Trump back to business as recount distractions loom large

President-elect Donald Trump will be back at the saddle Monday in New York as he looks to decide who will fill the integral appointments in his cabinet as concerns about a possible secretary of state choice rise and the distraction of a recount vote in Wisconsin, and possibly other key battleground states, set to press on.
Trump has a series of meetings scheduled to try and narrow down the foundation of his cabinet after spending Thanksgiving weekend at his Palm Beach, Fla. estate. As the talks are reportedly expected to intensify over the course of the week, concerns about the possible appointment of Mitt Romney as secretary of state were made known on Sunday.
Top adviser Kellyanne Conway said Sunday that she will support whoever Trump picks, but continues to argue that the grass-roots supporters who backed his improbable victory feel let down about Romney, considering he called Trump a “con man” and a “phony.”
"People feel betrayed to think that … Romney, who went out of his way to question the character and the intellect and the integrity of Donald Trump … would be given the most significant Cabinet post of all,” Conway said on NBC's "Meet the Press.”
Trump and his team of advisers appear to be split on whether Trump should pick Romney, a former GOP presidential nominee, or former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, an early Trump loyalist.
Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus on “Fox News Sunday” downplayed rumors over vicious infighting over who will lead the State Department, saying that Trump's "going to make the best decision for the American people.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told “Fox & Friends Sunday” that a Romney choice would be disappointing, adding "I think there's nothing Mitt Romney can say that doesn't sound phony and frankly pathetic.”
Romney was one of the most notable Republicans to speak out against Trump during his campaign.
People involved in the transition process told the Associated Press Trump's decision on his secretary of state did not appear to be imminent. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker and John Bolton, a former ambassador to the U.N., have also been under consideration.
Meanwhile, looming in the background of Trump’s cabinet picks is the recount that is slated to take place in Wisconsin. State election officials are expected to meet Monday to discuss a possible timeline for a recount of the state’s presidential election.
The recount comes at the request of Green Party candidate Jill Stein, who says it’s important to determine whether hacking may have affected the results. Stein also plans to request recounts in Pennsylvania and Michigan.
Trump went on a Twitter offensive Sunday in an attempt to assail that the recount front. He claimed widespread voter fraud in his storm of tweets.
"I won the popular vote if you deduct the millions of people who voted illegally," Trump tweeted in the afternoon before alleging in an evening tweet "serious voter fraud in Virginia, New Hampshire and California."
Trump narrowly won Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and, as of Wednesday, held a lead of almost 11,000 votes in Michigan, with the results awaiting state certification Monday. All three would need to flip to Hillary Clinton to upend the Republican's victory, and Clinton's team says Trump has a larger edge in all three states than has ever been overcome in a presidential recount.
There's been no evidence of widespread tampering or hacking that would change the results; indeed, Clinton's team said it had been looking for abnormalities and found nothing that would alter the results.
Clinton's lawyer Marc Elias said her team has been combing through the results since the election in search of anomalies that would suggest hacking by Russians or others and found "no actionable evidence." But "we feel it is important, on principle, to ensure our campaign is legally represented in any court proceedings and represented on the ground in order to monitor the recount process itself," he said.

Democratic Recount Cartoons

Yes, Hillary Clinton should still be prosecuted for her e-mails

One of the questions being bandied about these days is whether a Trump Justice Department should prosecute former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for all the laws she broke with her private e-mail server and subsequent breaches of security. An obvious answer lies in the concept of equal justice under the law and that none of us is above the law. But I believe a more important consideration is the fact that more than 64 million voters were willing to have Hillary Clinton as their president anyway. I largely attribute this sad reality to a corrupt and dishonest news media that has become little more than the propaganda machine of the Democratic Party. Not only would prosecuting Clinton serve to re-establish our nation’s concept of justice, it could also serve as an opportunity to prosecute and indict a news media that nearly facilitated a criminal becoming our nation’s next president.
Douglas Fleecs, Greeley

Trump calls Stein, Clinton vote recount effort 'ridiculous,' a 'scam'

