TRUMP TO BRING IN FOREIGN WORKERS

 

Looks like Sessions and Transgender enlistees aren’t the only one’s getting stabbed in the back by Trump. He seemed so sincere about protecting Americans from job loss.

1.  2.  The Department of Homeland Security on Monday (July 17) announced a one-time increase of 15,000 additional visas for low-wage seasonal workers for the remainder of this fiscal year, a seeming about-face from President Trump's "Hire American" rhetoric, following heavy lobbying from fisheries, hospitality and other industries that rely on temporary foreign workers.

The increase represents a 45 percent bump from the number of H-2B visas normally issued for the second half of the fiscal year, said senior Homeland Security officials in a call with reporters.

The visas are for workers taking temporary jobs in the seafood, tourism, landscaping, construction and other seasonal industries — but not farm laborers.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/07/17/trump-officials-order-15000-new-visas-for-low-wage-workers/?utm_term=.63323f677216

 

Trump didn’t waste any time.  Conflict of interest here.  I bet if Trump raised wages he could get the workers.

2.  JULY 20 ”The Trump Organization is asking the federal government for special visas to hire scores of foreign workers for two of President Trump's private clubs in Florida — the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach and the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter.

The requests for H-2B visas, posted on the Department of Labor website, are for 26 cooks, nearly 50 waiters and waitresses, plus housekeepers, a hostess and a bartender. The jobs range in pay from just under $12 to less than $14 an hour. Mar-a-Lago and the Jupiter club have relied on foreign workers in past years for staffing during their peak seasons, which run October through May.

The Two-Way

White House Highlights 'Made In America' Products From Each State

Politics

New Trump Order Extends 'Buy American' And 'Hire American' Rules

This year, the request for foreign workers comes in the middle of "Made in America" week at the White House. Trump, who has had his own line of ties manufactured overseas, says he wants U.S. companies to focus this week on ways to create more opportunities for American labor.

The Trump Organization hasn't responded to questions about the visa requests.”
http://www.npr.org/2017/07/20/538387033/trumps-private-clubs-in-florida-are-seeking-visas-for-foreign-workers

3.  American companies get visas for workers when they way they can’t find any in the U.S.  I personally know of an organization that offered salaries so low no self-respecting American professional would take the job.  Low ball the salary to get no American workers and then use that as an excuse to import foreign workers. 

Many of these jobs could and would be filled by Americans if they were offered competitive, decent wages.

American workers get shafted again by American business. Trump is an accomplice.

 

TX REP BLAKE FARENHOLT SPEAKS, DRESSES FOR PARTY

“These days, many Washington politicians are unafraid to take verbal shots at one another over legislative discord, whether it’s on social media or on cable network shows. But long gone are the days when politicians would threaten to settle rivalries with duels.

So it was a throwback when Rep. Blake Farenthold, a Republican from Corpus Christi, Tex., on Friday criticized some Republican “female senators from the Northeast” for their opposition to efforts to pass a health care overhaul.

Then, he said, “if it was a guy from south Texas I might ask him to step outside and settle this Aaron Burr-style.”

Speaking to local radio host Bob Jones, Farenthold was referring to the 1804 duel in which Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton, former treasury secretary and Burr’s long-standing political rival and personal enemy.

Farenthold, who has experienced a fair share of controversies over women’s issues and his interactions with women, did not mention any of these senators by name. But three Republican female senators have been key holdouts from the GOP’s current Obamacare “repeal and replace” proposal:  Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska).

However, the only senator from the Northeast among the three is Collins, a centrist who vocally opposed the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act for cutting Medicaid in ways she says would hurt rural and vulnerable Americans, as The Washington Post reported.

“In twenty years in the Senate, I have had a lot of people make suggestions about how to resolve legislative disputes, but until today nobody had ever suggested a duel,” Collins said in a statement following news of Farenthold’s remarks.

“And as I far as I know,” she later added, according to the Associated Press, “dueling is illegal in every state. He’ll be disappointed, I guess.”

Farenthold later told the Dallas Morning News and other news outlets that his remarks were “clearly tongue in cheek.” He said that like President Trump, he is “sick and tired of the left-wing.”

