USA Politics.

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Joel
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Re: USA Politics.

Post by Joel »

Obama’s legacy is measured in ashes. From wars of aggression to a police state on steroids, banking bailouts and Obamacare, Obama has been the perfect captain to carry the New World Order football further down the field. But as Americans prepare for a new liner to be placed in their gilded bird cage, today we remember how the Deep State tricked the public in 2008 by giving them what they thought they wanted.
Sources are found here: https://www.corbettreport.com/episode-3 ... -of-ashes/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Joel
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Re: USA Politics.

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Although the media is dishonest, Matt Stone's and Trey Parker's Kim Jong Il song pops into my head whenever I hear Trump whine.

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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"President Donald Trump today signed an executive order to defund International Planned Parenthood. Most pro-life Americans are anxiously awaiting Congress to pass a bill to defund the Planned Parenthood abortion business. While that defunding legislation concerns the domestic-based Planned Parenthood abortion corporation, President Trump has the ability to put in place an executive order that would revoke funding for its International affiliate.
When pro-abortion former President Barack Obama took office, Obama overturned a policy that prevented funding of groups that promote or perform abortions overseas. The Mexico City Policy covered over $400 million in federal funds, part of which flowed to the abortion businesses International Planned Parenthood and Marie Stopes International for their foreign efforts.
As LifeNews.com reported, the pro-life policy had been in place during the entirety of the Bush administration and Obama rescinded it on his first week in office. Named for a 1984 population conference where President Reagan initially announced it, the Mexico City Policy made it so family planning funds could only go to groups that would agree to not do abortions or lobby foreign nations to overturn their pro-life laws.
Today, Trump restored the Mexico City Policy by executive order.
The Executive Memorandum to reinstate the Mexico City Policy stops taxpayer funding of groups that perform and promote abortions overseas but does not stop non-abortion international assistance. The order ensures U.S. foreign aid will continue to go to health care and humanitarian relief in the millions of dollars. It just will not subsidize abortion overseas.
Leading pro-life groups were quick to praise Trump.
“President Trump is continuing Ronald Reagan’s legacy by taking immediate action on day one to stop the promotion of abortion through our tax dollars overseas.” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser in an email to LifeNews.com. “President Trump’s immediate action to promote respect for all human life, including vulnerable unborn children abroad, as well as conscience rights, sends a strong signal about his Administration’s pro-life priorities.”

http://www.lifenews.com/2017/01/23/pres ... arenthood/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/lea ... f016e28f6b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox ... 2f1a49826b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



"US Sent $221 Million to Palestinians in Obama's Last Hours

Officials say the Obama administration in its waning hours defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority.

GOP members of Congress had been holding up the money.

A State Department official and several congressional aides say the outgoing administration formally notified Congress it would spend the money Friday morning, just before Donald Trump became president.

More than $227 million in foreign affairs funding was released at the time, including $4 million for climate change programs and $1.25 million for U.N. organisations."

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Joel
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Re: USA Politics.

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

Post by Elizabeth »

http://patriotvideos.net/mass-resignati ... istration/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://www.allenbwest.com/mlee/breaking ... nistration" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


"While President Trump is getting settled into office and starting on his agenda, liberals continue to throw roadblocks in his way. Democrats have been holding up his cabinet nominations for trivial reasons, even at the expense of national security and the smooth operation of government.
For its part, the media continues to try to delegitimize the president before he can accomplish many of his campaign promises. In short, liberals are turning the atmosphere in Washington toxic.
The repercussions are severe, and have even started to trickle into an area of government usually outside the boundaries of partisan political bickering. That trend continued today, as multiple senior level federal employees resigned simultaneously.The State Department’s entire senior level of management officials resigned Wednesday, The Washington Post reported.
Patrick Kennedy, the agency’s undersecretary for management who had served in the role for nine years, resigned unexpectedly along with three of his top officials Assistant Secretary of State for Administration Joyce Anne Barr, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Michele Bond and Ambassador Gentry O. Smith, director of the Office of Foreign Missions, resigned as well, the report said.
All of them served under both Democratic and Republican administrations.
They join a number of other officials who have departed since President Trump took office last week.
Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Gregory Starr retired, and director of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations Lydia Muniz left on Friday.
“It’s the single biggest simultaneous departure of institutional memory that anyone can remember, and that’s incredibly difficult to replicate,” said David Wade, who served as State Department chief of staff under Secretary of State John Kerry.
While liberals will claim the resignations are proof that people lack faith in the leadership of President Trump, one cannot help but point out that the liberal media helped create the toxic environment. The mass hysteria over Trump taking office is unprecedented, and the coverage he has received has been borderline propaganda at times.
In the end, this may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Americans voted for a change of direction when they voted for Donald Trump, and high level employees who worked for Presidents Bush and Obama are unlikely to provide that kind of change. With Rex Tillerson getting ready to take control of the State Department, new ideas and a change of direction will be made possible by the resignations. Of course, Senate Democrats will have to stop blocking his nomination first."

