https://thinkprogress.org/trump-executive-orders-wall-street-bc0d65ccc5f8#.qamnbo74r
"On Friday, President Trump plans to sign an executive order rolling back protections put in place by the Obama administration to ensure financial advisers can’t give retirees bad advice to enrich themselves."
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Trump To Gut Dodd/Frank Because His Friends Can't Get Loans | Crooks and Liars
Trump To Gut Dodd/Frank Because His Friends Can't Get Loans | Crooks and Liars
"Trump talked about helping all Americans during his campaign, but only the rubes believed that. Did Trump supporters actually think he would protect them from banksters and billionaires? hahahahaha."
"Trump talked about helping all Americans during his campaign, but only the rubes believed that. Did Trump supporters actually think he would protect them from banksters and billionaires? hahahahaha."
In Welcome Gift for Tillerson, Congress Abolishes Big Oil Transparency
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/03/welcome-gift-tillerson-congress-abolishes-big-oil-transparency
"An Obama-era rule that prevented fossil fuel companies from striking backroom deals with foreign governments is about to be dismantled after Senate Republicans passed a bill early Friday voiding the measure."
"An Obama-era rule that prevented fossil fuel companies from striking backroom deals with foreign governments is about to be dismantled after Senate Republicans passed a bill early Friday voiding the measure."
‘Great news on the job front!’: Watch Fox and Friends give Trump credit for Obama’s last jobs report
‘Great news on the job front!’: Watch Fox and Friends give Trump credit for Obama’s last jobs report
"the latest jobs data ran through January 12, meaning the entire report predates the Trump administration by over a week. Washington Post reporter Glenn Kessler, who runs the paper’s fact-checking research, also noted that the report ‘still reflects the Obama administration.’ Fox also neglected to mention that the report marks 76 consecutive months of job growth — the longest on record — for Obama"."
"the latest jobs data ran through January 12, meaning the entire report predates the Trump administration by over a week. Washington Post reporter Glenn Kessler, who runs the paper’s fact-checking research, also noted that the report ‘still reflects the Obama administration.’ Fox also neglected to mention that the report marks 76 consecutive months of job growth — the longest on record — for Obama"."
Putting Kellyanne Conway on TV is promoting fake news, and from now on, the networks own it
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/3/1629470/-Putting-Kellyanne-Conway-on-TV-is-promoting-fake-news-and-from-now-on-the-networks-own-it
"you have Kellyanne Conway on television virtually every day despite the fact that she is a known liar. Despite the fact that she tries to pass off blatant lies as “alternative facts.” Yes, she’s a top White House aide … but anyone booking her for a television news spot knows that it’s overwhelmingly likely she will use their show to peddle lies. Why would you book her under those circumstances?"
"you have Kellyanne Conway on television virtually every day despite the fact that she is a known liar. Despite the fact that she tries to pass off blatant lies as “alternative facts.” Yes, she’s a top White House aide … but anyone booking her for a television news spot knows that it’s overwhelmingly likely she will use their show to peddle lies. Why would you book her under those circumstances?"
It’s official. Congress has rolled back two Obama-era rules that curbed pollution and corruption.
https://thinkprogress.org/first-two-cras-8baa11e3bdd7#.516dwdbka
"Friday morning, U.S. senators took some time out of their day to vote on a rule that increased transparency requirements for oil and gas companies operating overseas. They voted to overturn the rule. It was the second time this week the Senate, following on the heels of the U.S. House of Representatives, voted in favor of fossil fuel industries. The Senate voted Thursday to roll back the Stream Protection Rule, which, as the name suggests, protects streams from mountaintop removal coal mining operations, which habitually dump the debris from mountaintop removal into the fresh water streams below. The practice has been tied to water contamination and virtually destroys the downhill ecosystem."
"Friday morning, U.S. senators took some time out of their day to vote on a rule that increased transparency requirements for oil and gas companies operating overseas. They voted to overturn the rule. It was the second time this week the Senate, following on the heels of the U.S. House of Representatives, voted in favor of fossil fuel industries. The Senate voted Thursday to roll back the Stream Protection Rule, which, as the name suggests, protects streams from mountaintop removal coal mining operations, which habitually dump the debris from mountaintop removal into the fresh water streams below. The practice has been tied to water contamination and virtually destroys the downhill ecosystem."
