Rex Tillerson warned the Russian foreign minister about the "supposed" chemical attack by Syria. Tillerson said that Bannon and Kushner had been consulted about the American response but Trump was too preoccupied by the Russian investigation and CNN news to give it any thought.
So your government might escalate the war in Syria on Bannon and Kushner's say-so without the alleged Commander-in-chief totally unaware.
Showing posts with label Syria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Syria. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Lunch
++President Obama opened the 9-11 museum with the Clintons, Mayors Guiliani,Bloomberg and de Blasio in attendance.
++President Obama urged Congress to approve highway funds for the depleted Highway Trust Fund.
++Eleanor Clift has been ridiculed by right and left on her Benghazi theory. Ambassador Stevens went there to check on the detainees being held and interrogated by the CIA.
++The FCC makes its net neutrality decision. By a 3 to 2 vote that passed the measure that for-pay can have faster service.
++Torrential rains are predicted for tomorrow's coup d'etat. But than the patriots at Valley Forge experienced worse.
++The FBI is investigating the militia groups camped out at Bundy's Ranch.
++The Republicans are now claiming they will pass immigration reform if they take the Senate. They argue then they can pass a "piecemeal" approach that the House would approve. Talk about Bait and Switch.
++I have to say I like the political ads for Mary Landrieu with her father New Orleans Mayor Moon,Senator Pryor's in Arkansas, and Mark Begich's in Alaska.
++PPP has Begich at 42 against Republican Dan Sullivan 37.
++Harry Reid has introduced a bill that would introduce a constitutional amendment against campaign finance such as the Koch Brothers.
++TMac is looking into ways to get around Virginia's restrictions on abortion clinics.
++Bill Kristol's Weekly Standard believes Hillary Clinton will not run.
++John McCain said he would send special forces into Nigeria without batting an eye to save the school children kidnapped.
++The EU has signed an associate agreement with Georgia.
++Iran claims Assad has won and brags about their role in keeping him in power. This brings new meaning to the word "winning".
++The Danish Government has urged Syria to speed up its shipments of chemical weapons. Syria is now at 92% compliance. But Western observers believe they are holding back certain capability to produce chorine gas.
++Ambassador Brahimi has quit as Special Envoy to Syria. Basically he threw up his hands in frustration.
++Putin is trying to get around Western sanctions by signing a massive pipeline deal with China.
++The Philippines have offered the US a base to protect them from the Chinese.
++The Chinese and the Vietnamese are engaged in an almost "hot war" over offshore oil rigs.
++President Obama urged Congress to approve highway funds for the depleted Highway Trust Fund.
++Eleanor Clift has been ridiculed by right and left on her Benghazi theory. Ambassador Stevens went there to check on the detainees being held and interrogated by the CIA.
++The FCC makes its net neutrality decision. By a 3 to 2 vote that passed the measure that for-pay can have faster service.
++Torrential rains are predicted for tomorrow's coup d'etat. But than the patriots at Valley Forge experienced worse.
++The FBI is investigating the militia groups camped out at Bundy's Ranch.
++The Republicans are now claiming they will pass immigration reform if they take the Senate. They argue then they can pass a "piecemeal" approach that the House would approve. Talk about Bait and Switch.
++I have to say I like the political ads for Mary Landrieu with her father New Orleans Mayor Moon,Senator Pryor's in Arkansas, and Mark Begich's in Alaska.
++PPP has Begich at 42 against Republican Dan Sullivan 37.
++Harry Reid has introduced a bill that would introduce a constitutional amendment against campaign finance such as the Koch Brothers.
++TMac is looking into ways to get around Virginia's restrictions on abortion clinics.
++Bill Kristol's Weekly Standard believes Hillary Clinton will not run.
++John McCain said he would send special forces into Nigeria without batting an eye to save the school children kidnapped.
++The EU has signed an associate agreement with Georgia.
++Iran claims Assad has won and brags about their role in keeping him in power. This brings new meaning to the word "winning".
++The Danish Government has urged Syria to speed up its shipments of chemical weapons. Syria is now at 92% compliance. But Western observers believe they are holding back certain capability to produce chorine gas.
++Ambassador Brahimi has quit as Special Envoy to Syria. Basically he threw up his hands in frustration.
++Putin is trying to get around Western sanctions by signing a massive pipeline deal with China.
++The Philippines have offered the US a base to protect them from the Chinese.
