Tag: border

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Senator Mitch McConnell Discusses Inflation Reduction Bill On Fox News’ Special Report Show

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appeared on Fox News Special Report w/Bret Baier (08/03/22) to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act currently being negotiated in the U.S. Senate. Senator McConnell said he found the way Democrats characterized the bill “laughable”, because in his opinion, the bill actually increases inflation. Senate Democrats appear poised to approve the measure on a straight party vote.

Senator McConnell said this about the Inflation Reduction Act (0:27): “First, I think all of us were somewhat shocked by Senator Manchin’s reversal of positions he’d taken as recently as last week, against raising taxes. This raises taxes, it increases the burden of taxation on lower income people significantly. Calling it inflation reduction bill is rather laughable. Independent analysis indicates it actually increases inflation in the next two years, and may have an impact over ten years, and their policies from last year have already produced 40-year high inflation, so it’s a terrible package. It appears as if they are all in line, but one, it will be up to Senator Sinema from Arizona, who’s quite independent, to determine what the final contours of the bill are.”

Asked about the charge by irate Republicans, that he was “played” by Democrats regarding the reconciliation bill, McConnell responded (1:28): “Reconciliation is something done by one party only. There’s nothing we could have done to prevent the Democrats from doing a bill that only they will vote for, so it’s not a question of being played here, what’s the story line here is that Senator Manchin had agreed to something that he had said publicly and privately over the last two weeks that he would never agree to. We’re not involved in the reconciliation bill. There won’t be a single Republican vote for it. There’s nothing we could do to deter it, other than to criticize it publicly, and that’s what we’re doing right here.”

Host Bret Baier then cornered Senator McConnell with a very interesting question as to why he has repeatedly cited renowned economists Larry Summers and Jason Furman on ways to tackle the current record inflation, yet now he refuses to follow their advice that the Inflation Reduction Act will help reduce inflation? Senator McConnell accused the economists of trying to appease President Biden. He specifically said (2:41):“The quotes they used me in, were Summers’ observations about what they [Biden Administration] did last year. Two trillion dollars they dumped on the economy, that both Furman and Summers predicted would produce rampant inflation, and it did. What they’ve done this year is kind of fall in line, and I assume they wanted to get back on the White House Christmas card list, but people who are not active Democrats, independent observers have said it has no impact on inflation, at all, over the long term, and actually increases it slightly in the short term. So Furman and Summers were certainly helpful as active Democrats in describing last year’s bill, but this year they’re sort of falling in line because I think they want to get back in the good grace of the White House.”

Asked about criticism from House Republicans, some of whom don’t want him as Senate Majority Leader any more, over what they perceive as him being “played” repeatedly by Democrats, and making President Biden look good, McConnell responded(3:55): “Well, I guess they’ve forgotten the Supreme Court that I’ve helped usher into–three new Supreme Court justices, the 2017 tax bill…I think just because you have closely divided government doesn’t mean you do nothing. The past two administrations tried to achieve bipartisan infrastructure, didn’t get it done, we needed to rescue the post office. Just because it’s a Democrat in the White House, I don’t think means Republicans should do nothing that’s good for the country. In the meantime, on the big issues, we are totally opposed to what this administration is trying to do, but on things like school safety, mental health, infrastructure, postal reform, why would we not want to make progress for the country no matter who’s in the White House?”

Asked about reservation by some Republicans, that expanding NATO to include Sweden and Finland, increases the likelihood of sending our troops into combat in Europe, Sen McConnell responded (5:08): “The NATO alliance is the most successful military alliance in world history. The way to prevent Americans from having to actively get involved in combat is to prevent it in the first place, and that’s what NATO is about. It won the cold war without firing a single shot. Putin has succeeded not only in actually expanding NATO and making it even more effective as a deterrent. Remember Reagan said peace through strength, and that’s what NATO is all about, and that’s why Finland and Sweden add a lot to NATO.”

Asked to pick between the Russia-Ukraine war, and the situation at our southern border, which one was a bigger national security threat to the United States, McConnell said both were threats that needed to be dealt with seriously–probably not the answer Fox News viewers obsessed with the southern border, wanted to hear.

