Settle in, this one is super-duper juicy.

Several months ago, I read a long and highly technical article about the money trail from Russia to “green” organizations in the USA. Allegedly, the Russians were funding groups to stop fracking and promote alternate forms of energy. I thought, “hmmmm”, and made a mental note. We all have our doubts about the “Muh, Russia” investigation because it never made sense – no motive for Trump and the Russians already did business with Hillary/Bill. Yet, if the Russians primary export is oil, it would make sense for Russia to want to curb American oil production. The article was plausible, and the authors did a good job of tracking the money. I forgot about it because I’m a simple person behind a keyboard with no authority.

But the Steyer/Oil/Russians/Green/Anti-Trump story keeps coming back and it’s starting to make sense as part of a bigger picture.

Tom Steyer is the California billionaire who spent millions to run advertising on CNN and other outlets promoting the impeachment of President Trump. Please don’t click on this link as it leads to CNN.

Yesterday, we learned Steyer will fund opposition to Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows. Link to article from WaExaminer Steyer’s PAC, “Need to Impeach, is launching a weeklong TV ad campaign, worth $75,000, in the districts of Jordan and Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., two of Trump’s biggest defenders in Congress. Both congressmen cruised to easy re-election victories in 2018.” Further in the article, we learn Steyer threatens to spend 7 figures on his ad buys. It COULD be part of Jerry Nadler’s attempt to ‘persuade the public that impeachment is necessary’.

But what the heck is wrong with Steyer? Why is he so adamantly opposed to our President and everyone in the Trump Admin? Did they have a deal 30 years ago which went bad? Did Trump steal Steyer’s former girlfriend? Why all the animus? Check out these Steyer tweets and trust me, they WON’T age well. Note, we have Steyer retweeting Nadler (coincidence, part of a pattern, or planned?)

Is there anyone in this Administration who did not have contact with the Russians? #Trumprussia

— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) March 2, 2017

Did you hear the rumor Steyer made his money in oil? Does it seem strange Steyer would now be such a vocal proponent of green energy? Did Steyer have an epiphany which would explain his 180 degree turn on the subject of energy? Or was there a turn in opinion at all?

Then, this morning, I saw this line in a Breitbart article. A green campaigner whose war on the U.S. fracking industry curiously aligns with the one waged and heavily funded by his Russian friends? 

You mean Steyer made his billions on Russian Oil????????? I had to get a new cup of coffee and read further. No kidding. Steyer is in bed with the Russians. How about that one?

From the article, a bit of background: “He made his fortune through his hedge fund Farallon Capital Management (at one point the world’s 19th largest) which in 2008 invested in Geotech Oil Services, one of the largest oilfield service companies in Russia. In 2010 Steyer sold part of his holding to the Volga Group, a privately held investment group that manages assets on behalf of Russian oligarch and Putin confidante Gennady Timchenko.”

And Timchenko is one of the Russians who were sanctioned by Mnuchin, Sec of Treas, in the Trump Admin.? And…… “A leaked U.S. State Department cable put a finer point on it stating that Timchenko “is rumored to be a former KGB colleague of Putin’s.” A real link to an actual Russian? Makes Steyer’s comments look rather odd.

It gets better.

Steyer’s been buttocks deep in Russia since the 90’s. When the Soviet Union fell apart, the US State Dept (USAID) called on Harvard to ‘advise’ the Russians on how to run an economy. Two guys were selected – Harvard economist Andrei Shleifer and Jonathan Hay, and they named the project Harvard University’s Institute of International Development (HIID). The two guys got into trouble, trying to make money for themselves, and were charged by our gov’t. Here’s a copy of the filing for the case: Link

Well, on page 5 of the indictment, we learn Andrei Shleifer is married to Nancy Zimmerman (follow the wives), who, during the time relevant to this litigation, managed a hedge fund known as Farallon Fixed Income Associates……. and Farallon was owned/managed by ………, guess who?   Tom Steyer.

From the article, “Harvard would eventually shutter the HIID following the scandal. Farallon provided the investment vehicle for a number of those schemes and was also the target of legal action by the U.S. government for its role.” Ohhh, we’re going to need another cup of coffee. You mean Steyer was colluding with Russian oligarchs and doing something illegal? You mean Steyer’s company actions were soooooo nefarious, he was charged by the US Federal Gov’t? And no one went to prison………

But what happened to Steyer? “How did he get out of his problems?”, you might ask. Ohhh, I would never intentionally IMPUGN the honor of Tom Steyer, but suddenly he seems to have an epiphany …….. at the same time he becomes a backer of Hillary Clinton. Oh lookie here, we found a letter from students at Yale and others, protesting Steyer and questioning Farallon’s investment ‘ethics’ from the March of 2004.

From the Epiphany letter  : “We are students and alumni who attend the universities that entrust millions of dollars of endowment funds to Farallon. We write to request a meeting with you to discuss the ethics of Farallon’s investment practices.” This letter is from people at Stanford, UPenn, Yale, and University of Texas and it’s pretty much a threat to Farallon and Steyer.

Keep in mind, the date of the charge against Harvard guys is June 28, 2004. AND only the two guys were charged. When and why did Steyer suddenly form “NextGen Super PAC” to support Hillary? Keep following the timeline, this is a year or so before all the Uranium One business cranks up. Keep in mind, no one from Farallon went to jail for making zillions in Russia, with help from the Harvard guys. And Steyer eventually sells out in ’08 and ’10.

So, what does Steyer do with his time? He is one greedy son of a bitch, this guy. Steyer decides to make money promoting the OTHER side of energy and hops into bed with the Russians (did he ever get out of bed?) and the Dems with their green activists, you know, those easily manipulated students, who don’t ask too many questions.

Get another cup of coffee, with Bailey’s this time, and peruse this sweet little document. It’s only 7 pages but here’s the summary. You guys have to see this to believe it: Link

“On July 30th 2014 the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works issued a Minority Staff report titled “The Chain of Environmental Command: How a Club of Billionaires and Their Foundations Control the Environmental Movement and Obama’s EPA.” The 92–page report details a dizzy web of “dark money” from foreign investments to the American environmental movement through a foundation called Sea Change Foundation. At one point, the authors identify the limitations of their report:

While this report sheds significant light on the who and the how, the truly outrageous nature of these complex arrangements are only understood by exploring the why. This report articulates several possible reasons for the convoluted and secretive structure of the far-left environmental movement; yet, at the end of the day, we are still asking – why? Why are members of the Billionaire’s Club going to such extreme lengths to hide their generous support of supposed charitable causes?

In the below report, we believe we have taken an important step toward answering that question with new information and never-before-identified players and connections.
Our report begins where the Senate report ended, with Klein Ltd. Klein Ltd., a corporation that “only exists on paper” and is based out of a Bermuda law firm called Wakefield Quin, gave $23 million dollars to environmental bundler Sea Change Foundation from 2010 to 2011, which has given tens of millions to other U.S. environmental groups.

While it is unclear who is funding Klein, the law firm controlling this shady offshore funder of the U.S. environmental movement has ties to Russian money laundering, a friend and advisor of Vladimir Putin, Russian oil production, and more. According to its Articles of Incorporation, Klein was formed by two employees of Wakefield Quin
(WQ), a Bermuda law firm. A Klein director and WQ senior counsel, along with another WQ senior counsel, have pasts that should be considered questionable at best. Both held directorship positions in a group, owned by Russian minister of telecommunications and longtime Putin friend Leonid Reiman, which was the subject of a 2008 money laundering case. The group was ultimately convicted in British Virgin Islands court.

WQ’s Russian involvement doesn’t stop there. Marcuard Spectrum, a Moscow-based investment firm, operates a hedge fund in Bermuda based out of WQ’s office. Both of the aforementioned WQ lawyers are listed in leadership positions. Further, one of the founders of Marcuard is also the chair of Russian owned oil giant Rosneft.

There have been significant questions about whether foreign interests—particularly Russian—are funding attacks on U.S. natural gas because it would hurt the Kremlin. Here we have a major foreign funder of the U.S. environmental movement tied through its Bermuda office to Russian money laundering and the Russian government.” And folks, that’s just the summary for Klein and Sea Change Foundation.

Here is the link to the 92 page report done by the Senate called “How a Club of Billionaires and Their Foundations Control the Environmental Movement and Obama’s EPA” Link

OMG, Rosneft? Does Steyer have another house in Bermuda AND in Moscow? Funneling money to a Bermuda shell corp? With a Russian hedge fund working out of the SAME law firm? To fund the green movement in the USA? To influence the Americans to STOP producing oil and LNG?

Sooooooooo, the Green Movement is funded by Russians who are influencing USA policy? OMG, this is too good for words. Green = Pro-Russia. Climate change narrative is coming from those already ‘influenced’ by Russians. Wow.

Are you ready? It’s not just Klein, LTD or Sea Change. And yes, Steyer did donate 4.15 million to the Sea Change Org. We found more trails of foreign money. Nest of Green money link  Blue Green Alliance Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, the Rockefeller Family Fund and many others. They oppose fracking, drilling, LNG export, pipelines, anything oil related. And Russians help to fund it.

Now, it all makes sense. Now, we understand, as clearly as I can see my empty coffee cup, why Obama wanted to kill coal……. and why the left opposes fossil fuels. It’s all about the money for a few people at the top of the pyramid and their dolts they fund as activists.

