BCT Editorial – 10/30/16

 


This page was last updated on November 1, 2016.


A vote for experience and diplomacy; Editorial; Beaver County Times; October 30, 2016.

Below is a critique of an editorial excerpt.


“In an election year that has been among the most contentious in history, it’s understandable that many Americans find significant faults with both presidential candidates.  A recurring complaint is that voters are left to choose between two nominees whom they simply can’t support.”

[RWC] Not all “experience” is good.  Mrs. Clinton’s (HRC) time as secretary of state started with the “reset button” faux pas and concluded with Benghazi.

In Benghazi on September 11, 2012, an al-Qaida affiliate attacked our consulate and the mission annex, murdering Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Information Management Officer Sean Smith, and CIA contractors Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.  Just over 10 months earlier and referring to Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, “We came, we saw, he died” said HRC with a laugh.

“We urge voters to work past those frustrations and look for the candidate with the diplomacy skills, patience and political expertise to help lead a divided nation.  We believe that candidate is Democrat Hillary Clinton.”

[RWC] Wow, who saw that coming? <g>

“The former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady has demonstrated throughout her career in public service an appreciation for working in a bipartisan fashion to get things accomplished.  She has shown a deep understanding of the issues confronting the nation – both domestically and abroad – and offers reasoned approaches to dealing with them.”

[RWC] HRC and “working in a bipartisan fashion” in the same sentence?  You’ll note the editorial provided no examples.

By “reasoned approaches,” the editorial means the same old leftist programs that never worked.

“She has laid out specific plans for job creation tied to improving the nation’s infrastructure; immigration reform that is workable and humane; affordable training and education in growing high-tech fields; and a willingness to reconsider trade agreements that have turned out to be bad deals for American workers.”

[RWC] Doing what the BCT didn’t, here’s a link to the official HRC website and here positions on the above issues and more.  There is nothing new.  It’s the same old failed stuff we’ve seen from leftists since at least the 1930s.

As for “a willingness to reconsider trade agreements …,” the BCT is referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  Sec. of State HRC said in 2012, “This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field.”  Four years later, presidential candidate HRC looking for votes opposes the TPP.  What will HRC’s position be should she be elected?

“And, as has been one of the hallmarks of her public career, Clinton remains deeply committed to issues involving women’s rights and health care coverage for children.”

[RWC] “Women’s rights?”  Seriously?  On 9/14/15, HRC tweeted, “To every survivor of sexual assault … You have the right to be heard.  You have the right to be believed.  We’re with you. —Hillary.”  Anyone old enough to remember HRC’s role in dealing with her husband’s extramarital affairs noted her hypocrisy.

At a 12/3/15 campaign stop in Hooksett, New Hampshire, a woman asked, “Secretary Clinton, you recently came out to say that all rape victims should be believed.  But would you say that Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey and Paula Jones be believed as well?”  HRC replied, “Well, I would say that everyone should be believed at first until they are disbelieved based on evidence.”  The HRC campaign website still shows her statement, but without the “You have the right to be believed” portion. 

“That is not to say that Clinton is without fault.  Far from it.  When it comes to matters of openness, transparency and accountability, Clinton is often her own worst enemy.  Her use of a private email server while secretary of state may not have been a criminal act, but it showed incredibly poor judgment.  Even worse was the almost cavalier attitude she displayed in downplaying the matter.”

[RWC] “Her use of a private email server while secretary of state may not have been a criminal act?”  The BCT must know this is false.  FBI Director James Comey testified HRC’s actions were illegal, he just chose not to charge HRC.

Not content with the FBI letting her off the hook, HRC continued lying by lying about the FBI’s report and Director Comey’s testimony.

You may have noticed the editorial didn’t mention the FBI reopened the investigation of HRC’s private email server.  According to Time, “The FBI is examining additional emails related to Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server four months after closing its investigation, the bureau’s director said in a letter to lawmakers on Friday, a surprise twist in a turbulent campaign just 11 days before election day.  In a note to congressional committee chairs, FBI director James Comey said that the FBI had discovered additional emails relevant to the investigation into Clinton’s server and agents were examining the emails to determine whether they contain classified information.”

The emails found were on the PC of disgraced and former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), aka “Carlos Danger” (CD).  CD is under investigation for allegedly sexting with an underage girl.  The FBI was searching CD’s PC for evidence in the sexting case when it ran across approximately 650,000 emails, some number of which appeared to be connected to HRC’s Emailgate.  This discovery is why the FBI reopened the investigation of HRC’s private email server.

