Saturday, December 10, 2016
Trump closes companies tied to Saudi Arabia
Corporate registrations in Delaware show that President-elect Donald Trump shut down some of his companies in the days after the election, including four companies that appeared connected to a possible Saudi Arabia business venture.
News of the move comes days before Trump was expected to describe changes he is making to his businesses to avoid potential conflicts of interest as the U.S. president.
The Trump Organization's general counsel, Alan Garten, told The Associated Press that the business currently has no deals in Saudi Arabia.
Garten said he did not know why those companies were set up or whether they were involved a previously planned business venture.
He said the closure of corporate entities was routine.
Ryan: 'We've been fighting Barack Obama for 8 years'
The
Speaker of the House said Friday that while President-elect Donald
Trump and him had previously had their differences, now their
relationship is great, saying at the “end of the campaign we merged
forces.”
In an exclusive interview with Fox News' "Hannity," Paul Ryan discussed meeting with the President-elect at Trump Tower earlier on Friday saying the two decided to “forget about any differences in the past” in order to look forward and focus on “personnel and policy.”
“We agree on the same goals, our agenda is one in the same,” Ryan said of Trump.
Ryan discussed his main focus during the campaign process saying his, “primary responsibility is to save House Republicans.”
“You got to know how exciting this is for us,” Ryan said while discussing having a unified Republican government. He added. “We’ve been fighting Barack Obama for 8 years.”
Ryan said they were going to focus on getting things done and discussing a plan to undo “the wreck and the problems” and how to “execute it.”
In an exclusive interview with Fox News' "Hannity," Paul Ryan discussed meeting with the President-elect at Trump Tower earlier on Friday saying the two decided to “forget about any differences in the past” in order to look forward and focus on “personnel and policy.”
“We agree on the same goals, our agenda is one in the same,” Ryan said of Trump.
Ryan discussed his main focus during the campaign process saying his, “primary responsibility is to save House Republicans.”
“You got to know how exciting this is for us,” Ryan said while discussing having a unified Republican government. He added. “We’ve been fighting Barack Obama for 8 years.”
Ryan said they were going to focus on getting things done and discussing a plan to undo “the wreck and the problems” and how to “execute it.”
U.S. is sending 200 more troops to Syria to help fight ISIS
MANAMA, Bahrain – U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Saturday that as many as 200 more American troops are being sent to Syria to help Kurdish and Arab fighters capture the Islamic State group's key stronghold of Raqqa.
The extra troops will include special operations forces and are in addition to 300 U.S. troops already authorized for the effort to recruit, organize, train and advise local Syrian forces to combat IS.Addressing a security conference in Bahrain, Carter also took gentle jabs at U.S. Middle East partners for failing to provide more military muscle in the broader campaign to defeat IS and counter extremism.
Without mentioning any by name, Carter suggested the U.S. has been the target of disingenuous criticism from "regional powers here in the Middle East" for not doing more to help fight extremism.
"I would ask you to imagine what U.S. military and defense leaders think when they have to listen to complaints sometimes that we should do more, when it's plain to see that all too often, the ones complaining aren't doing enough themselves," he said.
He said it is not unreasonable for Washington to expect regional powers who oppose extremism in the Middle East to do more to help fight it, "particularly in the political and economic aspects of the campaign."
"The fact is, if countries in the region are worried about Iran's destabilizing activities - a concern the United States shares - they need to get in the game. That means getting serious about starting to partner more with each other, and investing in the right capabilities for the threat."
Carter said the 200 extra troops going to Syria will help local forces in their anticipated push to retake Raqqa, the de facto capital of the extremist group's self-styled caliphate, and to deny sanctuary to IS after Raqqa is captured.
He said President Barack Obama approved the troop additions last week.
"These uniquely skilled operators will join the 300 U.S. special operations forces already in Syria, to continue organizing, training, equipping, and otherwise enabling capable, motivated, local forces to take the fight to ISIL," Carter said in his address to the IISS Manama Dialogues in the Bahraini capital, using an alternative acronym for IS.
"By combining our capabilities with those of our local partners, we've been squeezing ISIL by applying simultaneous pressure from all sides and across domains, through a series of deliberate actions to continue to build momentum," he said.