Did ANYONE think the legislature of California gave a damn about straws? If they’re really worried about ocean pollution, why aren’t they protesting the Chinese Embassy? Does ANYONE think AOC really wants us to all ride bikes and save the earth? Do you really think Socialist influenced teacher orgs would spend 20 yrs trying to indoctrinate our kids on “global warming” if there were not “trillions at stake”?

Color me suspicious.

Meanwhile the effing Russians and Germans are building the Nordstrom pipeline? And Merkel was ‘upset’ that President Trump ‘mentioned’ the pipeline? Oh yeah, buddy, we are onto you now. Now, I am actually mad at the Russians and their “green billionaire whores” here in the USA. Our President, his administration, and the boys from Texas are going to kick some Russian/Silicon valley ass.

In summary, NOW do you understand why Jill Stein was sitting at the table with Putin, right next to Putin’s Spokesman? and Chief of Staff? Gee whiz, maybe that’s why Mike Flynn was there (our guy in the room?). It might explain Carter Page’s periphery involvement and Papadopoulis too……., all experts on oil.

We can see clearly now. The fog has lifted. We understand why President Trump pulled out of the Paris Accord, and why we magically have 16 LNG ports coming on line. It explains the trip to Poland and the LNG deal. It explains Wilbur Ross using oil and LNG as bargaining chips. It’s all about the oil and the money.

Economic power, baby! And USA leverage!

Trump wins, USA wins, and we win!

If medical care is 16% of our economy, the amount is about 3 1/2 TRILLION dollars. Is anyone completely satisfied with their healthcare? What do we get for our money? What if a cure to our ailment existed but we did not know about the cure? What if the possible cure for our terminal disease was not yet approved by the FDA? Well, we have a solution to the FDA problem with President Trump’s “Right to Try”.
What about other diseases? What about AIDS? How much money, press, and human suffering, do you suppose we’ve expended on AIDS?
Bookmark 1:57:20 in President Trump’s SOTU speech in this video. Listen for a minute or two while the President talks about AIDS and the possibility of finding a cure. LINK to speech.  LOOK at his face.
Was it strange to you that President Trump would address AIDS and ask Congress for money to eradicate AIDS in 10 years? Did it sound like an outlandish dream at the time? His speech was February 5th, about a month ago. LOOK at the video. President Trump knows something, but he is not elaborating.
My ears perked up because our family was so involved in AIDS research and treatment. Husband’s biggest case involved a big pharma, prescribing human growth hormone to AIDS patients, and billing Medicare $20K a month. Physicians were prescribing an amount 4-20X’s the FDA recommendation to treat the SYMPTOM but not the cure for AIDS. Pharmacies and physicians were bilking the taxpayers, lining their own pockets, at the expense of those who were terminally ill.
Yet, President Trump’s reaction speaks to “new strides” in AIDS and we are “so close”. It was odd language.
Because we are the Q tree, we look for references, hints of things to come, information available to ‘SOME’, but not the general public. Because we are critical thinkers, we notice information from disparate sources. We like to connect the dots.
QPost #252 is a cryptic post about Red Cross and diseases being invented by families, AIDS, etc. The post is not specific, sounds like a wild claim, and could be interpreted in multiple ways by millions of people….. all with their own opinion.
But then we come to Q Post #694
Q !UW.yye1fxo ID: ee33a6 No.300473 📁
Feb 7 2018 22:06:12 (EST)
What if cures already exist?
What about the billions (public/private/govt) provided to fund cure dev?
Sheep.
These people are sick!
Q
Gee, that’s pretty specific. No naming a particular disease but making a specific charge of suppression of a cure.
Well, it would make sense. We all know it’s more profitable to treat the symptoms of a disease than find a cure, right? We also suspect many diseases have been cured, and the cure suppressed, in order to continue the money train. The conspiracy theorists are in overdrive and wondering if we will begin to see an avalanche of the ‘cure’ for many diseases.
We also know, from 2 days ago, the second AIDS patient was ‘cured’ of AIDS and the key seems to come from a bone marrow transplant from those who are Euro-Caucasian 1% gene carriers who are resistant to the disease. Link to NYTimes article
Another curious incident was the sudden resignation of Scott Gottlieb, Head of the FDA. Gottlieb recently quashed a rumor that he was leaving and was specific about announcing his 2019 plans and agenda for the agency. What happened? We have no explanation. His resignation could be related or it could be a simple coincidence. Link to the Gottlieb resignation article.
Further news, across all media outlets in the public sphere, swirls around the President’s attempt to lower prescription drug pricing, and the Dems seem to agree. Yet, the two political parties disagree on HOW to lower costs. Meanwhile, we know there are 5 major diseases which soak up about 600 billion dollars in prescription costs (high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. ). Strangely, we get an announcement from Eli Lilly, a new generic diabetic medication, which would lower costs to treat a long term illness —- by 50%. Link to Barron’s article on Lilly’s new generic.
We throw around the terms “billion” and “trillion” so much so that ordinary citizens can’t possibly grasp the concept of how much money we are really talking about. Well, if we COULD save 60 billion dollars for the medical treatment of one of our most common diseases, diabetes, the amount would be equal to the entire budget for the Dept of Education – including federal student loans. Yeah, it’s a LOT of money. Recall, the Obamacare plan did nothing to reduce the actual cost of healthcare. Obamacare merely mandated who would pay for healthcare and what kind of services were to be provided.
Are we moving to a time where we actually begin to examine effective ways to lower health costs?
Keep your eye on breaking news from the medical community. Let’s all hope we see an avalanche of good news……….. and take your vitamins!

Remember this guy? The crying Indian? His name was Iron Eyes Cody. He died in 1999 and has a star in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. He was part of the Keep America Beautiful Campaign, and he influenced an entire generation.

The Crying Indian campaign to stop littering was enormously successful and changed our society. These were PSA’s or Public Service Announcements, done by the Ad Council. They were not political. It was common sense, “don’t be trashy”, pick up after yourself, be responsible, we’re ALL Americans, and we’re all individually culpable for the environment. We can all pitch in to make the country “prettier” and someone who DID litter was fined and shamed. The culture shifted, and yes, it was a positive change.
Recently, I watched an old episode of “Mad Men”, which is a series based in the 60’s. The main characters took their children to the park for a picnic and left their trash. The father threw a can at a tree. My eyes went wide. No American, raised in the 70’s-80’s-90’s would do such a thing. Right? Well, while we successfully altered our behavior, the rest of the world didn’t get the message.
Dad traveled to South America and Europe during the 70’s and remarked about the trash, everywhere. I remember it and even though I was a kid, I thought, “Why would they not care?”. A generation later, when I traveled on business to South America, I was astonished by the level of unorganized garbage collection. Asia is even worse. It’s true, China alone, is responsible for 30% of the plastic found in our oceans. Don’t even think about going to a public beach in China. Here is Sanya Beach, where the city employees remove 28 metric tons of garbage from the beaches EVERY DAY.

Currently, the USA has about 25% of our population who are foreign born AND it’s been 40 years since the Crying Indian ads. Might be time for more Crying Indian ads, eh? Have you been to a beach lately in the USA? I have. People leave diapers and Wal-Mart sacks. It’s disgusting. It’s laziness. Sloth. Inexcusable.
We don’t need a Green New Deal, which is estimated to cost 93 trillion dollars, if we can’t get our own citizens to get up, and walk their trash to the garbage can. AND if environmentalists want to make the world a more beautiful place, they should probably start by protesting the Chinese Embassy. Better yet, rather than protesting and complaining, talk the Chinese into running their own version of the Crying Indian ads. It might work. It might accomplish the stated goal of environmentalists.
Look deeper. If I can easily figure out how to solve half of China’s ocean pollution, thus 15% of the ocean’s plastic, from my desktop, why hasn’t it been done already? Perhaps the goal is not a clean planet. Perhaps the goal is really more about control of the people who would be potential polluters…… which brings us to the Green New Deal.
David Harsanyi from The Federalist has an interesting article about the 10 Most Insane Requirements of the Green New Deal. It is, by no measure, a cumulative list – just the highlights of the proposal and includes such items as:
Ban Affordable Energy, even though the USA is now the #1 producer in the world.
Ban Nuclear Energy, but nuclear is the cleanest of all energy sources
Eliminate 99% of cars, more control, to force us into cities.
Gut and Rebuild everything in the USA, mandate to make us move, shift locale
Ban Air Travel, except for those making the decisions? Will Bernie keep his plane?
A Gov’t Guaranteed Job, how does THAT save the environment???? Or is it really about control???
Free Education for life, again, more control, which has nothing to do with environmentalism and everything to do with socialism
A Salubrious Diet, control what we eat? But her Chief of Staff, the guy who wrote the plan, still eats his burgers?
A “Safe and Affordable” House, control where we live = Communism to Marxism
Free Money, for those unwilling to work. Again, STOP with the SLOTH and laziness.
Ban Meat, because……., cow farts. Vegans are militants, ya’ know.

Yeah, it’s fairly clear. The Green New Deal has little to do with a prettier and cleaner world and far more to do with a zealous need for control over the citizens by the chosen few via Socialism/Communism/Marxism. No thank you.

