Trump Jr.’s Russia meeting sure sounds like a Russian intelligence operation

A CIA veteran says it’s in line with what he’d expect to see.

Before the WaPo wrote this, the Bitemaster was saying the same thing (you’ll have to trust me). The way I figure it, it was a win-win for the Ruskies. Either they could turn some of Trumps inner circle, or compromise them so they could be blackmailed later.

When Donald Jr. released his emails, he precluded any Russian blackmail attempt. I thought it was a smart move on his part.

Source: Perspective | Trump Jr.’s Russia meeting sure sounds like a Russian intelligence operation

Florida man catches postal worker with mousetrap in mailbox

Nicholas Dibble thought that one of his neighbors was stealing his mail so he put some sort of trap in his mailbox. But he forgot to tell his letter carrier. Ooops.

Apparently the Post Office is not going to charge Dibble with a federal crime, just stop delivering his mail. But was Dibble relieved or grateful? Nope. His response was “I am the victim.”

Source: Florida man catches postal worker with mousetrap in mailbox – NY Daily News
See also US Attorneys guidelines.

The Bitemaster will be on hiatus

Your Bitemaster booked a cruise to the Lethargy Zone for himself, the Bitemistress and all the little bitty biters. After studying the travel brochures, he had visions of lying on a white sand beach with waitresses in bikinis bringing him Mai Tais. Unfortunately, somebody screwed up the paperwork and the family ended up at the Balea Ice Hotel in — as God is my witness — Cîrţişoara, Romania‎.

The local sherpas bring in news of the outside world several times a week and, if the reports are to be believed, the Trump administration is hard at work lobbing grenades at everything good and sacred about the United States.

In theory, the Bitemaster could keep posting from here, but turning the crank on the old Soviet-made generator gets tiresome really fast.

So what can you do in lieu of your daily dose of the bracing reality of BiteMe.Me? I propose that you watch Fox News and assume that everything is the opposite of what they say. For example, if Fox News says that the Trump Administration is running like a fine tuned machine, assume that it’s more like a beater with a broken crankshaft. If Fox reports that left-wing agitators are being bused into New Hampshire, it means that right-wing agitators are being bused into New York. If Fox News says the GOP has a splendid replacement for Obamacare, it means that medical care will be available to the highest bidder.

In the meantime, Noroc !

The Continuing History Of The Republican Alternative To Obamacare

Here we go again. And again and again.

The Repubs have had six years to come up with an Obamacare replacement. They ain’t got one yet and they never will. Be sure to read Jason Linkins’ devastating history of their lame attempts: The Continuing History Of The Republican Alternative To Obamacare | The Huffington Post

News from the swamp #1

Several House Judiciary Committee aides helped craft the controversial Muslim ban without telling Republican leaders.

And House staffers had to sign NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) in advance. Just like Trump’s campaign volunteers had to.

Source: Hill staffers secretly worked on Trump’s immigration order – POLITICO

Bannon now in charge of national security, chaos erupts, followed closely by alternative facts

President Donald Trump added his top adviser and strategist Steve Bannon to the National Security Council while removing the Director of National Intelligence and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as he signed a trio of executive measures on Saturday.

Actually, having Bannon in charge is something of an improvement, as otherwise it would have seemed that no one was in charge.

The first thing Bannon did was issue an executive order halting Muslims at the border, so they could undergo some extreme vetting. It took quite a few hours to implement, since Bannon forgot to notify any of the agencies that were supposed to actually do the vetting. In the aftermath, Bannon said he had “told everyone who actually needed to know” which apparently didn’t include the TSA, border patrol, ICE, and so forth.

Next, Bannon hit the Sunday news programs claiming that it was all Obama’s fault. When that didn’t get any traction (i.e., no one believed him), he told Trump that the airport chaos was due to a systems problem with Delta’s computers. Next, Bannon claimed that the “corrupt media” was to blame. Nice try. Our Boston correspondent has inside information that, in reality, the Muslim ban and ensuing chaos is actually the fault of Obamacare.

President Trump, who is no longer permitted to attend national security briefings, decided to put a brave face on and announce that the Muslim ban is a “brilliant success.”

Source: Bannon gets seat at table as Trump reshuffles National Security Council

Louisiana was the first state to offer hate crime protections to police officers

Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 5 in Baton Rouge. (Melinda Deslatte/AP)

Gov. John Bel Edwards on May 5 in Baton Rouge. (Melinda Deslatte/AP)

Last May, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (Dem.) signed HB 953 into law, making it a hate crime to kill, assault, etc., a law enforcement officer or firefighter.

The bill, popularly known as the “Blue Lives Matter Law” is now being used by Police Chief Calder Hebert of St. Martinville LA, against anyone who resists arrest.

And that’s what I call a “hate crimes enhancement.”

Source: Louisiana is the first state to offer hate crime protections to police officers – The Washington Post