Even if it was ‘tongue-in-cheek’ it’s just dumb. Violence involving U.S. Senators is nothing to joke about.  Isn’t the political atmosphere toxic enough without this?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/07/25/texas-rep-farenthold-says-he-would-challenge-female-gop-senators-to-a-duel-if-they-were-south-texas-men/?utm_term=.2f5dac6ec40a

It takes a brave man to challenge women to duels.   Collins later criticized Farentholt’s appearance.  They both issued apologies

There have been lots of embarassing moments for this TX State Rep.  He is an embarrassment to the TX and its voters

“WASHINGTON - It was a costume party for a friend's $25-a-head fundraiser at the Sky Terrace and Lounge in Corpus Christi.

Blake Farenthold, then best known as the co-host of a local conservative radio show, arrived in duck-print pajamas. It was a cool December night in 2009. He didn't stay long, but before he left, a promoter snapped a picture of him posing gamely next to a young waitress in lingerie.”

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/For-Farenthold-a-long-journey-from-duck-pajamas-6021085.php

WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE PEOPLE?

 

TRUMP ON TRANSGENDER SERVICEMEN.

Trump promised to support LGBT rights.  Looks like Jeff Sessions (first Senator to endorse Trump, helped his campaign) isn't the only person being stabbed in the back.

"The Joint Chiefs of Staff, including chairman General Joseph Dunford, were not aware President Donald Trump planned to tweet a ban on transgender service members, three US defense officials told CNN -- the latest indication that top military leaders across all four service branches were blindsided by the President's announcement.

For now, Dunford has informed service members that there will be "no modifications to the current policy until the President's direction has been received by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary has issued implementation guidelines."

"In the meantime, we will continue to treat all of our personnel with respect," Dunford wrote in a memo to the military that was obtained by CNN. "As importantly, given the current fight and the challenges we face, we will all remain focused on accomplishing our assigned missions."

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said Thursday that, to date, he has not received "directives on implementation" for a ban and learned about the President's decision through the media.

"We will work through the implementation guidance when we get it and then we'll move from there," he added while speaking at the National Press Club.

Read More

Trump announced Wednesday that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed to enlist or serve in the military.

"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," Trump said in a series of tweets. "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."

His tweets came less than a month into the six-month delay set by Defense Secretary James Mattis to review the US military's policy on transgender service members."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/27/politics/trump-military-transgender-ban-joint-chiefs/

 

Other sources say that the General was notified.  If he wasn't I guess Trump doesn't need Joint Chiefs of Staff. Why not wait for the report?

INSIGHT INTO ALT-RIGHT

Time to face the facts.  The Trump victory has emboldened the alt-right, white supremacists, white Christian supremacists, and a host others with similar views. 
 Not sure? Checkout their website (hosted by National Policy Center. https://altright.com.
One recent article there dealt with how to increase the white birth rate.

look at the quotes below from Richard Spencer, and these commentaries from the UK.  Check out the links.

1. “ The election of Donald Trump to the presidency sparked a wave of celebrations among white supremacists throughout the United States – and in vast swaths of online communities of the so-called “alt-right”. 

Support from these groups only solidified when President-elect Trump named Steve Bannon as his chief strategist and senior counsel. Bannon is most notable for his time as executive chairman of Breitbart, a hard-right conservative news site that routinely disparages Muslims, people of colour, women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community. 

Bannon has referred to the site as a “platform for the alt-right” in an interview with Mother Jones in August. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton targeted the alt-right in a speech that month, accusing Mr Trump of “taking hate groups mainstream and helping a radical fringe take over the Republican party”.

Now the “alt-right” has its own representative at the helm of the 45th US presidency. 

“Alt-right” is a term coined by National Policy Institute president Richard Spencer in 2008. Spencer is an outspoken support for making the US an all white ethno-state. But he hopes to bring white supremacy to mainstream politics – something a Trump win [could achieve. 