The military push is complicated by the predominant role played by local Kurdish fighters, who are the most effective U.S. partner against IS in Syria but are viewed by Turkey -- a key U.S. ally -- as a terrorist threat.
A senior defense official said the troop boost announced by Carter will give the U.S. extra capability to train Arab volunteers who are joining the Raqqa push but are not well trained or equipped. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of internal Pentagon planning.
The First 100 Days: Can Trump really 'drain the swamp'?
In his often-repeated calls to "drain the swamp" of Washington, President-elect Donald Trump has targeted in particular the capital city's so-called "revolving door."
If there is a poster child for what that door represents, it might be former Rep. Billy Tauzin of Louisiana -- a 12-term Democrat turned Republican, who chaired the influential House Commerce Committee from 2001 to 2004 and pushed the controversial Medicare Bill of 2003 through Congress.
The bill was designed, in part, to make drugs cheaper for senior citizens. But it ended up costing taxpayers a fortune -- $549 billion over nine years. It also made huge profits for drug companies, partly because it prohibited Medicare and the federal government, which represented millions of senior patients, from negotiating for lower prices from pharmaceutical companies.
A few months later, Tauzin left Congress to become chief lobbyist for and CEO of The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America where he made an estimated $2 million a year.
"It's a sad commentary on politics in Washington that a member of Congress who pushed through a major piece of legislation benefiting the drug industry, gets the job leading that industry," Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, said at the time.
Tauzin denied Fox News’ request for an interview, but has often defended his move. He told the Washington Post that he was diagnosed with intestinal cancer after leaving Congress and credited cutting-edge pharmaceuticals for his survival. "I wanted to work in an industry whose mission is no less than saving and enhancing lives," he told the Post.
Tauzin's route from Capitol Hill to the lobbying world is hardly unique. "Many of the top staffers who helped write the Affordable Care Act then became health care lobbyists," said Tim Carney, commentary editor at the Washington Examiner.
Yet, this common practice is not illegal. Some believe it’s not even unethical.
Paul Miller of the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics says the public benefits from the revolving door. "People don't like to hear that, but government is run a different way. You have to understand how it operates, and you need people like myself to be here every day looking out for your interests, because if you're not, somebody else will," he told Fox News.
Trump’s plan to drain the “swamp” includes three ambitious components:
- A five-year ban on White House and congressional officials lobbying after they leave government.
- A lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.
- A complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.
"That's where the gray line is," Miller said. "You have people in the PR arena who will say, I do some lobbying but most of it is in PR, so that’s not lobbying, so I don’t have to register. Its people skirting the system in my opinion.”
This has allowed the Obama administration to hire people who did lobbying work, after it vowed it would not. The same test awaits the Trump administration.
Miller said previous attempts to shut the revolving door have backfired. He cited the 2006 ban on lobbyists paying for a congressman's meal. Forbidden from picking up the tab, lobbyists simply found new ways to buy time and influence. "I can call your boss and say I want to have a one on one for an hour over a meal and talk about my issue, settle up with the check, and then push an envelope across the table and say, ‘Oh, by the way, here’s your campaign check.You tell me what looks more corrupt,’" said Miller.
The revolving door’s effect can be insidious, not only enriching those who pass through, but raising the cost of government. Take, for example, the Pentagon where former high-ranking military officers are scarfed up by major defense contractors to not just acquire their expertise, but to preserve the contractor’s connections and their business.
"Fewer and fewer companies are involved in the defense business because the Pentagon does play favorites," said Tom Schatz of Citizens Against Government Waste." He added, "Smaller, newer, more agile companies have trouble getting into the process itself. When the Pentagon has 469 billion dollars in cost overruns in its major defense acquisition portfolio, then something really needs to be done."
Friday, December 9, 2016
Remembering Reid: Senate's political punch-thrower says farewell, leaves trail of gaffes
Sen. Harry Reid gives farewell speech |
Despite Reid’s reputation for rhetorical warfare, he and his adversaries set aside their differences for Thursday’s sendoff.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced Reid, D-Nev., highlighting a rarely seen friendship between the two.
“Go ahead and make up all the stories you want, but the truth is we don’t [despise one another],” Reid said. “Here’s one you can write: thank you, Mitch.”
