, Northampton County has reaped the benefits of the Lehigh Valley’s economic transformation, marked by its greatest period of growth since the early 20th century. It’s now among the nation’s fastest growing regions, with a $41.2 billion GDP—more than Vermont and Wyoming. Due to its advantageous location, not far from metro New York, the Lehigh Valley is also among the nation’s largest logistics hubs, ranking second globally for growth in industrial rents. Its highway network is packed with trucks at all hours, which serve 40 percent of U.S. consumers along the eastern seaboard. These trucks drive to and from multi-million square foot distribution centers—such as FedEx, Walmart, Amazon, and QVC—sprouting off highway exits and employing thousands.
The Lehigh Valley is also home to top universities, massive health care systems, advanced manufacturing, and Fortune 500 companies, including chemicals giant Air Products, which is building a $400 million new global headquarters. In addition, the region’s cities—Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton—are enjoying an urban renaissance. Since 2010, Allentown, long associated with decline, has undergone about $1 billion in new and planned downtown development, thanks to a state-created special taxing district. Center City Allentown, once blighted and empty, now features a sports arena, restaurants, apartment buildings, high rises, and a new office for ADP, the global payroll company, that employs over 1,000 associates.
The region defies every Rust Belt trend, as well as its own recent past. After all, a quarter century ago, the Lehigh Valley seemed ready for an obituary. Billy Joel even wrote a hit song about it. In 1995, Bethlehem Steel, the nation’s second largest steelmaker, closed after 130 years of operation. Seventy years earlier, its chief engineer had declared that “Bethlehem Steel owned New York.” For decades, its steel helped build the nation’s landmark skyscrapers and bridges, from the Empire State Building to the Golden Gate Bridge. Over time, cheaper foreign steel, particularly from China, extinguished an industry that once contributed, directly and indirectly, to the wages of 40 percent of Americans.
The Lehigh Valley became a region that thought in the past tense. At one time, its steel, slate, and cement industries shaped industrial America, while its rivers and railroads transported anthracite coal that fueled big cities. Through the late 20th century, however, it was beset by industrial decline. By 2008, even Mack Trucks, once synonymous with Allentown, had moved its headquarters to North Carolina. When Bethlehem Steel closed, one furnace operator advised evacuation. “There’s nothing here for them anymore,” he told the New York Times. “Just a town looking over a graveyard.” Today, that graveyard is home to SteelStacks, an arts and events venue that’s also the nation’s largest revitalized brownfield.
Though prosperous days are here again, regional discontent has intensified with economic and demographic change. In particular, industrial and suburban sprawl imperils the Lehigh Valley’s formerly agricultural character, now accounting for less than a quarter of the region’s 726 square miles. Massive distribution centers, the size of several football fields, are built seemingly overnight on farmland. The structures house new employers, but their presence—compounded by increasing traffic—divides the region. The working class, for example, questions the quality of jobs. “There’s a lot of job opportunities,” one maintenance worker recently told the Times, “but it’s harder to make a good wage.” Newer residents, meantime, express dismay over the proliferation of warehouses near suburban developments. In response, several townships have approved income tax increases to preserve open space.
These newer residents ensure the Lehigh Valley’s toss-up status in presidential races. Northampton County’s cultural foundation remains traditionally working-class, but scores of younger professionals continue to relocate—or stay—for the region’s employment opportunities, affordable housing, and excellent schools. The Lehigh Valley has become a refuge for people fleeing metro New York’s unsustainable costs. But these transplants are hardly loyal to Republicans, as reflected in post-Trump election cycles. In 2018, Democrat Susan Wild won the Lehigh Valley-based congressional district, succeeding Republican Charlie Dent, who retired. And in 2019, Democrats took control of Lehigh County’s board of commissioners for the first time in 40 years. Trump prevailed in 2016, but subsequent local voting patterns are more reflective of suburban Philadelphia than western Pennsylvania.
In 2016, Trump’s message of economic decline resonated with the Lehigh Valley’s working- and middle-class voters. Ironically, the region could deny him an encore performance this year despite its resounding comeback. The election will prove a cultural clash, pitting the conservative blue-collar worker—with regional roots dating back generations—against the liberal well-to-do suburbanite who just relocated from New York. As part of Philadelphia’s media market, the region will require big campaign dollars from Trump and the Democratic candidate to reach its voters. And if Trump holds a rally in Allentown’s downtown arena, he’d better keep Joel’s song off the playlist. The region never looked better, and if enough of its newer residents stand in line, he could lose Pennsylvania’s invaluable electoral votes—and the election.