Read more

• Former KKK leader David Duke: 'We won it for Donald Trump'
• White nationalist movement 'growing much faster than Isis' on Twitter
• Ku Klux Klan announces Donald Trump victory parade
• White Supremacists are celebrating the appointment of Steve Bannon

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/alt-right-white-supremacist-whats-the-difference-donald-trump-steve-bannon-president-elect-a7417486.html

2.  White supremacists have been filmed performing Hitler salutes and shouting “hail Trump!” during a speech by a leading member of the “alt-right” movement.

Richard B Spencer, president of the far-right National Policy Institute, made numerous allusions to Nazi ideology during his half-hour speech at a conference in Washington on Saturday[immediately after the Trump victory was announced]

“Hail Trump! Hail our people! Hail victory!” he shouted as members of the audience leapt to their feet applauding, with several making prolonged Hitler salutes. 

“No one will honour us for losing gracefully, no one mourns the great crimes committed against us. For us it is conquer or die.”

Mr Spencer went on to attack the “mainstream media” for its treatment Donald Trump.”

Read more

• 'Alt-right' founder urges Trump to freeze immigration for 50 years
• Alt-right vs White Supremacist: What's the difference?
•  
• He used the slur “Lügenpresse”, meaning “lying press in German”, which was originally employed by Nazis and is gaining currency once again among the German far-right to insult reporting on the refugee crisis.

It was also heard being shouted at Trump rallies, where the Republican candidate frequently attacked the press, and has become a hashtag popular among some of his supporters on social media.

“The press has clearly decided to double down and wage war against the legitimacy of Trump and the continued existence of white America,” said Mr Spencer to more cheers. “But they are really opening up the door for us.”

The white nationalist, who claims he coined the term “alt-right”, also described journalists as “soulless Golem” – supernatural creates from Jewish folklore – “animated by some dark power”.

Richard B Spencer also called for a 50-year freeze on immigration

Footage broadcast by The Atlantic as part of an upcoming documentary on Mr Spencer showed his followers repeatedly performing Hitler salutes during the tirade, where he claimed America was a “white country [that] belongs to us”.

“To be white is to be a striver, a crusader, an explorer and a conqueror,” he continued.

“We don’t exploit other groups, we don’t gain anything from their presence. They need us and not the other way around.

the “Within the very blood in our veins as children of the sun lies the potential for greatness. That is great struggle we’re called to. 

“We’re not meant to live in shame and weakness and disgrace. We were not meant to beg for moral validation from some of the most despicable creatures to ever populate the planet.”

The National Policy Institute’s website could not be reached on Tuesday but an archived version showed its homepage describing the organisation as “dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world”. “

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-president-elect-alt-right-white-supremacists-nazi-hitler-salutes-richard-b-spencer-a7431216.html

 I thought AMERICAN conservatism was anti-thetical to fascism and Nazism.  I guess some conservatives don't see it that way.  At least not as long as it is better-dressed and disguised.  I call on all conservatives to reject this movement!

 

 

 

MORE FROM THE MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL, DISHONEST, DELUSIONAL WHITE HOUSE EVER

1. "Senior White House adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump Jared Kushner reported 77 undisclosed assets and more than an additional $10 million in previously unreported holdings, according to revised financial documents filed Friday, which his legal team said were "inadvertently omitted" from prior financial disclosure filings.
The Office of Government and Ethics certified the updated financial disclosures listing the unreported assets and holdings as a part of an "ordinary review process," according to the filings."
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/21/kushner-discolsoure-report-77-omitted-assets-240833
Some people might lose their security clearances for this.

2.Another 'prostitute' and 'sycophant' joins the White House staff.

"Back in August 2015, Anthony Scaramucci, who has just been appointed White House communications director, was on Fox Business to discuss Donald Trump’s then-recent bashing of the hedge fund industry as just people who “move around paper,” in contrast to Trump’s real brick-and-mortar construction business.

Scaramucci was scathing in his response, labeling Trump “a hack politician” with “anti-American” rhetoric. He said Trump was on track to be “president of the Queens County Bullies’ Association” and that while other GOP “politicians don’t want to go after Trump because they’re afraid he’s going to light them up on Fox News,” he wasn’t afraid."

https://www.vox.com/2017/7/21/16010900/scaramucci-trump-hack


"He frequently praised Trump, [in his long opening speech to the media] saying he loved the president, and that he was "very loyal" to him.

