Don’t you realize that there are serious issues confronting this country?
To wit:
1. How many people were at the inauguration.
2. How many votes would Trump have received had not dead people voted.
3. How are we going to get Mexico to pay for the wall.
Those are the important issues. In other news, ISIS is taking over the middle east, China is expanding in the South China sea and Russia is about to take over the Ukraine and Baltic states.
America is more threatened by cyber warfare than nuclear.
The stock market hit 20,000. I remember when it hit 1,000. I was at Purdue and thought of buying some. But I didn’t have much money then. BTW Gasoline hit $0.52/gal then.
We had a photo in the paper the other day of a group of men teeing off into the snow. They had shoveled off the tee area and were using brightly colored balls so they could see them on the snow, but they were not finishing the hole. Just driving.
Even in southern California my parents occasionally had to scrape ice off their car to be at the golf course when the sun rose and they could play–every weekend.
I took golfing lessons and did a bit of it–with and without husband. He joined a team, so played it far more. We had small children, so the cost was pretty much prohibitive to play much. I would love to play, if I had our own course. Otherwise, we have to let too many groups play through. 😉
My husband and I always got our money’s worth when we played golf (4 times total). We got far more swings and attempts to hit the ball than the average golfer! LOL
I took golf as a physical ed course at Carolina.
I played a little golf when I was young.
But I didn’t have time nor the money to get into it. Golf takes lots of time if you want to be good. I couldn’t devote that much to it.
So? I gave it up.
I feel sorry for the millennials who are working hard, making a good living, paying substantial taxes and just figuring out how many are going to be riding in the wagon in the future and how few ot them will be pulling it. A direct quote from one of them:
“CNN tells me to fear Trump. FoxNews tells me to fear Mexicans and Muslims. I fear the nice old lady at church who is 100 lbs overweight and is about to run up a $400,000 medical bill that I am going to have to pay.”
Re: AJ’s & Cheryl’s comments on Trump yesterday – Maybe it would be easier to believe that he has truly become a Christian if he made some kind of statement about regretting his infidelities & other bad acts. Of course, he doesn’t owe any of us an apology, but it is something some have done when their sins are known to the public.
I know that maybe this is not really important in the grand scheme of things, but the photos & video of him getting out of the limousine & walking up the White House steps without waiting for Melania to get out or come with him, & then walking into the White House first, without ushering her in with him seems quite ungentlemanly & rude, & seems to speak to his character. Has he had anything to say about that?
So, I hope that he will do good things for the country, & I pray that he truly does come to repentance & salvation, but in the meantime, I do not like his character.
That, & a dollar or two, might get me a cup of coffee. 😉
A man I know who has been quite critical of Obama for certain things has found himself excusing similar things in Trump. That has made him stop & consider his own attitude. That’s a good thing.
This is an important reminder that we’re all sinners in need of grace. 30 years ago, I used to pray with three other women every other Friday at 6 am. I always prayed for workers at the abortions clinics–can you imagine what nightmares they must have after doing their jobs?
No, KBells. In many cases the little old lady didn’t work at all outside the home. Her husband has been paying up to 7.6% of his paycheck into a Social Security/Medicaid Ponzi scheme, of which less than 2.00% ever went for Medicare taxes. She and others like her will receive many, many times the Medicare benefits that they paid in. I don’t owe her $400,000. I’m old too. The poor Millenials have to pay for healthcare, retirement and payments for “disability” for the old, for the Democrats, and for the Trumpkins. I’m happy here in my bubble, but the young productive folks are in trouble.
As with Madoff’s investors and all other Ponzi schemes, the later “investors” are the big losers. It is no wonder that productive young people do not object to having a few immigrants help them pull those riding in the wagon.
I was at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial this summer and I saw several photo poses similar to the video. Part of the problem, however, is the memorial’s design. Its a horrible post modern artist rendering of genocide. Mass genocide memorials should be stark and I think this was the attempt but it looks more like scattered blocks of various sizes. I’m sure they wanted to avoid the cliche war memorials — statues, columns, etc but this didn’t work.
Apparently Holocaust Memorial Day just passed and the annual March for Life took place. Meanwhile, in the White House, Trump banned immigrants from seven Muslim majority nations and halted Syrian refugee settlement. Am I the only one who sees a disconnect here?
Pence stood at Trump’s side when he banned Syrian refugees and the next day he addresses a pro-life march. There’s a photo of a dead Syrian boy on a Turkish beach he might want to look at …. it changed a Cdn election. Not mention he also watched Trump sign away elements of the ACA without a replacement just a few days before the march. The contrast is stunning. A leftist talking point has always been that the pro-life is actually only pre-fetus. I personally don’t think that is the case but its hard to deny the argument when I watch Pence stand beside Trump as he signs away health care and refugee care.
One of my first thoughts when I saw the news was a poem I teach in seventh grade — Martin Niemoller’s First They Came. About a third of my students are Muslim, many have identified themselves as a possible group to include in the poem. I imagine they will identify with this poem even more.
Another interesting part of this ban is which countries were left out specifically Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Emirates, and Pakistan. Now where did the 9/11 terrorists come from?? More importantly in which Muslim nations does Trump have business ties?
The ban includes green card holders and dual citizens. Thus, the parents of my students who immigrant to Canada after the US invaded their country won’t be allowed to go shopping in Buffalo?? Now if the US never invaded they wouldn’t be here but the least you can do is let them bargain shop in Buffalo with the rest of Canada — Buffalo’s economy depends on it.
Now will this make America safer?? Probably not — it will help ISIS in their recruitment drive however. Apparently toddlers (with guns) have killed someone on average once a week for the last two years — far more dangerous than refugees. Now since guns don’t kill people, people do, will Trump ban toddlers?
Ricky — Universal health care and old age pensions etc operate on the principal that everyone pays in and when its your turn you receive assistance. So far with a few bumps along the way its actually worked in most western societies. Its an unspoken deal — not too dissimilar from the deal I have with my child, I take care of you now but you owe me when I’m old.
And yes, immigration is needed in most western countries to keep the system going simply because the current population is no longer reproducing at replacement rate. Most Canadians know that immigration is necessary to keep the system going — hence the Conservative party’s attempt at right wing populism and nativism failed in the last election. Canadians intuitively know immigration is necessary and good.
Look at the date of the tweet posted by Ricky — about two weeks ago. I guess a Trump golf course “trumps” the emirates cash support of 9/11 terrorists — all is forgiven, and emirate citizens are welcome.
HRW, Don’t worry about the ACA. Trump is going to require the Rs to leave all the goodies. Only the funding source (the mandate) will be removed so the cost to the federal government will rise sharply. Then our county hospitals (and taxpayers) will pay for those who don’t buy insurance. Productive Millenials understand all this as well.
HRW, Some countries (like the US) do have “pay as you go” or Ponzi scheme retirement systems. However, others like Chile have an actuarially sound retirement system where you contribute and get your contributions back with interest. Other wise nations like Singapore run efficient health care systems for the young and old without relying on Ponzi schemes.
Ricky, depending on her age the chances are good that the little old lady did work and the chances are also good that her husband died before he got to use his. Plus if she and her husband had invested that $122,000 it would have been more than enough to take care of her. She is not the problem. The problem is the drug addict who has cost us more by his 30’s than she will in her lifetime.
KBells, And that is the rub. When you are the victim of a Ponzi scheme, you get no return as your assets were never invested. They were paid out in benefits to those older than you. As the article indicates, the average older lady and her spouse will be paid 3 times as much in Medicare benefits as they paid in Medicare taxes. And young folks will be doing the paying and they know it and they know that is just for the average recipient That is why productive Millennials are really scared by the older lady who is 100 lbs overweight. They can foresee double knee replacements, etc. down the road.
The drug addict will cost us if he manages to convince Social Security he is “disabled”. Then he collects Social Security and Medicare beginning two years after the “disability”.
Have any of you seen the video clip of Melania smiling & nodding while her husband has turned around to say something, then dropping the smile & looking unhappy as soon as he turns away? It made me sad.
