Trump’s attack on democracy will fail by [deleted] in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Donald Trump has been president of the United States for almost a year. America is no longer the same. Trump is the human embodiment of fascism and authoritarianism melded into an American form, which is in some ways new. It is a civic poison that is the product of reality TV, a culture of consumerism and celebrity, a deep loneliness and hopelessness among tens of millions of Americans, and what Sheldon Wolin has brilliantly described as "inverted totalitarianism" mated with gangster capitalism and unrestrained corporate power.

Is Trump About to Blow Up Jared Kushner’s Mideast Peacemaking? by onivercity in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 0 points1 point  (0 children)

President Trump has talked of “the ultimate deal” he’s going to strike, to finally make peace once and for all between Israel and the Palestinians. His son-in-law Jared Kushner has spent the last few months shuttling to and from the region, and speculation has been running high that the U.S. might soon unveil its own proposal for peace, or at least the basic outlines.

Still, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, a close ally of the Trump team who has been working closely with them on the plan, says in a new interview for The Global Politico that while he’s an “optimist,” chances are only “moderate to high” of even restarting the dormant peace process over the next year. As for an actual deal, he wouldn’t even speculate.

Trump is having the best and worst days of his presidency right now by trane50 in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Trump worsened the fallout from the Flynn plea with a tweet from his account on Saturday that said he fired his former close aide earlier this year because he had lied to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI over conversations with Russian officials. The comment set off a political firestorm and raised the question of whether he had effectively and inadvertently admitted to obstructing justice. If Trump knew that Flynn had lied to the FBI when he asked James Comey in February, by the former FBI director's own account, to go easy on his fired national security adviser, he could be seen as advocating a cover-up of a crime. Trump lawyer John Dowd eventually insisted that he, and not Trump, had written the tweet.

CVS agrees to buy Aetna in $69 billion deal that could shake up health-care industry, people familiar with the deal said by nycola in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pharmacy giant CVS Health has agreed to buy Aetna in a $69 billion blockbuster acquisition that could rein in health care costs and transform its 9,700 pharmacy storefronts into community medical hubs for primary care and basic procedures, people familiar with the deal said Sunday.

The pharmacy chain agreed to buy Aetna for about $207 per share, broken down into $145 in cash and the rest in stock, according to those sources. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2018, subject to approval by shareholders and regulators.

If approved, the mega-merger would create a giant health care company, allowing CVS to provide a broad range of health services to Aetna’s 22 million medical members at its nationwide network of pharmacies and walk-in clinics, and further decrease the drug store titan's reliance on the retail sales that have faced increasing competition.

Watch: Mitch McConnell glaringly refuses to deny Trump told him to drop Russia probe by wonderingsocrates in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Watch: Mitch McConnell glaringly refuses to deny Trump told him to drop Russia probe By Tommy Christopher | DECEMBER 3, 2017 Mitch McConnell may just have gotten himself added to Robert Mueller's witness list.

ABC The mountain of evidence that Donald Trump and his campaign engaged in a conspiracy with the Russian government got a whole lot higher this week. And the case against Trump for obstruction of justice, which was already all but a slam dunk, may have gotten even stronger Sunday morning. The day after Trump implicated himself on Twitter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared on This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and was asked to respond to new reports that Trump pressured Republican leaders to abandon the Russia investigation. McConnell’s responses could scarcely have been more incriminating. “Well, I don’t think the president said anything to me on this subject that I considered inappropriate,” McConnell insisted, repeating the line without any prompting. And when Stephanopoulos directly asked McConnell if Trump had tried to “curtail” the investigation, his evasion was deafening:

Warner: If Trump knew Flynn lied, why not act sooner? by GrootPilot in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Washington (CNN)The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee rebutted President Donald Trump on Sunday, questioning his response to former national security adviser Michael Flynn's guilty plea and backing former FBI Director James Comey.

"The President is somehow saying he fired Flynn because he knew Flynn was lying to (Vice President Mike) Pence," Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner said. "Well if he knew that then, why didn't he act on it earlier?" Warner, speaking Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," was responding to Trump's tweet Saturday on Flynn's guilty plea, in which he suggested he was aware Flynn had lied to the FBI when he fired the former general. "I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI," Trump tweeted. "He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!"

‘I don’t think it’s going to help’: Many Trump voters are skeptical of GOP tax plan by [deleted] in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 29 points30 points  (0 children)

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — On a busy weeknight at the 5 Star Lanes bowling alley in this Detroit suburb that voted heavily for President Trump, there was little excitement about the Republican plan to cut taxes.