"I love the mission that the president has since the early days of the campaign," Scaramucci said.

ADVERTISEMENT

"I grew up in the middle class, and so there's a struggle out there. The president saw that before I did. I wish I could tell you I saw it before him, but he taught it to me."

Scaramucci in recent months had become one of the most vocal defenders of Trump and his family. During an appearance on CNN in April, he compared the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to Alexander Hamilton.

His effusive praise for the president was on full display during the briefing, as he pledged his commitment to Trump’s “America first” agenda and defended the president's use of Twitter.

“To me, I think it’s been very effective use of reaching the American public directly and so listen, I welcome him continuing to do that. I think it’s very, very important for him to express his identity.”

Scaramucci also praised the president on his competitive nature and athletic skills."

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/343190-scaramucci-makes-press-briefing-debut-as-communications-director

[I'll spare you the rest of this sickening idol-worshipping interview.  Scar sounds like a teen-age girl who just found the best boy friend in the whole world.  What is it with   bromancing Trump?]   

 

TEXAS' BATHROOM BILLS--CLEARER PRESENTATION

Apparently, some readers did not understand some of the points I was trying to make about Texas’ bathroom bills.  My aplogies.  I’ll try again and look only at two of the worst bills and add comments.

“AUSTIN — Texas lawmakers are poised to debate bills that, if passed into law, are expected to spur court challenges that could define the "scope and limit" of the rights guaranteed to all transgender Americans.

On Friday, the Senate Committee on State Affairs will debate two so-called "bathroom bills" that would undo portions of city nondiscrimination ordinances and force transgender schoolchildren out of bathrooms that match their gender identity. The proposals could affect everything from convention center and stadium restroom policies to high school athletics. [State legislators tend to scream 'local control is better' when the feds try intervene. But heaven help the lower political subdivision that won't bow down to the state legislature.  Hypocrisy and 'it all depends on whose ox is being gorded'.]]

A few schools in Texas allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity, according to Joy Baskin, legal director for the Texas Association of School Boards. But Kolkhorst’s bills would force trans girls, for example, who are born male but identify as female to use either a private, single-stall bathroom or the boys' restroom.  [There is no requirement that single-stall bathrooms be created.  A female trans-gender student using a male rest room or locker room poses a REAL public safety issue]  School districts would also not be able to protect athletes from discrimination, unless they are already covered under state or federal law, such as Title IX. Courts in other parts of the country have ruled Title IX's prohibitions on sex discrimination against female athletes also apply to transgender students. [hence ammunition of lawsuits]. But there’s been no similar decision that applies here in Texas.

 

The legislation, a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during the special session that kicked off on Tuesday, has been panned as discriminatory by businesses and LGBT rights organizations and unnecessary by law enforcement and school groups. It has backing from far-right conservative and religious groups that support the state's top Republican politicians.” . .

“Senate Bill 3 and Senate Bill 91, authored by Brenham Republican Lois Kolkhorst, are nearly identical. They would both require public and charter schools to ensure that every multiple-occupancy bathroom, shower and locker room “be designated for and used only by persons of the same sex as stated on a person’s birth certificate.”  (emphasis supplied) . . .

“Penalties and legal questions

Under Kolkhorst's bills, attorney General Ken Paxton could sue any entity found to be in violation of the rules in Kolkhorst's bills, and recover costs and attorney’s fees in the process. [That’s the only penalty.  I thought this was a public safety issue] 

There would be no penalties for individuals who violate the law, so transgender Texans would not be arrested for simply using the restroom that matches their gender identity. Police would not have the authority to ask for a person’s birth certificate or other proof of identity to enforce the rules.  [The only good parts of the bill prevent it from being an effecive law enforcement effort.]

Patrick and Abbott have described the bills as public safety measures, with the former saying this week he's afraid of sexual predators "masquerading" as transgender women to gain access to the restroom. Far-right conservatives groups have gone further, doubting the existence of transgender men and women and questioning their mental health.