Trump sells out retirees to Wall Street and removes protections against economic collapse
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/3/1629437/-Trump-sells-out-retirees-to-Wall-Street-and-removes-protections-against-economic-collapse
"Gary Cohn, White House Economic Council director, told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published last night that the administration would also move against a regulation designed to force retirement advisers to work in the best interest of their clients, the “fiduciary rule,” set to take effect in April and designed to eliminate conflicts-of-interest among professionals dealing with those enrolled in qualified retirement plans and IRAs. Donald Trump is going to make sure that Wall Street can keep lying to clients and feeding off retirees—because that’s what makes America great. The fiduciary rule, which hasn’t yet gone into effect, was intended to make sure that financial advisers were actually giving their best advice. That’s because giving bad advice can be very good for unscrupulous advisers who milk their clients by making hundreds of unnecessary trades and pocketing the fees, or pushing clients into high-cost funds from which the adviser gets a kick back. The basic idea was to make sure that when people were investing in retirement funds, the experts they paid to advise them and manage those funds were actually working for the people who were supposed to be their clients, rather than fattening themselves at their client’s expense. Naturally, Wall Street hated this rule."
"Gary Cohn, White House Economic Council director, told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published last night that the administration would also move against a regulation designed to force retirement advisers to work in the best interest of their clients, the “fiduciary rule,” set to take effect in April and designed to eliminate conflicts-of-interest among professionals dealing with those enrolled in qualified retirement plans and IRAs. Donald Trump is going to make sure that Wall Street can keep lying to clients and feeding off retirees—because that’s what makes America great. The fiduciary rule, which hasn’t yet gone into effect, was intended to make sure that financial advisers were actually giving their best advice. That’s because giving bad advice can be very good for unscrupulous advisers who milk their clients by making hundreds of unnecessary trades and pocketing the fees, or pushing clients into high-cost funds from which the adviser gets a kick back. The basic idea was to make sure that when people were investing in retirement funds, the experts they paid to advise them and manage those funds were actually working for the people who were supposed to be their clients, rather than fattening themselves at their client’s expense. Naturally, Wall Street hated this rule."
Report: White House Purposefully Omitted Mention of Jews from Holocaust Remembrance Statement @alternet
Report: White House Purposefully Omitted Mention of Jews from Holocaust Remembrance Statement @alternet:
"the State Department had written a statement of its own that made explicit mention of the Holocaust's Jewish victims, and Donald Trump's White House "blocked its release"."
"the State Department had written a statement of its own that made explicit mention of the Holocaust's Jewish victims, and Donald Trump's White House "blocked its release"."
The Untold Truth Behind Both The Garland And The Gorsuch Nominations
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/3/1629323/-The-Untold-Truth-Behind-Both-The-Garland-And-The-Gorsuch-Nominations
"Against all of this confusion and angst, there remains one unremarked upon truth — Republicans virtually never have, and never would now, confirm a Democratic Supreme Court nominee. That’s it. Here is a fascinating question — when was the last time that a Republican Senate confirmed the Supreme Court nomination from a Democratic President? Answer: You have to go back to December 1895, when a Senate with a plurality of Republicans approved President Grover Cleveland’s nomination of Rufus Peckham to the Supreme Court in a voice vote. At that time, the GOP had 44 Senate seats and the Democrats had 40 seats, with 6 other Senators belonging to other parties. 121 years ago!! You see, when Democrats talk and genuflect to norms, traditions, history and accommodation — they are only talking to themselves. Republicans have no freaking idea what Dems are even talking about. The supposedly “bipartisan” framework for approving Supreme Court justices is entirely a matter of internal Democratic policy: In fact, all 13 of the Supreme Court nominations since 1945 that were eventually approved by an opposing party [the Democrats] in the Senate were made by Republican presidents. Familiar names such as Earl Warren, William Brennan and Potter Stewart were Eisenhower nominees approved by a Democratic-controlled Senate. Every such nomination since World War II, and it goes back before that! Even Clarence Thomas got 11 Democratic votes to get him over to the required, non-filibustered total of 52 votes. Dems totaled over 21% of his vote. And, 22 of Roberts’ 78 votes, or 28%, came from Democrats. By contrast, Obama’s last confirmed Justice — Elena Kagan — received only five unneeded Republican votes — and of that group, only two — Senators Graham and Collins — remain in the Senate."
