Twelve Days of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2017 Edition

Posted on December 27, 2017 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

(Revised from Break It Down – 12/24/08, 12/22/10, 12/21/11, 12/26/12, 12/25/13, 12/23/15, and 12/21/16)

According to tradition, mine if no one else’s, my Christmas post includes a complement of Songs of the Season. Today’s issue will constitute the next edition in that tradition. It’s Tuesday night, or in the parlance of my personal time dimension, Blog Night. In keeping with what I do, let’s make it so; Wednesday’s coming! And for the record, it’s still Christmas Time in the City. As incorporated in the title above, many purists celebrate Twelve Days of Christmas. This has been documented in song, in book form, in at least one movie, and in countless tales.

Here, as scheduled, is the blog. I hope you enjoy today’s e-concert.

Merry Christmas to you! I know some of you are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus you substitute Holiday for Christmas in seasonal greetings. But that really shouldn’t be a problem since Donald J. Trump has brought Christmas back (wink-wink). But seriously though, in case you didn’t know, Christmas never went anywhere. In fact, a quick check back over the Obama years reveals…Christmas was a staple in his repertoire. (http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/-merry-christmas-never-left-the-white-house-824078915806). Of course, those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress; that is fodder for another day’s post.

By now, many of you have already done whatever it is you do to observe and/or celebrate Christmas, and returned to the rigors of your daily routine, if not grind. But you know what, herein lies an opportunity to take one more moment, a time out if you will, before returning full tilt to your normal schedule.

As is my custom, I will not use this Christmas Season Post, if you will allow me to call it that, to challenge you to sort through the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. Not the election, or the economy, not wars, and absolutely I will make no (further) references to our big league President, Donald Trump, who apparently is focused on tweeting and golfing (despite insisting that if elected, he wouldn’t have time for the links) his way to Making America Great Again. No, this is your time to take a break and leave all that behind. Notice, I did not say forget it, and I certainly would never ask that you pretend it doesn’t exist. Just give yourself a break.

In the true spirit of keeping it simple for both you and me, I am reprising an amalgam of previous posts. In fact, not just any posts…posts from several Christmas’ past, with a notable caveat. In my preceding Christmas Season posts, I have presented an e-Christmas Concert on seven occasions. Last year I pressed the reset button on the Concert. Instead of simply providing 12 standards, I upped the ante and provided 24, 12 by female artists, and 12 by male artists.

The English playwright and poet, William Congreve, in the opening line of his 1697 Play entitled “The Mourning Bride,” asserted, “Music has Charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.” I think Congreve was on to something. If indeed music is capable of enabling us to overcome our basest instincts, and in so doing, ennoble us to pursue our finer impulses, then indeed, we should take more opportunities to render ourselves captivated by its magical spell. (By the way, it really is breast…not beast; caught you thinking, didn’t I?)

So, I identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards, sung by several of the artists whom I most enjoy. This year, I am offering a new variation of the artistic olio I pulled together for your reading, viewing, and listening pleasure a number of years ago. Below, you will find a hot link to a YouTube video interpretation and two songs for each of the 12 Days of Christmas, included in today’s Yuletide e-concert.

