[NYPOST] David Dinkins ...the former mayor of New York. He sez he lost to Rudy Giuliani in 1993 because of racism, which is pervasive in places like Manhattan... , who was elected New York City’s first black mayor in 1989 and famously referred to the nation’s largest metropolis as a "gorgeous mosaic," died Monday night, sources told The Post.The former mayor passed away from natural causes at his Upper East Side home around 9:30 p.m. He was 93 years old.
A home health aide had discovered Dinkins was not breathing and called 911, sources said.
His death comes a little over a month after his wife, Joyce, died at their home. She was 89.
Dinkins — who defeated three-term incumbent Ed Koch in the 1989 Democratic primary — beat Republican Rudy Giuliani that year to become the city’s 106th mayor.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/24/2020 12:06 ||
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(MSN)The website for WestExec Advisors includes a map depicting West Executive Avenue, the secure road on the White House grounds between the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, as a way to show what the consulting firm can do for its clients.
"It is, quite literally, the road to the Situation Room, and it is the road everyone associated with WestExec Advisors has crossed many times en route to meetings of the highest national security consequences," the firm says.
And staffers are poised to cross it again ‐ en masse.
The firm, which now looks like a government-in-waiting for the next administration, was founded in 2017 by Tony Blinken, President-elect Joe Biden's choice for secretary of State, and Michèle Flournoy, a top contender for secretary of Defense. And one of its former principals, Avril Haines, is Biden's pick for director of national intelligence.
But little is known about WestExec's client list. Because its staffers aren't lobbyists, they are not required to disclose who they work for. They also aren't bound by the Biden transition's restrictions on hiring people who have lobbied in the past year.
Such high-powered Washington consulting firms are "the unintended consequence" of greater disclosure requirements for registered lobbyists, said Mandy Smithberger, director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight.
By not directly advocating for federal dollars on behalf of their clients, they don't have to publicly divulge who is paying them and for what activities, such as the connections they make with government agencies, she said. But it is also impossible to assess the influence they have on federal expenditures.
"They avoid becoming registered lobbyists or foreign agents and are instead becoming strategic consultants," she said.
WestExec is loaded with other former top Democratic national security and foreign policy officials who raised money for the Biden campaign, have joined his transition team, or have served as unofficial advisers.
At least 21 of the 38 WestExec employees listed on the firm's website donated to the Biden campaign; Flournoy alone raised more than $100,000.
Five WestExec staffers ‐ all veterans of the Obama administration ‐ are on leave from the firm to help staff Biden's review teams for the Pentagon, the Treasury Department, the Council of Economic Advisers and other agencies, which are charged with coordinating the transfer of power between outgoing Trump officials and Biden's appointees.
Two other WestExec principals were among those who briefed Biden last week on national security: Bob Work, who served as deputy secretary of defense in the Obama administration and was asked to remain on for the first few months of the Trump administration, and David Cohen, a former deputy director of both the CIA and the Treasury Department who is also in the running for a top post.
Meanwhile, Jen Psaki, a former White House communications director under President Barack Obama who went on to work for WestExec, is now advising Biden's transition team. And two other former WestExec hands, Lisa Monaco and Julianne Smith, are considered potential Biden administration hires.
In fact, WestExec was so prepared to storm a new Democratic West Wing that the firm negotiated a clause when renting its office space that states it can break the lease if members are called back to public service, the American Prospect reported this month.
WestExec is one of a number of Washington consulting firms staffed by former diplomats, military officers and former White House aides that often "serve as the government in waiting for the party that's out of power," said Meredith McGehee, the executive director of Issue One, a Washington good government group.
And it's not the only such firm with ties to the Biden campaign or transition.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, whom Biden tapped on Tuesday as his ambassador to the United Nations, is a senior vice president at the Albright Stonebridge Group, the "commercial diplomacy firm" started by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Biden's agency review teams also include at least three other Albright Stonebridge staffers.
Nelson Cunningham, meanwhile, a co-founder of "private sector diplomacy" firm McLarty Associates, which has done consulting for clients such as Chevron and Walmart, was a Biden campaign bundler and has informally advised Biden's team on policy.
There's nothing wrong with people who work at such firms going into the administration, McGehee said. But she urged Blinken and other potential Biden Cabinet picks who've worked at firms such as WestExec to go further than the law requires by publicly disclosing any clients for which they had done significant work. (Biden's appointees will have to disclose their most recent clients once they go into government, but not older ones.)
