Via Army Times:

Six weeks ago, Army Spc. Alec Alcoser and his working dog, Alex, turned the corner of a narrow street outside Bagram Airfield just after dawn and saw a young Afghan coming toward them.

The San Antonio Express-News reports two Afghan and three Czech soldiers moved between Alcoser and the civilian to conduct a search while he called the dog back and bent down to get a cigarette.

Suddenly, they were enveloped by a bright flash. Alex yelped. Alcoser went down. The dusty, smoky air turned yellow and orange and a firefight broke out. The dog stayed at his side.

“I would yell at him and his ears would twitch, but he wouldn’t look at me,” said Alcoser, 22, of San Antonio. “I think he was in a state of shock. He didn’t growl, he didn’t bark, he didn’t cry. He stayed right there.”

On Friday, they were together once more, this time at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System’s Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center. It was an emotional reunion, with the Harlandale High School graduate wiping tears from his eyes at one point and Alex licking his face.

It was the first time they had seen each other since both were in Washington, D.C., where each received the Purple Heart. And if all goes well in rehab over the next few months, they’ll be together for good, buddies until the end.

They were close in Afghanistan, where Alcoser was 6½ months into a nine-month deployment when they got hurt. They were together pretty much everywhere Alcoser went, except the dining hall. On his days off, they slept in the same bed together, rising late and enjoying the leisure time.

On duty days, they had rituals.

“On a day with a mission, we’d wake up, I would give him a doggie treat and I would have some ice cream before we went out, and when we got back, we usually slept,” Alcoser recalled.

“That was a normal day for me and Alex out there,” he said, adding that a taste for sweets was born of his association with troops in special operations forces. “It was kind of their thing to eat a sweet because you never know if that’s going to be your last when you go out.”

The Aug. 5 suicide bomber’s blast left Alcoser with shrapnel wounds and broken bones. He also had a mild traumatic brain injury, but his physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, Dr. Blessen Eapen, said Alcoser escaped the explosion without any loss in cognitive ability.

Alex lost his left rear leg near his hip. Both are learning to get around again. Snapshots show Alex reluctantly settling in an underwater treadmill at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.

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HT: Huck Funn

Fine. Vote. Have done with the nonsense.

This guy is a lunatic. Scary that he ever had the power he had.

Via Real Clear Politics:

Former CIA director and MSNBC contributor John Brennan called on FBI director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to “push back” on any directive from the White House that may have a “negative impact” on the Mueller investigation.

Brennan called on “individuals of conscience” in the administration to remember that they took an oath of office not an oath to Donald Trump. Moments prior Brennan admonished people who are abusing their powers to “protect” Trump.

“I think that they should continue to push, push, push, and if Mr. Tump and the White House does not relent, then they have some decisions to make, and whether or not they are going to the just not follow that direction and be fired or to resign,” Brennan said of the trio.

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Leftists make anyone who is anti-Trump or anti-conservative rich.

Via Washington Times:

Those looking to take a more personal stake in trying to stop President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee now have an avenue of direct action — they can donate online to his accuser.

Several online fundraising campaigns have popped up in the last day looking to assist Christine Blasey Ford with security expenses through GoFundMe pages.

One campaign, which says it’s being run out of California by “Team Christine Blasey Ford,” says the money will be used to fight back against “the right wing smear machine” and help defray costs of security she’s had to hire.

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No police or prosecutor would normally pursue such an allegation.

Via Daily Caller:

Former FBI assistant director Chris Swecker told CNN that the accusation against Brett Kavanaugh would not hold up in court.

Swecker was asked a series of questions about the scope of potential FBI involvement with the recent sexual misconduct against the Supreme Court nominee. Kavanaugh is facing an allegation of sexual misconduct in the 11th hour of his confirmation process from Christine Blasey Ford, who has publicly accused him of assaulting her 36 years ago when they were both teenagers. Kavanaugh has forcefully denied the allegation, as has others who were allegedly present during the sexual misconduct.

Swecker said that the FBI had no business looking into the 36-year-old allegation. “The FBI has no independent jurisdiction to open up a standalone investigation of rape allegations or assault allegations that may have taken place 36 years ago,” Swecker said, “That is a local crime. Unless it involves a federal official or on federal land or has some federal nexus, there’s just jurisdiction to do it.”

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These people just don’t stop with the threats.

Via Daily Caller:

Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown called President Donald Trump a “saboteur” and claimed Trump would undermine America “if we don’t get rid of him.”

