Trump talk: HOW MUCH for that inauguration?

[PerkingFaintly]

We can start whole new threads for less than $26,000,000.

This one only cost 23p I found down the back of the sofa:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3171217-Trump-Talk-or-Lift-every-voice-and-sing?pg=1

Kyle Griffin
@kylegriffin1
Melania Trump has parted ways with adviser Stephanie Winston Wolkoff after news broke about Wolkoff’s firm reaping $26,000,000 in payments to help plan Trump’s inauguration, NYT reports.
www.nytimes.com/2018/02/26/us/politics/melania-trump-inauguration-adviser.html

Can I clarify, pro-EU in what way?

It's just that I don't think there's necessarily a connection between voting Remain and thinking Trump's a dangerous, mentally incompetent, kleptocratic authoritarian.

Other than the Russians probably interfering in both elections, of course.

Given the current attempts to drive people onto "teams", I'd be mildly concerned at moves which attempted to strongly align Remainers as the "anti-Trump team"... the converse being Leavers feeling nudged to identify as the "pro-Trump team". Not because individuals actually agree with Trump, but because... "teams".

I'm absolutely not suggesting movements isolate themselves or refuse to learn from each other. But I don't quite see the point of this particular Twitter hook-up?

I may be missing something obvious.

I have the best mentals.

I'd run to NK unarmed. All by myself. Like I'm running the WH all by myself. (paraphrasing)

Wakanda is laughing at us.

Good question Perking.

I have looked and I am still not sure...

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/04/shock-system-liberal-democracy-populism

www.thedailybeast.com/the-right-cant-fight-the-future

....impeachment porn....

SNL clip - Hope Hicks talks...

www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLS_gQd8UB-hI5vf72qGkR8r36N33yB23b&v=VJtGQR2Fu0w

They were on fire.

There's also the Grabbies.

I can't remember who pointed out that the anti-gun movement has trumpped up (or somewhat displaced) the #MeToo movement, but not on SNL.

I'm catching up with the end of last week only today. Putin and those new missiles. Blame Bush, apparently, but he's making the announcement during Trump's mandate.

washingtonpress.com/2018/03/04/la-times-just-declared-war-ivanka-trump-exposed-dirty-laundry/

Here's the LA Times Op-Ed piece on Ivanka

www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-heffernan-ivanka-legitimizing-20180303-story.html

If it goes behind a pay wall, you can usually dump your LA Times cookies to see it.

Ouch.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/denis-mcdonough-mcconnell-watered-down-russia-warning-2016-n853016

WASHINGTON — Former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough on Sunday said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “watered down” a warning about Russia’s attempts to interfere in the 2016 election and defended the Obama administration’s response to foreign meddling in the campaign.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-north-korea-talks-latest-called-up-south-korea-meeting-kim-jong-un-a8238806.html

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/john-brennan-cia-director-trump-unstable-inept-inexperienced-unethical-interview-criticism-fbi-a8238886.html

Former CIA director John Brennan has launched a blistering attack on Donald Trump, branding the US President “unstable, inept, inexperienced and unethical”.

Mr Brennan said he was “moving into the realm of deep worry and concern” as the consequences of Mr Trump’s ill-preparedness for the office were becoming clear.

Not a sign. No sir.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/george-washington-tree-winds-pull-down-mount-vernon-a8239061.html

That comment about giving a shot at being president for life got me thinking.

The US has had eight Presidents for life. Four of them took a shot too.
Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley and Kennedy.

Be careful what you wish for, Donnie.

I missed this at the time but it made me laugh.

www.comicsands.com/trump-tweets-billy-graham-caps-2542281482.html?utm_content=inf_677_3759_2&utm_source=csands&tse_id=INF_08ca04c01fe111e88cc599e58b8f9d32

No surprise here.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/04/vladimir-putin-never-extradite-13-russians-robert-mueller

This is why the US will continue having mass shootings, I guess.

thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/376674-florida-state-senator-only-thoughts-and-prayers-will-stop-evil-behind

Has anyone asked her how she reconciled her (obviously deeply held) beliefs with the contents of the 'comprehensive gun control bill that she's proposing?

Let’s kick the week off with excellent news

Special counsel wants documents on Trump, numerous campaign associates

www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/amp/special-counsel-wants-documents-trump-numerous-campaign-associates-n853386?__twitter_impression=true&__twitter_impression=true

WASHINGTON — The grand jury investigating alleged collusion between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign has sent a witness a subpoena seeking all documents involving the president and a host of his closest advisers, according to a copy of the subpoena reviewed by NBC News.

According to the subpoena, which was sent to a witness by special counsel Robert Mueller, investigators want emails, text messages, work papers, telephone logs and other documents going back to Nov. 1, 2015, 4½ months after Trump launched his campaign.

The witness shared details of the subpoena on condition of anonymity. The news site Axios reported Sunday that a subpoena was sent to a witness last month.

[...]In addition to the president, the subpoena seeks documents that have anything to do with these current and former Trump associates:

Steve Bannon, who left the White House as chief strategist in August.

Michael Cohen, a personal lawyer for Trump who testified before congressional investigators in October.