Female Artists

Eartha Kitt is known for having had many talents skills, and abilities, among them acting and singing. Last year I substituted her most popular Christmas song for “Nothing for Christmas.” After a 1-year hiatus, I’m bringing back Santa Baby. As I’ve noted before, the song was born in 1953, just like me. She slays (or if you’re really in the Christmas spirit — sleighs) it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFMyF9fDKzE
Dianne Reeves is a Grammy-winning jazz artist who sings in the vein of Dinah Washington and Carmen McRae; a skilled lyricist and scat singer. She presents “Christmas Time is Here” as if it’s her own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hInJstw1cGE
Vanessa Williams was the first black Miss America. She had a short and tumultuous reign. But cream rises to the top, and her talent ensured that losing her title was but a mere speed bump in a star-studded road. Her rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear” provides a glimpse of her musical flexibility and skill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKmvk0NJnzE
Lena Horne was a jazz musician whose career spanned over 70 years. She was also an actress, dancer, and civil rights activist. She demonstrates her vocal caliber in this version of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh8JZp_gnU4
Cassandra Wilson was born December 4, 1955. Her birthdate alone ensured that I included her on this list; ’06! But that’s not the only reason she made the cut. Her range includes blues, country, and folk music, as well as jazz. Moreover, she stuck the proverbial landing in her rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmAQzS5Zk7o
Toni Braxton is a lot of things: a talented songwriter, singer, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist. She is known to be sexy, sultry, and an unpredictable reality show star. She’s still best known for her music though, and her version of “Santa Please” will do absolutely nothing to change that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFWiF_E_VQ
The Emotions are one of those classic Old School Girl Groups born in the 70’s. Influenced greatly by Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire Fame, they continue to perform today. One of my favorite tunes by them is their version of “What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=172MUncGhj8
Anita Baker released her first solo album in 1983. In 1986, she released “Rapture” and it was the dawn of her stardom. She is known for her trademark “husky” voice, and she is at her Christmas best in this version of “The Christmas Song.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHze40h13mc
Diana Ross and the Supremes were the “It” Group of Motown when Motown was the “It’ place of Soul Music. The Supremes are America’s most successful vocal group with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Here they are with their 1965 rendition of “Silver Bells.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIJROwP4BnM
Ella Fitzgerald is jazz royalty. Frequently referred to as the First Lady of Song, the Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella, she was widely acclaimed for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, and intonation, as well as a horn-like improvisational ability. Virtually all scat singing is measured against her. Check out her version of “Sleigh Ride.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnEbRaFaqfg
Whitney Houston had a voice known worldwide. Her recordings accounted for nearly 200 million records sold. Her’s was a clarion voice of our times. This version of “Joy To The World,” taken from the movie, “The Preacher’s Wife,” is special, as was she. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYPpyTyPf6I
Ledisi (Anibade Young) is an R&B and jazz recording artist. Her first name means “to bring forth” or “to come here” in Yoruba. She was aptly named. Enjoy her rendering of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xMz5oGc8s1Q

Male Artists

James Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” is not so uptempo, but still a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than just flash and dash. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xg6FcaYHf4
Donny Hathaway was a multifaceted soulful crooner and a product of Howard University who excelled in jazz, blues, soul and gospel music; an Alpha Man. He suffered from depression and died of suicide January 13, 1979 at 33 years old. He rendered this marvelous recording of “This Christmas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkqjjYP53vQ
The O’Jays were formed in 1965, and have been a staple in Soul and R&B music ever since. They knock it out of the park with this version of “Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas Anymore.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc4g1wsIA9g
The Temptations were a significant part of what made Motown, Motown, in the 60’s and 70’s. Their rendition of Silent Night lives on as a classic among classics as far as Christmas music goes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFc7STuQF0U
Al Green, soul singer, turned minister, soul singer-minister was at his most popular during the 70’s. He puts his considerable talents to good use in this version of “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cFyRwlR5YXk
El DeBarge was the central figure in the group known as DeBarge, which reached it’s zenith in the 80’s. El was one of several members of the group who went on to fashion solo careers. He nails this version of “Christmas Without You.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_xB6VD7fS8
Will Downing has been recording albums since 1988. Ive seen him in concerts twice, including a couple of weeks ago, and I own most of his recorded music. He simply does not disappoint. This recording of The First Noel is no exception. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOQWKBIuk-I
Joe (Lewis Thomas) released his debut album in 1993. He has maintained a presence on the music scene ever since. His nuanced presentation of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is just another fine example of his limitless talent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vbpsVILCvU
Jerry Butler, popularly known as the Ice Man, fitting for an Alpha, is a singer, songwriter, and musician (guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums) who was the lead singer for the Impressions before going on to a solo career. He recored this classic version of O Holy Night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0dR1Dk7Bu0
Luther Vandross was a musical icon. Period. End of story. He is one of my favorite musicians, and his treatment of “My Favorite Things” is certainly among my favorite Christmas songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6TRlV6MOOU
The Whispers hail from LA, and have been around since the 60’s. They became members of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003…for good reason. They got it like that. And they prove it with this version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbJ95aWUc_A
Kem (Owens) is an R&B/Soul singer who has made his uniquely fashioned mark on the music scene since 1999. He enlists Ledisi (Anibade Young), another single named musical star to create a fabulous rendition of “Be Mine For Christmas.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_8rVJ_ENaY

That’s it, 24 artists and videos and/or songs. Add it all up and you get “12 Days Of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2017!” Enjoy it throughout the Season, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!

