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Former Fox Analyst On Decline Of Fox News – Rats, Russians & Witch Hunts

Ralph Peters is a retired Army officer, a former enlisted man and former strategic analyst for Fox News with deep experience in Russian studies.

Last week, he resigned his position from Fox, and today he goes into detail regarding why in a blistering op-ed for The Washington Post.

You could measure the decline of Fox News by the drop in the quality of guests waiting in the green room.

A year and a half ago, you might have heard George Will discussing policy with a senator while a former Cabinet member listened in. Today, you would meet a Republican commissar with a steakhouse waistline and an eager young woman wearing too little fabric and too much makeup, immersed in memorizing her talking points.

This wasn’t a case of the rats leaving a sinking ship. The best sailors were driven overboard by the rodents.

As early as the fall of 2016, and especially as doubts mounted about the new Trump administration’s national security vulnerabilities, I increasingly was blocked from speaking on the issues about which I could offer real expertise: Russian affairs and our intelligence community.

I did not hide my views at Fox and, as word spread that I would not unswervingly support President Trump and, worse, that I believed an investigation into Russian interference was essential to our national security, I was excluded from segments that touched on Vladimir Putin’s possible influence on an American president, his campaign or his administration.

I was the one person on the Fox payroll who, trained in Russian studies and the Russian language, had been face to face with Russian intelligence officers in the Kremlin and in far-flung provinces. I have traveled widely in and written extensively about the region.

Yet I could only rarely and briefly comment on the paramount security question of our time: whether Putin and his security services ensnared the man who would become our president. Trump’s behavior patterns and evident weaknesses (financial entanglements, lack of self-control and sense of sexual entitlement) would have made him an ideal blackmail target — and the Russian security apparatus plays a long game.

Listening to political hacks with no knowledge of things Russian tell the vast Fox audience that the special counsel’s investigation was a “witch hunt,” while I could not respond, became too much to bear.

There is indeed a witch hunt, and it’s led by Fox against Robert Mueller.

Head over to The Washington Post for more of what someone who’s actually trained in Russian studies has to say about Fox News’ handling of the investigation.

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Lady Gaga Covers Elton John’s “Your Song” For Tribute Album

Lady Gaga

Check out Lady Gaga’s powerful new cover of the classic “Your Song” (easily one of my favorite Elton John/Bernie Taupin tunes) taken from the forthcoming album, Revamp: Reimagining the Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin.

Featuring new versions of Elton’s classic songs from Mary J. Blige, Alessia Cara, Miley Cyrus, Coldplay, Elton John & P!nk & Logic, Florence + The Machine, The Killers, Mumford & Sons, Q-Tip & Demi Lovato, Queens Of The Stone Age, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith, Revamp is set to be released on April 6th, 2018.

John has announced a 300-date farewell tour over the next three years before retiring from touring.

Here’s a tease of Gaga performing “Your Song” from the upcoming tribute Elton John: I’m Still Standing – a GRAMMY Salute to be broadcast Tuesday, April 10 at 9/8c on CBS.

Here’s the full track by Gaga:

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Poll: 67% Of Younger Americans Disapprove Of Donald Trump’s Handling Of The Presidency

Donald Trump
A new poll released by the Associated Press today shows a large majority of younger Americans (age 15-34) disapprove of Donald Trump’s handling of the presidency, and call him “racist” and “unfit” to be president.

From The Hill:

Just 33 percent of Americans between the ages of 15 and 34 approve of the president’s performance in office, nine points lower than the average of all adults in the same poll this month.

In addition, more than six in ten younger Americans say Trump “is a racist” and is “generally dishonest,” while 60 percent exactly say he is “mentally unfit” for the office of the president.

The poll also shows widespread support for progressive causes among this age bracket, including 60 percent who want the government to do more to fight climate change and 67 percent who want a health care system in which “the government provides health insurance to all Americans.”

Now, if we could just get more young folk to get out and vote…

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Hillary Responds To Detractors Who Say She Should “Get Off The Public Stage”

Hillary Clinton

At an event at Rutgers University Thursday, Hillary Clinton responded to criticism from her detractors who say she should “get off the public stage and shut up.”

From MSN.com:

“I was really struck by how people said that to me – you know, mostly people in the press, for whatever reason – mostly, ‘Go away, go away,'” Clinton said Thursday during an event at Rutgers University.

“And I had one of the young people who works for me go back and do a bit of research. They never said that to any man who was not elected. I was kind of struck by that,” Clinton said.

