DonViejo
DonViejo's JournalTrump isnt going to Alabama to campaign for Moore - but plans to hold a rally next door
Source: The Washington Post
By Josh Dawsey November 30 at 5:05 PM
President Trump isn’t going to Alabama to campaign for Roy Moore. But he’s planning to get about as close as you can to the state line.
Trump is expected to hold a campaign-style rally in Pensacola, Fla., about 20 miles from the Alabama line, next Friday. The rally is four days ahead of the Dec. 12 special election in Alabama, where Moore faces Democrat Doug Jones.
At the Dec. 8 rally, advisers said the president is likely to attack national Democrats and may attack Jones. It is unclear if Trump will specifically praise Moore.
Pensacola is in the same media market as Mobile, Ala., which could allow Trump to reach Alabama voters without having to actually travel to the state and specifically rally for Moore.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-isnt-going-to-alabama-to-campaign-for-moore--but-plans-to-hold-rally-next-door/2017/11/30/b306bb9e-d613-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.f8e7622d9586
Sessions blasts sanctuary cities after Kate Steinle murder trial ruling
Source: The Hill
BY JOSH DELK - 11/30/17 09:02 PM EST
Attorney General Jeff Session blasted so-called sanctuary cities late Thursday after a San Francisco jury acquitted an illegal immigrant charged with the 2015 murder of 32-year-old Kate Steinle.
“When jurisdictions choose to return criminal aliens to the streets rather than turning them over to federal immigration authorities, they put the public’s safety at risk," Sessions said in a statement.
Sessions's comments came after a jury for the Superior Court of San Francisco acquitted Jose Ines Garcia Zarate of the fatal shooting of Steinle. Zarate had previously been deported five times.
The court found Zarate not guilty of first or second-degree murder or assault with a firearm, but convicted him of being a felon with a firearm, for which he will be sentenced at a future date.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/362707-sessions-blasts-sanctuary-cities-after-kate-steinle-decision
Defense attorney in Steinle case: Jury's verdict 'should be respected'
BY BRANDON CARTER - 11/30/17 09:44 PM EST
The attorney representing the undocumented immigrant found not guilty of the murder of Kate Steinle issued a statement after the verdict aimed squarely at President Trump, Vice President Pence and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, saying the jury's verdict “should be respected.”
“For those who might criticize this verdict – there are a number of people who have commented on this case in the last couple of years; the Attorney General of the United States and the President and Vice President of the United States,” defense attorney Matt Gonzalez said, according to a local CBS affiliate.
“Let me just remind them: they are themselves under investigation by a special prosecutor in Washington D.C. and they may soon avail themselves of the presumption of innocence beyond a reasonable doubt, so I ask that they reflect on that before they comment or disparage the results of this case.” A jury for the Superior Court of San Francisco acquitted Jose Ines Garcia Zarate Wednesday of the fatal shooting of Steinle. Zarate, who was in the US illegally at the time of the shooting, had previously been deported five times.
The court found Zarate not guilty of first or second-degree murder or assault with a firearm, but convicted him of being a felon with a firearm, for which he will be sentenced at a future date.
more
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/362711-defense-attorney-in-steinle-case-jurys-verdict-should-be
Here We Go Again: Twitter Mocks Trump Over Awful Attendance at National Tree Lighting
by Joe DePaolo | 7:57 pm, November 30th, 2017
Here we go again.
President Donald Trump and the first family attended the National Tree Lighting ceremony in Washington on Thursday before a crowd of…well…let’s see:
https://twitter.com/SteveRudinABC7/status/936369495853228032
The parallels to the Inauguration were obvious. And Twitter, which seldom disappoints, was all over it. Here’s a sampling of the social media reaction:
https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/936384866320568321
https://twitter.com/davidfrum/status/936388180785483776
https://twitter.com/Amy_Siskind/status/936380371532505100
https://twitter.com/ReignOfApril/status/936380075834003456
https://twitter.com/AynRandPaulRyan/status/936381359634837504
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/936386107012460545
more
https://www.mediaite.com/online/here-we-go-again-twitter-mocks-trump-over-awful-attendance-at-national-tree-lighting/
Interrogators Blast Trump's 'Clueless' CIA Pick Tom Cotton
Source: The Daily Beast
Tom Cotton, Trump’s reported choice for CIA, mocked the idea that Russia backed Trump—and backed waterboarding. That could make for a tense reception at Langley.