Bonus: It occurred to me that a concert thematically incorporating The Twelve Days of Christmas, without including a version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is woefully incomplete. To wit, I doubled down by adding a 25^th selection, “Twelve Days of Christmas,” complete with two versions, one by Natalie Cole, and an instrumental version by Kenny Burrell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j5-SWXKhbM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yKlxWFfCKE

For your listening pleasure…“Twelve Days of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2017 Edition!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)

http://www.41051.com/xmaslyrics/twelvedays.html

http://www.lifescript.com/well-being/articles/t/the_real_story_of_the_12_days_of_christmas.aspx

https://www.thoughtco.com/twelve-days-of-christmas-myths-reality-541551

https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/12daysofchristmas.shtml

https://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/music/12days.asp

https://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/holidays-christmas/twelve-days-christmas.htm

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/resources/advent/customs-and-traditions/the-history-of-the-twelve-days-of-christmas

http://www.crivoice.org/cy12days.html

http://www.12days.com/faq.htm

http://www.12days.com/library/carols/12daysofxmas.htm

Democrats Pivot: The Reinterpretation of the Southern Strategy Is Here

Posted on December 20, 2017 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

In the realm of American politics, the Southern Strategy, historically, was a Republican Party stratagem designed to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans. The Civil Rights Movement and dismantling of Jim Crow laws in the 1950s and 1960s clearly exacerbated existing racial tensions in the Southern United States. Republican politicians, including presidential candidate Richard Nixon and Senator Barry Goldwater developed strategies that successfully contributed to leveraging the political realignment of many white, conservative voters in the South that had traditionally supported the Democratic Party rather than the Republican Party. The strategy also contributed to pushing the Republican Party more to the right.

Those familiar with American political history will recall that African Americans had most frequently leaned Republican, as in the Party of Lincoln. In fact, even today, many conservative Republicans are fond of noting the KKK was the machination of Democrats. As a technical and factual point, that is true. However, what that deceptive factoid does not divulge is the political musical chairs that occurred as a result of the Southern Strategy. In effect the plan led to the switching of allegiances, if not the total re-labeling of the Parties. In other words, conservative Southern whites, who in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, would naturally have been Democrats, fled and/or abandoned the Democratic Party en masse to become Republicans, in large measure due to the connection of the Democratic Party to the Civil Rights Movement. To wit, those Republicans who would deceive by leaving a trail of bread crumbs implying Democratic ownership of the KKK legacy, and its racist ideology, are exercising legerdemain of the highest order when they fail to remove their GOP mask and reveal their past life Democratic hood.

The prevailing consensus that the GOP was the active vehicle for facilitating white supremacy in the South, especially during the Goldwater campaign and the presidential elections of 1968 and 1972, made it difficult for the Republican Party to win the support of black voters in the South. Years later, in 2005, Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman, Ken Mehlman formally apologized to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a national civil rights organization, for exploiting racial polarization to win elections and ignoring the black vote.

The phrase “Southern strategy” is often attributed to Nixon’s political strategist Kevin Phillips. Though he didn’t originate the phrase, he did made it resonate with Southern whites in general, and inside the Republican Party in particular. In an interview included in a 1970 New York Times article, Phillips articulated his analysis based on studies of ethnic voting:

”From now on, the Republicans are never going to get more than 10 to 20 percent of the Negro vote and they don’t need any more than that… but Republicans would be shortsighted if they weakened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The more Negroes who register as Democrats in the South, the sooner the Negrophobe whites will quit the Democrats and become Republicans. That’s where the votes are. Without that prodding from the blacks, the whites will backslide into their old comfortable arrangement with the local Democrats.”

From 1948 to 1984 the Southern states, long a stronghold for the Democrats, became key swing states, providing the popular vote margins in the 1960, 1968 and 1976 elections. During this era, several Republican candidates expressed support for states’ rights, a reversal of the position held by southern states prior to the Civil War. A number of political analysts asserted this term was used in the 20th century as a “code word” to represent opposition to federal enforcement of civil rights for blacks and to federal intervention on their behalf; many individual southerners had opposed passage of the Voting Rights Act. The preceding paragraphs neatly summarize the essence of the Southern Strategy as originally conceived.

That was then. We now find ourselves on the cusps of yet another historical and political intersection. There is a Biblical passage that I believe addresses the current situation:

“Genesis 50:19-21 (NRSV) – (19) But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? (20) Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. (21) So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

In its original conception and configuration, the design of this strategy was intended to harm African Americans, or black folks, or, as they were deemed at the time, Negroes. Whether this is true is not up for debate. As noted above, in his official capacity, an RNC Chair formally apologized for using the Southern Strategy to exploit racial consciousness to the detriment of African Americans. Full stop!