As I watched some of the inauguration on TV, I was watching her especially. She often seemed quite uncomfortable. It made me wonder if maybe she wasn’t on board with him running for president.
Kizzie, I saw the video. Mexican laborers have to risk death by walking across miles and miles of desert to be able to live in the US. Melania had to do something far more unpleasant. However, she knew what she was getting into. She started “dating” Trump and posing nude in his planes while he was still married to The Second Lady who previously had the well chronicled (by Trump) affair with Trump while he was married to The First Lady.
I saw the clip after you mentioned it. As you say, people have a tendency to see what they want to see. I have never seen or heard her express anything but support for the presidential run. The next few years will be full of pressure for her. I’m sure it’s uncomfortable knowing that you and your young son will be hyper-scrutinized by hostile people who absolutely hate your husband.
Ricky — there’s a number of things which make some consumer goods cheaper in Buffalo (btw, i never go shopping there). The currency exchange is the main consideration. When the Cdn dollar is worth more than 80 cents US, then almost all goods are cheaper. Below 80 cents and its not worth the travel time. There are certain items due to quirks in Cdn policy which are cheaper in the US — shoes and milk products. Since Canada is a market the size of California, certain products aren’t sold here especially clothes and electronics. And thus with greater completion in the US market the price are lower. Finally, Buffalo residents have less money — the median household income is 40,00 US compared to roughly 75,000 CDN in southern Ontario. With prices set for the Buffalo market, a Canadian shopping there has almost twice the purchasing power.
It appears that Trump’s executive order has been stayed by the courts; not surprising really.
Trump’s administration has also had to explain to the Cdn government whether they will allow Canada’s minister of immigration into the US. Our immigration minister was born in Somalia and came to Canada as a refugee; he’s a dual citizen and according to Trump’s executive order, he should be banned from the US as a Somali national.
Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 states: “Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.”
The past SIX presidents have used executive power to invoke entry restrictions.
Kizzie, I read your link @ 10:10
We have a generous refugee program in the US and I hope we are able to continue it with improved emphasis on criteria the Trump administration is giving. This includes giving preference to hurting people in minority religions who will appreciate what we are doing for them and be able to pass that good will on to others. The people who come are receiving job assistance, counseling, food, and housing assistance with the hope that they become self-sufficient eventually.
The problem with bringing in more Muslims is that they are easier to radicalize here. There is too little sense of gratitude to their new country, and often, once stabilized, the resentments come out as it does with the woman being interviewed. From your link (emphasis mine):
“Trump says he wants to fight terrorism, but instead he’s fighting the victims of terrorism. I want to ask him: If America is based on diverse people from different cultures and countries, what right do you have to tell suffering Muslims that they are unwelcome….”
So instead of being grateful that she no longer has to live in cramped quarters with her husband and 5 children, she becomes a tool of political dissidents and challenges our president.
The right she boldly challenges is from US law which gives criteria to be taken into account for refugee status:
Section 1101(a)(42)(A
…because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion,…
Debra, I found myself agreeing with your 8:57 post, but involuntarily substituting certain words in key places:
The problem with bringing in more (Yankees) is that they are easier to radicalize here. There is too little sense of gratitude to their new (state), and often, once stabilized, the resentments come out as it does with the woman being interviewed. From your link (emphasis mine):
“(Texas) says (it) wants to fight (socialism and perversion) but instead (it’s) fighting the victims of (socialism and perversion). I want to ask (Texans): If (Texas) is based on diverse people from different cultures and countries, what right do you have to tell suffering (Yankees) that they are unwelcome….”
So instead of being grateful that she no longer has to live in cramped quarters with her husband and 5 children, she becomes a tool of political dissidents and challenges our (way of life).
I think I support taking refugees from war zones like Iraq, Detroit, Syria and Chicago. Beyond that, I might be cautious.
Seems like Trump wanted three months to be more sure of who was getting in. Not something that has not happened from the beginning of our nation. Seems like a very similar idea as a lot of countries have, only for a much shorter period of time. How many refugees are going to Japan?
Husband suggested opening our home to refugees from Chicago and Detroit.
I don’t remember how many people were sent back to the old world when they arrived due to illness. That always seemed harsh to me, sending people back on an ocean voyage because they were sick did not seem like a healthy treatment. But that is what was done. Now, we are bringing a lot of people in, but some carry the disease of radicalism and we need to protect our shores again. Yes, it is harsh, but that is what nations do. Individuals can do other things, of course.
Ha. I have to confess that the similarities came to mind as I wrote. There is a sad lack of respect between the states, and it’s mutual I’m afraid. But you shouldn’t be too anxious for a second civil war, as it most certainly would prick your bubble.
Debra @ 9:53, That is the beauty of having the lunatic as the President. It appears that California or Vermont may try to leave the Union first. Texas can sit by quietly, but be ready to declare independence when the whole thing starts to break up. An independent Texas could then emulate Chile on Social Security, Russia on perversion and Singapore on healthcare and trade.
Looking at the stories of people being turned away at the airports, they had to have known. Trump’s views were not a secret. And it is three months. Most have waited much longer in refugee situations. I know it is uncomfortable and for some, extremely dangerous, but that is how nations work.
Again, individuals have more latitude. We obviously cannot house refugees here if the nation is closed to them, but nothing stops people from donating to where the refugees are able to get help.
In an ideal world, we would have open borders and everybody would be free to come and go. Wait, that is the city policy in the New Jerusalem.
“It appears that Trump’s executive order has been stayed by the courts; not surprising really.”
That’s only for those currently in limbo at airports and what not. And I actually agree with that. The ban on further approvals still stands, and it looks like it’s being enforced in some cases by ICE.
” Federal judges in three states followed one in New York in barring authorities from deporting travelers affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing restrictions on immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations.
The judges in Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington state issued their rulings late on Saturday or early on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in New York City’s Brooklyn borough ordered authorities to refrain from deporting previously approved refugees from those countries. She ruled on a lawsuit by two men from Iraq being held at Kennedy Airport.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Sunday that it would comply with court rulings while at the same time implementing Trump’s order “to ensure that those entering the United States do not pose a threat to our country or the American people.”
Across the United States, lawyers worked overnight to help travelers caught up in confusion at airports after the new Republican president on Friday halted immigration from the seven countries and temporarily stopped the entry of refugees.
Attorneys and advocates said they have filed more than 100 cases for individual travelers around the country.”
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The ruling in those 4 states means little, especially without the means to enforce it nationwide. They’ll need a higher court’s ruling for that.
“The ACLU is getting “multiple reports” that federal customs agents are siding with President Trump — and willfully ignoring a Brooklyn federal judge’s demand that travelers from seven Muslim countries not be deported from the nation’s airports.
“The court’s order could not be clearer… they need to comply with the order,” Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants Rights project, told The Post late Saturday.”
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“President Trump’s decision to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and stop the free flow of refugees until they can be vetted better is reviving the morale of customs and border agents, according to the union representing both.
“Morale amongst our agents and officers has increased exponentially,” said a joint statement from the National Border Patrol Council and National ICE Council.
“The men and women of ICE and Border Patrol will work tirelessly to keep criminals, terrorists, and public safety threats out of this country, which remains the number one target in the world – and President Trump’s actions now empower us to fulfill this life saving mission, and it will indeed save thousands of lives and billions of dollars,” it added.
The statement on behalf of the agents for the immigration, customs and border protection was a powerful endorsement of Trump’s action as he his under fire from critics of his actions.”
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And of course, a lot of the opposition is Soros’ funded.
“The flurry of anguished news stories and protests surrounding President Trump’s executive action temporarily suspending “immigrants and non-immigrants” from “countries of particular concern” appears to be part of a coordinated PR effort financed by left-wing billionaire George Soros.
Rather than a complete “Muslim ban” as promised during the campaign, Trump’s executive order contains moderate refugee restrictions, similar to those that have been implemented by President Obama. If reports are true that restrictions are being applied even to green-card holders, that is an unfortunate misapplication of the law that will likely soon be corrected.
Protesters quickly materialized Saturday at JFK Airport, where some refugees were being temporarily detained.”
