riversedge
riversedge's JournalState IG: Trump Appointees Targeted Career Staff For 'Deep State' Disloyalty
Source: TPM
August 15, 2019 4:26 pm
Top political appointees at the State Department “harassed” career staffers whom they suspected were members of the supposed “deep state” or were purportedly “disloyal” to the Trump administration’s goals, according to a new report from the department’s inspector general.
The report focuses on two political appointees in State’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs, which handles U.S. policy at the United Nations and other multinational bodies.
Assistant secretary Kevin Moley and senior adviser Mari Stull are named in the report as being behind much of the chaos. The report details multiple incidents in which Stull allegedly “retaliated” against State Department employees.
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Career employees told the IG that Stull referred to them as “Obama holdovers,” “traitors,” or “disloyal” at other points, focusing on allegations that she retaliated against federal workers for their personal political beliefs..................................
Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/state-ig-trump-appointee-called-own-staffers-members-of-deep-state
I can't imagine working under these conditions!
Good longer article for TPM--also the report is at the link.
Lindsey Graham slams Dem colleagues for brazen warning to Supreme Court
Lindsey Graham slams Dem colleagues for brazen warning to Supreme Court
https://twitter.com/MtnMD/status/1161844513607806977?s=20
By Ronn Blitzer | Fox News
Democrats warn Supreme Court to 'heal itself' or face restructuring
Top Senate Democrats including 2020 hopeful Kirsten Gillibrand are warning the Supreme Court to stay out of a New York gun case.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., blasted his Democratic colleagues on Wednesday for sending a stern and unusual warning to the Supreme Court earlier this week in connection with a gun case.
Judiciary Committee members Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Richard Durbin, D-Ill., along with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., wrote in a brief filed Monday that the "Supreme Court is not well.” They suggested the court “heal itself” or face public pressure to be “restructured.”
Graham said this was a clear reference to expanding the number of justices on the court to make it more liberal.
SENATE DEMS DELIVER STUNNING WARNING TO SUPREME COURT: 'HEAL' OR FACE RESTRUCTURING
“When you hear Democrats talking about expanding the Supreme Court….....they are talking about making the Court more liberal,” Graham said in a Wednesday tweet that linked to a Fox News article about the brief. “This has been a Dream of the Left for decades. I will do everything in my power to ensure that dream is NEVER fulfilled!”..................................
https://twitter.com/cindyhydesmith/status/1161807606463303683?s=20
https://twitter.com/BadgerStew/status/1162042931575963648?s=20
Fox News poll: Trump disapproval rises to near record--56% (up 5%).
As trump would say--too bad!
Fox News poll: Trump disapproval rises to near record
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/457480-trump-disapproval-rises-to-near-record-fox-news-poll
By Rachel Frazin - 08/14/19 06:41 PM EDT
President Trump's disapproval rating has jumped to 56 percent in a Fox News survey released Wednesday, just one point shy of the record high in Fox News polling.
The survey found a 5 percentage point increase in Trump's disapproval from last month. The only time his disapproval rating was higher, according to Fox News, was when it reached 57 percent in October 2017.
Forty-three percent of respondents said they approve of Trump's job performance, down from 46 percent last month. The record low for Trump approval in Fox News's polling is 38 percent, also from October of 2017.
Trump has the disapproval of a record number of men, at 53 percent, white men, 46 percent, and independents, 64 percent, according to the survey.
Researchers surveyed 1,013 registered voters nationwide from Aug. 11 to 13. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. ..................................
Israel official: Netanyahu weighing ban on Omar, Tlaib visit
Source: Politico/AP
08/15/2019 08:17 AM EDT
JERUSALEM — ................................................
An Israeli official said they are meeting about an upcoming visit by Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. The newly-elected Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and support the boycott movement against Israel. Tlaib’s family immigrated to the United States from the West Bank.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said “there is a possibility that Israel will not allow the visit in its current proposed format.”...............................
Arthur Lenk, formerly Israel’s ambassador to South Africa, said barring Omar and Tlaib “would be sinking us deeper into U.S. domestic political quagmire.”
Alon Pinkas, formerly Israel’s consul in New York, called such an action “fake policy” and said Israel should instead “engage Omar and Tlaib, show them where they are wrong or have a partial and skewed perception of reality.”
Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/15/israel-ilhan-omar-rashida-tlaib-netanyahu-1463655
https://twitter.com/politico/status/1161983460380205056?s=20
I love trucks of all types even when I was a little boy at four years old my mother would say, 'You
The 28 most egregious lines from Donald Trump's Pennsylvania speech
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/14/politics/donald-trump-pennsylvania-speech-energy/index.html
Updated 11:19 AM ET, Wed August 14, 2019
Trump brags about environment after rolling back regulations
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(CNN)On Tuesday President Donald Trump took a break from his summer vacation in New Jersey to deliver remarks on energy in Pennsylvania. The speech was billed as an official White House event, but the actual address was the stuff of a Trump campaign rally. Because, of course.
I went through the transcript and pulled out the lines you need to see from the President's speech. They're below.
6. "I was a good builder. I built good. I loved building."
"I built good." -- The President of the United States
7. "Don't worry about the rain, umbrellas work very well, especially when they're made in America."
Information for life!
8. "I love cranes. I love trucks of all types even when I was a little boy at four years old my mother would say, 'You love trucks.' "
"I love lamp." -- Brick Tamland
9. "I do. I always loved trucks. I still do. Nothing changes. Sometimes, you know, you might become president but nothing changes."
10. "We have a lot of road blocks in this country where you have a little claws can stop a project. Little claws can stop it for years. And we break up those little claws, as we break them up fast."
This is a metaphor, I think...........................
Trump touts US energy production at new plastics plant in campaign-like event
https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/13/politics/donald-trump-pennsylvania-plastic-plant/index.html
Updated 4:20 PM ET, Tue August 13, 2019
Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump took a break from his August vacation on Tuesday to visit a Pennsylvania petrochemical plant that he hailed as an example of US energy dominance, while also making an overt 2020 campaign pitch.
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The Appalachian region of Pennsylvania and West Virginia are large fracking producers, and the plant could help revitalize the industry which has been hit hard by lower natural gas prices. The massive plant has created 5,000 construction jobs. About 600 jobs are expected to be permanent, The New York Times reported.
But according to the Times, environmentalists are concerned that the plastic eventually produced at the plant will just add to the glut of plastic debris that is not being recycled and is adding to pollution worries.
Trump, however, blamed other countries in Asia, including China, for mismanaging their plastic distribution and disposal.
"It's plastic that's floating over in the ocean and the various oceans from other places," he claimed to reporters as he left for the event.
Trump hits 2020 notes
The President did little to hide his political intentions during Tuesday's official stop.
During the taxpayer-funded trip to the Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex, Trump urged workers to vote to reelect him in 2020, knocked Democratic presidential hopefuls and bellowed out his campaign slogans, "Make America Great Again" and "Keep America Great."
His remarks left no doubt that Trump's visit to Beaver County on Tuesday was about shoring up support among blue collar workers in western Pennsylvania, a key region to his hopes for reelection in 2020
.
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Cheney on Steve King's rape, incest comments: 'It's time for him to go'
Source: The Hill
By Juliegrace Brufke - 08/14/19 05:24 PM EDT
House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney (Wyo.) blasted Rep. Steve King on Wednesday and said it was time for the Iowa Republican "to go" amid uproar over his remarks on rape and incest.
"Today’s comments by @RepSteveKingIA are appalling and bizarre. As I’ve said before, it’s time for him to go. The people of Iowa’s 4th congressional district deserve better," Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, tweeted.
During an event at the Westside Conservative Club in Iowa on Wednesday, King questioned whether there would be "any population of the world left" if rape and incest had not occurred throughout history.
"What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?" he said, according to The Des Moines Register.
"Considering all the wars and all the rapes and pillages that happened throughout all these different nations, I know that I can't say that I was not a part of a product of that," he added.
King made the remarks while seeking to defend anti-abortion legislation with no rape or incest exceptions. The remarks quickly drew backlash from various political figures..........................................
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/457468-cheney-on-steve-king-its-time-for-him-to-go
https://twitter.com/politico/status/1161716891750141952?s=20
Portland leaders send unified message ahead of Proud Boys rally: Stay home
Source: nbc
U.S. news
"We don't want you here. We never wanted you here. If you come, we will expose you to the light of day," said one Portland, Oregon, official.
Leaders of Oregon's largest city continued their pleas for nonviolence — while warning police will be out in full force — during Saturday's planned demonstration in downtown Portland, where far-right activists and anti-fascist supporters could clash yet again.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, joined by a multiracial coalition of civil rights organizations, faith leaders and community groups, said during a gathering Wednesday that anyone "using the guise of free speech to commit acts of violence" is not welcome in the city.
"You want to be hateful, stay home," added Jo Ann Hardesty, who this year became the first black woman on the Portland City Council. "Do not get on a plane, on a bus and come to Portland....................................
