BloggeRhythms

Yesterday, it was mentioned here that the POTUS was making things far easier for a Republican to win the White House in 2016, by his continual focus on issues the voting public cares very little to nothing about.

Particularly, global-warming, where in his upcoming State of the Union address he will say: “And America is now leading by example on climate change. The Clean Power Plan will cut carbon pollution from power plants by 32 percent by 2030. We've cut our oil imports by more than half, while doubling clean energy production from wind, solar, and geothermal -- creating steady sources of good jobs that can't be outsourced.”

Yet, those who bother to watch his speech at all may quickly tune out due to lack of concern, whereas as Paul Bedard @washingtonexaminer.com reports: “Despite the heavy media and political pressure to make global warming and climate change the top issue in the nation, it is more of a concern to citizens in 36 of 40 other industrialized nations than in the United States, according to Pew Research Center.

"Concern over climate change is especially high in Latin America, where a median of 74 percent think it is a very serious problem, followed by sub-Saharan Africa (median of 61 percent). Fewer than half in Asia (median of 45 percent) and the Middle East (median of 38 percent) express significant concerns about climate change. And Americans and Chinese, whose economies are responsible for the greatest annual CO2 emissions, are among the least concerned," said the most recent analysis of the ongoing survey.”

As far as global-warming itself is concerned, the issue certainly isn’t helped by the fact that the actions of the EPA degrade the subject by continual abuse of government power.  

Michael Bastasch @dailycaller.com writes today that, “EPA enforcement data for 2015 shows the agency opened 213 environmental cases which resulted in 185 people convicted and sentenced to 129 years in prison. EPA has been opening fewer cases in recent years to focus more on “high impact” cases."

EPA’s biggest court case this year was brought against Duke Energy for spilling coal ash into rivers in North Carolina and Virginia. The company was convicted of violating the Clean Water Act, fined $68 million and agreed to pay $34 million “for environmental projects in North Carolina and Virginia,” according to EPA. 

Yet, at the same time, “EPA has not fined or jailed anyone for the spilling of three million gallons of mine wastewater in August.” EPA workers opened up the Gold King Mine and sent a toxic plume of mine waste though rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Toxic mine waste even went through Navajo Nation territory and resulted in farms having their water supplies shut off. 

While Republican lawmakers quickly criticized EPA for not taking any disciplinary action against contractors or employees involved in the Colorado mine spill, the Department of the Interior’s outside review of the spill incident found EPA could have avoided a blowout if it had taken precautions agency workers had used while opening other sealed Colorado mines. 

“Specifically, the Committee is concerned that the EPA’s interview did not follow best investigative practices and may have interfered with the OIG’s ongoing investigation,” the lawmakers wrote to the agency.” 

So, what we have here is further evidence that for this administration, sound bites and political posturing continually outweigh practical reality. Which means, as stated at the beginning of today’s entry, things are being made far easier for Republican candidates at every level of government in the upcoming November elections. 

Which brings us to today’s update on Bill Clinton’s wife 

Sarah Westwood @washingtonexaminer.com, reports that: “Thousands of Hillary Clinton's private emails will hit the Internet on New Year's Eve thanks to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that permits the State Department to wait until the end of each month to release the documents.” 

Ms Westwood then writes: “Clinton's use of a personal server to shield her private emails from the public hobbled the early days of her presidential campaign,” adding her opinion that: “In the weeks since, her poll numbers have rebounded and speculation about whether the email controversy could cost her the nomination has largely abated.” 

However, while Ms Westwood and many other columnists, are certainly entitled to any beliefs they choose, even she had to include at the article’s very end: “Hundreds of emails are expected to be marked classified in the remaining unpublished email trove, as all monthly releases since this summer have contained classified material.” 

And that’s the problem Bill’s wife and her supporters are going to have to eventually contend with. Because, as posted by reader Strigoi following a breitbart.com article on the same subject, according to U.S. Code sections: 

"1. 18 USC Sec. 1924, which outlaws the unauthorized removal and storage of classified information. Penalties can include fines and imprisonment for up to one year 

"2. 18 USC Sec. 793, this law covers national defense information and people who misuse it to injure the United States or benefit a foreign power. Those convicted of violating this law face fines and up to 10 years in prison. "

So, despite Democrats continual efforts to downplay and disclaim Bill’s wife’s use of a personal email server while Secretary of State, an usual possibility still exists, nonetheless. If elected, she may be the first president to have her office in Leavenworth, or perhaps Guantanamo Bay if it remains open. 

It also brings up the ongoing question:  Joe Biden, Mayor Bloomberg, Jerry Brown, and Starbuck’s chairman and CEO, Howard Schultz, are you guys reading this?  

   

That’s it for today folks. 

Adios