We have a new Supreme Court Justice!

....Under the Constitution and Laws of the United States, So Help Me God!

911Boss, actually I just got back from the Eye Doc at the VA. New glasses on order. I guess I should not post with out having my bride proof read though.

quote:

Originally posted by Oat_Action_Man:

quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:
What is a "glitter bomb"?

Is it like a cluster bomb dispenser filled with shredded tinsel?

You fill an envelope with glitter and chuck it at someone.

FYI.

they got way more creative now. I got one in the mail. Unassuming looking cardboard tube full of glitter on top of a spring. I'm still finding it months later, and no idea who sent it to me.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-g...re-for-massive-cuts/

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney will send a letter this week ordering federal agencies to prepare for massive cuts

As part of Donald Trump’s plan to streamline federal government, Mulvaney will demand that federal agencies significantly reduce their costs and increase efficiency. The reorganization will likely involve selling assets, laying off employees, and the cancellation of programs deemed unnecessary.

The letter will fall in line with Trump’s executive order from March 13th, which dictates Mulvaney “propose a plan to reorganize governmental functions and eliminate unnecessary agencies (as defined in section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code), components of agencies, and agency programs.”

Trump ordered record cuts for a number of federal agencies,
including a 31 percent cut to the Environmental Protection Agency,
a 28 percent cut to the State Department,
and a 17.9 percent cut to the Department of Health and Human Services.

It also proposed eliminating funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as well as the endowments for the Arts and the Humanities.

Meanwhile, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs both saw a 10 percent increase, as well $3 billion in resources for the Department of Homeland Security to bolster immigration enforcement and construct a wall on the southern border.

************
buckle your seat belt

NOVA is going to see its first recession in 50 years!

And it couldn't happen to a better governor.

Interesting article contrasting the difference between having a successful business person who has actually run an organization and been responsible for real world consequences to his decisions versus a faculty lounge community agitator who never held a real job or had real world consequences to his decisions.

Surround yourself with experts, listen to advice on the pros and cons and make a damn decision. Make. A. Decision.

http://www.washingtontimes.com...VkxsekhoOUEifQ%3D%3D

Unlike Obama, Trump defers to generals’ advice on military strategy

The same President Trump who can be gruff and erratic in public tweets is a commander in chief who is deferential and attentive when he talks to a star-studded cast of his closest military advisers.

People familiar with the budding relationships portray Mr. Trump as often in listening mode among his generals and as accessible as the next phone call. They contrast the billionaire real estate developer’s affinity for the top brass with former President Barack Obama’s documented standoffishness.

The Tomahawk strike on Syria on Friday underscores that Washington’s warrior class is again in charge of presenting military options to the White House instead of the other way around.

With three Marines and a soldier always nearby, perhaps no president in recent memory has surrounded himself on a daily basis with so many senior generals and their strategic brainpower.

A retired Marine general, James Mattis runs the Defense Department. His and Mr. Trump’s top military adviser is Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Another retired Marine four-star general, John F. Kelly is responsible for protecting 325 million U.S. residents as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

And Mr. Trump’s always-present national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, is an active-duty Army lieutenant general steeped in battlefield history and doctrine.

All four have fought on the ground in Iraq against radical Islam. They bring to Mr. Trump a deep collective knowledge of that country’s tribes and politicians who will lead a post-Islamic State Iraq. Unlike Mr. Trump, these scholar warriors are also voracious readers.

Gen. McMaster, for example, wrote a book on how Lyndon B. Johnson bamboozled the Joint Chiefs during the Vietnam War.

But they share the body clock of a president who sleeps only several hours a day as well as a disdain for political correctness.

A retired military officer who knows the generals told The Washington Times that the president has grown particularly close to Mr. Mattis and Mr. Kelly. Lean and rugged, both rose in the Marine Corps on parallel career paths culminating in leading combatant commands — for Mr. Mattis, U.S. Central Command (Middle East); for Mr. Kelly, U.S. Southern Command (southern border).

“No. 1, they get along very well,” said the former officer. “I call it street sense. They know how to talk the line, and Trump does too. Trump is like talking to a concrete worker.
These two generals have got a man who listens and does not pretend like Obama and others to know everything. When the president is out of his lane and needs advice, these guys are right in there.”

Said Dakota Wood, a retired Marine officer and Heritage Foundation analyst who worked on the transition: “The president seems to like very successful sports figures. It could be that he is attracted to the legendary reputation that accompanies the Marine Corps and through that lens the accomplishments of four-star Marine generals, amplified by their typical plain-spoken, reality-based style of addressing issues.”

Another retired military officer and transition member said that part of the allure of Mattis-Kelly-Dunford-McMaster is that they have never been part of the Washington “swamp” that Mr. Trump has vowed to drain.