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Yeah, them Soros funded, paid protesters, they tend to show up quick.
I tend to glaze over the mention of Soros as a puppet master — the left has the Koch bros as the bogeyman and the right has Soros. And I tend to treat pjmedia with the same skepticism I treat addictinginfo.
The Obama administration did in fact stop processing refugee claims until the vetting process was improved. To stop and reassess the process may be legitimate (I don’t think so but giving the benefit of doubt) the blanket ban enacted by Trump is/was entirely different. (“was” because he’s had to walk back on some of it). To refuse reentry to those already living here but were away on vacation, business, family visits, etc is not the same as a halt in processing refugees. By a stroke of a pen, he has attempted to split families, prevent people from returning to their home and work, etc. Its no wonder the judge stayed this portion of the order.
In addition, the order also prevents dual citizens from visiting the US. Thus those who possess Canadian passports and citizenships yet by virtue of their birth are on this list (including friends of mine, students and their parents). The Canadian minister of immigration was born in Somalia — will he be prevented from visiting the US?
The above two parts of the order and the fact it was enforced immediately to those in transit indicates the Trump admin is not thinking its actions through nor is it vetting it past lawyers. This is a open display of incompetence for the world to see.
btw — number of Americans killed by Syrian refugees = 0; number of Americans shot to death by a toddler = once a week. Perhaps Trumps is scared of the wrong demographic.
Trump claims its about national security. Meanwhile at the National Security Council, he has appointed Stephen Bannon to the Principals Committee which will be chaired by Mike Flynn a man under investigation for his ties to Russia. The Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been sidelined out of the committee. I don’t think this will make America safer…
Good comparison, HRW. If the left has no arguments, it brings up the Kochs. When Trump has humiliated himself, we will hear about Soros behind the protests.
Here is a reasonable article from a conservative publication.
Trump is a very immature sixteen year old, and we’ve just given him the keys to a 707 horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Some of this stuff is going to happen. I don’t think he is going to learn how to drive.
Tychicus, A lot of it is optics. If you were a Hollywood producer and you were trying to cast a tyrant: Do you pick Obama or Trump? Granted, Trump makes a comical tyrant, but he fits the role much better than the professorial Obama.
It appears that the Executive Order did not undergo “extreme vetting” (is this a reality TV phrase?) Perhaps Trumps should apply the same rigorous standards to his EOs as he wants applied to refugee applicants.
Tychicus — so its okay to imitate Obama and rather incompetently I might add. Was the criticism of Obama’s EOs just a show?? For the record, Obama issued 276 EOs whereas Reagan issued 382. FDR topped everyone with 3,522. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_order It appears Obama was about average in issuing EOs. In less than two weeks Trump reached 14. At this rate he will be at 280 by the end of the year. Before he does anymore, he might want to vet his orders more rigorously or they will be dismissed/minimized by the courts or legislature.
hwesseli: Believe me, Pres Trump doesn’t want to imitate Obama. I’m just referring to the hypocritical outrage over the immigration issue when Obama actually engaged in some similar aspects, with hardly a peep from the press and others.
Re. the # of EOs, Trump’s only been in for a week, so it’s not yet even worth talking about comparisons.
rw: You would seriously cast Trump over Obama in the role of tyrant? Obama is the who has the long track record of using his power in unjust or unconstitutional ways. Just for starters:
1. Walking guns across the border to Mexican drug cartels, resulting in the deaths of American Border Patrol agents, all for the purpose of inflating the reported # of American guns in Mexico. The political goal: Pass more gun regulations domestically, b/c drug dealers are using them to kill Americans.
2. Repeatedly lying about Benghazi, whether it be about the level of security, the motivation for the attack, the US’s capability of responding, AQ’s involvement in the attack, or delaying and then failing to conduct even a minimal investigation or bring the perps to justice.
3. Targeting political opponents w/the IRS (and not just the heightened scrutiny for conservative 501(c)(3)s);
4. Violating US bankruptcy laws, and favoring union cronies over legit creditors;
5. Engaging in rife cronyism in the distribution of DoE grants to DNC/Obama campaign contributors;
6. Targeting American citizens for assassination w/o due process;
7. Knowingly targeting Americans for unlawful NSA data collection;
8. Conducting war in Libya, Mali, CAR, Sudan, Somalia, etc. w/o Congressional approval;
9. Targeting members of the press (& their families) for unlawful searches & seizures;
10. Conducting a veritable war on whistleblowers;
11. Exempting politically-favored companies and organizations from provisions of Obamacare;
12. Repeatedly violating federal court injunctions and shutting down oil drilling in the Gulf;
13. Sidestepping the legislative process and achieving through exec. fiat laws that Congress has voted down;
14. Releasing/pardoning traitors and criminals.
15. Ripping to shreds our immigration laws, and the rule of law in general.
Ricky, I think that you are overly-preoccupied with Pres. Trump’s past – give the man a chance. It’s time to jump on the MAGA train!
Tychicus — I noted Obama’s immigration past (which I did/do not support). The left was upset with his policies including immigration, drone strikes in Yemen, etc. Much of the left including myself always viewed Obama as a centrist slightly more preferable than a Clinton-type president.
From your list;
1. My understanding is this policy began under the Bush admin and Obama just continued it — the idea from what I understand had nothing to do with gun control but rather intel and entrapment of Mexican drug cartels
2. The Benghazi report was just released with very little fanfare. A giant waste of taxpayer money just to dig up dirt on a political opponent. The report concluded —- nothing.
6. Definitely wrong and the left took him to the woodshed over that
7. Another initiative of the Bush admin that Obama cont’d
8. War without congressional approval is a long standing American presidential tradition.
13 & 14 — presidential prerogative — you may disagree on the actions/pardons he took/gave but its part of the constitution or long standing practise — it doesn’t make him a tyrant.
15. Speaking of rule of law — right now Dulles Airport Customs is ignoring a court order to allow lawyers to speak to detainees. In fact, they sent two Yemeni brothers to Ethiopia after confiscating their green cards. They’re now stuck in an Addis Ababa
Obama may have issued EOs that you didn’t like but he wasn’t so incompetent about it.
Looking over the list you provide and I commented on, I see Obama as no different than any other US president. With Trump, its not just the use of power but his admin’s incompetence that worries me.
btw — its been my understanding that an equal amount of Syrian Christian and Muslims refugees were admitted into the US. Give the ratio of Muslim to Christian in Syria, I think the Christians haven’t been ignored.
Tychicus, My family knows that if I ever jump on the MAGA train, it means I have lost my mind and need to be institutionalized.
My steadfast Anti-Trump position is consistent with other conservatives I have followed for years including Kevin D Williamson, Mona Charen, Russell Moore, Bill Kristol, Jonah Goldberg, Bret Stevens, George Will, Matt Walsh and others.
As to your list, items 1 and 2 were mistakes that Fox News (and the other geniuses who gave us Trump) turned into major “scandals”.
7,8 and 9 are the kind of things US Presidents since Lincoln have done in times of war.
I support what he did at 6.
10 sounds like faux FoxNews.
I have some knowledge of 3. I don’t blame the IRS for going after many groups that abuse their 501c3 status. I DO blame the IRS for not going after liberal groups with equal vigor. I don’t blame Obama.
4,11 and 12 are typical Democrat acts.
All presidents do 14 at the end of their terms.
Now, I’m going to go back and see how HRW and I compare. What I expected.
It is true Trump has only been in office for 9 days, but nothing he has said or done indicates he has any knowledge or appreciation of any limits on presidential power or federal power in general.
The man bullies, he insults, he brags of sexual assaults, he lacks all self control and he is a rude imbecile. Most citizens of other countries would identify Trump as a likely tyrant instead of Obama who was really passive and increasingly interested in golf.
As to #6, Lincoln killed two of my ancestors who were citizens of Tennessee and Mississippi, respectively without any due process. Of course they, my other ancestors and their comrades killed 350,000 Yankees. Those sorts of things happen in wars. If Americans were associating with the Taliban in Pakistan or Afghanistan, I wanted Obama to kill them, not serve them with writs. I am sure the Yankees felt the same way about by Great-grandfathers.