That happened. And now, as they say at the directional signs in the mall, “You are here.” Louisiana, North Carolina, Virginia, and Alabama, are four Southern states where recent voting patterns have re-awakened the notion of a Southern Strategy; reinterpreted, if you will, this time with a positive spin for African Americans.

In the most recent of the preceding cases, Alabama, Doug Jones executed an improbable upset win against Judge Roy Moore. In a race in which the Republican President of the United States endorsed the conservative, evangelical, racially regressive candidate, stoking sentiments similar to those leveraged in the original Southern Strategy, Democrats responding by forging a coalition that included their base supporters, millennial voters, moderate white Alabamans of both Parties, centrist white-collar white voters, college-educated suburban whites (especially women), and minorities, particularly the Democratic Party’s most loyal go-to voters, African Americans. The latter voted in numbers in excess of their proportion of the population, and at percentage higher than they did for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.

As Democratic constituencies become more energized, and many suburban swing voters trend toward being uneasy with President Trump, Southern Democrats are suddenly finding a potentially viable path to assembling a coalition similar to that used in other regions of the country. This is a development Democrats in the South are hoping to leverage into competing for, and perhaps winning suburban House districts in 2018, but also possibly statewide contests, including the Governor’s race in Georgia, and the Senate seat in Tennessee.

It’s far too early to project any sort of full-fledged Democratic revival. After all, the Party has quite a ways to go in order to characterize them as having recovered. As recently as the 2016 election, Trump beat Hillary Clinton in all 11 states of the Confederacy, except Virginia. He carried Alabama by 28 percentage points, and over 590,000 votes. Counting Mr. Jones win last week, Democrats still hold only four of the region’s 22 Senate seats, and just 3 of the 11 Southern Governors’ mansions.

Indeed, one may argue that Alabama is a special case because Judge Moore’s candidacy was impaired by numerous allegations of sexual impropriety. Those circumstances notwithstanding, the Party also won Governorships in Louisiana, North Carolina, and Virginia, all since 2015. At this juncture, what is clear is that Democrats hope to turn a previous nefarious methodology on its ear and use it to plot a course to victory in future elections across the South. To that end, “Democrats Pivot: The Reinterpretation of the Southern Strategy Is Here!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/19/politics/democrats-southern-strategy/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+50%3A19-21&version=NRSV

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_National_Committee

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_strategy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Moore

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Jones_(politician)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Cooper

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bel_Edwards

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Northam

The Twitter King: Fake It ‘Til You Make It!

Posted on December 13, 2017 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

In the rapidly changing world fashioned by digital communications, our current President is not only the Commander-in-Chief, but also the King of the Twitterverse. As such, his regular tweet screeds often determine the course of the daily news cycle. While his regime routinely complains and “blamesplains” that his policy agenda suffers due to the Main Stream Media’s (MSM) fixation with fake news, it is paradoxically not infrequent that the fake news emanates from the Twitter King himself. Such is the case in the instance I will discuss in today’s brief post.

Courtesy of CNN Politics, I will deconstruct one of #45’s tweets from yesterday. At 6:10 A.M. yesterday, @realDonaldTrump tweeted:

“Despite thousands of hours wasted and many millions of dollars spent, the Democrats have been unable to show any collusion with Russia – so now they are moving on to the false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don’t know and/or have never met. “FAKE NEWS!””

Donald J. Trump‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

Following @realDonaldTrump

Despite thousands of hours wasted and many millions of dollars spent, the Democrats have been unable to show any collusion with Russia – so now they are moving on to the false accusations and fabricated stories of women who I don’t know and/or have never met. FAKE NEWS!

6:10 AM – 12 Dec 2017

32,701Retweets
121,638Likes

This one tweet contains three seeds of deception, three elements of deflection, three statements that if made by anyone else, would be called lies. Full stop! They are:

Trump says that “the Democrats” have spent “millions of dollars” and “wasted” thousands of hours in an attempt to prove he colluded with Russians during the 2016 campaign.

Not even remotely true. Robert Mueller, Special Counsel; a former GOP appointed FBI Director, was appointed Special Council by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who works under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime Republican. Sessions was nominated for his AG position by Trump, of course. Democrats have certainly promoted the idea that the available evidence suggests collusion occurred. But, Democrats, as we know, do not control the Justice Department, or the House, or the Senate. Republican appointees or Republican elected officials are leading all the current investigations.