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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http://www.americanlibertyreport.com/ar ... rder-wall/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

“The War on Poverty” is actually a catchphrase for a host of government programs initiated by Democratic President Lyndon Johnson when he famously declared this conflict.
However, 50 years after the war was initiated and some $22 trillion later, the poverty rate in America is virtually unchanged. And in case you were wondering, $22 trillion is enough to pay for roughly 1,466 of Donald Trump’s border walls.

• The F-35 Jet Program
This defense industry boondoggle originally designed to produce a new jet fighter to replace the armed forces’ aging inventory is out of control in about all the ways you can think of: it’s over budget, long-delayed, far from the secret it was supposed to be (reports are that China already has the jet’s plans), and beset with a raft of problems from its complex software.
The program, which should be the poster child for how not to run a military requisition project, is already budgeted at $379 billion, but by the time all F-35s are built that are scheduled to be completed, the total might well come in at more than $1 trillion.

• Running the Government
Every year, the federal government spends about $3.8 trillion. If you break that figure down, it comes to $10.4 billion per day, $432 million per hour and $7.2 million per minute. At that cost, the border wall would be the equivalent of just one and a half days of operating the government.

• Improper Payments for Medicaid and Medicare
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated in 2014 that there were approximately $17.5 billion worth of improper Medicaid payments made and $59.9 billion in improper Medicare payments, totaling $76.4 billion. When combined with other government benefit programs, the total came out to $124.7 billion worth of improper payments, up from $105.8 billion in 2014.

• Maintaining Unused and Vacant Property
Maintaining vacant buildings and unused property cost the government $25 billion in 2009 according to the Heritage Foundation. Currently, there’s a total of 1.186 billion square feet of excess space in the administration’s possession, with federal buildings that are worth billions of dollars just sitting around empty. The maintenance alone for all this space is between three and four billion dollars per year.

• The Littoral Combat Ship
Cost overruns, development problems and miscellaneous delays have cost the U.S. Navy a pretty penny on the $29 billion Littoral Combat Ship program, which so far has built prototypes of its new vessel in Marinette, Wisconsin and Mobile, Alabama.
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, including GOP Senator John McCain of Arizona and Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island have criticized the Navy for its missteps, and procurement of the ships is on hold until reform action has been taken.

• The Earned Income Tax Credit
Improper payments to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefits program for taxpayers totaled $15.6 billion in fiscal 2015, according to the Treasury Department’s Inspector General Tax Administration. This amount is roughly equivalent to the cost of building one of Trump’s border walls.

• The U.S. Postal Service
The USPS is a perennial money-loser that’s fallen on hard times in recent years as more efficient ways to communicate have replaced “snail mail” for many people’s needs. In 2012, the USPS’s loss was $15.9 billion. Although in the last four years, this number has shrunk to $5.6 billion, the cumulative total of losses since 2012 is $36 billion.
It should also go without saying that the USPS is a government monopoly that’s exempt from taxes and regulations that its private-sector competitors must pay and follow.

• NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) eats up $18.5 billion every year, even though the last manned space flight was six years ago in 2011. A large part of that number is $2 billion for the agency’s Earth sciences division, responsible for much climate change research.
Even with its huge budget, however, lately, NASA has been depending on the Russian space program to get its astronauts to the International Space Station, a separate line item with a nearly half-billion dollar expense alone in 2014.

• Farm Subsidies
According to the Cato Institute, the Department of Agriculture provides at least $25 billion in subsidies to farmers in the U.S. Approximately a million farmers receive some kind of subsidy, but the largest producers of cotton, rice, soybeans, corn and wheat receive the lion’s share of the largess. Many of these commodity producers are hardly in need of financial assistance, such as Walmart heirs Rob, Jim and Alice Walton. Other recipients include CNN founder Ted Turner and rock musicians Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi.

~ American Liberty Report"

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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"United States Secretary of Defence Gen. James Mattis was once introduced at his Senate confirmation hearings as “a humble man with very little to be humble about,” according to The Associated Press.
Apparently life at the top has not changed him.
Known as “the Warrior Monk” for his academic and unassuming lifestyle, he recently showed something that sets him apart from the Washington elite.
As Mattis boarded a pre-dawn flight to South Korea on Wednesday for his first official overseas visit, he was spotted lugging his own suitcase to the plane, according to the Independent Journal Review.From Afghanistan to the Pentagon to the White House, this humble servant leader has always been clear that he serves the people, not vice versa.