“1. My understanding is this policy began under the Bush admin and Obama just continued it — the idea from what I understand had nothing to do with gun control but rather intel and entrapment of Mexican drug cartels”
Somewhat true. While the policy started with Bush, it was a joint effort with Mexico, who intercepted those weapons on their side. What the Obama admin did, was not, and Mexican officials had no idea. They completely revamped the Bush approach in 2009.
* October 2009: Operation Fast and Furious starts to take shape in the Phoenix office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the agency within the Justice Department charged with enforcing federal gun laws.
The agents begin to track “straw buyers,” gun purchasers who are suspected of buying for others. Straw buying is illegal but can be difficult to prove. Eyeing the potential for an expansive case against a gun-smuggling ring, ATF agents decide not to pursue low-level buyers aggressively. As the case progresses slowly they assemble a database of suspect guns, including serial numbers.”
September 2009 – Jan. 8, 2010: A Jan. 8, 2010 briefing paper from the ATF Phoenix Field Division Group VII says: “This investigation has currently identified more than 20 individual connected straw purchasers.” It further says: “To date (September 2009 – present) this group has purchased in excess of 650 firearms (mainly AK-47 variants) for which they have paid cash totaling more than $350,000.”
October 2009: The ATF’s Phoenix Field Division establishes a gun trafficking group called Group VII. Group VII initially began using the strategy of “gunwalking,” or allowing suspects to walk away with illegally purchased guns, according to a report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the staff of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“The purpose was to wait and watch, in hope that law enforcement could identify other members of a trafficking network and build a large, complex conspiracy case,” the report says. It goes on to say: “Group VII initially began using the new gunwalking tactics in one of its investigations to further the Department’s strategy. The case was soon renamed ‘Operation Fast and Furious.’”
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However, I do believe that Kushner, more so than even Pence, functions as Trump’s parent or his brain. Aides need to keep Trump very busy form sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. However, he is not going to be invited to play golf with my group.
Trumpkins can laugh. Go ask the leaders of Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Latvia, Estonia, Singapore, Canada, Japan or of South Korea, They all respect and trust Merkel. They all consider Trump to be at best a pathetic 250 lb. infant and at worst a moronic stooge of Putin.
HRW, Is that pretty much how Canadians see things?
“So things really blew up overnight, eh? There were all sorts of “spontaneous” protests popping up at airports around the nation in response to the new executive action on immigration and refugees. (If you were watching liberal Twitter you saw how “spontaneous” they really were. This was coordinated nationally.) But of more interest are the actions taken by several judges hearing appeals from some of the travelers who were being detained. In response, one judge in New York imposed a stay on portions of the executive order, while another in Boston attempted to block the entire thing. (NBC News)
A federal judge in New York has granted a stay order on President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily restricting entry to the U.S. by those from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
The stay blocks the deportation of those who arrived in the U.S. with a valid visa, as well as those from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen who are legally authorized to enter the country. It also protects those with approved refugee applications. They stay does not mean those detained have to be released.
“Stay is granted,” Dale Ho, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union Voting Rights Project said on Twitter. “Stay is national.”
At least so far, DHS is essentially saying that they will comply with orders regarding specific individuals for the time being, but overall the policy is still in effect.
In a statement issued in the early hours of Sunday, the Department said: “President Trump’s Executive Orders remain in place — prohibited travel will remain prohibited, and the U.S. government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if required for national security or public safety.”
It added that the department will “continue to enforce all of President Trump’s Executive Orders in a manner that ensures the safety and security of the American people.”
I have zero doubt that this is going to turn into a mess in the courts. Keep in mind that if you go to the correct areas (such as Boston) you can find a judge to say almost anything, but this will eventually need to be sorted out. That’s going to be an educational experience for plenty of us because many questions regarding immigration policy can be very complicated. We’re dealing with non-citizens in different classifications as well as wrestling with the distinction between deporting people who are in the country versus denying entry to those who are not. And that’s an important point, because non-citizens inside the country, while not having the same level of rights as citizens, still maintain a more powerful position than those on the outside trying to get in. Deporting someone is always much more complicated than simply barring a non-citizen from entering.”
“Yesterday Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on refugees and visa entry procedures.
You should read the actual EO, because most of the media and leftist pundits either have not or are lying if they have.
There are some stark policy differences about immigration and refugees over which people can disagree — those were argued at length during the election season. But the hyperbole and frenzy being exhibited in the media and by leftist pundits is hyperbole at best, fakery and lying at worst.”
“I’ll go over key features of the EO and address the main accusations being peddled.
“Muslim Ban”
There is no Muslim Ban, even though the Twitter hashtag #MuslimBan is being used by opponents of the EO.
There is a postponement of entry from 7 countries (Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen) previously identified by the Obama administration as posing extraordinary risks. That they are 7 majority Muslim countries does not mean there is a Muslim ban, as most of the countries with the largest Muslim populations are not on the list (e.g., Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Nigeria and more).
Thus, the overwhelming majority of the Muslim world is not affected.”
——————————
Ricky — The vast majority of Canadians don’t follow politics outside of North America — but 65 to 70% of Canadians disapprove of Trump. Even conservative Canadian politicians have no respect for Trump and his policies.
Those who follow politics do admire Merkel especially conservatives who see her as espousing conservative ideas of economic freedom mixed with compassion. Outside of the English speaking world, and especially in Europe, she is the leader of the free world. Her ideas and pronouncements are taken more seriously than Trump. In Canada, he is either treated as a joke or a fascist buffoon — depending on what he did.
Wandering Views 
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Debra, Your man is sleeping in. No new Tweets. I have to go scrape the ice off of my windshield and play golf.
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QoD What kind of man scrapes ice off his windshield and plays golf on the same day?
😆
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Don’t you realize that there are serious issues confronting this country?
To wit:
1. How many people were at the inauguration.
2. How many votes would Trump have received had not dead people voted.
3. How are we going to get Mexico to pay for the wall.
Those are the important issues. In other news, ISIS is taking over the middle east, China is expanding in the South China sea and Russia is about to take over the Ukraine and Baltic states.
America is more threatened by cyber warfare than nuclear.
The stock market hit 20,000. I remember when it hit 1,000. I was at Purdue and thought of buying some. But I didn’t have much money then. BTW Gasoline hit $0.52/gal then.
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We had a photo in the paper the other day of a group of men teeing off into the snow. They had shoveled off the tee area and were using brightly colored balls so they could see them on the snow, but they were not finishing the hole. Just driving.
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I’m not strong enough to watch the video attached to this post, maybe you are?
http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/27/american-serial-killer-media-wont-talk-kermit-gosnell/
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Even in southern California my parents occasionally had to scrape ice off their car to be at the golf course when the sun rose and they could play–every weekend.
I was a golf orphan.
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Michelle, I was a golf widow.
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My dad took me golfing and then my husband did, and then my dad and husband did.
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I took golfing lessons and did a bit of it–with and without husband. He joined a team, so played it far more. We had small children, so the cost was pretty much prohibitive to play much. I would love to play, if I had our own course. Otherwise, we have to let too many groups play through. 😉
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😦 Now we both have shoulder issues that would not be helped by swinging that club.
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My husband and I always got our money’s worth when we played golf (4 times total). We got far more swings and attempts to hit the ball than the average golfer! LOL
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I like miniature golf.
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I took golf as a physical ed course at Carolina.
I played a little golf when I was young.
But I didn’t have time nor the money to get into it. Golf takes lots of time if you want to be good. I couldn’t devote that much to it.
So? I gave it up.
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Golf thread!
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I feel sorry for the millennials who are working hard, making a good living, paying substantial taxes and just figuring out how many are going to be riding in the wagon in the future and how few ot them will be pulling it. A direct quote from one of them:
“CNN tells me to fear Trump. FoxNews tells me to fear Mexicans and Muslims. I fear the nice old lady at church who is 100 lbs overweight and is about to run up a $400,000 medical bill that I am going to have to pay.”