Importantly, when asked about his earlier prediction that there would be a “red wave” in this year’s midterm elections, McConnell appears to have had a change of mind (probably due to Kansas), saying now that it will be a “very tight” election. McConnell specifically said (7:02): “I think it’s going to be very tight, we have a 50-50 Senate now, we have a 50-50 nation, and I think when the Senate race smoke clears, we are likely to have a very, very close Senate still, with either up slightly, or the Democrats up slightly”–a far cry from the “red wave” talk we heard earlier in the year from McConnell and his fellow Republicans.

Asked about the Kansas abortion vote heard around the world, McConnell responded (7:35): “I think what the Supreme Court has done is said people who are elected by the American people are going to deal with this highly sensitive issue, and it will be playing out all year, and I don’t think we really know until the end of the year, what kind of an impact putting this issue back into the hands of those of us who are elected, as opposed to nine unelected judges, will have on the country. We’re in the process of finding that out…It tells us that there are a lot of people interested in the issue in Kansas, there’s no question about that.”

Asked whether he would survive his leadership role if “Trumpified” candidates(J.D. Vance, Oz, Blake Masters, Ted Budd etc) win this November, Sen McConnell responded (8:37): “I’ve been elected eight times without opposition. I don’t own this job, and there’s always an election every two years for leader. If anybody wants to challenge me, have at it.” McConnell added that he will still hang on as Minority Leader if Republicans don’t take over the Senate this Fall.

Asked whether, given his lengthy career in the U.S. Senate, there is a single issue the modern Republican Party gets right, which the old Republican Party got wrong, McConnell was all over the place. He didn’t give an answer that specifically answered the question.

Bottom line folks, the key takeaway from Senator McConnell’s interview on Fox News is that the “red wave” fantasy is gone. Republicans now acknowledge that even with the challenging economic times, and President Biden’s low approval numbers, the 2022 midterm elections will be very competitive. Reasonable politicos will agree that given historical trends re midterms, the fact that Dems are even still in the ball game, tells you all you need to know about the state of affairs at Trump’s GOP. 

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Rep Veronica Escobar Slams Gov Abbott For Creating “Wild West” Environment That Enabled Uvalde Shooting

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Rep Veronica Escobar(D-TX) appeared on MSNBC Reports w/Andrea Mitchell (07/18/22) to discuss the recently released report by the Texas Senate on the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Rep Escobar made a very important point on the show, telling host Andrea Mitchell that the deadly “wild west” environment created by Texas elected officials, beginning with Governor Greg Abbott, is partly to blame for the horrific shooting in Uvalde.

This point is largely missed by the mainstream media when reporting about the mass shooting in Uvalde, but it cannot be restated enough.

Rep Escobar(video at 1:00):“I think the report is important, but I also think we need to zoom out a little bit because the leadership void goes far beyond law enforcement. And what the report did not touch on[are]2 things, (1) the Governor, who is the highest ranking elected official, the chief elected official of the state and (2) the state legislature that makes open carry the law of the land in Texas so that anyone can get access to a gun without any training and really a loosening of gun laws that was historic. It is so important that these reports and that this analysis look at what happened on the ground that day, but we also have to look at the context in Texas, the environment that has been created by Republicans, who want to create a wild west sort of environment  in a state, that has led us to be…one of the most deadliest states for mass shootings.”

Rep Escobar went on to specifically address Gov Abbott’s failures:“He’s been pretty silent. He’s very eager to point the finger at others, really on any situation including Uvalde and he, as the highest-ranking elected official in the state of Texas, I have yet to hear the Governor accept any responsibility, or bring forward any ideas for meaningful change. He is literally someone who has only used his position to make Texas less safe for its citizens and uses our resources for political stunts.”

She went on to add that the political stunt Gov Abbott is pulling at the southern border aka “Operation Lone Star” has siphoned much needed funds away from mental health services and public schools, both of which are still poorly funded in Texas compared to other states.

Bottom line folks, Texas is, and has been a solid red state for quite some time now. It is important however for people who don’t live in the Lone Star state, or keep up with its politics, to know that none of Governor Abbott’s Republican predecessors created the deadly gun violence environment in the state like Gov Abbott and his allies have. Rep Escobar is absolutely spot on, that any meaningful discussion of gun violence in the Lone Star state has to take into account the “wild west” environment created by Gov Abbott and his Texas Republican allies.

