bostonangler

Nah, those numbers just show the border guards have joined ranks with the current administration. Reports show the number of rounds of golf being played in border states has increased three-fold. Golf ball sales have increased by 27% in just the last two months. Because the border guards show up in uniforms and official vehicles, their green fees are actually charged to non-government golfers by way of "The Apprentice Fee" which is a 6.66% tax used to pay for "education of the game", in realty the funds are used for official visitor golf lessons. Many would be illegal aliens have decided against making the difficult journey and crossing the dangerous entrance points along the border to reach America. Reaching out and talking to these now reluctant men, women and children, we met Jose Whatsamatter Del Rio. When asked why he wasn't crossing the border, Jose answered. " Borders? We don't need no stinking borders. I stand over there, behind that giant cactus and pick up golf balls. Did you know. "comprenda"? Those American golfers will pay $4 for a used Titleist. I sell about 50 a day. My family can't make that that much money a day picking tomatoes in Texas. Now I got steady work, I don't pay no taxes, I get free medical care and my cousin is the chief of police, so we never have to hide in the closet". On a side note, local hairdressers have noted an increase in business as more men are "popping in" to get "coiffed" with the latest style, called the" Man-A-Largo". It comes with a wash, cut and dry. With proper ID guests receive a free bucket of balls and a bullet-proof golf cart good for their next round at a local golf course of their choice. However due to a drop off in available day laborers, there will be no beverage cart on the course, and guests will be responsible for their own beverage. B/A