In his first letter to the troops after his confirmation, Mattis made his servant-leadership philosophy clear.“It’s good to be back and I’m grateful to serve alongside you as secretary of defence,” he said, according to Business Insider. Not manage, not direct. Serve. Alongside.
“He’s a leader by example,” said retired Marine Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent. “He’s not the type that’s ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ He’s out there doing it.”
Mattis’ humble attitude belies the fact that he’s tough as nails. Even former Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, who opposed having a military officer in the traditionally civilian post, said, “He’s a tough general, spoke the truth, was a good adviser. I trusted his defence judgment. And so I think he’s got, you know, a lot of qualities that are important to a secretary of defence job,” CBS News reported.
If you’re old enough to remember President Jimmy Carter carrying his own bags, remember this also: They were empty. Like so much of what Democrat so-called leadership offers, they were hollow and just for show.
And can you for a moment imagine former President Barack Obama or his elite ilk carrying their own luggage?
When President Donald Trump talked about “draining the swamp,” this is just what Americans had in mind: leaders who work hard, aren’t pretentious and don’t identify with the Washington elite.”

http://conservativetribune.com/mattis-a ... 2017-02-02" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

Post by Elizabeth »

http://social.bluehornet.com/hostedemai ... hema=echo3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Dear Friend,

It's not lightly that I sit down to write you today.
As a personal favor to me I ask that you would read this email all the way through.
You see, on Tuesday, November 8th the politically correct, "open borders" left achieved their ultimate dream by defeating me in the most negative, false campaign ever seen in Law Enforcement history!
Not only did the Obama Justice Department intentionally announce that it was pursuing CRIMINAL CONTEMPT charges against me ONE DAY before early voting began...
...BUT ALSO Hillary Clinton's ally, Liberal financier George Soros then dumped $3 MILLION in false TV ads and voter contact mail to deliver my campaign its deathblow!
Friend, in my 24-years as Maricopa County Sheriff I've weathered threats against my family, numerous frivolous lawsuits, and even a $1 Million bounty placed on my head by the Mexican drug cartels.
But this year -- and in no small part due to my friendship with Donald Trump -- the left invested more to defeat me than they did Senator John McCain.
Sadly, their $3 Million proved simply too much for us to overcome.
They hired scores of undocumented, illegal aliens to walk precincts and spread false information about me to drum up votes.

Friend, despite the loss of my position as Sheriff, I want you to know how much I've appreciated the friendship and support of patriotic Americans like you.
I don't regret for a minute enforcing the laws of the land, putting criminals behind bars, starting chain gangs for female prisoners, and letting the federal government deport the thousands of violent, repeat offenders who brought drugs and crime to our streets.
Quite frankly, if I had to do it over again I wouldn't change one dang thing!
But today, instead of spending more time with my beautiful wife Ava, I'm reaching out to ask for your continued support because the radical left's vendetta against me is threatening my very freedom as a patriotic American.
In fact, as I write this, the ACLU and the Obama Justice Department are moving forward with their plan to have me thrown in jail under these allegations!!
My legal defense is expected to cost over $1 Million and there is simply no way I will be able to defeat these charges on a retired public servant's salary alone.

That's why I've reached out to law-and-order patriots to ask you to help me prevent this miscarriage of justice today. I'm truly facing my hour of greatest need. "The Sheriff Joe Arpaio Legal Defense Fund"
Set up as a special project of the fantastic National Center for Police Defence (NCPD) and its President, retired police officer and Army veteran Jim Fotis, every dollar you contribute is 100% tax deductible and will go straight toward my legal defence.

My friend, I wish I could tell you that the radical "open borders" left's crusade against me is an isolated incident. But the unfortunate truth is my situation is just the latest example of the "War on Cops" being waged on the streets and in courtrooms all across America.
And it infuriates me that the same radical leftists and the same Obama Justice Department that let Hillary Clinton go scot-free for breaking the law are hell bent on having me -- America's Toughest Sheriff -- put behind bars for enforcing it!

In addition to my case, over the past several years these groups have been DIRECTLY responsible for fostering the hostile, negative attitude toward police that has cost dozens of good men and women their lives.
From Ferguson Missouri Officer Darren Wilson, to New York police officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu who were murdered in cold blood, to the five Dallas, TX, police officers who were recently gunned down by a sniper, leftists like President Obama and others simply don't care about law enforcement.
And while it didn't make national headlines, earlier this year one of my very own Deputies was shot at a police substation and another Deputy was shot several times during a routine traffic stop!
My friend, the biased media and the other leftist radical groups would have you believe that police officers like me pin on their badges each morning with an intent to unfairly enforce the law or worse, kill.
But as someone who's served 55-years in law enforcement, I can tell you that absolutely nothing could be further from the truth.
When an officer has to make the call to use their service weapon in the line of duty, I promise you the decision is one they'll wrestle with for the rest of their lives...
...But in my case, I didn't even fire a single bullet, I just enforced the law as written on the books!!

So even though my leftist opponents have already cost me another term as "America's Toughest Sheriff," I'm hoping you'll stand with me and fight back.
That's why your immediate, tax-deductible contribution to "The Sheriff Joe Arpaio Legal Defense Fund" is so important. Before you set this letter down, I'm personally asking you to help protect my law-and-order legacy and stop the left from kicking me when I'm down...
I simply cannot afford a MILLION DOLLAR legal bill and am desperate for your continued friendship and unwavering support. I'm counting on you and your most generous LEGAL EMERGENCY GIFT to the "Sheriff Joe Arpaio Legal Defense Fund" today.