How about we do more PSA’s? Shame people more for littering? Make individuals responsible for their little corner of the world. Very small investment would be required and frankly, a pleasant break from pharmaceutical ads. How about our own families and kids? I almost crashed my car, one time, when a friend of my son’s threw a coke can out of my car window. I went to the exit ramp, made the trip around again, and made him pick it up. It took us 20 minutes to find it. Bet that kid will never litter again!
Wait……. I have a better story. You’re going to love this one.
We live about 45 minutes from a major metro and we were in town, shopping, for a big event. We were coming home with a minivan full of supplies. I was 7-8 months pregnant and driving. With me were my stepson, about age 11-12, and a staff guy, about 16yrs old. We were almost home and singing to the radio.
Less than a mile from my exit, I merged in behind an old Chevette with Missouri plates, $hit brown in color, with three young black men in the car. All of a sudden, the guy in the back seat rolled down the window and threw out a big Burger King bag! Not the small individual bags from Burger King, the BIG bag, that you get when you order burgers for an entire classroom, like, a 30-40 burger bag. Then, he did it AGAIN! And tissue paper wrappers! He was littering!
On MY HIGHWAY!
I lost it. I came undone. Must have been the hormones or at least that’s my excuse in retrospect. I started honking at him and pulled closer to his car. I was flashing my lights. The driver was oblivious. Finally, the guy in the back — shot me the bird. Ohhhh, it was Game ON.
The “dumb as it comes” driver decided to peel off the interstate at MY exit. I blared my horn at him the whole way down the ramp. He wasn’t stopping! He made the first right into a local truck stop, and hopped out to gas up. I pulled right in behind him, looked at the boys and told them to, “STAY HERE!” My staff guy rolled down the window immediately, he wouldn’t miss this for the world. My stepson was hanging over the seat, I heard, “Get ’em, Miss Daughn”, but I was already out the car door.
I was temporarily insane. I was railing at the men for littering. “From Missouri, no less! You want to litter, go home to your own damn state and litter!”, I was screaming, “Don’t come to my state and spread your nasty trash.”, “Less than a damn mile from an exit with a trash can right here!” and “Ohhh but no, you just HAD to throw it out on MY HIGHWAY!”, and “lazy, rotten, no good, POS…..”, I was just getting started….
About that time, a bunch of work trucks pulled up to the other side of the gas pumps. In the side of my eye, I saw people get out, but I was WAY to busy screaming and yelling at these three young black men. They were little, too. Biggest one probably only weighed 130lbs. I could have taken them, and I was thinking about it. I was spitting fire.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder and I almost took their arm off. It was Leroy, the 6’8″ block layer. Leroy is an enormous black man, whom I love all the way down to my toenails. In his deep baritone voice, he said, “Is there a problem, Miss D?” Well, then I had to explain the problem to Leroy…., which made me MOAR angry. I was yelling and pointing wildly. One by one, his men, all black men, all men I knew well, all HUGE men, got out of their trucks and moved to stand around Leroy. He looked at the little men and said, “Did you REALLY litter on Miss D’s highway?” I almost laughed, but I was too mad, “Yes they did”, I looked at Leroy and said, “Make them pick it up!!!!” The men behind Leroy were all nodding in agreement. Leroy moved towards the men and they got scared.
The driver was a jerk and believe it or not, seemed to want to fight. He poked Leroy in the chest and said, “Well aren’t you just Johnny Q. Citizen – the good boy, doing what you’re told by the white lady.” Oh dear, he just insulted Leroy and Leroy was mad.
Now, the truck stop has an extraordinary diner, with world class comfort food served daily. The tables and chairs for patrons are lined up against large plate glass windows, which overlook the gas pumps and a small park between the truckstop and the exit ramp. You know, where your dog goes to do his business. Inside the diner, Steve’s men, all farm hands, had finished their dinner and were watching the scene unfold outside. Steve was my husband’s best friend and sort of, my “other” husband. There I was, the lily white lady, in the midst of a dozen black men, and I was wild and gesticulating. Out the door came all the farm hands, 12-15 of them. I heard Steve’s voice, “Is there a problem here, gentlemen?”
Steve’s men did not really know Leroy’s men, and vice versa. I knew everyone except the three scrawny guys from Missouri. I had to stop and re-explain why I was so furious to Steve’s men, which I did, only louder this time! There were 20+ guys on my side and 3 guys from Missouri on their side. I was mad and ready to pull them limb from limb!
Two State Highway Patrol Cars rolled in. It was Eddie “X” and his buddies. Our sons were in school/played soccer together. I was happy to see him because he could FINE THEM! Better yet, he could MAKE THEM PICK UP their trash on OUR highway! Eddie started to question the men, “What did you throw out of you car? License, registration…..” but I wouldn’t let the men answer, “All kinds of Burger King wrappers, bags, littering the whole way!” I pointed north, “It’s all there, take them back and make them clean it up!”
City police showed up, SIX police cars, including the Chief! There’s not much that happens in our town. “Arrest them”, I railed! Understand, Al, the Police Chief, used to toilet-paper my house for Halloween…. as retribution for the time the girls and I toilet-papered the police station. He had never seen me mad, ever. I don’t usually get mad. The three little men had a bad attitude and were mouthing off. I would NOT keep still. I wanted them to pick up their garbage from the highway and then I wanted them arrested AND fined! For added measure, I said, “And don’t EVER come back to our state again!”
The Chief knew Steve’s farmhands and Leroy’s men extremely well. With the Chief’s back to the Missouri pissants (and me), he addressed my defenders. The Chief was very calm, slow, and deliberate. With a wink, he said, “Wellllllll…., we could take them out to “XYZ” field and you guys could bury them there.” All the men on my side nodded, folded arms, shifted weight, set their jaws. “Yeah”, said one reaching into his truck, “We’ve got the shovels.” Another one piped up and said, “Hell no, we’ll dig with a backhoe, it’s too hot to be digging graves……” The Missouri twerps, for a moment, thought they might be serious and so did I. “Well, you can’t kill them”, I said. “Nononoonno,”I said. “Well”, said the Chief turning towards me, “short of killing them, Miss D, what do you want me to do them?” I reiterated my demands, STERNLY!
Steve and Leroy’s men made friends. The police sorted out the charges and I was satisfied. It was about 3:00pm. I drove home, unloaded groceries, staff guy went home, stepson played in his room, one last vacuum, checked in some guests, I was making dinner, waiting on more guests to arrive.
About 5:30pm, husband breezed through the back door. It was a hot summer day and he had been to the beer store, the next town south (about 10 miles, we were a dry county at the time). He kissed me on the cheek, “Have a good day, dear?” A slight lilt in his voice but I didn’t catch the inference. I told him what we were having for dinner and who was checking in. I gave him messages, and we began a conversation about specific projects. “Anything else happen today?”, he inquired. I was puzzled, at first, and had completely moved on from the incident at the truckstop. He reminded me.
I told you, not much happens here. Apparently, by the time he arrived at the beer store, talk of my trukstop scene was all the rage. My own husband had the gall to chastise me for being involved because, “You don’t know what they would have done to you” and “besides that, you’re pregnant” In a flash, I was angry again, and spewing crime statistics at him, defending my actions and the cleanliness of my town and highways. “Besides”, I said, “the were little, stupid, scrawny, puny, men, (every adj. I could think of) and I could have taken them.” Fire was coming out of my eyes. “Babe”, he said placing his hand carefully on my shoulder, “I believe you might have hurt those poor young men……” I growled, low, in my throat. I actually growled.
Don’t mess with my town. The incident made me a mini-legend for a couple of months, especially with the guy-guys. When anything had to be settled, they threatened to “send” me. I love those guys. They had my back, literally, when it counted. And the poor police, I apologized profusely for bothering them, but the mouthy little men were charged and fined. Message went out, as you can imagine, whatever you do, don’t pull over the crazy lady. It was embarrassing, sure, but I was effective.
PICK UP YOUR TRASH!