"Against all of this confusion and angst, there remains one unremarked upon truth — Republicans virtually never have, and never would now, confirm a Democratic Supreme Court nominee. That’s it. Here is a fascinating question — when was the last time that a Republican Senate confirmed the Supreme Court nomination from a Democratic President? Answer: You have to go back to December 1895, when a Senate with a plurality of Republicans approved President Grover Cleveland’s nomination of Rufus Peckham to the Supreme Court in a voice vote. At that time, the GOP had 44 Senate seats and the Democrats had 40 seats, with 6 other Senators belonging to other parties. 121 years ago!! You see, when Democrats talk and genuflect to norms, traditions, history and accommodation — they are only talking to themselves. Republicans have no freaking idea what Dems are even talking about. The supposedly “bipartisan” framework for approving Supreme Court justices is entirely a matter of internal Democratic policy: In fact, all 13 of the Supreme Court nominations since 1945 that were eventually approved by an opposing party [the Democrats] in the Senate were made by Republican presidents. Familiar names such as Earl Warren, William Brennan and Potter Stewart were Eisenhower nominees approved by a Democratic-controlled Senate. Every such nomination since World War II, and it goes back before that! Even Clarence Thomas got 11 Democratic votes to get him over to the required, non-filibustered total of 52 votes. Dems totaled over 21% of his vote. And, 22 of Roberts’ 78 votes, or 28%, came from Democrats. By contrast, Obama’s last confirmed Justice — Elena Kagan — received only five unneeded Republican votes — and of that group, only two — Senators Graham and Collins — remain in the Senate."
More Bald-Faced Corruption As House GOP Repeals Anti-Bribery Law For Oil Companies
http://thedailybanter.com/2017/02/house-republicans-oil-company-bribery/
"In yet another sign that they're done pretending they work for the American people, House Republicans got rid of a regulation that keeps oil companies from secretly paying off officials in other countries: Using the little-known Congressional Review Act, the House GOP voted on Wednesday to kill an Obama-era regulation that would require publicly traded oil, gas, and mining companies to disclose any payments that they made to foreign governments, including taxes and royalties. The rule itself dates back to the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act — when senators from both parties included a provision requiring greater disclosure from mining and drilling companies working abroad. The hope was to cut down on corruption in resource-rich developing countries by increasing transparency."
"In yet another sign that they're done pretending they work for the American people, House Republicans got rid of a regulation that keeps oil companies from secretly paying off officials in other countries: Using the little-known Congressional Review Act, the House GOP voted on Wednesday to kill an Obama-era regulation that would require publicly traded oil, gas, and mining companies to disclose any payments that they made to foreign governments, including taxes and royalties. The rule itself dates back to the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act — when senators from both parties included a provision requiring greater disclosure from mining and drilling companies working abroad. The hope was to cut down on corruption in resource-rich developing countries by increasing transparency."
Virginia House Votes to Keep Fracking Chemical Cocktails a Secret
Virginia House Votes to Keep Fracking Chemical Cocktails a Secret:
"Virginia's House of Delegates voted 59-37 on Monday in favor of a bill that would allow fracking companies to keep their chemical cocktails a secret. HB 1678 states that "chemical ingredient names, the chemical abstracts number for a chemical ingredient, or the amount or concentration of chemicals or ingredients used to stimulate a well" are exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. As the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, while fracking is not heavily used in Virginia, some energy companies have shown interest. Texas energy company Shore Exploration and Production Corp. has acquired about 86,000 acres of gas and oil leases for Virginia's Taylorsville basin. The bill was sponsored by Republican delegate Roxann L. Robinson, who introduced a similar bill last year. During Friday's debate of the bill, she argued that "by protecting that actual recipe, it will foster more efficient and more advancements in the fracking industry"."
"Virginia's House of Delegates voted 59-37 on Monday in favor of a bill that would allow fracking companies to keep their chemical cocktails a secret. HB 1678 states that "chemical ingredient names, the chemical abstracts number for a chemical ingredient, or the amount or concentration of chemicals or ingredients used to stimulate a well" are exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. As the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, while fracking is not heavily used in Virginia, some energy companies have shown interest. Texas energy company Shore Exploration and Production Corp. has acquired about 86,000 acres of gas and oil leases for Virginia's Taylorsville basin. The bill was sponsored by Republican delegate Roxann L. Robinson, who introduced a similar bill last year. During Friday's debate of the bill, she argued that "by protecting that actual recipe, it will foster more efficient and more advancements in the fracking industry"."
Steve Bannon Is Making Sure There’s No White House Paper Trail, Says Intel Source
https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/01/30/steve-bannon-is-making-sure-theres-no-white-house-paper-trail-trump-president/
"If there was any question about who is largely in charge of national security behind the scenes at the White House, the answer is becoming increasingly clear: Steve Bannon, the former head of Breitbart News, a far-right media outlet, and now White House advisor."
"If there was any question about who is largely in charge of national security behind the scenes at the White House, the answer is becoming increasingly clear: Steve Bannon, the former head of Breitbart News, a far-right media outlet, and now White House advisor."