“He’s much more comfortable around military people,” said this source. “You could tell that at the Army-Navy game when he went to both sides. The generals are not politicians.

They’re not part of the Washington swamp. They’re all successful in their career, and they are not part of the Washing swamp of bureaucracy bull.”

Bonding with top brass
In contrast, Mr. Obama had a famously cool relationship with his generals, as told by his former defense secretaries.

His first defense secretary, Robert M. Gates, wrote in his memoir, “Duty,” that Mr. Obama felt compelled in one meeting to command, “That’s an order.”

“That order was unnecessary and insulting, proof positive of the depth of the Obama White House distrust of the nation’s military leadership,” a “shocked” Mr. Gates wrote.

“The controlling nature of the Obama White House and the staff took micromanagement and operational meddling to a new level,” he said. “I think Obama considered time spent with generals and admirals an obligation.”

Retired Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, while NATO supreme allied commander, encountered so much troubling communication with the White House that he asked former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell for help.

“I may be wrong but I do not see this WH really ‘engaged’ by working with Europe/NATO,” Gen. Breedlove wrote. “Frankly I think we are a ‘worry’ ie a threat to get the nation drug into a conflict vice an ‘opportunity’ represented by some pretty stalwart allies.”

Mr. Mattis and Mr. Kelly retired in the Obama years. Congressional aides said the White House pushed out Mr. Mattis as Central Command chief because of his tough Iran stance. Mr. Kelly delivered hawkish Senate testimony on border security that the administration did not approve.

Mr. Trump signaled during the election campaign that he would bond with the top brass when he accused Mr. Obama of turning his generals into “rubble.”

Mr. Trump has stacked the West Wing with campaign confidants: campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, his daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner, former Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and former Breitbart executive Steve Bannon.

All have something in common: They have no experience navigating the federal government’s byzantine and sometimes treacherous bureaucracy.

“Mattis and Kelly understand that the president and the people around him really know nothing about government and how it works,” the former officer told The Times. “Instead of being critical, they just understand that. They’ve been very helpful to Bannon and the other people around them.”

Gen. McMaster, the Army soldier among the Marines, also listens to them.

“Remember, he’s a three-star. Not a four-star.

I can tell you he relies on both Mattis and Kelly a lot,” the ex-officer said. “They just operated for a lot of years at the World Series level in this government. And they know how government works.”

Even before the Syria strike, which shifted Mr. Trump from Russian President Vladimir Putin admirer to adversary, the president was moving in the direction of the generals in his administration.

He narrowed his broad criticism of NATO allies to just one issue — paying their fair share — while adopting Mr. Mattis‘ view that the alliance is the world’s indispensable partnership.

The four generals whose careers focused so much on the Middle East are pushing for building a new Arab alliance to check Iran and fight the Islamic State.

This is why, in quick succession, the White House played host to a parade of pivotal leaders: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

‘Extremely talented leaders’
Mr. Trump also granted wide authority to Gen. McMaster to mold the National Security Council and staff in his image.

Within weeks, the general remade membership of the NSC decision-making principals committee — the one that weighed options to respond to Syria’s sarin nerve gas attack on civilians.

Gen. McMaster eased out Mr. Bannon as a permanent member. He brought on Gen. Dunford and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats as standing members instead of invitees.
“So the president was immediately notified upon news of the chemical attack, and he was very interested in understanding better the circumstances of the attack and who was responsible,” is how Gen. McMaster described the beginning of war cabinet discussions.

Of the NSC shake-up, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said, “We had talked about the fact that he would have full authority to oversee the National Security Council in terms of personnel and structure, and he has.”

Mr. Kelly was viewed as “taking the hit” for the White House’s missteps on the president’s first executive order travel ban, which was blocked by federal judges. The former Marine general appeared before the press and Congress to discourage talk that he was out of the loop and at odds with the White House.

When Democrats demanded a briefing on the Homeland Security Department’s hunt for criminal illegal aliens, Mr. Kelly picked himself to enter the firing line. He survived several heated exchanges.

He refers to the president as “boss” yet wishes the president would not make so many references to building a wall along the southwestern border, a project still in search of long-range funding.

The president summoned Mr. Kelly to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, one weekend to brainstorm the writing of a second executive order on travel from predominately Muslim countries. This one removed Iraq from the ban, a concession insiders attribute to Mr. Kelly and his knowledge of the vetting capability in Baghdad.

The knowledgeable former military officer told The Times that he believes Mr. Kelly, Mr. Mattis and Gen. McMaster have had an influence in getting Mr. Trump to tamp down his steady stream of volatile tweets that take the White House off message.

Retired Air Force Gen. Thomas McInerney, a veteran of Pentagon bureaucracy wars, said he believes Mr. Trump learned to love the military as a cadet at the New York Military Academy.