What does CD have to do with HRC?  CD is married to – but separated from - Huma Abedin (HA).  HA started as a White House intern for HRC in 1996 and eventually became a top advisor and close friend of HRC.  When HA left the State Department, she signed form OF-109 which states the employee has surrendered all classified and unclassified documents and materials to the responsible officials.  Should the FBI find the emails are what they currently appear to be, HA could be charged with perjury.  HA currently says she has no idea how the emails found their way to her husband’s PC.  If HA truly has no knowledge of how the emails got on her husband’s PC, how do we know they didn’t find their way to other devices?  It’s for this very reason HRC setting up a personal email server was so incredibly reckless.

The FBI announcement occurred sometime in the early-afternoon of Friday.  Since the Sunday print edition of the BCT covered local sporting events that took place on Saturday night, there was plenty of time for the BCT to add mention of the FBI reopening the HRC email investigation.

“She has been equally evasive about matters involving a potential conflict while serving as secretary of state and donations made to the Clinton Foundation.  And even on the campaign trail we’ve seen a reluctance for openness, as evidenced by the lack of information coming from her staff after she collapsed at an event while suffering from pneumonia.”

[RWC] HRC also went for at least 269 days without a press conference.

“If elected, we expect both her supporters and detractors to demand a more forthright approach in dealing with the American people.”

[RWC] HRC currently needs the votes of “the American people.”  Why on Earth does the BCT think she would be different when she no longer needs those voters?

“While such trust issues are of deep concern, they pale in comparison to the issues surrounding Donald Trump, the Republican nominee.  Trump has built a campaign around sound bites and slogans that have little specificity tied to them.

“He said he would build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and make Mexico pay for it.  How will he do that?  He won’t say; just trust him.  He’s going to defeat ISIS.  How will he do that?  He’s not saying; just trust him.  He’s going to round up and deport some 12 million unregistered immigrants in the United States.  How will he do that and how will he pay for it?  Don’t ask; just trust him.”

[RWC] “How will he pay for it?”  You’ll note the BCT didn’t ask the same question of HRC.

“Unregistered immigrants” is leftyspeak for illegal aliens.

“The list goes on and on, from a jobs plan that was roundly criticized by numerous respected economists to his most recent claim of a rigged election, and a threat that he would only accept the outcome if he wins.”

[RWC] Where are the names of those “numerous respected economists?”  You can bet your bippy there are “numerous respected economists” who “roundly criticized” HRC’s “jobs plan.”  There are few economic issues where “numerous respected economists” take the same position.

As for “a threat that he would only accept the outcome if he wins,” did the BCT forget the 2000 election?  Democrats did their damnedest the invalidate the result and continue to tell anyone who will listen President George W. Bush was selected, not elected.  When someone asks, “what about Al Gore in 2000,” the answer tends to be something like it’s okay to gripe after the election but not before.  That’s not what Democrats believed in 2004.  John Kerry said in 2004, “We’re going to pre-check it, we’re going to have the legal team in place.  We’re going to take injunctions where necessary ahead of time.  We’ll pre-challenge if necessary.”

“In short, Trump delivers campaign slogans, ignores specifics and seems to relish the role of political bully.  His campaign has included callous and disgusting comments about women, a near disdain for American democracy and fiscal recklessness that is a slap in the face to a Republican Party that once prided itself on fiscal conservatism and less government.”

[RWC] Note the BCT’s concern about “a slap in the face” of the GOP.  What a hoot!  Since when did the BCT care about “fiscal conservatism and less government?”  I was born at night, but not last night.

“Over the last year, Trump has shown his true colors – bombastic, xenophobic, misogynistic and intellectually lazy.  He has proved himself unqualified and unfit to hold the highest office in the country.”

[RWC] For reasons mentioned previously, HRC supporters should stay away from topics like “misogynistic.”

“Clinton offers what the country needs most over the next four years – an understanding of the many complex issues facing the nation and an ability to work with members of both parties to go beyond the divisiveness and work toward the common good.”

[RWC] Seriously?  Hillarycare was so bad it went nowhere despite a Democrat-majority Congress (both House and Senate) and her husband as President.

Regarding “divisiveness,” what about HRC referring to Donald Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables?”  Speaking at a fundraiser, HRC said, “You know, to just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables.  Right?  The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic -- you name it.  And unfortunately there are people like that.  And he [DT] has lifted them up.  He has given voice to their websites that used to only have 11,000 people -- now 11 million.  He tweets and retweets their offensive hateful mean-spirited rhetoric.  Now, some of those folks -- they are irredeemable, but thankfully they are not America.”

Does that sound like someone with “an ability to work with members of both parties to go beyond the divisiveness and work toward the common good?”

“We believe she is both qualified and prepared for that challenge.”

[RWC] Who would have guessed?


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