11 important numbers to remember how the GOP stole Barack Obama’s Supreme Court appointment
http://www.salon.com/2017/02/01/11-important-numbers-to-remember-how-the-gop-stole-barack-obamas-supreme-court-appointment_partner/
"Let’s get down to some numbers that put Senate Republicans’ judicial coup in context. 293: Number of days Republicans stonewalled President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court before the Senate term expired. 103: Number of Supreme Court vacancies filled by elected presidents. That’s right, 103 in a row. 8: Vacancies filled during election year. Eight times in our history, Supreme Court vacancies occurred during an election year and the elected presidents’ nominees were approved. 6: Number of unelected presidential Supreme Court vacancy nominations denied. Supreme Court vacancies were denied when the sitting president was not elected: Vice President John Tyler’s nominations after death of President William Henry Harrison; VP Millard Fillmore’s nominations after the death of President Zachary Taylor; and VP Andrew Johnson’s nominations after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. President Obama was elected by the people, twice. 3: Lame-duck nominations denied. There were also three nominations made by sitting presidents post-election day, after the new president had been elected. John Quincy Adams tried after Andrew Jackson was elected; James Buchanan tried after Lincoln was elected; and President Hayes tried after James Garfield was elected. All were denied. President Obama made his nomination of Garland long before the election of Donald Trump. 84: Years since last election-year nomination. The last time there was a Supreme Court vacancy during an election year, President Hoover’s nomination was approved. 9,498: Average days in the tenure of recent Supreme Court justices (since 1970). That’s right, since 1970, Supreme Court justices who have retired, had tenures averaging 26.1 years. So, this is a quarter-century: a big time decision. 1,461: The number of days Democrats should be willing to wait for the Senate to approve President Obama’s rightful nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court."
"Let’s get down to some numbers that put Senate Republicans’ judicial coup in context. 293: Number of days Republicans stonewalled President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court before the Senate term expired. 103: Number of Supreme Court vacancies filled by elected presidents. That’s right, 103 in a row. 8: Vacancies filled during election year. Eight times in our history, Supreme Court vacancies occurred during an election year and the elected presidents’ nominees were approved. 6: Number of unelected presidential Supreme Court vacancy nominations denied. Supreme Court vacancies were denied when the sitting president was not elected: Vice President John Tyler’s nominations after death of President William Henry Harrison; VP Millard Fillmore’s nominations after the death of President Zachary Taylor; and VP Andrew Johnson’s nominations after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. President Obama was elected by the people, twice. 3: Lame-duck nominations denied. There were also three nominations made by sitting presidents post-election day, after the new president had been elected. John Quincy Adams tried after Andrew Jackson was elected; James Buchanan tried after Lincoln was elected; and President Hayes tried after James Garfield was elected. All were denied. President Obama made his nomination of Garland long before the election of Donald Trump. 84: Years since last election-year nomination. The last time there was a Supreme Court vacancy during an election year, President Hoover’s nomination was approved. 9,498: Average days in the tenure of recent Supreme Court justices (since 1970). That’s right, since 1970, Supreme Court justices who have retired, had tenures averaging 26.1 years. So, this is a quarter-century: a big time decision. 1,461: The number of days Democrats should be willing to wait for the Senate to approve President Obama’s rightful nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court."
There's a war on the horizon. And if Trump and his puppeteers get their way, it will be massive.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/2/1628974/-There-s-a-war-on-the-horizon-And-if-Trump-and-his-puppeteers-get-their-way-it-will-be-massive
"Frightening language coming from the man pulling the strings on our president. What is even more frightening is Bannon’s success in consolidating power within the administration and shutting out any influence of dissenting voices. An article posted to Foreign Policy on January 30 details this consolidation and its alarming implications: STEVE BANNON IS MAKING SURE THERE’S NO WHITE HOUSE PAPER TRAIL, SAYS INTEL SOURCE The Trump administration’s chief strategist has already taken control of both policy and process on national security."
"Frightening language coming from the man pulling the strings on our president. What is even more frightening is Bannon’s success in consolidating power within the administration and shutting out any influence of dissenting voices. An article posted to Foreign Policy on January 30 details this consolidation and its alarming implications: STEVE BANNON IS MAKING SURE THERE’S NO WHITE HOUSE PAPER TRAIL, SAYS INTEL SOURCE The Trump administration’s chief strategist has already taken control of both policy and process on national security."
There's no recording of Trump's talk with Putin—because Trump's team turned off the recorder
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/2/1629090/-There-s-no-recording-of-Trump-s-talk-with-Putin-because-Trump-s-team-turned-off-the-recorder
"So in a presidency that's already being compared to Nixon's on a daily basis and by people who were there, this is a real humdinger."
"So in a presidency that's already being compared to Nixon's on a daily basis and by people who were there, this is a real humdinger."
Has Neil Gorsuch abandoned his younger self's crush on fascism and extreme views on executive power?
