Tuesday Open Thread | Trump fires acting AG who defied him on #MuslimBan

Posted on January 31, 2017 by SouthernGirl2

sally-yates-2US President Donald Trump on Monday fired the acting attorney general, a holdover from the Obama administration, after she ordered Justice Department attorneys not to defend his controversial executive order on immigration.

“The acting attorney general, Sally Yates, has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States,” the White House said in a statement.

“President Trump relieved Ms Yates of her duties and subsequently named Dana Boente, US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve as acting attorney general until Senator Jeff Sessions is finally confirmed by the Senate.”

Yates on Monday told Justice Department lawyers in a letter that they would not defend in court Trump’s directive that put a 120-day hold on allowing refugees into the country, an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and a 90-day bar on citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Yates said she did not believe defending the order would be “consistent with this institution’s solemn obligation to always seek justice and stand for what is right.”

Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia

Trump has argued tougher vetting of immigrants is needed to protect America from terror attacks but critics complain that his order unfairly singles out Muslims and defiles America’s historic reputation as a welcoming place for immigrants.

Yates was days away from being replaced by Trump’s pick for the top spot at the Justice Department, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, who is awaiting Senate confirmation.

The White House dismissed her comments as rhetoric and said Trump acted within his presidential powers.

About SouthernGirl2

A Native Texan who adores baby kittens, loves horses, rodeos, pomegranates, & collect Eagles. Enjoys politics, games shows, & dancing to all types of music. Loves discussing and learning about different cultures. A Phi Theta Kappa lifetime member with a passion for Social & Civil Justice.
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139 Responses to Tuesday Open Thread | Trump fires acting AG who defied him on #MuslimBan

    • eliihass says:
      January 31, 2017 at 9:07 pm

      That secret service guy…the black guy…he’s been FLOTUS’ SS detail since 2007…extremely and fiercely loyal and protective of the entire family…was sitting right behind POTUS last week at the ‘inauguration’….while POTUS’ most recent senior detail is now working for the buffoon..

      Reply
  12. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    January 31, 2017 at 8:24 pm

    Multiple tweets here to make the point:
    https://twitter.com/MichaelSkolnik/status/826409488198619141

    Reply
  14. Ametia says:
    January 31, 2017 at 8:05 pm
    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      January 31, 2017 at 7:13 pm

      This documentary bothered me..

      Reply
    • Ametia says:
      January 31, 2017 at 8:30 pm

      UM, I THOUGHT THIS WAS TRUMP’S AMERICA?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      This is a really bad, destructive, bullshit fake documentary set up for that orange POS to roll up into these neighborhoods.

      2. started out with white man saying we don’t see color, we don’t see gender, etc, etc., etc. there goes that “COLOR BLIND” BULLSHIT

      3.Eluding to OBAMA’s fault for the RACISM in America-the wider racial divide.

      4. Obama’s presidency showcased as mainly a symbol. No concrete accomplishments, let alone how POC have thrived under his administration.

      5. filming of dumb ass NEGROES blaming other black folks, for racism, police brutality and killings of POC. So sad, pathetic!, SMGDH

      But Trump gonna roll in there and fix ya’ll negroes, real good.

      Reply
  20. Ametia says:
    January 31, 2017 at 7:10 pm

    fuck Trump & his SCOTU pick. Gorsuch gonna lay down with the devil.

    Reply
  21. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    Trump administration circulates more draft immigration restrictions, focusing on protecting U.S. jobs
    By Abigail Hauslohner and Janell Ross January 31 at 5:44 PM

    The Trump administration is considering a plan to weed out would-be immigrants who are likely to require public assistance, as well as to deport — when possible — immigrants already living in the United States who depend on taxpayer help, according to a draft executive order obtained by The Washington Post.

    A second draft order under consideration calls for a substantial shake-up in the system through which the United States administers immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, with the aim of tightly controlling who enters the country and who can enter the workforce, and reducing the social-services burden on U.S. taxpayers.

    The drafts are circulating among administration officials, and it is unclear whether President Trump has decided to move forward with them or when he might sign them if he does decide to put them in place. The White House would not confirm or deny the authenticity of the orders, and White House officials did not respond to requests for comment about the drafts Monday and Tuesday.

    If enacted, the executive orders would appear to significantly restrict all types of immigration and foreign travel to the United States, expanding bars on entry to the country that Trump ordered last week with his temporary ban on refugees and people from seven Muslim-majority countries.