Rick Gates, Trump's former deputy campaign manager, who pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy and lying to the FBI.

Hope Hicks, who resigned last week as Trump's communications director.

Corey Lewandowski, Trump's campaign manager until June 2016.

Paul Manafort, a former Trump campaign manager and Gates' business partner, who pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy and making false statements last week.

Carter Page, a former Trump campaign aide.

Keith Schiller, a former bodyguard for Trump who left as director of Oval Office operations in September.

Roger Stone, a longtime Republican political operative and Trump campaign adviser who sources have told NBC News is the focus of investigators interested in his contacts with WikiLeaks during the campaign.

Once Hicks' resignation takes effect in the next few weeks, Cohen will be the only person listed in the subpoena who hasn't left the employment of Trump or of the White House.

State Dept. Was Granted $120 Million to Fight Russian Meddling. It Has Spent $0

<a class="break-all" href="https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/world/europe/state-department-russia-global-engagement-center.html?referer=t.co/5Uq3C6hrDU?amp=1#click=t.co/5Uq3C6hrDU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mobile.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/world/europe/state-department-russia-global-engagement-center.html?referer=t.co/5Uq3C6hrDU?amp=1#click=t.co/5Uq3C6hrDU

As Russia’s virtual war against the United States continues unabated with the midterm elections approaching, the State Department has yet to spend any of the $120 million it has been allocated since late 2016 to counter foreign efforts to meddle in elections or sow distrust in democracy.

As a result, not one of the 23 analysts working in the department’s Global Engagement Center — which has been tasked with countering Moscow’s disinformation campaign — speaks Russian, and a department hiring freeze has hindered efforts to recruit the computer experts needed to track the Russian efforts.

The delay is just one symptom of the largely passive response to the Russian interference by President Trump, who has made little if any public effort to rally the nation to confront Moscow and defend democratic institutions. More broadly, the funding lag reflects a deep lack of confidence by Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson in his department’s ability to execute its historically wide-ranging mission and spend its money wisely.

Mr. Tillerson has voiced skepticism that the United States is even capable of doing anything to counter the Russian threat.

“If it’s their intention to interfere, they’re going to find ways to do that,” Mr. Tillerson said in an interview last month with Fox News. “And we can take steps we can take, but this is something that once they decide they are going to do it, it’s very difficult to pre-empt it.”

The United States spends billions of dollars on secret cybercapabilities, but these weapons have proved largely ineffective against Russian efforts on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere that simply amplify or distort divisive but genuine voices in the United States and elsewhere.

[...]

The Trump administration wants to dismantle Ronald Reagan’s ‘infrastructure of democracy’

www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/opinions/global-opinions/the-trump-administration-wants-to-dismantle-ronald-reagans-infrastructure-of-democracy/2018/03/04/8b94d7f6-1e54-11e8-ae5a-16e60e4605f3_story.html?utm_term=.62911c9242e4&__twitter_impression=true

Speaking to the British Parliament in 1982, President Ronald Reagan called on the United States “to foster the infrastructure of democracy” to help ensure that people around the world were empowered to determine their own fates. Now, at this increasingly fraught moment for freedom around the world, the Trump administration wants to dismantle that infrastructure.

Buried in the State Department’s fiscal 2019 budget request is a proposal not only to slash the budget of the National Endowment for Democracy but also to disassemble its relationships with its core institutes, including the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. For the NED and those institutes, the proposal is an assault not only on their organizations but also on the pro- ­democracy mission they are dedicated to.

“If implemented, the proposal would gut the program, force crippling layoffs and the symbolic meaning would also be shattering, sending a signal far and wide that the United States is turning its back on supporting brave people who share our values,” said NED President Carl Gershman.

The Trump administration proposal would allow the NED to continue issuing small grants but move funding of its core institutes to the State Department, where the IRI and NDI would have to compete with private contractors. The organizations involved argue that keeping funding decisions at arm’s length from the State Department allows the NED network to do things on the edges of the pro-democracy movement that the U.S. government can’t or won’t, such as supporting Chinese dissidents in ways that upset Beijing.

“USAID, the State Department and the endowment are a three-legged stool,” said NDI President Kenneth Wollack. “Dismantling one of those legs would undermine a fundamental pillar of U.S. foreign policy — a policy that represents a convergence of our interests and values.”

The proposal initially came out of the Office of Management and Budget, even though the State Department did not formally ask for it. A senior OMB official told me the administration supports the NED’s mission but wants to consolidate the funding streams to improve oversight and accountability. But the White House didn’t provide any evidence that the current model is inefficient.

In December, five U.S. senators wrote to OMB Director Mick Mulvaney to warn that the proposal would run afoul of the 1983 law setting up the funding structure and would “undermine the will of its founders, including President Reagan and a supportive Congress.” Lawmakers simply don’t believe the Trump administration’s assertion that it is pro-democracy.

“This is just another example of the Trump administration using ‘restructuring’ or ‘realignment’ as a euphemism for dismantling an agency that advances critical goals,” said Rep. Nita M. Lowey (N.Y.), the ranking Democrat of the House Appropriations subcommittee on State, foreign operations and related programs.

[...]