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The family and lawyers supporting former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier were hoping President Trump would be receptive to the Hillary Clinton defense.

Saucier was convicted and imprisoned for keeping never-distributed personal photos of classified sections of an attack submarine on his cellphone. He argued that Mrs. Clinton, while secretary of state, did much worse. She mishandled pages of secret material on her personal computer system and got off scot-free.

I think its very unfair in light of whats happened with other people, the president told Fox News Sean Hannity in January.

Mr. Trump referred to the Saucier case on the campaign trail as a way of highlighting Mrs. Clintons scolding reprieve by FBI Director James B. Comey.

With high hopes, Jeffrey Addicott, Sauciers pro-bono attorney at the Center for Terrorism Law at St. Marys University in San Antonio, filed a clemency request with the Department of Justices office of the pardon attorney.

But he did no better with the Trump administration than he probably would have done with a President Hillary Clinton.

The pardon attorney sent out an unsigned rejection letter. It didnt even go to Mr. Addicott, who had filed the parson request, but to one of the sailors previous attorneys.

In my opinion, the deep state torpedoed my petitions, and it never got out of the pardon attorney office at all, Mr. Addicott told The Washington Times.

Conservatives refer to the deep state as federal bureaucrats, including Obama administration holdovers, working to sabotage the Trump administration.

When I finally got a copy of the letter, I concluded it was authentic, Mr. Addicott said. This is extremely unprofessional and indicates not only a shocking level of incompetence at the office of the pardon attorney but signals clearly that our hard work received only a pro forma look and never got out of that office to the [Department of Justice] or to President Trump.

On many occasions, President Trump correctly pointed out the injustice to Kris, and yet he was clearly undercut by a deep state bureaucracy. Nevertheless, the president certainly has the power to energize the office of the pardon attorney and grant the pardon and the pending clemency petition, Mr. Addicott said.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. The Times made an inquiry to the White House that has gone unanswered.

A lawyer knowledgeable about the pardon system told The Times that without intervention from on high, Saucier stood little chance because he is still serving his sentence and needs a waiver.

The unsigned May 30 rejection letter said: Upon careful review of the information you submitted, we have concluded that it would not be appropriate to grant a waiver of the waiting period in Mr. Sauciers case to permit him to apply for a pardon at this time. Waivers are infrequently granted and then only for particularly compelling reasons.

Mr. Addicott said the disproportionate felony conviction and prison sentence made Saucier a candidate for a waiver.

I cited the extraordinary circumstances of how Kris was wrongfully singled out for the heavy punishment by the federal district attorney when other sailors on the same submarine had received a $300 fine and a one grade reduction in rank, the lawyer said.

As an example of excess prosecution of Saucier, Mr. Addicott said, the Justice Department issued a national press release from public affairs headquarters in Washington for a case that should have been handled by the Navy through nonjudicial punishment.

Mr. Addicott also sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking for an expedited pardon process. An executive assistant wrote back that unfortunately we are unable to offer expedited processing of any individual petition.

Mr. Addicotts request to have the president commute the prison sentence is still pending, but since Saucier is eligible for release in September, he may be out of prison before the commutation review is completed. A federal judge sentenced Saucier to six months of home confinement following release.

Saucier, a machinist mate 1st class, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a charge of unauthorized retention of defense information six photographs taken of the nuclear propulsion system aboard the USS Alexandria in 2009. A month after Mr. Comey decided Mrs. Clintons fate, Saucier was sentenced to a year in prison. A Navy board handed him an other-than-honorable discharge.

Saucier signed a petition saying the Justice Department cracked down on him to show it is tough on those who mishandle secrets amid the Hillary Clinton wrist-slap.

The reason for the unjust and disproportionate level of investigation and punishment has nothing to do with the appropriate requirements of justice, but is actually directly tied to a national storm of political hypersensitivity precipitated by the misuse of classified information by former Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton which reached a zenith during the heat of the 2015-2016 presidential election right at the time that I was being investigated for my misconduct by the FBI and Department of Justice, he wrote.

Kathleen Saucier, the sailors mother, told The Times in January: I would like to say to Mr. Trump that I believe that hes our hope to re-evaluate the way things are done in our government and that we, as American patriots, should never have to be in the position that myself and my family and I am sure many others have been.

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'Hillary Clinton defense' fails to persuade Justice Department to free former Navy sailor - Washington Times

Melania Trump is far more popular than her husband, but she isn't the fairest, ahem, most well-liked, modern first lady of them all. Less than a month after the wife of President Donald Trump finally moved into the White House to join her spouse, the first lady's approval ratings have climbed by 14 points to 51 percent, a Fox News poll published Friday found.

More Americans are also less inclined to dislike Melania Trump than there were before her husband became president, the poll found. About 28 percent of voters don't view her favorably, while35 percent viewed her unfavorably in December before he was sworn in.