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Re: AJ’s & Cheryl’s comments on Trump yesterday – Maybe it would be easier to believe that he has truly become a Christian if he made some kind of statement about regretting his infidelities & other bad acts. Of course, he doesn’t owe any of us an apology, but it is something some have done when their sins are known to the public.
I know that maybe this is not really important in the grand scheme of things, but the photos & video of him getting out of the limousine & walking up the White House steps without waiting for Melania to get out or come with him, & then walking into the White House first, without ushering her in with him seems quite ungentlemanly & rude, & seems to speak to his character. Has he had anything to say about that?
So, I hope that he will do good things for the country, & I pray that he truly does come to repentance & salvation, but in the meantime, I do not like his character.
That, & a dollar or two, might get me a cup of coffee. 😉
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A man I know who has been quite critical of Obama for certain things has found himself excusing similar things in Trump. That has made him stop & consider his own attitude. That’s a good thing.
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This is unnerving and gutsy. It accomplished its purpose, however.
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Ricky, the little old lady has been shelling out a 1/3 of her pay check to the government for the past 40 years. You owe her more than $400,000.
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It continues to amaze me what people will put on fb and all those other things.
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This is an important reminder that we’re all sinners in need of grace. 30 years ago, I used to pray with three other women every other Friday at 6 am. I always prayed for workers at the abortions clinics–can you imagine what nightmares they must have after doing their jobs?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2017/january/why-abortion-workers-need-forgiveness-support.html?utm_source=ctweekly-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=12560051&utm_content=491910611&utm_campaign=email
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I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the photo that would appear–I should have posted a warning.
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Reminds me of a joke.
1st man, “I never shoot over 80.”
2nd man, “Really? Wow.”
1st man, “Really. If it gets any hotter than that, I just stay home.”
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No, KBells. In many cases the little old lady didn’t work at all outside the home. Her husband has been paying up to 7.6% of his paycheck into a Social Security/Medicaid Ponzi scheme, of which less than 2.00% ever went for Medicare taxes. She and others like her will receive many, many times the Medicare benefits that they paid in. I don’t owe her $400,000. I’m old too. The poor Millenials have to pay for healthcare, retirement and payments for “disability” for the old, for the Democrats, and for the Trumpkins. I’m happy here in my bubble, but the young productive folks are in trouble.
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Here are the facts:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2013/feb/01/medicare-and-social-security-what-you-paid-what-yo/
As with Madoff’s investors and all other Ponzi schemes, the later “investors” are the big losers. It is no wonder that productive young people do not object to having a few immigrants help them pull those riding in the wagon.
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I was at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial this summer and I saw several photo poses similar to the video. Part of the problem, however, is the memorial’s design. Its a horrible post modern artist rendering of genocide. Mass genocide memorials should be stark and I think this was the attempt but it looks more like scattered blocks of various sizes. I’m sure they wanted to avoid the cliche war memorials — statues, columns, etc but this didn’t work.
Apparently Holocaust Memorial Day just passed and the annual March for Life took place. Meanwhile, in the White House, Trump banned immigrants from seven Muslim majority nations and halted Syrian refugee settlement. Am I the only one who sees a disconnect here?
Pence stood at Trump’s side when he banned Syrian refugees and the next day he addresses a pro-life march. There’s a photo of a dead Syrian boy on a Turkish beach he might want to look at …. it changed a Cdn election. Not mention he also watched Trump sign away elements of the ACA without a replacement just a few days before the march. The contrast is stunning. A leftist talking point has always been that the pro-life is actually only pre-fetus. I personally don’t think that is the case but its hard to deny the argument when I watch Pence stand beside Trump as he signs away health care and refugee care.
One of my first thoughts when I saw the news was a poem I teach in seventh grade — Martin Niemoller’s First They Came. About a third of my students are Muslim, many have identified themselves as a possible group to include in the poem. I imagine they will identify with this poem even more.
Another interesting part of this ban is which countries were left out specifically Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Emirates, and Pakistan. Now where did the 9/11 terrorists come from?? More importantly in which Muslim nations does Trump have business ties?
The ban includes green card holders and dual citizens. Thus, the parents of my students who immigrant to Canada after the US invaded their country won’t be allowed to go shopping in Buffalo?? Now if the US never invaded they wouldn’t be here but the least you can do is let them bargain shop in Buffalo with the rest of Canada — Buffalo’s economy depends on it.
Now will this make America safer?? Probably not — it will help ISIS in their recruitment drive however. Apparently toddlers (with guns) have killed someone on average once a week for the last two years — far more dangerous than refugees. Now since guns don’t kill people, people do, will Trump ban toddlers?
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It is a shame that I only play American golf courses. Trump’s new course in Dubai looks spectacular.
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Ricky — Universal health care and old age pensions etc operate on the principal that everyone pays in and when its your turn you receive assistance. So far with a few bumps along the way its actually worked in most western societies. Its an unspoken deal — not too dissimilar from the deal I have with my child, I take care of you now but you owe me when I’m old.
And yes, immigration is needed in most western countries to keep the system going simply because the current population is no longer reproducing at replacement rate. Most Canadians know that immigration is necessary to keep the system going — hence the Conservative party’s attempt at right wing populism and nativism failed in the last election. Canadians intuitively know immigration is necessary and good.
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Look at the date of the tweet posted by Ricky — about two weeks ago. I guess a Trump golf course “trumps” the emirates cash support of 9/11 terrorists — all is forgiven, and emirate citizens are welcome.
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HRW, Don’t worry about the ACA. Trump is going to require the Rs to leave all the goodies. Only the funding source (the mandate) will be removed so the cost to the federal government will rise sharply. Then our county hospitals (and taxpayers) will pay for those who don’t buy insurance. Productive Millenials understand all this as well.
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HRW, Some countries (like the US) do have “pay as you go” or Ponzi scheme retirement systems. However, others like Chile have an actuarially sound retirement system where you contribute and get your contributions back with interest. Other wise nations like Singapore run efficient health care systems for the young and old without relying on Ponzi schemes.
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Look! If Trump is unable to defeat the globalists here, we can all move to a place he is building in Uruguay.
Make Uruguay great again!
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HRW, You made me curious. Why are consumer goods cheaper in Buffalo? Is it the lack of the VAT in the US?
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Ricky, depending on her age the chances are good that the little old lady did work and the chances are also good that her husband died before he got to use his. Plus if she and her husband had invested that $122,000 it would have been more than enough to take care of her. She is not the problem. The problem is the drug addict who has cost us more by his 30’s than she will in her lifetime.
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KBells, And that is the rub. When you are the victim of a Ponzi scheme, you get no return as your assets were never invested. They were paid out in benefits to those older than you. As the article indicates, the average older lady and her spouse will be paid 3 times as much in Medicare benefits as they paid in Medicare taxes. And young folks will be doing the paying and they know it and they know that is just for the average recipient That is why productive Millennials are really scared by the older lady who is 100 lbs overweight. They can foresee double knee replacements, etc. down the road.
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The drug addict will cost us if he manages to convince Social Security he is “disabled”. Then he collects Social Security and Medicare beginning two years after the “disability”.
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Have any of you seen the video clip of Melania smiling & nodding while her husband has turned around to say something, then dropping the smile & looking unhappy as soon as he turns away? It made me sad.
As I watched some of the inauguration on TV, I was watching her especially. She often seemed quite uncomfortable. It made me wonder if maybe she wasn’t on board with him running for president.
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Kizzie, I saw the video. Mexican laborers have to risk death by walking across miles and miles of desert to be able to live in the US. Melania had to do something far more unpleasant. However, she knew what she was getting into. She started “dating” Trump and posing nude in his planes while he was still married to The Second Lady who previously had the well chronicled (by Trump) affair with Trump while he was married to The First Lady.
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I saw the clip after you mentioned it. As you say, people have a tendency to see what they want to see. I have never seen or heard her express anything but support for the presidential run. The next few years will be full of pressure for her. I’m sure it’s uncomfortable knowing that you and your young son will be hyper-scrutinized by hostile people who absolutely hate your husband.