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Is Nikki Haley Running For President In 2024? Sure Looks Like A YES

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Nikki Haley on Fox News’ America Reports show(07/19/22)

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, appeared on Fox News’ America Reports show (07/19/22) for an interview that raised a lot of eyebrows because it is the strongest indication yet, that she is indeed running for president in 2024. When asked by the Fox News hosts about a hypothetical match-up pitting her against Democrats Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, or even California Governor Gavin Newsome, the usually reserved Haley appeared uncharacteristically upbeat, telling the Fox News host, “bring it”–a clear indication that that she’s up for the challenge.

America Reports host (video at 3:22): “In terms of 2024…Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsome reaching out to some big money Wall Street donors about a potential run for 2024. When you take a look at Joe Biden’s polling numbers in that Sienna poll, he is well under water with every major demographic. Do you believe he’ll be the nominee in 2024?”

Nikki Haley: “I don’t know who they’re going to decide. I would love it if it is Biden, I’d love it if it is Kamala, I’d love it if it is Gavin Newsome, because we can beat them all day long, bring it. If that’s all they’ve got, bring it, because at the end of the day, we know what the American people want, and they want freedom, and they want to get government out of the way, and they want to make sure that their dollar is valued, and they want to make sure their kids have a better life, and that we have a strong America…that’s what they care about…”

She was then asked about her recent remarks at the Christians United For Israel(CUFI) event where she said this while talking about the Iran nuclear deal(video at 5:43): “No deal is better than a bad deal, and if this President[Biden]signs any sort of deal, I’ll make you a promise. The next President will shred it on her first day in office. Just saying, sometimes it takes a woman.” There was a long applause from the crowd, which obviously noted the “her first day in office” reference in her remarks. There’s absolutely no question that the politically savvy Haley intended for this to be a hint to the CUFI crowd and Americans generally, that she is strongly considering seeking the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.

Pressured by the Fox News hosts to elaborate further on her remarks at the CUFI event, Nikki Haley said(6:29): “Do I think the first female president, that it would be great if it was a strong conservative Republican? Of course I do. And sometimes does it take a woman? I mean we’ve tried men for a while, maybe a woman is what we need, but I don’t think I have to make that decision until the 1st of next year. Right now if we don’t win in 2022, there is no 2024.”

Asked whether she had the fire in the belly to mount a presidential run in 2024, she responded in the affirmative, saying: “I have the fire in the belly for America. I always have, and my parents reminded us every day how blessed we were to live in this country. All I’ve ever known to do is to fight for her, and so whether I run or not, I’m going to fight for this country until my last breath. It’s all I know to do.”

Bottom line folks, it has been widely speculated, including by Yours Truly, that Nikki Haley will mount a presidential run in 2024, so this should come as no surprise. It is however interesting because she took a few steps back on the issue in 2021 when it appeared that former President Trump had taken notice of her presidential ambitions and was displeased by them. Haley backtracked a little after that, saying she would not run for president if Trump was running. Has she now decided to run regardless of whether former President Trump runs? Hmm, sure seems like it, given her latest interview on Fox News’ America Reports show.

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White Nationalism Cited As Motive In Terrorist attack On Buffalo Grocery Store

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Tops grocery store in Buffalo New York, the site of a racially motivated terrorist attack on 05/14/2022

As news reports continue to trickle in about today’s(05/14/22) shooting at a Tops grocery store in Buffalo New York, a troubling picture of the suspect is emerging and that is, he was steeped in the kind of White nationalism we are increasingly witnessing in populist Europe, and at home with Trump’s GOP. The common theme among these budding White nationalism movements is their belief in the so-called “replacement theory”–a belief that there is a global conspiracy to replace/eliminate White people. This naturally instills in them a deep-seated hate of immigrants and non-Whites generally. NBC law enforcement analyst Jim Cavanaugh made a bombshell observation on American Voices show, telling host Alicia Menendez that this replacement theory rhetoric and the associated White nationalism screeds were commonplace in Trump’s White House, a startling revelation indeed.

Host Alicia Menendez(video at 4:02):“Jim, officials say that they believe that the suspect acted alone. How are they going to confirm that?”

