January 4, 2019

WSJ Blasts Trump's Soviet-Afghan War Account: 'Cannot Recall a More Absurd Misstatement of History'

by Ken Meyer | Jan 4th, 2019, 9:44 am

The Wall Street Journal‘s editorial board is slamming President Trump for saying the Soviet Union was justified when they invaded Afghanistan in 1979.

When Trump held his rambling 90 minute press spray at the White House earlier this week, he mischaracterized the Soviet-Afghan War by saying the Russians invaded in an effort to fight terrorism. Typically, historians look back on the war and say it actually happened because the Soviets were trying to hold a fellow communist government together before it collapsed from civil war and gave a America a chance to take greater action in the region.

“Russia used to be the Soviet Union. Afghanistan made it Russia because they went bankrupt fighting in Afghanistan,” Trump said. “But Russia should be fighting. The reason Russia was in, in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia. They were right to be there. The problem is it was a tough fight.”

The WSJ editorial board took notice of Trump’s comments, and they started their response by blasting his dismissiveness towards U.S. allies who send troops to help American forces in their military endeavors.

“This mockery is a slander against every ally that has supported the U.S. effort in Afghanistan with troops who fought and often died,” the piece says. “The United Kingdom has had more than 450 killed fighting in Afghanistan.

The piece goes on to slam Trump’s “utterly false narrative” about the war by lining out its history and elaborating on how the Soviets tried to justify their invasion.



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https://www.mediaite.com/print/wsj-blasts-trumps-soviet-afghan-war-account-cannot-recall-a-more-absurd-misstatement-of-history/

January 4, 2019

Sean Hannity attacks Social Security and public schools as ineffective programs exploiting...

Sean Hannity attacks Social Security and public schools as ineffective programs exploiting people's fears

Sean Hannity: "You can't do any worse than our own public schools."

Video ››› January 3, 2019 4:47 PM EST ››› MEDIA MATTERS STAFF

SEAN HANNITY (HOST): They play to your fear, government plays to your fear. Which is why you wonder, historically, you've got this up and down in the political cycle. It's appealing when the government says "well we're going to take money from them, and we're going to give it to you. And that's going to take away a lot of your fear. And if you put your faith, your hope, your trust in us, then we're going to make sure that your healthcare is taken care of, your retirement is taken care of, your kids are taken care of." I mean if you listen to socialists at the ultimate level, they want free healthcare, free daycare, free schools -- how're those government schools doing? We pay more per capita than any other country in the industrialized world with the worst results. You can't do any worse than our own public schools.

audio recording:
https://www.mediamatters.org/video/2019/01/03/sean-hannity-attacks-social-security-and-public-schools-ineffective-programs-exploiting-peoples/222411

January 4, 2019

Rep. Rashida Tlaib Defends Explicit Verbal Attack on Trump: #UnapologeticallyMe

by Colby Hall | Jan 4th, 2019, 9:32 a.m.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib is defending her explicit verbal attack on the President of the United States on Friday morning.

On Thursday, the newly sworn-in member of United States Congress celebrated her official status as Congressperson at a party sponsored by progressive activist group MoveOn.org. At the party, she took the microphone and after decrying the plight of bullies (in the context of President Donald Trump) and proclaimed “we’re going to impeach the motherf*cker!”

This verbal attack was not just received with cheers and applause from the politically friendly crowd but was also very predictably captured on smartphones. The video of which has since gone viral and has become perfect cable news fodder.

Tlaib responded to the sudden attention with the following tweet:

https://twitter.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1081190513691246592

-snip-

https://twitter.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1081195487917682690

https://www.mediaite.com/online/rep-rashida-tlaib-defends-explicit-verbal-attack-on-trump-unapologeticallyme/

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Rep. Nadler: I Disagree With Rep. Tlaib’s Use of ‘Motherf**ker’ and Impeachment in Her Speech

by Julio Rosas | Jan 4th, 2019, 9:34 am

On Friday, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said he disagreed with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) telling her supporters they will impeach President Donald Trump, who instead used motherfucker, after she was sworn into the new Congress on Thursday.

“No, I don’t really like that kind of language, but more to the point I disagree with what she said,” Nadler told CNN Friday morning. “It is too early to talk about that intelligently.” Nadler said more time is needed with Robert Mueller’s special counsel and the Congress’ own investigations so they can get more evidence of the President’s wrongdoings.

“We have to get the facts and we’ll see where the facts lead, maybe that will lead to impeachment, maybe it won’t. But it’s much too early and we don’t have all of the facts and must have the facts.” he continued.

more + video:
https://www.mediaite.com/trump/rep-nadler-i-disagree-with-rep-tlaibs-use-of-motherfker-and-impeachment-in-her-speech/

January 4, 2019

CNN: America's National Debt Under Trump Reaches New High of $21,970,000,000,000

by Colby Hall | Jan 4th, 2019, 8:41 am

There was a time, not that long ago when Republican politicians believed that the most pressing issue facing America’s future. According to recent figures released by the Trump administration’s Treasury Department, the U.S. National debt has hit a record high of $21.9 trillion.

CNN’s Christine Romans filed a report on New Day Friday morning that put the current federal financial situation in stark relief. Part of the reason for the record debt? Less money coming in according to the congressional budget office.