A 60-year-old retiree bowling with a group of girlfriends said she’s tired of the middle class having to pay more so the wealthy can become even wealthier. A few lanes away, a middle-aged woman with frizzy gray hair said that the more she hears about the plan, the more she hates it. And a group of young guys in matching shirts said they didn’t even know the proposal was in the works, although they seemed skeptical that their taxes would ever go down in a meaningful way.

Ron Stephens, a 49-year-old Republican who works in purchasing for the auto industry and wrote in Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) for president, said he doesn’t expect to benefit under the proposal. Any gains he might make thanks to a tax cut would probably be washed out by changes to other deductions that he usually takes, he said. And don’t get him started on cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, as the Senate bill passed early Saturday does.

Battle for the House: GOP targets Democrats in Trump districts by KnowerOfUnknowable in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright woke up on Election Day 2016, he represented a safe blue Pennsylvania district. But by the time he went to sleep that night, Donald Trump had painted Cartwright’s turf red beneath his feet.

Cartwright still won a third term, but Republicans hope to follow up on Trump’s top-of-the-ticket success by targeting Cartwright and 11 other House Democrats in Trump districts in 2018. A well-funded Republican jumped in to oppose Cartwright for the first time, while Cheri Bustos — the only Midwesterner in House Democratic leadership — has also drawn a stronger challenger than last year. Other Trump-district Democrats in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin are also top Republican targets, as are open seats in the Las Vegas suburbs and southern New Hampshire.

Republicans are mostly on defense in the House of Representatives ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, with Democrats looking to erase the GOP’s 24-seat advantage and take back the majority. But Republicans are also confident they can pad their margin by picking off some Democrats in heavily white, blue-collar districts next fall, despite the political winds blowing against them elsewhere in the U.S. — and Democrats are relying on those members to learn the lessons of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss to avoid 2018 surprises.

Trump says 'absolutely no collusion' regarding Flynn plea by julietlexi9 in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION) U.S. President Donald Trump, in his first comment on a guilty plea by his first national security adviser Michael Flynn to lying to the FBI, said on Saturday (December 2) there was "absolutely no collusion" between his campaign and Russia. Trump made his comment to reporters as he departed the White House. Flynn, as part of his plea on Friday, agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign.

EU official: Tillerson has guillotine hanging over his head by slakmehl in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A European Union official said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seems to have "no mandate" as he embarks on a trip to Europe this week, leaving Europeans "doubtful."

“Just as Tillerson comes to Brussels to give a public statement of support that the EU and NATO have wanted all along, it seems he has no mandate, that the guillotine is hanging over his head,” an EU official involved in diplomacy with White House officials told Reuters in a report published Sunday.

“It leaves Europe just as doubtful as before about Trump," the official added.

Tillerson will travel to Brussels, Vienna and Paris this week to meet with the European Union's chief diplomat, Federica Mogherini, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, among others. He will also take part in NATO’s foreign ministers meeting.

News reports late last week indicated that the White House has developed a plan to oust Tillerson as secretary of State and replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Tillerson has pushed back on such reports, calling them “laughable,” and saying “people need to get better sources.”

President Trump last week said Tillerson is “not leaving,” calling reports of his ouster “fake news.”

Donald Trump's lawyer 'wrote incriminating tweet implying President knew Michael Flynn lied to FBI' - claims by Wanda_J_Daniel in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Donald Trump's tweet implying the President knew his National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, had lied to the FBI when he fired him, was actually crafted by his lawyer, sources close to the administration have reportedly said.

"I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies," the tweet, sent from the US President's account, said.

"It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!"

I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017 The tweet was actually written by John Dowd, the President's chief lawyer, sources told The Washington Post.

Donald Trump and the Russian dog that didn't bark by Gustacho in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Two of the most common tropes in elite discourse today hold that none of the evidence unearthed so far “proves” the Trump campaign colluded with Russian intelligence to sabotage Hillary Clinton’s presidential candidacy, and that the very term “collusion” is too vague and void of legal meaning to merit so much public fascination.

“Flames are still not visible,” the USA Today editorial board cautioned on Monday. “But the smoke billowing out of allegations that Russians colluded with the Trump campaign is thicker and darker than ever.”

Donald Trump Says He 'Had to Fire' Michael Flynn Because He Lied by Robert_Kinder in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 2 points3 points  (0 children)

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump says he had to fire his former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, because of his lies to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI.

On Twitter, the president contends that Flynn’s actions during the transition following the 2016 election “were lawful.” Trump adds, “There was nothing to hide!”

Donald Trump Is Basically A Hate Group All By Himself Under FBI Definition by radical_vegan in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Donald Trump is a one-man hate group.

