Conservative Blogger
Monday, June 11, 2018
Liz Peek: Negative Nancy Pelosi bummed out by booming Trump economy
Is Nancy Pelosi a secret agent for the Republican
Party? Sometimes you have to wonder. Her latest outburst, in which she
derides the accelerating economy and declining unemployment, is so
nonsensical that it demeans Democrats’ credibility, shows them to be
remarkably out of touch with average Americans and underscores the
poverty of their competing platform. It isn’t the first time Pelosi has
given GOP candidates rich fodder for ridicule; remember how she compared
thousand-dollar bonuses to “crumbs?” That’s a clip that will show well
in midterm campaign ads.
Pelosi’s latest Twitter sensation came amidst her weekly press conference, at which she scorned the improving jobs situation. Here’s a direct quote: "(P)eople say, ‘Oh my goodness, ... people are saying the unemployment rate is down, why isn’t my purchasing power increasing? So, this isn’t just about the unemployment rate, it’s about wages rising in our country, so that consumer confidence is restored.”
Unhappily for Nancy, but happily for the U.S., consumer confidence doesn’t need “restoring” – it is actually booming. The Conference Board reported just this week that its Consumer Confidence Index rose 2.4 points in May, and reached its highest reading in more than 17 years. Lynn Franco, the Conference Board’s Director of Economic Indicators, said in a press release, “Overall, confidence levels remain at historically strong levels and should continue to support solid consumer spending in the near-term.” Take that, Nancy!
The Conference Board survey echoes other such measures, all of which point towards continued growth and nearly all of which moved sharply higher after Donald Trump was elected president. In December 2016, the confidence index rose to 113.7, the highest level since July 2007, beating expectations by a wide margin. At the time, Franco noted that the so-called “expectations” part of the survey “hit a 13-year high.” The December 2016 report from the University of Michigan, which also tracks consumer sentiment, showed the highest optimism level since August 2001.
Those figures are impressive. Note that at no time during Barack Obama’s presidency did consumers feel similarly upbeat, despite the president’s personal popularity and his promises of “hope and change.” He delivered plenty of change; hope, not so much. Certainly the financial crisis helped keep optimism in check. But the recovery began, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, in June 2009. For the next seven and a half years the country was subdued by a thin overhang of anxiety and caution; that cloud lifted on November 8, 2016, and there has been no turning back.
A recent Pew survey indicates that 58 percent of the country thinks the economy is doing well, the most since before the financial crisis, and up from 44 percent last year. That’s the biggest jump ever seen in this series, and only the second time that a majority of respondents said they were satisfied with the economy. The assessment is shared almost equally by Republicans and Democrats. Recent polls show that, increasingly, Americans give Trump credit for the roaring economy, which has boosted his approval ratings.
What’s got people feeling more positive? Gallup reports that 67 percent of Americans think it is a good time to find a quality job, the highest in 17 years of polling on this topic and up 25 points since Trump was elected. That reading is not surprising, except to Nancy Pelosi apparently. All the indicators point to a tightening job market. For the first time ever there are more job openings than people looking for work. The vacancies are especially high in manufacturing, which is gratifying since for years liberal economists such as those who guided Obama’s economic policies have been telling us the U.S. could no longer compete as a producer. Over the past year, we’ve added 259,000 jobs in manufacturing.
Pelosi is concerned that wages are not rising. In fact, take-home pay is going up, above the rate of inflation, and more quickly than it did under Obama. Hourly wages rose 2.7 percent year-over-year in May, while average weekly income rose 3 percent. With inflation running at about 2 percent, that constitutes real growth, which is augmented by lower tax bills for most Americans. Part of the reason that wage gains have been sluggish is that we have seen little increase in productivity over the past decade. Higher output per worker allows wages to rise; that increase depends in part on capital investment by businesses.