SPENCER ACKERMAN
11.30.17 12:44 PM ET
The Central Intelligence Agency is set to receive an advocate of waterboarding, sweeping surveillance powers, jailing journalists, and conflict with Iran as its next director.
A combat veteran and first-term Arkansas GOP senator, Tom Cotton has wasted little time building his twin reputations as one of the Senate’s hardest hardliners and friendliest Donald Trump allies. In one of his earliest Senate soundbites, he rebuked a Pentagon official in 2015 for the failed plan to close Guantanamo Bay, saying its detainees should “rot in hell.” More recently, he has mocked the idea that Trump colluded with Russia.
Now, following months of whispered reporting, White House chief of staff John Kelly has developed a plan to transition Cotton over to the Central Intelligence Agency directorship—the better to oust flailing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with CIA director and fellow Trump loyalist Mike Pompeo, according to the New York Times.
Cotton’s prospective arrival at the CIA is the latest dalliance with a restoration of torture to the spy agency’s agenda. Trump as a presidential candidate advocated “worse” torture techniques than waterboarding, only to proclaim himself swayed away from torture by the opposition of Jim Mattis, now the defense secretary.
Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-cia-pick-tom-cotton-blasted-by-interrogators
White House Proclaims World AIDS Day, Leaves Out LGBT People & People of Color
Source: The Daily Beast
In administrations past, the World AIDS Day proclamation has traditionally included mentions of groups acutely affected by HIV/AIDS. Not under President Trump.
SCOTT BIXBY
11.30.17 3:40 PM ET
The White House on Thursday released a proclamation of World AIDS Day that excluded any mention of groups at particular risk of HIV infection, including gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people, or people of color.
The proclamation was issued one day before Dec. 1st, a date recognized internationally since 1988 as a day dedicated to raising aware of the AIDS pandemic that has claimed more than 35 million lives. “We pray for all those living with HIV, and those who have lost loved ones to AIDS,” the proclamation, signed by President Donald Trump, notes, and “we commend the immense effort people have made to control and end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.”
In response to requests for clarification as to why the White House omitted at-risk groups from the proclamation, the press secretary’s office told The Daily Beast that “HIV/AIDS afflicts people of all types.”
The omission is like the White House’s decision to omit any mention of Jews in its statement commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day, which drew heavy condemnation from across the political spectrum.
Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-proclaims-world-aids-day-leaves-out-lgbt-people-and-people-of-color
Trump campaign email calls Democrats 'America haters'
Source: CNN
By Miranda Green, CNN
Updated 1:12 PM ET, Thu November 30, 2017
Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again Committee" has released a new fundraising email entitled "America haters" that slams Democrats and liberals.
"You know as well as I that the Democrats are more desperate than ever to stop the America First agenda," reads the email, which says it was authored by the President's son Eric Trump. "And as my father continues to deliver on the promises he made, they're becoming increasingly panicked -- even attacking our fundraising numbers."
The fundraising email also says, "They want to wake up tomorrow and say we are slipping, and that America no longer stands behind President Trump. They are dead wrong."
Donald Trump has previously issued provocative fundraising emails. In October, Trump sent an email praising Vice President Mike Pence for walking out of an NFL football game -- and seeking donations in the wake of the National Anthem controversy.
###
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/30/politics/democrats-america-haters-trump-email/index.html
State Dept. warned White House about possible increased threats after anti-Muslim tweets
Source: CNN
By Elise Labott and Abby Phillip, CNN
Updated 2:38 PM ET, Thu November 30, 2017
Washington (CNN)After President Donald Trump retweeted anti-Muslims videos on Wednesday, multiple State Department officials said the department communicated to the White House that there was concern that protests could happen at US embassies.
Officials feared that the tweets, which appeared to depict Muslims engaged in different acts of violence, would spark a reprise of the violent protests at US embassies in the Middle East which are already on high security alert. Protests erupted in September 2012 following the publication of an anti-Muslim video on the internet. Embassies were on alert throughout the day, although no incidents have been reported thus far, the State Department officials said.