Friend, I've dedicated the last 24-years of my life to serving the law-abiding citizens of Maricopa County at all costs.
Now, as repayment for all my hard work, the ACLU and the Obama DOJ are seeking to take my electoral defeat one step further by pursuing these charges against me.
Friend, the bottom line is the situation I'm facing is truly critical.
I cannot tell you how vital it is to support my legal defense through the National Center for Police Defense who helps defend embattled police officers like me everywhere.
I will be forever grateful for any amount you can afford to help me win and stay out of jail.
I thank you in advance for your support, Friend!

For Secure Streets,

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Maricopa County, AZ

The National Center for Police Defense, Inc. (NCPD) is a 501c3 non-profit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law, and are made with the understanding that NCPD has complete discretion and control over the use of all donated funds. If we receive more than we need for any one law enforcement officer's case, the remaining funds will be used to assist other officers and/or to help further other programs. Upon your written request to our national office (NCPD, c/o Day Johns, 10560 Main Street, Ste 218 Fairfax VA 22030), we will be pleased to send you a copy of our most recent audited financial statement. "

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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"Liberals protested against the confirmation of Betsy Devos as Trump’s Secretary of Education. Now that she has been confirmed and sworn into office, she is trying to do her job by visiting public schools in the Washington DC area. However, Protesters tried to block and prevent her from entering the school. Firs they complain she has no experience and now they are preventing her from getting the experience and knowledge they want her to have.
Protesters initially blocked newly confirmed Education Secretary Betsy DeVos from entering a Washington, D.C., school on Friday – with one “Black Lives Matter” demonstrator even briefly standing in front of her vehicle.
DeVos later made it into Jefferson Middle School Academy in Southwest D.C. for her first visit as secretary to a public school. This was only after a teacher/parent “vigil” blocked the road by the front entrance, and a handful of Black Lives Matter protesters caused problems when DeVos tried to enter through the back entrance.
Protesters shouted “shame, shame” at the secretary as she was led back into her vehicle. One holding a Black Lives Matter sign then stood in front of the van, but was scolded by fellow protesters to “let her leave,” and he stepped aside.
White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway tweeted afterward: “Don’t we want the Sec of Education to visit schools?”

https://teapartyactionnetwork.com/2017/ ... devos-job/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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http://constitution.com/disturbing-vide ... d-nothing/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
See video
"A supporter of President Trump’s was attacked by violent liberal thugs (UC Berkeley goon Yvette Felarca being one of them), but that’s not the worst of what happens…
The worst part of the video is that this all happens within feet of a squad of police officers in full riot gear and they do NOTHING.
The video clearly shows Felarca grabbing, punching, and hitting the man. It also clearly shows various other degenerates doing the same thing. Why aren’t these criminals in handcuffs and being brought before a judge?

This continues the theme of violent liberals being give the opportunity to sew discord and mayhem without fear of any repercussions.What is truly jarring is that these violent liberal extremists get away with crime after crime, yet a conservative draws (but does not fire) his gun when feeling threatened and he is found guilty of a crime.
A man who pulled out a gun at a Don’t Shoot Portland march and pointed it at a crowd of protesters in downtown was found guilty Friday of 21 felony and misdemeanour crimes…
Strickland, who had a concealed weapons permit, claimed self-defence. He contended some protesters and anarchists wearing masks and carrying flagpoles had called him a racist, told him to leave, aggressively advanced toward him and pushed him. Some of the confrontation was caught on video — including Strickland’s own.
Strickland can be heard saying “Get the hell back!” before pulling out his gun…
Strickland could have simply turned and run away if he had been afraid, prosecutors said.
Strickland did testify that he felt threatened, and felt that he was in very real danger. I am not going to defend the fact that he pulled his gun on a crowd, but he did no damage, he hurt no one. The same cannot be said for the hundreds of violent liberal rioters who have gone un-arrested, un-charged, un-prosecuted, and un-disciplined over the last few months. They have done hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, they have hurt dozens of people, they have threatened the health and life of hundreds more… and yet they continue to appear at protest after protest without even the slightest hint of regret for the crimes they’ve committed. It’s unconscionable. It’s disgusting."

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Joel
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Re: USA Politics.

Post by Joel »

Constitutional Scholar Suing Trump Thinks The Case Could Make History

After Erwin Chemerinsky agreed to an interview with me, I sent a benignly gloating text to a friend who, in high school, had been my teammate in an intensive constitutional law competition.

“Are you f****** kidding me right now,” he responded.

Chemerinsky is something of an icon in the field of Constitutional law. Now, making news as one of a team of lawyers from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington – CREW – suing President Donald Trump for allegedly violating the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, Chemerinsky is facing an unusual opportunity. There is no existing Supreme Court precedent regarding the Emoluments Clause. If CREW’s case arrives at the Supreme Court, it will make legal history.