Conservatives seek special prosecutor for Clinton

President-elect Donald Trump broke his silence Saturday on the multi-state vote-recount effort led by Jill Stein and joined this weekend by Hillary Clinton, another failed 2016 White House candidate, calling the effort “ridiculous” and a scam.
Stein, the Green Party candidate, started the effort a couple of days ago to get recounts in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- states that Trump surprisingly won.
Stein has raised $5.8 million toward her goal of $7 million and on Friday made her first official move -- requesting a recount in Wisconsin.
"The people have spoken and the election is over,” Trump, a Republican, said Saturday. “We must accept this result and then look to the future. … “This recount is just a way for Jill Stein. … to fill her coffers with money, most of which she will never even spend on this ridiculous recount.”
The Clinton campaign joined the effort, despite Clinton having already conceded the race.
“Now that a recount is underway, we believe we have an obligation to the more than 64 million Americans who cast ballots for Hillary Clinton to participate in ongoing proceedings to ensure that an accurate vote count will be reported,” Hillary for America attorney Marc Erik Elias said on Medium.
Stein, who got roughly 1 percent of the national vote, says she wants to make sure hackers didn't skew the results in those swing states.
“We’re standing up for a voting system that we deserve,” Stein said Friday.
Wisconsin law calls for the state to perform a recount at a candidate's request as long as he or she can pay for it. The state has never performed a presidential recount. Election officials estimate the effort will cost up to $1 million.
Trump and his transition team had been quiet on the recount effort until the Clinton team announced its participation, instead focusing on the latest additions to Trump’s administration.
While there is no evidence of election tampering in the states, Green Party spokesman George Martin insisted "the American public needs to have it investigated to make sure our votes count."
Clinton, who was the Democratic presidential nominee, leads the national popular vote by close to 2 million votes. Trump scored narrow victories in key battleground states, however, giving him the necessary 270 electoral votes to assume the presidency.
While Trump won in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, he holds a slim lead in Michigan, where a Republican presidential candidate hadn't won since 1988.
The Associated Press still hasn't officially called that race, but Trump's 10,704-vote lead was expected to be certified by the state elections board Monday. The deadline to ask for a recount is Wednesday.
Trump leads by little more than 22,000 votes in Wisconsin. State administrator Michael Haas cited recount requests by Stein and independent candidate Rocky De La Fuente when he announced Friday that the recount was expected to be completed by the Dec. 13 federal deadline.
"As Hillary Clinton herself said on election night, in addition to her conceding by congratulating me, 'We must accept this result and then look to the future,' " Trump also said Saturday. "This is a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded.”
A group of election lawyers and data experts have been asking Clinton's team to call for a recount of the vote totals in three states -- to ensure that a cyberattack was not committed to manipulate the totals.
There is no evidence that the results were hacked or that electronic voting machines were compromised.
Any attempted hack to swing the results in three states would have been a massive and unprecedented undertaking. But electoral security was an issue that loomed large in many Americans' minds this year, considering emails from the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee were hacked and made public by WikiLeaks.
Clinton privately and publically conceded the Nov. 8 race to Trump, purportedly at President Obama’s urging.
Elias said the decision to join in the recount came after numerous meetings with experts.
He also said the Clinton campaign has received “hundreds of messages, emails and calls urging us to do something, anything, to investigate claims that the election results were hacked and altered in a way to disadvantage Secretary Clinton.
Elias also said that the campaign has taken those concerns “extremely seriously and “understand the heartbreak felt by so many who worked so hard to elect Hillary Clinton.”

Obama Whitewashes Castro's Tyranny in "Carefully-Worded" Statement

Cuban dictator Fidel Castro

Victims

President Obama and the Mainstream Media are mourning the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro -- whitewashing his crimes against the Cuban people while comparing him to George Washington.
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"We know that this moment fills Cubans - in Cuba and in the United States - with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him," the president said in a statement.

One journalist called the statement "carefully-worded."

It is absolutely sickening to watch the White House and the Mainstream Media mourn the loss of their beloved Castro -- a ruthless dictator who was the personification of evil.
Sen. Marco Rubio was enraged by President Obama's half-hearted attempt to whitewash Castro's atrocities.

ABC's Jim Avila said Castro "was considered, even to this day, the George Washington of his country among those who remain in Cuba."
MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell lavished the evil man with high praise mentioning he "will be revered" for education and social services and medical care to all of his people."

Our friends at Newsbusters have compiled some of the most offensive comments from the American media.
President-elect Donald Trump, on the other hand, called out Castro for who he really was - "a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people.
"Fidel Castro's legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights," Trump said in a statement.
Even Vice President-elect Mike Pence offered the right tone on Castro's death -- posting this tweet:

President-elect Trump is absolutely correct. Our sympathies and our prayers should be with the Cuban people -- who have suffered for decades under the oppressive regime of Castro.
Perhaps they can find a measure of solace knowing Castro will spend eternity with Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and a legion of history's most ruthless despots and tyrants.
Following is President-elect Trump's full statement:

"Today, the world marks the passing of a brutal dictator who oppressed his own people for nearly six decades. Fidel Castro’s legacy is one of firing squads, theft, unimaginable suffering, poverty and the denial of fundamental human rights.

