Here Are the Dots ...

Michael Flynn, who spoke at the RNC last week, appeared with  Bill Maher and brushed off the "Lock her up" chants at the convention as just sloganeering.  Here are some dots.

Mystery man: Ukraine's U.S. fixer

By Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman

03/05/14

Once-intimate colleagues say they have not seen Manafort, 64, in years and hear from him only in occasional email missives. His most recent firm, Davis Manafort, functionally broke up shortly after the 2008 presidential election.
As that campaign was unfolding in the United States, the notorious political fixer emerged overseas, playing a familiar role in an unfamiliar place: advising Yanukovych, the pro-Russian strongman whose ouster last month has triggered an international crisis reminiscent of a Cold War spy novel.

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Prosecution of Ukrainian Opposition Leaders

June 24, 2011 by still4hill

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) shakes hands with former Ukrainian prime minister and opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko as they meet in Kiev, July 2, 2010. Clinton told Ukraine on Friday that the door to entering NATO remained open and she backed the ex-Soviet republic's efforts to secure a new deal with the International Monetary Fund. REUTERS/Alexander Prokopenko/Pool (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS)

Press Statement

Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

June 24, 2011

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The United States is aware of the opening of the trial against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and reiterates its concern about the appearance of politically-motivated prosecutions of opposition figures in Ukraine. When the senior leadership of an opposition party is the focus of prosecutions, out of proportion with other political figures, this creates the appearance of a political motive. We urge the Government of Ukraine to refrain from actions that create such an appearance and undermine the rule of law in Ukraine. We will closely monitor the legal proceedings against Yulia Tymoshenko and other opposition figures.
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Hillary Clinton on the Treatment of Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko

May 1, 2012 by still4hill
Press Statement

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Washington, DC

May 1, 2012

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The United States is deeply concerned by the treatment of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and other imprisoned members of her former government. The photographs of Mrs. Tymoshenko released by the Ukrainian Human Rights Ombudsman further call into question the conditions of her confinement. We urge the Ukrainian authorities to ensure that Mrs. Tymoshenko receives immediate medical assistance in an appropriate facility and request that the U.S. Ambassador be given access to her. We continue to call for her release, the release of other members of her former government and the restoration of their full civil and political rights.
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Yulia Tymoshenko walks out of prison, and back into Ukrainian politics

By Faith Karimi, CNN

Sun February 23, 2014

Tearfully, she hailed the sea of protesters, who listened and occasionally waved.

"Today, Ukraine has finished with this terrible dictator," she said, referring to ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.

She then passed on a not-so-subtle message.

"There'll be no Ukraine but the Ukraine you want," she said. "And I'm the guarantor of that Ukraine."

The polarizing former Prime Minister has a complicated relationship with Yanukovych, who fled the capital Saturday after days of bloody protests that killed dozens.

Both have dominated the nation's politics for years. Both have a rivalry that dates years.

Read more >>>>

The guy managing Trump's campaign whose delegates shouted "lock her up" also managed the campaign of the guy who in fact locked up his opponent after his election.  She was not released until he was ousted and fled.  But you had connected those dots already.  Is this just a slogan?

Let's make sure Trump is never in a position to put any political opponents behind bars.

Hillary Clinton To Audience in Vancouver: We're Good ... Except For Ice Hockey

Arriving to a standing ovation, and departing to another as admirers rushed the stage to touch her,  Hillary Clinton made a rock star impression on her Canadian audience last night.  Speaking, as usual,  without benefit of notes or teleprompter, she addressed the Vancouver Board of  Trade on the issue of women in business and the benefit to all when women fully participate in all facets of society - business included.  Societies hurt themselves when women are not given full opportunity for participation, she told them, and advised that women should be empowered as peace-makers.  Not nurturing any illusions among female listeners,  she told them to dare to compete,  to expect to fall down, but to be ready to get up and continue the climb.

At a more general level,  she explained that the U.S. has a robust - even boisterous political system.   She took a swipe at the 24/7  news marathon saying it thrives on bombastic conflict and counseled her audience not to vote for candidates who will not compromise.  While asserting that our countries need to work together  - with Mexico as well - on climate change, she avoided comment on the Keystone pipeline.

Briefly addressing foreign policy and events in Ukraine in particular, she provided a quick history of events leading to the current situation and mentioned that she and Bill Clinton attended a conference in Ukraine last fall.  She said she had worked cooperatively with Yanukovych as secretary of state but that he was not a visionary leader.

Ending her visit with affirmation of our long amicable relationship with our neighbors above the border, she could not resist mentioning the exception: ice hockey - and the crowd roared.

Here are some twitpics I snagged.

Hillary didn't say this but note silver medal winners:  There's no crying in ice hockey.  Just dust yourselves off and try again.