But so far, the state's top law enforcement groups have not taken a stance on the bills.

“All that scary stuff is already illegal,” said Charley Wilkison, executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas. “I have not heard from a police chief, from a sheriff, requesting this legislation, and I don’t know of a rank-and-file officer that set out and asked for his legislation to be carried.”

Emphasis and [ ] supplied by blogger.

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/07/20/bathroom-bills-lead-series-lawsuits-experts-predict

Trump has not declared the Dallas Morning News ‘fake news’—yet.

 

What's REALLY going on here.  Religious and sexually conservative Texas Republicans want to stigmatize trans-gender people, and send a symbolic message that these people are unworthy.  Traditional sex-roles and traditional same-sex marriage are what God wants.

 

MORE WHITE HOUSE SCORCHED EARTH FOR TRUMP'S POLITICAL ENEMIES

To combat high teenage unmarried pregnancy rates in Dallas and elsewhere, a “federal grant provided $1 million to fund annual sexual education programs for parents and students in these high-risk areas. But this month, President Donald Trump's administration quietly scrapped 81 teen pregnancy prevention program and research grants, including the Dallas one.

"This is going to be devastating," said Gwen Daverth, CEO of The Texas Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "This is the most substantial source of funding in our state."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services eliminated two years from the five-year grants awarded by former President Barack Obama's administration. There was no announcement about the cuts by the Trump administration totaling $213.6 million, however all the grant awardees received a letter saying their funding would end in June 2018, instead of June 2020, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting.”

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-county/2017/07/19/dallas-program-prevent-teen-pregnancy-threat-trump-cuts

No announcement of the cuts.  Sunlight is the best disinfectant.  What’s wrong with transparency?  Another example of Trump/conservative Republican secrecy and scorched earth policies.  The black community will be hit disproportionately hard.  Just another example of the disregard for humanistic concerns, and evidence of the political mandate to reward your friends and punish your enemies.

 

NOOSE TIGHTENING II. TRUMP INVESTIGATING PARDONS, SPECIAL COUNSEL

“Some of President Trump’s lawyers are exploring ways to limit or undercut special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia investigation, building a case against what they allege are his conflicts of interest and discussing the president’s authority to grant pardons, according to people familiar with the effort.

Trump has asked his advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with the probe, according to one of those people. A second person said Trump’s lawyers have been discussing the president’s pardoning powers among themselves.

One adviser said the president has simply expressed a curiosity in understanding the reach of his pardoning authority, as well as the limits of Mueller’s investigation.

“This is not in the context of, ‘I can’t wait to pardon myself,’ ” a close adviser said.

With the Russia investigation continuing to widen, Trump’s lawyers are working to corral the probe and question the propriety of the special counsel’s work. They are actively compiling a list of Mueller’s alleged potential conflicts of interest, which they say could serve as a way to stymie his work, according to several of Trump’s legal advisers.

A conflict of interest is one of the possible grounds that can be cited by an attorney general to remove a special counsel from office under Justice Department regulations that set rules for the job.”  [However, the statute contains limitations on what is a ‘conflict of interest’]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-lawyers-seek-to-undercut-muellers-russia-investigation/2017/07/20/232ebf2c-6d71-11e7-b9e2-2056e768a7e5_story.html?utm_term=.62eddb8b6c72

 

Where do you think this is headed?  Will there be pressure put on A.G. Sessions?  Is this Watergate and Saturday night massacre II. 

More info. on special counsel, etc.

http://www.factcheck.org/2017/05/special-counsel-qa/

 

FEDS THREATEN PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS

Anyone who thought election of Trump would help keep big brother off your back was naive.  Have privacy and Fourth Amendment protections gotten stronger! No!  Here's another example.
Republican Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was loosening federal controls on asset forfeiture.  These rules would allow the seizure of  private property  even before the owner has been officially charged.  The constitutional private property rights of Americans are disregarded.  The Obama administration made it harder for property to be seized.  The proposal is facing much bi-partisan opposition.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/jeff-sessions-treads-on-the-property-rights-of-americans/533979/

REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE BILLS FAIL

It looks like the Republican health care bill is dead for now.  The President said he would be 'angry' is something didn't pass soon.  There will be no replace and repeal or even repeal for now.  Shows you what the great leader the 'President' has been for his party.  Many are now beginning to see that he is a disaster waiting to happen. (see other post on investigations). 

