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Bill USA
Bill USA's Journal
Bill USA's Journal
December 14, 2016
While our do-nothing Republican leaders are publicly expressing support for further probes into the ties between Donald Trump and the government of the Russian Federation, it’s becoming clear that is nothing but doublespeak, because behind the scenes they’re doing everything they can to stop further congressional investigations into the Russian hacking of the servers belonging to the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign senior officials.
POLITICO reports that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – whose wife just recieved a cabinet post in the Trump administration – and Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) “are rejecting growing calls for a wide-ranging special congressional panel to investigate the issue.” Instead, they are content to simply let the “narrower” oversight work of intelligence committees suffice, which means there’s “no guarantee” the results will ever be released to the public and shields Trump from any retributive action.
Coming barely a day after the House Select Committee on Benghazi finally disbanded after two and half years of fruitless witch-hunting and eight million taxpayer dollars down the drain, the hypocrisy of these traitors is simply stunning.
They have proven, for the umpteenth time, that all their self-righteous indignation and false patriotism when it comes to perceived wrongdoings by Democrats was nothing but partisan vitriol; they are all too eager to turn a blind eye to the interference of a foreign rival into our elections and tarnishing the integrity of our very democracy if it means that their party gets a chance to pass the horrendous agenda laid out for them by oligarchs and religious extremists.
(MORE)
McConnell & Ryan Just Blocked Expanded Russia Probe To Shield Trump From Impeachment
http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/12/13/mcconnell-ryan-just-blocked-expanded-russia-probe-shield-trump-impeachment/While our do-nothing Republican leaders are publicly expressing support for further probes into the ties between Donald Trump and the government of the Russian Federation, it’s becoming clear that is nothing but doublespeak, because behind the scenes they’re doing everything they can to stop further congressional investigations into the Russian hacking of the servers belonging to the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign senior officials.
POLITICO reports that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) – whose wife just recieved a cabinet post in the Trump administration – and Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) “are rejecting growing calls for a wide-ranging special congressional panel to investigate the issue.” Instead, they are content to simply let the “narrower” oversight work of intelligence committees suffice, which means there’s “no guarantee” the results will ever be released to the public and shields Trump from any retributive action.
Coming barely a day after the House Select Committee on Benghazi finally disbanded after two and half years of fruitless witch-hunting and eight million taxpayer dollars down the drain, the hypocrisy of these traitors is simply stunning.
They have proven, for the umpteenth time, that all their self-righteous indignation and false patriotism when it comes to perceived wrongdoings by Democrats was nothing but partisan vitriol; they are all too eager to turn a blind eye to the interference of a foreign rival into our elections and tarnishing the integrity of our very democracy if it means that their party gets a chance to pass the horrendous agenda laid out for them by oligarchs and religious extremists.
(MORE)
December 13, 2016
Walmart's low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, according to a report published to coincide with Tax Day, April 15.
Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 400 national and state-level progressive groups, made this estimate using data from a 2013 study by Democratic Staff of the U.S. Committee on Education and the Workforce.
"The study estimated the cost to Wisconsin’s taxpayers of Walmart’s low wages and benefits, which often force workers to rely on various public assistance programs," reads the report, available in full here.
"It found that a single Walmart Supercenter cost taxpayers between $904,542 and $1.75 million per year, or between $3,015 and $5,815 on average for each of 300 workers."
(more)
Report: Walmart Workers Cost Taxpayers $6.2 Billion In Public Assistance - from Forbes (!!!)
http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/04/15/report-walmart-workers-cost-taxpayers-6-2-billion-in-public-assistance/#dc6d9e77cd84Walmart's low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, according to a report published to coincide with Tax Day, April 15.
Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 400 national and state-level progressive groups, made this estimate using data from a 2013 study by Democratic Staff of the U.S. Committee on Education and the Workforce.
"The study estimated the cost to Wisconsin’s taxpayers of Walmart’s low wages and benefits, which often force workers to rely on various public assistance programs," reads the report, available in full here.
"It found that a single Walmart Supercenter cost taxpayers between $904,542 and $1.75 million per year, or between $3,015 and $5,815 on average for each of 300 workers."
(more)
December 13, 2016
An Israel-based charity providing health care for displaced Syrian women and children by taking them to Israeli hospitals is breaking down stereotypes and historical enmities, one case at a time.
Mordechai ‘Moti’ Kahana, an Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist, poured his own money into helping those displaced by the Syrian civil war in 2011. He sold his company and founded Amaliah, a New York-run charity focused on getting aid into the war-torn country., in 2013.