Chairman of the White House’s council of economic advisers Kevin Hassett has claimed that President Donald Trump is absolutely concerned about record debt, saying the Commander in Chief has “ordered the cabinet agencies to cut their spending by 5% almost across the board so he is beginning to focus on spending.”

video
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnn-americas-national-debt-under-trump-reaches-new-high-of-21970000000000/

January 4, 2019

Nancy Pelosi Hilariously Offers Trump 'One Dollar' For Wall Funding

by Tommy Christopher | Jan 3rd, 2019, 7:37 pm

-snip-

At a press conference Thursday evening, Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership told reporters of their plan to reopen government by passing Republican bills to fund agencies other than Homeland Security, and to put off the DHS negotiation for a month.

But one reporter couldn’t resist taking another shot at negotiating a compromise on Trump’s behalf, and asked Pelosi, “Is there any situation that you would accept even a dollar of wall funding for this president in order to reopen the government?”

“A dollar?” Pelosi asked, to laughter from the reporters. “A dollar? Yeah, one dollar.”

“How high are you willing to go? Are you willing to spend…” the reporter said.

“No, you said a dollar, you said a dollar,” Pelosi interrupted. “That’s not your question, you said a dollar, I’m answering your question.”

“The fact is, a wall is an immorality,” Pelosi continued. “It’s not who we are as a nation. And this is not a wall between Mexico and the United States that the president is creating here, it’s a wall between reality and his constituents, his supporters.”

-snip-

more
https://www.mediaite.com/donald-trump/nancy-pelosi-hilariously-offers-trump-one-dollar-for-wall-funding/

January 4, 2019

U.S.-China trade talks: China says it is restarting trade talks with U.S.

Source: CBS News/AP



UPDATED ON: JANUARY 4, 2019 / 8:39 AM / CBS/AP

American envoys are expected in Beijing for talks Monday in a tariff battle over Chinese technology ambitions that threatens to hobble global economic growth.

The two days of meetings are aimed at carrying out the Dec. 1 truce by Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping that postponed additional tariff hikes, the Ministry of Commerce announced Friday. It said the American delegation will be led by a deputy U.S. trade representative, Jeffrey D. Gerrish, but gave no other details of the agenda or participants.

Signs are emerging that the trade war is impacting U.S. businesses. Apple on Wednesday pointed to trade tensions as one reason for weaker-than-expected demand for its flagship iPhone in China. New data released on Thursday suggest the trade war is also taking a toll on the U.S. manufacturing sector as a whole.

The American Embassy in Beijing didn't immediately respond to a request for confirmation and additional details about the new round of trade talks.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-china-trade-talks-china-says-it-is-restarting-trade-talks-with-u-s/

January 4, 2019

Nancy Pelosi says no to border wall ahead of Trump talks, calls it an 'immorality'

Source: USA Today


David Jackson and Michael Collins, USA TODAY Published 8:12 a.m. ET Jan. 4, 2019 | Updated 8:47 a.m. ET Jan. 4, 2019

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats will hold talks Friday to try to strike a deal to end the government shutdown in talks at the White House but both sides remained dug in on their positions.

New Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi was adamant that her party opposes any federal money for Trump's main priority: A wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

"A wall is an immorality between countries," Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday after Democrats passed their own plan to re-open the government. "It's an old way of thinking. It isn't cost effective."

Said Pelosi: "We're not doing a wall."

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/01/04/nancy-pelosi-border-wall-immorality-ahead-trump-talks/2480361002/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomwashington-topstories

January 4, 2019

Trump blames financial market 'disruption' on Democrats

Source: Reuters



JANUARY 4, 2019 / 8:20 AM / UPDATED 37 MINUTES AGO

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Friday sought to cast blame for recent gyrations in financial markets on Democrats takeover of U.S. House of Representatives and aimed to soothe investors’ worries saying “things will settle down.”

“As I have stated many times, if the Democrats take over the House or Senate, there will be disruption to the Financial Markets. We won the Senate, they won the House. Things will settle down,” Trump wrote in an early morning post on Twitter.

Reporting by Susan Heavey

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-markets/trump-blames-financial-market-disruption-on-democrats-idUSKCN1OY16G?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FPoliticsNews+%28Reuters+Politics+News%29

January 4, 2019

Pelosi Sends a Message to Trump

January 4, 2019 at 1:37 am EST By Taegan Goddard

In one of her first duties as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi sent an official invitation to President Trump to deliver the State of the Union on January 29. But her letter’s opening was a clear and unmistakable message to the president:

When asked by the New York Times “if she considers herself Mr. Trump’s equal,” Pelosi didn’t hesitate in her reply: “The Constitution does.”

We don’t know what what will happen over the next two years, but the new Speaker could not have set a more different tone than former Speaker Paul Ryan.

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https://politicalwire.com/2019/01/04/pelosi-sends-a-message-to-trump/

January 4, 2019

Trump Drops the I-Word: 'How Do You Impeach' Winner of 'Perhaps the Greatest Election of All Time?'

by Joe DePaolo | Jan 4th, 2019, 8:37 am

Hours after a newly-sworn in Congresswoman vowed to “impeach the motherf*cker,” President Donald Trump addressed the concept himself on Twitter.

In the first of two early-morning tweets on the topic Friday, the president accused Democrats of wanting to impeach him because they believe they won’t defeat him at the polls in 2020.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1081175076727345152

The president followed up by citing his high approval rating within the Republican party (while not mentioning his significantly lower numbers with Democrats and Independents) as a reason he shouldn’t be impeached.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1081177511592108032

This is the first known instance of Trump tweeting about the prospect of impeachment. Of course, not coincidentally, the Democratic-controlled House gaveled into session on Thursday.

https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-drops-the-i-word-how-do-you-impeach-winner-of-perhaps-the-greatest-election-of-all-time/