The Wall Street Journal, no fan or Obamacare, not yet labelled false news by our 'President', and a paper having a reputation as one for affluent Republicans stated, in an editorial, that the failure was a 'self-inflicted fiasco' that 'is one of the great political failures in recent U.S. history, and the damage will echo for years.' [Sorry no link available.  Got it from the paper copy. Unlike folks trapped in the echo chamber, I read a variety of newspapers and watch a variety of news shows, incl. Fox News and ABC.  No, I am not an affluent Republican.  In case you hadn't guessed].

The Congressional Budget Office reported that if Obamacare (ACA) were repealed with no replacement would leave 17 million people without health care in 2018  The average premiums for people who wanted individual health share would increase by about 25 percent next year and 50 percent by 2020.  By 2026 individual coverage costs would double.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/us/politics/donald-trump-obamacare-health-care-republicans-senators.html

It's a delusion to think that if ACA was repealed, there would be a replacement as long as Republicans controlled both the House and Senate.  Arguably, the Republican fall- back strategy has been to cause enough uncertainty by their continuous blustering that insurers would withdraw from the market and individuals would quit.  This would wreck the ACA and then Republicans could step up and say they'd fix the system.  They wouldn't mention that they were the ones who deliberately sabotaged it. Anyone who knows anything about insurance knows that, in general, the larger the pool of providers and the large the pool of persons insured,  the lower the cost of health health care for individuals.  The relatively high cost of health care in the U.S. will not be solved by replacing or repealing Obamacare.  Ted Cruz's proposal to let insurance companies offer less coverage for less cost will only result in weakening the overall system and leave many with 'junk insurance" which will probably give them less value for their dollars.
'

Do you see a 'scorched earth,' 'let them eat cake' attitude toward power and working class people and their children as well as those with serious pre-existing conditions.
Shame on Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, etc.  I applaud the 3 female senators who stood up unanimously against this fraud as well as all the others.  Remember, the various bills were formulated in private session and no Democrats and Female Republican Senators were invited to attend.  Will Trump take his anger out on them and attempt to hurt their reelection chances? Will he blast them in his frequent spoiled rich, teenage, cyber-bully tweets?

REPUBLICANS, CULTURE WARS, TEXAS' BATHROOM BILLS

The alt-right leaning Republican leadership is strongly pushing the bathroom bill.  How many transgender people are going to do an already illegal act in a restroom against children?  It's already illegal. How many are going to be stopped from going into the restroom of their choice by the bill?  Few if any.  There is no reasonable way to enforce it. The bathroom bill will not stop it.  It's an stupid joke that is embarrassing many Texans.

Looking at Republicans in Texas and elsewhere, in general, we find 3 types, (1) business conservatives, (2)culture-warrior conservatives, and (3) hybrids.

The Business group aims at keeping regulations, including anti-fraud, environmental protections, consumer physical protection (e.g. product safety) low so profits for corporations and stockholders can get more $.  Taxes are to be kept as low as possible on the wealthy and lots of loopholes are to be created.  American workers are dispensable when machines or foreign workers can save production costs and increase profits.  International trade deals are seen as opportunities.

The Culture-Warrior group is interested in maintaining traditional conservative, personal values, white and Christian supremacy.  Gays and LGBT's are seen as perverts.  Feminist values are abhorred.  The men are supposed to be in charge. See post below.

The hybrid group is in a win-win situation.  However, sometimes the 2 other groups are in conflict.

Texas' anti trans-gender bathroom bill is causing a split.  Business groups are afraid it will  hurt tourism, investment, conventions, sports events, etc.  They are opposed arguing it will cost the state millions in business.They have allied with Democrats who are opposed to the bill on ethical, moral or ideological grounds.

Who will win?  The Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General seem to be in the Culture-Wars group.  The House Speaker seems to be more in the Business group.  My guess is that Texas will further embarrass itself by  passing the bill. The Lieutenant Gov. and Gov. appear to be obsessed.  They will sacrifice just about anything to get it through. 

