DonViejo
DonViejo's JournalTrump fans' 'Deploraball' party descends into chaotic infighting over Nazi salutes and book burnings
27 DEC 2016 AT 09:39 ET
It didn’t take long for the racist Trump fans organizing the “Deploraball” inauguration party to turn on each other.
A major fight has broken out among Trump’s white nationalist fans over whether they should celebrate Trump’s pending inauguration by showering him with Nazi salutes.
Alt-right leader Mike Cernovich, who is organizing the Deploraball, started a massive fight this week after he told popular alt-right Twitter personality @bakedalaska that he couldn’t attend the party if he was going to do Nazi salutes of the kind that white nationalist Richard Spencer encouraged during his talk at the National Policy Institute conference earlier this month.
@bakedalaska quickly took his grievances with Cernovich online to his 131,000 followers.
Based Alaska™
✔ @bakedalaska
You can thank Mike @Cernovich for banning me from my own event for tweets. He seems to really care what the media thinks rather than his own
8:03 PM - 26 Dec 2016 · Burbank, CA
447 Retweets 966 likes
more
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/trump-fans-deploraball-party-descends-into-chaotic-infighting-over-nazi-salutes-and-book-burnings/
Trump taps Bossert for counterterrorism post -statement
Source: Reuters
27 DEC 2016 AT 09:56 ET
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Thomas Bossert, former deputy homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush, would be his White House adviser on security and counterterrorism issues, according to a statement.
As assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, Bossert would be Trump’s top counterterrorism chief.
He currently runs a risk management consulting firm and has a cyber risk fellowship with the Atlantic Council think tank.
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Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/trump-taps-bossert-for-counterterrorism-post-statement/
Trump Names Former Bush Aide To New Top Counterterrorism Role
Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Thomas P. Bossert would serve in the newly created position of Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.
“Mr. Bossert will advise the President on issues related to homeland security, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity,” Trump’s White House transition team said in a statement.
This position was formerly wrapped into the deputy national security advisor role that will be filled in the next administration by KT McFarland. Trump’s team said it has “elevated and restored” the role to allow Bossert to work directly alongside his pick for National Security Advisor, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.
Read the full statement below.
The role, performed by a deputy national security advisor in the previous Administration, is being elevated and restored to its independent status alongside the National Security Advisor, a decision that reflects the unwavering commitment President-elect Trump has to the safety and security of the Nation, its people and territory. Mr. Bossert will focus on domestic and transnational security priorities as General Michael Flynn remains steadfastly focused on international security challenges.
“Tom brings enormous depth and breadth of knowledge and experience to protecting the homeland to our senior White House team,” said President-elect Trump. “He has a handle on the complexity of homeland security, counterterrorism, and cybersecurity challenges. He will be an invaluable asset to our Administration.”
"I am grateful for this opportunity, for the faith President-elect Trump has placed in me, and for the chance to serve again in a position of such extraordinary public trust," Mr. Bossert said. "I am looking forward to working closely with Gen. Flynn as we together help the President-elect advance the interests of the United States and its allies. Further, I also look forward to maintaining a strong, deeply respectful relationship with the governors, mayors, police and fire fighters, emergency managers, EMS professionals, and public health officials that constitute the backbone of our homeland security and our National preparedness."
With regard to cybersecurity, Mr. Bossert additionally noted, "We must work toward cyber doctrine that reflects the wisdom of free markets, private competition and the important but limited role of government in establishing and enforcing the rule of law, honoring the rights of personal property, the benefits of free and fair trade, and the fundamental principles of liberty. The internet is a U.S. invention, it should reflect these U.S. values as it continues to transform the future for all nations and all generations."
Mr. Bossert served in the White House previously as the Deputy Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush. In that capacity, he supported and advised the President on matters of homeland and national security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity and continuity of operations. Mr. Bossert spearheaded efforts to improve civil government operations, co-authored and edited the National Strategy for Homeland Security of 2007, was a principle author of the lessons learned report on the Hurricane Katrina response and was deeply involved in the effort to develop the U.S. cybersecurity strategy, among others. He also served as Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Preparedness Policy. He was Director of Infrastructure Protection Policy prior to that.
Since 2009, Mr. Bossert has run his own independent homeland and national security consulting business and served as a Senior Cybersecurity Fellow at the U.S. Atlantic Council. Mr. Bossert held other positions in federal government, including positions with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business Administration, the Office of the Independent Counsel and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Frances F. Townsend, former Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor to President George W. Bush, applauded the selection, saying "I have every confidence that Tom will continue to demonstrate the capacity and insight needed to take on the tough challenges facing the country."