"While Cuba remains a totalitarian island, it is my hope that today marks a move away from the horrors endured for too long, and toward a future in which the wonderful Cuban people finally live in the freedom they so richly deserve.
"Though the tragedies, deaths and pain caused by Fidel Castro cannot be erased, our administration will do all it can to ensure the Cuban people can finally begin their journey toward prosperity and liberty.  I join the many Cuban Americans who supported me so greatly in the presidential campaign, including the Brigade 2506 Veterans Association that endorsed me, with the hope of one day soon seeing a free Cuba."

And here is President Obama's statement:

"At this time of Fidel Castro’s passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people. We know that this moment fills Cubans - in Cuba and in the United States - with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him.
‎
For nearly six decades, the relationship between the United States and Cuba was marked by discord and profound political disagreements. During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends - bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity. This engagement includes the contributions of Cuban Americans, who have done so much for our country and who care deeply about their loved ones in Cuba.
Today, we offer condolences to Fidel Castro's family, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. In the days ahead, they will recall the past and also look to the future. As they do, the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America."

Mosques in California receive letters threatening Muslims

A civil rights group is calling for greater police protection of mosques after several in California received letters that praised President-elect Donald Trump and threatened Muslim genocide.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, said that the same letter was sent to multiple mosques last week according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Islamic Center of Long Beach, the Islamic Center of Claremont and the Evergreen Islamic Center in San Jose all received the latter that was addressed to "the children of Satan." It was then signed by "American for A Better Way."
"There's a new sheriff in town — President Donald Trump. He's going to cleanse America and make it shine again. And, he's going to start with you Muslims," the letter states, CAIR reported. "And, he's going to do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the jews (sic)."
CAIR-LA’s executive director Hussam Ayloush said the "irresponsible, hateful rhetoric" of the Trump campaign has fueled "a level of vulgarity, vile hatred and anger among many self-proclaimed Trump supporters."
"I'm not saying (Trump) created racist people," Ayloush said. "He normalized it. While he might say he's not responsible, and I respect that, I remind President-elect Trump that he has a responsibility to act as a president for all Americans."
A spokesman for the San Jose Police Department said officials have opened an investigation in the incident.

Jill Stein Cartoons

Trump names deputy nat'l security adviser, presidential assistant

New York –  U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Kathleen Troia McFarland as his future deputy national security adviser and Donald F. McGahn as assistant to the president and White House counsel.
The appointments were announced by the presidential transition office in New York, while Trump is away in Florida for the Thanksgiving holidays.
McFarland, whose appointment requires no Senate approval, will serve under retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who was previously picked by Trump to be his national security adviser. That designation must be approved by Congress.
The future deputy national security adviser is currently a security analyst for the Fox News television network.
She worked in that capacity for the administrations of Richard Nixon (1969-1974), Gerald Ford (1974-1977) and Ronald Reagan (1981-1989).
The statement announcing her new position included Trump's complimentary words about McFarland's "tremendous experience and innate talent."
For his part, McGahn, who is a partner in a Washington law firm, acted as an adviser to Trump during the electoral campaign and continues in that position as part of the presidential transition team.
Meanwhile, the transition office reported that Trump continues his telephone conversations with different foreign leaders who have congratulated him on his victory in the Nov. 8 election.
According to a statement by the transition team, he recently spoke with Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, among others.
Previous reports indicated that Trump spoke with no less than 30 heads of state and government, who congratulated him on his victory at the polls.

Jill Stein raises more funds for recount than entire presidential campaign

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein hauled in $4.8 million to help finance recount efforts in three states, a figure that eclipsed the fundraising total for her entire presidential campaign.
Late Tuesday, Stein issued a press release calling on supporters to raise $2.5 million to fund a recount effort in three states that Donald Trump won - Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Stein’s campaign said that amount would be needed to meet Wisconsin’s Nov. 25 deadline and $1.1 million filing fee. But it was soon clear that goal would easily be met.
The campaign had raised $4.5 million goal by 11 p.m. on Thursday, according to The Huffington Post.
By Friday morning, the fundraising effort was nearing $5 million, a figure that exceeded the $3,509,477 reported on Stein’s final October 19 campaign finance report.
Stein has enough to cover the $1.1 million fee to file before the Friday afternoon deadline to file recount in Wisconsin. Under Wisconsin law, Stein must also show cause for a recount to take place.
Wisconsin GOP Executive Director Mark Morgan issued a statement Friday calling Stein's decision to seek a recount "absurd" and "nothing more than an expensive political stunt that undermines the election process."
In the days following the election, the doctor-turned- Green Party nominee was the target of disgruntled Democrats and liberals who believed her candidacy contributed to Clinton’s loss.
For example, Steve Benen wrote on MSNBC’s website that if voters had cast ballots in states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania for Clinton rather than for Stein or Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, the former First Lady would have won.
“But it’s nevertheless true that in Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, third-party voters had an enormous, [2000 Green Party candidate Ralph] Nader-like impact – had those states gone the other way, Clinton would be president-elect today, not Trump,” he claimed.
Criticism began turning to support for Stein as rumors and theories about hacked voting machines and a rigged election bubbled to the surface.
The initial fuel flaming the recount fire was set by blogger Greg Palast, who claimed in a November 11 post that the election was stolen by Trump.
Another theory that voting machines were hacked was soon trending on social media even before Stein announced the recount campaign, reported The Washington Post.