That would be another notch in Chemerinsky’s already impressive legal belt. He’s dean of the law school at the University of California, Irvine, and previously taught at the law schools of the University of Southern California, DePaul University, and Duke University. In 2014, he was found to be the second most-commonly-cited law faculty member in scholarly articles published between 2009 and 2013. (The first is Cass Sunstein.) His case law tome “Constitutional Law,” now in its fourth edition, is a common guide to the field for students and professionals alike. He’s argued multiple cases in front of the Supreme Court, but also been a critic of that body, recently publishing a book condemning it for failing “through American history, at its most important tasks, at its most important moments.”

Chemerinsky is also, as you might get from that excerpt, no stranger to controversy.

He’s taken publicly liberal positions on issues from free speech to gun control, occasionally drawing conservative ire. Most dramatically, after Chemerinsky signed a contract to become the founding dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law in 2007, the university’s Chancellor, Michael V. Drake, voided the contract, explaining he felt Chemerinsky’s comments had been “polarizing.” Legal scholars from across the political spectrum came to Chemerinsky’s defense, and the contract was reinstated.

On February 9, Politico reported that after Trump’s inauguration, a lobbying firm employed by Saudi Arabia had paid for a room at the president’s Washington, D.C. hotel occupied by a veteran speaking to Congress on Saudi Arabia’s behalf. It was the first publicly revealed instance of a foreign government making a payment to one of Trump’s businesses; governments traditionally pay the expenses of those representing their interests.

That same day, Chemerinsky spoke about the Emoluments Clause case – which concerns the Constitution’s prohibition of federal employees drawing benefits from foreign governments – as well as the larger state of Constitutional law with the Forward over the phone. Read excerpts of that conversation below.

Talya Zax: Walk me through the history and contents of your case against the president.

Erwin Chemerinsky: Sure. Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution says that somebody who holds a position in the federal government cannot receive a present or an emolument from a foreign government. Emolument is a broad term that refers to benefits. Donald Trump, because of his business holdings, is constantly receiving benefits.

I think that it’s clear that the president is violating the Constitution. What the suit is about is the very basic principle that no one, including the president, is above the law.

Legal experts have questioned whether or not your case will be deemed to have standing to appear in front of the courts: That is, whether CREW can establish a personal harm incurred by what you argue are Trump’s violations of the Constitution. What are your thoughts on that?

There’s a Supreme Court case, Havens Realty Corp. vs. Coleman, that says that an organization has standing if they allege a practice is distorting their distribution of resources. I think we have really good case law on our side.

What are your greatest concerns about the case? Greatest confidences?

I think that the strongest aspect of the case is the presence of this article in the Constitution. I think that we’re right on the merits. It’s always difficult to ask a court to say to the President of the United States you’re violating the constitution, and of course there are questions of standing. [But] There’s no doubt to me that he’s benefiting from foreign governments every day.

Have you been following the news of Trump’s criticism on Twitter of Nordstrom for dropping his daughter Ivanka’s line? Do you think this very public demonstration of his lack of removal from his family’s business will influence how your case is received?

It isn’t directly related to the Emoluments Clause, because I don’t know of foreign governments buying, but I think it does relate to the serious conflicts of interest that exist, and I think it reflects the tremendous insensitivity Donald Trump has to the separate roles of president and businessperson. The underlying issue is whether President Trump will really separate himself while president from his business interests. What he said about Nordstrom shows he’s not doing that.

What do you see as the long-term stakes of this case, even beyond Trump’s presidency?

Well, to me the underlying question is the willingness of the courts to voice the Constitution. I think that Trump is a unique president so I think the Emoluments Clause is likely to be unique to him. It might not be.

I think it’s exciting – it’s fascinating, because it involves a Constitutional position that hasn’t been litigated. It’s also very exciting because I’m working with such terrific lawyers. But most of all its exciting because it’s important.

What do you believe are the most pressing Constitutional issues of the moment, aside from your Emoluments Clause case against Trump?

Well, I think that the issues with regard to the immigration ban are enormously pressing. To me there’s again an underlying principle, and that is that we should never assume somebody is more dangerous because of his or her religion, or race, or ethnicity, or national origin. It’s just wrong to discriminate based on religion.

I thought the most important question on Tuesday in the oral argument was when the judge said are you saying, even if the president said we must exclude all Muslims, there must be no judicial review? Maybe it’s because I’m Jewish, I’m sensitive to the government saying this religion is not acceptable.

It seems like almost every day with Trump there are new Constitutional issues. I think he’s attacking the judiciary. There are real questions about judicial independence. I just think we’re going to see a whole series of Constitutional issues that are created by the Trump presidency. I think another example is a different executive order that says he’s going to take away federal funds from sanctuary cities raises big Constitutional issues. The Supreme Court has said that Congress can’t force state and local governments to adopt laws, that congress can’t use strings on grants to coerce local and state governments.

You’ve written before on the danger to free speech of the heckler’s veto, which is the practice of denying someone the opportunity to speak by shouting them down. What do you make of the University of California at Berkeley’s recent decision to cancel “alt-right” provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos’ speech there after violent protests against him?