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/2/1629039/-Has-Neil-Gorsuch-abandoned-his-younger-self-s-crush-on-fascism-and-extreme-views-on-executive-power
"The "it's not illegal when the president does it" was clearly a theory the young Gorsuch embraced. By the time he was a graduating senior, he included this quote from Henry Kissinger with his yearbook picture: "The illegal we do immediately, the unconstitutional takes a little longer." Hey, when you're on the Supreme Court, you can dispense with that "unconstitutional" pretty darned fast. With this president, that's a terrifying prospect."
"The "it's not illegal when the president does it" was clearly a theory the young Gorsuch embraced. By the time he was a graduating senior, he included this quote from Henry Kissinger with his yearbook picture: "The illegal we do immediately, the unconstitutional takes a little longer." Hey, when you're on the Supreme Court, you can dispense with that "unconstitutional" pretty darned fast. With this president, that's a terrifying prospect."
Trump's Choice of Gorsuch Endangers Civil, Human and Environmental Rights
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39310-trump-s-choice-of-gorsuch-endangers-civil-human-and-environmental-rights
"Moreover, in light of the advanced ages of Justices Ginsburg, Kennedy and Breyer, Trump may well have another opportunity to nominate a justice to the Court. If and when that occurs, the Court will make a sharp turn to the right for decades to come."
"Moreover, in light of the advanced ages of Justices Ginsburg, Kennedy and Breyer, Trump may well have another opportunity to nominate a justice to the Court. If and when that occurs, the Court will make a sharp turn to the right for decades to come."
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Betsy DeVos Just Bought Herself a Trump Cabinet Position
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/betsy-devos-just-bought-herself-a-trump-cabinet-position-w465578
"Betsy DeVos just bought herself a nice little cabinet position. On Tuesday afternoon, most Senate Republicans – all but Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski – voted to confirm the billionaire Amway heiress as secretary of education. It cost her $115,000 in personal donations to sitting Republican senators; $950,000 more has flowed in from the DeVos family over the last three-and-a-half decades. And another $8.3 million from the DeVoses has gone to Republican super PACs in the last two election cycles alone. Not cheap! But it got the job done. And no one should expect her family's financial manipulation of Republican senators to stop there. In fact, if what the DeVoses have done in Michigan is any indication, she and her family are likely just getting started trying to buy Republican support for their radical agenda."
"Betsy DeVos just bought herself a nice little cabinet position. On Tuesday afternoon, most Senate Republicans – all but Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski – voted to confirm the billionaire Amway heiress as secretary of education. It cost her $115,000 in personal donations to sitting Republican senators; $950,000 more has flowed in from the DeVos family over the last three-and-a-half decades. And another $8.3 million from the DeVoses has gone to Republican super PACs in the last two election cycles alone. Not cheap! But it got the job done. And no one should expect her family's financial manipulation of Republican senators to stop there. In fact, if what the DeVoses have done in Michigan is any indication, she and her family are likely just getting started trying to buy Republican support for their radical agenda."
The senators who opposed DeVos represent 36 million more people than her supporters do
https://thinkprogress.org/the-senators-who-opposed-devos-represent-36-million-more-people-than-her-supporters-do-4705655a2bc7#.742z6grsy
"DeVos did not appear to understand the difference between testing that measures growth (how much a student has learned since their last test) and proficiency (whether a student has reached a certain baseline). She blanked on a major law protecting children with disabilities. At one point, she said guns might be needed in schools to “protect from potential grizzlies.” And yet the Senate was evenly divided over whether DeVos should be placed in charge of a cabinet agency that she seems to know little about. That is because the Senate is itself malapportioned to give voters in smaller states much greater voices than other voters. The 50 senators who opposed DeVos represent 179,381,386 people, while the 50 senators who supported her represent only 143,064,962 individuals."
"DeVos did not appear to understand the difference between testing that measures growth (how much a student has learned since their last test) and proficiency (whether a student has reached a certain baseline). She blanked on a major law protecting children with disabilities. At one point, she said guns might be needed in schools to “protect from potential grizzlies.” And yet the Senate was evenly divided over whether DeVos should be placed in charge of a cabinet agency that she seems to know little about. That is because the Senate is itself malapportioned to give voters in smaller states much greater voices than other voters. The 50 senators who opposed DeVos represent 179,381,386 people, while the 50 senators who supported her represent only 143,064,962 individuals."
Steve Bannon Believes The Apocalypse Is Coming And War Is Inevitable
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/steve-bannon-apocalypse_us_5898f02ee4b040613138a951
"Bannon, who’s now ensconced in the West Wing as President Donald Trump’s closest adviser, has been portrayed as Trump’s main ideas guy. But in interviews, speeches and writing — and especially in his embrace of Strauss and Howe — he has made clear that he is, first and foremost, an apocalypticist."
