Company "A" and Company "B"
Who is George Papadopoulos? Not since Carter Page, has such an obscure “foreign policy advisor” for the Trump campaign garnered such hype. The media is in full-on AHA! mode this morning. These are some of the headlines: from the New York Times, “Why George Papadopoulos is More Dangerous Than Paul Manafort.” From the Washington Post, “Russia’s Outreach to George Papadopoulos Went Just How Spies Would Have Done It. I could read them all but this is only a three hour show.
According to court records unsealed yesterday, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI. The FBI said he quote: "falsely described his interactions with a certain foreign contact who discussed 'dirt' related to emails" concerning Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.”
The interactions with Russians included a woman claiming to be related to Vladimir Putin. Spoiler alert, she wasn’t. All of this, allegedly, was to gain damaging information on Hillary. You know, they actually have a name for that. It’s the term that is sweeping the nation. It’s called “opposition research.” Oh yeah, note to the Trump Campaign: if you want to engage in opposition research, do it like the DNC and Clinton Campaign do. Have your lawyer contract a former British spy. You’ll get an extra layer of deniability that way.
So why is every single media outlet fully on board the Papadopoulos hype train? What could they possibly be doing? Perhaps it’s just irony or maybe it’s fate, but - in addition to Halloween - today is National Magic Day. The mainstream media, in reverence to this most hallowed day, is pulling a little sleight of hand. So, the question is, what’s in the other hand that we’re being distracted from?
If you read the 30 plus page Manafort indictment you might have noticed a reference to “Company A” and “Company B.” Apparently most of the media missed it. NBC News was one of the only sources to take notice. Sources told NBC that “Company A” is the Podesta Group. They were working hand in hand with Manafort lobbying for the Ukrainian Government. Tony Podesta, founder of the Podesta Group and brother to former Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, announced he was resigning from the firm that HE FOUNDED in order to fight the Muller investigation.
Wait, what?! There’s more people involved in the Russia investigation besides Manafort and Papa-what’s his name? And someone with heavy connections to the Clintons? Surely not!
Well, now I’m in trouble. I broke the cardinal rule of magicians on National Magic Day. The mainstream media will NEVER let me in their club now. Oh well. Don’t be fooled by the hand they’re showing you. The truth is there is something else they don’t want you to see.
How Harvey Changed the World
A martyr for social change.
That’s apparently how Harvey Weinstein sees himself.
Not as an alleged rapist and serial molester, but as some sort of warrior for change all of a sudden.
According to a Hollywood Insider, Weinstein is trying to spin his disgrace into a teachable moment.
He’s been allegedly telling people “that he was born to take the fall for his behavior in order to ‘change the world.’
Despite how sociopathic and ridiculous that sounds, Harvey is right. He did change the world.
Every day since his scandals came to light, it seems like another Hollywood figure is outed for their inappropriate behavior.
This week, Kevin Spacey was accused of making sexual advances on a 14-year-old in the 1980’s.
The fall-out from this accusation could destroy Spacey’s career.
Netflix quickly announced that the next season of House of Cards would be its last saying they are “deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey.” Although the decision to cancel House of Cards after the sixth season was already made months ago, it didn’t stop Netflix from taking this opportunity to create the image that they made this announcement based on Spacey’s behavior.
Look, no one wants to be associated with someone who sexually assaults another person. Spacey’s behavior is unacceptable. Weinstein’s behavior is REALLY unacceptable. And hopefully Hollywood has learned a hard, painful lesson. But, due process exists for a reason. And on Halloween, I’m afraid if we’re not careful, this might turn into a witch hunt.
Cross-ing Out Memorials
Here we go again. Another cross is under siege for the crime of being visible on land owned and maintained by the state.
This time it is the Peace Cross in Bladensburg, Maryland. Why is this cross in the news? Because the battle over it may end up in the Supreme Court and the decision could affect similar memorials all over America.
Earlier this month, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled 2-1 that the Peace Cross is unconstitutional. They said it violates the First Amendment by having, “a primary effect of endorsing religion and excessively entangles the government and religion.”
The Peace Cross is a 40-foot-tall World War I memorial that commemorates 49 soldiers killed from Prince George’s County in Maryland. The monument was built in 1925, funded by local families and the American Legion.
For 92 years, this cross has entangled government and religion in ways that have wreaked untold havoc on the minds and hearts of Maryland’s citizens! Whenever someone even looks at it, they feel enslaved by the American theocracy rays shooting out of the cross, zapping their minds, and making them head to the nearest church to worship!
That kind of manipulation must be shut down.
But opponents of the Peace Cross are not actually worried about protecting the First Amendment. This is simply a case of anti-Christian bigotry.
The female manager of a pawn shop near the Peace Cross said, “We heard they may be taking it down, and I disagree with that. It just doesn’t bother anybody around here. I worry nobody is going to remember them [meaning the 49 fallen WWI soldiers]. You can’t remember something you cannot see.”
Which is exactly the outcome opponents of the Peace Cross are hoping for. Forget Christianity—and forget our soldiers in the process.