Mr Kahana told The Independent he was inspired to devote his time to helping the victims of Syria's complex war after a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem in 2010. "Never again - not to us and to no one else," he said.
"I cannot let these people suffer and die and walk away from it. I just cannot do it."
(more)
Israeli man starts charity to get injured Syrian women & children to Israel for medical help
Israeli man starts 'Good Samaritan' charity to get injured Syrian women and children to Israel for medical helpAn Israel-based charity providing health care for displaced Syrian women and children by taking them to Israeli hospitals is breaking down stereotypes and historical enmities, one case at a time.
Mordechai ‘Moti’ Kahana, an Israeli-American businessman and philanthropist, poured his own money into helping those displaced by the Syrian civil war in 2011. He sold his company and founded Amaliah, a New York-run charity focused on getting aid into the war-torn country., in 2013.
Mr Kahana told The Independent he was inspired to devote his time to helping the victims of Syria's complex war after a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem in 2010. "Never again - not to us and to no one else," he said.
"I cannot let these people suffer and die and walk away from it. I just cannot do it."
(more)
December 13, 2016
Donald Trump is on course to violate the US Constitution on day one of his presidency after insisting he will not relinquish ownership of his businesses while in office.
The US President-elect confirmed during a Fox News Sunday interview that he will hand the management of his companies to his children but will not give up ownership of the businesses.
Mr Trump said: “When I ran, everybody knew that I was a very big owner of real estate all over the world.”
Trump: I don't need intelligence briefings because I'm smart
“I’m not going to have anything to do with management of the company.”
(more)
Donald Trump 'will violate US Constitution on first day of presidency' due to business interests
President-elect's refusal to give up ownership of business empire is contrary to very first constitutional clauseDonald Trump is on course to violate the US Constitution on day one of his presidency after insisting he will not relinquish ownership of his businesses while in office.
The US President-elect confirmed during a Fox News Sunday interview that he will hand the management of his companies to his children but will not give up ownership of the businesses.
Mr Trump said: “When I ran, everybody knew that I was a very big owner of real estate all over the world.”
Trump: I don't need intelligence briefings because I'm smart
“I’m not going to have anything to do with management of the company.”
(more)
December 13, 2016
Donald Trump lost the popular vote in last month’s US presidential election by a bigger margin than any other US president in history.
The Republican is currently trailing Democrat rival Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million votes as the last remaining postal ballots are counted – despite him winning the November 8 election because of the Electoral College system.
That deficit is more than five times bigger than the 544,000 by which George W. Bush lost to Al Gore in 2000 - the second biggest popular vote deficit in history for a candidate who has still gone on to become President.
Only five US presidents in history have been elected despite losing the popular vote: John Quincy Adams in 1824, Rutherford Hayes in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888, George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump this November.
(more)
Trump has lost popular vote by greater margin than any US President in history
President-elect is now 2.8 million votes behind Hillary Clinton - five times more than the second biggest deficitDonald Trump lost the popular vote in last month’s US presidential election by a bigger margin than any other US president in history.
The Republican is currently trailing Democrat rival Hillary Clinton by 2.8 million votes as the last remaining postal ballots are counted – despite him winning the November 8 election because of the Electoral College system.
That deficit is more than five times bigger than the 544,000 by which George W. Bush lost to Al Gore in 2000 - the second biggest popular vote deficit in history for a candidate who has still gone on to become President.
Only five US presidents in history have been elected despite losing the popular vote: John Quincy Adams in 1824, Rutherford Hayes in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888, George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump this November.
(more)
December 12, 2016
PISA 2015 shows education privatization leads to decline or stagnation, while long-term investment..
PISA 2015 shows education privatization leads to decline or stagnation, while long-term investment in public education leads to improved educational outcomes. Sweden went with privately owned schools, much as Trump wants to do, and saw their schools ranking drop significantly. Poland dramatically increased investment in public schools and saw their PISA ratings jump. In 2015 in science, Polands schools ranked above the United States.
see vedeo at link: https://www.facebook.com/AFTunion/videos/10154391185674160/
December 10, 2016
In light of revelations on Friday that Russian hackers interfered with the presidential election specifically to elect Donald Trump, Clinton supporters and advocates of free democracy are eagerly searching for potential measures to prevent Trump from assuming the presidency at the hands of the Kremlin. One important legal precedent for such an impeachment is Marks v. Stinson, a 1994 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a state senate election and ordered the vacancy to be filled by the losing opponent after massive fraud was uncovered.