++The Chinese and the Vietnamese are engaged in an almost "hot war" over offshore oil rigs.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
No Drama Obama--Steady As He Goes
++Pew has Obama's approval rating at 49 in contrast to CNN recording it plummeting. After weeks of faux scandals and the NSA revelations,President Obama seems to be just a little less than where he was when he was inaugurated. So far the bombardment from the Right hasn't taken its toll like the Congress' approval, which in Gallup stands at 10%, or Rasmussen's 8%.
++Through the noise coming out of Washington, it is hard to realize that progress is occurring. Joe Biden reported on the actions on President Obama's 23 executive actions on gun control. We are expecting major decisions soon from the EPA on regulating CO2 from power plants and the small decision on microwaves and household appliances are expected to yield greater benefits than advertised.
++A major legacy item is immigration reform. While conservative Republicans continue to play games with the draft bills, Senator Grassley , a major anti-reform Senator, had the CBO score two decades of the bill. He was concerned that the first decade would be favorable but the second would reveal the "true costs". He said the CBO was like God. Surprise! The second decade would save the government about $800 billion, making this a trillion dollar savings.
++President Obama says he will redouble his efforts to close GITMO. There are now 48 prisoners, who have been named, who will remain indefinitely detained.
++Perhaps forced to have the debate, which he said he welcomed, President Obama has announced that the secret court decisions on the NSA might be declassified. On the Charlie Rose show, President Obama defended the NSA programs--there are two--saying that over 40 terrorist plots here and abroad were broken up. The day after the interview, the NSA announced it was considering suspending the collection of data from American phone calls and internet traffic. President Obama claimed there were sufficient checks and balances in the surveillance system within the executive,the Congress and the Judiciary. Since that statement, critics claim the checks and balances are a sham. President Obama also promised to look at declassifying as much of the programs as possible.
++President Obama spoke today at the Brandenberg Gate. Here is promised he would pursue a 33% reduction with the Russians on our nuclear stockpile. And emphasized his concern on nuclear weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. He also spoke about climate change, gay rights and social justice.
++NATO has relinquished military control of the Afghanistan war to the Afghans. The United States announced it would soon negotiate with the Taliban. President Karzai has thrown a shit fit over these bilateral talks.
++Elijah Cummings released the full transcripts conducted by Issa's committee with the IRS personnel and --lo and behold--none of those interviewed believed the white house was involved in tracking Tea Party groups.
++President Obama spoke again of repealing the Authority to Use Military Force Act, which basically declares the United States to be in an endless war against terrorism and has been used to suspend key civil liberties.
++President Obama must be doing better than we give him credit for. The birther nonsense has re-merged in the House and conservative websites are pursuing claims people don't remember him going to Columbia. Evangelical radio stations, as Rachel Maddow showed, now refer to him as Belzebub and evil and claim locust follow him where ever he goes.
++In my mind, the stinker in the equation is increased American involvement in Syria. On Charlie Rose, President Obama was the model of rationality talking about his desire to avoid backing strict sectarian violence and avoiding the slippery slope to massive involvement. Here was a rational, deliberate man speaking of a totally irrational situation.
++The Economist hails the trans-Atlantic Trade Pact that is being negotiated as Obama's lasting legacy. Jared Bernstein writes that this is probably over-hyped.
++When some of us thought, the North Koreans would go nuts this time around, apparently the Chinese stepped on them to begin talks with the United States about de-nuclearization.
++If you would rather someone else as President, you might consider the last House jobs creation bill--the Masturbating Fetus bill, which bans abortion after 20 weeks nationally. At the last minute, they inserted the traditional rape and incest clause. But abortions would only be allowed in this circumstance if the woman reported to the police incest or rape. The name I choose for the bill comes from the observation for a Texas Republican that male fetuses "pleasure" themselves while in the womb. This is now the mainstream of Republican thought. A Republican wrote Talking Points Memo that his females colleagues were appalled by this bill since they were in their 30s and contemplating having kids and normal concerns are about grotesque birth defects that emerge after 20 weeks.
++Bobby Jindal doesn't think that the GOP has to change at all. America will revolt against the state in 2016 and they will rebel against the "leftism" of the Obama administration. Lindsey Graham thinks the GOP is in a death spiral because of demographics. Stay tuned.
++Here in Washington, teabaggers convene to protest against the IRS and intervention in Syria. As 2014 lines up, expect another round of appeal Obamacare,anti-IRS, and isolationist candidates. Will this resemble 2010--another white reaction against Obama's re-election? My gut tells me that they will get some mileage out of these stunts but nowhere near 2010 because the tea baggers have a sorry record of accomplishment in the House and have offended the Senate.