Under Obama, businesses lacked confidence to invest for the future, so assaulted were they by onerous and costly regulations. Today, with tax cuts that encourage spending and Trump’s aggressive reduction in regulations, business spending has started to rise. It was up 9.2 percent in the first quarter, after a 6.9 percent increase in last year’s final three months. Productivity gains will surely follow, boosting wages.
Democrats have no response to the accelerating economy. They are relying on attacks on President Trump to retake the House this fall, a meager strategy. Republicans running for office will warn voters that the booming jobs market will disappear should Democrats take power, thanks to promises from Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues to raise taxes on businesses and the rich, and to revert to Obama’s anti-business playbook. They will ask themselves – are we better off than we were?
Nancy Pelosi has probably not looked for a job for a very long time, so the good news on hiring may not matter much to her. After all, she has served in Congress for 30 years. At some point, Democrats embarrassed by her slipping grip on our economic reality, may decide that’s quite long enough.
Liz Peek is a former partner of major bracket Wall Street firm Wertheim & Company. A former columnist for the Fiscal Times, she writes for The Hill and contributes frequently to Fox News, the New York Sun and other publications. For more visit LizPeek.com. Follow her on Twitter @LizPeek.
Pelosi’s latest Twitter sensation came amidst her weekly press conference, at which she scorned the improving jobs situation. Here’s a direct quote: "(P)eople say, ‘Oh my goodness, ... people are saying the unemployment rate is down, why isn’t my purchasing power increasing? So, this isn’t just about the unemployment rate, it’s about wages rising in our country, so that consumer confidence is restored.”
Unhappily for Nancy, but happily for the U.S., consumer confidence doesn’t need “restoring” – it is actually booming. The Conference Board reported just this week that its Consumer Confidence Index rose 2.4 points in May, and reached its highest reading in more than 17 years. Lynn Franco, the Conference Board’s Director of Economic Indicators, said in a press release, “Overall, confidence levels remain at historically strong levels and should continue to support solid consumer spending in the near-term.” Take that, Nancy!
The Conference Board survey echoes other such measures, all of which point towards continued growth and nearly all of which moved sharply higher after Donald Trump was elected president. In December 2016, the confidence index rose to 113.7, the highest level since July 2007, beating expectations by a wide margin. At the time, Franco noted that the so-called “expectations” part of the survey “hit a 13-year high.” The December 2016 report from the University of Michigan, which also tracks consumer sentiment, showed the highest optimism level since August 2001.
Those figures are impressive. Note that at no time during Barack Obama’s presidency did consumers feel similarly upbeat, despite the president’s personal popularity and his promises of “hope and change.” He delivered plenty of change; hope, not so much. Certainly the financial crisis helped keep optimism in check. But the recovery began, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, in June 2009. For the next seven and a half years the country was subdued by a thin overhang of anxiety and caution; that cloud lifted on November 8, 2016, and there has been no turning back.
Nancy Pelosi has probably not looked for a job for a very long time, so the good news on hiring may not matter much to her.Confidence is key. With consumer spending accounting for 70 percent of the economy, how people feel about their prospects guides their decisions to buy a house or a car, whether to invest or to save. Instilling optimism about their personal outlook is essential to an expanding economy.
A recent Pew survey indicates that 58 percent of the country thinks the economy is doing well, the most since before the financial crisis, and up from 44 percent last year. That’s the biggest jump ever seen in this series, and only the second time that a majority of respondents said they were satisfied with the economy. The assessment is shared almost equally by Republicans and Democrats. Recent polls show that, increasingly, Americans give Trump credit for the roaring economy, which has boosted his approval ratings.
What’s got people feeling more positive? Gallup reports that 67 percent of Americans think it is a good time to find a quality job, the highest in 17 years of polling on this topic and up 25 points since Trump was elected. That reading is not surprising, except to Nancy Pelosi apparently. All the indicators point to a tightening job market. For the first time ever there are more job openings than people looking for work. The vacancies are especially high in manufacturing, which is gratifying since for years liberal economists such as those who guided Obama’s economic policies have been telling us the U.S. could no longer compete as a producer. Over the past year, we’ve added 259,000 jobs in manufacturing.