Kenneth L. Wainstein, former FBI General Counsel, Assistant Attorney General, and Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor also praised the selection. “Tom Bossert is a dedicated public servant and proven national security professional with significant hands-on experience navigating through security crises and challenges. With his background, Tom is uniquely suited to coordinate the government's homeland security apparatus, and I applaud the President-elect for selecting Tom for this critical White House position," said Wainstein.
Mr. Bossert received a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.
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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-thoms-bossert-assistant-president-homeland-security-counterterrorism
Now all news is "fake news": The right's war against truth goes back long before 9/11
Donald Trump and his media allies have convinced millions of Americans that there's no such thing as the truthHEATHER DIGBY PARTON
Conservatives are trying to give us all a headache — and not just by taking away our health insurance and worshipping Donald Trump. They are launching an attack on the concept of reality itself. This is not entirely new, of course. The right has made good use of propaganda and the old “you can believe me or you can believe your lying eyes” routine for many years.
Recall that back in the early 2000s, many of us were alarmed to see Iraq war propaganda making its way into the mainstream, eagerly passed on by major newspapers and cable news shows. The people pushing the attack had a long history of advocating for the invasion before 9/11 and had even made clear they were hoping for a pretext. Nonetheless, in those days of compulsory patriotic flag-waving the media showed no inclination to be even slightly skeptical, and the result was catastrophic.
Even as news was filtering out that the case against Saddam Hussein for supposedly aiding Osama bin Laden was thin to the point of nonexistence, top leaders such as Dick Cheney were blithely asserting that they had proof. The media largely took them at their word. When it became obvious that Saddam’s WMD cache did not exist, many on the right simply insisted that it did. This 2015 poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University shows that tons of people still believe it:
more
http://www.salon.com/2016/12/27/now-all-news-is-fake-news-the-rights-war-against-truth-goes-back-long-before-911/
US home prices rise 5.1 percent in October
Source: Associated Press
TUESDAY, DEC 27, 2016 09:15 AM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices rose again in October as buyers bidding for scarce properties drove prices higher.
The Standard & Poor’s CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index, released Tuesday, rose 5.1 percent in October from a year earlier after climbing 5 percent in September. Prices for the 20 cities are still 7.1 percent below their July 2006 peak.
The broader Case-Shiller national home price index was up 5.6 percent in October and has fully recovered from the financial crisis.
Prices rose 10.7 percent annually in Seattle, 10.3 percent in Portland and 8.3 percent in Denver. New York registered the smallest year-over-year gain: 1.7 percent. Home sales and prices have been helped by healthy demand, tight supplies and low mortgage rates.
Read more: http://www.salon.com/2016/12/27/us-home-prices-rise-5-1-percent-in-october/
Trump is being handed a great economy. What happens when it goes south?
By Catherine Rampell Opinion writer December 26 at 7:01 PM
Back in October, a Marketplace-Edison Research Poll found that two-thirds of Donald Trump voters didn’t trust government-reported economic data, thanks partly to their candidate’s insistence that the numbers are bogus.
Something tells me this attitude is about to change.
After all, Trump will soon take office with among the most favorable economic conditions — as measured by the government and private data sources — imaginable. And you can bet that he, and his supporters, will gleefully claim credit.
Until things go south, anyway.
For now, rose-colored economic data abound. The most recent jobs report shows the unemployment rate down to 4.6 percent. It hasn’t been this low since August 2007, several months before the Great Recession began.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-being-handed-a-great-economy-what-happens-when-it-goes-south/2016/12/26/524ff948-cba9-11e6-b8a2-8c2a61b0436f_story.html?utm_term=.4b1b70567ae4&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
Can Donald Trump persuade Americans to support his agenda? It's not likely.
By George C. Edwards III December 27 at 5:00 AM
Public support is a key resource that modern presidents have typically sought for themselves and their policies. They seek to leverage public opinion to garner support in Congress.
New presidents, basking in the glow of victory, often assume that they can move the public. After all, they have just won the biggest prize in American politics because they persuaded enough voters to support their candidacy. Why shouldn’t they be able to persuade Americans to support their policies?
Campaigning is different from governing, however. To win an election, a candidate need only convince voters in the short term that he or she is a better choice than the few available alternatives. In addition, someone always wins, whether or not voters support the victor’s policy positions.
Governing, on the other hand, involves deliberation, negotiation and often compromise over an extended period. The president’s policy is just one of a wide range of alternatives. To succeed, the president frequently needs to increase public support beyond his electoral coalition.