"Bannon, who’s now ensconced in the West Wing as President Donald Trump’s closest adviser, has been portrayed as Trump’s main ideas guy. But in interviews, speeches and writing — and especially in his embrace of Strauss and Howe — he has made clear that he is, first and foremost, an apocalypticist."
How to stop an autocracy
http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/2/7/14454370/trump-autocracy-congress-frum
"A case study of congressional abdication: Jason Chaffetz Jason Chaffetz, the Utah Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, is an eager investigator. He’s dug into Benghazi, Planned Parenthood, and Hillary Clinton’s emails. And he was no fan of Trump’s. “I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president,” he said shortly after the Access Hollywood tapes were released. The reason, he explained, was that he had a 15-year-old daughter, and he could not look in her the eye and defend what Trump said about women. Like other Republicans, Chaffetz ultimately decided that beating Hillary Clinton was worth overlooking Trump’s transgressions, and he returned, reluctantly, to the fold. But like other Republicans, Chaffetz expected Clinton to win the election. And he was ready. “Even before we get to Day One, we’ve got two years’ worth of material already lined up,” he said in October. So that was Chaffetz weeks before the 2016 election — ready to launch a years-long investigation into the next president over email server management. Last week, Chaffetz released the House Oversight Committee’s agenda for the next two years. It lists 43 items — none of which involve Donald Trump. Actually, that’s not quite right. Chaffetz does intend to investigate the Office of Government Ethics, which Republicans believe has been too outspoken in its concern over Trump’s conflicts of interest. So here, then, is Chaffetz after the 2016 election: planning investigations into those raising the alarm over Trump’s conflicts of interest, rather than actually investigating Trump’s conflicts of interest."
"A case study of congressional abdication: Jason Chaffetz Jason Chaffetz, the Utah Republican who chairs the House Oversight Committee, is an eager investigator. He’s dug into Benghazi, Planned Parenthood, and Hillary Clinton’s emails. And he was no fan of Trump’s. “I can no longer in good conscience endorse this person for president,” he said shortly after the Access Hollywood tapes were released. The reason, he explained, was that he had a 15-year-old daughter, and he could not look in her the eye and defend what Trump said about women. Like other Republicans, Chaffetz ultimately decided that beating Hillary Clinton was worth overlooking Trump’s transgressions, and he returned, reluctantly, to the fold. But like other Republicans, Chaffetz expected Clinton to win the election. And he was ready. “Even before we get to Day One, we’ve got two years’ worth of material already lined up,” he said in October. So that was Chaffetz weeks before the 2016 election — ready to launch a years-long investigation into the next president over email server management. Last week, Chaffetz released the House Oversight Committee’s agenda for the next two years. It lists 43 items — none of which involve Donald Trump. Actually, that’s not quite right. Chaffetz does intend to investigate the Office of Government Ethics, which Republicans believe has been too outspoken in its concern over Trump’s conflicts of interest. So here, then, is Chaffetz after the 2016 election: planning investigations into those raising the alarm over Trump’s conflicts of interest, rather than actually investigating Trump’s conflicts of interest."
The Trump Administration’s Two-Pronged Assault on Public Health
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2017/02/07/298183/the-trump-administrations-two-pronged-assault-on-public-health/
"The 115th Congress and the Trump administration have already set their sights on gutting the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other cornerstone protections that ensure that our air is safe to breathe and our water safe to drink. They have promised to get rid of pollution limits for power plants instead of shifting to clean energy and nullify pollution limits for oil and gas drilling—as they also promise to drill anywhere and everywhere. These actions alone would greatly endanger public health and environmental quality. If that was not enough, however, congressional Republicans and the administration are also set on eliminating health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. This extreme rollback of federal regulations and services would allow more pollution, affect public health, and, at the same time, remove health care options for treatment when people get sick."
"The 115th Congress and the Trump administration have already set their sights on gutting the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other cornerstone protections that ensure that our air is safe to breathe and our water safe to drink. They have promised to get rid of pollution limits for power plants instead of shifting to clean energy and nullify pollution limits for oil and gas drilling—as they also promise to drill anywhere and everywhere. These actions alone would greatly endanger public health and environmental quality. If that was not enough, however, congressional Republicans and the administration are also set on eliminating health insurance coverage for millions of Americans. This extreme rollback of federal regulations and services would allow more pollution, affect public health, and, at the same time, remove health care options for treatment when people get sick."
Republican senator says Elizabeth Warren shouldn’t criticize Sessions — even if it’s the truth
https://thinkprogress.org/orrin-hatch-elizabeth-warren-think-of-his-wife-c6bd498cf2af#.s4fh1q348
"Among some of his most egregious offenses, Sessions allegedly called a black assistant U.S. assistant “boy,” joked that the Ku Klux Klan was “okay” until he found out that members smoked marijuana, dismissed comprehensive immigration reform as an “ethnic politics,” and has called the Voting Rights Act a “piece of intrusive legislation"."