Yet the ties between clients and members remain opaque due to minimal enforcement of the influence industry in Washington, making it nearly impossible to know what specific projects they have consulted on or who or what agencies they met with.
The firm's co-founders have also been reluctant to discuss their consulting work publicly.
POLITICO asked Flournoy in a recent interview to discuss how WestExec Advisors might influence a Biden administration; all she would say is that the firm is not a purely Democratic outfit.
"We also have a number of important Republicans," Flournoy said, citing Meghan O'Sullivan, a former National Security Council official who worked for President George W. Bush.
Another senior adviser on the WestExec roster is Elbridge Colby, a former assistant secretary of defense in the Trump administration who gave $500 to the president's re-election campaign.
Flournoy has spoken a bit about WestExec's work with Silicon Valley start-ups to land contracts at the Pentagon, where she sees a need to better leverage new technologies that are not necessarily the forte of larger, more traditional defense contractors.
"The name of the game is how do you enable the Department of Defense to really access that cutting-edge commercial technology and adapt it to military purposes," Flournoy said in a 2019 podcast interview at the University of Chicago. "It is one of the things that WestExec is trying to help with. How do you let these smaller, cutting-edge technology firms actually navigate the DoD and national security space?"
Both WestExec and the Biden transition team declined to provide any additional information on the identity of the firm's clients. And the Biden transition deferred questions to WestExec.
A person familiar with WestExec's inner workings, however, said Haines' engagement with the firm "was minimal ‐ averaging less than a day a month over the two years she served as a consultant."
"The most significant project she did for them was a public report sponsored by Open Philanthropy Project on testing and evaluating deep learning systems," the person said.
Still, WestExec has come under fire in recent days from progressive and watchdog groups that are concerned that Flournoy has been too cozy with the defense industry, citing donations to the think tank she co-founded, the Center for a New American Security, and her work for the Boston Consulting Group.
Most recently the Project on Government Oversight published a critique of Flournoy by two former veteran defense policy wonks citing all three of those affiliations, as well as her perch on the board of Booz Allen Hamilton, a major Pentagon contractor.
But an employee for WestExec pushed back on POGO's claim that WestExec is "helping defense corporations market their products to the Pentagon and other agencies."
"The most significant part of the business centers on assisting U.S. companies with global footprints navigate geopolitical risks," said the person, who asked not to be named in order to discuss internal matters.
A spokesperson for Flournoy, meanwhile, also told POLITICO that in her previous job at the Boston Consulting Group, which is a strategic partner of WestExec, Flournoy "was not involved in business development with DOD, full stop; that would have been a violation of her Obama Administration ethics agreement."
Meanwhile, at Booz Allen Hamilton, Flournoy also "has no involvement in contracting or business development with any client, including the U.S. government," the spokesperson said.
But for WestExec, at least, the ties to Biden have become an increasingly powerful selling point, boasting that it's "bringing the full power of our network to bear in helping clients navigate rapidly emerging challenges and opportunities," as its website states.
In its most recent rundown of media exposure, the firm also highlighted a number of members of the WestExec team who have been quoted or interviewed talking about Biden's likely plans related to Israel, Iran and U.S.-Asia relations.
Work, the former deputy defense secretary who briefed Biden last week, makes no secret of his ties to the president-elect and his most trusted advisers.
"I talk with, obviously I know, almost everyone on the campaign personally, right?" he recently told POLITICO.
[The Hill] New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo [aka Grandma Killer]
(D) responded angrily Monday to sheriffs in the state who said they would not be enforcing COVID-19 restrictions that limit indoor gatherings, including during the upcoming holidays.
Sheriffs in four New York counties said last week on social media that they would not be enforcing the coronavirus rules, claiming their jurisdiction does not apply inside people’s homes and that the orders were not constitutionally defensible.
"This is an emotional time, political time. Everybody has their own strongly held opinion. Right. You have a strongly held opinion that says, ’COVID is all an overreaction. It's a hoax. I'm not wearing a mask. I'm not following these rules.’ You have sheriffs upstate who have said, ’I'm not going to enforce the law,’" Cuomo said during a press briefing.
"I believe that law enforcement officer violates his or her constitutional duty. I don't consider them a law enforcement officer. Because you don't have the right to pick laws that you think you will enforce, and you don't enforce laws that you don't agree with. Right. That's not a law enforcement officer. That's a dictator," he added. Two words: Sanctuary Cities.
"God bless you," Cuomo added. "But don't ask me for help." Three words: Catch and Release.