Why are we talking about women all the time?
It was a day kind of like today. Temps were in the low 60’s, partly cloudy skies, early spring, and swollen buds on my Japanese Magnolias. Spring had arrived. After breakfast guests, I hurried through tidying up the rooms. Like a hibernating bear, I desperately wanted to be out in the sun. I grabbed a portable radio and there I was, dancing away and digging a ditch.
Physical work is immensely gratifying and beads of perspiration popped on my forehead. The robins were following my every move. They would perch, on the top of a dirt clod, waiting for me to turn over the next shovel full. Yes, I was digging a drainage ditch. Our house has a basement, and we are always conscious of water standing near the foundation. My mission was really twofold, spring maintenance for the basement and to lay out an herb garden. The grass was still brown, but I had a vision.
I was wrestling with a French drain, when a pickup truck whizzed into my neighbor’s driveway and stopped about 15′ from where I was working. It was our Mayor and our State Senator, who was also State Chair of Ways and Means. The Mayor spoke first, “What the hell are you doing, Daughn?”. I recognized his voice.
Still stooped over and self-conscious that my butt was facing him, I turned the radio down and swung to pitch an elbow on the end of my shovel. I was caught, busted, and tried to look as presentable as possible. “I’m digging a ditch…..”, I went on to explain. Mayor said, “Why isn’t (husband) digging?”, and I made some excuse. Seizing the opportunity to make a deal for my garden, I approached his truck, explained about the herb garden, and asked him for some ‘rip-rat’ to edge my garden. Rip rat are the large stones placed near a new exit ramp by DOT to control erosion. “How much do ya’ need?”, he replied. I pointed to the length needed and asked for a little more. “Okay, I can see it happening for you.”, I was smiling, that was easy.
“We need to talk to you about something important.”, said the Mayor. State Senator nodded in agreement. I braced myself on the edge of my shovel, “What does he want me to do now….”, I thought. I was ready, here it came, “You have to be the next Mayor”, he proclaimed. I reacted physically, reeling, but there was no chair to sit in. “Huh?”, I was stammering. He blindsided me.
Background #1: The Mayor and I were good friends. He was one of my husband’s best friends. Both of them had construction companies and knew each other for decades before I moved home. He was the best of Mayors for our little town. He was decisive, fearless, a man’s man, ruggedly handsome, and a champ when it came to negotiating. He was 6′ 3″ and imposing, wealthy, naturally intuitive, and also well educated. His experience in municipal bonds was limited, and because of my experience, I helped him. I was also shrewd, steeped in contract law, and provided added benefit. The two of us played good cop/bad cop and ‘danced’ together in a negotiation like we could read each other’s mind. We worked on the hospital, the schools, Christmas parades, federal agencies, and natural disasters. He never called or rang my front doorbell when he needed me, he just walked in the back door. Most of all, my family was deeply experienced in recruiting corp’s to our area. Together, we worked on many, many deals, successfully landing 4 Fortune 500 companies in our town, which improved employment, tax base, school system, etc. Beyond that, I liked the guy.
Background #2: Our State Senator was also a friend. He was recently divorced when he brought a lovely woman to an event at our house. It was their first date. He proposed to her at our house, and they were married at our house. She became a girlfriend to me. He was an incredibly adept politician who “got things done”. He listened constantly, never missed a word, and rarely spoke. He was a powerful man who was about 20yrs my elder. At the time, I had just turned 34.
Our State Senator broke the awkward silence and explained the Mayor was ‘moving up’. Because of his local success, the Mayor was appointed to head the State Dept of Econ Development. Because of a surreal performance during a natural disaster, our fire chief was also moving up to head Emergency Management for the State. That left a leadership problem at the local level. As he described, “the funnel of new business we had established was important and stability was paramount”. I was the natural choice to fill in. The decision had been made. I was the chosen one.
“But I can’t”, I shook my head. They were dumbfounded I would turn down such a gift. Yet, I knew something they did not, something I could not reveal. I offered an excuse, “I just started my business. I have 23 people working out of my house, a mortgage to pay.” “Don’t worry about the money”, was his cool reply. Curious answer. “B-b-b-ut the salary for a Mayor was a pittance, and I’m not naturally wealthy!”, the Mayor knew my personal finances well. I had a 5 year plan and a 10 year plan. The pay cut would have been about 80%. Again, “Don’t worry about the money”, said the State Senator. They explained, they had already spoken to my husband (to see if I might be interested) and he was “on board”. I was flattered and honored. It could only be me, the opposition would be a pompous, dangerous, and inept man.
I reluctantly objected again. “I was no politician.”, which they countered. “I was only 34yrs old.”, which they countered. The town’s Mayors were always older men, born and bred in the town, deacons of their churches, past Presidents of Rotary. I was from the town, baptized and married in a local church, but I spent my whole life….. away. I was a newbie, sort of. “Who in the hell would vote for me?”, I was puzzled. The Mayor sighed. Our prominent black alderman had proposed me to be the new Mayor and had also met with my husband (to see if I might be interested). I was assured the vote because as our Black Alderman said, “Of all people, I was tough but fair”. I smiled slightly, always liked that particular alderman, he was also ‘tough but fair’.
I was looking at the ground, thinking, running out of excuses and kept resisting. The Mayor sensed something was wrong and he asked, “What the hell, Daughn, I’ll help you campaign!” and “It will be fun!”. Finally and more sternly, he demanded, “What’s the damn problem?”.
I rose my head slowly, and narrowed my eyes. Deep breath.
“I’m pregnant”, I blurted. “My due date is October 21st and the election would be the beginning of November”, silence…….., “How’s that going to work?”, I said, “How can I campaign?” Plus, “What if the baby, God forbid, is not okay?”
The shock washed over them in a less than a second. The Mayor put his head on the steering wheel, then he threw it back against the headrest, staring at the grey velour on the ceiling of the pickup. In the passenger seat, the State Senator put both arms against the glove compartment to brace himself. The Mayor let out a breath, turned to me and said, “You mean…… you’re a woman?”.
Almost immediately, the Mayor said, “I ……..just……never……. thought of you as being a woman”. I chuckled. His reaction was overwhelming and sincere. Can’t be faked. Here was a man, an accomplished and experienced man, who LOVED and ADMIRED every inch of women, ALL women, especially his wife. Yet, he perceived me differently than other women. I was his buddy with a numbers brain. I was 110% female, no mistake, and definitely a “babe” at the time, but I was one of the guys. How cool for me? I landed the secret keys to the guy kingdom.
Best compliment, ever.
I shook my finger at him and swore the both of them to secrecy. I had not told my husband I was pregnant. They were the first to know.
When women enter the workforce or become involved in their community, they enter as people who contribute to a group effort. I never beat my chest or asked for special dispensation because I was a woman. We all know the rules. There isn’t another set of rules for women – or is there…. now? Have we lowered the standards for women? Doesn’t that naturally lead to lower performance for the whole group effort? I chose to over-perform and not be a token hire. It’s the ONLY way to earn the respect of the entire group and ever be considered “worthy”. To hell with being “equal”.
Furthermore, we all know people who seek to denigrate others to elevate themselves. It’s not healthy psychological behavior. It’s wrong but fairly common in social media, today. The women in this photo, the new and flashy women of the Congress, seek to degrade all men, and others of various religions or races, to elevate themselves. It’s wrong and destructive behavior.
I submit, if AOC were a man, she would have already been admonished and cast aside for her flighty and irrational statements. Imagine the response to the “Green Deal” if presented by a 29yr old white male, freshman Congressman. Would ANY news outlet have covered HIS idea? On a regular basis, she condemns men, only because they are men, and immediately defers to victim status, demanding special treatment because she is a woman. She will never earn respect in this way and can only be a token hire. She seeks another set of rules, for her.
This kind of self-absorbed behavior leads to resentment on behalf of those who do the actual work. Resentment of this nature is bad for any organization, yet we would be hard pressed to find a company, today, where it does not exist. Are women or ‘skin colors’ promoted for the sake of diversity? Yeah. AOC’s behavior harms all women in this way. Deserving women are constantly tested to prove and reprove themselves as worthy and NOT the token hire.
Other women on the cover also seek a different set of rules, to win based on “feelings” or “their truth”, which is usually not actual rational truth. Why is the DNC seeking a “woman of color” to run for President instead of touting accomplishments of the person?
They seek to be placated, for all others to bow before them, to stop and listen when they speak, NOT because of what they say, but because of their color, religion, or sex. Why? Why would anyone presume to be superior because of skin color, sex, or religion? Who are the real bigots, here?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

New Thread. We all needed a shower after Cohen this afternoon. Let’s refocus our energy. Check out this extraordinary letter from Dennis Rodman. It’s a beautiful letter.

From Flep, here is the schedule for President Trump and the whole team.
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SCHEDULE
EST/Local Time
8:25 PM (Wed)/8:25 AM Depart JW Marriott Hanoi en route to the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi – Motorcade
8:45 PM (Wed)/8:45 AM Arrive at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi – Hanoi, Vietnam
9:00 PM (Wed)/9:00 AM Participate in a 1:1 bilateral meeting with the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
9:45 PM (Wed)/9:45 AM Participate in an expanded bilateral meeting with the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
11:55 PM (Wed)/11:55 AM Participate in a working lunch with the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
2:05 AM/2:05 PM Participate in a Joint Agreement Signing Ceremony with the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
2:40 AM/2:40 PM Depart Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi en route to the JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi – Motorcade
3:00 AM/3:00 PM Arrive at the JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi – Hanoi, Vietnam
3:50 AM/3:50 PM Participate in a press conference [Live Stream]
5:15 AM/5:15 PM Depart JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi en route to Noi Bai International Airport – Motorcade
5:55 AM/5:55 PM Arrive at Noi Bai International Airport – Hanoi, Vietnam
6:05 AM/6:05 PM Depart Hanoi, Vietnam, en route to Joint Base Andrews – Air Force One
Friday March 1 – All times EST
1:10 AM Arrive at Joint Base Andrews
1:20 AM Depart Joint Base Andrews en route to The White House – Marine One
1:30 AM Arrive at The White House – South Lawn