++Through the noise coming out of Washington, it is hard to realize that progress is occurring. Joe Biden reported on the actions on President Obama's 23 executive actions on gun control. We are expecting major decisions soon from the EPA on regulating CO2 from power plants and the small decision on microwaves and household appliances are expected to yield greater benefits than advertised.
++A major legacy item is immigration reform. While conservative Republicans continue to play games with the draft bills, Senator Grassley , a major anti-reform Senator, had the CBO score two decades of the bill. He was concerned that the first decade would be favorable but the second would reveal the "true costs". He said the CBO was like God. Surprise! The second decade would save the government about $800 billion, making this a trillion dollar savings.
++President Obama says he will redouble his efforts to close GITMO. There are now 48 prisoners, who have been named, who will remain indefinitely detained.
++Perhaps forced to have the debate, which he said he welcomed, President Obama has announced that the secret court decisions on the NSA might be declassified. On the Charlie Rose show, President Obama defended the NSA programs--there are two--saying that over 40 terrorist plots here and abroad were broken up. The day after the interview, the NSA announced it was considering suspending the collection of data from American phone calls and internet traffic. President Obama claimed there were sufficient checks and balances in the surveillance system within the executive,the Congress and the Judiciary. Since that statement, critics claim the checks and balances are a sham. President Obama also promised to look at declassifying as much of the programs as possible.
++President Obama spoke today at the Brandenberg Gate. Here is promised he would pursue a 33% reduction with the Russians on our nuclear stockpile. And emphasized his concern on nuclear weapons programs in North Korea and Iran. He also spoke about climate change, gay rights and social justice.
++NATO has relinquished military control of the Afghanistan war to the Afghans. The United States announced it would soon negotiate with the Taliban. President Karzai has thrown a shit fit over these bilateral talks.
++Elijah Cummings released the full transcripts conducted by Issa's committee with the IRS personnel and --lo and behold--none of those interviewed believed the white house was involved in tracking Tea Party groups.
++President Obama spoke again of repealing the Authority to Use Military Force Act, which basically declares the United States to be in an endless war against terrorism and has been used to suspend key civil liberties.
++President Obama must be doing better than we give him credit for. The birther nonsense has re-merged in the House and conservative websites are pursuing claims people don't remember him going to Columbia. Evangelical radio stations, as Rachel Maddow showed, now refer to him as Belzebub and evil and claim locust follow him where ever he goes.
++In my mind, the stinker in the equation is increased American involvement in Syria. On Charlie Rose, President Obama was the model of rationality talking about his desire to avoid backing strict sectarian violence and avoiding the slippery slope to massive involvement. Here was a rational, deliberate man speaking of a totally irrational situation.
++The Economist hails the trans-Atlantic Trade Pact that is being negotiated as Obama's lasting legacy. Jared Bernstein writes that this is probably over-hyped.
++When some of us thought, the North Koreans would go nuts this time around, apparently the Chinese stepped on them to begin talks with the United States about de-nuclearization.
++If you would rather someone else as President, you might consider the last House jobs creation bill--the Masturbating Fetus bill, which bans abortion after 20 weeks nationally. At the last minute, they inserted the traditional rape and incest clause. But abortions would only be allowed in this circumstance if the woman reported to the police incest or rape. The name I choose for the bill comes from the observation for a Texas Republican that male fetuses "pleasure" themselves while in the womb. This is now the mainstream of Republican thought. A Republican wrote Talking Points Memo that his females colleagues were appalled by this bill since they were in their 30s and contemplating having kids and normal concerns are about grotesque birth defects that emerge after 20 weeks.
++Bobby Jindal doesn't think that the GOP has to change at all. America will revolt against the state in 2016 and they will rebel against the "leftism" of the Obama administration. Lindsey Graham thinks the GOP is in a death spiral because of demographics. Stay tuned.
++Here in Washington, teabaggers convene to protest against the IRS and intervention in Syria. As 2014 lines up, expect another round of appeal Obamacare,anti-IRS, and isolationist candidates. Will this resemble 2010--another white reaction against Obama's re-election? My gut tells me that they will get some mileage out of these stunts but nowhere near 2010 because the tea baggers have a sorry record of accomplishment in the House and have offended the Senate.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Benedict,Boehner and Chavez have left the Building
** Housecleaning: The Violence against Women Act did eventually pass the House when Boehner broke the Hastert rule for the second time this year.
