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Danae King The Columbus Dispatch @DanaeKing

Even though the women live hundreds of miles from her andlead vastly different lives, the Revs. Anna Guillozet andApril Casperson feel a kinship with Hillary Clinton.

DuringClinton'scampaign, the women were chatting on Facebook with a group of about 115 other United Methodist clergywomen aboutsupportingtheDemocraticnominee for president.

The women said they related to Clinton becauseofexperiences they shared dealing with gender and leadership. The 115 women from across the country wanted to encourage the candidate, whether they supported her politically ornot, said Guillozet, senior pastor at Church of the Master in Westerville, and Casperson, a deacon and vice president of institutional advancement at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, in Delaware.

The members of the Facebook group contacted Clinton's campaign to begin emailing her daily devotions and encouragement in 2016.On Tuesday,the Rev. Bill Shillady's book, "Strong for a Moment Like This: The Daily Devotions of Hillary Rodham Clinton," was published, and includes some of the women's daily devotions.

When Guillozet received an advance copy of the book, she excitedly flipped throughit, looking for the devotion she had sent Clinton. She found it on page 331.

Titled "Growing With God,"her page focuses on Psalm 65 and includes some of Guillozet's personal thoughts.

"I wanted her to remember that the decisions she would make on the campaign trail would impact people who had no voice," said Guillozet, 31, of Westerville. "No matter what we do, all the women that follow us will be impacted by who we are and how we interact."

Casperson did the samewhen she got the book,andfound her contributionon page 377. The entry, titled "God Is Present," corresponds with Esther 4:14 and was intended to remind Clinton that her work is not hers alone, but "part of the whole."

"I could only imagine how isolated she felt while doing this work," said Casperson, 36, of Groveport. "Being the first one doing so much in the face of all of this vitriol and so much was tied to her gender ...

"I wanted her to remember that any work we engage in is part of the whole, even if she can't see it today, it moves society toward a world that is more just."

After excerpts of the book were released, it was discovered that Shillady, a friend and pastor to the Clinton family for more than a decade, had plagiarized part of the book from a blog post written by the Rev. Matt Deuel, of Mission Point Community Church in Indiana. Shillady said he did so by mistake, apologized to Deuel directly, and said he will credit Deuel in future editions.

Casperson and Guillozet said the sentiment Shillady was expressing whenhe failed tocreditDeuelis one that many ministers use as a recurring theme in ministry. They hope people look beyond themistake and beyond party ideologies to see a book that is about grace and mercy, Guillozet said.

"It's not recapping an election cycle, it is living in the word of God and the way that was communicated to one person," she said.

In the book's foreword, Clinton writes about how Shilladygot upbefore dawn each day and wrote her an email of Scripture and lessons from him or others.

"Sometimes he wrote about strength and perseverance qualities the campaign demanded endlessly," she wrote. "Sometimes he wrote about joy a reminder to seek and savor exhilarating moments, even amid the chaos and intensity of the trail ... Every day, he helped me stay focused on the values at the heart of our campaign, which matter not only to me but to our national life: compassion, justice, dignity, love."

The sentiments that Casperson and Guillozet sent to Clintonalsoare examples of the way they cheer on fellowMethodist clergywomen.

Though women have been ordained in the Methodist church for more than 50 years, there are still structural barriers and bias against women in ministry, Casperson said.

"We saw similarities in what Hillary Clinton was facing: barriers and bias in relation to gender and gender roles," she said.

"Even though we're allacross the political spectrum, we saw akindred spirit in the work Hillary Clinton does," Casperson said. "Her public service is a direct response to her faith."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

dking@dispatch.com

@DanaeKing

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Central Ohio clergywomen's bond with Hillary Clinton included in new book - The Columbus Dispatch

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

The Trump colluded with Russia narrative is alive and well in the United States. With the media and the Marxist left lacking any facts to support this falsehood, they have now resorted to guessing what evidence hackers overseas may provide to resuscitate their attempt to unseat a duly elected U.S. president.

The Associated Press and The New York Times reported this week that a Ukrainian hacker named Profexer had turned himself in and is now a cooperating witness for the FBI. The mainstream media is beside itself reporting what facts this new twist of the Russia story may uncover. Why do you need facts when you can pollute the news cycle with things you can make up about what a man might say about President Trump?

According to the AP account, There is no evidence that Profexer worked, at least knowingly, for Russias intelligence services. But hey why does that matter when you can attach all kinds of innuendo and made-up stuff to an overseas arrest for hacking?

But that story aside, some real news is coming out of Ukraine on the collusion front. Im not talking about Russian collusion against Hillary Clinton; Im talking about collusion between the Democratic National Committee and the government of Ukraine to try to stop Donald Trump from winning the presidential election.