I think that all ideas and viewpoints should be able to be expressed on a college campus. Generally, we shouldn’t cancel speakers because the audience doesn’t like the speaker. But, if public safety is such that there’s no alternative – in this instance, the campus was committed to having Milo be able to speak; they got law enforcement from nine different campuses to come help them. I think that the campus did what it had to do in cancelling the speech.

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

Post by Elizabeth »

http://conservativebyte.com/2017/02/hou ... hood-rule/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://freebeacon.com/politics/house-vo ... hood-rule/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


"Funding for Planned Parenthood will no longer be protected by former President Obama’s Executive Order. The House has passed the necessary legislation to put these funds under the proper control. The various States can now decide how they want to distribute these funds and not be restricted by executive edict.

As Written By Bill McMorris for the Free Beacon:
Republicans passed legislation on Thursday reversing former President Barack Obama’s lame-duck ban on states withholding taxpayer funds from Planned Parenthood.
The resolution will undermine a December order from the Obama administration that prevented states from blocking taxpayer funding of abortion clinics. Bill sponsor Rep. Diane Black (R., Tenn.) said on the House floor that state lawmakers should have the final say over how taxpayer dollars for medical care are distributed in their local communities.

“We are simply voting today to affirm the right of states to fund the healthcare providers that best suit their needs, without fear of reprisal from their own federal government,” Black said in a floor speech before the vote. “As a state legislator, I worked within my authority to make sure that Tennessee honored the will of our pro-life populace and steered our state’s share of Title X dollars away from health care providers that perform abortion.”
State efforts to redirect taxpayer dollars away from abortion clinics began to gain momentum after the Center for Medical Progress released undercover video of Planned Parenthood workers and executives discussing their organ harvesting operations. Lawmakers and governors in 24 states introduced or passed legislation that would have denied funding to the nation’s largest abortion provider, which receives about $500 million from taxpayers each year. If the resolution passes, state lawmakers could once again deny those funds to Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood decried the resolution in a press release. President Cecile Richards said that her organization plans on using the vote to mobilize opposition to Republican lawmakers.

"Extremists in Congress are trying to make it easier for state politicians to take away people's health care," she said in a statement. "This is wrong, and it’s not what the American people want. When Congress goes home next week, they can count on hearing from people at their offices, the corner store, and every town hall."
Pro-life groups praised the bill as necessary to advancing a larger Planned Parenthood defunding effort, which House Speaker Paul Ryan has pledged to pass in reconciliation. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, called the rule a "parting gift to the abortion industry" and praised lawmakers for quickly overturning it.
"At every turn, then-President Obama thwarted efforts by state and local authorities—who were acting on the will of the people—to prioritize taxpayer funding away from Big Abortion,” she said in a statement. "Obama’s legacy of forcing Americans to finance the abortion industry is being steadily dismantled by our new pro-life President and the pro-life Congress. We look forward to swift passage of this resolution in the Senate so that it can receive President Trump’s signature."
The bill passed 230-188 with nearly every Democrat voting against it. In order to go into effect, the Senate would also have to pass the resolution and have it signed by the president."

…..

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M353f0yzOf8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

President Donald Trump Rally in Melbourne, Florida
18 February 2017 Trump Florida Speech.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/21 ... uburb.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rioting erupts in immigrant-dominated Swedish suburb
Published February 21, 2017

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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http://www.ldsliving.com/LDS-Church-Joi ... dium=email" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently joined five other faith groups to "file a 'friend of court' brief with the U.S. Supreme Court opposing a federal ruling that allows transgender students to use bathrooms matching their stated gender identity," according to the Desert News.
"The brief concludes by arguing that, instead of imposing an outcome Congress did not intend, the Supreme Court should allow Congress and state legislatures to reach compromises where transgender persons can be appropriately accommodated without infringing on the free exercise of religion, while seeking fairness for all," Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
The brief's purpose "is to inform the court about the sharp clashes with religious belief and practice that will arise if the court interprets the term 'sex' in Title IX to include gender identity," according to a copy of the brief posted by scotusblog.com.

The friends listed in the brief are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the National Association of Evangelicals, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and the Christian Legal Society.
LDS Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said the faith's participation in the brief does not signal a change in its position on transgender issues, but is instead "a restatement of our belief — with many other faith traditions — that gender is an eternal characteristic."

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Elizabeth
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Re: USA Politics.

