BLUF: [Hot Air] We now know Obama administration intelligence operatives listened in on Trump aides’ conversations. We now know they illegally leaked the identities. And it’s not a stretch in this poisonous partisan environment to wonder if those intel encounters were truly incidental.
Or perhaps did the monitoring use foreign officials as mere covers to gather information, hopefully damning, on the Republican’s transition team and on this Trump usurper who had no business upsetting Clinton on Nov. 8?
I suspect Flynn had some idea of the damage which would be caused to the CIA once Fethullah Gulen was extradited to Turkey. Flynn's subsequent 'unmasking' and removal from the new administration also removed the notion of a Gulen extradition. Two birds, one stone.
Posted by: al aSha-med ||
03/25/2017 5:22 Comments ||
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#4
As the train rolls down the tracks, every station it stops it is fully prepared to insulate a certain agency from discovery and involvement. Some might call it a common thread.
The market for ammunition -- my guess would be in 9mm and 5.56mm -- is flooded. The effect is such that big league ammunition makers such as Federal are laying off workers, 110 in Federal's case. The company released a statement this week saying that a change in market conditions is responsible for the decision.
The next few months will be interesting as matters such as a flooded market and the lower cost of inputs start to take effect. Who knows under both of those conditions how far ammunition prices will drop?
The usual pre-Christmas price spike failed to materialize, so the post Christmas price recovery for consumers did not materialize as well.
It's funny that gun control fascists mock gun owners for their supposed paranoia during the Obama years, even though gun owners put their money where their fears were. I wonder how the left's hate will manifest now.
Here's the thing about protecting yourself: it takes more than practice at a range and a fine handgun or rifle to be able to protect yourself or others. You have to be wiling to do battle without all those toys. I don't see liberals squaring off in a brawl, even if they conclude their cause is just.
Loads.
Rantburg's summary for arms and ammunition:
Prices for pistol ammunition were mixed. Prices for rifle ammunition were mostly steady.
Prices for used pistols were mixed. Prices for used rifles were mixed.
New Lows:
None
Pistol Ammunition
.45 Caliber, 230 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Wolf, FMJ, Steel Casing, .23 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Wolf, FMJ, Steel Casing, .23 per round (From Last week: Unchanged (8 Weeks))
.40 Caliber Smith & Wesson, 180 Grain, From Last Week: +.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Freedom Munitions, Own Brand, RNFP, Brass Casing, Reloads .21 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Ammo Mart, Own Brand, RSFP, Brass Casing, FMJ, .21 per round (From Last Week: +.01 Each After Unchanged (5 Weeks))
9mm Parabellum, 115 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4Q, 2016)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .15 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Wolf WFA, FMJ, Steel Casing, .15 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (7 Weeks))
.357 Magnum, 158 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks)
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 1,000 rounds: Outdoor Limited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .24 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks))
.38 Special, 158 Grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Freedom Munition, Own Brand, RNFP, Brass Casing, Reloads .24 per round
Cheapest Bulk: 500 rounds: Hyperion Munitions, Own Brand, RN, Brass Casing, Reloads .25 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
Rifle Ammunition
.223 Caliber/5.56mm 55 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (2 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Wolf WPA, FMJ, Steel Casing, .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: SG Ammo, Wolf WPA, FMJ, Steel Casing, .21 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
.308 NATO 150 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Alamo Ammo, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .31 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Tulammo, FMJ, Steel Casing, .32 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (9 Weeks))
7.62x39mm AK 123 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (7 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Wolf WPA, Steel Casing, FMJ, .20 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Wolf WPA, Steel Casing, FMJ, .20 per round (From Last Week: -.01 Each After Unchanged (3 Weeks))
.30-06 Springfield 145 Grain. From Last Week: Unchanged (3 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Outdoor Unlimited, Wolf WPA, Steel Casing, FMJ, .54 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 500 rounds: United Nations Ammo, Wolf WPA, Steel Casing, FMJ, .54 per round (From Last week: Unchanged (5 Weeks))
.300 Winchester Magnum 150 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Ammunition Depot, Prvi Partizan, Brass Casing, SP, .95 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 1,000 rounds: Ammo Liquidator, Hornady Whitetail, Brass Casing, SP, 1.04 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (8 Weeks))
.338 Lapua Magnum 250 Grain, From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks)
Cheapest, 20 rounds: Selway Armory, Prvi Partizan, Brass Casing, JSP, 2.38 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 200 rounds: Target Sports USA, Prvi Partizan, Brass Casing, FMJ, 2.40 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (1Q, 2017))
.22 LR 40 Grain, From Last Week: -.01 Each
Cheapest, 50 rounds: Ammomen (10 Box Limit), Federal, RNL, .05 per round
Cheapest Bulk, 3,250 rounds: US Armament, Federal Champion, RNL, .05 per round (From Last Week: Unchanged (4 Weeks))
#1
Even though liberals are suddenly buying guns, sounds like the reason the ammunition market is flooded is they forgot to buy bullets.