“Certainly Gen. Kelly and Gen. Mattis interviewed well because both are extremely talented leaders as well as former combatant commanders and know their areas of responsibility very well,” Mr. McInerney said.

“In Gen. Kelly’s case, he was South Command commander where our greatest challenges of illegal immigrants as well as illegal drug importation are coming from, so his learning curve was zero. He could write a book on homeland security, which is why the president hired him so quickly.”

While Mr. Trump has bonded with his three Marines and a soldier, the group has sharp critics.

Conservatives say Mr. Mattis is politically tone-deaf on appointees and wanted to put Trump critics, moderates or even Democrats in prestigious Pentagon jobs that should go to the ideologically right.

Gen. McMaster is criticized for his insistence that the violent Islamic State terrorist group has nothing to do with Islam the religion. His position is rebutted by conservative scholars, who say clerics, mosques and Muslim teachings all combine to support radical Islam.

Mr. Trump generally adheres to this view and has continued to refer to terrorists as Islamic extremists.

Chief Executives of gigantic complex organizations cannot know everything, and they cannot be the "best" in every aspect of the job.

Donald Trump knows that and he has done a superb job in picking smart people to advise him. This is the way it is supposed to work. What job is more challenging than POTUS ?

It seems so refreshing to us because the ego maniac obama assumed he was the smartest guy in the room every day. (or maybe he assumed Valerie Jarrett was)

Obama was such a disaster because almost all of the time he was the least capable one in the room. Certainly the one most biased and closed minded.

quote:

Originally posted by sdy:
Chief Executives of gigantic complex organizations cannot know everything, and they cannot be the "best" in every aspect of the job.

Donald Trump knows that and he has done a superb job in picking smart people to advise him. This is the way it is supposed to work. What job is more challenging than POTUS ?

It seems so refreshing to us because the ego maniac obama assumed he was the smartest guy in the room every day. (or maybe he assumed Valerie Jarrett was)

Obama was such a disaster because almost all of the time he was the least capable one in the room. Certainly the one most biased and closed minded.

He had a central goal: Fulfilling the dreams from his father. And in this, he has had an amazingly successful life story.

Least capable? Not really. Not if you accept the fact that he was never on our side.

BamaJeepster, excellent article. Thanks for sharing.

https://www.defense.gov/News/N...e?source=GovDelivery

Statement by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on the U.S. Military Response to the Syrian Government’s Use of Chemical Weapons


The assessment of the Department of Defense is that the strike resulted in the damage or destruction of fuel and ammunition sites, air defense capabilities, and 20 percent of Syria’s operational aircraft.

The Syrian government has lost the ability to refuel or rearm aircraft at Shayrat airfield and at this point, use of the runway is of idle military interest.

Pretty impressive, really. ^

The proper response from Russia and Syrian .gov would be to film the round up and destruction on all remaining chemical weapons, mnaufacturing facilities and such materiel used in the making, wharehousing, feilding and deploying of chemical weapons and in the presence of US forces, and neutral parties.

Anything else is suspect and should be made record.

quote:

Originally posted by lbj:
And it couldn't happen to a better governor.

They used to call such trash "carpet baggers"!

And the idiot is worth about that much.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new wave of immigration enforcement in a Tuesday speech, directing U.S. Attorneys to prioritize immigration enforcement and announcing the hiring of several new immigration judges.

“This is the Trump era,” the attorney general said.

“When we talk about MS-13 and the cartels, what do we mean? We mean criminal organizations that turn cities and suburbs into warzones, that rape and kill innocent citizens, and who profit by smuggling poison and other human beings across our borders,” Sessions said in prepared remarks to Customs and Border Protection officers. “Depravity and violence are their calling cards, including brutal machete attacks and beheadings.”

Speaking in Arizona, Sessions added, “It is here, on this sliver of land, where we first take our stand against this filth. In this fight, I am here to tell you, the brave men and women of Customs and Border Protection: we hear you, and we have your back.”

The attorney general announced that federal prosecutors are mandated to consider for felony prosecution people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants, and illegal immigrants who re-enter the country after being deported, especially those with a criminal history or gang affiliation. According to a memo signed Tuesday, prosecutors should, where possible, also charge illegal immigrants “with document fraud and aggravated identity theft — the latter carrying a two-year mandatory minimum sentence.”

“Finally, and perhaps most importantly: I have directed that all 94 U.S. Attorneys Offices make the prosecution of assault on a federal law enforcement officer — that’s all of you — a top priority. If someone dares to assault one of our folks in the line of duty, they will do federal time for it,” Sessions added in his prepared remarks. The attorney general wrote in the memo that prosecutors should, where possible, seek orders of removal in these cases outlined above.