We all know what Mr. Trump said about trying to work with Moscow on the world stage during the campaign. Essentially, it was a recognition that Washington should seek better relations with Russia you know, that really big nation that has the most nuclear weapons in the world. Mr. Trump essentially said we should respect Moscows concerns about its near abroad and work with Russia where we could to defeat the Islamic State and other threats to both countries.

This obviously didnt sit well with Kiev, which has been fighting a pro-Russian insurgency in the eastern Donbass region for the past few years. Would Mr. Trump end sanctions on Russia? Would Mr. Trump end support for the Ukrainian armed forces in its conflict against Moscow?

Once in office, however, Mr. Trump has done just the opposite. He has buttressed support for Ukraine and even attacked a Syrian air base with 59 cruise missiles even with hundreds of Russian technicians deployed there.

Evidence has been released suggesting DNC operatives may have worked with the government of Ukraine to manufacture evidence against Paul Manafort, Mr. Trumps onetime campaign manager who has emerged as a central figure in the Russian meddling probe. After speaking with the Ukrainian National Anti-corruption Bureau (NABU), I wrote in this space a year ago that they knew at the time that a ledger published in The New York Times supposedly showing that Mr. Manfort received illegal payments from a source tied to ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was bogus. NABU investigators clearly said at the time that the newspaper took the phony document from the internet.

This week, Ukrainian parliamentary member Andrei Derkach sent a letter to the countrys chief prosecutor demanding an investigation into illegal collusion with the Clinton campaign to defeat Mr. Trump.

Only a transparent and thorough investigation into the unlawful interference of Ukrainian officials with the U.S. election campaign can restore the trust of our strategic partner, Mr. Derkach wrote.

He said there has been illegal interference in the election of president of the United States organized by a criminal organization consisting of Ukrainian government officials, an effort that had harmed relations with the U.S.

I spoke with NABU officials again this week, and they provided a canned statement saying essentially they had washed their hands of the Manafort affair.

Will special counsel Robert Mueller do the right thing and investigate this collusion as well? Or will he act in a partisan manner and ignore the evidence?

This week we also found out that rocket engines from a Ukrainian factory may have found their way to North Korea and vastly improved Kim Jong-uns ability to attack the U.S. mainland with nuclear weapons. I guess we are supposed to ignore this revelation as well.

L. Todd Wood is a former special operations helicopter pilot and Wall Street debt trader, and has contributed to Fox Business, The Moscow Times, National Review, the New York Post and many other publications. He can be reached through his website, LToddWood.com.

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Beyond the fake news, a real scandal of Clinton collusion with Ukraine - Washington Times

Democrats are on edge over Hillary Clintons forthcoming book that is likely to dredge up the controversies surrounding her 2016 defeat to President Trump, just as the out-of-power party is trying to "move on" and chart a course back to the majority.

The former secretary of state, U.S. senator and first lady who added Democratic presidential nominee to her resume last year apparently isnt done with public life. She plans to release her book, What Happened, next month and reportedly will focus the memoir in part on the role that Moscows meddling and former FBI Director Comeys public statements about her email investigation played in her defeat.

But Bloomberg reports that Democrats are privately concerned that Clintons book will help Trump, by fueling his case that Democrats are going after him because theyre bitter.

The feeling in the party was captured by Sen. Al Frankens comment in June that she and the party have to move on from her shock loss.

Other prominent Democrats also have needled Clinton for her post-defeat comments.

In an interview last month, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., suggested its time to look forward.

When you lose to somebody who has a 40 percent popularity, you dont blame other things -- Comey, Russia -- you blame yourself, Schumer told theWashington Post. So what did we do wrong? People didnt know what we stood for, just that we were against Trump. And still believe that.

Democrats, including Schumer, have tried to rebrand the party under a new slogan, A Better Deal, looking ahead to the 2018 midterm elections.

Former Vice President Biden has also criticized Clintons candidacy in recent months, questioning whether Democrats are paying enough attention to blue-collar economic issues.

Clintons public standing may have something to do with the concern: A Bloomberg poll from July showed she remains deeply unpopular, even more so than Trump, who has historically low approval ratings. The poll showed 58 percent viewed her unfavorably Russian President Vladimir Putin had only slightly worse ratings.

Bloomberg reported that Democrats would much prefer the approach taken by 2000 presidential nominee Al Gore, who launched into climate change advocacy work and more after his contested loss to George W. Bush.

The Hill reportedlast month that Clinton has told friends she wants the whole story out there about the 2016 election, for her new book.

The report suggests Clinton would return to hammering allegations Russia was involved in the hack of emails from Democratic officials including her campaign chairman, as well as the election impact of Comeys late-stage decision to briefly reopen the email case.

She really believes thats why she lost, and she wants to explain why in no uncertain terms, an individual identified as a longtime ally told The Hill.