Jim Cavanaugh:“It’s going to be what we[law enforcement] call like a psychological autopsy. We go back and we look at all of his telephone, computer, all of his contacts. He’s going to have contacts on the web, Alicia. He’s going to be reading the White supremacist websites, there’s many of them out there, and he’s going to have read them, maybe even posted on them, and he’s talking to these like-minded people like this is all okay. And of course he’s probably railing against immigrants–this is another thing where the DA or the police chief mentioned, the screeds about immigration, these White hate books. There’s a screed from Europe called “The Camp of The Saints”, and it’s just a horrendously racist book about immigrants to Europe. It was passed all over the White House when Trump was president, everybody’s reading it like it’s some book to read, I mean it’s just garbage, and they put this out in these White supremacist circles and these people read it, and they start to believe it, and what it does is it denigrates immigrants, anybody of color…That’s why the constant talk about the immigrants at the border is really coming right from this White nationalist perspective…”

You’ll remember the Trump administration was notoriously anti-immigrant, so this bombshell revelation about a White nationalist screed being circulated at his White House raises a whole host of questions as to whether racism was driving force behind his administration’s immigration policy. The anti-immigrant sentiment within the GOP remains strong even with Trump outside the White House, so it will be interesting to see how congressional Republicans and their allies on Fox News(looking at you, Tucker Carlson), respond to this White nationalist screed bombshell. Just the other day there was a news report saying Fox News’ Tucker Carlson show was a hit among White nationalists, and specifically, that the show’s segments dealing with the border/immigration draw the highest ratings.

Bottom line folks, it would foolhardy for anyone to argue that we do not have an immigration problem in the United States. Reasonable people will agree that our immigration system is broken, and has been for decades, largely due to our equally broken Congress(dithering on a permanent legislative fix). But having said that, it is impossible to ignore the racism that has emerged within Trump’s GOP, when it comes to immigration. One only hopes that this horrendous terrorist attack in Buffalo New York, will ignite a serious discussion about the replacement theory rhetoric that belies Trump GOP’s immigration policies.

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Rep Beth Van Duyne Defends Gov Abbott’s Immigrant Bussing Ploy

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Rep Beth Van Duyne(R-TX) on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures(04/17/22)

Texas Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne, a former Mayor of Irving who is considered to be a rising GOP star, appeared on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures show(04/17/22) to discuss the Biden administration’s recent lifting of Title 42 and other immigration issues related to the southern border. Rep Van Duyne defended Texas Gov Abbott’s controversial bussing of migrants caught crossing the southern border to Washington DC, saying this will make politicians in DC “see what it has been like in areas all around Texas.”

Rep Beth Van Duyne specifically told host Jason Chaffetz(video at 4:38):“In Texas we are seeing a huge influx of illegal immigrants, a huge influx of illegal drugs, of illegal weapons, and quite honestly the citizens of the state of Texas are sick of it, which is why I think you see some of the desperate measures that our Governor is taking to put them on buses and send them to Washington, DC since the Biden administration finds themselves too busy to actually be able to come back to the border, well maybe they need to see what its like in DC, what it has been like in areas all around Texas…I guarantee you if we see a mass immigration of illegal aliens, you are going to see those walls go back up around the Capitol to be able to protect the politicians, while we are leaving a wall down on our southern border and ignoring the effects it’s having on the rest of the nation.”

She went on to add that the number of illegal immigrants that have come through the southern border in the last 15 months is more than the combined population of three U.S. states, and that mixed in with these illegal immigrants, are people from “questionable countries” like Syria and Yemen–presumably terrorists.

For the record, illegal immigration has been and still remains a big problem in the United States, and the concerns Rep Van Duyne raised in her Fox News interview regarding the sheer numbers of migrants illegally crossing the southern border, and the prospect of some of them being criminals/terrorists are for the most part, valid concerns. The question here is whether Governor Abbott’s bussing ploy, and that’s exactly what it is–a ploy, is the best way to deal with this decades old, complex immigration problem? Reasonable people will agree that the bussing ploy employed by Gov Abbott, which essentially amounts to playing with the lives of desperate migrants, is no way to deal with a complex problem like immigration. The bussing ploy may play well among Fox News viewers eager to embarrass Democrats in Washington, but it will ultimately blow up in the face of Texas Republicans because it does zero to address the real illegal immigration problem at the southern border.