INSIGHT INTO TRUMP SUPPORTERS AND THE REPUPBLICAN PARTY

Insightful article re Trump supporters and the Republican party.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-presidents-base-vs-the-republican-party-1500419237

This article gave me greater insight into the 2016 election results.  We all know that white working class and rust belt voters left the Democratic Party, their traditional home, and swUng the victory to Trump.  Yes, the Dems had ignored their plight for too long, but Republicans have never care about working-class people. How did the Repubs get this great migration?  They played on tribalism.  White supremacy is alive and well in many parts of America, among all classes.  Obama's election was the ultimate affront to many whites of all classes.  "Make America great" again meant to many of all classes 'make America a country dominated by  real Americans, white Christians, and their values, and keep others out.'
  Further Trump appealed to the anti-feminist, macho, male supremacists who view women as subordinate to men and their sexual and reproductive wants.  The

Republicans played the culture-wars card and were able to channel some of these traditionally democratic voters to their side.  In spite of the fact that the Republican party is anathema to their economic interests.  I'm not saying this applies to all white working class voters who supported Trump.   This is a frequent Republican tactic.  Get people whose self-interest is opposed to Republicans, to vote by stoking their fears of trans-gender people raping children in restroom, saying God made marriage only for opposite sex people, homosexual behavior is sinful, etc.  I don't think Trump was smart enough to figure this out.  But, his campaign people, esp. Bannon, did.

TRUMP STILL BROMANCING PUTIN. ALLIES IGNORED

Why is this noteworthy.  Among other things, the dinner was closed to the press. For more see

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/trump-putins-undisclosed-conversation-noteworthy/

NOOSE TIGHTENING, TRUMP LASHES OUT AT A.G. SESSIONS, SPEC. PROSEUCTOR, FBI CHIEF, COMEY ETC.

Trump has broken out of his delusions long enough to finally realize that the noose is beginning to slowly tighten around his neck. He is now lashing out, even at one of his strongest supporters, AG Jeff Sessions.  Allegations of conflicts of interests are deemed to make the investigators unfit.  He again made accusations against Comey.  Anyone old enough, or know enough about American history to remember Nixon, Watergate and the “Saturday Night Massacre.”?  When will Sesssions resign andTrump begin the firings?

 “WASHINGTON — President Trump said on Wednesday that he never would have appointed Attorney General Jeff Sessions had he known Mr. Sessions would recuse himself from overseeing the Russia investigation that has dogged his presidency, calling the decision “very unfair to the president.”

[Read excerpts of The Times’s interview with President Trump.]

In a remarkable public break with one of his earliest political supporters, Mr. Trump complained that Mr. Sessions’s decision ultimately led to the appointment of a special counsel that should not have happened. “Sessions should have never recused himself, and if he was going to recuse himself, he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else,” Mr. Trump said.

In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, the president also accused James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director he fired in May, of trying to leverage a dossier of compromising material to keep his job. Mr. Trump criticized both the acting F.B.I. director who has been filling in since Mr. Comey’s dismissal  [Andrew B. McCabe] and the deputy attorney general [Rod J. Rosenstein] who recommended it. And he took on Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel now leading the investigation into Russian meddling in last year’s election.

Mr. Trump said Mr. Mueller was running an office rife with conflicts of interest and warned investigators against delving into matters too far afield from Russia. Mr. Trump never said he would order the Justice Department to fire Mr. Mueller, nor would he outline circumstances under which he might do so. But he left open the possibility as he expressed deep grievance over an investigation that has taken a political toll in the six months since he took office.

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Asked if Mr. Mueller’s investigation would cross a red line if it expanded to look at his family’s finances beyond any relationship to Russia, Mr. Trump said, “I would say yes.” He would not say what he would do about it. “I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about Russia.”

