No Trade War, What Is FBI Hiding, Friday Of Tires

Gary Bauer

by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: No Trade War - The ongoing war of words between Washington and Beijing has rattled the financial markets and spooked the media.  President Trump yesterday suggested he might impose tariffs on $100 billion of Chinese goods.  The Chinese Ministry of Commerce shot back, saying:

"We will immediately fight back with a major response. . . We feel America is very arrogant. . . We won't start a war, but if someone does, we will definitely fight back."

If there is any "arrogance" here, it's coming from China.  Beijing has been waging a trade war against us for years.  It routinely steals U.S. intellectual property, which saps hundreds of billions from us.

Unfortunately, the fake news media are overreacting again.  These are merely announcements of what may happen if trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing fail.

As White House Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said yesterday, "None of the proposed tariffs are in place yet.  The president is the best negotiator on the planet."

This article notes there is a review process that can take "at least two months" while talks continue.  Meanwhile, even CNN is acknowledging that we hold tremendous leverage.

And here's something you won't hear from Big Media:  Most Americans support President Trump's efforts to force China to play fair.  The latest Harvard/Harris poll finds that:

• 71% say the U.S. should take steps to correct our trade imbalance with China.
• 67% support punishing China for its theft of U.S. intellectual property.
• 61% support Trump's tariff threats to negotiate better trade deals.
• 58% support Trump's announcement of $30 billion in tariffs against China.
• 55% said most recent trade agreements have cost U.S. jobs.

"What Is The FBI Hiding?" - That is the question columnist Kimberley Strassel is asking in today's Wall Street Journal. In spite of prodding by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the FBI is still refusing to comply with an eight-month-old subpoena from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes.

What is Nunes after?  He wants to see the "electronic communication" that formally launched the Trump/Russia investigation.

Here's why this matters:  Initially we thought that the Steele dossier was the trigger for the investigation.

Yet when it was revealed that the dossier was in fact a partisan opposition research document paid for by the Clinton campaign, the FBI leaked to the New York Times that it was really a conversation by George Papadopoulos that triggered the whole thing.

But as Strassel notes, that doesn't make sense. The FBI didn't get a warrant on Papadopoulos nor did it interview him until well after the election.  He was clearly a bit player in the investigation.

Something stinks here.  In fact, a whole lot of things stink.

Chairman Nunes should go to court now to compel the FBI to surrender whatever it is hiding.

Speaking Of Stinking Things. . . Earlier this week, I wrote that the president should avoid speaking with Special Counsel Robert Mueller.  Well, investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson has a brilliant take on the idea:  Trump should only talk to Mueller if he is given the same deal Hillary Clinton got from the FBI.

Attkisson laid it all out in a series of tweets: 

1. An exoneration letter is drafted in advance.
2. Immunity is given to top Trump aides (and they're allowed to sit in on interview).
3. Interview isn't recorded.
4. Lead official (Mueller) doesn't attend.
5. #2 official's family [on Mueller team] has received large donations from Trump political friends.
6. Prior to the interview, lead official meets privately on plane tarmac with
   Trump's wife (to discuss grandchildren).
7. Main interviewer has expressed disdain for Trump's opponents, such as discussing an "insurance plan" with higher-ups to undermine them. If the same terms aren't offered…Was Clinton's interview process unfair? Or is the one proposed for Trump unfair?
8. As long as they believe Trump didn't intend any harm, he's let off the hook for any violations.
9. If Trump becomes a target, it should be referred to as a "matter" not an investigation.
10. Trump aides should be permitted to destroy subpoenaed or relevant public records and wipe relevant servers with a cloth or something.

That is a brilliant summary of just how much the "Deep State's" investigation of Hillary Clinton reeked of corruption.

I know Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  He is a good man.  I am glad he has someone from the outside (Utah federal prosecutor John Huber) investigating the staggering evidence of corruption at the Justice Department.

But at the end of the day, it's up to us -- "We The People," the voters -- to guarantee that the D.C. Swamp gets drained and that the "Deep State" is defeated.

President Trump can't do it alone.  He needs more allies in Congress.

Friday Of Tires - Thick black smoke filled the air along the Israeli/Gaza border today.  For days, Palestinians have been gathering hundreds of tires, and this morning they set them ablaze.

At the same time, Hamas urged Palestinians to swarm the border, hoping the smokescreen would obscure the view of Israeli soldiers.

Now think about that for a moment.  This is not a peaceful protest.  Thousands of Gazans are massing along Israel's border, threatening an invasion. (Trust me -- they are not there hoping to gain access to Israeli shopping malls.)

Once again, Hamas is exploiting the Palestinian people as human shields, as cannon fodder.  Only this time, they have taken the extra step of ensuring that even more civilians will be harmed because they are deliberately trying to prevent the IDF from being able to identify the terrorists from the civilians.

That, my friends, is the war crime.  Not what Israel does in defense of its borders.

Yesterday, White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt condemned Hamas and urged the Palestinians to avoid any provocations against Israel's sovereignty.  In a statement, Greenblatt declared:

"We condemn leaders and protestors who call for violence or who send protestors — including children — to the fence, knowing that they may be injured or killed. Instead, we call for a renewed focus by all parties on finding solutions to the dire humanitarian challenges facing Gazans."

Unfortunately, Hamas is not interested in finding solutions to Gaza's humanitarian challenges.  Hamas is the cause of Gaza's humanitarian challenges.  As of this writing, seven Gazans have reportedly been killed in clashes with Israeli forces today, while hundreds have been injured.

Again, the burning tires, the Molotov cocktails, the hurled rocks, the attempted breeches of Israel's border -- none of that is Israel's fault.  The fault lies entirely with Hamas.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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