Charles F. McElwee is assistant editor of City Journal. Follow him on Twitter @CFMcElwee.


theamericanconservative--2020-01-31--Democratic Elites Take on Bernie at Their Own Peril

Democratic Elites Take on Bernie at Their Own Peril Nominating him could destroy the Democrats come November .
But intervening against him could cause damage too .
Can a septuagenarian socialist who just survived a heart attack and would be 80 years old in his first year in office be elected president of the United States ?
It ’ s hard to believe but not impossible .
As of today , Bernie Sanders looks like one of the better , if not best , bets for the nomination .
Polls have him running first or second in the first three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Hampshire and Nevada .
If Bernie can best main rival Joe Biden in Iowa , he will likely thump Joe in New Hampshire .
Biden ’ s campaign , built around “ electability , ” could suffer a credibility collapse before he reaches South Carolina , where Joe is banking on his African-American base to rescue him if necessary and give him a send-off victory straight into Super Tuesday .
If Sanders can beat Biden two or three times in the first four primaries in February , the last remaining roadblock on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be Mike Bloomberg ’ s billions .
Hillary Clinton may sneer , “ Nobody likes him , ” but Bernie has a large , dedicated , loyal following , especially among Millennials , and tens of thousands more small-dollar donors than any other Democratic candidate .
He is flush with cash .
He has a radical agenda that appeals to the ideological left and the idealistic young .
The rising star of the party , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , is campaigning alongside him .
And say what you will , Sanders is no trimmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his values and views .
He voted no to Bush 41 ’ s Gulf War , no to Bush 43 ’ s Iraq War , no to NAFTA , no to GATT .
In the ’ 80s , when President Reagan battled the Marxist Sandinistas in Nicaragua , Sanders was on the other side .
But what makes Sanders an appealing candidate for the Democratic nomination may prove poisonous to him as a party nominee in the fall .
For what does Bernie promise ?
Free tuition at public colleges and forgiveness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All , ” a single-payer government-run health care system that would require a huge hike in middle-class taxes and abolish private health insurance for the 160 million Americans currently enrolled .
He would break up the big banks , go after Wall Street , add $ 60 trillion of federal spending in the next decade , and raise income , corporate , capital gains , estate , and inheritance taxes .
He would expand the government ’ s share of the U.S. economy to levels rivaling that of France , the highest in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to back the Green New Deal and pledges to reach carbon neutrality in 10 years in energy and transportation .
As for our oil , gas , and coal producers , says Sanders , they “ have evaded taxes , desecrated tribal lands , exploited workers and poisoned communities.
” How would Sanders deal with the millions of illegal migrants now within the country ?
He ’ d welcome them all in .
Bernie has proposed the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection and wants to provide a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 22 million illegal migrants already here .
He would decriminalize border jumping and give health and welfare benefits to the invaders .
He would decriminalize the breaching of America ’ s borders .
“ My first executive orders , ” tweeted Bernie last week , “ will be to reverse every single thing President Trump has done to demonize and harm immigrants , including his racist and disgusting Muslim ban.
” Leaders of the center-left think tank Third Way warn that a Sanders nomination risks a Democratic rout of the magnitude of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and of Walter Mondale in 1984 .
Vulnerable Democrats in moderate and swing districts would have to jump ship , abandoning the ticket to survive the slaughter .
Fearful of such an outcome , super PACs run by moderate Democrats have begun to dump hundreds of thousands of dollars into attack ads to blunt his momentum in Iowa .
What socialist Jeremy Corbyn did to Britain ’ s Labour party—leading it to the worst defeat since the 1930s—Sanders could do to the Democratic Party , write Jon Cowan and Jim Kessler of Third @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a surprisingly strong race for the nomination , and it was later learned that a supposedly neutral DNC had been in the tank for Hillary Clinton .
The Democratic establishment , the party elite , had collaborated to put the fix in against Bernie .
Yet Sanders supported Clinton that fall .
If , however , Bernie ’ s last chance at the nomination is aborted by an establishment piling on , party super PACs running attack ads against him , and major media taking time out from trashing Trump to break Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devil ’ s time of it bringing Bernie ’ s backers home in the fall .