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Here’s a Syrian refugee’s story of the vetting process she & her family had to go through. . .
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/01/26/trump-says-syrian-refugees-arent-vetted-we-are-heres-what-we-went-through/?tid=sm_tw&utm_term=.f5930738d853
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Ricky — there’s a number of things which make some consumer goods cheaper in Buffalo (btw, i never go shopping there). The currency exchange is the main consideration. When the Cdn dollar is worth more than 80 cents US, then almost all goods are cheaper. Below 80 cents and its not worth the travel time. There are certain items due to quirks in Cdn policy which are cheaper in the US — shoes and milk products. Since Canada is a market the size of California, certain products aren’t sold here especially clothes and electronics. And thus with greater completion in the US market the price are lower. Finally, Buffalo residents have less money — the median household income is 40,00 US compared to roughly 75,000 CDN in southern Ontario. With prices set for the Buffalo market, a Canadian shopping there has almost twice the purchasing power.
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It appears that Trump’s executive order has been stayed by the courts; not surprising really.
Trump’s administration has also had to explain to the Cdn government whether they will allow Canada’s minister of immigration into the US. Our immigration minister was born in Somalia and came to Canada as a refugee; he’s a dual citizen and according to Trump’s executive order, he should be banned from the US as a Somali national.
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Remember the outrage when former President Obama did this… No?
http://thefederalist.com/2015/11/18/the-obama-administration-stopped-processing-iraq-refugee-requests-for-6-months-in-2011/
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Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 states: “Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants, or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate.”
The past SIX presidents have used executive power to invoke entry restrictions.
http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/16/the-past-six-presidents-have-all-used-executive-power-to-block-certain-classes-of-immigrants/
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So far, Americans support Pres. Trump’s action, 48% to 42%.
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Good Morning, Tychicus. I watched your Longhorns yesterday. They are still very young.
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Kizzie, I read your link @ 10:10
We have a generous refugee program in the US and I hope we are able to continue it with improved emphasis on criteria the Trump administration is giving. This includes giving preference to hurting people in minority religions who will appreciate what we are doing for them and be able to pass that good will on to others. The people who come are receiving job assistance, counseling, food, and housing assistance with the hope that they become self-sufficient eventually.
The problem with bringing in more Muslims is that they are easier to radicalize here. There is too little sense of gratitude to their new country, and often, once stabilized, the resentments come out as it does with the woman being interviewed. From your link (emphasis mine):
So instead of being grateful that she no longer has to live in cramped quarters with her husband and 5 children, she becomes a tool of political dissidents and challenges our president.
The right she boldly challenges is from US law which gives criteria to be taken into account for refugee status:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1101
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Debra, I found myself agreeing with your 8:57 post, but involuntarily substituting certain words in key places:
The problem with bringing in more (Yankees) is that they are easier to radicalize here. There is too little sense of gratitude to their new (state), and often, once stabilized, the resentments come out as it does with the woman being interviewed. From your link (emphasis mine):
“(Texas) says (it) wants to fight (socialism and perversion) but instead (it’s) fighting the victims of (socialism and perversion). I want to ask (Texans): If (Texas) is based on diverse people from different cultures and countries, what right do you have to tell suffering (Yankees) that they are unwelcome….”
So instead of being grateful that she no longer has to live in cramped quarters with her husband and 5 children, she becomes a tool of political dissidents and challenges our (way of life).
I think I support taking refugees from war zones like Iraq, Detroit, Syria and Chicago. Beyond that, I might be cautious.
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Seems like Trump wanted three months to be more sure of who was getting in. Not something that has not happened from the beginning of our nation. Seems like a very similar idea as a lot of countries have, only for a much shorter period of time. How many refugees are going to Japan?
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Husband suggested opening our home to refugees from Chicago and Detroit.
I don’t remember how many people were sent back to the old world when they arrived due to illness. That always seemed harsh to me, sending people back on an ocean voyage because they were sick did not seem like a healthy treatment. But that is what was done. Now, we are bringing a lot of people in, but some carry the disease of radicalism and we need to protect our shores again. Yes, it is harsh, but that is what nations do. Individuals can do other things, of course.
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Ha. I have to confess that the similarities came to mind as I wrote. There is a sad lack of respect between the states, and it’s mutual I’m afraid. But you shouldn’t be too anxious for a second civil war, as it most certainly would prick your bubble.
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My 9:53 was response to Ricky.
Mumsee, you and Mike have a big heart. It’s both inspiring and humbling. Thanks. :–)
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Debra @ 9:53, That is the beauty of having the lunatic as the President. It appears that California or Vermont may try to leave the Union first. Texas can sit by quietly, but be ready to declare independence when the whole thing starts to break up. An independent Texas could then emulate Chile on Social Security, Russia on perversion and Singapore on healthcare and trade.
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After the all the hysteria, this is helpful
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/01/reaping_the_whirlwind.html
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Looking at the stories of people being turned away at the airports, they had to have known. Trump’s views were not a secret. And it is three months. Most have waited much longer in refugee situations. I know it is uncomfortable and for some, extremely dangerous, but that is how nations work.
Again, individuals have more latitude. We obviously cannot house refugees here if the nation is closed to them, but nothing stops people from donating to where the refugees are able to get help.
In an ideal world, we would have open borders and everybody would be free to come and go. Wait, that is the city policy in the New Jerusalem.
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HRW,
“It appears that Trump’s executive order has been stayed by the courts; not surprising really.”
That’s only for those currently in limbo at airports and what not. And I actually agree with that. The ban on further approvals still stands, and it looks like it’s being enforced in some cases by ICE.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/trump-immigration-order-restricted-more-u-judges-170527878.html
” Federal judges in three states followed one in New York in barring authorities from deporting travelers affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order imposing restrictions on immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations.
The judges in Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington state issued their rulings late on Saturday or early on Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday, U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly in New York City’s Brooklyn borough ordered authorities to refrain from deporting previously approved refugees from those countries. She ruled on a lawsuit by two men from Iraq being held at Kennedy Airport.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Sunday that it would comply with court rulings while at the same time implementing Trump’s order “to ensure that those entering the United States do not pose a threat to our country or the American people.”
Across the United States, lawyers worked overnight to help travelers caught up in confusion at airports after the new Republican president on Friday halted immigration from the seven countries and temporarily stopped the entry of refugees.
Attorneys and advocates said they have filed more than 100 cases for individual travelers around the country.”
—————————————
The ruling in those 4 states means little, especially without the means to enforce it nationwide. They’ll need a higher court’s ruling for that.
http://nypost.com/2017/01/29/customs-agents-ignore-judge-enforce-trumps-travel-ban-aclu/
“The ACLU is getting “multiple reports” that federal customs agents are siding with President Trump — and willfully ignoring a Brooklyn federal judge’s demand that travelers from seven Muslim countries not be deported from the nation’s airports.
“The court’s order could not be clearer… they need to comply with the order,” Omar Jadwat, director of the ACLU’s Immigrants Rights project, told The Post late Saturday.”
—————————————-
Border agents are cheering Trump’s plan.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/border-ice-agents-cheer-trump-actions/article/2613278
“President Trump’s decision to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and stop the free flow of refugees until they can be vetted better is reviving the morale of customs and border agents, according to the union representing both.
“Morale amongst our agents and officers has increased exponentially,” said a joint statement from the National Border Patrol Council and National ICE Council.
“The men and women of ICE and Border Patrol will work tirelessly to keep criminals, terrorists, and public safety threats out of this country, which remains the number one target in the world – and President Trump’s actions now empower us to fulfill this life saving mission, and it will indeed save thousands of lives and billions of dollars,” it added.
The statement on behalf of the agents for the immigration, customs and border protection was a powerful endorsement of Trump’s action as he his under fire from critics of his actions.”
—————————————-
And of course, a lot of the opposition is Soros’ funded.
https://pjmedia.com/trending/2017/01/29/soros-bankrolling-effort-to-stop-trumps-temporary-refugee-halt-order/
“The flurry of anguished news stories and protests surrounding President Trump’s executive action temporarily suspending “immigrants and non-immigrants” from “countries of particular concern” appears to be part of a coordinated PR effort financed by left-wing billionaire George Soros.