That should be quote of the day! B/A

Dude that made me laugh... A nice summary of the self -proclaimed! B/A

No wonder America is broke.... Instead of paying taxes, they give their money to politicians to right the laws.... Too bad small business, you and I can't enjoy these benefits.... The U.S. economic system encourages cost-cutting at every stage of business. While taxes are a yearly expense for small businesses, working families, and individuals, large U.S. companies avoid billions in taxes each year on cash held in offshore bank accounts. The current level of global wealth inequality, which is widely expected to widen under reforms proposed by President Donald Trump and congressional leaders, is unprecedented. According to anti-poverty organization Oxfam America, just eight individuals possess more wealth than 3.6 billion people -- half of humanity. The wealthiest 1% of people worldwide have more wealth than everyone else combined. ALSO READ: The World's 31 Mega-Cities Against this backdrop, tax avoidance is especially troubling. The 50 largest public U.S. companies currently have a combined $1.6 trillion stashed in accounts and assets overseas -- according to new analysis by Oxfam. Apple is the leader, with $200.1 billion held in foreign bank accounts. In an interview with 24/7 Wall St., Robbie Silverman, senior analyst at Oxfam, said, “We are not accusing any of these companies of doing anything illegal.” The problem, he explained, is that with their enormous lobbying efforts, the political influence wielded by these companies ensures large corporations can continue to take advantage of tax loopholes, while ordinary Americans and small businesses cannot. The U.S. tax code is dazzlingly complex. One of the largest of many loopholes for large corporations lies in the rule that company earnings are taxed only after returning to the United States. Taking advantage of this rule, companies often opt to keep earnings overseas. The U.S. corporate tax rate is 35%. Because of this loophole, however, and despite claims that this rate is too high and uncompetitive, few large U.S. companies actually pay this rate -- with many paying much less. The average global effective tax rate across the 50 largest public companies is just over 25%, and only seven of these companies pay global effective tax rates 35% or greater. Oxfam’s analysis is focused on lost tax revenue in what it names a rigged tax system. In addition to what might be accomplished with billions of added tax revenue -- over $400 billion between 2009 and 2015 in the United States alone -- there would be enormous benefits from an additional $1.6 trillion circulating in the U.S. economy. The added tax revenue, for example, be used to help reduce inequality and fund public works such as bridges, roads, schools, and hospitals. This sum, which again represents the untaxed cash among just the top 50 public companies, is equal to more than 10% of U.S. GDP. Given the sums accrued by holding cash offshore, companies have an interest in maintaining the current tax loopholes. As Silverman noted, “In many cases companies are fighting tooth and nail to preserve a specific tax loophole or other potential avenues to dodge taxes that small businesses and working families just don’t have access to.” 24/7 Wall St. reviewed total money held in offshore bank accounts by the 50 largest public U.S. companies provided by anti-poverty organization Oxfam America. To determine the amount of money stored in foreign bank accounts, Oxfam reviewed permanently reinvested earnings (PRE) from each of the 50 companies’ 2015 10-K financial reports. Estimates of each company’s profits, tax breaks, numbers of subsidiaries, total lobbying spending, tax-related lobbying spending, and global effective tax rates were also provided by Oxfam. Profits and lobbying expenditures are aggregates for the period of 2009-2015. To calculate the overall effective tax rate, Oxfam divided the total tax expense by total profits from 2009 to 2015 for each company. Five of the 50 companies -- AT&T, Comcast, US Bancorp, and Walgreens -- disclose that they own subsidiaries in tax havens but do not disclose the existence of cash held offshore. 50. AT&T > Money held offshore: Undisclosed > 2009-2015 profits: $110.93 billion > Global effective tax rate: 27.3% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $114.32 million 49. Comcast > Money held offshore: Undisclosed > 2009-2015 profits: $64.52 billion > Global effective tax rate: 36.5% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $111.40 million 48. CVS > Money held offshore: Undisclosed > 2009-2015 profits: $47.38 billion > Global effective tax rate: 38.9% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $79.88 million 47. US Bancorp > Money held offshore: Undisclosed > 2009-2015 profits: $45.23 billion > Global effective tax rate: 25.7% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $9.26 million 46. Walgreens Boots Alliance > Money held offshore: Undisclosed > 2009-2015 profits: $26.99 billion > Global effective tax rate: 34.6% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $15.97 million 45. UnitedHealth Group > Money held offshore: $459.00 million > 2009-2015 profits: $58.47 billion > Global effective tax rate: 38.1% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $21.74 million 44. Boeing > Money held offshore: $700.00 million > 2009-2015 profits: $38.07 billion > Global effective tax rate: 27.1% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $121.06 million 43. Capital One Financial > Money held offshore: $1.50 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $34.47 billion > Global effective tax rate: 31.0% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $12.86 million 42. Verizon Communications > Money held offshore: $1.80 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $72.64 billion > Global effective tax rate: 31.6% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $103.08 million 41. American International Group (AIG) > Money held offshore: $1.80 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $29.35 billion > Global effective tax rate: -36.5% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $4.08 million 40. Wells Fargo > Money held offshore: $2.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $186.53 billion > Global effective tax rate: 31.8% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $42.00 million 39. Allergan > Money held offshore: $2.09 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $-6.86 billion > Global effective tax rate: 0.0% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $16.63 million 38. Walt Disney > Money held offshore: $2.70 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $62.26 billion > Global effective tax rate: 36.1% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $27.85 million 37. Phillips 66 > Money held offshore: $2.80 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $32.47 billion > Global effective tax rate: 32.4% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $13.43 million 36. Prudential Financial > Money held offshore: $3.22 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $20.82 billion > Global effective tax rate: 20.5% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $57.20 million 35. Home Depot > Money held offshore: $3.50 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $52.01 billion > Global effective tax rate: 