    While last week’s move focused on national security and preventing terrorism, the new draft orders would be focused on Trump’s campaign promises to protect American workers and to create jobs, immediately restricting the flow of immigrants and temporary laborers into the U.S. workforce. The administration has accused immigrants who end up receiving U.S. social services of eating up federal resources, and it has said that immigrant workers contribute to unemployment among Americans who were born in the United States.

    “Our country’s immigration laws are designed to protect American taxpayers and promote immigrant self sufficiency. Yet households headed by aliens are much more likely than those headed by citizens to use Federal means-tested public benefits,” reads one draft order obtained by The Post, titled “Executive Order on Protecting Taxpayer Resources by Ensuring Our Immigration Laws Promote Accountability and Responsibility.”

    Reply
  22. Ametia says:
    January 31, 2017 at 7:05 pm

    just heard Gorsuch nominated for SCOTUS

    Reply
    • yahtzeebutterfly says:
      January 31, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      Excerpt from article linked in above tweet:

      “Immigration advocates reacted with outrage to the draft documents, warning that if enacted the executive orders could harm the U.S. citizen children of undocumented immigrants whose parents could be stripped of public assistance.”

      Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 6:54 pm

    DL HUGHLEY SAYS THE MOST DANGEROUS THING IN THE WORLD IS A PISSED OFF WHITE MAN

    https://youtu.be/oeMmJQCrb8U

    Reply
  27. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 6:52 pm

    Luvvie about Uber vs. Lyft

    Let’s talk about this Uber boycott thing. And the Lyft thing. First of all, Uber didn’t “not deserve” boycott. There have been problems reported in the past about the app, how they treat drivers and their lack of accountability for things that have happened to riders. I spend a lot of money on Uber (I get the monthly report to prove it), so I’ll divest a lot of that to Lyft, who I’ve heard multiple times over that they treat their drivers well (and much better than Uber does).

    Now. This isn’t to say everyone should delete Uber (I haven’t). There are places where Uber has reached but Lyft hasn’t yet (for example, international cities. I’ve used Uber in Nairobi and Joburg. Not sure Lyft is there). This isn’t to say you aren’t for the Resistance if you still use Uber. NAH. All this stuff is complicated.

    And then for the blowback against Lyft since Peter Thiel is an investor. Peter Thiel invests in A LOT of your favorite apps. That is what VCs do. If you want to stop putting money in his pocket, you’d need to delete a bunch of apps you use everyday. It is what it is. A lot of the apps we use everyday are backed by ultra-rich dudebros, which guarantees that the folks who get rich off them have shitty politics.

    The moral of this story is that we are ALLLLLLLL entrenched in capitalism. Divesting our money into companies who stand for our values matter. But there is no pure way to opt out of this system and there is no real way to function in this world without being an enabler or enricher (on some level) of problematic brands. Why? THEY ARE ALL PROBLEMATIC. The boycott bandwagon is not a simple one to hop on.

    I encourage folks to use Lyft more. But I am also not going to shame you for using Uber. Do what you gotta do here.

    Reply
  29. Ametia says:
    January 31, 2017 at 6:38 pm

    Why did Schumer and Dems delay Session’s vote today?

    tumblr_n15y55h6p81slwgxso1_500

    Reply
  30. Ametia says:
    January 31, 2017 at 6:26 pm

    Just think about, folks. Over 60% white male and 53% white females voted for that orange POS. They wanted change, wanted their country back, to make “America great again.”

    So whatever we’re experiencing now is exactly what you all supported, voted, and wanted for our country, right?

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 6:22 pm

    We take healthy food for granted. People don’t grasp that healthy food comes from government regulation.

    https://twitter.com/jesseberney/status/826118623068618753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      January 31, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      Yup..

      How ironic too that so many right-wingers happened to only give a damn and jumped on the stop-Monsanto movement …only when they thought they could use it to bludgeon our historic FLOTUS …to accuse her of not caring that while she advocated clean healthy/organic eating, that her husband the President had allowed ‘Monsanto executives to infiltrate and hijack the FDA’….

      And now, Monsanto truly gets to have a field day…and the same right wingers will be just fine with it…

      Reply
    • Ametia says:
      January 31, 2017 at 6:03 pm

      NOT WATCHING.