Lets be patient with them, this is new to them and anything that has more than 9 bullets scares the crap out of them. Magazines with more than that MUST still be banned per their logic. Maybe they are taking the Barney Fife approach and just starting out with one bullet.
I really don't think they are THAT afraid of Trump supporters running around with MAGA hats, I believe deep down they see the situations they created, a.k.a. Chicago and incoming Syrians and are beginning to feel the same way people in the flyover heartland feel, the need to protect our families from Jihadists and our sheep from being raped.
This COULD be a good thing. Now if we could just teach them how to balance a budget...
#2
I really don't think they are THAT afraid of Trump supporters running around with MAGA hats,
The few I know and choose to (or must) talk to really ARE quite frightened by the southern right. They are arming themselves for defense against their neighbors.
Posted by: al aSha-med ||
03/25/2017 5:48 Comments ||
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Posted by: al aSha-med ||
03/25/2017 6:03 Comments ||
Top||
#4
The market for ammunition -- my guess would be in 9mm and 5.56mm -- is flooded.
Short and medium term financial forecasts for small arms ammunition manufactures appear to show slower but consistent growth. This seems to be driven by expectations for increased military budgets and increased popularity in civilian self defense and shooting sports. As with everything else, how industry forecasts translate into consumer retail prices is anyone's guess. That said, I've had more than one ammo supplier say there are many small and medium retailers sitting on a lot of inventory. (Particularly in the most popular calibers.) Their advice is to be on the look out for deals on bulk sales soon. We shall see.
#5
None of the liberals and NeverTrump Republicans I know has mentioned getting a gun. All talk about being terrified of President Trump and those who voted for him... but none act like they are scared, just like they aren't much modifying their behaviour in the face of global warming.
Anecdotal evidence, but there it is.
Interesting, Cramble and Company4359. Ditto, DepotGuy.
And yet Paul Ryan walked straight into the Barzini trap that president Trump set for him. By insisting that the voters desired "Repeal and Replace" when in fact all anybody wanted was "Repeal, full stop," Ryan's inner wonk superseded his duties as the speaker of the House to ensure the votes were there for the "Replace" part of the equation. That they weren't should be the end of his speakership.
...Once the bright shiny penny of young GOP congressmen, Ryan blotted his copybook badly in his disappointing vice-presidential debate performance against a gibbering Joe Biden. He then played coy after House conservatives finally managed to sack former speaker John Boehner, but eventually accepted the proffered crown. During the election, he fought Trump every step of the way and lied about it.
So heading into round one of the health-care debate, there was no love lost between Trump and Ryan. Despite the fact that the House had already voted some 60 times to repeal Obamacare -- which is all GOP voters had been asking for -- Ryan got it into his head that what was really needed was a Republican version of Obamacare: "a better way." And so he set about crafting the latest version of GOP me-tooism, the American Health Care Act, which was ignominiously yanked this afternoon when it was clear there were not enough votes to pass it.