The immigration reform bill is getting massaged but still is alive.
There are at least four separate gun safety laws in process in the Senate.
The finger-pointing over sequestration continues and will depending how thinks they can benefit.
Rand Paul should be congratulated because he actually pulled off a 19 hour "talking filibuster", which only shows up McConnell's constant use of the non-verbal kind.
After Harry Reid's so-called "filibuster reform" the GOP has filibustered Chuck Hagel's nomination,an Obama nominee for the Second Circuit Court, and the Democratic bill to curtail the excesses of the sequestration.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg said she is going to stay on the Supreme Court another two years.
The históric Voting Act is jeopardized by the Supreme Court, which is thinking of ruling it unconstitutional because the South has changed. Say what?
The Obama Administration did submit briefs against DOMA and Prop 18 to the Supreme Court.
House Republicans went into recess the day sequestration hit. They also went into recess when Snowpocalypse didn't hit yesterday.
President Obama hosted 12 Republican Senators in his new strategy to woo Republicans to act sensibly. Today, he is supposed to have lunch with Paul Ryan, who wants to raise the age for Medicare after promising House colleagues he wouldn't.
North Korea has threatened to nuke the United States and create a sea of fire. How about one last Shock and Awe for old times' sake? The UN unanimously passed a US-UN resolution for tighter sanctions on North Korea. Dennis Rodman says that all President Obama has to do is pick up the phone and talk basketball with the young North Korean leader. You know--it would probably work.
Pope Benedict is no more. Pressured by sex abuse scandals, Vatican bank scandals and internal Vatican sexcapades, he stepped down. The American Right claims that President Obama and George Soros are conspiring to make an African Pope. Of course, both Africans are more reactionary than Benedict but the story is too cool to pass by.
Hugo Chavez is still dead. Venezuela is plunged into chaos as the government poorly handled his health crisis from the beginning. The Vice President accused the United States of giving him cancer and expelled the American ambassador.
The Syrian opposition is holding local elections to take control of municipalities in the country. John Kerry met with the opposition in Italy and promised American non-lethal aid, while Britain and Gulf States are providing lethal aid. The Iranian government claims Assad will run again in 2014. The big losers in this conflict are Hezbollah,the Syrian government and Tehran. And, of course, the Syrian people who have more than 1 million refugees. The Russians have decided to step up military assistance to Iraq in a bid to salvage a base outside the country.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is under siege by Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil. These countries are trying to promote a change to the IACHR's mandate, which would gut its effectiveness. For all its faults,the IACHR has been one of the most effective supporters of human rights throughout the hemisphere--whether it was under Pinochet's Chile, Castro's Cuba, and the United States.
Speaking of retirement, Raul Castro hinted he may not serve a full six term as President of Cuba,pointing the way to the post-Castro period.
Bibi Netanyahu has not successfully formed a new government coalition and time is running out as President Obama is about to visit.
Much to the chagrin of people trying to prevent further climate change, I believe the Keystone Pipeline will be approved, even though it will create only 35 permanent new jobs in the United States.
The past two weeks have seen cat fights break out among conservatives about the direction of the Republican Party. The web is filled with excellent piece debating this. This morning Craig Shirley wrote a piece against Jeb Bush and why CPAC continues to be looney-tunes in their search for a new Ronald Reagan.
The Washington Post and others are suggesting that President Obama is aiming for the 2014 elections to win back the House and thwart GOP obstructionism. Even Nate the Great Silver knows this is nuts. The Democrats don't have a chance at taking back the House until the next census in 2020. The Democrats "won" the house in the last election by over 1.5 million votes but because of gerrymandering only picked up a few seats. Why believe it will be different?
SPL issued its new "Hate" group survey which showed that "Patriotic" Groups have risen dramatically this past year because of the President's re-election.
The war against women continues in full force. Virginia is still contemplating making "abortion" clinics follow the new guidelines for new hospitals, which would put them out of business. States are just bursting with new anti-abortion legislation and personhood bills. House Republicans want to investigate Planned Parenthood. The Texas GOP eliminated healthcare provisions for women but did a "Big Whoops" and restored them after dissent from women Republicans.
Ignore the 2016 speculation. On the GOP side, it is not going to be Ryan,Rubio,Rand because Senators and House members only win every generation and the Senator this time was President Obama. Look toward the Mid-West for a Governor because of the desperate need for Republicans not to look so Southern. On the Democratic side, I am still skeptical about a Hillary run. Cuomo,maybe and a Westerner.