36.3% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $8.08 million 34. MetLife > Money held offshore: $4.90 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $30.26 billion > Global effective tax rate: 24.1% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $42.04 million 33. Ford Motor > Money held offshore: $5.50 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $51.93 billion > Global effective tax rate: -7.2% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $40.93 million 32. General Motors > Money held offshore: $6.90 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $109.38 billion > Global effective tax rate: -32.9% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $62.76 million 31. American Express > Money held offshore: $9.90 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $47.03 billion > Global effective tax rate: 32.0% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $16.67 million 30. Morgan Stanley > Money held offshore: $10.21 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $27.40 billion > Global effective tax rate: 17.2% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $23.34 million 29. Berkshire Hathaway > Money held offshore: $10.40 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $157.59 billion > Global effective tax rate: 30.5% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $59.53 million 28. Honeywell International > Money held offshore: $16.60 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $28.39 billion > Global effective tax rate: 25.5% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $44.24 million 27. Bank of America > Money held offshore: $18.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $50.67 billion > Global effective tax rate: 17.9% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $22.10 million 26. Dow Chemical > Money held offshore: $18.77 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $30.34 billion > Global effective tax rate: 24.1% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $70.39 million 25. Mondelēz International > Money held offshore: $19.20 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $21.02 billion > Global effective tax rate: 11.8% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $2.68 million 24. Wal-Mart Stores > Money held offshore: $26.10 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $162.39 billion > Global effective tax rate: 32.8% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $48.16 million 23. Intel > Money held offshore: $26.90 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $97.03 billion > Global effective tax rate: 25.3% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $32.21 million 22. Gilead Sciences > Money held offshore: $28.50 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $55.52 billion > Global effective tax rate: 20.4% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $14.10 million 21. Goldman Sachs Group > Money held offshore: $28.55 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $82.97 billion > Global effective tax rate: 32.2% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $26.10 million 19. Medtronic > Money held offshore: $29.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $27.53 billion > Global effective tax rate: 19.0% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $32.39 million 19. United Technologies > Money held offshore: $29.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $46.52 billion > Global effective tax rate: 29.0% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $96.46 million 18. Coca-Cola > Money held offshore: $31.90 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $76.48 billion > Global effective tax rate: 22.5% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $50.31 million 17. Amgen > Money held offshore: $32.60 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $38.51 billion > Global effective tax rate: 10.6% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $70.22 million 16. JPMorgan Chase > Money held offshore: $34.60 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $184.67 billion > Global effective tax rate: 27.8% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $44.59 million 15. PepsiCo > Money held offshore: $40.20 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $58.29 billion > Global effective tax rate: 25.2% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $34.62 million 14. Oracle > Money held offshore: $42.60 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $84.49 billion > Global effective tax rate: 22.6% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $46.33 million 13. Citigroup > Money held offshore: $45.20 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $86.01 billion > Global effective tax rate: 23.1% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $37.70 million 12. Chevron > Money held offshore: $45.40 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $215.67 billion > Global effective tax rate: 40.7% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $79.02 million 11. Procter & Gamble > Money held offshore: $49.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $93.64 billion > Global effective tax rate: 24.4% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $32.14 million 10. Exxon Mobil > Money held offshore: $51.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $363.40 billion > Global effective tax rate: 40.3% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $103.63 million 9. Johnson & Johnson > Money held offshore: $58.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $114.41 billion > Global effective tax rate: 19.9% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $42.94 million 8. Cisco Systems > Money held offshore: $58.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $67.24 billion > Global effective tax rate: 17.8% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $16.88 million 7. Alphabet (Google) > Money held offshore: $58.30 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $98.78 billion > Global effective tax rate: 19.6% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $86.38 million 6. Merck > Money held offshore: $59.20 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $60.61 billion > Global effective tax rate: 22.5% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $49.98 million 5. IBM > Money held offshore: $68.10 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $137.58 billion > Global effective tax rate: 22.2% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $36.96 million 4. General Electric > Money held offshore: $104.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $84.83 billion > Global effective tax rate: 19.6% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $167.82 million 3. Microsoft > Money held offshore: $124.00 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $168.48 billion > Global effective tax rate: 21.8% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $56.36 million 2. Pfizer > Money held offshore: $193.59 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $79.55 billion > Global effective tax rate: 23.3% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $89.41 million 1. Apple > Money held offshore: $200.10 billion > 2009-2015 profits: $296.73 billion > Global effective tax rate: 25.9% > 2009-2015 lobbying expenditure: $19.34 million https://finance.yahoo.com/news/companies-stashing-most-money-overseas-040111543.html B/A