A White House official confirmed that the White House was alerted to those concerns by the State Department. The official said that there is still discussion in the White House about whether the administration should issue a stronger statement addressing concerns that the tweets might raise tensions with the Muslim world, but this official cautioned that it is not clear that any action will be taken.
"It didn't manifest in anything actionable, but it was a big concern," one State Department official said. "We saw in Cairo and other places that simply posting something on the internet, even if nothing was intended by it, could have real consequences."
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/30/politics/trump-anti-muslim-tweets-warning/index.html
White House: Tillerson Is A 'Pretty Tough Guy' Who Will Be 'Just Fine'
Source: Talking Points Memo
By ESME CRIBB Published NOVEMBER 30, 2017 4:00 PM
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday said that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson should be “just fine” to do his job, despite reports that the White House plans to oust him.
“The secretary of state’s a pretty tough guy. I think he’ll be just fine carrying his job out,” Sanders said at her daily press briefing.
The New York Times reported Thursday morning that the White House has developed a plan to replace Tillerson with with current CIA Director Mike Pompeo, and to replace Pompeo with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR).
“As we’ve said many times before, as many of you love to write these type of stories, when the President loses confidence in someone, they will no longer serve in the capacity that they’re in,” Sanders added.
Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/white-house-tillerson-is-a-pretty-tough-guy-despite-ouster-reports
First on CNN: Bannon-backed group makes six-figure ad buy in last-minute push for Moore
Source: CNN
By Kaitlan Collins, CNN
Updated 11:59 AM ET, Thu November 30, 2017
(CNN)A political advocacy group aligned with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is making a six-figure ad buy in a last-minute push to rally support for embattled Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.
With less than two weeks to go in a volatile special election that has been rocked by allegations of sexual assault against the Republican front-runner, the group, Great America Alliance, is purchasing $150,000 worth of television, radio and digital ads to hit Moore's Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, for his positions on issues like abortion.
The advertising onslaught comes as Moore, 70, faces accusations that he pursued romantic relationships with several women when they were teenagers and he was in his 30s, including one who says he touched her inappropriately when she was 14 and another who says he sexually assaulted her when she was 16. The legal age of consent in Alabama is 16. Moore has vehemently denied the allegations; he has refused to take questions from reporters on the allegations since they were first reported by The Washington Post.
Jones supports abortion rights, a position that has put him at odds with Alabama's evangelical voters. One of the commercials that Great America Alliance will run, which the group initially released online, calls Jones' views on abortion "deceptive and dangerous."
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/30/politics/great-america-alliance-makes-ad-buy-for-roy-moore/index.html?sr=twCNNp113017great-america-alliance-makes-ad-buy-for-roy-moore1204PMVODtop&CNNPolitics=Tw
Trump's national security shake-up will make the world a much more dangerous place
By Paul Waldman November 30 at 1:28 PM
Because the Trump administration is such a finely tuned machine, today we learn that the national security and foreign policy team is set for an overhaul, a whole nine months into this presidency. The likely result is a more isolated position for the United States in the world and a more dangerous future.
-snip-
It’s hard not to have mixed feelings about Tillerson’s departure. On one hand, he’ll doubtless go down as one of the worst secretaries of state in history, having set about to gut America’s diplomatic capacity and destroy morale within his department. On the other hand, he reportedly called Trump a “moron,” so he obviously has a good head on his shoulders.
As strained as Tillerson’s relationship with Trump was, if nothing else he made some attempts to rein in the president’s more dangerous ideas and leave open the possibility that diplomacy might be worth pursuing with regard to countries such as Iran and North Korea. But there’s not much reason to believe that Pompeo would be a force pushing in the same direction.
Indeed, Pompeo has come under severe criticism for politicizing the CIA. He has distorted the results of intelligence community analysis in order to support Trump’s interpretation of Russian involvement in the 2016 election. At times he has given the impression that his first priority is protecting Trump politically, not giving him the most accurate information to help make life-or-death decisions.
Perhaps most disturbingly, Pompeo’s move to State and Cotton’s elevation to the CIA would make the end of the deal restraining Iran’s nuclear program, and possibly even another American war in the Middle East, much more likely.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2017/11/30/trumps-national-security-shakeup-will-make-the-world-a-much-more-dangerous-place
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Name: DonGender: Male
Hometown: Massachusetts
Home country: United States
Member since: Sat Sep 1, 2012, 03:28 PM
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