. . . But Mr. Trump left little doubt during the interview that the Russia investigation remained a sore point. His pique at Mr. Sessions, in particular, seemed fresh even months after the attorney general’s recusal. Mr. Sessions was the first senator to endorse Mr. Trump’s candidacy and was rewarded with a key cabinet slot, but has been more distant from the president lately. [The recusal was required by ethical considerations, Sessions did not want to recuse himself]

“Jeff Sessions takes the job, gets into the job, recuses himself, which frankly I think is very unfair to the president,” he added. “How do you take a job and then recuse yourself? If he would have recused himself before the job, I would have said, ‘Thanks, Jeff, but I’m not going to take you.’ It’s extremely unfair — and that’s a mild word — to the president.”

Mr. Trump also faulted Mr. Sessions for his testimony during Senate confirmation hearings when Mr. Sessions said he had not had “communications with the Russians” even though he had met at least twice with Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak. “Jeff Sessions gave some bad answers,” the president said. “He gave some answers that were simple questions and should have been simple answers, but they weren’t.”

A spokesman for Mr. Sessions declined to comment on Wednesday.

[Is Trump burning bridges?  Is Trump trying to push Sessions into resigning?

 

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The Trump White House

The historic moments, head-spinning developments and inside-the-White House intrigue.

Trump Made Several Misleading Claims in Times Interview JUL 20  

•  Sessions Vows to Remain Attorney General ‘as Long as That Is Appropriate’ JUL 20

‘The Daily’: An Oval Office Interview JUL 20

 

Guest List at Donald Trump Jr.’s Meeting With Russian Expands Again JULY 18, 2017

 

 

TRUMP JR. JR'S GUEST LIST FOR MEETING KEEPS CHANGING

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/18/us/politics/trump-meeting-russia.html?mtrref=undefined&gwh=48009BEE2D1724AF655A835645D176D3&gwt=pay

MORE WHITE HOUSE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY

 Every White House has its ethical, lying  and legal problems.  I've never seen one as bad as Trumps.  Here's one that is not about Trump, Trump Jr., Sessions or Kushner.
http://www.whitehouse.at/white-house-officials-political-tweet-was-illegal-agency-says/

TRUMP AND REPUBLICAN AUTHORITARIAN BROMANCE WITH PUTIN

 Donald Trump and many Republicans seem to be big admirers and defenders of Russsia's murderous dictator, V. Putin.  Trump refused to denounce Putin for ordering the killing of Putin critics.

Seems like others have jumped on the bandwagon.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/us/politics/putin-trump-conservatives.html

Distrusting the Russians used to be a cardinal characteristic of Republicans.  Perhaps Trump and these others are not really Republicans?

Trump seems to be a big admirer of authoritarian leaders.  His favorite President is Andrew Jackson.  Famous for talking tough, bucking the Supreme Court and causing the Cherokee's 'Trail of Tears.' (Has Trump never heard of George Washington or Abramaham  Lincoln, the two most usually mentioned as best Presidents) He has spoken favorably of the Phillipines dictator who has supported summary execution on suspected drug dealers.

It seems that authoritarians admire other authoritarians.

"When Donald Tump ran for president, and in the weeks after winning the election, his critics justifiably worried about his autocratic tendencies. This man, after all, had egged on his followers to assault protesters, called for his political opponent to be jailed, attacked the independence of the judiciary, and repeatedly expressed an unwholesome admiration for tyrants like Saddam Hussein and Vladimir Putin. As president, Trump has continued to show worrisome anti-democratic instincts, as in his continued lambasting of the judiciary and calls for changes in libel laws to curtain freedom of the press. On Tuesday night, Trump tweeted criticism of his FBI director, James Comey, an especially unwise move given that Comey is investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government last year. By bashing a government official who is supposed to be independent, Trump confirmed fears that he’s an authoritarian at heart."

https://newrepublic.com/article/142468/trump-authoritarian-incompetent-yes


  Thank God we have Constitution and Supreme Court that will stand up to Presidents with such attitudes.

RUSSIAN MEDDLING IN ELECTION IS NOT FAKE NEWS

In spite of the fact that most, if not all, of the professional intelligence community has no doubt that the Russians attempted to influence the 2016 election of Trump, he and his toadies continue to deny it.  The evidence is overwhelming--the earth is not flat.

https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/russian-election-hacking