      NOT.MY.PRESIDENT

      Reply
      • SouthernGirl2 says:
        January 31, 2017 at 6:18 pm

        I swear, my nerves are shot. He has shredded them. I can’t take anymore. Something has to break.

        Reply
      • Liza says:
        January 31, 2017 at 6:42 pm

        I’m worried about you, SG2.

        The only reason I’m not losing it is because I’m having to work through my health issues.

        We should do something this year, maybe in the fall. Knock off a few bucket list items. We need something to look forward to. Maybe visit DC?

        Reply
    • Ametia says:
      January 31, 2017 at 6:50 pm

      SG2, I feel you. Take a break from it all. This is the game and results the enemy is aiming for. Chaos, wear you down, make us give up.

      Reply
      • yahtzeebutterfly says:
        January 31, 2017 at 6:58 pm

        I agree with Ametia, SG2.

        I have been trying to balance my day with “recesses” doing things that refresh me and give my mind a break. (Don’t laugh, but I even made a potholder today…the kind kids make in school…to get my mind off the rollercoaster events.)

        I come back strong after such restful breaks.

        Reply
      • SouthernGirl2 says:
        January 31, 2017 at 10:05 pm

        Making potholders is nothing to laugh about. It’s your hobby. Do what makes YOU happy. I just feel so discouraged, so helpless seeing so many people hurt and I can’t do anything to make the pain stop. It bruises my soul. I don’t like that feeling.

        Reply
      • yahtzeebutterfly says:
        January 31, 2017 at 10:48 pm

        You are contributing by spotlighting wrongs. That is important work that ultimately will help people. My heart breaks also when I see people suffering and in pain…but, remember, you lift their spirits and hopes when they know that people are advocating for them.

        Reply
  38. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 31, 2017 at 3:05 pm

    Where is Bill Clinton on Trump’s #MuslimBan? I remember him being vocal about some of President Obama’s decisions. Why the silence on Trump?

    Reply
  39. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    Trump Admin Doesn’t Really Care About Working Americans
    by Nancy LeTourneau
    January 31, 2017 3:52 PM

    By my count, the Trump administration has issued 20 executive orders and memoranda since inauguration day. They have dealt with everything from taking health care away from millions of Americans, to building walls, to banning Muslim immigrants and refugees from seven countries. Those were all things he promised to do during his campaign.

    But he also promised to address the concerns of working-class Americans. That was the heart of his so-called “populist” appeal. Since this administration is moving pretty fast on so many of their promises, it might be time to ask the “what have you done for me lately” question.

    There are those who would point to the president’s memorandum last week withdrawing the U.S. from the Transpacific Partnership trade agreement as his nod in the direction of American workers. Even if you are prepared to buy the idea that doing so helped them, Trump’s statement merely formalized what was already a reality. It was a totally empty gesture.

    On the other hand, many of the president’s executive orders will hurt American workers. For example:

    Destabilizing the health insurance market by taking the first steps to repeal Obamacare
    Created an opening to remove corporate regulations that protect workers and their families
    Rather than creating jobs, instituting a federal hiring freeze
    Starting the process to spend tens of billions of taxpayer dollars on a wall that accomplishes nothing

    Reply
  40. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 2:50 pm

    Donald Trump “is moving forward with a Deportation Force, tripling the number of deportation agents.” https://t.co/WpFbY7BPNR #RescindRacism

    — America’s Voice (@AmericasVoice) January 31, 2017

    Reply
  41. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 31, 2017 at 2:17 pm

    Trump will overwhelm with Executive Orders. He is destabilizing the government. What do you think will happen next? #ImpeachTrump

    Reply
  42. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 2:06 pm

    He’s doing a REALITY SHOW FOR SUPREME COURT POSSIBLE NOMINEES?

    WHAT THE PHUCK??????????

    Reply
  47. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 12:55 pm

    The 12 Early Warning Signs of Fascism
    by Martin Longman January 31, 2017 12:23 PM

    If you go to the U.S. Holocaust Museum, you can see a sign hanging there that tells you what to look for if you’re worried that your country may be slipping into fascism. Let’s take a look at their twelve early warning signs of fascism.

    EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF FASCISM

    1. Powerful and continuing nationalism
    2. Disdain for human rights
    3. Identification of enemies as a unifying cause
    4. Rampant sexism
    5. Controlled mass media
    6. Obsession with national security
    7. Religion and government intertwined
    8. Corporate power protected
    9. Labor power suppressed
    10. Disdain for intellectual and the arts
    11. Obsession with crime and punishment
    12. Rampant cronyism and corruption

    You can follow the links above, but it shouldn’t be necessary if you’ve been paying any attention. Trump’s message is based on putting America “first,” making America “great again,” and is clearly a powerful form of nationalism that we’re also seeing arise in other countries in Europe and Asia.

    Reply
  50. eliihass says:
    January 31, 2017 at 12:35 pm

    “…Theresa May’s decision to invite Donald Trump to a state visit has put the Queen in a “very difficult position”, a former head of the Foreign Office says.
    Lord Ricketts told the BBC the speed of the invitation had “surprised” him.

    A petition calling for the state visit to be cancelled has gathered more than 1.6 million signatures. A rival pro-visit petition has more than 90,000.

    Lord Ricketts, who was permanent secretary at the Foreign Office from 2006 to 2010, said it was unprecedented for a US president to be invited for a state visit in their first year in the White House.

    In a letter to the Times, he questioned whether Mr Trump was “specially deserving of this exceptional honour” and described the invitation as “premature”.

    “It would have been far wiser to wait to see what sort of president he would turn out to be before advising the Queen to invite him.

    “Now the Queen is put in a very difficult position,” he said.

    UK visits by US presidents:

    Richard Nixon: 1969 Visited one month after inauguration; no state visit
    Barack Obama: 2009 Visited two months after inauguration; state visit after 28 months
    George Bush: 1989 Visited four months after inauguration; no state visit
    John F Kennedy: 1961 Visited five months after inauguration; no state visit
    George W Bush: 2001 Visited six months after inauguration; state visit after 32 months

    Lord Ricketts told BBC Radio Four’s Today programme the state visit should be delayed until later in the presidency, and Mr Trump should instead be invited for an official visit this year, “centred mainly on political talks with the prime minister”.

    The prime minister has been under growing pressure to say whether or not she was briefed on the US travel restrictions when she met President Trump in Washington last week.

    Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told MPs on Monday he would not comment on “confidential conversations” between the two leaders.

    Mrs May faced heavy criticism when she refused several times to condemn the restrictions when asked during a visit to Turkey.

    Downing Street later issued a statement saying she “does not agree” with Mr Trump’s travel ban but that US immigration was a matter for the US government.

    But during demonstrations in London on Monday, the crowd chanted slogans including “Shame on May”.

    Protesters packed Whitehall, causing the closure of Parliament Square. They held banners accusing Mr Trump of Islamophobia and Mrs May of appeasing him.

    Demonstrations also took place in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton, Gloucester, Leeds, York, Liverpool, Leicester and several other towns and cities.

    Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said Mr Trump should not be welcomed to Britain “while he abuses our shared values with his shameful Muslim ban and attacks on refugees’ and women’s rights”.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38805196

    Reply
  55. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 31, 2017 at 11:43 am

    John Kelly take your “this is not a #MuslimBan and go somewhere.

    We. See. You.

    Not Today, Satan!

    Reply
  57. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 31, 2017 at 11:31 am

    Lord have mercy! DHS John Kelly LYING his ass off and saying this is not a MuslimBan when Rudy Giuliani told the world Trump asked him to help craft a ‘#MuslimBan but to do it “legally”.

    Reply
    • eliihass says:
      January 31, 2017 at 12:09 pm

      Another one of the so-called ‘honorable’ men …men of ‘integrity’…Americans have been told to have faith in…that will supposedly ‘guide’ the buffoon in the right path…

      This is one of the so-called honorable men we’ve been told will hold the buffoon ‘accountable’…

      Reply
  60. Ametia says:
    January 31, 2017 at 11:09 am

    Liza, where are you?

    Trump Fires Attorney General after Copy of Constitution Is Found on Her Computer

    WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Donald Trump fired the acting Attorney General, Sally Q. Yates, after learning that she had downloaded a copy of the United States Constitution to her computer, Trump told reporters on Monday night.