Again most of what you say I agree with, but Trump himself needs to stop lying. He has been caught in many mistruths and misleading statements. His ratings are sinking and his party is bailing, because he can't keep his thoughts together longer than a nat. He has surrounded himself with complete ineptness and it is really beginning to show. When his Secretary to the UN is telling a different story than his Secretary of State, there is a serious lack of communication within his administration. B/A

I agree, they all need investigating, but only one is our president. B/A

The IMF doesn't want any independence... I think Trump is fooling himself and his folks if they think the global types are going to sit back and let one man undo their plan... I don't like the one world idea, but it is in the works. When the aliens arrive, then we will all be one!!! LOL B/A

The American flags on the moon are disintegrating Dave Mosher,Business Insider UK Sun, Apr 9 8:30 AM PDT NASA The photos have stood the test of time: A spacesuit-clad Apollo astronaut stands proudly next to a red-white-and-blue American flag, his national trophy telling the lonely world "the United States was here." Unfortunately, all six flags they planted from 1969 through 1972 haven't fared so well. Images taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2012 do show that at least five out six flags still stand. However, scientists think decades' worth of brilliant sunlight have bleached out their emblematic colors. The result? The flags are probably completely bone-white by now, as we first learned from Gizmodo. But their condition may be even worse than that. Each one of the flags was made by the company Annin Flagmakers, woven out of rayon, and cost NASA $5.50 (more than $32.00 when adjusted for inflation). On the surface of Earth, such flags fade in sunlight. That's because ultraviolet light — the same wavelength that causes sunburn — isn't fully absorbed by our planet's atmosphere, and it excels at breaking down fibers and colors. The moon doesn't have any atmosphere to absorb sunlight, and outside of craters there is no shade. This means the flags planted by the Apollo astronauts are exposed to constant, gleaming sunlight and even more solar radiation, and for two-week stretches at a time. (One "day" on the moon lasts about 28 Earth days.) Writing in a July 2011 article for Smithsonian Air&Space magazine, lunar scientist Paul Spudis explains: "Over the course of the Apollo program, our astronauts deployed six American flags on the Moon. For forty-odd years, the flags have been exposed to the full fury of the Moon's environment – alternating 14 days of searing sunlight and 100° C heat with 14 days of numbing-cold -150° C darkness. But even more damaging is the intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the pure unfiltered sunlight on the cloth (modal) from which the Apollo flags were made. Even on Earth, the colors of a cloth flag flown in bright sunlight for many years will eventually fade and need to be replaced. So it is likely that these symbols of American achievement have been rendered blank, bleached white by the UV radiation of unfiltered sunlight on the lunar surface. Some of them may even have begun to physically disintegrate under the intense flux. "America is left with no discernible space program while the Moon above us no longer flies a visible U.S. flag. How ironic." Will we return to the moon? Ted S. Warren/AP; NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio; Business InsiderA lot has and has not changed since Spudis' lament nearly six years ago. NASA is working hard to fly astronauts into deep space, but has since decided to skip a moon landing using its ultra-powerful Space Launch System rockets. Instead, the space agency plans to send astronauts to Mars by 2033. There may be hope for a moon mission in the commercial sector, though. Tech mogul Elon Musk, for example, planets to slingshot two civilians around the moon (but not land on it) in 2018 using his rocket company, SpaceX. Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, who owns the rocket company Blue Origin, is eager to colonize the moon. Should neither company get people to the lunar surface, five teams competing for the $20 million Google Lunar XPRIZE competition might, as soon as the end of 2017. Their mission includes landing a robot on the surface and broadcasting high-definition footage. A $4 million "Apollo Heritage Bonus Prize" will go to whichever team can record the first live-video stream or panoramic image from the site of Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, or 17 and include views of lunar hardware. If they succeed, there may be an iconic flag in the frame — and we might settle the question of what they actually look like after spending more than 45 years under the sun. Jennifer Welsh contributed to this post. Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.