While we are waiting for more info from the Vietnam Summit and kibitzing about the Cohen testimony, I thought it might be a good time for a distraction…. and a story.
This is a story about two worlds with my feet in both worlds, and being humbled by those who are the very best of Americans = Dogs, self-sufficient country women, and incredibly gracious and masculine men.
Settle in, rest your computer fingers, and unwind with me. Today, we need it. Here we go.
I’ll admit it, I succumbed to the siren song of the big city. I was a suburban girl, and I took my shot at the big league. Manhattan and Miami were a 24/7 blur of activity. As a kid, my parents had a few uber wealthy friends, but the first week I was in Miami, I was on Trump’s yacht and Rod Stewart was performing. Life was good. I worked hard, moved up, made partner, and moved into a penthouse with all the trappings of what I THOUGHT was success. I’ll admit, I like little private planes, cigarette boats and sailing ‘vessels’, fast cars, good restaurants. Good Lord, I even collected wine.
When I cashed out to go to law school, I ended up moving to a small rural town where my grandmother lived. I fell in love with a local (but that’s another story), and bought a B&B instead of becoming a lawyer. Best decision I ever made. Yet, rural life was a constantly humbling experience. In the city, I could control my world but in the country, skill is required to respond to events. I lacked that skill. I was ignorant and devoid of self-sufficiency, traits strongly admired by my neighbors. I was amazed by other women, my same age, who seemed to possess a mental encyclopedia of information on how to fix ANYTHING. They had tips and tricks at their fingertips.
I recall being in a neighbor lady’s kitchen, Sarah, in the first few weeks after moving home. She was a friend of my grandmother, late 60’s, and I had known her all my life. Her son is a federal judge, now, but as kids we played together, naked, in a plastic blue pool. That day, Sarah was processing, “putting up”, 300lbs of plums for jam/jelly, and she needed help. Grandma sent me to help. Me, the ignorant one.
Sarah took in babysitting, and almost the entire day, she had a baby on her hip, organized smaller children, her own grandchildren, answered phones, made lunch, boiled/cut/processed 300lbs of plums……, which looked like fine jewelry by the time she was done. She had a glow around her like she was an angel, completely unphased by the bedlam around her. She could have easily done battle with any dictator I knew, and she would have prevailed. She had powers I didn’t understand. That day, I wisely surrendered, admitted defeat, and knew I had a lot to learn about country life. I took the ‘crash’ course.
A few years later, married, with the B&B renovated, my girlfriends and I were sitting on the side porch. We returned home from a local fair and were surveying our purchased treasures. We were talking about an upcoming birthday, the decorations, and cake. One girlfriend asked me if I used fresh eggs for my cakes – because all county women, who are self-sufficient, know that fresh eggs make a cake rise higher and taste better. Immediately accessing my new mental encyclopedia, I acknowledged fresh eggs were, indeed, better, but because I went through so many eggs on a weekly basis, I hadn’t yet “sourced” my fresh eggs. The girls got kind of quiet and looked at me in a funny way.
Twisting their eyebrows, like only close friends do, she said, “What do you mean you don’t use fresh eggs?” and “What the hell, Daughn, …. SOURCED?”.  My vocabulary was still a little bit urban and it slipped out every now and again. One girlfriend, giggled and scrambled down the side porch steps. She cocked her hip for added drama and pointed to the 28 box, dark green, chicken coop, which had been in my backyard for 100 years and said, “What are you doing, Daughn?” I responded and tried to change subjects, “Yeah, yeah, I know…. I’ll work on it”. One girlfriend elbowed the other and whispered. We moved on….
A few weeks later, another friend of a friend knocked on the side door with a “present” for me. It was 6 baby hens and one baby rooster in a cardboard box. I gushed all over the babies, they were so darling. I had only seen baby hens in movies, and I finally got to hold one. I had no idea what was to come. Like a gazelle, my friend hopped up into the back of her pick-up and said, “Didn’t know if you had any fresh hay, so I brought you a couple bales.” She cast them over the side, effortlessly, onto my driveway. She was a strong woman worthy of a title, “Queen of the Country”. I glanced at the hay, perplexed for a moment and thought, “Hay….., it’s dusty……, what’s the hay for……, oh yeah, chickens need a nest……., okay……., I can do this.”
She picked up on my confusion and sat down with me on the bottom step to talk to me…., like I was the unexpectant virginal bride on a wedding night. I asked about eggs and she laughed, “No, they won’t produce until they’re about 6 months old – they’re just babies now.” My brain was screaming, “Six months!!!!!”, but I tried to appear grateful. I asked what to feed them and how to care for them. “You’ll love it” she said, before she departed. She popped her horn a few times and waved goodbye. There I sat, all alone, with my baby chicks.
Over the several days, I tore apart the old chicken coop. Our house was abandoned for 23yrs when we bought it, and I imagined chickens had not lived here for at least 50 years. I did battle with spiders and a salamander. The dust was incredible. Yet, I had a veritable PALACE of chicken coops. It even had a small wooden picket back door so the chickens could go into their “yard”, shaded by a 100yr old pecan tree. It also meant I had to build a little fence. “Ahhhh, that’s why they call it chicken wire”, I thought. My self-sufficient girlfriend shook her head at my naivety.
My first husband laughed but relished my efforts. He ran electric for me and within 24 hours, I had a sink for the garden side of the chicken coop (one side was hen boxes and one side was a garden shed). I built the fence (with help), cleared the brush growing in the chicken yard, swept the concrete floor, dug a ditch for drainage, planted flowers in front, and put up a hand painted sign. Other girlfriends painted pots for me – they could do ANYTHING. I learned so much. By the end of the weekend, I had a chicken coop worthy of Southern Living AND a brand new garden shed. It was beautiful and inviting.
I checked on my chickens several times a day. I named them, of course. My step-son and other kids in the neighborhood fed them. I let them out and they followed me as I dug new gardens, turning over worms and grubs, in the yard. My rooster was beautiful and yes, he crowed loudly at daybreak. Some guests asked if I had a ‘recording’ of a rooster and thought it was a charming effect. Spring melded into summer, then fall. My hens grew and grew until one day, I had an egg.
I called my girlfriends, and they all came to look at the egg. We could only remove it for a little while because it had to stay warm. A few of my girlfriends laughed at me, ready to cook the egg. My eyes went wide, “Murder!”, and “No”, I thought, along with the others, “We have a baby on the way.”
We had more baby chicks for Easter. Within the year, my coop was full and I was doubling up chickens in their boxes. A local farmer was taking my extras before I became a division of Tyson Foods. I still had not cooked one single egg. I couldn’t. I could eat other fresh eggs, but not from my own babies. I curbed my brood to my original 6 hens and rooster. They had become pets, and they bolstered my image as “country woman”.
Our backyard is pretty much enclosed by a brick walled garden, driveway, and the house. The yard extends to a larger field, out back, but the chickens didn’t wander out there and the Rooster herded the hens. I would let them out in the morning and they would peck around the back yard until about noon. The school kids would look out the windows and loved my chickens. The rooster was fairly cooperative until one day, a girlfriend from urban CT tried to ‘pet him’.
One spring day, the neighbor’s lab, Sally, got loose and nabbed my rooster. The scene was pure carnage but Sally had a great lunch that day. I returned Sally, across the street to my neighbor with feathers still in her mouth. BUT, by the weekend, Sally was hungry again, for MOAR chicken. Our neighbor has three full-grown labs.
We had a wedding that weekend. It was a beautiful affair, white wooden chairs set up in the brick garden, satin aisle runner, flowers dripping off the garden gate where the bride and groom would stand, flower beds immaculately groomed. Our staff set up pretty garden tables, and we had about 150 guests sipping various teas, waiting on the ceremony to begin. A violinist strolled through the garden….. idyllic.
Husband was in the den watching sports. I was upstairs with the women of the wedding party, helping the bride, maids, and moms finish dressing. I was in a room with a large bay window. A bridesmaid was bent over a bedroom chair with her butt up in the air, so I could cut the errant threads from her dress, when I saw the flash of a neon orange dog’s collar in the periphery of my vision – but I wasn’t sure. It couldn’t be, but it was.
Earlier and unknown to me, the wife of the CEO of my bank, decided to entertain the children who were in the wedding party. The kids heard some of my hens clucking in the chicken coop and they wanted to see what it was. The wife walked them over to the coop and opened the door to entertain the children. Inside the coop they went. Taking the cue from a prominent wife, other women entered my darling chicken coop as well. The kids were ‘petting’ my hens and all was well – when the three full grown labs arrived, storming the chicken coop.
The next ten minutes were sheer hell. I heard screaming downstairs – from outside. I thought about not going outside, but the screaming got louder. I flew down the stairs as the ladies of the wedding strained to see what was happening from the window. I met my husband at the back door who looked at me disapprovingly. Of course it was all my fault, whatever ‘it’ was. My husband went upstairs to corral the women while I opened the back door and paused to survey the scene.
It was chaos, and I arrived just in time to see three labs carrying off my live chickens, through the midst of my guests. Two of the dogs were proud of their kill and marched right down the satin aisle runner, shaking the chickens, spewing feathers left and right, until they escaped to the open field. People were swing their chairs at the dogs. Men tried to catch them but the labs wanted to play. I was focused on my sinking reputation and the disaster before me when the situation got worse.
One of the highlights: My staff guy, armed with a sterling silver punch ladle, swinging back and forth, chasing the dogs. My grandmother would have never imagined such a use for her punch ladle. I bit my lip.
Obviously, one dog was still in the chicken coop and there was still screaming emanating from the coop. My staff guys, and older men who were guests, were helping 5-6 women plus an equal number of children OUT of the chicken coop, through a very narrow door. One final chocolate lab emerged and squirmed away with my last hen, clenched in his teeth. The children were horrified and crying. The hens they were so gently petting moments before, had been captured and murdered before their eyes.
Lucy Ricardo would have been proud. Several of the women were wearing spring hats, pumps, and brand new linen dresses. Their updos were undone. They looked like they had been through a tornado. Their perfect spring dresses were splattered with dirt, feathers, hay, everything. The children, who were SUPPOSED to be flower girls and ring bearers, dressed in expensive white English linen, were completely destroyed. They looked like they had been rolling in the dirt, hay, and some….., with chicken blood.
The moms of the kids had other clothing, play clothing for the reception, with them. Thank heavens our self-sufficient country women plan in advance. I put them all in one room and they changed and cleaned up. At one point, there were three little kids, standing in a jacuzzi, with one mom hosing them down. Another woman was mending a skirt. Another woman was already soaking the linen outfits with hairspray and club soda to save the English linen. Again, self-suffiency, they all knew what to do. The older women, I placed in another bedroom and bath, mine, so they had access to cosmetics and hair products. The wife of the CEO was apologetic but it was an episode of Murphy’s Law, come to life. The older women, within 20 minutes, looked as if they just stepped from a Parisian salon – perfectly fluffed and they smelled good.
The staff guys and the men who were guests were FABULOUS. They calmed the women down and a small army swept up chicken remnants and feathers. My husband was upstairs and would NOT allow the women of the bridal party to leave their large dressing room until order had been restored.
Within 20 minutes, the violinist was strolling the garden once more, the punch ladle was STERILIZED, and we popped the champagne early. People laughed and giggled. The wedding was spectacular….. but the wedding photos were very interesting.
No MOAR chickens for me.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Transcript is at the top of the article, more reaction and commentary at the bottom. I’ve numbered the paragraphs in the transcript for ease of reference in your comments, and so you don’t get lost. The website Factbase was our source, is linked below, and has a corresponding video clip for EACH paragraph.