The weekend rally is organized by the Proud Boys, whose founder has described it as a "fraternal organization" for young "Western chauvinist" men, and is expected to attract demonstrators from around the country. They say the purpose of their "End Domestic Terrorism" event is to oppose anti-facists, collectively called antifa and known for wearing masks and all-black clothing. Organizers want antifa to be declared a domestic terrorist organization.
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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/portland-leaders-send-unified-message-ahead-proud-boys-rally-stay-n1042406
https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1161752135693996032?s=20
Vile Pissant Donald Trump Jr.'s trolling gets a warm embrace from the Republican establishment
we are going to hear and see a lot more from this vile creature!
https://twitter.com/politico/status/1161450130467430400?s=20
@PedsSJ
·
11h Replying to @politico
Seriously?Jr. understands how to make a “sharp argument”?He has a clever & cutting approach?.You might want to make a few corrections to this article. Sharp & clever are not words that would come to mind in describing Jr. thick as a plank,not the sharpest knife in the drawer-yes.
TripleB
@Brooke415
·
12h
Replying to
@politico
Imagine thinking that second generation scumbag has anything relevant to say to the American people........................
Duncan Hunter's trial pushed back, pending appeal of ruling
https://twitter.com/politico/status/1161532940242886661?s=20
Duncan Hunter's trial pushed back, pending appeal of ruling
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
08/13/2019 05:03 PM EDT
SAN DIEGO — Rep. Duncan Hunter won’t go on trial until next year on corruption charges that involve the spending of campaign cash on vacations, extramarital affairs and other items, a U.S. judge decided Tuesday.
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Whelan changed the trial date from Sept. 10 to Jan. 14 after defense attorneys raised questions about whether an appeals court must first consider their motion to dismiss the case against the California Republican.
Whelan considered the motion last month and refused the request.
.............Hunter’s lawyers also say that if Hunter does go to trial, it should be moved out of San Diego to a more Republican-friendly area.
Whelan said Hunter easily won a sixth term after being indicted and therefore he should be able to be tried fairly in San Diego County. The judge also disagreed that prosecutors were on a political hunt and refused to toss the case.
Why the Secret Service spent thousands at a Trump hotel
It so infuriates me that this smart-mouth little pissant is being protected as he jots around the world.
Why the Secret Service spent thousands at a Trump hotel
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/14/secret-service-donald-trump-jr-canada-hotel-1459051
The Secret Service stayed at a Trump hotel in Vancouver while protecting Donald Trump Jr. on a hunting trip to Canada.
By ANITA KUMAR
08/14/2019 05:22 AM EDT
In June, the House passed a spending bill that would bar the White House and other federal entities from doing business with Trump-affiliated establishments. Though it is not likely to pass the Senate, it does indicate House Democrats’ interest.
Other examples of the federal government spending money at Trump properties are known: The Secret Service spent $20,000 at the same Vancouver hotel in February 2017 when Donald Trump Jr., his brother Eric Trump and sister Tiffany Trump traveled to Canada for the hotel’s grand opening, according to documents obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a government watchdog group.
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The president frequents his properties — primarily in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia — visiting them on more than 250 days since he was sworn into office, according to a compilation of information released by the White House. Those visits, too, have led to the government spending money at his properties.
Revenue increased at many of the Trump developments the president visited last year, including the Vancouver hotel, which the family business manages and licenses, according to Trump’s most recent personal financial disclosure forms. Trump earned more than $213,946 from the Vancouver hotel in 2018, according to his financial disclosure.
The Secret Service spent a total of $16,600 on the August 2017 trip, including $5,700 at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, $8,500 at other hotels and $2,300 on undisclosed expenses, according to documents obtained by POLITICO.
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“If Don had his way, he would have no Secret Service protection at all,” the person said. “He actually tried to get rid of it but unfortunately he gets too many threats on a daily basis.”
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Trump refused to fully separate from his businesses after he was sworn into office despite repeated calls to do so. He still owns his businesses but placed his holdings in a trust designed to hold assets for his benefit and can receive money any time without the public’s knowledge.
Several House committees, controlled by Democrats, have pushed Trump to release his tax returns to learn more information about his businesses, but he has repeatedly refused to do so. The Trump Organization, a private company with more than 500 businesses, is not required to publicly release financial information.
“Not only did he not divest himself,” said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), a member of the House Oversight Committee who has called for more transparency from the president. “He has the power to steer business to those interests.”
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https://twitter.com/politico/status/1161593333711589376?s=20
Donald Trump Jr. surrounded by the Secret Service and police. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
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