Alabama governor booked on misdemeanors, expected to resign KIM CHANDLER,Associated Press 21 minutes ago MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Gov. Robert Bentley was booked on two misdemeanor campaign and ethics charges that arose during the investigation of alleged affair with a top aide and was expected to resign Monday evening. The mild-mannered 74-year-old Republican and one-time Baptist deacon was at peace with the decision to step down, according to a former administration member who was not authorized to release the information and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The sex-tinged scandal gathered force over the past few days and the legislators turned up on the pressure by opening impeachment hearings Monday. Last week, the Alabama Ethics Commission cited evidence that Bentley broke state ethics and campaign laws and referred the matter to prosecutors. A booking log at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office website showed Bentley was processed Monday afternoon and a mugshot released by the jail shows him smiling slightly, his head cocked slightly to the right. He's wearing a coat and tie. Bentley's resignation would follow the ouster of former House Speaker Mike Hubbard, who left office in 2016 after being convicted on ethics charges, and former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was suspended from his post last year over an order opposing same-sex marriage. Bentley, a staunch family-values conservative who won two terms partly because of his reputation for moral rectitude, was first engulfed in scandal last year after recordings surfaced of him making sexually charged comments to 45-year-old political adviser Rebekah Caldwell Mason. An investigative report prepared for the House Judiciary Committee and released last week said Bentley encouraged an "atmosphere of intimidation" to keep the story under wraps and directed law enforcement officers to track down and seize the recordings. The report portrayed the governor as paranoid and obsessed with trying to keep the relationship secret. The committee on Monday started what was expected to be days of hearings. Bentley lawyer Ross Garber had argued that impeachment should be reserved for only the "most grave misconduct," noting that only two U.S. governors have been impeached since 1929, and both were indicted for serious felonies. "It is not unusual for elected officials to have ethics and campaign finance issues. In fact, many governors face these things. It is very rare, though, for legislators to try to leverage those issues to impeach a governor. In fact, it is simply not done," Garber told The Associated Press in an email. Garber also represented former Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Gov. John Rowland of Connecticut during impeachment proceedings. The last U.S. governor to be impeached was Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2009. He was removed from office, and is now serving a prison sentence, for conspiring to sell an appointment to President Barack Obama's vacant U.S. Senate seat. The investigative report contained text messages that the governor sent to Mason. They were intercepted by Bentley's then-wife, Dianne Bentley, who was able to read the messages because they also showed up on the governor's state-issued iPad, which he had given her. "I sure miss you. I need you. I want you. You are the only one," one message read. Dianne Bentley divorced her husband in 2015 after 50 years of marriage. At one point, according to the investigative report, the governor sent the head of his security detail to fetch the recording from his son, Paul Bentley, who responded: "You ain't getting it." The former first lady's chief of staff also charged that Bentley threatened her job because he believed she had helped his wife make the recordings. On Friday, the governor made a somber plea for forgiveness from the steps of the Alabama Capitol, acknowledging that he had let people down but promising that he had done nothing illegal or anything to merit his removal from office. He has denied having a physical relationship with his former aide, though in some of the recordings he talked about the pleasure he got from fondling her breasts. GOP leaders in the House and Senate have called on Bentley to resign, as has the Alabama Republican Party's steering committee. Two of Bentley's predecessors in the past three decades have been convicted of crimes: Republican Guy Hunt in the 1990s, for misusing funds, and Democrat Don Siegelman, who was convicted of bribery in 2006. ___ This story corrects an earlier version that said two of Bentley's predecessors went to prison. Former Gov. Guy Hunt was convicted, but did not go to prison. It also corrects that Bentley lawyer Ross Garber represented former Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Gov. John Rowland of Connecticut during impeachment proceedings, not Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2009. https://www.yahoo.com/news/alabama-lawmakers-open-impeachment-hearings-against-governor-190138496.html Another one bite the dust! B/A

Looks like his backers are backing out.... This list of Trump suckers is shrinking and it is shrinking fast. https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-alt-right-fans-bail-syria-strikes-130839954.html

Nothing changed except the party. Tens of thousands have died, because one party couldn't give support to the other party. It doesn't matter who is in charge, they play games and it is sick. B/A

That's BS... Sorry RV I like you, but you need to take your head out of your ass. These people, all of them are political games with people's lives... Playing politics with the lives of the innocent. It is pathetic at best. Assad was an ******* then just like he is an ******* now. Anyone who believes in humanity should be disgusted by our so-called leaders.... They should all be voted off the island. B/A

Of course we should have done many years ago. I often wonder why they allow these evil-doers to exist. Is it because if they are taken out, the next in line will be worse? Or is this simply a distraction from bad press and an attempt to generate good press. I ask because in 2013 when Obama, took the constitutional step and asked congress, here are some replies including Trumps.. Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval. 2:14 PM - 29 Aug 2013 27,110 27,110 Retweets 16,251 16,251 likes Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump The only reason President Obama wants to attack Syria is to save face over his very dumb RED LINE statement. Do NOT attack Syria,fix U.S.A. 7:13 AM - 5 Sep 2013 3,455 3,455 Retweets 1,704 1,704 likes Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump AGAIN, TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA - IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING! 9:20 AM - 5 Sep 2013 68,381 68,381 Retweets 47,220 47,220 likes Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump The President must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria-big mistake if he does not! 7:02 PM - 30 Aug 2013 2. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). Although Ryan gave Trump his approval for Thursday night’s airstrikes, in 2013 he said that Obama’s proposed military strike “cannot achieve its stated objectives” and could make things worse. 3. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT). On Thursday evening, Chaffetz sent out a tweet that read, “God bless the USA!” But in 2013, he said he would oppose the use of force in Syria on the grounds that he saw “no clear and present danger” to the United States that would justify using force. 4. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Blackburn announced in 2013 that she would oppose Obama’s Syrian airstrike after being briefed. On Thursday evening, she approvingly re-tweeted President Trump’s quote that “no child of God should ever suffer such horror.” 5. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). Although Rubio has been blanketing the airwaves praising Trump’s airstrikes, in 2013 he said that “I have long argued forcefully for engagement in empowering the Syrian people, I have never supported the use of U.S. military force in the conflict.” 6. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Hatch gave Trump’s actions an “amen” on Twitter Thursday evening, but in 2013 he said that he had “strong reservations about authorizing the use of force against Syria.” 7. Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX). Olson cited his experience as a Navy veteran as a reason for opposing the use of force against Syria in 2013. Now, however, he is cheering on Trump by praising the president for doing what Obama would not. 8. Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL). The congressman on Thursday night gushed about Trump’s airstrike, but in 2013 he worried that Obama had not done enough to seek a “diplomatic” solution to the crisis. 9. Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN). In 2013, the congressman opposed intervention in Syria on the grounds that he hadn’t met a single person in his district “who believes we should fire missiles into Syria.” 10. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO). In 2013, Gardner expressed “skepticism” of striking Syria and argued that he didn’t see “a compelling and vital” national interest in such an attack. On Thursday evening, he called Trump’s strike against Syria a “long-overdue action.” https://www.rawstory.com/2017/04/here-are-10-republicans-who-have-done-a-complete-180-on-syria-now-that-obamas-not-president/ What changed? Did these guys suddenly realize Obama was correct? Are they playing politics? How do they frickin' sleep at night? B/A