Melania Trump's predecessor, in contrast, was beloved by Americans at this point in her husband's first term. Michelle Obama had a favorability rating of73 percent in April 2009.

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The wife of President George W. Bush, who served two terms before President BarackObama, was also more popular than Melania Trump. Laura Bush's favorable ratings rangedbetween 63 percentand 80 percent during the Bush administration.

Melania Trump at a visit to the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, Poland July 6. Laszlo Balogh/Reuters

At the very least, Melania Trump is the most popular adult living in the White House right now. Her husband is viewed unfavorably by 51 percent of voters and favorably by 47 percent of voters, according to the Fox poll.The poll surveyed1,017 voters from June 25-27. It had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

First ladies often are more popular than their husbands, pollster Gallup has explained, which likely reflects that their role is far less controversial than that of the president, which often results in less-partisan ratings of the first lady.

Meanwhile,Melania Trump is roughly as popularas Hillary Clinton was when she was a few months into her husband's White House term in 1995.In March of that year, Hillary Clinton had a favorable rating of about 49 percent, while President Bill Clinton was liked by about 51 percent of Americans, Gallup found. Hillary Clintonlost her bid to become the first woman president in November to Melania Trump's husband.

Link:
Melania Trump Is Still Not As Popular As Michelle Obama, but She Beats Hillary Clinton in First Lady Rankings - Newsweek

Sen. Bernie Sanders. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Vermont resident Jon Svitavsky announcedon July 5 that he is challenging Sen.Bernie Sandersin his upcoming re-election in 2018. In his most recent race for re-election, Sanders wonover 71 percentof the vote and theDemocratic Partydidnt bother to run a candidate. In the 2016 presidential primaries,Sanders receivedover 86 percent of the votein Vermont. Among the small percentage of people who voted for Hillary Clinton in the state was Svitavsky, a homeless shelter director who is beginning to receive support from other disgruntledClintonsupporters across the country.

Though Sanders enjoys overwhelming support in his home state, his political opponents around the country have isolated and built up naysayers to diminish his popularity. In June 2016, NBC host Joy Reid did aprofilein the Daily Beast on Al Giordano,an anti-Sanders troll who gained a sizable following ofClintonsupporters on Twitter during the primaries. Giordano claimed he would run against Sanders in 2018 but has yet to file and currently resides in Mexico City. In February 2016, the Daily Beast ran ahit piecemeant to perpetuate the whitewashing of Sanders presidential campaign. It featured an interview with a black Vermont resident who claimed Sanders ignored the black community in the state. In October 2016, Politico ran anarticle featuring quotes from several VermontDemocratscomplaining that Sanders wasnt helping Democratsin Vermont, despite the fact thatSandersmade several appearances around the country to campaign on behalf of HillaryClinton. Now Svitavsky, aDemocratfrom Bridport, Vermont, is trying to make another case against Sanders.

Vermont Public Radioreported, Jon Svitavsky, 59, says he believes that Sanders divisive politics have fractured the Democratic Party nationally and paved the way for the rise of Republican President Donald Trump. On his Twitteraccounthe hassharedblog posts written by otherClintonsupporters attacking Sanders. According to Svitavsky, he was recruited by a group called Organizing forDemocrats-U.S.A to run against Sanders. The organization isnt filed with the FEC and has a small following on Facebook. On its Facebook page on June 15, the day after Sanders voted against the bill that included sanctions on Russia and Iran, the group posted, Today OFD represents theDemocratic Partycandidate for U.S. Senate in the State of Vermont.Thats the Sanders'(I) seat.And an actual liberal Democrat fromBurlington, Vermont is running.After Sanders voted to protect Mother Russia today, the decision was made to make this declaration. The day before, the organization published in another post that it is time forDemocratsto unite against the Bernie Bot elements.

Svitavsky told Vermonts NPR affiliate, I think Sanders has hurt our country very badly with what hes done. He added, So not only didBerniedivide theDemocratic Partyand what not, but he continues to bash them, even on the unity tour, saying thatDemocratsand Republicans are the same, and theyre not. ThoughBernie Sandersnever said that or bashed the party on theDNC Unity Tour, Svitavskys biases are shared by several avidClintonsupporters, and he isnt alone in trying to challenge Sanders.

Folasade Adeluola, a Clintonsupporter based in Indiana, also announced she is running to unseatSandersin 2018. Her campaignwebsitefeatures a selfie with her and HillaryClinton.She only has to be a legal resident of Vermont the day before the election to be eligible for the Senate seat, capitalizing on the opportunity to represent people of a state she doesnt live in.

Read more here:
Bitter Clinton Supporters Try to Unseat Bernie Sanders in Senate Race - Observer

Casual astrology fans (i.e., most of us) probably only pick which horoscope to read based on their sun sign, or the sign thats determined by their date of birth. More gung-ho astrologers believe that in order to get a complete picture, you need to know not only your date of birth, but your time of birth and the coordinates of your birthplace. This purportedly determines your rising sign, or the zodiac sign that governs the face you present to the public.