Rather than a complete “Muslim ban” as promised during the campaign, Trump’s executive order contains moderate refugee restrictions, similar to those that have been implemented by President Obama. If reports are true that restrictions are being applied even to green-card holders, that is an unfortunate misapplication of the law that will likely soon be corrected.
Protesters quickly materialized Saturday at JFK Airport, where some refugees were being temporarily detained.”
——————————————-
Yeah, them Soros funded, paid protesters, they tend to show up quick.
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John Podhoretz on the latest Executive Order:
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I tend to glaze over the mention of Soros as a puppet master — the left has the Koch bros as the bogeyman and the right has Soros. And I tend to treat pjmedia with the same skepticism I treat addictinginfo.
The Obama administration did in fact stop processing refugee claims until the vetting process was improved. To stop and reassess the process may be legitimate (I don’t think so but giving the benefit of doubt) the blanket ban enacted by Trump is/was entirely different. (“was” because he’s had to walk back on some of it). To refuse reentry to those already living here but were away on vacation, business, family visits, etc is not the same as a halt in processing refugees. By a stroke of a pen, he has attempted to split families, prevent people from returning to their home and work, etc. Its no wonder the judge stayed this portion of the order.
In addition, the order also prevents dual citizens from visiting the US. Thus those who possess Canadian passports and citizenships yet by virtue of their birth are on this list (including friends of mine, students and their parents). The Canadian minister of immigration was born in Somalia — will he be prevented from visiting the US?
The above two parts of the order and the fact it was enforced immediately to those in transit indicates the Trump admin is not thinking its actions through nor is it vetting it past lawyers. This is a open display of incompetence for the world to see.
btw — number of Americans killed by Syrian refugees = 0; number of Americans shot to death by a toddler = once a week. Perhaps Trumps is scared of the wrong demographic.
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Trump claims its about national security. Meanwhile at the National Security Council, he has appointed Stephen Bannon to the Principals Committee which will be chaired by Mike Flynn a man under investigation for his ties to Russia. The Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been sidelined out of the committee. I don’t think this will make America safer…
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Good comparison, HRW. If the left has no arguments, it brings up the Kochs. When Trump has humiliated himself, we will hear about Soros behind the protests.
Here is a reasonable article from a conservative publication.
Trump is a very immature sixteen year old, and we’ve just given him the keys to a 707 horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Some of this stuff is going to happen. I don’t think he is going to learn how to drive.
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The goal of the Dems is to forget everything Obama did in the last eight years. How else can they then label Pres. Trump a tyrant?
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Tychicus, A lot of it is optics. If you were a Hollywood producer and you were trying to cast a tyrant: Do you pick Obama or Trump? Granted, Trump makes a comical tyrant, but he fits the role much better than the professorial Obama.
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Human conception to birth in four minutes: https://youtu.be/f2gP1-TB9oU
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It appears that the Executive Order did not undergo “extreme vetting” (is this a reality TV phrase?) Perhaps Trumps should apply the same rigorous standards to his EOs as he wants applied to refugee applicants.
Tychicus — so its okay to imitate Obama and rather incompetently I might add. Was the criticism of Obama’s EOs just a show?? For the record, Obama issued 276 EOs whereas Reagan issued 382. FDR topped everyone with 3,522. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_order It appears Obama was about average in issuing EOs. In less than two weeks Trump reached 14. At this rate he will be at 280 by the end of the year. Before he does anymore, he might want to vet his orders more rigorously or they will be dismissed/minimized by the courts or legislature.
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McCain and Graham issue a statement on Trump’s immigration order:
http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/1/statement-by-senators-mccain-graham-on-executive-order-on-immigration
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Trump Tweets in response:
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Then Tweets again:
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hwesseli: Believe me, Pres Trump doesn’t want to imitate Obama. I’m just referring to the hypocritical outrage over the immigration issue when Obama actually engaged in some similar aspects, with hardly a peep from the press and others.
Re. the # of EOs, Trump’s only been in for a week, so it’s not yet even worth talking about comparisons.
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He nailed it.
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Thank you, Mr. President.
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rw: You would seriously cast Trump over Obama in the role of tyrant? Obama is the who has the long track record of using his power in unjust or unconstitutional ways. Just for starters:
1. Walking guns across the border to Mexican drug cartels, resulting in the deaths of American Border Patrol agents, all for the purpose of inflating the reported # of American guns in Mexico. The political goal: Pass more gun regulations domestically, b/c drug dealers are using them to kill Americans.
2. Repeatedly lying about Benghazi, whether it be about the level of security, the motivation for the attack, the US’s capability of responding, AQ’s involvement in the attack, or delaying and then failing to conduct even a minimal investigation or bring the perps to justice.
3. Targeting political opponents w/the IRS (and not just the heightened scrutiny for conservative 501(c)(3)s);
4. Violating US bankruptcy laws, and favoring union cronies over legit creditors;
5. Engaging in rife cronyism in the distribution of DoE grants to DNC/Obama campaign contributors;
6. Targeting American citizens for assassination w/o due process;
7. Knowingly targeting Americans for unlawful NSA data collection;
8. Conducting war in Libya, Mali, CAR, Sudan, Somalia, etc. w/o Congressional approval;
9. Targeting members of the press (& their families) for unlawful searches & seizures;
10. Conducting a veritable war on whistleblowers;
11. Exempting politically-favored companies and organizations from provisions of Obamacare;
12. Repeatedly violating federal court injunctions and shutting down oil drilling in the Gulf;
13. Sidestepping the legislative process and achieving through exec. fiat laws that Congress has voted down;
14. Releasing/pardoning traitors and criminals.
15. Ripping to shreds our immigration laws, and the rule of law in general.
Ricky, I think that you are overly-preoccupied with Pres. Trump’s past – give the man a chance. It’s time to jump on the MAGA train!
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Tychicus — I noted Obama’s immigration past (which I did/do not support). The left was upset with his policies including immigration, drone strikes in Yemen, etc. Much of the left including myself always viewed Obama as a centrist slightly more preferable than a Clinton-type president.
From your list;
1. My understanding is this policy began under the Bush admin and Obama just continued it — the idea from what I understand had nothing to do with gun control but rather intel and entrapment of Mexican drug cartels
2. The Benghazi report was just released with very little fanfare. A giant waste of taxpayer money just to dig up dirt on a political opponent. The report concluded —- nothing.
6. Definitely wrong and the left took him to the woodshed over that
7. Another initiative of the Bush admin that Obama cont’d
8. War without congressional approval is a long standing American presidential tradition.
13 & 14 — presidential prerogative — you may disagree on the actions/pardons he took/gave but its part of the constitution or long standing practise — it doesn’t make him a tyrant.
15. Speaking of rule of law — right now Dulles Airport Customs is ignoring a court order to allow lawyers to speak to detainees. In fact, they sent two Yemeni brothers to Ethiopia after confiscating their green cards. They’re now stuck in an Addis Ababa
Obama may have issued EOs that you didn’t like but he wasn’t so incompetent about it.
Looking over the list you provide and I commented on, I see Obama as no different than any other US president. With Trump, its not just the use of power but his admin’s incompetence that worries me.
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Leader of the Free World explains Geneva Convention to US President.
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Dulles airport,
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2017/01/court_rulings_couldn_t_protect_everyone_detained_because_of_trump_s_immigration.html
btw — its been my understanding that an equal amount of Syrian Christian and Muslims refugees were admitted into the US. Give the ratio of Muslim to Christian in Syria, I think the Christians haven’t been ignored.
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Tychicus, My family knows that if I ever jump on the MAGA train, it means I have lost my mind and need to be institutionalized.
My steadfast Anti-Trump position is consistent with other conservatives I have followed for years including Kevin D Williamson, Mona Charen, Russell Moore, Bill Kristol, Jonah Goldberg, Bret Stevens, George Will, Matt Walsh and others.
As to your list, items 1 and 2 were mistakes that Fox News (and the other geniuses who gave us Trump) turned into major “scandals”.