Trump eschews Ivy Leagues in favor of business acumen for cabinet

Harvard crimson may be a prominent color in the offices of the Obama administration, but that looks to change as President-elect Trump transitions to the White House.
Unlike Obama – who mined the faculties of Harvard and other Ivy League schools to fill his cabinet and top level administrative posts – Trump has so far focused his search for help steering his administration policies on people he is more familiar with: wealthy businessmen and women.
Trump is expected to select billionaire investor Wilbur Ross as his commerce secretary and will likely choose Todd Ricketts, the owner of the Chicago Cubs whose father founded TD Ameritrade, as deputy commerce secretary. The president-elect last week named Betsy DeVos, the chairwoman of Michigan-based investment firm the Windquest Group, as education secretary. In addition, Mitt Romney, who before his time as Massachusetts governor was the founder of investment firm Bain Capital, is on Trump’s shortlist for secretary of state.

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President-elect Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos pose for photographs at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster clubhouse in Bedminster, N.J. Trump has chosen charter school advocate DeVos as Education Secretary in his administration. (The Associated Press)

“Birds of a feather flock together,” Gary Nordlinger, a professor in the graduate school of political management at George Washington University, told FoxNews.com. “Trump wants to surround himself with people who he sees as successful in the real world and he has approached the entire cabinet appointment process as a businessman would.”
The move away from Ivy League academics and toward the titans of commerce appears not just to be one of comfort for Trump, but also to fulfill his campaign promise to root out Washington insiders, lobbyists and liberal elites, whom he sees as the main problem inside the Beltway.
While Trump has been criticized for keeping a number of former lobbyists on his transition team (he argued that selecting lobbyists was the only option he had), the appointment of ultra-wealthy conservatives to cabinet-level posts does align with his distrust of the presumed liberal elites who make up the Obama administration.
During his two terms in office, Obama – himself a graduate of Colombia University and Harvard Law School – filled his administration with Ivy League brethren. From Harvard’s faculty alone, Obama recruited Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power and top economic aide Lawrence Summers to name just a few. Of the 22 cabinet-level positions in Obama’s White House, 13 of them are held by people with either undergraduate or graduate degrees – or both - from an Ivy League school.

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President Obama introduces Elena Kagan as his choice for Supreme Court Justice. (AP Photo)

“Obama is deep, deep down an intellectual,” Nordlinger said. “He is a product of the Ivy Leagues and it makes perfectly reasonable sense why he chooses to surround himself with these type of people.”
Despite his penchant for being the outsider, Trump can’t completely eschew candidates with Ivy League backgrounds – he himself graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, Ross holds a BA from Yale and earned his MBA at Harvard as did Romney. But he appears to be looking for people whose success lays in fields different than academia.
“Trump’s argument is that while the Ivy League faculty may have a bunch of accolades, they don’t understand real life,” Joe Trippi, a political strategist and frequent Fox News Channel contributor, told FoxNews.com.
It also does not appear that all Ivy League academics are opposed to actually working with the president-elect. Harvard lecturer Carlos E. Díaz Rosillo is helping him with his transition and school officials say that Trump can still find like-minded professors in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Summary

91 percent of donations made by faculty at Harvard in 2015 went to Hillary Clinton, according to the Harvard Crimson.

“To the extent that Harvard is both very committed to acceptance and integration and diversity and also is very committed to fact-driven policy, it’s not a natural fit,” Juliette Kayyem, a lecturer at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government who served in the Obama administration, told the Boston Globe. “But I could see, at the agency level, a lot of good reasons for various experts here to join the administration.”
In the long run, whether or not Trump foregoes choosing Ivy League academics to join his administration and instead fills his cabinet with like-minded business people may not matter if he can’t fulfill his campaign promises.
“He’s just replacing one set of elites for a different set of elites,” Trippi said. “The difference is that he says these are people who have real-life experience in actually getting things done. We’re going to see very soon if that rings true.”