    According to the Trump Administration’s code of ethics, established by Steve Bannon, a counselor to the President, “possessing, reading, or referring to the United States Constitution” is a violation that is punishable by termination.

    http://www.newyorker.com/?p=3309209&mbid=nl_013117%20Borowitz%20Newsletter%20(1)&CNDID=24441272&spMailingID=10336604&spUserID=MTMzMTgyNDUyMzAyS0&spJobID=1082559402&spReportId=MTA4MjU1OTQwMgS2

    Reply
  61. eliihass says:
    January 31, 2017 at 11:03 am

    Can folks please stop with the endless and ridiculously reverential prefixing every single time the ‘president’ bit …

    Can folks just keep calling the buffoon ‘Mr’ instead…

    That’s the easiest way to not only convey disdain and deserved contempt… but to also more importantly, to drive him and Kellyanne insane..

    Mr.

    Mr.

    Mr.

    Reply
  62. eliihass says:
    January 31, 2017 at 10:56 am

    “…Passing off reckless ineptitude as ‘strategic genius’ seems to be a coping mechanism for some people these days…”

    Reply
  64. Ametia says:
    January 31, 2017 at 10:14 am

    LOL OK

    Reply
  70. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 31, 2017 at 9:37 am

    Breaking News: Senate Dems: We’re boycotting votes on Trump’s treasury and health secretaries. Nominees haven’t been truthful with us.

    Reply
  71. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 9:32 am

    Bannon’s Contempt For Congressional Republicans On Display
    by Nancy LeTourneau
    January 31, 2017 10:07 AM

    ……………….

    That is the context in which to understand much of what happened in the lead-up to Trump’s announcement of the executive order on immigrants and refugees. It is especially telling when considering what was reported last night by Politico.

    Senior staffers on the House Judiciary Committee helped Donald Trump’s top aides draft the executive order curbing immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations, but the Republican committee chairman and party leadership were not informed, according to multiple sources involved in the process…

    The work of the committee aides began during the transition period after the election and before Donald Trump was sworn in. The staffers signed nondisclosure agreements, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

    Not only was the Republican committee chairman, Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) not informed about the development of the executive order, his staff was recruited to work on it in secret and required to sign nondisclosure agreements about their work.

    It is important to keep in mind that Rep. Goodlatte is not some squishy centrist when it comes to immigration. He has received a 100% rating from FAIR, the extremist anti-immigrant advocacy group, and has spoken out in opposition to birthright citizenship. But this is the guy the Trump administration wanted to keep in the dark about their executive order.

    Reply
  72. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 9:28 am

    How Trump Will Roll Back Obama’s Progress on Gay Rights
    The new administration poses a serious threat to LGBT people.

    by Alison Gash
    January 31, 2017

    ………………………

    Trump’s Threats
    Gay, lesbian and transgender individuals and families stand to lose significant ground under Trump.

    The decision upholding the right to marriage for gay and lesbian couples is not in any immediate danger of being overturned, so long as the five justices who voted to overturn state bans on same-sex marriage remain on the Court. Any justice that the Senate confirms to replace Antonin Scalia will not change the 5-4 split in favor of marriage equality. If one of the five justices in the majority vacates his or her seat during Trump’s presidency, there would be room to reverse the decision, but the Court would need to be presented with a new case involving a new set of facts (for example a new state law barring marriage equality, a state regulation limiting access to marriage licenses). These avenues, although by no means impossible to traverse, are more difficult.

    Where opponents could make significant gains, however, is in limiting access to marriage services or benefits. For example, if Trump’s Congress successfully repeals the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits LGBTQ discrimination, insurance companies could discriminate against individuals on the basis of their sexual orientation—placing gay or lesbian spouses at risk of losing coverage.

    Trump has also stated that, if brought to his desk, he will sign the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA)—federal legislation that would bar all federal officials from punishing an individual or entity that acts on their “religious or moral belief” that marriage “is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman.” A federal district court overturned a similar law passed in Mississippi. It is now on appeal. If the law is upheld (and if Congress delivers similar legislation), vital records clerks, bakeries, hotels, restaurants—or any service provider—may have legal coverage to refuse to work with gay or lesbian couples—despite the ruling in Obergefell.

    Trump’s pledge to remove all Obama-era executive orders could also mean the reversal of protections against discrimination in housing and employment. This would likely be accompanied by a disinvestment of resources examining LGBTQ-based housing discrimination, and alterations to the EEOC’s interpretation of federal employment protections, which could limit the potential for courts to address workplace bias against gay or transgender workers.