Why are so many Italian guys named Tony? When they were migrating to America, they had TO-NY stamped on their foreheads!!! Okay, it's just a joke... B/A

There's an understatement! B/A

WASHINGTON — The White House announced on Wednesday that chief strategist Steve Bannon is leaving his position on the Principals Committee of the National Security Council. White House officials explained the move as part of a planned “realignment” of the NSC, which is a group of top officials that advises the president on national security and foreign policy. Bannon became the chief executive of Trump’s presidential campaign last August. He was previously the chairman of the conservative media outlet Breitbart News. Bannon’s association with the firebrand conservative site, which has delighted in flouting political correctness, attacking the Republican establishment, and promoting nationalist anti-immigration policies, made his role in Trump’s administration controversial. Bannon’s position on the NSC was announced shortly after Trump’s inauguration in January. The move immediately drew vocal opposition from Democrats including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who called Bannon a “white supremacist.” The White House announced Bannon’s departure in a regulatory filing that made two other changes to the NSC. Bloomberg’s Jennifer Jacobs was first to report on the filing. A senior White House official told reporters Bannon was initially put on the NSC to supervise Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Flynn’s efforts to “deoperationalize,” or streamline, the council. Since that process is now concluded and Flynn is no longer in the administration, the official said Bannon’s presence was no longer necessary. “Look, Steve was put on the NSC from the get-go as a check on Mike Flynn,” the official said. Flynn was fired from his position as national security adviser in February after it was revealed he misled Vice President Mike Pence about his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. Earlier this week, his attorney indicated Flynn might be willing to testify in the ongoing investigations into Russian interference in last year’s election and Trump aides’ contacts with officials from that country. According to ABC News, “The removal of Bannon comes as part of a makeover of the NSC led by Flynn’s national security adviser replacement, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster. The positions of energy secretary (Rick Perry), director of national intelligence (Dan Coats), CIA director (Mike Pompeo) and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford) were added to the principals committee as ’regular attendees.’” Despite the questions currently swirling around Flynn, the senior White House official dismissed the idea that Bannon was serving as a “check” on him due to a lack of trust. Rather, the official said, it was simply to ensure that the mission of “deoperationalizing” the NSC was successful. The official said the council had become “bloated” and “bureaucratic” under Trump’s predecessor, President Barack Obama, and that the number of people reporting directly to the head of the council, more than 25, has been reduced to four “tunnels.” “Everything is much more streamlined so that decision making is much more deliberative and it doesn’t take months to get a decision,” the official said. Flynn was replaced by Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster. The White House official said the other parts of the regulatory filing were organizational changes requested by McMaster. The official further said part of the reason Bannon was no longer needed was that his “philosophy” was in sync with McMaster’s. “Steve was very instrumental in bringing on McMaster. Since McMaster basically shared his vision and view, there was no need for Steve to stay on,” the official said. The official attempted to cut off speculation there was a clash between McMaster and Bannon, claiming Bannon attended only one NSC meeting and citing this as proof his role was only intended to involve initial supervision. “I know how some people are going to interpret this. For what it’s worth, just to prove the point, since day one, Steve has only ever attended one NSC meeting. … This was never meant as he’s going to sit in there,” the official said. The senior White House official declined to comment on who ultimately decided to remove Bannon from the NSC. “I’m not going to get into the decision making,” the official said. https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-house-chief-strategist-steve-bannon-removed-national-security-council-172843948.html