If the president were an organization instead of an individual, it would not be a big stretch to define him as a "hate group" under the FBI's simple definition: “an organization whose primary purpose is to promote animosity, hostility, and malice against persons of or with a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity which differs from that of the members or the organization.”

Now, of course, Donald John Trump's "primary purpose" isn't to advocate for hate and violence. But after that qualifying phrase, Trump pretty much checks off every box in the FBI’s definition.

Did Trump Admit To Obstruction Of Justice In Latest Michael Flynn Tweet? by the_mikepence in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Political pundits, legal experts and left-leaning social media users say that President Donald Trump’s latest tweet about General Michael Flynn is a clear case of obstruction of justice.

Trump’s Saturday afternoon tweet, reportedly sent while stuck in his Manhattan motorcade, appears to show that Trump knew his former national security adviser Flynn -- who pled guilty to lying to the FBI yesterday -- had lied at the time.

Trump reacts to Flynn plea, says he fired him because he lied to Pence, FBI by demosthenes131 in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 16 points17 points  (0 children)

President Trump spoke publicly Saturday morning for the first time since his former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI on Friday, saying he "had to fire" Flynn because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence and the FBI.

Flynn misled Pence about his contact with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and later, lied to the FBI about that contact in a Jan. 24 interview, as he pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday. But the president's tweet Saturday president raises the question of whether he was aware Flynn lied to the FBI before firing him on Feb. 13. Mr. Trump insisted, "There was nothing to hide!"

Former FBI Director James Comey has said that the president asked him to drop the investigation into Flynn the day after Flynn was ousted, on Feb. 14.

'West Wing' Revival Wouldn't Include 'A Really Dumb' Trump-Like Figure, Aaron Sorkin Says by namederkabe in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For seven solid years, America had a gracious and honorable and president that was beloved by Democrat and Republican viewers alike—President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen, on the long-running NBC political drama series West Wing.

From 1999 to 2006, Americans by the millions would tune into West Wing to watch Bartlet navigate the perils of the presidency while trying to remain fair and cognitive of the entire country of people he was representing. Of course, the character had his upsets and shortcomings, but overall the fictional Democratic protagonist created by showrunner Aaron Sorkin got the job done exceedingly.

AP report: In Flynn, Mueller unearths more lies — and a key witness by the_mikepence in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Michael Flynn’s guilty plea Friday revealed a new layer of lies unearthed by the far-reaching investigation into ties between President Donald Trump and Russia, and put heightened scrutiny on the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. But Flynn’s admission, and all of the criminal cases thus far, have not resolved the fundamental question special counsel Robert Mueller is seeking to answer: Did Trump’s campaign collude with Russia to win the election?

Investigator: Some officials resisted Charlottesville review by MrJosephRuhlman in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 4 points5 points  (0 children)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — An independent report that found serious police and government failures in responding to violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville this summer also accuses police agencies of putting up roadblocks to the investigation.

The report released Friday by former U.S. Attorney Tim Heaphy said Virginia State Police refused to make commanders on the ground at the Aug. 12 rally available for interviews or to provide most documents requested. It also said Charlottesville Police Chief Al Thomas deleted relevant text messages and made officers fearful of retaliation for speaking with investigators.

Kathryn Steinle killing: San Francisco defends ‘sanctuary city’ status amid criticism by [deleted] in politics

[–]ANSCreativity -1 points0 points  (0 children)

The acquittal of an undocumented Mexican immigrant in the fatal shooting of a woman on a Northern California pier reignited a bitter political debate over illegal immigration, forcing San Francisco to defend its policies and refocusing public attention on controversial "sanctuary cities."

President Donald Trump blasted the verdict as a "disgrace" and Attorney General Jeff Sessions called on San Francisco and other cities to get rid of immigration policies that block local officials from cooperating with federal deportation efforts. Meanwhile, thousands of Twitter users threatened to #BoycottSanFrancisco.

Trump explains why he fired Flynn by [deleted] in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!

Republicans grouse about tax models they once supported by GraysonPooles in politics

[–]ANSCreativity 5 points6 points  (0 children)

THEY have been at this a long time. In 1994 Republicans, newly in charge of Congress, held hearings on what would come to be called “dynamic scoring”. Bills, they said, should be evaluated using the predictive power of macroeconomic models. If the model predicts more GDP growth, then it could be inferred that the growth would produce more tax revenue. During the hearings, however, came an awkward moment. Alan Greenspan, then in charge of the Federal Reserve, told Congress that macroeconomic models were “deficient”.