Brown made the appeal to rid America of Trump in an interview with MSNBC at a climate change summit in San Francisco earlier in September in which he lambasted the president for his tweets concerning the death toll in Puerto Rico and his stance on climate change. Brown claimed that Trump was “sabotaging the world order” and urged voters to vote Democrat in November.

“We never had a president who was engaged in this kind of behavior. I mean he’s not telling the truth; he keeps changing his mind; he’s sabotaging the world order in many respects,” Brown said.

“It’s unprecedented, it’s dangerous, and hopefully this election is going to send a strong message to the country; the Democrats will win…something’s got to happen to this guy, because if we don’t get rid of him, he’s going to undermine America and even the world,” he added.

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Moonbats have a new hero.

Feel good story of the day.

Via Free Beacon:

The Emmy Awards hit an all-time ratings low during its 70th annual ceremony on Monday night, getting just 10.17 million viewers for its NBC broadcast.

It was an 11-percent drop form last year’s television awards ceremony hosted on CBS by Stephen Colbert, which had 11.38 million viewers. It also marked the second time in three years the show reached an all-time low in viewership; the 2016 ceremony on ABC had the previous low of 11.3 million viewers.

The Emmys also hit a new low among adults 18-to-49 with just a 2.4 Nielsen rating, which indicates the estimated percentage of individuals in the group who tuned into the program.

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Not government funded.

Via Daily Mail:

Hundreds of dogs and cats have been rescued from an animal shelter that was about to collapse during Hurricane Florence.

The Carteret County Humane Society in New Port, 15 miles from the North Carolina coast, flooded and its roof threatened to collapse on Friday during the catastrophic storm.

The staff and animals were rescued around 8pm with help from the Cajun Navy.

More than 100 cats and dogs were rescued in trucks and taken to a temporary shelter at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.

Dr Kelli Ferris, a vet from N.C. State University, was leading the rescue operation.

Dr Ferris has been part of disaster response for animal rescue during Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey.

She told DailyMail.com: ‘The majority of dogs that we have here either had not found an owner prior to the storm or were turned over by owners prior to the storm.

‘We have a few dogs that have come in from other flooded areas that are going to go into a holding place for the long term, giving their owners a chance to reclaim them at some point in the next month.’

The pets were being given medical exams and walked and fed by volunteers.

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HT: GetAClue

Egomaniac.

Via WFB:

Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) said in an interview published Wednesday that it would be “irresponsible” for him to not consider a presidential run in 2020.

“Of course the presidency will be something I consider. It would be irresponsible not to,” Booker told New York Magazine.

The lawmaker has become known for his attention-grabbing antics at Senate hearings, such as berating Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen over alleged racist remarks President Donald Trump made about African countries or declaring he was having an “I am Spartacus” moment during Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation battle.

The accuser, Dr. Ford doesn’t have the authority to direct the FBI or any other law enforcement agency to investigate before she testifies.

Via The Hill:

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is pressing forward with a hearing scheduled for Monday after a woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault called for the FBI to investigate her claims before she testifies.

Grassley on Tuesday evening said there was “no reason” to delay the hearing. Republicans have invited both Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, his accuser, to testify publicly.

“Dr. Ford’s testimony would reflect her personal knowledge and memory of events. Nothing the FBI or any other investigator does would have any bearing on what Dr. Ford tells the committee, so there is no reason for any further delay,” Grassley said.

He added that Ford’s claims that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when they were both in high school are “serious allegations and Dr. Ford deserves to be heard. … The invitation for Monday still stands.”

Grassley’s statement comes hours after Ford’s lawyer released a letter calling for an FBI investigation into her allegation. Ford says that while at a party Kavanaugh pinned her down on a bed, tried to remove her clothes and covered her mouth when she tried to protest.

“A full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a non-partisan manner, and that the Committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions,” Debra Katz and Lisa Banks, attorneys for Ford, wrote in the letter to Grassley.

But a government official told The Hill late last week that an investigation has not been opened into the allegations.

A Justice Department spokeswoman added on Monday that the “allegation does not involve any potential federal crime.”

“The FBI does not make any judgment about the credibility or significance of any allegation. The purpose of a background investigation is to determine whether the nominee could pose a risk to the national security of the United States. … The FBI’s role in such matters is to provide information for the use of the decision makers,” DOJ said in a statement.

Republicans warned earlier Tuesday that they expected to move forward with the Monday hearing, and potentially a committee vote as soon as next week, even if Ford refused to publicly testify.