Pelosi is concerned that wages are not rising. In fact, take-home pay is going up, above the rate of inflation, and more quickly than it did under Obama. Hourly wages rose 2.7 percent year-over-year in May, while average weekly income rose 3 percent. With inflation running at about 2 percent, that constitutes real growth, which is augmented by lower tax bills for most Americans. Part of the reason that wage gains have been sluggish is that we have seen little increase in productivity over the past decade. Higher output per worker allows wages to rise; that increase depends in part on capital investment by businesses.
Under Obama, businesses lacked confidence to invest for the future, so assaulted were they by onerous and costly regulations. Today, with tax cuts that encourage spending and Trump’s aggressive reduction in regulations, business spending has started to rise. It was up 9.2 percent in the first quarter, after a 6.9 percent increase in last year’s final three months. Productivity gains will surely follow, boosting wages.
Democrats have no response to the accelerating economy. They are relying on attacks on President Trump to retake the House this fall, a meager strategy. Republicans running for office will warn voters that the booming jobs market will disappear should Democrats take power, thanks to promises from Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues to raise taxes on businesses and the rich, and to revert to Obama’s anti-business playbook. They will ask themselves – are we better off than we were?
Nancy Pelosi has probably not looked for a job for a very long time, so the good news on hiring may not matter much to her. After all, she has served in Congress for 30 years. At some point, Democrats embarrassed by her slipping grip on our economic reality, may decide that’s quite long enough.
Liz Peek is a former partner of major bracket Wall Street firm Wertheim & Company. A former columnist for the Fiscal Times, she writes for The Hill and contributes frequently to Fox News, the New York Sun and other publications. For more visit LizPeek.com. Follow her on Twitter @LizPeek.
Trump calls out 'Fool Trade' after G7, says Trudeau acted 'hurt'
President Trump fired off a series of tweets early
Monday criticizing Canada and its prime minister over trade policy,
saying that "Fair Trade is now to be called Fool Trade if it is not
Reciprocal."
"According to a Canada release, they make almost 100 Billion Dollars in Trade with U.S. (guess they were bragging and got caught!). Minimum is 17B. Tax Dairy from us at 270%. Then [Canadian Prime Minister] Justin [Trudeau] acts hurt when called out!" Trump added.
He continued, "Sorry, we cannot let our friends, or enemies, take advantage of us on Trade anymore. We must put the American worker first!"
The president sent the messages from Singapore approximately 24 hours before his scheduled summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump arrived in Singapore directly from a contentions G7 summit in Quebec, where he roiled his allies by first agreeing to a group statement on trade only to withdraw from it while complaining that he had been blindsided by Trudeau's criticism of Trump's tariff threats at a summit-ending news conference.
The attack on a longtime ally and its leader drew sharp criticism. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also attended the summit, told German public television that she found Trump's tweet disavowing the G7 statement "sobering" and "a little depressing."Merkel also said the European Union would "act" against the U.S. trade measures.
Undeterred, Trump continued to tweet Monday: "Why should I, as President of the United States, allow countries to continue to make Massive Trade Surpluses, as they have for decades, while our Farmers, Workers & Taxpayers have such a big and unfair price to pay? Not fair to the PEOPLE of America! $800 Billion Trade Deficit...And add to that the fact that the U.S. pays close to the entire cost of NATO-protecting many of these same countries that rip us off on Trade (they pay only a fraction of the cost-and laugh!). The European Union had a $151 Billion Surplus-should pay much more for Military!"
Then, Trump turned his sights on Merkel's government: ....Germany pays 1% (slowly) of GDP towards NATO, while we pay 4% of a MUCH larger GDP. Does anybody believe that makes sense? We protect Europe (which is good) at great financial loss, and then get unfairly clobbered on Trade. Change is coming!"