The governor said what happens in people's homes is absolutely the government's business. "A man's home is his castle."
"Laws apply in your home. Domestic violence applies in your home. Drug laws apply in your home. Yes, it does," he said.
Pointing to case numbers rising ahead the holiday, Cuomo stressed that the actions of one person have the potential to endanger many others.
"You want to be able to act irresponsibly but then endanger the ambulance driver and endanger the nurse and endanger the doctor ... because of your actions. It's not like your actions only affect you," he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has strongly urged people to limit their holiday plans this year to only those within their immediate households. Celebrations should be small or even virtual to avoid traveling from multiple places to congregate in a crowded space.
Cuomo said Monday on Twitter that his own daughter will not be joining him for the holidays this year due to the health risk.
My daughter isn't coming to Thanksgiving. She is out of state and it's safer not to travel.
It's hard. But I can't think of a better gesture of love than to say, I'm making the tough choice to keep you & our family safe.
We may be physically apart but we're spiritually together
‐ Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 23, 2020
#1
OK, let's see the next BLM or Antifa riot get broken up.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
11/24/2020 15:07 Comments ||
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#2
The sheriffs need to declare any property held by these politicians will not be protected. Yes they have private security, but it will send a strong message.
#4
I thought all the governor dictats were not "laws", except in Germany, where they passed a law that says Corona Dictats are law.
Posted by: Bobby ||
11/24/2020 17:52 Comments ||
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#5
"Laws apply in your home."
Indeed. Evidently they don't apply to a nursing home and an idiot governor pushing sick and contagious people into that home.
[Just the News] Without signature matching, this recount would be a sham and again allow for illegal votes to be counted.
President Trump's campaign formally has requested a recount in the state of Georgia, arguing that an audit that found Joe Biden still leads by more than 12,000 votes wasn't sufficient to detect fraud.
"Today, the Trump campaign filed a petition for recount in Georgia," the campaign announced Saturday. "We are focused on ensuring that every aspect of Georgia State Law and the U.S. Constitution are followed so that every legal vote is counted.
Trump's campaign said it wanted the recount to include signature matching to police for possible fraud.
"President Trump and his campaign continue to insist on an honest recount in Georgia, which has to include signature matching and other vital safeguards. Without signature matching, this recount would be a sham and again allow for illegal votes to be counted."
#1
some of the precincts had 98 to 99% of the vote for Biden; very suspicious - I wouldn't be surprised to find they counted many ballots without security envelops or with henscratched signature on the envelop
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
11/24/2020 9:09 Comments ||
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#2
A complete joke.
As if this senile buffoon who sat in his basement and told his campaigners not to knock on doors, this corrupt zombie who couldn't draw more event attendees than a squirrel-preacher, as if this shit-for-brains actually truly inspired the highest ghetto voter turnout in history -- higher than Obama!
#3
Obama refused to withdraw in his elections in Illinois. Obama challenged the signatures gathered by his other two opponents, and both of them were disqualified as well. Consequently, Obama ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and won by default. Obama's Bag of Dirty Tricks. (American Thinker.)
Refusing to withdraw or concede and challenging signatures and results was O.K. for the Light Bearer back in the '90s.
[Just the News] Michigan House hearing set for Wednesday, and 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals grants expedited review.
President Trump's campaign said it scored two victories Monday in its effort to contest results in several key battleground states, as Michigan state legislators agreed to hold a hearing into election irregularities while a federal appeals court expedited proceedings to consider Trump's legal challenge in Pennsylvania.
The developments were announced by Trump campaign senior legal counsel Jenna Ellis, who said the GOP-led Michigan House would hold its hearing at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday ruled Trump's "motion for emergency expedited review is granted at the direction of the court."
The campaign must file its initial brief by Monday afternoon, and the court said it "will advise if oral argument desired."
The Trump campaign is appealing U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann's decision Saturday to dismiss the campaign's lawsuit seeking to throw out hundreds of thousands of votes in Pennsylvania on the grounds that Democratic-led counties made changes to voting that violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution.
Brann, an appointee of President Barack Obama, wrote that he "has no authority to take away the right to vote of even a single person, let alone millions of citizens."
His ruling cleared the way for Pennsylvania officials to certify results. Ellis cheered the appeals court intervention.
[Breitbart] Emily Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), revealed Monday that she had received threats from those attempting to coerce her into approving the presidential transition of Joe Biden "prematurely."