In addition to a public hearing, Grassley says they also offered Ford the option to testify privately or with speak with committee staff. Republicans were also debating bringing in an outside lawyer to question Ford and Kavanaugh.

Grassley’s staff said they also gave Ford the choice of multiple dates.

Keep reading…

HT: Huck Funn

One last hurrah for Rahm.

Via Fox News:

The foundation behind the planned Obama Presidential Center in Chicago has a tentative agreement with the city to pay just $10 to use 19.3 acres of city park space for 99 years, according to a report.

The accord is described in legislation that Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration will send to the City Council on Thursday, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

If approved, the proposals will bring the estimated $350 million project closer to reality.

Per the agreement, the city will own the buildings and grounds, while the Obama Foundation will be responsible for the center’s upkeep and management, Crain’s Chicago Business reported.

“This is the next step in a process that has been ongoing for years,” Planning and Development Commissioner David Reifman said.

Under terms of the deal, the Obama Foundation must prove it can cover the cost of construction without taxpayer subsidies, a condition that contrasts with the 11 official Museums in the Parks, which all receive taxpayer money and have lease agreements in perpetuity.

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Poland is willing to pay their fair share.

Via Stars and Stripes:

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is considering permanently basing U.S. troops in Poland, a country that has offered up to $2 billion in financial support in hopes of luring American forces to the country.

“Poland is willing to make a very major contribution to the United States to come in and have a presence in Poland, and certainly it’s something we’ll discuss,” Trump said during a news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the White House.

For years, Poland has lobbied for larger numbers of U.S. troops in its country, where there are now several thousand American soldiers carrying out missions on a rotational basis.

In addition to about 700 U.S. cavalrymen positioned near Poland’s border with the Russian military enclave of Kaliningrad, the country also is a main outpost for an Army armored brigade on rotation from the United States.

However, all the U.S. forces shuffle in and out of Poland and there is no permanent American base in the country. Warsaw, long uneasy about a more aggressive Russia, has argued an Army brigade and associated support units stationed permanently in the country would serve as a more serious deterrent to Russian aggression.

To that end, Poland has offered as much as $2 billion to set up a permanent U.S. base in the country. Within the U.S. military and among security analysts, there is a long-running debate over the merits of building up forces in Poland. Supporters of the idea argue it puts more American firepower in areas where NATO is more vulnerable and makes the alliance a more formidable deterrent to potential Russian aggression.

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Unannounced and four times a year.

Via News Star:

U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins believes his colleagues in the House and Senate should be randomly tested for drugs.

Does the Republican from Acadiana know something we don’t?

“I have observed some behavior that would cause one to wonder,” Higgins, joking, said in an interview with USA Today Network.

Higgins introduced House Concurrent Resolution 135 Thursday that seeks to make senators and representatives subject to drug screenings once every term.

“Elected officials in Washington, D.C. should be subject to the same kind of random drug screenings that blue-collar, working-class Americans have to endure,” Higgins said in a press release.

“Congress shouldn’t get to live by a different set of rules,” he said. “This effort is about maintaining accountability and ensuring sober service to We, the People.”

Higgins, a first-term congressman who rose to fame on YouTube as “the Cajun John Wayne” through his creative Crime Stoppers videos, retains his certification as a deputy marshal.

Early this year, Higgins proposed mandatory drug testing in a Facebook video filmed after he completed a random drug screening for the Lafayette City Marshal’s Office.

Louisiana Democratic Party executive director Stephen Handwerk criticized the proposal on Twitter as a gimmick and touted Higgins’ opponent, Mimi Methvin, who the party has endorsed in the 3rd District race.

“When you haven’t delivered at all for your district I guess all you have is gimmicks and bravado,” Handwerk tweeted. “Let’s send (Methvin) to Congress to get results and no more gimmicks.”

“This isn’t a stunt,” Higgins said. “It’s not about shaming or embarrassing or ending members’ careers. It’s about our body adhering to the same standards almost every other working man and woman is held to on the job. We should be reflective of the people.”

Members of Congress would have to reimburse taxpayers for all costs of the program under Higgins’ legislation.

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That doesn’t bode well for a hope to flip the Senate seat there for Beto O’Rourke or flipping the Senate to stop Trump nominees and programs.

Via PJ Media:

In a major upset Tuesday night, voters elected a conservative political newcomer to the Texas Senate, flipping a Democratic district red for the first time in 139 years.