    Even if the EEOC changes course, some federal judges may decide to continue following existing precedent that protects gay and transgender workers. However, this precedent is far from stable. For example, a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals denied a lesbian professor’s claim of discrimination when her community college decided not to renew her contract. The court found that federal laws do not cover sexual orientation discrimination. On appeal, gay rights advocates received a full panel 7th Circuit hearing and are awaiting the decision.

    Reply
  75. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 31, 2017 at 9:19 am

    And she did. Sally Yates took a stand to uphold the law.

    https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/826396616819097600

    Reply
  84. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 8:28 am

    The Death of Pragmatism
    by Nancy LeTourneau
    January 30, 2017 3:38 PM

    One of the things that has been pretty obvious for a while now is that Donald Trump and Barack Obama are polar opposites – and that applies to their personalities even more than it does their policies. Over the eight years of Obama’s presidency, one of the things that concerned some people on the left was his commitment to pragmatism – especially when it was not ideologically infused. No one captured that better than James Kloppenberg in his book, Reading Obama, where he describes Obama as a pragmatist in the mold of William James and John Dewey.

    That pragmatism was on display with the two pieces of advice Obama had for Trump.

    Two basic pieces of advice Obama gave Trump:

    1. Put in place a process that’s respectful of law.

    2. Reality has a way of asserting itself.

    — Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) January 30, 2017

    On the other side of the continuum, we have Trump. Here’s what Harold Pollack wrote about the president’s latest executive order on immigrants and refugees:

    The President’s team had months to prepare this signature immigration initiative. And they produced…an amateurish, politically self-immolating effort that humiliated the country, provoked international retaliation, and failed to withstand the obvious federal court challenge on its very first day.

    Given the despicable nature of this effort, I’m happy it has become a political fiasco. It also makes me wonder how the Trump administration will execute the basic functions of government. This astonishing failure reflects our new President’s contempt for the basic craft of government.

    In a must-read piece on the same topic, Benjamin Wittes writes that Trump’s order is malevolence tempered by incompetence. On the latter he says:

    How incompetent is this order? An immigration lawyer who works for the federal government wrote me today describing the quality of the work as “look[ing] like what an intern came up with over a lunch hour. . . . My take is that it is so poorly written that it’s hard to tell the impact.” One of the reasons there’s so much chaos going on right now, in fact, is that nobody really knows what the order means on important points.

    Reply
  85. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 8:26 am

    Trump’s Next Immigration Move to Hit Closer to Home for Tech
    by Peter Elstrom and Saritha Rai
    January 30, 2017, 12:57 AM CST January 31, 2017, 1:11 AM CST

    President Donald Trump’s clash with Silicon Valley over immigration is about to become even more contentious.

    After the new president banned refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, Google, Facebook, Salesforce, Microsoft and others railed against the move, saying it violated the country’s principles and risked disrupting its engine of innovation. Trump’s next steps could strike even closer to home: His administration has drafted an executive order aimed at overhauling the work-visa programs technology companies depend on to hire tens of thousands of employees each year.

    If implemented, the reforms could shift the way American companies like Microsoft Corp., Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. recruit talent and force wholesale changes at Indian companies such as Infosys Ltd. and Wipro Ltd. Businesses would have to try to hire American first and if they recruit foreign workers, priority would be given to the most highly paid.

    “Our country’s immigration policies should be designed and implemented to serve, first and foremost, the U.S. national interest,” the draft proposal reads, according to a copy reviewed by Bloomberg. “Visa programs for foreign workers … should be administered in a manner that protects the civil rights of American workers and current lawful residents, and that prioritizes the protection of American workers — our forgotten working people — and the jobs they hold.”