Reid told stories from his childhood, explaining how his upbringing shaped his ideology and the agenda he pursued – namely, helping pass ObamaCare and focusing on suicide prevention. Reid's maneuvers on President Obama's behalf were also responsible for the passage of bills ranging from the economic stimulus package to the financial regulation overhaul. At the same time, Reid brought home major benefits to Nevada, funding countless projects, blocking a nuclear waste dump and helping protect many thousands of acres of wilderness.
He acknowledged how much the political climate has changed over his time in Congress and closed by urging the next generation to uphold the integrity of the chamber.
“I hope that everyone would do everything they can to protect the Senate as an institution. As part of the Constitution, it should be given the dignity it deserves,” Reid said.
But Reid has played his own part in the coarsening of American politics. Here’s a look back at his more memorable and controversial comments from a 34-year congressional career.
Romney tax claim
During the 2012 general election season, Reid took to the Senate floor and boldly declared that GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney had not paid taxes in 10 years.
The former Massachusetts governor, though, had released two years of tax returns, from 2010 and 2011, showing he had, in fact, paid close to $5 million in taxes in both years combined.
Fact-checkers were quick to call out Reid for his claim.
Reid never retracted the accusation, instead suggesting ends justified means.
He remarked, “Romney didn’t win, did he?”
Kennedy death upside?
At the height of Senate deliberations over ObamaCare in 2009, Reid openly discussed the political implications – and even upsides – of Sen. Ted Kennedy’s death. Health care reform had been one of Kennedy’s highest priorities throughout his career, and Reid bluntly told the Reno Gazette-Journal, "I think it's going to help us."
‘Hottest member’
In one of his more cringe-worthy moments, Reid in 2010 reportedly described fellow Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand as “the hottest member” during a fundraiser she attended.
At the time, her office said Reid was merely referring to Gillibrand’s high ranking on The Hill’s “most beautiful” list. But some analysts still accused Reid of going well over the line by commenting on her looks.
‘Light-skinned’ Obama
In their book on the 2008 presidential campaign “Game Change,” journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann wrote that Reid described Obama as the kind of African-American president America was ready for – a “light-skinned” figure with “no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one.”
Reid apologized for the remarks, following their publication.
Hispanic Republicans, really?
During his re-election campaign in 2010, Reid told a room of predominately Hispanic voters he didn’t know how any could be Republicans:
"I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, okay? Do I need to say more?"
‘Smell the tourists’
Reid had high hopes for the opening of the Capitol Visitor Center in 2008 – but apparently a low opinion of tourist hygiene.
Speaking about how the new center would improve the environment on the Hill, he said at a dedication ceremony:
"My staff has always said, 'Don't say this,' but I'm going to say it again because it's so descriptive because it's true. … In the summertime, because [of] the high humidity and how hot it gets here, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol."
Parting shot at Trump
As other top Democrats ranging from Nancy Pelosi to President Obama congratulated Donald Trump on his White House win last month, Reid took another direction.
He issued a 473-word statement saying Trump’s win has “emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry” as the country is overcome by “tears” and “fear.”
"White nationalists, Vladimir Putin and ISIS are celebrating Donald Trump's victory, while innocent, law-abiding Americans are racked with fear -- especially African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Muslim Americans, LGBT Americans and Asian Americans. Watching white nationalists celebrate while innocent Americans cry tears of fear does not feel like America,” the retiring Nevada senator said.
Terrified by Trump: Activist groups stoke fears, raise funds on incoming administration
Veteran to anti-Trump protesters: Quit being crybabies |
Some are based on Trump’s mixed signals about illegal immigration, while others seem aimed at a more generalized sense of unease. One effort that launched this week, called “WhatDoIDoAboutTrump.com,” is depicted by its organizers as a non-partisan “website [that] turns Trump angst into action – online and off.”
“Not sure how to protect yourself if some of Trump’s campaign promises become reality?” the San Francisco-based site asks.
It provides links to websites of organizations, such as the American Civil Liberties Union, which advise people about what steps to take or what they may face if Donald Trump follows through on some of his promises. One link leads to “Welcome to the OH CRAP! WHAT NOW? SURVIVAL GUIDE,” which describes itself as “a crowdsourced collection of health, legal, and safety plans and resources + social, digital and economic security related resources urgent now as an outcome of the recent US election.”