Retired game warden Pete Flores defeated former state and U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego in the runoff election for the Senate District 19 seat in San Antonio, further increasing the Republicans’ supermajority in the chamber ahead of the November elections. Flores will replace Democrat State Sen. Carlos Uresti, who was forced to step down in June after being sentenced to 12 years in prison on federal fraud and money laundering charges.

This seat wasn’t supposed to be competitive. It went 54-42 for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and 55-44 for Barack Obama in 2012.

Flores reportedly received “backing from some of the state’s most prominent politicians, including Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and U.S. Sens John Cornyn and Ted Cruz,” according to MySA.com. He was also likely a beneficiary of a superior ground game, as the GOP has outraised Democrats and radically upped their ground game in recent years.

Keep reading…

Democrats are trying to pull out the Anita Hill playbook again.

Via Daily Caller:

Sensing an opportunity for newfound relevance, Anita Hill has been doing the rounds in media as a subject matter expert on the Brett Kavanaugh allegation, hoping a new generation too young to know and faded memories of others will gloss over why her own accusations were not seen as credible in 1991.

Hill, the law professor who accused then-Supreme Court justice nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment says she got a raw deal when she testified against him over 25 years ago.

“The reluctance of someone to come forward demonstrates that even in the #MeToo era, it remains incredibly difficult to report harassment, abuse or assault by people in power,” she said in a statement to The Daily Beast, referencing the 35-year old sexual misconduct accusation bandied against Kavanaugh by Christine Blasey Ford.

She added, “I have seen firsthand what happens when such a process is weaponized against an accuser, and no one should have to endure that again.”

Hill elaborated on her statement in a New York Times op-ed Tuesday and gave her suggestions as to how lawmakers should handle a public hearing similar to the one she and Thomas were involved in, criticizing the members who questioned her at the time.

“The details of what that process would look like should be guided by experts who have devoted their careers to understanding sexual violence,” she writes. “The job of the Senate Judiciary Committee is to serve as fact-finders, to better serve the American public, and the weight of the government should not be used to destroy the lives of witnesses who are called to testify.”

Keep reading…

Via PJ Media:

On Tuesday night, the press added yet another indignity to the family of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. CBS News reporter Kathryn Watson revealed that reporters had besieged the family home of Kavanaugh. The judge’s wife, Ashley Estes Kavanaugh, had a very classy response to this situation.

“Per our CBS News cameraman at Kavanaugh’s house, his wife handed out cupcakes from Sprinkles to any of the photogs and producers who wanted them,” Watson tweeted.

Sprinkles is an iconic cupcakes shop first founded in Beverly Hills, Calf. It is considered one of the first cupcake bakeries.

PJ Media’s Sean Medlock, who goes by the pseudonym Jim Treacher, had the perfect response to this news.

“Why are you at his house?” Treacher tweeted.

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Anyone would see that as incredibly gracious as they besiege her house. But not the left.

Gee, what are they trying to hide?

Via Daily Caller:

Leading congressional Democrats are looking to stall the process to release documents related to the Russia investigation, which President Donald Trump ordered declassified on Monday.

Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mark Warner, sent a letter Tuesday asking Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats to provide an “immediate briefing” to the Gang of Eight before declassifying and releasing the documents.

The four Democrats expressed “profound alarm” at Trump’s order to declassify the records. Trump ordered the Justice Department and Office of the Director of National Intelligence to begin the process to declassify 21 pages from a June 2017 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) application taken out against former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

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Bad move.

Via Daily Wire:

On MSNBC Tuesday, Hillary Clinton weighed in on the sexual assault accusation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that allegedly occurred 35 years ago when he was in high school, arguing that “we should give the benefit of the doubt to the court and the country” rather than continuing with the confirmation process as scheduled. Her comments were met with fierce backlash from critics, including the woman whose accusation of rape against Clinton’s husband was notoriously not given “the benefit of the doubt” by Democrats.

Asked by host Rachel Maddow if Democrats should play the kind of “hardball” Republicans played with blocking the Merrick Garland nomination, or “just go through regular order with whoever Trump has to put up next if the Kavanaugh nomination fails,” Clinton called for neither “unilateral disarmament or Defcon-10.” What she really wanted to see, she made clear, was an investigation.

“I remember back in the Thomas hearing when Senator Byrd was asked what he was going to do, and he said in a situation like this we should give the benefit of the doubt to the court and the country,” she said.

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