Bottom line folks, illegal immigration is a complex problem that calls for serious politicians to sit down and come up with concrete solutions to fix it. Texas Governor Abbott, and it appears Rep Van Duyne, are clearly not up to the task of coming up with a concrete solution to this complex problem, and have instead settled for ploys/gimmicks, or “stunts” as Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Beto O’Rourke calls them.

Maybe it’s time stuntman Abbott stepped aside, and allowed Gov O’Rourke to work with serious Texas Republicans, to come up with concrete ways of tackling the complex illegal immigration problem. Hopefully Texas voters will arrive at this conclusion this Fall.

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Gov DeSantis Blames Florida Covid Surge On Migrants Coming Through the Texas-Mexico Border

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis On Fox News’ Ingraham Angle Show (08/04/2021)

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appeared on Fox News’ Ingraham Angle show(08/04/2021), where he made the ridiculous assertion that it is migrants coming through the Texas-Mexico border, who are to blame for the surge of covid-19’s delta variant in Florida. Yes, folks, Governor DeSantis, with a straight face, told host Laura Ingraham, that the Biden administration is apprehending covid-stricken migrants coming through the Texas-Mexico border, and shipping them to Florida.

Gov DeSantis’ full interview on Ingraham Angle is available here, but the relevant clip is below.

Gov DeSantis told host Laura Ingraham:“He[President Biden] is bringing in people from over a hundred different countries across the southern border. Every variant on this planet, some we don’t even know about, are absolutely coming into our country that way. What they are doing is, people are coming, and then they are farming them out all over the United States, putting them on buses, putting them on planes. So when he is lecturing people about imposing covid restrictions and lock down policies on the one hand, and yet not only doing nothing to stop the border surge, but actually facilitating it on the other hand, he just loses all credibility when it comes to covid.”

Governor DeSantis, noticing how ridiculous his assertion was, then tried to justify it, telling host Ingraham that migrants coming through the Texas-Mexico border have a particular affinity to Florida. He said, “I have[Florida] law enforcement there helping[Texas]Governor Abbott, and we’ve been there for a month, and they say of the illegal border crossers that they come in contact with, a majority of them are telling our guys that they want to end up in Florida…” Gov DeSantis’ totally made-up assertion that migrants coming through the Texas-Mexico border have a fixation with Florida was so ridiculous, even host Ingraham chuckled.

This is the kind of crazy talk one expects to hear from an obscure subreddit or Facebook page. However, when it is uttered by a Governor of a major U.S. state, one thought of as a serious presidential contender in 2024, it should be serious cause for alarm. It is not a lot to ask that a Governor of a major U.S. state like Florida, address a deadly global pandemic that has killed over half a million U.S. residents, and left many more with serious health complications, with the seriousness it deserves. Reasonable people will agree that Gov DeSantis’ argument, that the covid surge in Florida is caused by migrants shipped in from the Texas-Mexico border, is a totally frivolous argument, bordering on lunacy.

Bottom line folks, whether you are a Republican or Democrat, we are at a point where we can all agree that covid-19 is a deadly virus that demands serious attention from our leaders across the board. President Biden is absolutely correct in calling out Gov DeSantis for playing games in the face of this deadly pandemic, and urging him to either start leading, or step aside. Just so you know Governor DeSantis, there’s a very capable Floridian, ready and willing to take over, and help the Sunshine State defeat the deadly covid-19 pandemic.

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Handy List Of GOP Senators Supporting Trump’s Unconstitutional Emergency Declaration

The U.S. Senate recently voted on President Trump’s 2/15/2019 national emergency declaration. President Trump had requested 5.7 billion to build a wall at the U.S border with Mexico in an effort to stem the tide of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. through the southern border. Congress did not approve the 5.7 billion Trump requested and as a result Trump resorted to declaring a national emergency which would among other things grant him authority to redirect monies already earmarked by congress for other projects to be used for his border wall–a clear cut end-run around the well-established congressional “power of the purse” and a separation of powers issue.