U.S. Attorney’s Offices are also directed to designate a prosecutor as their Border Security Coordinator in order to implement these new immigration enforcement priorities.
“For those that continue to seek improper and illegal entry into this country, be forewarned: This is a new era. This is the Trump era,” Sessions said. “In that vein, I am also pleased to announce a series of reforms regarding immigration judges to reduce the significant backlogs in our immigration courts.”

These reforms include a surge of 25 immigration judges at detention centers along the border, and the hiring of 50 new immigration judges in 2017 and an additional 75 in 2018.

Sessions was an immigration hawk as a senator and has worked to curb illegal immigration through the DOJ. He has previously announced that sanctuary cities will lose federal law enforcement grants and expanded a program designed to quickly deport imprisoned immigrants.



http://dailycaller.com/2017/04...-illegal-immigrants/

Can someone help me out here? I've emailed FNC and asked them to tell Tinkerbell Shepard Smith to stop saying "BOSH er al AH SOD" and "Barrel Bombs".

Apparently my emails have fallen on deaf ears/blind eyes, but if we can get enough people to demand that that asshole stop saying those two things every three seconds for two solid hours, perhaps it'll do some good.

Or...not. Maybe I just need to reach through my fucking TV and punch him in the nose. Although I'd hate to muss up his troweled on coat of make-up.

The upside, I guess, is that he is no longer pronouncing Qatar "Cutter" every three seconds, so I've got that going for me...which is nice.

Wait until we bring the burn to NK.

Then we get to hear him "parlez nouveau" the cities and who-knows-what-all...

quote:

Originally posted by olfuzzy:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new wave of immigration enforcement in a Tuesday speech, directing U.S. Attorneys to prioritize immigration enforcement and announcing the hiring of several new immigration judges.

“This is the Trump era,” the attorney general said.

“When we talk about MS-13 and the cartels, what do we mean? We mean criminal organizations that turn cities and suburbs into warzones, that rape and kill innocent citizens, and who profit by smuggling poison and other human beings across our borders,” Sessions said in prepared remarks to Customs and Border Protection officers. “Depravity and violence are their calling cards, including brutal machete attacks and beheadings.”

Speaking in Arizona, Sessions added, “It is here, on this sliver of land, where we first take our stand against this filth. In this fight, I am here to tell you, the brave men and women of Customs and Border Protection: we hear you, and we have your back.”

The attorney general announced that federal prosecutors are mandated to consider for felony prosecution people who transport or harbor illegal immigrants, and illegal immigrants who re-enter the country after being deported, especially those with a criminal history or gang affiliation. According to a memo signed Tuesday, prosecutors should, where possible, also charge illegal immigrants “with document fraud and aggravated identity theft — the latter carrying a two-year mandatory minimum sentence.”

“Finally, and perhaps most importantly: I have directed that all 94 U.S. Attorneys Offices make the prosecution of assault on a federal law enforcement officer — that’s all of you — a top priority. If someone dares to assault one of our folks in the line of duty, they will do federal time for it,” Sessions added in his prepared remarks. The attorney general wrote in the memo that prosecutors should, where possible, seek orders of removal in these cases outlined above.

U.S. Attorney’s Offices are also directed to designate a prosecutor as their Border Security Coordinator in order to implement these new immigration enforcement priorities.
“For those that continue to seek improper and illegal entry into this country, be forewarned: This is a new era. This is the Trump era,” Sessions said. “In that vein, I am also pleased to announce a series of reforms regarding immigration judges to reduce the significant backlogs in our immigration courts.”

These reforms include a surge of 25 immigration judges at detention centers along the border, and the hiring of 50 new immigration judges in 2017 and an additional 75 in 2018.

Sessions was an immigration hawk as a senator and has worked to curb illegal immigration through the DOJ. He has previously announced that sanctuary cities will lose federal law enforcement grants and expanded a program designed to quickly deport imprisoned immigrants.



http://dailycaller.com/2017/04...-illegal-immigrants/

I get more impressed with our new Atty. General daily. He IS the correct man for the job. Thank you Mr. Pres.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
Can someone help me out here? I've emailed FNC and asked them to tell Tinkerbell Shepard Smith to stop saying "BOSH er al AH SOD" and "Barrel Bombs".

Apparently my emails have fallen on deaf ears/blind eyes, but if we can get enough people to demand that that asshole stop saying those two things every three seconds for two solid hours, perhaps it'll do some good.

Or...not. Maybe I just need to reach through my fucking TV and punch him in the nose. Although I'd hate to muss up his troweled on coat of make-up.

The upside, I guess, is that he is no longer pronouncing Qatar "Cutter" every three seconds, so I've got that going for me...which is nice.

That's why there is Fox Business, with Melissa Francis instead of Shep, the Five, Neal, et al.