Transcript of President Trump’s Venezuela Speech, FIU University, February 18, 2019.

1. Thank you very much, Melania. America is truly blessed to have such a — an extraordinary — right? Extraordinary First Lady. [Applause] She’s extraordinary. She really is. She cares about people. Hello, Miami. I am thrilled to be back in the state I love with so many proud, freedom-loving patriots. We’re here to proclaim a new day is coming in Latin America. [Applause]

2. It’s coming. In Venezuela and across the Western Hemisphere, socialism is dying, and liberty, prosperity, and democracy are being reborn. [Applause] Today, our hearts are filled with hope because of the determination of millions of everyday Venezuelans, the patriotism of the Venezuelan National Assembly, and the incredible courage of Interim President Juan Guaidó. [Applause] The people of Venezuela are standing for freedom and democracy, and the United States of America is standing right by their side. [Applause]

3. Let me begin by thanking the great leaders here today who have been such incredible champions for the cause of liberty. And these people love you, and they love Venezuela, and they love Cuba. And they love all of the places that we’re fighting for. [Applause] Newly elected and already doing an incredible job, Governor Ron DeSantis. [Applause]

4. A man who I call, especially when we’re talking about Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua — he knows a lot, and he’s a friend of mine: Senator Marco Rubio. [Applause] A great governor; he gave Ron a little bit of a head start. He did a fantastic job in Florida. Former governor, and now senator, Rick Scott. [Applause]

5. Somebody that I’ve gotten to know very well, especially as to the fact that my heart is in Venezuela — [Applause] — Representative Mario Diaz-Balart. [Applause] Ambassador Carlos Trujillo. [Applause] Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Núñez. [Applause] Your new and great Attorney General, Ashley Moody. [Applause]

6. And to so many other dedicated public officials that are in this room right now, we thank you very much for being with us. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you also to Secretary of Commerce. Wilbur Ross is with us, and Ambassador Lighthizer. Ambassador Lighthizer, I have to say, just got back from a place called China.

7. And, boy, oh, boy — we’re making a lot of progress. Nobody expected this was going to be happening. [Applause] We’re making a lot of progress. [Applause] In the meantime, billions and billions of dollars are coming into our Treasury. It’s very simple. All works. That never happened before. We don’t know the feeling in this country, but now we know the feeling. [Applause]

8. We also want to extend our deep appreciation to the President of Florida International University, Dr. Mark Rosenberg — [Applause] — for hosting this important event. Finally, I want to thank each and every person in this wonderful audience who has made your own stand for human dignity. And that’s probably just about all of you. [Applause]

9. And I want to especially thank the Venezuelan exile community that has done so much to support President Guaidó to organize aid for their compatriots and to do just a lot back home. Thank you very much for being here. Thank you. We’re with you. [Applause] We are profoundly grateful to every dissident, every exile, every political prisoner, and everyone who bears witness to the horrors of socialism and communism, and who has bravely spoken out against them.

10. Thank you very much. [Applause] The fact is, you’ve seen the crimes and you’ve seen the corruption. You have seen the hunger and the suffering. You have heard the anguished pleas for help. You have protested, and protested with respect, but loudly. And you have prayed for the day we can now see, which is just ahead — the day when all the people of this region will at last be free. [Applause, Audience chants USA]

11. As we meet today, the people of Venezuela stand at the threshold of history, ready to reclaim their country and to reclaim their future. Not long ago, Venezuela was the wealthiest nation, by far, in South America. But years of socialist rule have brought this once-thriving nation to the brink of ruin. That’s where it is today.

12. The tyrannical socialist government nationalized private industries and took over private businesses. They engaged in massive wealth confiscation, shut down free markets, suppressed free speech, and set up a relentless propaganda machine, rigged elections, used the government to persecute their political opponents, and destroyed the impartial rule of law.

13. In other words, the socialists have done in Venezuela all of the same things that socialists, communists, totalitarians have done everywhere that they’ve had a chance to rule. The results have been catastrophic. Almost 90 percent of Venezuelans now live in poverty. In 2018, hyperinflation in Venezuela exceeded 1 million percent.

14. Crippling shortages of food and medicine plague the country. Socialism has so completely ravaged this great country that even the world’s largest reserves of oil are no longer enough to keep the lights on. This will never happen to us. [Applause, Audience chants USA]

14. Thank you. Already, more than 3 million Venezuelans have fled Maduro’s brutal opposition — and brutal it is. Today, we are honored to be joined by Amintha Perez, the mother of Oscar Perez — a courageous Venezuelan police officer. [Applause] You know the story. In June of 2017, Oscar piloted a helicopter over the city of Baruta with the banner, “350 Liberty,” a reference to Article 350 of the Venezuelan constitution, which states: “The people of Venezuela…shall disown any regime, legislation or authority that violates democratic values…or encroaches upon human rights.” Oscar said he wanted to give the people hope.

15. He loved the people. He fought for the people. And they loved Oscar. But Oscar was gunned down and killed by Venezuela’s — you know this very well; you all know the story — by the Venezuelan security forces, viciously. Amintha, our hearts break for your loss. Oscar gave his life for the freedom of his people.

16. We all have hope today because of great, great people and patriots like Oscar. [Applause] Please, Amintha. [Applause] I said, “How about saying something in Spanish?” She likes Spanish. She’s a little bit better in Spanish. Please. Please.

17. [Translation via Margaret, Factba.se’s AI] Thank you, Mr. President. Excuse me if tears come to my eyes. It is that today, one of my children, one of my children, who was also murdered, is celebrating his birthday today. And then, well, I am here. More than anything, for the President requesting humanitarian aid. I am also requesting justice for my son and his group that were killed.

18. Translation via Margaret, Factba.se’s AI] For the children, and also to continue with the legacy of Oscar. What part of that — we are all of us, and we will continue the fight until we see our Venezuela free, and are able to return to our motherland. Thank you. [Applause]

19. I don’t know what she said, but I think I know what she said. And she is an incredible woman. And Oscar was an incredible man who will not have died in vain. [Applause] A few weeks ago, on January 23rd, Venezuela’s National Assembly invoked the Venezuelan constitution to declare the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, as the country’s legitimate leader.

20. In one of his first acts, President Guaidó invoked the same constitutional article that Oscar carried through the skies to notify the world that Maduro was illegitimate. Within 30 minutes, the United States was proud to be the first nation in the world to recognize President Guaidó. [Applause, audience chants USA]

21. And, by the way, John Bolton is here. Where is John? [Applause] Working hard. Today, more than 50 countries around the world now recognize the rightful government of Venezuela. And the Venezuelan people have spoken, and the world has heard their beautiful voice. They are turning the page on socialism, turning the page on dictatorship, and there will be no going back. [Applause]

22. Peace-loving nations are ready to help Venezuela reclaim its democracy, its dignity, and its destiny. All the nations in our hemisphere have the shared interest in preventing the spread of socialist tyranny. Socialism, by its very nature, does not respect borders. It does not respect boundaries or the sovereign rights of its citizens or its neighbors.

23. It’s always seeking to expand, to encroach, and to subjugate others to its will. The twilight hour of socialism has arrived in our hemisphere — [Applause] — and, frankly, in many, many places around the world. The days of socialism and communism are numbered not only in Venezuela, but in Nicaragua and in Cuba as well.

24. Do we love Cuba? [Applause] Do we love Nicaragua? [Applause] Great countries. Such great potential. Remember that word. Such unbelievable potential. In the meantime, we must all work together to end a humanitarian disaster. As we speak, there are truckloads filled with hundreds of tons of desperately needed humanitarian supplies stopped at the borders of Venezuela and waiting to help the millions and millions in need.