    Reply
  86. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 8:23 am

    The Immigration Ban is a Headfake, and We’re Falling For It

    When I read about the incredibly active first week of the Trump administration, I struggle with two competing narratives about what’s really going on. The first story is simple: the administration is just doing what it said it would do, literally keeping its campaign promises. Lots of people won’t agree, but it’s playing to its base. They’re also not really good at this whole government thing yet, so implementation is shaky. The second is more sinister: the administration is deliberately testing the limits of governmental checks and balances to set up a self-serving, dangerous consolidation of power.
    A legitimate argument can be made for the former: a relatively extreme and inexperienced administration was just put in place, and they haven’t yet figured out the nuances of government. But a few of the events in the past 72 hours —the intentional inclusion of green card holders in the immigration order, the DHS defiance of a federal judge, and the timing of Trump’s shakeup of the National Security Council — have pointed to a larger story. Even worse, if that larger story is true, if the source of this week’s actions is a play to consolidate power, it’s going really well so far. And that’s because mostly everyone — including those in protests shutting down airports over the weekend— are playing right into the administration’s hand.
    I obviously can’t pretend to know the intentions of the new President, but let’s pretend the power consolidation move is what’s actually happening. In fact, let’s pretend we’re the Trump administration (not necessarily Trump himself, more likely his inner circle) for a second. Here’s our playbook:
    We launch a series of Executive Orders in the first week. Beforehand, we identify one that our opponents will complain loudly about and will dominate the news cycle. Immigration ban. Perfect.
    We craft the ban to be about 20% more extreme than we actually want it to be — say, let’s make the explicit decision to block green card holders from defined countries from entering the US, rather than just visa holders. We create some confusion so that we can walk back from that part later, but let’s make sure that it’s enforced to begin with.
    We watch our opposition pour out into the streets protesting the extremes of our public measure, exactly as we intended. The protests dominate the news, but our base doesn’t watch CNN anyway. The ACLU will file motions to oppose the most extreme parts of our measure, that’s actually going to be useful too. We don’t actually care if we win, that’s why we made it more extreme than it needed to be. But in doing so, the lawsuit process will test the loyalty of those enforcing what we say.
    While the nation’s attention is on our extreme EO, slip a few more nuanced moves through. For example, reconfigure the National Security Council so that it’s led by our inner circle. Or gut the State Department’s ability to resist more extreme moves. That will have massive benefits down the road — the NSC are the folks that authorize secret assassinations against enemies of the state, including American citizens. Almost nobody has time to analyze that move closely, and those that do can’t get coverage.

    Reply
  87. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 8:13 am

    Sally Yates job is not to kowtow to a racist demagogue. It is to defend the Constitution. She is a HERO.https://t.co/DrYExGxs9z

    — Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) January 31, 2017

    “Betrayed.” – this is the language dictators use.

    BRAVO to Sally Yates for not capitulating to a racist coward.https://t.co/Aw9l6MWRO6

    — Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) January 31, 2017

    The fish rots from the head and no Democrat should vote to confirm Jeff Sessions.

    A racist should not be the AG.https://t.co/0CijWGBEgu

    — Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) January 31, 2017

    President Barack Obama with the one-two karmic punch.

    😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂https://t.co/bpEDBOPdwg

    — Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) January 31, 2017

    Reply
    • rikyrah says:
      January 31, 2017 at 8:21 am

      PHUCK.OUTTA.HERE.!!!!

      What the phuck kind of illogic is this?

      Democrats consider backing off big battle over Trump’s Supreme Court pick
      CNN Digital Expansion DC Manu RajuTed Barrett-Profile-Image
      By Manu Raju and Ted Barrett, CNN
      Updated 8:28 PM ET, Mon January 30, 2017

      Washington (CNN)Senate Democrats are weighing whether to avoid an all-out war to block President Donald Trump’s upcoming Supreme Court pick, instead considering delaying that battle for a future nomination that could shift the ideological balance of the court, sources say.

      Democrats privately discussed their tactics during a closed-door retreat in West Virginia last week. And a number of Democrats are trying to persuade liberal firebrands to essentially let Republicans confirm Trump’s pick after a vigorous confirmation process — since Trump is likely to name a conservative to replace the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.

      The reason for the tactic: Republicans are considering gutting the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees if Democrats stay largely united and block Trump’s first pick. By employing the so-called “nuclear option,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could move to reduce the threshold for clearing a filibuster from 60 votes to 51 votes.
      That would mean Democrats could lose leverage in the next Supreme Court fight if Trump were to replace a more liberal justice, since the GOP now has 52 seats in the Senate.

      Reply
  91. Ametia says:
    January 31, 2017 at 7:51 am
    Reply
  92. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 7:15 am

    My train is cold this morning. Where’s the heat 😠😠😠

    Reply
  93. rikyrah says:
    January 31, 2017 at 7:12 am

    Good Morning, Everyone 😐😐😐😐

    Reply
  104. SouthernGirl2 says:
    January 31, 2017 at 12:37 am

    Good morning, beautiful people.

    Reply

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