...Despite Trump's lip service in favor of the bill, it's hard not to believe that Ryan was set up for disaster. The bill had the speaker's fingerprints all over it, so it was a win-win for the White House. If the bill passed, fine: bad as it is, it was a marginal improvement on Obamacare, and Trump could be seen as having fulfilled a campaign promised. If it died, it was all on Ryan. And with it dead, the American people can continue to be tortured by the long, slow, painful death of Obamacare until they finally cry uncle and come begging to Trump to end the misery. Two out of three ain't bad.
#1
And yet Paul Ryan walked straight into the Barzini trap that president Trump set for him.
This 'Godfather' metaphor conveniently leaves out one character - HHS Secretary Tom Hagen Price. This was his plan every bit as much as it was Speaker Ryan's plan. And by extension it was President Trump's plan as well. Perhaps the apt quote should be;
#2
Mcconnel and Ryan: Mr. President we now have a congressionally approved Tax Relief bill ready for your signature.
POTUS: Absolutely outstanding. Fantastic work guys, but I've just kicked it up a notch. Please bring me a coordinated Health Care 'End Obamacare' bill and we'll have a duel signing. I'll be in my office.
#6
Sometimes you have to give the enemy a victory for them to relax and let you have what you want. The health care bill can be revisited later, after Obamacare has people hurting and properly holding Dems accountable for the price hikes.
Maybe so, but Trump does have a lot of contract experience. He knows how to play the deal to get what he want. In fact, lack of legislative experience may be a good thing as it's not "politics as usual" at play here, but "get it done!"
[PJMedia] ...Let's accept that Paul Ryan's healthcare bill wasn't optimal. If the Congressional Budget Office was anywhere close to correct in its original estimations, the bill would have cut government spending by $12.5 trillion, cut taxes by $900 million, repealed Obamacare's tax increases, and instituted the largest entitlement reform in the last thirty years. But yes, it's true, it wasn't full repeal. Indeed, as long as insurance companies are required to cover pre-existing conditions, government healthcare is with us, and the bill would not have changed that. And it is certainly fair to doubt whether the third phase of Ryan's three-phase plan -- the phase that would have returned the free market to insurance -- would ever have gotten past the Democrats. Perfect is an enemy of good?
#1
So in a longer view, was the failure to pass a negotiated loss? If Trump wins the next (tax) initiative that's more jobs with more employer provided healthcare, albeit reduced coverage.
Posted by: al aSha-med ||
03/25/2017 5:29 Comments ||
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#2
Depends on your definition of "good". Ryan's bill was crap, and they were going to railroad the thing thru like the Dems did, without a full reading/review.
#3
What I mean is that they had quite a bit of time to prepare a proper bill, and this garbage is what they tried to throw out there. Its as if the leadership wanted to keep Obamacare, and they figured they would either keep their version of it, or throw a bill out there so bad they would have to pull it and just leave O-care in place. Ryan and McConnell deserve a special place in hell for screwing the R's that keep them in office.
The right answer is to take the repeal bill from the last session, which they passed in both houses, and put it thru to President Trump, with a 2 year abeyance, which gives them time to generate a proper replacement with free market ideas and a lot less government involvement.
You would think after the better part of a decade publicly calling for repeal, and talking about replacement plans, they might actually have had something substantial ready to go. Now the mask is off and those beltway Republicans, the so-called "leadership", are nothing more than Democrats in different colored suits when it comes to government power.
#7
It probably would have been an improvement on the ACA, but it would still implode in short order. There was not enough benefit for the problems to be worth owning - better to let the Dems keep ownership.
They can't repeal - not enough political muscle. They couldn't 'replace.' Maybe they can try smaller changes that could make repeal possible later. Pre-existing conditions coverage seems to be the biggest problem - address that in some kind of practical fashion - COBRA does that for workers moving between policies, and it doesn't seem unreasonable to prohibit insurance companies from dropping people who would otherwise maintain coverage, and then not cover conditions which developed while they were previously insured.
#10
Ryan and the freedom caucus look like idiots. The object of the short game is to take enough US Senate seats in the next mid-term election to finally get bills to the president's desk. This didn't help.
President Donald Trump on Saturday declared that Obamacare will fall apart and vowed to develop a "great" new health care plan for Americans to take its place.
"ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!" the Republican said on Twitter.
#14
(1) Now Obamacare will cause pain and the Dems still own it.
(2) As Scott Adams points out, this could result in the narrative shifting from Trump = Hitler to Trump = incompetent which is easier to deal with.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Russians would not save Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Light of the Alawites... and his regime without Israeli approval. It is widely known that Israel has normal, if not strong, relations with Russia.
Tense relations are neither in Israel nor Russia’s interest. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu often travels to Moscow apparently to coordinate the Russian interventions in the Arab region. This clearly suggests that the Russian Federation coordinated with Israel before intervening to save Assad and his regime.
Iran too has strong ties with Russia although these relations have been a little tense recently.
Leb’s Hezbollah is the creation of Iran’s velayat-e-faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist). It receives most of its funding from Iran and secures the rest from drug deals across the world.
All these factors destroy the idea that the aim of Hezbollah’s arms is to resist Israel and protect Leb’s borders. This aim is often repeated by Lebanese supporters of Hezbollah and even Lebanese President Michel Aoun ...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah... reiterated this in Cairo.
The Iranians and their product Hezbollah propagate this idea to arm the Shiite militias in Leb so it can be used to protect Tehran’s influence and control. It doesn’t make sense for the Lebanese president to throw his support behind Hezbollah and officially adopt militias that take orders from the Guardianship of the Jurist.
Hezbollah’s ally
Aoun knows for sure that Hezbollah’s arms do not target Israel, as the party’s secretary general His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah The satrap of the Medes and the Persians in Leb... claims. His statement practically means that any threat made by Hezbollah is an official Lebanese threat. It is widely known that before becoming president, Aoun was Hezbollah’s ally and coordinated with the party. He knows well whom Hezbollah’s true target is.
All these givens indicate the following: First of all, Hezbollah and behind it Iran are on good terms with Israel and each party serves the other. Iran uses its hostility toward Israel as an excuse to serve its interests in the region. Iran’s support of President Assad, and not replacing him with someone else, serves the interests of both, Israel and Iran.
I have no doubt that if Hezbollah threatens Israel’s existence, then Israel can destroy the entire Leb, not just Hezbollah, through its intelligence and military power and capability to influence superpowers. Israel’s security and survival is unquestionable, not just for the Americans but for all superpowers.
Arabs, who are especially gullible, have not learnt anything from the history of fake leaders who used the Paleostinian cause as an excuse to serve their greed and domination.
An example of these leaders is Saddam Hussein and Gamal Abdel Nasser. Now there is Hassan Nasrallah, and behind them the Iranian regime. All of them exploited the Paleostinian cause to achieve their aims. Most Arabs believe the same lie uttered by deceitful leaders. The most recent is the liar and terrorist Hassan Nasrallah, and I don’t think he will be the last.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2017 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11126 views]
Top|| File under: Hezbollah
#3
"It is widely known that Israel has normal, if not strong, relations with Russia."
It is? I know a lot of Israeli's came from Russia but Russian support of genocidal enemies for decades seems a bit wider known. I wasn't aware things had changed.
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Marine Le Pen, the French extreme right’s presidential candidate, clearly summed up how the West regards the Syrian Revolt, which erupted six years ago.
In an interview with al-Arabiya TV channel, she replied to a question about her view of Bashir al-Assad by saying: "If I were to choose between al-Assad and ISIS I shall choose al-Assad". This is a fact well-known to the sponsors and defenders of the Syrian regime. Thus, in order to save the regime it was necessary to derail the popular uprising, destroy its moderate armed and unarmed elements, and deprive the true ’revolutionaries’ of all kinds of support and protection.
This is how we have reached the current ’ideal’ scenario. The Syrian people are now out of the equation. What has been unfolding for the last six years is being depicted before the world as a straight ’choice’ between a regime that is willing to concede to all but its own people and a dubious krazed killer terror most of which is foreign.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Fred ||
03/25/2017 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11125 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Syria
#1
IMO, the only thing better than Sunni and Shia killing each other is Sunni and Shia killing each other efficiently.