25. Two days ago, the first U.S. Air Force C-17 — that’s a big, beautiful plane — landed in Colombia loaded with crucial assistance, including thousands of nutrition kits for little Venezuelan children. [Applause] Unfortunately, Dictator Maduro has blocked this lifesaving aid from entering the country. He would rather see his people starve than give them aid, than help them.

26. Millions of Venezuelans are starving and suffering while a small handful at the top of the Maduro regime plunder the nation into poverty and into death. We know who they are, and we know where they keep the billions of dollars that they have stolen. Incredibly, there are members of the Venezuelan military still barely supporting this failed dictatorship.

27. They are risking their future, they are risking their lives and Venezuela’s future, for a man controlled by the Cuban military and protected by a private army of Cuban soldiers. [Applause] Maduro is not a Venezuelan patriot; he is a Cuban puppet. That’s what he is. [Applause] And remember that hundreds of millions of dollars used to be paid to Cuba — but no longer, because they no longer have that kind of wealth to be able to do it. So things are changing, and they’re changing fast. [Applause]

28. And today I have a message for every official who is helping to keep Maduro in place: The eyes of the entire world are upon you today, every day, and every day in the future. You cannot hide from the choice that now confronts you. You can choose to accept President Guaidó’s generous offer of amnesty, to live your life in peace with your families and your countrymen.

29. President Guaidó does not seek retribution against you, and neither do we. But you must not follow Maduro’s orders to block humanitarian aid, and you must not threaten any form of violence against peaceful protestors — [Applause] — opposition leaders, members of the National Assembly, or President Guaidó and his family.

30. We seek a peaceful transition of power, but all options are open. [Applause] We want to restore Venezuelan democracy, and we believe that the Venezuelan military and its leadership have a vital role to play in this process. If you choose this path, you have the opportunity to help forge a safe and prosperous future for all the people of Venezuela. Or you can choose the second path: continuing to support Maduro. [Audience boos]

31. If you choose this path, you will find no safe harbor, no easy exit, and no way out. You will lose everything. [Applause] So today, I ask every member of the Maduro regime: End this nightmare of poverty, hunger, and death for your people. Let your people go. Set your country free. Now is the time for all Venezuelan patriots to act together as one united people. [Applause]

32. Nothing could be better for the future of Venezuela. And nothing could be better for the future of another captive nation — Cuba — than the rebirth of freedom and democracy in Venezuela. [Applause, Audience chants USA]

33. For decades, the socialist dictatorships of Cuba and Venezuela have propped each other up in a very corrupt bargain. Venezuela gave Cuba oil. In return, Cuba gave Venezuela a police state run directly from Havana. [Applause] But this is a much different day, and those days are over. [Applause] The ugly alliance between the two dictatorships is coming to a rapid end.

34. A new future is beginning. All of us in this arena, and thousands and thousands and thousands of people outside — you have to see it — are united because we know the truth about socialism in Venezuela, in Cuba, in Nicaragua, and all around the world. [Applause] Socialism promises prosperity, but it delivers poverty.

35. Socialism promises unity, but it delivers hatred and it delivers division. Socialism promises a better future, but it always returns to the darkest chapters of the past. That never fails. It always happens. Socialism is a sad and discredited ideology rooted in the total ignorance of history and human nature, which is why socialism, eventually, must always give rise to tyranny, which it does. [Applause]

36. Socialists profess a love of diversity, but they always insist on absolute conformity. We know that socialism is not about justice, it’s not about equality, it’s not about lifting up the poor. Socialism is about one thing only: power for the ruling class. [Applause] And the more power they get, the more they crave.

37. They want to run healthcare, run transportation and finance, run energy, education — run everything. They want the power to decide who wins and who loses, who’s up and who’s down, what’s true and what’s false, and even who lives and who dies. [Applause] In short, all of us here today know that there is nothing less democratic than socialism.

38. Everywhere and anywhere it appears, socialism advances under the banner of progress, but in the end, it delivers only corruption, exploitation, and decay. With us today is David Smolansky. [Applause] David was one of the youngest mayors in Venezuelan history when the Maduro regime removed him from office and issued a warrant for his arrest.

39. David fled into Venezuela’s treacherous southern jungle. Eventually, David reached Brazil, where he was welcomed with open arms. Today, David lives in exile in the United States, where he continues to speak up for the Venezuelan people. Sadly, David is the third generation of his family to flee the agony of socialism and communism.

40. David’s grandparents fled the Soviet Union in 1927, and his father fled communist Cuba in 1970. As David said, “The difference I want to have from my father and grandfather is to go back to my country.” [Applause] “My grandparents never went back to Kiev…my father has not been back to Havana. I hope I can [Soon] return to Venezuela.” [Applause] I think that will happen, David.

41. Thank you very much, David. I think it’ll soon happen. Your courage, David, is an inspiration. And not only David; many of the people in this room. You’ve been through much, but you see it coming to the end. You see it really coming to an end for the first time. For the first time, you’re seeing it — because the United States, a true great nation, is behind you. [Applause, Audience chants USA]

42. And so as the United States stands up for democracy in Venezuela, we reaffirm the solidarity with the long-suffering people of Cuba and Nicaragua and people everywhere living under socialist and communist regimes. And to those who would try to impose socialism on the United States, we again deliver a very simple message: America will never be a socialist country. [Applause]

43. We are born free and we will stay free, now and forever. [Applause] We know what freedom can do in Venezuela because we have seen that future right here in Doral. We know what freedom can do in Cuba because we have seen that future right here in Miami. [Applause] We know what freedom can do in Nicaragua because we have seen that future in Sweetwater. [Applause]

44. And one day soon, with God’s help, we are going to see what the people will do in Caracas and Managua and Havana. [Applause] And when Venezuela is free, and Cuba is free, and Nicaragua is free, this will become the first free hemisphere in all of human history. [Applause] It was my great honor to be with you today, and the First Lady’s great honor to be with you today.

45. We are winning. We are winning on every front. Thank you. God bless you. God bless the people of Venezuela. God bless the people of Cuba. God bless the people of Nicaragua. And God bless the United States of America. [Applause] Thank you very much.

The website FactBase , was our source and matches each paragraph above with a corresponding video for your viewing pleasure. Factbase does a wonderful job for speech clips.

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Reaction to President Trump’s speech!

Luke Taylor is in Cucuta, Columbia, a border town to Venezuela, were as many as 40,000 refugees stream across the bridge, every day. He is reporting for the outlet, Epoch Times. Luke took the following picture.

ILEANA ALESCIO, IVAN PENTCHOUKOV AND LUKE TAYLOR logged a terrific article for Epoch Times gaging Venezuelan reaction in Columbia order towns. Even though many were not fond of President Trump, they were grateful for USA support and President Trump’s speech was received positively by 90-95% of the people.

The people picked up on President Trump’s main theme, ridding the Western Hemisphere of Socialism and Communism. From 30-year-old Jhuliana Hernandez. “Socialism needs to be eliminated from the Americas. I’m a Juan Guaidó supporter and I’m a supporter of democracy and freedom. I think corruption and socialism crippled Venezuela.” Here’s a picture of Jhuliana.

“I feel my country now has hope, the speech reassured me because I now know that the United States is with us,” said Sharon Laleshka. “I do not think [what Trump said] was unwarranted criticism, I think it is the reality that my country is living. Socialism does not offer people progress, it makes them dependent and unproductive.”

“Every time Trump speaks about Venezuela we are relieved and more hopeful,” Laleshka added.

“It is disguised socialism or communism that is the culprit of the economic debacle that across my country, Venezuela,” said Ivan Dario, 36, another refugee. “There is no legal certainty to the capitalist entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs are the ones that generate jobs.”

During his speech, President Trump referred to Maduro as “a puppet of Cuba”. Yes, there is evidence, nearly 92,700 Cuban communist proxies work in Venezuela, along with 20,000 Cuban security forces. Venezuela sent oil to Cuba and Cuba sent Maduro a ready made Communist government to control the people.

President Trump goals are clear. He’s not only interested in Venezuela. President Trump aims to free the citizens in the three countries of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua, which he has termed, the “troika of tyranny”

Again, President Trump is addressing problems on our doorstep which have been ignored by past Presidents. Most of us are not old enough to recall when Batista fell in Cuba and Fidel Castro took over, aligned with the Soviets, and almost started a nuclear war. We can, however, remember the Contras in Nicaragua and the rise of Chavez. We could make an argument the destabilization of Nicaragua/Guatemala/ El Salvador have threaten the USA in another way, not with nuclear war but with illegal immigration. Again, President Trump is cleaning up the mess, bringing order to the world.

Would someone, please, bring President Trump more things to fix.