The Pennsylvania state senate held a special election in 1993 to fill a seat left vacant by the death of the previous senator. The contest pitted Republican Bruce Marks against Democrat William Stinson, who was ultimately successful in winning the seat. After Stinson was elected, however, evidence of widespread fraud in the election came to light.
Moreover, two elected officials testified under oath that they had been aware of the fraud and did nothing. Thus after Stinson had already taken office a federal judge ordered that he vacate his seat within 72 hours and hand it over to Marks, a ruling that was maintained upon appeal by the Supreme Court.
While the circumstances of the 1994 case are obviously significantly different from the controversy surrounding last month’s election, the ruling does establish some degree of a precedent for a high court overturning the results of an election based on evidence of malfeasance.
(more)
The CIA Just Confirmed Russia Hacked DNC To Help Trump Win
America’s top lawmakers were given a secret CIA briefing that declares that Russia interfered in this year’s presidential elections on behalf of Republican nominee Donald Trump against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Tonight’s revelatory news comes hot on the heels of President Obama’s announcement that he will assemble a complete intelligence report about Russian hacking and propaganda activities today. The Washington Post reports:
Only a week after the election, the head of the secretive NSA gave a very public interview to the Wall Street Journal where he tacitly indicated that Russia helped Donald Trump. Tonight’s revelation that the CIA believes Donald Trump was a direct recipient of aid intended to assist his Republican campaign for the presidency goes beyond the NSA’s coy admission and well beyond pre-election intelligence reports in identifying the reason for the blizzard of hacked emails.
In October, seventeen federal intelligence agencies released a brief saying that Russia was openly interfering in this year’s elections and that the orders came from the highest levels of their government, i.e. from dictator Vladimir Putin. Tonight’s report that Putin favored Trump isn’t surprising to anyone following the story of this year’s elections, where the Republican denied having a relationship with the Russian dictator even though he told MSNBC the opposite in 2013.
On the eve of the election, three bombshell reports emerged – that Trump had a secret server to communicate with Russia, that a Western intelligence official provided a major dossier to the FBI which was being investigated, and the FBI leaked that it had been investigating Trump. At the end of last month, Vice News reported an unusual receipt of “the Glomar Response” when asking the FBI if it was investigating Donald Trump. It’s extremely rare for the FBI to use that kind of response.
(more)
Russian Hacks Just Gave Courts Legal Precedent To Replace Trump With Hillary - Occupy Democrats
http://occupydemocrats.com/2016/12/10/russian-hacks-just-gave-courts-legal-precedent-replace-trump-hillary/In light of revelations on Friday that Russian hackers interfered with the presidential election specifically to elect Donald Trump, Clinton supporters and advocates of free democracy are eagerly searching for potential measures to prevent Trump from assuming the presidency at the hands of the Kremlin. One important legal precedent for such an impeachment is Marks v. Stinson, a 1994 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a state senate election and ordered the vacancy to be filled by the losing opponent after massive fraud was uncovered.
The Pennsylvania state senate held a special election in 1993 to fill a seat left vacant by the death of the previous senator. The contest pitted Republican Bruce Marks against Democrat William Stinson, who was ultimately successful in winning the seat. After Stinson was elected, however, evidence of widespread fraud in the election came to light.
Moreover, two elected officials testified under oath that they had been aware of the fraud and did nothing. Thus after Stinson had already taken office a federal judge ordered that he vacate his seat within 72 hours and hand it over to Marks, a ruling that was maintained upon appeal by the Supreme Court.
While the circumstances of the 1994 case are obviously significantly different from the controversy surrounding last month’s election, the ruling does establish some degree of a precedent for a high court overturning the results of an election based on evidence of malfeasance.
(more)
The CIA Just Confirmed Russia Hacked DNC To Help Trump Win
America’s top lawmakers were given a secret CIA briefing that declares that Russia interfered in this year’s presidential elections on behalf of Republican nominee Donald Trump against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Tonight’s revelatory news comes hot on the heels of President Obama’s announcement that he will assemble a complete intelligence report about Russian hacking and propaganda activities today. The Washington Post reports:
The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, according to officials briefed on the matter. “It is the assessment of the intelligence community that Russia’s goal here was to favor one candidate over the other, to help Trump get elected,” said a senior U.S. official briefed on an intelligence presentation made to U.S. senators. “That’s the consensus view.”
Intelligence agencies have identified individuals with connections to the Russian government who provided WikiLeaks with thousands of hacked emails from the Democratic National Committee and others, including Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, according to U.S. officials. Those officials described the individuals as actors known to the intelligence community and part of a wider Russian operation to boost Trump and hurt Clinton’s chances.