[PJ] Does the American liberal college student get a bad shake? Yes, they might be wrong about the vast majority of their positions, but they typically mean well, right?
I'm not so sure. Take a look at the "Oppression Olympics," and you'll see that many view everything through a "me-first," "I'm a victim," self-interested lens. For example, now a student is claiming that the Leftist anger itself against President Trump's travel executive order and his illegal immigration stance is "anti-black."
She says that people are talking only about Muslim and Hispanic "victims," and not black "victims," and that itself is a new form of racism.
Folks, I can't make this crap up:
The issues of illegal immigration and the travel ban are important to discuss and confront -- but the dialogue is also too focused away from how they impact black people, and thus contain "anti-black" sentiments.
That was one point among many offered up at Loyola University Chicago’s inaugural Social Justice Symposium on Saturday.
The anti-black comments came during one of the event’s breakout sessions, proffered by undergraduate student Keesha Moliere, who argued anti-blackness pervades recent immigration and environmental movements.
Moliere, a Haitian-American, said protests against President Donald Trump’s travel ban, recent deportations, and environmental movements ignore the intersectionality of black individuals and how they are affected by these issues.
[Blacksphere] Below is an article written by Dave Bertrand. He connects the dots on how this investigation on "wiretapping" has suddenly heated up on Barack Obama and many of his minions.
Frankly, I feel pretty confident that Obama and his supporters will soon feast on crow. I wrote recently that you can see the buzzards circling, as the Left begin to demand an apology. An apology for reasonable conjecture, at worst.
Helen Keller sees and hears the bell toll for Leftists who dare buck Trump. Don’t make me...ok, November 8, 2016!
Dave writes:
Was Devin Nunes (R-CA) chairman of the House Intelligence Committee acting properly by going directly to President Trump with his new found "Raw Intelligence" discovery? Or should he instead have shared the illegal revelation with his colleague’s (Democrat Witch Hunt) investigation into "Russian Collusion" (alleged) against President-Elect Trump and the transition team?
First...let’s look at what is the "Raw Intelligence". Then, you decide if President Trump was properly notified of illegal activity by the former administration preparing to take-down his presidency.
"Raw Intelligence" collected by the NSA, FBI, or CIA is data, voice, or video collected before an analyst categorizes, identifies, and submits his/her analysis to (let’s say) CIA Brennan or FBI Comey for further investigation and classification. Names and places are usually redacted, based on the security level of the receiver, e.g. (For Your Eyes Only). The information is then used as part of an agenda and/or strategy for further investigation and/or specific targeting for an eventual action.
#1
The Obama regime "wiretapped" generals they didn't want around, foreign government heads of state, all of which was not only public knowledge, they actually bragged about it.
Since they were also the sheriff in town, they were untouchable. But never wiretap the new sheriff when you no longer have the keys to he jail house. Never.
Posted by: Craish Lover of the Veal Cutlets4895 ||
03/25/2017 1:24 Comments ||
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#2
Imagine the America where Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Brennan, Clapper, Loretta Lynch and Comey go to jail.
It’s not nearly as far-fetched as it appeared when Trump first tweeted that word: “wiretap.”
Probably wishful thinking, but I can dream, can't I?
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/25/2017 7:52 Comments ||
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#3
Does Tahiti have an extradition treaty with the US?
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
03/25/2017 14:33 Comments ||
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#6
I fixed your URL, Whavish Thusoling5684. In future, delete or paste over the placeholder http:// in the URL box rather than simply adding your URL to it. I learned that the hard way, too. ;-)
#7
Why the ridiculous last-minute executive order allowing the wide distribution of intel unless it was to muddy the waters about the illegal surveillance?
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
(Thank you, just a Rantburg anonymous opinion) 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Michel Aoun
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Marine Le Pen, the French extreme right’s presidential candidate, clearly summed up how the West regards the Syrian Revolt, which erupted six years ago.
[PJ] Does the American liberal college student get a bad shake? Yes, they might be wrong about the vast majority of their positions, but they typically mean well, right?