Earlier, the White House escalated the initial tirade and leveled more withering and unprecedented criticism against Trudeau, branding him a backstabber unworthy of Trump's time.
"There's a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door," Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro told "Fox News Sunday."
Canada's foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said her country "does not conduct its diplomacy through ad hominem attacks."
Trudeau, who had said at the news conference that Canada would retaliate for new U.S. tariffs, didn't respond to questions about Trump when the prime minister arrived at a Quebec City hotel Sunday for meetings with other world leaders. Freeland later told reporters that "we don't think that's a useful or productive way to do business."
A Trudeau spokesman, Cameron Ahmad, said Saturday night that Trudeau "said nothing he hasn't said before -- both in public and in private conversations" with Trump.
And, Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, jabbed at Trump on Twitter: "Big tough guy once he's back on his airplane. Can't do it in person. ... He's a pathetic little man-child."
Trudeau said he had reiterated to Trump, who left the G7 meeting before it ended, that tariffs would harm industries and workers on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. Trudeau told reporters that imposing retaliatory measures "is not something I relish doing" but that he wouldn't hesitate to do so because "I will always protect Canadian workers and Canadian interests."
Navarro said his harsh assessment of what "bad faith" Trudeau did with "that stunt press conference" on Saturday "comes right from Air Force One."
He said Trump "did the courtesy to Justin Trudeau to travel up to Quebec for that summit. He had other things, bigger things, on his plate in Singapore ... He did him a favor and he was even willing to sign that socialist communique. And what did Trudeau do as soon as the plane took off from Canadian airspace? Trudeau stuck our president in the back. That will not stand."
But the criticism left former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper stumped. "I don't understand the obsession with trade relations with Canada," he told Fox Business Network's "Sunday Morning Futures." "We're the closest partners in the world and you don't want to see a dispute over one particular issue poison everything."
Trudeau had said Saturday that Canadians "are polite, we're reasonable, but also we will not be pushed around." He described all seven leaders coming together to sign the joint declaration despite having "some strong, firm conversations on trade, and specifically on American tariffs."
"According to a Canada release, they make almost 100 Billion Dollars in Trade with U.S. (guess they were bragging and got caught!). Minimum is 17B. Tax Dairy from us at 270%. Then [Canadian Prime Minister] Justin [Trudeau] acts hurt when called out!" Trump added.
He continued, "Sorry, we cannot let our friends, or enemies, take advantage of us on Trade anymore. We must put the American worker first!"
The president sent the messages from Singapore approximately 24 hours before his scheduled summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump arrived in Singapore directly from a contentions G7 summit in Quebec, where he roiled his allies by first agreeing to a group statement on trade only to withdraw from it while complaining that he had been blindsided by Trudeau's criticism of Trump's tariff threats at a summit-ending news conference.
The attack on a longtime ally and its leader drew sharp criticism. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who also attended the summit, told German public television that she found Trump's tweet disavowing the G7 statement "sobering" and "a little depressing."Merkel also said the European Union would "act" against the U.S. trade measures.
Undeterred, Trump continued to tweet Monday: "Why should I, as President of the United States, allow countries to continue to make Massive Trade Surpluses, as they have for decades, while our Farmers, Workers & Taxpayers have such a big and unfair price to pay? Not fair to the PEOPLE of America! $800 Billion Trade Deficit...And add to that the fact that the U.S. pays close to the entire cost of NATO-protecting many of these same countries that rip us off on Trade (they pay only a fraction of the cost-and laugh!). The European Union had a $151 Billion Surplus-should pay much more for Military!"
Then, Trump turned his sights on Merkel's government: ....Germany pays 1% (slowly) of GDP towards NATO, while we pay 4% of a MUCH larger GDP. Does anybody believe that makes sense? We protect Europe (which is good) at great financial loss, and then get unfairly clobbered on Trade. Change is coming!"
