Saturday, January 21, 2017

Women Marched today.

There was a time when Betty Ford would have marched with us.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is the one watch in the US Senate.

January 20, 2017
By Leigh Ann Caldwell

...Only Democrats (click here) voted against Kelly and some opposed, including freshman Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada because of concern over immigration. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who has opposed permitting a recently retired general to take a civilian leadership post, was the lone no vote on Mattis. His confirmation could only happen after Congress gave him an exception to serve in the post....

She is principled.

04 January 2017
By Michael Wilner

...Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, (click here) who unsuccessfully lobbied the White House to veto the UN move, endorsed the Senate resolution, which would repudiate the UN in a non-binding manner. Joining him is Senators Michael Bennet of Colorado, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Chris Coons of Delaware, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Bill Nelson of Florida and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan....

I really expect her to emerge as a strong woman candidate for President. She has done her homework and is prepared for the difficult discussions.

October 4, 2015
By Maury Thompson

Carrie Woerner (click here) did not know much about Kirsten Gillibrand in 2005 when Woerner agreed to host a house party for Gillibrand, who was just launching her first bid for the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I was not really involved in Democratic politics at the time,” Woener, now a state Assemblywoman from Round Lake, said in a recent interview. “She was a woman running for office. I’m very supportive of women running for office.”

Woerner said Gillibrand made an immediate impression on the women who gathered to eat cake, sip coffee and talk politics.

“Everybody was in the living room and the front door leads into the living room,” Woerner recalled. “She had barely gotten over the threshold when the questions started. If she had a prepared statement, I don’t think she got through much of it.”

It’s been a decade since Gillibrand, now a U.S. Senator, showed up on the local political scene to mount a successful campaign to unseat four-term incumbent Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, in 2006....

She also opposed Trump for real reasons. Divestiture.

December 16, 2016
By Michael McAuliff

Washington ― If President-elect Donald Trump (click here) wants to preserve Americans’ faith in democracy, he must truly divest his extensive and complicated business holdings, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) told The Huffington Post.

Gillibrand, a former corporate lawyer, is the lead Senate author of the Stock Act, a 2012 law that for the first time codified rules making it illegal for members of Congress to profit from inside information they obtain through their jobs. It explicitly applies to executive branch employees as well, including the president and his Cabinet.

For a person like Trump, who is fond of hashing out his thoughts with confidants and who has innumerable business investments that could be affected by his new job, the law makes juggling financial and public interests akin to a daily walk though a minefield, Gillibrand suggested on Thursday.

“The basic principle is really clear: If you buy or sell stock based on nonpublic information, or if you make business decisions based on nonpublic information, those are going to be in violation of the Stock Act,” Gillibrand said. “And if you tell people that work for you or tell people that you like or tell your best friends, that’s all insider trading.”...

She is also concerned about Mike Pompeo for CIA Director. I think she is correct.

...Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.): (click hereI know that the day before you were nominated to be the director, you said that you looked forward to — quote — “rolling back the Iran deal.”

Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.): It was my view that the JCPOA (click here) was a mistake for American national security. And now, if I’m confirmed, I will continue to do that in my role as director of the CIA. I will endeavor to provide straight information to you all about the progress that the JCPOA has made....

Here is the difference.

During the confirmation hearings General Mattis made a more than interesting statement which reflects the 'way the world works' which is different from ideology.

General Mattis said he believed the Iran deal to be imperfect, the USA would be at present a strong and formidable presence to every emerging power.

That is what Iran is now. Iran is the newest emerging power in the global economy. Obama and Kerry are correct in recognizing that and moving the agreement forward. But, Mattis is also very correct. The USA does have a responsibility to allies and world peace (if there still is such a thing) or better said global stability, in that emerging powers have to come to terms with the real world rather than the oppression it sustained to achieve a dialogue.

That is the difference between Mattis and Pompeo. Pompeo is working out of ideology and that will be a problem in securing a region that includes an emerging Iran. Mattis needs a partner not an adversary. 

There are other things about Pompeo, but, the Iran statements are among the most troubling.