Nice picks... I always enjoy a little Steve Miller

And it's a nice tax write-off... I'm sure we could all use a few more of those... I know the multi-nationals are standing in line to get theirs. B/A

Rush stated Impeachment would have to come from Republicans, because they control the house and senate.... That's today, but here in The United States of Amnesia, in two years it could all be different... I'm just saying, not predicting... B/A

He got game...

I didn't say the wall wasn't getting funded. The Republican led Congress did... Call your congressman... I'm sure he would love to have your input. B/A

No surprise there.... They want to sell us their killing compounds. B/A

Investors are starting to get real about Trump, according to Goldman Sachs . Analysts at the investment banking giant in a quarter-ending note on Friday observed that recent wavering in markets is a sign that Wall Street is beginning to accept the realities of what Republicans in control of the House, Senate and White House can and cannot accomplish. "From an equity market perspective, recent performance reflects an ongoing transition from post-election hope to an acceptance of political reality," according to the note, written by David Kostin, Ben Snider, Brett Sanchez, Arjun Menon, Ryan Hammond and Cole Hunter. The S&P 500 climbed by 6% in the first quarter of 2017, posting its best risk-adjusted return since 2013. But the benchmark index retreated from record highs at the start of March as GOP lawmakers failed to turn their years-long promise of Obamacare repeal into reality. Below-the-surface indicators signal waning optimism as well. Small caps, which rallied 16% in the month following the election, have begun to fizzle, though they rebounded about 2% last week. Companies that would benefit from Trump's pledged trillion-dollar infrastructure plan have retreated, though they remain above pre-election levels. Of course, it is earnings-boosting tax reform that has captured most of Wall Street's attention, and investors are split on what the health care fail signifies on that front. "Client conversations make clear that investors fall into two camps: The first group worries that the failure to 'repeal and replace' the Affordable Care Act is a sign that other items on the policy agenda are less likely to be enacted than they had hoped," the Goldman analysts wrote. "Others are encouraged about the shift in focus to tax reform as the new top priority for the administration." The firm continues to hold that corporate tax cuts will come this year -- but not major reform. Politico reported on Monday that the White House is currently in the process of hammering out a tax plan, with the president huddling with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, senior strategist Steve Bannon and son-in-law Jared Kushner to work out details. The administration has said they expect to have something together by August -- a perhaps overly-ambitious goal. Investors appear to be slightly more confident about the prospect of tax cuts than they were in the immediate aftermath of the Obamacare drama. A basket of companies tracked by Goldman that pay the highest effective tax rates (and therefore would benefit most from tax cuts) rebounded slightly last week. Names include Goodyear Tire & Rubber , Marathon Oil , ConocoPhillips , CME Group , Centene Corp. , Robert Half International , Visa and Yahoo! , which have effective tax rates well above the 30% range -- in Marathon's case as high as 54%. Trump campaigned on plan to reduce the corporate tax rate to 15%, while the blueprint put out by House Republicans lists 20%. Most agree that such a dramatic reduction from the current 35% rate is unlikely. "I don't see the rate being slashed from 35% to 15% or even 20%," said Julian Fortuna, an Atlanta-based Tax attorney at law firm Taylor English Duma. "I think it's still reasonable to expect a compromise cut in the mid-to-high 20s." Former Obama administration Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Jason Furman in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on Monday outlined principles for tax reform he believes could garner bipartisan support in Congress. "The only hope for seriously revamping America's inefficient business-tax system to unlock stronger economic growth is a bipartisan approach, but it will require a course correction by President Trump," he wrote. He outlined a number of proposals for tax reform, including a 28% corporate tax rate that "might be possible." Wall Street hopes it is. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/goldman-investors-starting-accept-political-140600828.html Compromise.... The Art of the Deal... B/A

They been selling your privacy since long before there was an internet. B/A

I do have to agree China needs to put a leash on that whacko... Or it will end badly for him. B/A