Only a week after the election, the head of the secretive NSA gave a very public interview to the Wall Street Journal where he tacitly indicated that Russia helped Donald Trump. Tonight’s revelation that the CIA believes Donald Trump was a direct recipient of aid intended to assist his Republican campaign for the presidency goes beyond the NSA’s coy admission and well beyond pre-election intelligence reports in identifying the reason for the blizzard of hacked emails.
In October, seventeen federal intelligence agencies released a brief saying that Russia was openly interfering in this year’s elections and that the orders came from the highest levels of their government, i.e. from dictator Vladimir Putin. Tonight’s report that Putin favored Trump isn’t surprising to anyone following the story of this year’s elections, where the Republican denied having a relationship with the Russian dictator even though he told MSNBC the opposite in 2013.
On the eve of the election, three bombshell reports emerged – that Trump had a secret server to communicate with Russia, that a Western intelligence official provided a major dossier to the FBI which was being investigated, and the FBI leaked that it had been investigating Trump. At the end of last month, Vice News reported an unusual receipt of “the Glomar Response” when asking the FBI if it was investigating Donald Trump. It’s extremely rare for the FBI to use that kind of response.
(more)
December 10, 2016
US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in last month’s presidential election to boost Donald Trump’s bid for the White House, according to reports.
A secret CIA assessment found that Russian operatives covertly interfered in the election campaign in an attempt to ensure the Republican candidate’s victory, the Washington Post reported, citing officials briefed on the matter.
A separate report in the New York Times said intelligence officials had a “high confidence” that Russia was involved in hacking related to the election.
The claims immediately drew a stinging rebuke from the president-elect’s transition team, which said in a statement: “These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.”
(more)
Electors, CIA concludes Russian hacked election to help Trump win. Any more reason needed to cast
[font size="4"]..your vote for the legitimate candidate... and FOR Democracy?
[/font]
CIA concludes Russia interfered to help Trump win election, say reports
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/10/cia-concludes-russia-interfered-to-help-trump-win-election-report
US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered in last month’s presidential election to boost Donald Trump’s bid for the White House, according to reports.
A secret CIA assessment found that Russian operatives covertly interfered in the election campaign in an attempt to ensure the Republican candidate’s victory, the Washington Post reported, citing officials briefed on the matter.
A separate report in the New York Times said intelligence officials had a “high confidence” that Russia was involved in hacking related to the election.
The claims immediately drew a stinging rebuke from the president-elect’s transition team, which said in a statement: “These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.”
(more)
December 8, 2016
Schumer: If Republicans destroy our health system, we won't throw them a lifeline
.. THis is exactly how the Dems should deal with all of Trump's prescriptions for Disaster. DON'T GET INVOLVED WITH THEM, VIA A COMPROMISE BILL MEANT TO MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE. The GOP will later use that to confuse voters saying: "Well, the Democrats went along with us on that bill!"
NO FUCKING WAY. MAKE SURE IT CAN'T BE CONFUSED LATER IN THE RE-TELLING. LET THE GOP TAKE ALL THE CREDIT FOR THEIR IDIOCIES!! THIS MAY BE THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONVINCE SOME DENSE VOTERS THAT THE GOP DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THEY ARE DOING!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2016/12/07/schumer-if-republicans-destroy-our-health-system-we-wont-throw-them-a-lifeline/?utm_term=.79e654b72e12
The emerging GOP plan to repeal Obamacare on a delayed schedule — and then maybe kinda sorta replace it later — has raised a big question: Will Democrats help Republicans pass a replacement that is far less generous and comprehensive than the health law is, allowing Republicans an escape from the political fallout from repeal?
In an interview with me, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer answered this question with a resounding No. Under no circumstances, he vowed, would Democrats throw Republicans such a political lifeline.
“We’re not going to do a replacement,” Schumer said of the Senate Democratic caucus. “If they repeal without a replacement, they will own it. Democrats will not then step up to the plate and come up with a half-baked solution that we will partially own. It’s all theirs.”
This could have far-reaching implications for the political battle over the health law that’s set to unfold — and indeed for the future of the health care system. Senate Republicans just announced that they will begin the process of repealing most of the health law in January, including the subsidies and Medicaid expansion that have helped cover many millions of previously uninsured people. Republicans are currently arguing over when exactly repeal should kick in — conservatives want it to be sooner, while GOP Senate leaders want to defer it to push off the political fallout until after the 2018 elections.