Earlier, the White House escalated the initial tirade and leveled more withering and unprecedented criticism against Trudeau, branding him a backstabber unworthy of Trump's time.
"There's a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad faith diplomacy with President Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door," Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro told "Fox News Sunday."
Canada's foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, said her country "does not conduct its diplomacy through ad hominem attacks."
Trudeau, who had said at the news conference that Canada would retaliate for new U.S. tariffs, didn't respond to questions about Trump when the prime minister arrived at a Quebec City hotel Sunday for meetings with other world leaders. Freeland later told reporters that "we don't think that's a useful or productive way to do business."
A Trudeau spokesman, Cameron Ahmad, said Saturday night that Trudeau "said nothing he hasn't said before -- both in public and in private conversations" with Trump.
And, Roland Paris, a former foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, jabbed at Trump on Twitter: "Big tough guy once he's back on his airplane. Can't do it in person. ... He's a pathetic little man-child."
Trudeau said he had reiterated to Trump, who left the G7 meeting before it ended, that tariffs would harm industries and workers on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. Trudeau told reporters that imposing retaliatory measures "is not something I relish doing" but that he wouldn't hesitate to do so because "I will always protect Canadian workers and Canadian interests."
Navarro said his harsh assessment of what "bad faith" Trudeau did with "that stunt press conference" on Saturday "comes right from Air Force One."
He said Trump "did the courtesy to Justin Trudeau to travel up to Quebec for that summit. He had other things, bigger things, on his plate in Singapore ... He did him a favor and he was even willing to sign that socialist communique. And what did Trudeau do as soon as the plane took off from Canadian airspace? Trudeau stuck our president in the back. That will not stand."
But the criticism left former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper stumped. "I don't understand the obsession with trade relations with Canada," he told Fox Business Network's "Sunday Morning Futures." "We're the closest partners in the world and you don't want to see a dispute over one particular issue poison everything."
Trudeau had said Saturday that Canadians "are polite, we're reasonable, but also we will not be pushed around." He described all seven leaders coming together to sign the joint declaration despite having "some strong, firm conversations on trade, and specifically on American tariffs."
Robert De Niro throws F-bombs at Trump during Tony Awards
 |
| Idiot |
June 10, 2018: Robert De Niro
introduces a performance by Bruce Springsteen at the 72nd annual Tony
Awards at Radio City Music Hall.
(AP)
Actor Robert De Niro launched a profanity-laced tirade at President Donald Trump during Sunday’s politically-charged Tony Awards, earning a standing ovation.
“I'm gonna say one thing: f--- Trump!" he stated, as he clenched his two fists in the air, leaving panic-stricken broadcast censors trying bleep out the remarks. "It's no longer down with Trump, it's f--- Trump!"
The U.S. viewers at home heard dead silence, though in other regions the f-bombs reportedly weren’t censored. The expletives sparked a roaring reaction from the audience, with many of the celebrities standing up.
The veteran actor went on to introduce Bruce Springsteen's performance. “Bruce, you can rock the house like nobody else," said De Niro. "Even more important in these perilous times, you rock the vote. Always fighting for, in your own words, truth, transparency, integrity in government. Boy, do we need that now.”
Backstage, playwright Tony Kushner raised De Niro for his tirade on stage, saying he agrees with the sentiment expressed by the actor. “Good for him. I mean, it’s Robert De Niro. Who’s gonna argue with him?” he said.
Kushner went on to denounce the Trump’s presidency as “the Hitler mistake” that put a “borderline psychotic narcissist in the White House.”