This brings us to Donald Trump. Is President Trump likely to enjoy broad public support to revolutionize public policy? Here are four questions to predict this critical aspect of his presidency.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/12/27/can-donald-trump-convince-americans-to-support-his-agenda-hell-soon-find-out-how-difficult-this-is/?utm_term=.abcda555419d&wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1
Obama: It's Been 'The Privilege Of My Life' To Serve As Commander In Chief
Source: Reuters
KANEOHE BAY, HAWAII (Reuters) President Barack Obama said on Sunday it had been the 'privilege of my life' to serve as U.S. commander in chief and promised his continued gratitude and commitment to service members and their families during a Christmas Day visit to Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
"Although this will be my last time addressing you as president, I want you to know that as a citizen, my gratitude will remain, and our commitment to standing by you every step of the way, that wont stop," Obama told several hundred people gathered in a mess hall decorated with Christmas trees and wreaths.
Obama said greeting service members and their families, some of whom held up cell phones for photos as he spoke, was one of his favorite traditions. He said that the day before, he called people deployed overseas, telling them Americans back at home understood they were fighting for freedom.
Obama, standing beside first lady Michelle Obama on a small platform, said when he leaves office in January, he will not be a stranger to those stationed in Hawaii, where he was born and still often spends vacations.
Read more: http://www.nationalmemo.com/obama-commander-in-chief/
'We dont support Satanic Jews': Trumps neo-Nazi fans freak after he posts a 'Happy Hanukkah' tweet
‘We don’t support Satanic Jews’: Trump’s neo-Nazi fans freak after he posts a ‘Happy Hanukkah’ tweet
BRAD REED
26 DEC 2016 AT 13:18 ET
President-elect Donald Trump decided to throw a bone to people who care about religious diversity in the United States by wishing Jewish people a “Happy Hanukkah” this week — and his neo-Nazi fans are not happy about it.
Shortly after Trump posted an innocuous “Happy Hanukkah” tweet on Monday, his feed was clogged with angry white nationalists who were upset that Trump was signaling support for “Satanic Jews.”
Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Happy #Hanukkah pic.twitter.com/UvZwtykV1E
Frank Salazar
@Frankie92th
@realDonaldTrump You better be fucking kidding me! I voted for you and you saidyou were a "good christians" and we dont support satanic jews
5:44 PM - 24 Dec 2016
52 Retweets 39 likes
Other white nationalists predictably brought up conspiracy theories about Jews supporting a “genocide” against white people, and begged Trump to reconsider reaching out to them.
more
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/we-dont-support-satanic-jews-trumps-neo-nazi-fans-freak-after-he-posts-a-happy-hanukkah-tweet/
Could Trump help unleash nuclear catastrophe with a single tweet?
By Greg Sargent December 26 at 9:56 AM
Donald Trump’s alarming Tweet about his desire to “greatly strengthen and expand” the “nuclear capability” of the United States unleashed a frenzy of media efforts to try to divine his actual policy intentions. It forced some of his advisers into tortured claims that Trump didn’t say what he actually said, even as others simultaneously insisted that Trump did meaningfully put other countries on notice that if he deems them to be challenging our supremacy, they will face an arms race.
But perhaps the most worrisome thing about Trump’s nuclear Tweet is not the intention to break with decades of international disarmament efforts that it may have signaled, though that’s frightening enough on its own. Rather, it’s that he saw fit to Tweet about nuclear weapons at all.
As we prepare for President Trump to take near-unchecked control of our nuclear machinery, his nuclear Tweet is best seen as a window into his temperament. Trump still does not appreciate that every word he utters carries tremendous weight and could have dramatic, untold, far-reaching, unpredictable consequences — something that is especially true in the nuclear arena. Or, perhaps worse, Trump may be entirely indifferent to this fact.
Arms control experts I spoke with suggested that Trump’s willingness to Tweet about nuclear weapons raises the possibility of Trump doing the same as president — and more to the point, the possibility of him doing so amid some species of international crisis or escalation.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/12/26/could-trump-help-unleash-nuclear-catastrophe-with-a-single-tweet/?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-e%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.325906a12926
Trump to inherit more than 100 court vacancies, plans to reshape judiciary
By Philip Rucker and Robert Barnes December 25 at 7:06 PM
Donald Trump is set to inherit an uncommon number of vacancies in the federal courts in addition to the open Supreme Court seat, giving the president-elect a monumental opportunity to reshape the judiciary after taking office.
The estimated 103 judicial vacancies that President Obama is expected to hand over to Trump in the Jan. 20 transition of power is nearly double the 54 openings Obama found eight years ago following George W. Bush’s presidency.
Confirmation of Obama’s judicial nominees slowed to a crawl after Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015. Obama White House officials blame Senate Republicans for what they characterize as an unprecedented level of obstruction in blocking the Democratic president’s court picks.
The result is a multitude of openings throughout the federal circuit and district courts that will allow the new Republican president to quickly make a wide array of lifetime appointments.
more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-to-inherit-more-than-100-court-vacancies-plans-to-reshape-judiciary/2016/12/25/d190dd18-c928-11e6-85b5-76616a33048d_story.html?tid=pm_politics_pop&utm_term=.a0edbdb1b0fa
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