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Hillary Clinton's book release has Dems worried, irritated - Fox News

Weird alliances always emerge in politics, but when marijuana gets thrown into the mix, the partnerships can get downright trippy.

Now, weed has brought together one of the right wings most notorious, flamboyant, conspiracy-slinging publicity hounds with an equally voluble trial lawyer from the left who was one of Hillary Clintons biggest financial benefactors.

On the right is Roger Stone, the boastful dirty tricks aficionado and sometimes guest host on the Infowars broadcast, a news staple for the fringe right.

Stone was a mastermind behind then-candidate Donald Trumps rise and an enthusiastic promoter of some of Trumps most vicious attacks against Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail. Stone often pushed the envelope much further than Trump himself, for example, publishing a widely discredited book accusing Hillary Clinton of helping her husband cover up rape.

Clintons campaign has charged that Stone coordinated with the hackers who broke into its computer system and published campaign emails on WikiLeaks. Stone was banned during the campaign from appearing on CNN and MSNBC after making racially charged and sexist attacks on fellow commentators on Twitter.

On the left is John Morgan, the deep-pocketed, publicity-seeking trial lawyer who is perennially rumored to be exploring a run for governor of Florida, the politically colorful state where Stone is also based at least part time.

Stone has a tattoo of Richard Nixon on his back. Morgan owns three thoroughbred race horses.

The only thing the two men seem to have in common, beyond their taste for publicity and good living, is revulsion at laws that ban marijuana.

For a while, that was not enough to bring them together. A few years ago, while Morgan was bankrolling an ultimately unsuccessful ballot measure to legalize medical pot in Florida, Stone accused him of nefarious scheming, suggesting it was all part of a plot to expand Morgans personal fortune and political power. (A separate Morgan-sponsored medical marijuana measure was passed by Florida voters in November.)

Now, Stone and Morgan are smoking the peace pipe. They have formed the United States Cannabis Coalitionto pressure Trump to let states continue to pursue their own paths on marijuana. The group was created in response to warnings from the administration that a crackdown on pot may be coming.

These Trump administration officials are disserving the president and ignoring the forthright position he took during the campaign, Stone said in a statement. It is our intention to identify, reachand mobilize millions of pro-cannabis voters to urge the president to keep his word.

Originally posted here:
Trump dirty tricks man and Clinton mega-donor smoke a weed-filled peace pipe - Los Angeles Times

He coined the nickname Crooked Hillary. He led his supporters in chants of Lock her up! And even long after their bitter contest ended, President Trump can rarely resist an opportunity to take a jab at Hillary Clinton.

So it may come as something of a surprise that a lavish plaque, dedicated to the accomplishments of Trumps vanquished opponent,is still prominently displayed at the U.S. Agency for International Development in downtown Washington at least, for now.

[Trump can usually make it about a third of the way through an interview without mentioning Hillary Clinton]

The plaque has a rather convoluted history, with an on-again, off-again presence in the stately Ronald Reagan Building. The 800-pound bronze plaque is 6 feet wide by 9 feet tall and features an excerpt of one of Clintons speeches, as well as glowing quote from former USAID administrator J. Brian Atwood: May all who pass through these portals recognize the invaluable contribution to worldwide development made by the First Lady of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

It first went up in 1999, framed by a dozen photographs capturing the former first ladys visits to countries across the world. The display, which cost over $27,000 to create and tens of thousands more to install, transformed the lobby into a shrine for Clinton, Washington Post columnist Al Kamen wrote in 2010.

But it didnt last. When George W. Bush took office, the plaque was first covered, then ultimately removed and shipped to a warehouse for storage. It wasnt until 2010 during Obamas firstterm, after Clinton became secretary of state that the plaque was reinstalled in USAIDs lobby (minus the surrounding haloof framed photographs).

[Why Trump and the conservative media are still obsessed with Hillary Clinton]

Clinton had joked about the whereabouts of the missing plaque during a visit to USAID in January 2009. I was quite honored upon leaving the White House to have a plaque put up in the lobby recognizing my work, she said, And if anybody knows where that plaque is, Id just love to see it again.

She later told The Post that if the plaque was returned, she did not want public funding to pay for the cost so unidentified private donors covered the bill, according to Kamens column.

But now, of course, the political tides have turned again. The White House is home to a new president, one who has made it clear that he has hardly forgotten his volatile battle with an opponent who won the popular vote. Trumps nominee to lead USAID, Mark Green, was sworn in as the agencys new administrator this month.

As for the future of Clintons wall-mounted tribute, a spokesman for the agency declined to offer any comment beyond a statement confirming the plaques current location: The plaque is in the USAID lobby.

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Bush removed it. Obama reinstalled it. Will a plaque honoring Hillary Clinton stay in place under Trump? - Washington Post