"Among some of his most egregious offenses, Sessions allegedly called a black assistant U.S. assistant “boy,” joked that the Ku Klux Klan was “okay” until he found out that members smoked marijuana, dismissed comprehensive immigration reform as an “ethnic politics,” and has called the Voting Rights Act a “piece of intrusive legislation"."
Republicans Introduce Bill to "Terminate the Environmental Protection Agency"
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/39377-republicans-introduce-bill-to-terminate-the-environmental-protection-agency
"Ironically, the bill to abolish the EPA is part of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee's plan to "Make the EPA Great Again"."
"Ironically, the bill to abolish the EPA is part of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee's plan to "Make the EPA Great Again"."
Senate Dems Urge 'Political Firestorm' Over GOP FCC's Net Neutrality Attacks
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/02/08/senate-dems-urge-political-firestorm-over-gop-fccs-net-neutrality-attacks
"Pai has long opposed net neutrality rules and sided with corporations over consumers, but his power as a commissioner had been limited until former chair Tom Wheeler resigned at the end of President Barack Obama's term. Under President Donald Trump, Pai on Friday issued "delegated authority"—the commission's version of executive orders—bypassing the democratic process, to attack key protections and enable media consolidation."
"Pai has long opposed net neutrality rules and sided with corporations over consumers, but his power as a commissioner had been limited until former chair Tom Wheeler resigned at the end of President Barack Obama's term. Under President Donald Trump, Pai on Friday issued "delegated authority"—the commission's version of executive orders—bypassing the democratic process, to attack key protections and enable media consolidation."
Donald Trump’s Executive Order Will Let Private Equity Funds Drain Your 401(k)
https://theintercept.com/2017/02/06/donald-trumps-executive-order-will-let-private-equity-funds-drain-your-401k/
"DONALD TRUMP’S FEBRUARY 3 executive order enabling financial advisers to continue ripping off their clients could prove a lifeline for a surprising beneficiary: the private equity industry. The Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule would have forced investment advisers in workplace retirement plans like 401(k)s to operate in their clients’ best interests, rather than recommending high-cost, high-risk products that offer the advisers kickbacks and perks."
"DONALD TRUMP’S FEBRUARY 3 executive order enabling financial advisers to continue ripping off their clients could prove a lifeline for a surprising beneficiary: the private equity industry. The Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule would have forced investment advisers in workplace retirement plans like 401(k)s to operate in their clients’ best interests, rather than recommending high-cost, high-risk products that offer the advisers kickbacks and perks."
Army Corps Tossed Environment Studies On DAPL Because Trump Told Them To | Crooks and Liars
Army Corps Tossed Environment Studies On DAPL Because Trump Told Them To | Crooks and Liars
"As former State Department lawyer Keith Benes said to the Washington Post, the Corps can't just drop the EIS process for arbitrary reasons. And Trump demanding they do is an arbitrary reason."
"As former State Department lawyer Keith Benes said to the Washington Post, the Corps can't just drop the EIS process for arbitrary reasons. And Trump demanding they do is an arbitrary reason."
Congress moves to restrict public input on public land planning
https://thinkprogress.org/congress-moves-to-restrict-public-input-on-public-land-planning-e8461a41dfd4#.79j2dzghq
"Hundreds of sportsmen, outdoor business owners and supporters of the great outdoors rallied in states across the West last week, raising their voice in support of protecting public lands. Congress responded by moving to restrict citizen input on public land use planning."
"Hundreds of sportsmen, outdoor business owners and supporters of the great outdoors rallied in states across the West last week, raising their voice in support of protecting public lands. Congress responded by moving to restrict citizen input on public land use planning."
Seattle found a new way to resist the Dakota Access Pipeline
https://thinkprogress.org/seattle-dakota-access-wells-fargo-divestment-48cc7a7041a6#.uh5ggw66n
"The city council wants to send a clear message to Wells Fargo by divesting some $3 billion."
"The city council wants to send a clear message to Wells Fargo by divesting some $3 billion."
Too Many People Have Health Insurance. Republicans Will Fix That.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gop-health-insurance-gallup-survey_us_589a5d97e4b0c1284f2941fe?nzhq6w29
"President Donald Trump and the Republicans who control Congress have a major problem to solve: The uninsured rate has never been lower."
"President Donald Trump and the Republicans who control Congress have a major problem to solve: The uninsured rate has never been lower."