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http://conservativetribune.com/pat-boon ... 2017-02-14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"In an interview with the U.K. Daily Mail, 1950s pop icon and conservative activist Pat Boone went after actress Meryl Streep for her anti-Trump rants, saying that Trump deserves a “chance” and that Streep is “in the side of the career that applauds (trashing Trump) … it’s good for her.”
A very fed-up Boone made the remarks as he arrived at the 25th annual Movieguide Awards. He also criticized Hollywood’s conformist liberalism.
Boone said that “politically Hollywood is almost 99 percent liberal. Not to say leftist, that is towards socialism and not wanting any abridgment of anything they want to do if they can make a buck doing it.”
“I’m a conservative politically and I have felt that moral guidelines are for our good: the good of our nation, the good of our family — and Hollywood seems to have no moral guidelines,” he continued.
When Streep’s speech was mentioned, Boone denounced its inappropriateness.
“Now, first of all, I don’t think that award shows are the place to express some narrow political view,” Boone said. “Now, it’s not narrow to her, or to most of that audience, but to most of America, who had elected a man that she detests and doesn’t wanna even give a chance to.”
The American voters, Boone said, think Trump is “gonna lead us into a more moral and a more economically sound and militarily strong life. She doesn’t wanna give him even a chance, and she was acting like he was all but criminal and depraved. And, course, she got a big hand for it.
“Now, she’s a nice woman and a very talented woman. But I don’t think that an award show in front of millions of people is the place to vent your spleen about somebody that you disagree with politically. It just was wrong.”
As for whether it would hurt her career, Boone said, “She’s in the side of the career that applauds it. Oh, no, it’s good for her.”
Streep apparently doesn’t think so. In a Saturday speech as she received an award from the Human Rights Campaign in New York City, Streep almost tore three tendons in her shoulder by vigorously patting herself on the back for being so brave in confronting President Trump — in a room full of people who believed the exact same things she did, in a left-wing industry where you lose roles if you don’t believe the exact same things she did.
“The weight of all these honours is part of what brings me to this podium,” Streep said, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“It compels me, against my normal instinct (which is to stay home), it compels me to stand up in front of people and say words that haven’t been written for me, but that come from my life and my conviction and that I have to stand by. It’s hard to stand up. I don’t want to do it. I want to read and garden and load the dishwasher. It’s embarrassing and terrifying to put the target on your forehead … And it sets you up for troll attacks and armies of brown-shirt bots and worse, and the only way you can do it is if you feel you have to. You have to. You have no choice, but you have to speak up and stand up and act up.”
Yes, apparently Meryl Streep was in the Garden of Gethsemane before she gave her Golden Globes speech, “Rosie O’Donnell, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me,” Streep prayed. “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
And then she was commanded by the power of the Hollywood spirit to inform America in a fact-free diktat that if they didn’t reject Donald Trump and support the candidates liberal Hollywood approved, they would be stuck watching MMA and football.
That’s how she sees herself, anyway, but Pat Boone isn’t buying it."

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Re: USA Politics.

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Elizabeth wrote:http://constitution.com/disturbing-vide ... d-nothing/
See video
"A supporter of President Trump’s was attacked by violent liberal thugs (UC Berkeley goon Yvette Felarca being one of them), but that’s not the worst of what happens…
The worst part of the video is that this all happens within feet of a squad of police officers in full riot gear and they do NOTHING.
The video clearly shows Felarca grabbing, punching, and hitting the man. It also clearly shows various other degenerates doing the same thing. Why aren’t these criminals in handcuffs and being brought before a judge?

This continues the theme of violent liberals being give the opportunity to sew discord and mayhem without fear of any repercussions.What is truly jarring is that these violent liberal extremists get away with crime after crime, yet a conservative draws (but does not fire) his gun when feeling threatened and he is found guilty of a crime.
A man who pulled out a gun at a Don’t Shoot Portland march and pointed it at a crowd of protesters in downtown was found guilty Friday of 21 felony and misdemeanour crimes…
Strickland, who had a concealed weapons permit, claimed self-defence. He contended some protesters and anarchists wearing masks and carrying flagpoles had called him a racist, told him to leave, aggressively advanced toward him and pushed him. Some of the confrontation was caught on video — including Strickland’s own.
Strickland can be heard saying “Get the hell back!” before pulling out his gun…
Strickland could have simply turned and run away if he had been afraid, prosecutors said.
Strickland did testify that he felt threatened, and felt that he was in very real danger. I am not going to defend the fact that he pulled his gun on a crowd, but he did no damage, he hurt no one. The same cannot be said for the hundreds of violent liberal rioters who have gone un-arrested, un-charged, un-prosecuted, and un-disciplined over the last few months. They have done hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, they have hurt dozens of people, they have threatened the health and life of hundreds more… and yet they continue to appear at protest after protest without even the slightest hint of regret for the crimes they’ve committed. It’s unconscionable. It’s disgusting."
I too was shocked that Yvette Felarca was not arrested for the assault caught on camera, and that after a brief suspension and investigation, she was allowed to return to her teaching job in a middle school in Berkeley!

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Re: USA Politics.

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Re: USA Politics.

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Image

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"US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has accused former leader Barack Obama of ordering a wire tap on Trump Tower ahead of his election win.
Mr Trump made the explosive accusation in an early morning tweet on Saturday, comparing it to “McCarthyism”. He offered no evidence for his claims.
“Terrible!” the President said. “Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”

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Clapper: There Wasn’t FISA Court Order to Wiretap Trump

Post by Joel »



Presidents have the power to declassify anything at any time, so Trump could immediately make public any government records of such surveillance.

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Re: USA Politics.