Trump says no collusion with Russia has been shown

Doesn’t move the truth meter at all. #45 has consistently insisted that there is no collusion. In the wide world of conceivable possibilities, that could be true. But from the perspective of Mr. Trump’s assertion, at best, that is an unknown at this moment in time. No one – not Robert Mueller, and not the Congressional committees investigating the matter – has said anything definitive about collusion. Speaking of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which he chairs, Republican NC Sen. Richard Burr said in October, “The committee continues to look into all evidence to see if there was any hint of collusion.” Mr. Mueller hasn’t spoken publicly about the investigation.

Trump has said he doesn’t know and has never met the women accusing him of sexual harassment

That makes it a tidy three for three. Ms. Summer Zervos, one of Trump’s accusers appeared on the fifth season of “The Apprentice.” Obviously, Mr. Trump met her. In fact he even conceded he did. He said, “I vaguely remember Ms. Zervos as one of the many contestants on “The Apprentice” over the years.” Moreover, as with all things “Apprentice,” there is film of Trump firing her in the first episode of Season 5, which aired in 2006: (https://www.thedailybeast.com/watch-donald-trump-fired-his-apprentice-accuser-summer-zervos-for-interrupting-him)

In the previous year, 2005, Natasha Stoynoff went to Mar-A-Lago to do a story for People magazine on Trump’s marriage to Melania Trump on the one-year anniversary of their nuptials. She interviewed Donald and Melania. It’s fair to say, they met each other.

And, for the cherry on top, to start the week, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders insisted during her briefing on Monday that, “in terms of the specific eyewitness accounts (disputing the allegations) there have been multiple reports, and I’d be happy to provide them to you after the briefing has completed.” Here’s the rub. If Trump has never met these women, and doesn’t know them, how can there be “eyewitness accounts” that call into question the veracity of the accusations made against Trump?

That’s three, er um, shall we say, inaccuracies in one King of Twitter tweet. People who follow this kind of thing closely note this is the rule, rather than the exception for His Majesty. Several outlets, including the New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN have reported that Trump frequently operates in the realm of the untrue. According to WaPo’s Fact Checker, #45 is making 5.5 misleading or totally false statements every day he is in office. I guess when that’s one’s M.O., it’s good to be the King…”The Twitter King: Fake it ‘Til You Make It!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/12/politics/trump-tweet-fact-check-analysis/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/14/politics/trump-fact-checker-1628/index.html

https://www.thedailybeast.com/watch-donald-trump-fired-his-apprentice-accuser-summer-zervos-for-interrupting-him

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/940554567414091776

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apprentice_%28U.S._TV_series%29

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Huckabee_Sanders

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Burr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_Select_Committee_on_Intelligence

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2017/12/10/adam-schiff-russian-collusion-damning-sot-sotu.cnn

Trump Ignored Obama’s Advice: Flynn Proved Him (Obama) Right!

Posted on December 6, 2017 by alphaheel

It’s time to Break It Down!

Karma:

1 often capitalized: the force generated by a person’s actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person’s next existence

2: a characteristic emanation, aura, or spirit that infuses or vitalizes someone or something

Five days ago, “Newly Made Great America” awoke to news that former Trump, ally, aide-de-camp, and National Security Adviser, Retired General Michael Flynn, had reached a plea agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Flynn entered a guilty plea for lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador during the transition. As a condition for the single count plea, the former Trump administration staffer will cooperate fully with the Special Counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in last year’s Presidential Election. According to Flynn’s account, a senior member of the Trump Transition Team instructed him to engage with Moscow.

In the wake of the aforementioned plea, Trump fumed because of Flynn’s having (pleaded guilty Friday to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials — and the fact he is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe), and he subsequently did the things for which he is best known. He tweeted. Frequently. About Hillary Rodham Clinton.

On Saturday evening, a day removed from the Flynn plea, Trump endeavored to pivot from Flynn to Mrs. Clinton. So he tweeted:

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

“So General Flynn lies to the FBI and his life is destroyed, while Crooked Hillary Clinton, on that now famous FBI holiday “interrogation” with no swearing in and no recording, lies many times…and nothing happens to her? Rigged system, or just a double standard?”

9:06 PM – Dec 2, 2017

As is his wont, the tweets continued…

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

“Many people in our Country are asking what the “Justice” Department is going to do about the fact that totally Crooked Hillary, AFTER receiving a subpoena from the United States Congress, deleted and “acid washed” 33,000 Emails? No justice!”