Clinton’s remarks came in response to a question from Eagleton Institute of Politics’ director Ruth Mandel about the former Democratic presidential nominee’s reaction to those who say she should “get off the public stage and shut up.”

“I’m really glad that, you know, Al Gore didn’t stop talking about climate change,” Clinton said to applause.

“And I’m really glad John Kerry went to the Senate and became an excellent secretary of State,” the former first lady continued. “And I’m really glad John McCain kept speaking out and standing up and saying what he had to say. And for heavens sakes, Mitt Romney is running for the Senate,” Clinton said.

I, for one, agree with Hillary. The men who lost presidential races stayed in the mix.

Why should she have to sit down and shut up?

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Widow Of Pulse Nightclub Shooter Found Not Guilty

Noor Salman (L) with Pulse gunman Omar Mateen (R)

In what will likely be the only court proceeding in relation to the deadly Pulse Nightclub shooting in June of 2016, Noor Salman, widow of the shooter Omar Mateen, was found not guilty of the two charges brought against her.

From NBC News:

Salman, 31, was accused of helping her husband plan his terror assault on the Orlando, Florida, nightclub and of falsely denying her role afterward.

The government equated Mateen’s actions with supporting terrorism, because he repeatedly pledged allegiance to ISIS before and during the attack that left 49 people dead and 53 injured. For that reason, Salman was charged with aiding him in providing material support to a terror group.

She was also charged with obstruction of justice, accused of misleading police and FBI agents by making contradictory statements about whether she knew what he was planning.

But after a two-week trial, a federal court jury acquitted her on both counts.

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News Round-Up: March 29, 2018

Me with Arminae Austen and Matt Zarley in Fort Worth, Texas 1999

Some news items you might have missed:

• Since it’s Thursday, how about a little #Throwback action? The pic above was from a production of A Chorus Line I directed back in 1999 at Casa Mañana in Fort Worth, Texas. I wasn’t originally going to be in the show but the producers eventually asked if I would also play the role of “Bobby” since I had many times before. Pictured with my besties from the Broadway production of ACL who came down to kill it, and kill it they did, Matt Zarley and Arminae Austen.

• There will be a sixth and final installment of social media phenom Sharknado this year on SyFy Network. #YAY! #DumbButFun

• The Ecuadorian embassy has placed jammers in its own building to block WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from access to the internet, social media or even phone calls. Assange has been living in the embassy since 2012 believing he’ll be picked up and extradited to the United States for questioning over activities by WikiLeaks.

•  A high-level Trump campaign official had repeated communications in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign with a business associate tied to Russian intelligence, according to a document released on Tuesday by the special counsel investigating Russian interference in the election. Remember when the story was “There was NO communication by anyone on the Trump campaign with Russians?”

• Did you hear the one about Donald Trump’s lawyer dangling pardons to former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn and former campaign chair Paul Manafort? #ObstructionOfJustice?

• Always keeping in mind that nature is beautiful but can be just as dangerous, check out this incredible video of a cheetah on the hunt who jumped into a jeep to check things out. Gorgeous, exciting but scary as hell. The passenger didn’t make eye contact so he wouldn’t seem a threat. #WOW

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UPDATED: Andrew McCabe Launches Legal Defense GoFundMe Campaign

UPDATE: In only five hours, the campaign has exceeded the original goal of $150K and so far raised over $217,000.

You think folks believe in this guy? Yep.

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Former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe has launched a GoFundMe legal defense fund to help defray costs of expected congressional inquiries and investigations  in relation to his firing by Attorney General Jeff Sessions just 26 hours before becoming eligible for his pension after a 20+ years career with the FBI.

The campaign stipulates that all funds will only be used for legal defense fees and “any funds that remain in the Legal Defense Fund will be donated to charitable organizations.”

At this writing, the campaign has raised over $77,000 in 3 hours with a goal of $150K.

And yes, I donated.

More info at The Washington Post.

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No LGBTQ Questions Will Be Included In 2020 Census

The 2020 W.S. Census will not contain any questions related to sexual orientation or gender identity says Census Director John Thompson:

Yesterday, the U.S. Census Bureau hit a major milestone and delivered the planned subjects for the 2020 Census and the American Community Survey (ACS) to Congress as required by law.

Since releasing this information, there have been a number of questions raised about the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity due to an error in the appendix of the report.

Our proposal to Congress was that the planned subjects remain unchanged from the 2010 Census and will cover gender, age, race/ethnicity, relationship and homeownership status.

It did not include sexual orientation or gender identity.

