Today's News June 22, 2016

The Smoking Gun: 

DNC Researched Clinton Speeches, Travel Records

The latest document dump from “Guccifer 2.0,” the hacker who breached the Democratic National Committee’s servers, shows that party officials have researched Hillary Clinton’s prior travel on private jets, the Clinton Foundation’s investments, and the Democratic presidential candidate’s speech contracts. 

The hacker this morning began distributing more than 250 files--totaling thousands of pages of records--that appear to have been prepared by DNC research staff.

What is the news here?

The DNC getting hacked isn't really that big a deal, since the U.S. government and average businesses get hacked all the time.

Hillary Clinton's dirt isn't really news, since we all knew about most of this stuff.

One minor story is what she requires for her paid speeches:

...the DNC dossier included copies of contract documents related to the presidential candidate’s paid speeches.

In addition to a “standard” $225,000 fee, Clinton required a “chartered roundtrip private jet” that needed to be a Gulfstream 450 or a larger aircraft. Depending on its outfitting, the Gulfstream jet, which costs upwards of $40 million, can seat 19 passengers and “sleeps up to six.” Clinton’s contract also stipulated that speech hosts had to pay for separate first class or business airfare for three of her aides.

As for lodging, Clinton required “a presidential suite” and up to “three (3) adjoining or contiguous rooms for her travel aides” and up to two extra rooms for advance staff. The host was also responsible for the Clinton travel party’s ground transportation, meals, and “phone charges/cell phones.”

Additionally, the host also had to pay “a flat fee of $1000” for a stenographer to create “an immediate transcript of Secretary Clinton’s remarks.” The contract adds, however, “We will be unable to share a copy of the transcript following the event.”

Consider some of  these requirements. The one which stands out is the Gulfstream 450, which costs over $40 million, and that is just the plane itself, not including hired pilots. Admittedly, the group paying her to speak could have rented a 450, but that isn't cheap either: Hourly costs run over $6,000.

Let's face it: Whoever hires Clinton to speak has some deep pockets, not to mention a significant planning organization. Your local church won't be hiring her any time soon.

This just serves to show that Clinton is the candidate of Wall Street, not Main  Street.

But there is one other point to be made here: Why is the DNC doing research on a potential presidential candidate? It isn't like they can reject her, right? Or can they? Hmm...

On the other side...

CNN:
Trump directs nearly one-fifth of his money to his own businesses

Donald Trump has directed nearly one-fifth of his campaign cash to companies that are part of his vast business empire, new federal records show.

Trump, hurting for cash after he suddenly stopped self-funding his campaign last month, has mixed his public campaign and his private ventures for nearly the entire 2016 race. He has promoted Trump products at campaign events, publicly litigated a federal civil suit he's facing over Trump University on talk shows, and, this week, will bring the political press to Scotland for a tour of a Trump golf course.

And it shows in his latest campaign finance report, filed Monday: Trump-linked businesses account for 17% of all campaign expenses to date. He's paid almost $11 million to Trump organizations since launching his campaign a year ago.

Here's the rub: If he were using his businesses without paying them, he would have to call these campaign donations. But by paying his companies, he can use their infrastructure to support his campaign. He wins either way.

The only potential problem here occurs if Trump isn't a serious candidate, which is a rumor dogging his campaign from the beginning.

To be honest, I suspect he wasn't a serious candidate at the beginning, but I think he started enjoying the campaign. Politics can be addicting to the right personality, and I suspect Trump is one of them. But that is just my opinion.

Fox News: 
Marine Corps forced to pull warbirds out of 'boneyard' after new fleet delay

The Marines are looking for a few good planes, and their search has taken them to an Arizona boneyard where the Corps’ old F/A Hornets have been gathering dust and rust for years. 

The jets are being reclaimed and refurbished by Boeing after the service branch was caught short on planes because of long delays in the rollout of the much-awaited F-35. 

The Marines could have done as the Navy did and adopted second generation F/A- 18E/F Super Hornets until the new planes were ready, but opted not to. 

“In hindsight, it was a misstep for the USMC to not have purchased the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, but only because the F-35 has seen such extensive delays and complications in production,” Omar Lamrani, senior military analyst for global intelligence firm Stratfor told FoxNews.com. “If the F-35 had entered production as originally scheduled and at the expected price, then the USMC would have been able to successfully transition straight from the F/A-18 Hornets to the F-35.”

The article doesn't mention a cost difference between the two possible plans, but if it saves money to take jets out of the "boneyard", I am all for it.

Of course, the article doesn't bother to ask whether we even need the jets at all. Sure, the article has the quotes from the USMC claiming the need for combat readiness, and the quotes from an expert that says this is a good idea to pull these jets. But ask yourself: The Marines are an offensive branch of the military, so who do we need to be attacking in the near future?

But it's just taxpayer money, right?