9:13 PM – Dec 2, 2017

Of course, there was more. President Trump leveraged an announcement that ABC News had suspended investigative reporter Brian Ross for having made an erroneous on-air report asserting that Flynn was prepared to testify that Candidate Trump directed him to contact Russians. Ross later revised that report to say Trump issued that directive as President-elect. He tweeted:

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

“Congratulations to @ABC News for suspending Brian Ross for his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia, Russia, Russia Witch Hunt. More Networks and “papers” should do the same with their Fake News!”

9:22 PM – Dec 2, 2017

The tweets continued Sunday morning. President Trump claimed he never asked FBI Director Comey to stop investigating National Security Adviser Flynn. He tweeted:

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

“I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!”

6:15 AM – Dec 3, 2017

Of course the associated relevance of this assertion stems from that fact that Comey testified in June, before the Senate Intelligence Committee, that Trump told him, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to let Flynn go.” Trump later fired Comey. This led to the appointment of Mueller to oversee the Russia investigation. The consensus is that Mueller’s probe is looking into both contacts between the Trump Campaign and Russia, and whether Trump attempted to obstruct justice by terminating (FBI Director) Comey.

In an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, Trump told Holt that he fired Comey because of the Russia investigation. At that time he said:

“In fact, when I decided to do it, I said to myself, I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It’s an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should’ve won.”

Did I say the tweets kept coming? Did I need to say that? They did, of course. Still on Sunday, he tweeted:

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

“After years of Comey, with the phony and dishonest Clinton investigation (and more), running the FBI, its reputation is in Tatters – worst in History! But fear not, we will bring it back to greatness.”

8:00 AM – Dec 3, 2017

The President also noted that a top FBI official assigned to the Russia probe was taken off the case and reassigned by Mueller. His bosses discovered that Peter Strzok, FBI deputy head of counterintelligence, sent “politically charged texts disparaging Trump and supporting Hillary Clinton.” The Washington Post indicated that Strzok was also “a key player in the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.” His associated tweet read:

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

“Tainted (no, very dishonest?) FBI “agent’s role in Clinton probe under review.” Led Clinton Email probe. @foxandfriends Clinton money going to wife of another FBI agent in charge.”

7:42 AM – Dec 3, 2017

Over the course of the tweet screed, it could almost be lost that the narrative about Trump’s firing Comey developed a “subtle” new twist. That subtle, in quotes, if you know what I mean. Wink-wink. He tweeted this:

Donald J. Trump

@realDonaldTrump

“I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!”

12:14 PM – Dec 2, 2017

In the event you happen to be a Trump supporter, please forgive the remaining 60% of the population that gleaned from that tweet that Trump knew Flynn was lying to the FBI. Thematically, the “hint” was so strong, even one of Trumps lawyers thought it was worth inserting the counter-narrative that he, not Trump, wrote that tweet. Whatever!

Let’s get back to Karma. When President Obama met with President-Elect Trump at the White House November 10^th, two days after the election, Mr. Obama tried to do Mr. Trump a huge favor. He delivered a face-to-face warning that he not hire General Flynn. Of course Flynn had worked for Obama, and he fired him. Undoubtedly, that act endeared Flynn to Trump, Birther-in-Chief, that he “is.” I’d like to write, “was,” but according to Trump confidantes, #45 has privately begun to reacquaint himself with that hateful role.

The formal definition for Karma appears at the top of the page. A simpler way to frame it, and Evangelicals (the heart of Trump’s base) should appreciate this, is “You reap what you sow.” As a CNN headline put it yesterday, “Obama tried to save Trump from a colossal mistake.” In the vernacular, he tried to do him a solid. Unfortunately, in the spirit of “Let Trump be Trump, which his supporters chant almost ritualistically, his hubris prevented him from humbling himself, and believing that anything President Obama suggested could possibly be in his best interest, and in this case, more importantly, the best interest of our “Great and Exceptional” nation. For his part, President Obama was trying for a two-fer; do Trump a favor, and save the country. But Nooo!

So now, in the most Karmic of developments, the guy who went out of his way to abase himself in order to curry favor with Trump, by yelling the refrain, “Lock her up,” at every possible opportunity, now finds himself…with a pending personal appointment to “Lock him up!” That, ladies and gentlemen, is Karma. How did we get here? Easy; “Trump Ignored Obama’s Advice: Flynn Proved Him (Obama) Right!”

I’m done; holla back!

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