Bernie ’ s believers might just conclude that the real obstacle to their dream of remaking America is neither the radical right nor Donald Trump , but the elites within their own party .
Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of Nixon ’ s White House Wars : The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever .
To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Can a septuagenarian socialist who just survived a heart attack and would be 80 years old in his first year in office be elected president of the United States? It’s hard to believe but not impossible.
As of today, Bernie Sanders looks like one of the better, if not best, bets for the nomination. Polls have him running first or second in the first three contests: Iowa on Monday and then New Hampshire and Nevada.
If Bernie can best main rival Joe Biden in Iowa, he will likely thump Joe in New Hampshire. Biden’s campaign, built around “electability,” could suffer a credibility collapse before he reaches South Carolina, where Joe is banking on his African-American base to rescue him if necessary and give him a send-off victory straight into Super Tuesday.
If Sanders can beat Biden two or three times in the first four primaries in February, the last remaining roadblock on Sanders’ path to the nomination could be Mike Bloomberg’s billions.
Hillary Clinton may sneer, “Nobody likes him,” but Bernie has a large, dedicated, loyal following, especially among Millennials, and tens of thousands more small-dollar donors than any other Democratic candidate.
He is flush with cash. He has a radical agenda that appeals to the ideological left and the idealistic young. The rising star of the party, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is campaigning alongside him.
And say what you will, Sanders is no trimmer or time-server. He has consistently voted his values and views. He voted no to Bush 41’s Gulf War, no to Bush 43’s Iraq War, no to NAFTA, no to GATT. In the ’80s, when President Reagan battled the Marxist Sandinistas in Nicaragua, Sanders was on the other side.
But what makes Sanders an appealing candidate for the Democratic nomination may prove poisonous to him as a party nominee in the fall.
For what does Bernie promise?
Free tuition at public colleges and forgiveness of all student debt. “Medicare for All,” a single-payer government-run health care system that would require a huge hike in middle-class taxes and abolish private health insurance for the 160 million Americans currently enrolled.
He would break up the big banks, go after Wall Street, add $60 trillion of federal spending in the next decade, and raise income, corporate, capital gains, estate, and inheritance taxes.
He would expand the government’s share of the U.S. economy to levels rivaling that of France, the highest in the free world.
Bernie was first to back the Green New Deal and pledges to reach carbon neutrality in 10 years in energy and transportation. As for our oil, gas, and coal producers, says Sanders, they “have evaded taxes, desecrated tribal lands, exploited workers and poisoned communities.”
How would Sanders deal with the millions of illegal migrants now within the country? He’d welcome them all in.
Bernie has proposed the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection and wants to provide a pathway to citizenship for the 11 to 22 million illegal migrants already here. He would decriminalize border jumping and give health and welfare benefits to the invaders.
He would decriminalize the breaching of America’s borders.
“My first executive orders,” tweeted Bernie last week, “will be to reverse every single thing President Trump has done to demonize and harm immigrants, including his racist and disgusting Muslim ban.”
Leaders of the center-left think tank Third Way warn that a Sanders nomination risks a Democratic rout of the magnitude of the 49-state losses of George McGovern in 1972 and of Walter Mondale in 1984.
Vulnerable Democrats in moderate and swing districts would have to jump ship, abandoning the ticket to survive the slaughter.
Fearful of such an outcome, super PACs run by moderate Democrats have begun to dump hundreds of thousands of dollars into attack ads to blunt his momentum in Iowa.
What socialist Jeremy Corbyn did to Britain’s Labour party—leading it to the worst defeat since the 1930s—Sanders could do to the Democratic Party, write Jon Cowan and Jim Kessler of Third Way.
In 2016, Sanders ran a surprisingly strong race for the nomination, and it was later learned that a supposedly neutral DNC had been in the tank for Hillary Clinton. The Democratic establishment, the party elite, had collaborated to put the fix in against Bernie.
Yet Sanders supported Clinton that fall. If, however, Bernie’s last chance at the nomination is aborted by an establishment piling on, party super PACs running attack ads against him, and major media taking time out from trashing Trump to break Sanders, the Democratic Party will have the devil’s time of it bringing Bernie’s backers home in the fall.
Bernie’s believers might just conclude that the real obstacle to their dream of remaking America is neither the radical right nor Donald Trump, but the elites within their own party.
Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of Nixon’s White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever. To find out more about Patrick Buchanan and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators website at www.creators.com.