De Niro is a no fan of the president. He has recently appeared multiple times on “Saturday Night live,” playing Special Counsel Robert Mueller who’s investigating the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
In March, the actor reportedly bashed Trump at the Fulfillment Fund fundraiser. “A college education is important, but education without humanity is ignorance. Look at our president. He made it through the University of Pennsylvania, so he was exposed to a quality education, but he’s still an idiot. And he lacks any sense of humanity or compassion,” he said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
De Niro again criticized Trump in April during the opening night of the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. "America's being run by a madman who wouldn't recognize the truth if it came inside a bucket of his beloved Colonel Sanders Fried Chicken,” he said.
Trump to meet Kim Jong Un for one-on-one at historic summit
President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un are planning to meet one-on-one during Tuesday’s historic summit in Singapore.
A U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak but was familiar with the summit plans, said Trump is set to meet with Kim at the beginning of the summit. They will be joined only by translators and will spend a couple of hours before admitting their close advisers to the meeting.
The plan for one-on-one meeting was first reported by Bloomberg.
People watch a TV screen showing file footage of U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 11, 2018. Final preparations are underway in Singapore for Tuesday’s historic summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim, including a plan for the leaders to kick things off by meeting with only their translators present, a U.S. official said. (AP)
Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North Korean leader who was launched a diplomatic offense at the Winter Olympics in South Korea earlier this year, will also be present in Singapore.
The summit is set to kick off with a handshake between Trump and Kim, a symbolic image that may define the future of millions of people. Trump’s meeting with Kim will be the first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader in history.
The U.S. official noted that the summit is unlikely to last longer than one day.
The president said Saturday that he’ll understand Kim’s intentions “within the first minute” of meeting him and whether he’s willing to give up the nuclear arsenal.
“I feel that Kim Jong Un wants to do something great for his people,” Trump said at a press conference in Canada during the G7 summit over the weekend. “It’s a one-time shot and I think it’s going to work out very well.”
But he urged caution, adding that “there’s a good chance it won’t work out” and that “there’s probably an even better chance it will take a period of time.”
“I think the minimum would be relationship. You would start at least a dialogue, because, you know, as a deal person, I have done very well with deals,” Trump said of his expectations.
Pyongyang indicated that it may be open to getting rid of its nuclear weapons in exchange of the U.S. security guarantees and other benefits, though some believe it’s an unrealistic prospect as nuclear arsenal cements Kim’s grip on the country and deters all-out attacks against the them.
But the two sides could come up with a peace treaty that would end the Korean War, which is technically still in place since the 1950s. Trump also raised a possibility of further summits in the future.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Busloads of Illegal Immigrants Arrive at a Federal Prison in Victorville, Calif.
 |
| County officials expect federal immigration officers to conduct raids in the near future. (Photo Courtesy of ICE) |
Around 1,000 detainees were transferred from over crowded ICE detention facilities, to a prison complex in Victorville, about 85 miles north east of Los Angeles.
Visitations at the prison have been put on hold for security measures.
Immigrants rights groups say, by placing detainees in prisons, they’re being treated like criminals, and may not be receiving the assistance they need.
According to ICE officials a total of five federal prisons will be housing detainees awaiting court hearings.
The move, however, is said to only be temporary.
Pres. Trump Offers Blistering Rebuke Of Canadian Pm’s Trade Threats
 |
| President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington, Friday, June 8, 2018, to attend the G7 Summit in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) |
June 9, 2018
President Trump issues a blistering tweet about Canada and its Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, following his threat to impose tariffs on U.S. goods and his criticism of U.S. trade practices.
Trudeau called recent U.S. tariffs “insulting” and said Canada will not be pushed around.Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2018
President Trump later responded saying Trudeau acted “meek and mild” during the G7 summit, calling his new statements “very dishonest and weak.”
He also noted the recent U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods are due to Canada’s 270 percent upcharge on U.S. dairy.PM Justin Trudeau of Canada acted so meek and mild during our @G7 meetings only to give a news conference after I left saying that, “US Tariffs were kind of insulting” and he “will not be pushed around.” Very dishonest & weak. Our Tariffs are in response to his of 270% on dairy!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2018
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