Shortly after Trump declared his national emergency, the Democrat-controlled House passed HJ Resolution 46(HJ Res.46), essentially rebuking the declaration for among other things, its unconstitutionality. The resolution passed the House by a vote of 245-182 on 2/26/2019. The U.S. Senate then took up HJ Res. 46 and on 3/14/2019 passed it with a 59-41 vote (12 GOP Senators opposing Trump and crossing over to vote with Democrats in support of HJ Res.46).

There was absolutely no question that President Trump’s national emergency declaration was an affront to the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers. You don’t have to take Yours Truly’s word for it on the unconstitutionality of Trump’s national emergency declaration, just listen to GOP Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT). Sen Romney said about his opposition to Trump’s national emergency declaration, “This is a vote for the Constitution and for the balance of powers that is at its core…For the Executive Branch to override a law passed by Congress would make it the ultimate power rather than a balancing power.”

Even on a clear cut constitutional issue as this, 41 Republican Senators still supported Trump’s move. Below is a Handy List of the shameful GOP Senators


Bottom line, these 41 GOP Senators who supported Trump’s clear cut unconstitutional national emergency declaration have demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that they have no idea what their constitutional duties are and consequently, do not belong in the U.S. Senate. Voters should look closely at this Handy List to see which of these 41 Senators are up for reelection in 2020 and vote them out!!

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Trump Admin Declaring Migrant Parents Ineligible To Reunite With Their Own Children

Rachel Maddow yesterday did a segment about Trump administration’s infamous family separation policy. The segment was based on the day’s breaking news that House Democrats have issued a subpoena to the Trump Administration requesting all documents related to its family separation policy–the first subpoena by House Democrats to the Trump administration

In Maddow’s interview with Rep Karen Bass however, the California Dem dropped a major bombshell when she revealed that the Trump administration has empowered Border Patrol agents to unilaterally and arbitrarily declare migrant parents ineligible to reunify with their own children–a very shocking revelation .

Rep Bass told Maddow, “One of the things that concerns me a lot Rachel is this category of parents that were considered ineligible to reunify with their children. There is no basis for a Border Patrol agent to determine who is eligible or ineligible to be a parent. We do not treat children that way in the child welfare system when their parents have been charged with neglect and abuse, so why on earth would we do that to parents who have not had any charge like that at all?”

The full Maddow segment is available here but the relevant clip is below

It is shocking how much power the Trump administration has entrusted to Border Patrol agents and others to make arbitrary but highly consequential decisions affecting the lives of migrant families. Think about that folks, even a federal judge does not have the power to unilaterally and without any due process whatsoever, declare a migrant parent “ineligible” to reunite with their own children yet the Trump administration has empowered Border Patrol agents working under the auspices of DHS to do just that.

Yours Truly would be remiss if he didn’t give a shout out to our very own rookie Rep Sylvia Garcia, (H-Town pride) who during the House hearings asked the question every American parent would like to pose to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen if given the opportunity; “Did you ever just say this really goes against humanity, we should not be doing this to children? Did you think of your own child and what would happen if somebody took your child from you?” Rep Garcia’s question is what the mainstream media should pester each and every Trump administration official involved with this evil family separation policy.

Bottom line folks the Trump administration’s family separation policy will go down as one of the most inhumane, and yes, evil U.S. government policy ever, the latest exhibit being this bombshell revelation by Rep Karen Bass that Border Patrol agents are unilaterally and arbitrarily declaring migrant parents ineligible to reunify with their own children. Folks, this is totally unacceptable and we hope congressional Democrats and the mainstream media make it the big deal that it is

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Trump’s Golf Club Committed Immigration Crimes

A bombshell New York Daily News piece says the Trump Golf Club in Bedminster New Jersey furnished its employees with fake permanent resident cards(“greencards”) and social security numbers in order to hide the fact that the employees lacked authorization to legally work in the U.S. This if corroborated is a slam dunk case of immigration crimes committed by the Trump Golf Club(felonies).

Federal Immigration and Nationality Act(INA) Section 274(a)(1)(A)

This bombshell revelation comes against the backdrop of a partial government shutdown (aka #TrumpShutdown) caused by political wrangling between Democrats and Republicans over whether or not to fund Trump’s proposed border wall, which according to Trump will keep America safe from criminal immigrants attempting to enter the United States illegally. The Trump administration has gone to great lengths to vilify immigrants, especially those coming in through our southern border as dangerous criminals who come here to commit crimes and take jobs away from Americans, and his proposed border wall is intended as a symbol to his political base that he is taking action on illegal immigration–a meaningless political ploy.