(more)
In an interview with me, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer answered this question with a resounding No. Under no circumstances, he vowed, would Democrats throw Republicans such a political lifeline.
“We’re not going to do a replacement,” Schumer said of the Senate Democratic caucus. “If they repeal without a replacement, they will own it. Democrats will not then step up to the plate and come up with a half-baked solution that we will partially own. It’s all theirs.”
This could have far-reaching implications for the political battle over the health law that’s set to unfold — and indeed for the future of the health care system. Senate Republicans just announced that they will begin the process of repealing most of the health law in January, including the subsidies and Medicaid expansion that have helped cover many millions of previously uninsured people. Republicans are currently arguing over when exactly repeal should kick in — conservatives want it to be sooner, while GOP Senate leaders want to defer it to push off the political fallout until after the 2018 elections.
(more)
December 7, 2016
Let the Election of 2016 be the burial of Post Partisan politics practiced solely by the Democrats
There has been considerable discussion about how the Disaster of 2016 happened. One item that I have not seen mentioned is the Post Partisan Faith as practiced by President Obama. In the latter part of 2009 and into 2010 many of us Democrats were getting very confused, wondering which side of the aisle President Obama sat on. This confused many Democrats and continued throughout his administration. I think this lead to voters confusion as to what the Democratic Party stood for. I think this played a part in the election results.
I hope that in the new year we can pronounce this 'Post Partisan' politics fantasy as dead and gone. This has to be done to establish clearly what the Democratic Party stands for -- the working people of America are the strength of America.
Democrats must own their values, Tea Party-style, not shift even more toward the mushy middle
There’s a tradition in Beltway circles that whenever the Democrats suffer a harrowing electoral defeat, it’s because their party didn’t do enough to win moderate voters. This tradition also dictates that when such losses occur, the Democrats can correct the problem only by shifting rightward.
On the other hand, when the Republicans suffer a big loss, as they did in 2008, the conventional wisdom mandates that their party reach out, not to the middle, but to its right flank.
In practice, this dynamic rarely works for the Democrats and almost always works for the Republicans. But as we endlessly debate the best route forward, it’s crucial to bear the following in mind: First, Hillary Clinton is closing in on Barack Obama’s margin of victory in 2012, even though she’s not the winner of the Electoral College.
Second, if 80,000 votes in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin had gone the other way, Clinton would be the president-elect today and the postmortem discussions would feature garment rending over the destruction of the Republican Party at the hands of Trump and his coalition of deplorables. In other words, the consternation over what to do about the Democratic Party wouldn’t exist but for a wafer-thin margin.
[font size="3"]This is all to say the alleged Democratic apocalypse is overblown, at least in terms of major glitches within the party. The shift in Republican control over state legislatures, governorships and the U.S. Congress is less a consequence of the Democratic platform and more about the rise of conservative media, conservative propaganda and, yes, fake news. The dominance of Fox News and talk radio among older GOP voters has clearly escalated a backlash at the state and local level against the ascendancy of President Barack Obama, thus weaponizing the political tradition of counterbalancing the party of the president with the opposition party. This effort has been greatly aided by a GOP that’s learned to actively embrace its fringes and the social conservatism that plays best in the heartland.[/font]
(more)
On the other hand, when the Republicans suffer a big loss, as they did in 2008, the conventional wisdom mandates that their party reach out, not to the middle, but to its right flank.
In practice, this dynamic rarely works for the Democrats and almost always works for the Republicans. But as we endlessly debate the best route forward, it’s crucial to bear the following in mind: First, Hillary Clinton is closing in on Barack Obama’s margin of victory in 2012, even though she’s not the winner of the Electoral College.
Second, if 80,000 votes in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin had gone the other way, Clinton would be the president-elect today and the postmortem discussions would feature garment rending over the destruction of the Republican Party at the hands of Trump and his coalition of deplorables. In other words, the consternation over what to do about the Democratic Party wouldn’t exist but for a wafer-thin margin.
[font size="3"]This is all to say the alleged Democratic apocalypse is overblown, at least in terms of major glitches within the party. The shift in Republican control over state legislatures, governorships and the U.S. Congress is less a consequence of the Democratic platform and more about the rise of conservative media, conservative propaganda and, yes, fake news. The dominance of Fox News and talk radio among older GOP voters has clearly escalated a backlash at the state and local level against the ascendancy of President Barack Obama, thus weaponizing the political tradition of counterbalancing the party of the president with the opposition party. This effort has been greatly aided by a GOP that’s learned to actively embrace its fringes and the social conservatism that plays best in the heartland.[/font]
(more)
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