Trump’s Plan for Medicaid Would Decimate Services for People With Disabilities
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/02/08/trumps-plan-medicaid-would-decimate-services-people-disabilities
"As Congressional Republicans careen face-first towards the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, another threat is taking shape that promises to devastate the services that seniors and people with disabilities need."
"As Congressional Republicans careen face-first towards the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, another threat is taking shape that promises to devastate the services that seniors and people with disabilities need."
Trump's Staff Sure Seems Eager to Tell the World He's an Imbecile
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2017/02/trumps-staff-sure-seems-eager-tell-world-hes-imbecile
"Every new White House has lots of growing pains and plenty of leaks. But they never feature leak after leak after leak portraying the president as a boob. That's something new."
"Every new White House has lots of growing pains and plenty of leaks. But they never feature leak after leak after leak portraying the president as a boob. That's something new."
The Silencing and Rebuking of Elizabeth Warren Is an Attempt to Normalize the Intolerable
The Silencing and Rebuking of Elizabeth Warren Is an Attempt to Normalize the Intolerable:
"Warren was silenced and rebuked for speaking truth to power through the words of a great civil rights leader. In effect, McConnell and the Republicans in the Senate were also sanctioning Coretta Scott King. You can't argue with the facts. As a politician in Alabama, Sessions was well known for being an outspoken opponent of Black civil and voting rights. That does not bode well for people of color if he becomes attorney general of the United States. The attorney general oversees enforcement of civil and voting rights throughout the United States. Therefore, Warren's reading of the King letter was pertinent and timely to the debate about his confirmation in the Senate. King's letter conveyed the words, in essence, of an expert witness. The notion that the Senate should be able to prevent a senator from speaking the facts in order to try to ensure that another senator's reputation remains untarnished by the truth is unacceptable. King and Warren weren't impugning Sessions' character; they were exposing it. As a result of oral and written testimony, such as King's, Sessions was not confirmed in 1986 to the federal bench by the Senate. By both censoring and censuring Elizabeth Warren, the Republicans in the Senate are attempting to normalize the intolerable record of Sessions' racist past. That is as deceitful as it is reprehensible."
"Warren was silenced and rebuked for speaking truth to power through the words of a great civil rights leader. In effect, McConnell and the Republicans in the Senate were also sanctioning Coretta Scott King. You can't argue with the facts. As a politician in Alabama, Sessions was well known for being an outspoken opponent of Black civil and voting rights. That does not bode well for people of color if he becomes attorney general of the United States. The attorney general oversees enforcement of civil and voting rights throughout the United States. Therefore, Warren's reading of the King letter was pertinent and timely to the debate about his confirmation in the Senate. King's letter conveyed the words, in essence, of an expert witness. The notion that the Senate should be able to prevent a senator from speaking the facts in order to try to ensure that another senator's reputation remains untarnished by the truth is unacceptable. King and Warren weren't impugning Sessions' character; they were exposing it. As a result of oral and written testimony, such as King's, Sessions was not confirmed in 1986 to the federal bench by the Senate. By both censoring and censuring Elizabeth Warren, the Republicans in the Senate are attempting to normalize the intolerable record of Sessions' racist past. That is as deceitful as it is reprehensible."
Trump White House on Track to Be Most Scandalous in History
Trump White House on Track to Be Most Scandalous in History:
"So it seems likely that the Trump White House will be more scandal ridden than any since Ulysses Grant—with the difference that Grant himself never feathered his own nest and Trump already is auditioning for "grafter in chief"."
"So it seems likely that the Trump White House will be more scandal ridden than any since Ulysses Grant—with the difference that Grant himself never feathered his own nest and Trump already is auditioning for "grafter in chief"."
Helping black voters in Alabama should get you 200 years in prison, according to Jeff Sessions
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/2/8/1631422/-Helping-black-voters-in-Alabama-should-get-you-200-years-in-prison-according-to-Jeff-Sessions
"So in addition to being friendly with the KKK, considering the NAACP a terrorist organization, working against equal funding in Alabama schools, and referring to voting rights as “intrusive,” we can now add attempting to jail innocent civil rights workers to Jefferson Beauregard Sessions’ legacy."
"So in addition to being friendly with the KKK, considering the NAACP a terrorist organization, working against equal funding in Alabama schools, and referring to voting rights as “intrusive,” we can now add attempting to jail innocent civil rights workers to Jefferson Beauregard Sessions’ legacy."
Why Jeff Sessions Is So Uniquely Dangerous
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a52895/who-is-jeff-sessions-attorney-general/
"It's there in his long career in law and politics embraced and emboldened by the forces of white supremacy, white nationalism, and fear of demographic change."
"It's there in his long career in law and politics embraced and emboldened by the forces of white supremacy, white nationalism, and fear of demographic change."
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)