Well if it turns out that the same Trump who vilifies illegal/undocumented immigrants publicly to appease his racist and xenophobic political base is also violating immigration laws to keep them working at his golf clubs, possibly paying them lower than median wages, then it is high time Democrats and the mainstream media confronted him about his entire immigration stance. If immigrants who come to the U.S. illegally are so dangerous that Trump has forced a partial government shutdown to force funding for his border wall, then he should explain why his golf club is so desperate for their labour that it violates immigration laws to keep them employed.

The bombshell article also raises the very troubling prospect that Trump’s Golf Club subjected immigrants in its employ to abuse(unspecified) and racial harassment.

Excerpt from NY Daily News 12/29/2018

Bottom line, most people know that Trump’s hard line immigration stance is disingenuous and only meant to appease his political base which he has figured out hates non-white immigrants. Where, as here, we have a story that perfectly captures Trump’s immigration hypocrisy, Democrats must capitalize on it. Simply put, this is not just a case of Trump’s sickening hypocrisy on immigration, it is yet another example of possible criminal conduct by him and his businesses which must be fully investigated.

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Best Political Take Down Of 2018–THE LIES!!

In case you missed it, DHS Secretary Kirtsjen Nielsen’s recent hearing on Capitol Hill produced some unexpected highly dramatic moments, the most memorable one being her encounter with Congressman Luis Gutierrez(D-Illinois). Instead of using his allotted time to ask Sec Nielsen questions and then hearing her response, which is what typically happens at such hearings, Rep Gutierrez instead used all his allotted time to viciously slam Sec Nielsen and the Trump administration over their constant lies. After unloading on Sec Nielsen for five minutes straight after which House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte(R-VA) motioned the DHS Secretary to respond, Rep Gutierrez walked out of the hearing in essence suggesting that he didn’t want to hear any more lies from Sec Nielsen. Ouch!!

In this must-watch video, Rep Gutierrez highlights several of the major lies that have been told by the Trump administration but then delivers this final punishing blow on Sec Nielsen herself;“It is as if you can’t see the reality of modern immigration or the contributions of anyone who came from countries other than Norway and other parts of Europe. Its as if you and the Trump administration are blind. You know what, seems like you agree with Tucker Carlson that immigrants only bring danger and dirt and division. But I have to say the all-time record for lying in the face of all the evidence was a tweet by you Madam Secretary, sent out on June 17th and it says, ‘We do not have a policy of separating families at the border period.’ That was your twitter account, that’s what you put out. Yet you come here today to tell us exactly its your policy of separating families and children from their families, another lie………Shame on us for wearing our badge of Christianity during Christmas and allowing the Secretary to come here and lie.”

The full congressional hearing is available here but the relevant clip is below

For the record, Yours Truly prefers/advocates for a more civil/collegiate tone during congressional hearings. However we can all agree that with the Trump administration things are no longer normal, especially as regards to the incessant lying Rep Gutierrez correctly laments. Yours Truly makes an exception in this case by agreeing with congressman Gutierrez’s slamming of Sec Nielsen for lying and then walking out on her. Maybe, just maybe dramatic incidents like these will make Sec Nielsen and the Trump administration realize that Americans are tired of being told bold-faced lies on a daily basis and that they need government officials to level with them.

Bottom line no U.S administration has ever been so comfortable telling provable lies to the public on a daily basis as the Trump administration does, especially through Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. Desperate times call for desperate measures and maybe public displays of outrage like the one brilliantly executed by congressman Gutierrez are exactly the desperate measures needed to counter Trump administration’s lies. Secretary Nielsen’s remarks in response to Rep Gutierrez indicate clearly that she was stung by the lying charge and got the message, which is why Yours Truly considers this the best political take down of 2018. Hopefully from now on we can get truthful answers from DHS regarding other issues of great public interest including but not limited to illegal surveillance.

For those of you very happy with @Emolclause’s activism don’t shy away from the “tip jar” below on your way out.