The inclusion of LGBTQ categories were initially included but were quickly deleted after a draft of the survey questions was released.

LGBTQ activists are outraged about this as the Census helps determine in great part where federal funds are utilized in regard to the U.S. population.

If the government doesn’t know how many gays there are, how do they know where important resources like law enforcement, health care, and equal employment opportunities are needed?

This is the erasing of LGBQ Americans.

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Doing “Assassination Of Gianni Versace” Made Ricky Martin Re-Live Parts Of His Own Closeted Life

In his cover story for the latest issue of Attitude, superstar Ricky Martin admits researching his role as Gianni Versace’s former partner Antonio D’Amico in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story forced him to “re-live” his own early life as a closeted gay man.

“I was a closeted gay man who was making my partners hide. I had relationships with other men who were in the closet and I had other relationships with men who were not in the closet but because of me went back into the closet.

“And so I’m re-living everything that I did.”

“I submitted myself to my career completely. I didn’t open doors to new relationships, and I’m not talking about romantic relationships, I’m talking about any relationship, because I didn’t want people to know me too much,” he explains.

“I wouldn’t even sit down and have a cool relationship with amazing producers or great film directors because I was afraid that if they spent more than two hours sitting with me they would know my nature.

“I wasted so much energy trying to manipulate my sexuality.”

Martin, who came out in 2010, is now married to Swedish artist Jwan Yosef and is father to 9-year-old twins Matteo and Valentino.

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Broadway’s Robert Fairchild Dances “Music And The Mirror” For MISCAST! Gala

Robert Fairchild at the 2018 “Miscast” Gala

MCC Theater’s annual MisCast gala is one of the most exciting and unique theater events in New York City. Broadway’s brightest stars perform songs from roles in which they would never be cast.

At this year’s event, Robert Fairchild, nominated for a Tony Award in his Broadway debut as “Jerry Mulligan” in the musical An American In Paris, took on the challenge of performing “The Music and the Mirror” originally danced by Tony Award winner Donna McKechnie in the groundbreaking A Chorus Line.

I actually have a story to tell in relation to this.

In 1989, I was cast in a national tour of A Chorus Line starring the original Tony Award winner for “Cassie,” Donna McKechnie.

Donna was a hero to me. I didn’t hesitate to say “yes.” No negotiating – just sign me up. I had to share the stage with the incomparable McKechnie.

Not only was Donna still brilliant, if not better than ever, in the role, but she was as wonderful in life as she was illuminating onstage. We became fast friends.

Along the tour, due to my constant curiosity, I asked Donna questions about “Music and the Mirror” (aka “Cassie dance”). Donna was very generous in passing along information about the backstory of the dance, the meaning behind the movement, the storytelling, where steps came from…

Eventually she gave me a “Cassie dance” class and personally taught me the dance. It seemed back then that all then male dancers wanted to know the dance as it was not only dramatic but thrillingly athletic to dance.

Now, when we would arrive at a new city on tour, there would be a sound check at the theater and among other things Donna would sing “Music and the Mirror” so the sound man could get a handle on the new acoustics. The orchestra would play the full dance as it also helped the sound department EQ the band.

Donna didn’t dance the dance in sound check as, well, she didn’t need to. The understudy would take the opportunity to go over the number onstage as me and another dancer in the show would work the dance in a corner of the stage. I mean, the music WAS playing and we stayed out of the way.

At our last stop on the tour, I was uncharacteristically in my dressing room in the basement of the theatre as Donna sound checked the song. As the music kept playing, I heard the cast in the audience start chanting, “Ran-dy! Ran-dy! Ran-dy!”

It took me a second to understand what was going on, but I went flying upstairs.

I hit the empty stage just in time for the first dance break into the mirrors. The cast burst into cheers as I went into full-on “Cassie dance.” Donna had suggested I finally get my “chance to dance.”

For that one time, I had the full stage to take on the whole dance with a full Broadway-size orchestra. The stage manager even had the crew fly in the mirrors in the middle of the dance. Can you imagine?

It was a thrill to be in the moment, in the music and have my friends (and Donna) encourage me. Truly a memory to keep 🙂

The cast used to muse that I could be an understudy as “Casey” in a “non-traditional casting” choice.

I’ve since directed and choreographed A Chorus Line several times always passing on what Donna taught me about the dance.

Robert Fairchild does a terrific job here. He has a small space but makes the dance work beautifully.

The guy dancers still love to dance this dance. And I’m proud to say I know why 🙂

Watch below.