7,8 and 9 are the kind of things US Presidents since Lincoln have done in times of war.
I support what he did at 6.
10 sounds like faux FoxNews.
I have some knowledge of 3. I don’t blame the IRS for going after many groups that abuse their 501c3 status. I DO blame the IRS for not going after liberal groups with equal vigor. I don’t blame Obama.
4,11 and 12 are typical Democrat acts.
All presidents do 14 at the end of their terms.
Now, I’m going to go back and see how HRW and I compare. What I expected.
It is true Trump has only been in office for 9 days, but nothing he has said or done indicates he has any knowledge or appreciation of any limits on presidential power or federal power in general.
The man bullies, he insults, he brags of sexual assaults, he lacks all self control and he is a rude imbecile. Most citizens of other countries would identify Trump as a likely tyrant instead of Obama who was really passive and increasingly interested in golf.
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As to #6, Lincoln killed two of my ancestors who were citizens of Tennessee and Mississippi, respectively without any due process. Of course they, my other ancestors and their comrades killed 350,000 Yankees. Those sorts of things happen in wars. If Americans were associating with the Taliban in Pakistan or Afghanistan, I wanted Obama to kill them, not serve them with writs. I am sure the Yankees felt the same way about by Great-grandfathers.
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HRW,
“1. My understanding is this policy began under the Bush admin and Obama just continued it — the idea from what I understand had nothing to do with gun control but rather intel and entrapment of Mexican drug cartels”
Somewhat true. While the policy started with Bush, it was a joint effort with Mexico, who intercepted those weapons on their side. What the Obama admin did, was not, and Mexican officials had no idea. They completely revamped the Bush approach in 2009.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-fastandfurious-factbox-idUSBRE88J01O20120920
“Below are six key dates in the dispute.
* October 2009: Operation Fast and Furious starts to take shape in the Phoenix office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the agency within the Justice Department charged with enforcing federal gun laws.
The agents begin to track “straw buyers,” gun purchasers who are suspected of buying for others. Straw buying is illegal but can be difficult to prove. Eyeing the potential for an expansive case against a gun-smuggling ring, ATF agents decide not to pursue low-level buyers aggressively. As the case progresses slowly they assemble a database of suspect guns, including serial numbers.”
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More here,
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/gun-running-timeline-how-doj-s-operation-fast-and-furious-unfolded
“Operation Fast and Furious Timeline:
September 2009 – Jan. 8, 2010: A Jan. 8, 2010 briefing paper from the ATF Phoenix Field Division Group VII says: “This investigation has currently identified more than 20 individual connected straw purchasers.” It further says: “To date (September 2009 – present) this group has purchased in excess of 650 firearms (mainly AK-47 variants) for which they have paid cash totaling more than $350,000.”
October 2009: The ATF’s Phoenix Field Division establishes a gun trafficking group called Group VII. Group VII initially began using the strategy of “gunwalking,” or allowing suspects to walk away with illegally purchased guns, according to a report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the staff of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“The purpose was to wait and watch, in hope that law enforcement could identify other members of a trafficking network and build a large, complex conspiracy case,” the report says. It goes on to say: “Group VII initially began using the new gunwalking tactics in one of its investigations to further the Department’s strategy. The case was soon renamed ‘Operation Fast and Furious.’”
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This is not exactly correct as the EO was released on Friday.
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However, I do believe that Kushner, more so than even Pence, functions as Trump’s parent or his brain. Aides need to keep Trump very busy form sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. However, he is not going to be invited to play golf with my group.
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Ricky,
Leader of the free world?
Bwahahahahaha!!!!!!!!
She can’t even keep her own house in order. She’s allowed her country to be overrun, and women aren’t safe on the streets.
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Trumpkins can laugh. Go ask the leaders of Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Latvia, Estonia, Singapore, Canada, Japan or of South Korea, They all respect and trust Merkel. They all consider Trump to be at best a pathetic 250 lb. infant and at worst a moronic stooge of Putin.
HRW, Is that pretty much how Canadians see things?
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This will need to go higher before it’s decide either way.
http://hotair.com/archives/2017/01/29/so-the-courts-want-to-fight-the-president-on-immigration-policy/
“So things really blew up overnight, eh? There were all sorts of “spontaneous” protests popping up at airports around the nation in response to the new executive action on immigration and refugees. (If you were watching liberal Twitter you saw how “spontaneous” they really were. This was coordinated nationally.) But of more interest are the actions taken by several judges hearing appeals from some of the travelers who were being detained. In response, one judge in New York imposed a stay on portions of the executive order, while another in Boston attempted to block the entire thing. (NBC News)
A federal judge in New York has granted a stay order on President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily restricting entry to the U.S. by those from seven predominantly Muslim countries.
The stay blocks the deportation of those who arrived in the U.S. with a valid visa, as well as those from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen who are legally authorized to enter the country. It also protects those with approved refugee applications. They stay does not mean those detained have to be released.
“Stay is granted,” Dale Ho, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union Voting Rights Project said on Twitter. “Stay is national.”
At least so far, DHS is essentially saying that they will comply with orders regarding specific individuals for the time being, but overall the policy is still in effect.
In a statement issued in the early hours of Sunday, the Department said: “President Trump’s Executive Orders remain in place — prohibited travel will remain prohibited, and the U.S. government retains its right to revoke visas at any time if required for national security or public safety.”
It added that the department will “continue to enforce all of President Trump’s Executive Orders in a manner that ensures the safety and security of the American people.”
I have zero doubt that this is going to turn into a mess in the courts. Keep in mind that if you go to the correct areas (such as Boston) you can find a judge to say almost anything, but this will eventually need to be sorted out. That’s going to be an educational experience for plenty of us because many questions regarding immigration policy can be very complicated. We’re dealing with non-citizens in different classifications as well as wrestling with the distinction between deporting people who are in the country versus denying entry to those who are not. And that’s an important point, because non-citizens inside the country, while not having the same level of rights as citizens, still maintain a more powerful position than those on the outside trying to get in. Deporting someone is always much more complicated than simply barring a non-citizen from entering.”
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And it seems that some are manipulating the facts here, especially the media. Don’t believe the hype……..
http://legalinsurrection.com/2017/01/most-claims-about-trumps-visa-executive-order-are-false-or-misleading/
“Yesterday Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on refugees and visa entry procedures.
You should read the actual EO, because most of the media and leftist pundits either have not or are lying if they have.
There are some stark policy differences about immigration and refugees over which people can disagree — those were argued at length during the election season. But the hyperbole and frenzy being exhibited in the media and by leftist pundits is hyperbole at best, fakery and lying at worst.”
“I’ll go over key features of the EO and address the main accusations being peddled.
“Muslim Ban”
There is no Muslim Ban, even though the Twitter hashtag #MuslimBan is being used by opponents of the EO.
There is a postponement of entry from 7 countries (Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen) previously identified by the Obama administration as posing extraordinary risks. That they are 7 majority Muslim countries does not mean there is a Muslim ban, as most of the countries with the largest Muslim populations are not on the list (e.g., Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Nigeria and more).
Thus, the overwhelming majority of the Muslim world is not affected.”
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If you’re interested, the EO is here,
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/28/politics/text-of-trump-executive-order-nation-ban-refugees/
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An other victim of Trump’s ill thought out EO.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/29/a_12_year_old_girl_is_stuck_in_djibouti_thanks_to_trump_s_executive_order.html
Ricky — The vast majority of Canadians don’t follow politics outside of North America — but 65 to 70% of Canadians disapprove of Trump. Even conservative Canadian politicians have no respect for Trump and his policies.
Those who follow politics do admire Merkel especially conservatives who see her as espousing conservative ideas of economic freedom mixed with compassion. Outside of the English speaking world, and especially in Europe, she is the leader of the free world. Her ideas and pronouncements are taken more seriously than Trump. In Canada, he is either treated as a joke or a fascist buffoon — depending on what he did.
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McCain and Graham’s statement on Trump’s ban http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/1/statement-by-senators-mccain-graham-on-executive-order-on-immigration
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