Related Image
Hundreds of Rutgers University students march last month to protest some of President-elect Donald Trump's proposed policies.
(The Associated Press)
Corinna Kester, one of the founders, says the group, which includes a former national press secretary for the Democratic National Committee, is not pushing an agenda.
“If people are upset about the election, we encourage them to figure out how to get involved and work with that, from donating to petitions to protests.”
We can say, in one sense, it is intensifying divisions in America.Organizations and, in many cases, lawyers, are urging people and groups they deem at-risk under a Trump presidency to take action now to protect themselves. School administrators are assuring students concerned about immigration raids that they won’t be spirited away, some city officials are vowing to provide a sort-of buffer to any federal attempts to strip benefits or programs. On Monday, the Los Angeles Unified School District announced that it was setting up a hotline and "support sites" in response to the deep anxiety among students about Trump as president.
- Fred Siegel, senior fellow, Manhattan Institute
The Rev. Al Sharpton is organizing a rally of black activists and lawmakers in Washington D.C. days before Trump’s inauguration in mid-January to, as he told The Hill, “put the Democrats on notice to use the confirmation hearings to really go after” Trump’s nominees.
One of the most high-profile efforts aimed at creating preemptive buffers against Trump policies are so-called sanctuaries for immigrants who are here illegally.
Students at various colleges are pushing their campuses to be designated sanctuaries. Some cities are moving toward declaring themselves safe zones for such immigrants, saying they will not report them to immigration authorities if they come across them during the course of providing a service.
On Tuesday, the Santa Ana City Council voted to designate the municipality a sanctuary, a non-binding action that they may make enforceable through an ordinance, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Times noted that “the move is in direct defiance of President-elect Donald Trump, who was critical of illegal immigration and sanctuary cities during his campaign.”
“The day after Donald Trump got elected, our kids were falling apart emotionally,” the Times quoted Councilmember Sal Tinajero, who is a high school teacher, as saying. “They thought their parents would be deported.”
“The reason you’re seeing this push now is that us leaders ... want to tell them they are going to be protected. If they are going to come for them, they have to come through us first.”
Trump has denounced such efforts as divisive and the people who have protested his election as “crybabies.” His supporters, as well as some who voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton or third party candidates, say it behooves everyone to accept the results of the election and work to be united.
“This sounds like a large group therapy session,” said Fred Siegel, a historian who is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and professor at Saint Francis College. “There’s a way in which this is all good and right in democratic terms.”
Siegel said the trend to organize in advance of Trump assuming the presidency is intriguing, and more in line with the kind of actions taken against policies and governments that are seen in Europe, particularly France.
“We can say, in one sense, it is intensifying divisions in American society,” Siegel said to FoxNews.com, “What that represents is President Obama’s success in Europeanizing American politics.”
“In France, the argument has always been when something occurs in Parliament that is unacceptable to you, you take to the streets. These [actions] are occurring in advance of – not in response to – policy being initiated.”
Louis DeSipio, a political science professor at the University of California-Irvine, said that the patchwork efforts to organize against Trump and his expected policies reflect an already-divided nation.
“President-elect Trump set out broad principles, and wasn’t specific about some policies,” DeSipio said. “There will always be people who are unhappy about an election. In any election, you can see a complete reversal of fortunes. The challenge for any president in this situation is to build bridges to some of his former opponents.”
President George W. Bush did so in response to concerns – among those who did not support his election – over how he would handle education and Medicare prescription costs, DeSipio said.
“He worked with Democrats, with Sen. Ted Kennedy, on both of those issues,” he said.
DeSipio expressed misgivings about efforts underpinned by a refusal to accept Trump as president, a movement that has a hashtag -- #notmypresident.
“Philosophically, I don’t accept it,” DeSipio said. “He was accepted by rules in place before the election.”
The approach of some groups to try to influence policy and laws at the local level can be both healthier and more practical in many cases, he added.
“We may get some criticism from Trump supporters,” said Kester. “But we’re all getting involved in a democracy.”
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