The media outlet Epoch Times has received, exclusively, testimony from Page, Ohr, and other key players in what had been deemed as “Spygate”. The articles are long and detailed, often including direct testimony. Most people don’t have time to read to completion. I thought it might be nice to include a summary, here, on Trisha Anderson, as she is mostly unknown to us, but apparently, a key player. If you are interested in NEW and substantive, meat and potatoes, info on “Spygate”, it’s here.
Link to full article from Epoch Times
Each notation of “====” is my shorthand for lifted script from the article. Do not wish to plagiarize from Epoch Times, instead want to quote as specifically as possible. Anything in parenthesis () is my added script or summary.
==== Trisha Anderson was the No. 2 lawyer at the FBI’s Office of General Counsel. (She worked under Baker)
==== involved in virtually all of the significant events of the investigation.
==== one of only about 10 people who had known about the Trump–Russia investigation prior to its official opening.
==== read all of the FBI’s FD302 forms detailing information that the author of the Steele dossier, former British spy Christopher Steele, had provided to high-ranking Department of Justice (DOJ) official Bruce Ohr. (but only after the Permanent Select Comm focused on the 302’s – reasoning is unclear)
==== personally signed off on the original application for a warrant to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page without having read it. (Yates and Comey already signed it – unusual procedure)
==== part of a small group of FBI personnel who got to read then-FBI Director James Comey’s memos about conversations he had with President Donald Trump.
==== also was involved in the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton for sending classified information using a private server.
==== she received the original referral from the inspectors general for both the State Department and Intelligence Community on Clinton after hundreds of classified emails had been found on her server.
==== Anderson Reviewed the Ohr 302s (again, only after the 302’s became a focus of investigation by Perm Sel Comm)
==== During her testimony, Anderson highlighted the unusual nature of the Page FISA application process and the curious roles of McCabe and then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates, who provided approvals of the Page FISA before normal FBI and DOJ approvals had been obtained
==== “We understood, because of who Carter Page was, that people would second-guess the appropriateness of submitting the FISA application, and so we were taking extra care with the application itself.”
Yet, at the same time, Anderson admitted that not only had she not read the original Page FISA application, but she was also unable to recall if she had read any of the Page FISA renewals.
==== Anderson Defines ‘Spy’…., referring back to the FBI’s use of Halper. (which she didn’t really consider a ‘spy’ in the Trump campaign, nor people like Halper).
==== involvement in matters relating to both the Clinton and Trump–Russia investigations exceeded what had been publicly known and appears to have been at a level comparable to that of her former boss, FBI General Counsel James Baker.
==== was briefed by FBI attorney Sally Moyer regarding the existence of potential evidence on the laptop of former Rep. Weiner
==== Oct. 27, 2016, (again on the Weiner laptop), “Mid-Year Exam,” briefed Comey for the first time of the existence of Clinton emails on Weiner’s laptop.
(Conflict in testimony between Comey, Baker, and Anderson as to whether Anderson raised the issue of ‘how’ to craft a statement to the public on the contents of the Weiner laptop, in late October 2016. Comey and Baker claim Anderson raised the issue it might help elect Donald Trump. Anderson claims she was worried about revealing anything publicly about a person who may not eventually be charged – Hillary – and whether it would sway the election. Anderson insists she never mentioned Donald Trump. Comey’s book/Baker’s testimony, conflict with Anderson.)
(Testimony on the Comey memos is interesting. FBI would not allow Anderson to testify about the memos, but did allow Page and Strvok to testify a month earlier.)
(Trisha Anderson was the first person notified by memo about Hillary’s email leak on June 29, 2015, and she was notified by the IG at State (under Kennedy) and the IG for IC. Trisha Anderson knew THEN, there were hundreds of classified emails on Hillary’s server. Formal referral from IC came on July 6, 2015, pursuant (possible violation of) to Intelligence Authorization Act.)
(Another name: Jeannette McMillan, counsel for the Intelligence Community IG’s office, was who Anderson talked with concerning the referral from IC.)
==== Anderson immediately “looped in” Sally Moyer, also known as FBI Attorney 1 in the DOJ inspector general’s June 2018 report. Ultimately, the IG referral was sent to Randy Coleman, then-head of the FBI’s counterintelligence division. (investigation opened by FBI July 10, 2015)
==== (On Hillary’s use of private server) “So we all recognized from the outset that from a commonsense perspective from somebody who has worked—from the perspective of somebody who has worked in the government that it seemed like a pretty dumb thing to do.” (but they all agreed she should not be charged under gross negligence because of lack of intent)
(Interesting discussion on ‘conflict of interest’ at the DOJ and whether or not a Special Counsel should have been appointed for Hillary investigation. Anderson was questioned about an email chain she initiated. The ‘question’ about conflict of interest was researched by an intern, and Anderson could not remember details. Yet the IG report shows Anderson’s testimony conflicts with IG interview from ‘Lawyer #1, which was Sally Moyer. IMAGINE if a special counsel had been appointed for Hillary. Whoa.)
Loretta Lynch: Many questions about Loretta Lynch. Highly suggest anyone read the Epoch Times paragraphs on Loretta Lynch and Conflict of Interest near the end of the article. I’ll do my best to summarize here.
(Remember the classified index at the end of the OIG report? Remember the rumors of Loretta Lynch promising “to not allow the Clinton investigation to go too far”? Remember an alleged email about Loretta Lynch, but the media claimed it was a hoax, fake email, and was summarily dismissed? Well, Comey testified he thought the email was genuine but could not prove it AND the email is included in the classified appendix of the OIG Report to Congress – below is a summary of detail.)
In March of 2016, the issue of ‘conflict of interest’, about Loretta Lynch and all of DOJ, came up again, because the FBI received a RUSSIAN document in early 2016, according to Strzok’s testimony. The Russian doc referenced an email from Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DNC Chair, to Leonard Benardo, an official with the George Soros-funded group Open Society Foundations.
==== In the email, Wasserman Schultz reportedly claimed that former Attorney General Lynch had assured Clinton campaign staffer Amanda Renteria that she wouldn’t allow the FBI investigation of Clinton to “go too far.” Comey later testified that he believed the document to be genuine but was unable to corroborate the information it contained.
From Sally Moyer, Attorney#1, we get an email, “All these ‘secret meetings’ that Trish and Jim are having regarding, MYE and [redacted] include George Toscas….” and “….  But why is George included and not our own people, especially when, if the reporting is true, there is a real conflict of interest?” (Meaning, if the Russian doc is legit, we have a conflict of interest for Lynch and possibly the whole of DOJ. Anderson confirmed the existence of the doc in the classified appendix as referring to the Lynch ‘matter’.)
==== Anderson described two meetings…, at the DOJ. The first…, occurred prior to the drafting of Comey’s exoneration letter of Clinton, included DOJ officials George Toscas and Associate Deputy Attorney General David Margolis. Attending from the FBI were McCabe; the assistant director for the cyber division, Jim Trainor; Comey’s chief of staff, James Rybicki; and Anderson. …..second meeting included Toscas, Yates, Assistant Attorney General John Carlin, and DOJ official Matt Axelrod, along with Anderson, McCabe, and Rybicki. Anderson testified that Trainor, who left the FBI in late October 2016, was gone (thus occurred after Oct/16).
(Anderson told Congress the Lynch info remains unverified – kind of like the dossier on President Trump.)
==== (The small group) Anderson said that she, Strzok, Lisa Page, McCabe, Comey, and Baker were all aware of the investigation prior to the 2016 election. Add to that list Bill Priestap, Jonathan Moffa, Moyer, Pientka, Ohr, and Rybicki and you have a list of 12 individuals, which fits fairly well with Anderson’s testimony.
==== Anderson disclosed that, technically, Page reported directly to her, but “the supervision was less clear. She reported directly to Andy McCabe as a result of the detail arrangement that we had entered into.” And …. she actually served in a detail capacity to support him when he was Executive Assistant Director overseeing the National Security Branch. (The title of Special Counsel was created for Lisa Page, apparently to get around Anderson, to get to McCabe, Strzok, and Baker.)
(Anderson was questioned by Congressman Baker if she knew of any animosity towards Lisa Page by Giacalone or Steinbach, who would have been leapfrogged in chain of command by Lisa Page. Anderson said neither came to her, specifically, but she was aware of their concerns.)
Trisha Anderson, Giacalone, Steinbach, Moyer, are mentioned, along with others, in “Q” post #2692, 2697, 2698. Q advises us, in post 2697, to track and follow Klinesmith, Gohar, Sally Moyer, Herring. Since Herring is the name of the AG in Virginia, I checked. Mark Herring is the Virginia AG and James Herring is the DOJ employee. Thus far, I cannot find a connection.
However………
In line with Aubergine’s fabulous reporting on Covington and Burling, LLP, it is interesting to note Trishia Anderson left DOJ and returned to work with Eric Holder…….. at Covington and Burling, LLP.
Guess what her specialty is now? I kid you not……. CFIUS clearances.
Background for Trisha Anderson: She clerked for Sutton, Court of Appeals in the 6th, and then clerked for Kagan at SCOTUS. There’s a weird 7 year absence not explained from the time she went from Sutton to Kagan. She graduated Harvard/Yale.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDs04l2lQlk
On President’s Day, our President will address a largely Venezuelan community in Miami. Whereas Miami used to be dominated by Cuban nationals or those with Cuban ancestry, the problems with Maduro have created an enormous influx of Venezuelans.
Get ready for the speech of a lifetime. Several factors have set the stage for high drama.
Here, President Trump has a legitimately evil foe, Maduro. The USA is on the side of Guido. With the Democrat Party pushing socialism, and the failure of socialism in Venezuela, President Trump has positioned himself to issue a rally cry for American Freedom.
Plus, if the Venezuelans remain in Miami, their vote could swing Dade County, many Congressional seats, and firmly place Florida in the Republican camp.
Here’s another link, hat tip to GA/FL: https://trumptube.tv/donald-trump-rally-speech-video/video/live-video-president-trump-speech-from-miami-2-18-19/
Golden State Times Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1I2CuH5ocU&w=640&h=360
PBS Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yz3se4F7Zk