In the astrological community, determining the full birth charts of various public figures has become somewhat of a high-stakes game. A fierce debate over Hillary Clintons rising signand whether it allegedly doomed her political fortunehas apparently had professional astrologers in thrall since the 90s.

As Broadly reports, there are conflicting accounts over whether HRC was born at 8AM or 8PM. If she was born at 8AM, as her mother is alleged to have stated in an unidentified news article, her stellar destiny would point towards her winning the presidency (which is about the same prognosis the polls made ahead of the election, according the article). If she was born at 8PM, however, as she herself reportedly told an astrologer, her political outlook is much more hazy, and consistent with the way history actually panned out.

One astrologer quoted by Broadly , Danny Larkin, explained that many people want the 8AM time to be true, despite there being little hard evidence. Danny, who is the vice president of the Association for Young Astrologers , believes that not only is the 8PM time the correct time, but that Hillarys chart would bode poorly for her political career no matter what. "There's something about her where she doesn't light up the room," Danny told Broadly . "There's something about her sun; it's not able to shine as brightly as it wants to shine."

Political astrologers are also abuzz with drama surrounding the solar eclipse on August 21st. This is because it falls right on Leo, which is Trumps rising sign. (If youre wondering, there is no debate about the accuracy of Trumps birth chart because he released his official birth certificate as part of his racist birther campaign against President Obama.) According to astrologer Susan Miller , eclipses bring on unexpected events, forcing change and reconciliation with harsh truths. According to Broadly , many astrologers feel that this eclipse signifies bad news for Trump. But, whether the stars align or not, everyone watching American politics can agree that there are a lot of truths in the White House that are just about ready to come out.

Read the original here:
Why Astrologers Think Hillary Clinton's Rising Sign Could Have Cost Her the Election - TeenVogue.com

For those about to troll, Hillary Clinton salutes you.

With policy.

Defending the GOP'splan to repeal and replacethe Affordable Care Act,the Republican National Committee sent several tweets Wednesday criticizing key senators plus the Clintons for their lack of support.

Our health care system is collapsing, but Democrats refuse to bring anything to the table. Wheres THEIR plan?@GOP posted Wednesday, showing clips from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.),Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.),Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)andformer president Bill Clintonacknowledging issues withthe health-care system.

The GOP then took a shot at Hillary Clinton, the vanquished 2016 presidential contender.

Hours later, Clinton fired back,tweeting a link to her campaign website, on which she outlined a plan toexpand the Affordable Care Act andreduce out-of-pocket health-care and prescription drug costs, among other things.

Feel free to run w/it, she offered.

If the GOP was simply trying to get Clinton to take the bait, it worked.

But the trolling seemed to backfire, based on the ratio with 4,600 comments, and far fewer likes and retweets.

The ratio on Clinton's response was far better, with more than 20 times as many likes as replies (and quite a few more shares) as the Internet scored the bout via memes and other responses.

I don't know who's in charge of the GOP Twitter account, but clearly they're no match for Hillary Clinton,one person wrote on Twitter.

Some commenters, however, criticized Clinton for her role in the 2012 Benghazi, Libya, attack, her email practices and other things.

Some even called her out on her health-care plan one person arguing on Twitter that it wasnothing more than that: a plan.

Where's draft legislation? We all have these same ideas and plans. They need to be reduced to actual draft legislation that can be scored, one personresponded. And I mean this of EVERYONE on the Left who is complaining about Trumpcare.

The Twitter spat came days after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tried to fast-track a vote on the Better Care Reconciliation Act ahead of the Fourth of July break, then delayed it when some lawmakers asked for more time to review it.

A final vote is not expected until later this month.

[More Democrats embrace universal coverage and the GOP goes on the attack]

As The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein reported in November:

Clintonstrongly favors the Affordable Care Act. She wants to build on it in several ways, however, extending tax credits, making more people eligible for exchanges and Medicare, and tackling prescription drug prices.

ThoughTrumphas broken with conservatives of his own party on many issues, his health-policy positions are largely in line with GOP orthodoxy. He wants to end the Affordable Care Act. He also wants to transform Medicaid into state block grants, create high-risk insurance pools for people who need a lot of medical care and permit insurance to be sold across state lines.

At think tanks and elsewhere, health policy experts have assessed theoverall impact of the Clinton and Trump plans on the number of Americans with insurance and on federal spending. While the numbers vary, all conclude that her proposal would increase coverage and his would diminish it. Analyses disagree, though, on the impact of their plans on the federal deficit.

Read more:

[From the archives: The future of health care, according to Clinton or Trump]

How the demise of her health-care plan led to the politician Clinton is today

From jokes about the election outcome and the inaugural crowd size to warnings about the Trump administration's growing Russia scandal, Hillary Clinton has turned her ire on President Trump. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

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The GOP tried to troll Hillary Clinton. It backfired spectacularly. - Washington Post