ExxonMobile and the ACA are only child's play. It is only money.

President Trump needs to end his election hubris; lives hang in the balance and some are taking such ideas seriously.

Donald, look up the word genocide. Seriously. Destroying Palestine is genocide. Perhaps once Donald understands it he can explain that to the Israeli settlers that came to his party.

January 20, 2017
By Neri Zilber

Tel Aviv, Israel, and Ramallah, West Bank (click here) — “We are entering a new era,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaimed last month, the day after the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution condemning Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. “Just as President-elect [Donald] Trump said … it will happen much sooner than you think. In the new era there is a much higher price for those who try to harm Israel, and that price will be exacted not only by the U.S., but by Israel as well.”

Israelis and Palestinians are already preparing for this new era, and drawing battle lines against their foes....

I think most people would admit ignoring the settlers haven't done a bit of good. The men brought to Washington, DC are influential and well known. That is strategic and not simply indulgent.

You know, the leader of Turkey took a trip and the military got restless.

January 20, 2017
By Jennifer Williams

...Then Donald Trump won the presidency. (click here) And today, three prominent leaders of Israel’s settler movement are being treated as honored guests at Trump’s inauguration ceremony and ball, both of which they were explicitly invited to attend.

“I definitely agree that we are now getting the VIP treatment, which is something that we have been working on for many years,” Oded Revivi, the mayor of the West Bank settlement of Efrat and a top official with the Yesha Council, the main advocacy group for Jewish settlers, told the Times of Israel. “You could basically argue that it has taken 50 years, since 1967, to be recognized on such a level for such an event.”

Revivi came to Washington with two other prominent leaders in the settler movement — Benny Kashriel, mayor of Ma’aleh Adumim, the third largest Jewish city in the West Bank, and Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, which provides municipal services for the 35 Jewish towns and settlements in the northern region of the West Bank....

Ah, yes, all the greats of policy from the Republican Party.

January 19, 2017
By Zaid Jilani

...Speaking to a gathering (click here) that included a who’s who of Christian right leaders — including Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, Faith & Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed, and Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson — Israeli Knesset member Yehuda Glick, who belongs to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, spoke about Trump’s election in messianic terms.

He began his remarks by approvingly quoting Psalm 72, which speaks of welcoming a new king. “It is a prayer for King Solomon, and it is the prayer for all kings and especially a prayer for the king of the United States.”

He then pivoted to explaining his own path to politics — how he went from a hardline rabbi advocating permanent settlements in the Palestinian territories to being elected as a Likud lawmaker — describing his victory as a miracle.

“Tomorrow, 21 hours from now, and 14 minutes, there will be another miracle!” he said, speaking of Trump’s election to sustained applause.

“Trump throughout his campaign, again and again and again repeatedly spoke about Israel and Jerusalem,” he reminded them, his voice escalating as if giving a sermon. “We’re so close, friends of Jerusalem and Israel! […] He can choose to be a Cyrus! He can choose to say Jerusalem, all nations should recognize Jerusalem!”

(Cyrus is the Persian King referred to in the Hebrew Bible who rescued Jews from their exile in Babylon.)...

Iran? No one is going to undo the economic movement within Iran and Trump would be a fool to try.

January 20, 2017
By Amos Harel

Israeli intelligence agencies (click here) find the agreement holds and Iran complies to its terms. If U.S. goes back on deal and conflict develops with Iran, other powers would leave Israel hanging, former Military Intelligence chief tells Haaretz....
The health care industry isn't going to like Donald Trump. They never asked for the Individual Mandate to be repealed. He should think about that. What next impeach John Roberts?

The CEOs of hospital systems and health care insurance companies will have to come forward to recommend improvements to the ACA. That is done through committee hearings. The Republicans have to do the work and they don't want to because they don't know what they are doing.


Trump can''t simply sit in the Oval Office and write Executive Orders. It doesn't work that way.


Hello? 


IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Congress would love to have it work that way, but, it would have to destroy the democracy and let's face it, everyone in Congress and the Executive Branch already vowed to uphold and defend the USA Constitution.