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http://freebeacon.com/politics/congress ... 2-45942745

"The Congressional Black Caucus PAC (CBC PAC) spends lavishly on upscale resorts and hotels, catering at exclusive restaurants, and on fundraising and Broadway tickets, according to a review of campaign finance records.
The CBC PAC, which is the fundraising arm of the Congressional Black Caucus, puts far more money towards administrative and fundraising purposes than it donates to candidates, the intended purpose of the political action committee.
The CBC PAC claims its mission is to increase "the number of African Americans in the U.S. Congress" and to "support non-Black candidates that champion our interests, and promote African American participation in the political process-with an emphasis on young voters," according to its website.
The PAC spent hundreds of thousands throughout the 2016 election cycle on administrative expenses that included bills for lavish trips that were paid by the committee.
A $5,000 payment was made in January 2016 from the PAC to the Buccaneer Hotel located in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, one of the "world's top 50 tropical resorts."
Later, on March 21, 2016, the PAC made another payment to a resort in the Virgin Islands. This time, the money went towards a stay at the "one-of-a-kind" Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort and Spa also located in St. Croix. The Renaissance is situated "among the foothills of a lush tropical rainforest and only steps away from the pristine sands of Estate Davis Bay."
The PAC spent $820 on taxicabs while in the Virgin Islands. More than $2,000 was spent at Sweeny's St. Croix Tours in the town of Christiansted, considered "the most beautiful town in the West Indies." Sweeny's provides an open-air bus for its guests as they embark on safari tours of the island. More than $4,500 was also spent by the PAC on catering at Un Amore, an Italian restaurant.
The group's largest expenses were made in New York and Washington, D.C.
The Conrad Hotel, a luxury all-suite hotel located in New York City, is a favorite of the PAC, which spent in excess of $40,000 at the venue throughout the last election cycle. Another favorite of the PAC, the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C., that "plays home to dignitaries, royalties, and refined travelers alike," received more than $18,000 in payments from the committee.
Other expenditures by the group included $6,576 on lodging at the 5-star Beverly Hills Hotel and $3,268 on lodging at the Waldorf La Quinta Hotel, Resort, and Spa located in La Quinta, Calif. The PAC spent $4,180 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and also spent $3,372 for "facilities rental" at Drai's Rooftop Bar and Lounge at the Cromwell Las Vegas Hotel and Casino on the trip.
More than $2,000 was spent at the Fantasy Springs Resort Hotel in Indio, Calif., while $1,421 went towards rooms at the Harbor View Hotel at Martha's Vineyard, among other hotels and resorts.
Tens of thousands also went toward fundraising event tickets and catering at high-end restaurants from the PAC.
The group paid $28,342 for "fundraising event tickets" to IHeartMedia Inc., a mass media corporation in San Antonio, Texas. The PAC put $22,112 toward "tickets and catering for a fundraising event" at the Staples Center, a sports arena, in Los Angeles, Calif. More than $25,000 was spent on catering at The Palm restaurant in New York City while $27,070 was spent on catering at Bobby Van's Steakhouse in Washington, D.C. Thousands more were spent at other restaurants.
The group also spent $1,621 on Broadway tickets and another $5,960 at the Golden Theater in New York City.
The PAC additionally paid $32,000 in rent to the Congressional Black Caucus Institute, a non-profit that plays a "pivotal role in training the next generation of political leaders and providing voters with relevant information regarding issues in their communities," its website states.
Benjamin Branch, who provides administrative and managerial consulting services to the PAC, pocketed nearly $177,000 from the group.
The committee put $283,100 total towards administrative expenses while $127,000 went towards fundraising purposes. The PAC contributed just $91,000 to federal candidates, according to overall data of the PAC from the Center for Responsive Politics."

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Re: USA Politics.

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"You've probably seen the news. The proponents of the government-run Obamacare disaster are out in full force, and they're making waves. After talking to thousands of Kentuckians last year, and after seeing last year's election results - well, I don't think they are the real majority.
But I can tell you, if they aren't balanced out, they will have an effect.
I want to make sure my colleagues hear from YOU! Americans from across the country who believe in freedom, and who want Obamacare REPEALED AND REPLACED NOW! So it is very important you raise YOUR voice today, with me.
I'm asking you to sign our REPEAL AND REPLACE petition right away, so I can show other members of Congress that people with signs and chants are not the only ones who are engaged on the issue -- and in fact, they do not speak for the majority of Americans.

When I ran for office in 2010 and again in 2016 I pledged to fight Obamacare. Now is our chance. We have a Republican President and Congress, and the time to act is now.
But I'm afraid too many of my colleagues, especially in the House leadership, appear to be leaning toward an "Obamacare Lite" approach.
I won't stand for it. And neither should you.
Americans voted for repeal, and for change. I have a plan to give them both.
Too many of my colleagues in DC are getting wobbly. And the protestors at home aren't making them any more courageous.
And now the House Leadership is pushing Obamacare Lite, keeping many of the taxes and mandates in place
That's unacceptable. They need to hear from you today.
And I need you to help me spread the word with your voice today.
So sign up now. Let me show them our numbers and our determination.
Let's REPEAL and REPLACE OBAMACARE, together.

In Liberty,
Rand Paul"

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