The immigration reform bill is getting massaged but still is alive.
There are at least four separate gun safety laws in process in the Senate.
The finger-pointing over sequestration continues and will depending how thinks they can benefit.
Rand Paul should be congratulated because he actually pulled off a 19 hour "talking filibuster", which only shows up McConnell's constant use of the non-verbal kind.
After Harry Reid's so-called "filibuster reform" the GOP has filibustered Chuck Hagel's nomination,an Obama nominee for the Second Circuit Court, and the Democratic bill to curtail the excesses of the sequestration.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg said she is going to stay on the Supreme Court another two years.
The históric Voting Act is jeopardized by the Supreme Court, which is thinking of ruling it unconstitutional because the South has changed. Say what?
The Obama Administration did submit briefs against DOMA and Prop 18 to the Supreme Court.
House Republicans went into recess the day sequestration hit. They also went into recess when Snowpocalypse didn't hit yesterday.
President Obama hosted 12 Republican Senators in his new strategy to woo Republicans to act sensibly. Today, he is supposed to have lunch with Paul Ryan, who wants to raise the age for Medicare after promising House colleagues he wouldn't.
North Korea has threatened to nuke the United States and create a sea of fire. How about one last Shock and Awe for old times' sake? The UN unanimously passed a US-UN resolution for tighter sanctions on North Korea. Dennis Rodman says that all President Obama has to do is pick up the phone and talk basketball with the young North Korean leader. You know--it would probably work.
Pope Benedict is no more. Pressured by sex abuse scandals, Vatican bank scandals and internal Vatican sexcapades, he stepped down. The American Right claims that President Obama and George Soros are conspiring to make an African Pope. Of course, both Africans are more reactionary than Benedict but the story is too cool to pass by.
Hugo Chavez is still dead. Venezuela is plunged into chaos as the government poorly handled his health crisis from the beginning. The Vice President accused the United States of giving him cancer and expelled the American ambassador.
The Syrian opposition is holding local elections to take control of municipalities in the country. John Kerry met with the opposition in Italy and promised American non-lethal aid, while Britain and Gulf States are providing lethal aid. The Iranian government claims Assad will run again in 2014. The big losers in this conflict are Hezbollah,the Syrian government and Tehran. And, of course, the Syrian people who have more than 1 million refugees. The Russians have decided to step up military assistance to Iraq in a bid to salvage a base outside the country.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is under siege by Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil. These countries are trying to promote a change to the IACHR's mandate, which would gut its effectiveness. For all its faults,the IACHR has been one of the most effective supporters of human rights throughout the hemisphere--whether it was under Pinochet's Chile, Castro's Cuba, and the United States.
Speaking of retirement, Raul Castro hinted he may not serve a full six term as President of Cuba,pointing the way to the post-Castro period.
Bibi Netanyahu has not successfully formed a new government coalition and time is running out as President Obama is about to visit.
Much to the chagrin of people trying to prevent further climate change, I believe the Keystone Pipeline will be approved, even though it will create only 35 permanent new jobs in the United States.
The past two weeks have seen cat fights break out among conservatives about the direction of the Republican Party. The web is filled with excellent piece debating this. This morning Craig Shirley wrote a piece against Jeb Bush and why CPAC continues to be looney-tunes in their search for a new Ronald Reagan.
The Washington Post and others are suggesting that President Obama is aiming for the 2014 elections to win back the House and thwart GOP obstructionism. Even Nate the Great Silver knows this is nuts. The Democrats don't have a chance at taking back the House until the next census in 2020. The Democrats "won" the house in the last election by over 1.5 million votes but because of gerrymandering only picked up a few seats. Why believe it will be different?
SPL issued its new "Hate" group survey which showed that "Patriotic" Groups have risen dramatically this past year because of the President's re-election.
The war against women continues in full force. Virginia is still contemplating making "abortion" clinics follow the new guidelines for new hospitals, which would put them out of business. States are just bursting with new anti-abortion legislation and personhood bills. House Republicans want to investigate Planned Parenthood. The Texas GOP eliminated healthcare provisions for women but did a "Big Whoops" and restored them after dissent from women Republicans.
Ignore the 2016 speculation. On the GOP side, it is not going to be Ryan,Rubio,Rand because Senators and House members only win every generation and the Senator this time was President Obama. Look toward the Mid-West for a Governor because of the desperate need for Republicans not to look so Southern. On the Democratic side, I am still skeptical about a Hillary run. Cuomo,maybe and a Westerner.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)