Earlier Monday, President Donald Trump tweeted that he had told Murphy to move ahead with plans for a transition, though he reiterated that he believed he would prevail in his legal challenges to the results of the election in several key states.
In a letter to Biden notifying him that the GSA would make federal resources available to him in the event he was certified as the winner of the presidential election, Murphy said she had never been told by the White House to delay the transition.
She added: "I did, however, receive threats online, by phone, and by mail directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely."
On Sunday, CNN’s Jake Tapper told viewers that Murphy would be responsible for the deaths of Americans if she did not begin the transition process, ostensibly because Biden’s team would not have information necessary to distribute vaccines provided by Trump’s Operation Warp Speed.
"Her actions could very well hamper the Biden team’s ability to deal with the pandemic when they take over. It is a matter of life and death," Tapper said, warning that her "legacy will be written in stone."
Posted by: Ebbomoger Speaking for Boskone4589 ||
11/24/2020 00:00 ||
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[BREITBART] Georgia is ground zero in the battle for the balance of power in Washington, D.C., as control of the U.S. Senate now hinges on the outcome of the two Senate runoff races in the Peach State. With the Senate majority leadership within his reach, Sen. Chuck Schumer ...Senator-for-life from New York, renowned for his love of standing in front of cameras and microphones. Schumer has been a professional politician since 1975, when disco was in flower, which is 44.96814 years. Senate minority leader as of 2017... (D-NY) recently declared, "Now we take Georgia, and then we change America." Nobody is happier to make Schumer’s declaration a reality than Hollywood, as many of the industry’s biggest power players are putting their money and influence behind Georgia’s Democratic Senate candidates to win that fight.
A-list stars including George Clooney, Will Smith, Joaquin Phoenix, and Leonardo DiCaprio are pouring cash into Georgia’s runoff elections, hoping to push Democratic challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock across the finish line, thereby flipping the Senate blue.
#2
If we get a republic back, hard wire into the constitution that copyright is only for 14 years with a 14 year extension for the individual artist/creator. That'll put 'entertainment' back to its place in society.
[BREITBART] Former Vice President Joe Foreign Policy Whiz Kid Biden ...Candidate for president in 2020. Joe's wife and daughter weren't killed by a drunk driver. He didn't graduate with three or even two degrees, wasn't in the top half of his law class, and his daddy didn't come home from a hard day's work in the mines and play football with the guys. The NAACP hasn't endorsed him every time he's run. If you believe Tara Reade you probably shouldn't vote for him.... is reportedly set to announce this week that Tony Blinken, who supported the idea of "Russia collusion," would be his Secretary of State.Bloomberg News reported Sunday evening:
President-elect Joe Biden intends to name his longtime adviser Antony Blinken as secretary of State, according to three people familiar with the matter, setting out to assemble his cabinet even before Donald Trump ...Oh, noze! Not him!... concedes defeat.
In addition, Jake Sullivan, formerly one of Crooked Hillary Clinton ...former first lady, former secretary of state, former presidential candidate, Conqueror of Benghazi, Heroine of Tuzla, formerly described by her supporters as the smartest woman in the world, usually described by the rest of us as The Thing That Wouldn't Go Away. Politix is not one of her talents, but it's something she keeps trying to do... ’s closest aides, is likely to be named Biden’s national security adviser, according to two people familiar with the matter. An announcement is expected Tuesday, the people said.
Blinken, who served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security advisor under President Barack Obama If you like your coverage you can keep it... , has also been a New York Times
...which still proudly displays Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize... opinion writer and a "global affairs analyst" for CNN ...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for... . In that capacity, he supported the "Russia collusion" hoax.
As Breitbart News reported in 2017, Blinken told CNN: "The president’s ongoing collusion with Russia’s plans is really striking, intentional or not." He said that Russia had sown doubt about American elections and institutions.
Posted by: Fred ||
11/24/2020 00:00 ||
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#1
“Where are you going, and what do you wish?”
The old moon asked the three.
“We have come to fish for the herring fish
That live in this beautiful sea;
Nets of silver and gold have we!”
Said Winken, Blinken, and Nod.
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.
[NYPOST] 
[The Hill] New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
[Breitbart] Emily Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), revealed Monday that she had received threats from those attempting to coerce her into approving the presidential transition of Joe Biden "prematurely."
...Senator-for-life from New York, renowned for his love of standing in front of cameras and microphones. Schumer has been a professional politician since 1975, when disco was in flower, which is 44.96814 years. Senate minority leader as of 2017...
